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An HBO drama called "Gentlemen of Leisure," based off of the 1999 documentary "American Pimp," wants to film in and take place in Oakland. But not so fast, says Mayor Ron Dellums. While the production might give Oakland an economic lift when/if it starts filming next year -- and be handed loads of blind praise by male critics who hoover this kind of shit up the way they do with cocaine and Simpsons reruns -- Dellums isn't thrilled about further promoting the whoreriffic image the East Bay city already has. According to Dellums' chief of staff, David Chai, "While the mayor understands that there are certain benefits to having a major film project in our city, he is not willing to support this project at this time. The people of Oakland have come too far to have our city's name trampled upon in the name of entertainment." And, in many ways, he's absolutely right.
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Fine, then. We'll take it.
i think it's silly for dellums to be sore about a proposal to film a movie like this in oakland. it's a MOVIE, not a statement about oakland. if mayors in places like NY, LA, SF, Miami were this way we'd never have any R rated movies to watch!
i say, move it to the TL.
i mean TV show.
Because we wouldn't want anything to tarnish the image of Basra by the Bay.
If Dellums paid this much attention to the problems that plague Oakland things might not be so bad.
Dellums=Newsom in blackface. Completely useless.
OK, can you take that gross photo down now?
Baltimore seems to have survived The Wire. In fact, I know more people that are considering moving to Baltimore than ever before. It also focused residents and newspapers on problems in a way that only shining a spotlight on things can.
Yeah, 'cause it'll be this show that "tramples Oakland's name"
Good lord, take the money!
Oh good grief.
FIRST we hear all the caterwauling about how "no one will film their movies and tv shows here" and so on.
THEN someone does and because it's not up to Dellums' high standards they're going to do whatever they can to make life miserable for the producers. (I suppose if it was a show about a big city Mayor who spends most of his time out of town, it'd be ok?)
Whatever. What kind of movies does he expect to be made with Oakland as a setting. Some g-rated family movie where all they do is talk about how great everything is in Oakland? Where Mom and Dad take the kids to the crime free school, and talk about their friends in SF who lead similar idyllic lives under THEIR dear leader?
Eeeyah. Uh huh. Whatever. By this standard, NYC should be banning every cop show made ever now and in the past to "save its reputation."
RobinSF put it best - if Dellums spent more time on Real Problems than this kind of thing, maybe then the city might be better off instead of having a mayor who clearly doesn't seem to want to do the job.
Sound familiar?
No, really.
We'll take it.
Didn't Dellum's son play Luther Mahoney, the drug kingpin, in Homicide: Life On The Streets, the great pre-Wire Balmore cop show?
Yes, yes, I think he did.
It's so terrible that Oakland is known for things that happen in Oakland.