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CNN Live At Daybreak
Oscar Talk with Tom Joyner
Aired March 25, 2002 - 06:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, you know there's no doubt all across the country today's Oscar buzz will be about Halle Berry and Denzel Washington, though, not just for what they wore.
Joining me by phone from Dallas Texas is syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner, also known as the Sly Jock.
Good morning to you.
TOM JOYNER, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Good morning, how are you?
COSTELLO: I'm fine.
Hey, are you surprised that both Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won?
JOYNER: I thought -- I thought it was February all over again. I thought we were celebrating Black History Month.
(LAUGHTER)
JOYNER: Yes, it was -- it was -- it was quite a surprise, especially Halle Berry. And I didn't realize until it happened that Halle Berry was the first woman to...
COSTELLO: Oh yes.
JOYNER: ... win. And...
COSTELLO: There was a -- there was a best supporting actress...
MYERS: Supporting, yes.
COSTELLO: ... by a black woman, but that was for, you know, the woman who portrayed Mammy in "Gone With the Wind."
JOYNER: Right. Right, right, right, but it was a -- it was a great day. It was a great night, rather. And a long night, too.
COSTELLO: Oh yeah, four hours.
Hey, we got an e-mail from someone.
JOYNER: Yes. COSTELLO: This is from Steven (ph) from Oklahoma City. And he says that's all good that Denzel and Halle won, but we still have a long way to go before we make any kind of a pathway to being equal. And he's talking about black actors here. Do you agree and why?
JOYNER: Yes, I agree. I agree. Because Reverend Jesse Jackson said it best. He said -- he said when we're able to compete on a -- on a level playing field, we always do great things. And that's all we really want, a level playing field, not just in athletic and entertainment fields, but you know in the front office, in the board rooms, in the writing rooms, behind the cameras. Yes, I absolutely agree with that.
COSTELLO: You know I looked through the paper over the weekend to see how many movies starred black actors and I found some, "Showtime" with Eddie Murphy, "All about the Benjamins" with Ice Cube, of course "John Q" is still out. But there really aren't many good dramatic movies starting black actors and there are none staring black actresses. Is that a problem too?
JOYNER: Yes. Yes, and the -- and we've -- and we've brought this up time and time again and finally, finally we get, you know, last night. But like that -- like that e-mail says, we have a long, long way to go.
COSTELLO: There is also this sentiment out there, Tom, and this is from another e-mail. This is from Louie (ph). I don't know where he's from, though. He said I should have known that after Denzel Washington's whining in "Newsweek" that they would give the Oscar to him just to cover their behinds.
JOYNER: No, that's a very small mind. That's a very small mind that said that.
COSTELLO: But there...
JOYNER: Whining, oh jeez.
COSTELLO: Which maybe proves that we do have a long way to go.
JOYNER: Yes. Yes. Yes, it is. It is, a very long way to go. But it's -- but last night was a great start. And boy am I sleepy. They had...
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: What was your favorite moment?
JOYNER: My favorite -- my favorite moment had to be when -- you know after -- you know like you have several favorite moments. You know you have -- you had -- you have Sidney Poitier and then after that you have -- you have -- you have the two -- the two history- making awards. Those had to be my favorite moments.
COSTELLO: Oh yes, when Denzel Washington held up his Oscar and Sidney Poitier... JOYNER: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... held up his.
JOYNER: Yes. Yes, it was -- it was quite emotional. I just -- I just felt -- I just felt black people all over the country just standing up and applauding at their television sets last night.
COSTELLO: All right.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, Tom Joyner, thank you for joining us this morning.
JOYNER: And I'd like to thank the Academy.
(LAUGHTER)
JOYNER: Oh that's -- sorry about that.
COSTELLO: Well thank you so much for joining us this morning. We'll let you take a little nap or are you at work during your radio show?
JOYNER: I'm on the air right now.
COSTELLO: Oh you are?
JOYNER: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll let you get back to it.
JOYNER: OK.
COSTELLO: Thank you Tom Joyner.
MYERS: Right (ph).
JOYNER: Bye-bye.
(LAUGHTER)
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