Essay 380

Serving up a MultiCultClassics Monologue with plenty of MSG…

• The sexual harassment shenanigans at Madison Square Garden are getting even nastier. Recent stories centered on charges that Knicks president Isiah Thomas harassed a team executive, and the executive was later fired (see Essay 365). Now a video technician claims colleagues punched, kicked and verbally abused her — plus she was subjected to pinups and pornography. Damn, the stadium employees are more physical and aggressive than the Knicks players.

• About 2,000 inmates rioted at a Southern California jail, and officials are citing racial tensions between Black and Hispanic gangs as the cause. The hour-long fracas left over 100 injured and one inmate dead — and additional scuffles continued four hours after the main battle. Gee, it sounds almost as bad as Madison Square Garden.

• Anyone eagerly awaiting the autobiography of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will have to remain patient, as the project is behind schedule. Thomas has been writing for nearly five years, and he even received a $500,000 advance in 2003. The book was slated for release in 2005. Hey, maybe he’s waiting for Anita Hill to submit her chapters — or he’s busy offering opinions on the Madison Square Garden proceedings.

• Diddy’s doing fragrance ads and apparently causing controversy. The images feature the hip-hop celebrity with two women in various states of undress. Some stores objected, requiring toned down versions to be produced. “I had a feeling the ads would catch some people’s eyes,” said Sean Combs. “But that’s because there aren’t any other ads with a young black man with fragrances and sexy poses. I’m showing the growth of the world. But sexy poses certainly aren’t new to fragrance ads.” Yo, look for the ads to appear at Madison Square Garden soon.