title: Banana Fish

text: "Banana Fish" creator Akimi Yoshida made her debut as a manga artist in 1977, having originally been inspired to pursue a career in manga after watching a revival screening of the 1969 film "Midnight Cowboy" while in high school. The film, which depicts the relationship between a con man and a male hustler in New York City, had a profound impact on Yoshida, and influenced her to create works that replicated its themes of close spiritual and fraternal bonds between men. Yoshida would first explore these themes in her debut serial manga series "California Story" (1978–1981), which depicts themes of homoeroticism in a New York City setting, and which manga scholar Yukari Fujimoto regards as a narrative and thematic precursor to "Banana Fish".


title: Banana Fish

text: Yoshida did not have a fixed composition for the plot of "Banana Fish" from its outset; while she had a general idea of the series' story, the particulars of plot and characters were developed throughout its serialization. Owing to the influence of "Midnight Cowboy", Yoshida sought to create "Banana Fish" as story focused on an emotionally intense relationship between two characters, who became Ash and Eiji. Originally, Ash was conceived as an upbeat character inspired by manga protagonists, as Yoshida sought to contrast the moody protagonists typical of her other works, while Eiji was originally conceived as a female character. In the latter case, Eiji was made male due the character's largely passive role in the story, and Yoshida's personal dislike of inert female deuteragonists in manga who exist solely as a source of conflict or romance for the male protagonist.


title: Banana Fish

text: Yoshida's style as a manga artist – as exemplified by "Banana Fish" – deviated significantly from typical manga of its era in terms of narrative, character, setting, mood, and visual style. Writer and translator Frederik L. Schodt notes that while Yoshida's works adhere to certain conventions of manga as textual and subtextual homoeroticism, she at the same time adopts "a completely masculine art style, eschewing flowers and bug eyes in favor of tight bold strokes, action scenes, and speed lines". She forgoed many of the conventions made popular by the Year 24 Group – highly stylized character designs, a focus on romance and fantasy, grandiloquent writing – in favor of artwork that was stripped-down and realistic, panels that focused on characters and actions over backgrounds and environments, and frequent action sequences. Her characters are drawn as realistically proportioned, contrasting both the "willowy bodies" typical of men in manga and the "hyperdefined anatomy" typical of men in manga (boys' manga). In contrast to the European settings popular in manga of the 1970s, Yoshida expressed a general disinterest in European culture and "English types", preferring instead the "carefree attitude" of working-class American men.


title: Banana Fish

text: The physical appearance of many of the characters in "Banana Fish" is based on real-life public figures: Ash's appearance is based on tennis player Stefan Edberg in the earliest chapters of the series before shifting to a design based on actor River Phoenix, while Eiji is based on actor Hironobu Nomura. Yoshida likened this process of selecting real-life figures to depict as characters to casting a "B-grade action movie". The author developed an interest in River Phoenix after watching his 1986 film "The Mosquito Coast" while visiting the United States; she was unaware Phoenix also appeared in the 1986 film "Stand By Me", which she had previously seen, and became intrigued by Phoenix's range as an actor given the differences between the two characters. Yoshida notes how as Ash's design shifted from the Edberg to the Phoenix design his physicality shifts as well, from "athletic and solidly-built" to a "slender pretty boy".


title: Banana Fish

text: Despite her lack of fixed composition for the story, Yoshida intended from the earliest stages of the series' development to have "Banana Fish" conclude with Ash's death. She briefly reconsidered this approach following Phoenix's death in 1993 at the age of 23, as she did not wish the series to be perceived as making light of a real-life tragedy. In discussing her rationale for Ash's death, Yoshida has indicated her fascination with people who live intensely and die young, describing Ash as a person who "lived his full life in 17 years"; further, Yoshida believed that as Ash had committed acts of violence and murder throughout the series, he needed to pay for these actions with his own life. The seeming ignominy of Ash's death at the hands of a low-level gang member was intentional on Yoshida's part; a protagonist who seems to die meaninglessly recurs as a motif in manga (such as "Ashita no Joe"), "Midnight Cowboy", and Yoshida's own "California Story".


title: Banana Fish

text: The concept of the mind-controlling banana fish drug originated from Yoshida's interest in Central Intelligence Agency research into mind control, such as MKUltra and Project ARTICHOKE, and her research into similar programs in the Soviet Union leading her to consider drugs as a tool for warfare. Yoshida has had an intellectual interest in drugs since high school, noting that her generation was influenced by and developed knowledge of drugs in a broad sense due to the influence of the drug culture of the era. The author has stated that depicting Cold War-era politics became more difficult as political realities changed over the course of "Banana Fish"'s nearly decade-long run – principally the dissolution of the Soviet Union mid-serialization – but that she ultimately did not strive for strict realism in her depiction of politics and current events.


title: Banana Fish

text: "Banana Fish" began serialization in the May 1985 issue of the manga magazine "Bessatsu Shōjo Comic", a monthly supplement to the manga magazine "Shōjo Comic", where it ran until its conclusion in the April 1994 issue. The total length of the series is roughly 3,400 pages. The series was released amid the so-called "manga boom" of the mid-1980s and 1990s, which saw the popularity of manga increase amid the emergence of new creators, series, genres, and magazines, as well as an increase in the popularity of manga in international markets. "Bessatsu Shōjo Comic" publisher Shogakukan published "Banana Fish" as nineteen collected volumes under its Flower Comics imprint.


title: Banana Fish

text: North American publisher Viz Media serialized an English-language translation of "Banana Fish" as a launch title for its manga magazine "Pulp" beginning in 1998. When "Pulp" folded in 2002, serialization of "Banana Fish" continued in "Animerica Extra", which itself folded in 2004. Viz also published two editions of collected volumes of "Banana Fish". The first, published from 1999 to 2002 and spanning the first seven volumes, features flipped artwork and censors some expletives. The second, published from 2004 to 2007 and spanning the full 19 volumes, is printed in the original right-to-left format and includes a re-translated script. The series was reprinted by Viz in 2018, shortly after the release of the anime adaptation of "Banana Fish".


title: Banana Fish

text: In addition to the main manga series, Yoshida wrote and illustrated four one-shot (single-chapter manga) side stories:


title: Banana Fish

text: All four stories were encapsulated in "Banana Fish: Another Story", a collected edition published by Shogakukan in 1997. The collection also includes , a comedic fourth wall-breaking story where Ash and Eiji discuss fan mail the series has received with Yoshida.


title: Banana Fish

text: "Banana Fish" was adapted into a 24-episode anime series produced by MAPPA and directed by Hiroko Utsumi, which aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block and Amazon Prime Video from July 5 to December 20, 2018. The series was produced as a part of a commemoration project to mark the 40th anniversary of Yoshida's debut as a manga artist. The adaptation revises the setting of the series from the 1980s to the 2010s, adding modern references such as smartphones and substituting the Vietnam War with the Iraq War.


title: Banana Fish

text: A radio drama adaptation of "Banana Fish" was produced by NHK in 1994, with a cast that featured Tohru Furusawa as the voice of Ash and Kazuhiko Inoue as the voice of Eiji. The adaptation was later released on CD, and was re-broadcast in 2018. Two novelizations of "Banana Fish" have been published. The first, a four-volume series written by Akira Endō, was published by KSS Comic Novels in 1998. Titled , the series tells the story of the manga from Max's perspective. The second, a three-volume series written by Miku Ogasawara based on the "Banana Fish" anime, was published by Shogakukan Bunko in 2018. Stage play adaptations of "Banana Fish" have been produced in 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2021. According to Yoshida, film rights for a live-action film adaptation of "Banana Fish" were at one point granted to Ryuichi Sakamoto, but no film was ever produced.


title: Banana Fish

text: Shogakukan, which published the "Banana Fish" manga, has published several art books related to the series, Including the art book "Angel Eyes" in 1994 and the companion book "Rebirth: The Banana Fish Official Guidebook" in 2001. The company also published "New York Sense" in 2001, an art book credited to "Eiji Okumura" and marketed as a book of photographs taken by the character.


title: Banana Fish

text: "Banana Fish" depicts homosexuality both in the text of the story through representations of male-male rape, and as subtext through the ambiguously homoerotic relationship between Ash and Eiji. Male homosexuality is a recurring motif in manga; while works created in the 1970s by artists associated with the Year 24 Group formalized manga featuring male homosexuality as a distinct subgenre known as , homoerotic themes and subjects had long been a feature of manga. "Banana Fish" would come to represent a shift for depictions of homosexuality in manga, towards older protagonists and realist writing and artwork, and away from the schoolboy romances and melodramas that had previously defined the genre. Some manga scholars such as Yukari Fujimoto consider "Banana Fish" as belonging to a continuous artistic canon that includes works by the Year 24 Group, while others such as James Welker argue that "Banana Fish" is narratively and stylistically closer to the boys' love genre of male-male romance manga that emerged in the 1990s.


title: Banana Fish

text: Despite "Banana Fish"'s influence and prominence as a manga depicting homosexuality, the central relationship between Ash and Eiji is never rendered as overtly romantic or sexual. Critic Ted Anderson argues that a romantic dimension to Ash and Eiji's bond can be readily inferred from the subtext of the story, writing that "the astute reader understands the unspoken elements of Ash and Eiji's relationship". Manga critic Jason Thompson similarly describes the series as a "love story" expressed "so subtly as to be invisible", noting how "the sensuality in this manga is in Ash teaching Eiji how to shoot a gun, or Ash and Eiji's friendly, teasing, couple-like dialogue." The non-physical nature of Ash and Eiji's relationship mirrors manga romances broadly, which commonly focus on a chaste relationship between a man and woman that is never physically consummated; Eiji's sexual and romantic inexperience is similarly a typical manga protagonist trait. Thompson considers several potential explanations for the largely subtextual nature of Ash and Eiji's relationship, including Yoshida's stated desire to focus on the emotional connection between the characters, that Yoshida did not wish to risk eroticizing the manga's themes of rape by depicting a romantic or sexual relationship, and the potential influence of manga censorship codes in limiting displays of same-sex romance and sex.


title: Banana Fish

text: While the cast of "Banana Fish" is almost entirely male, several characters – notably Ash and Eiji – are (literally "beautiful boys"), a term for visually androgynous male characters who blend masculine and feminine qualities, and who are seen as desirable to a female audience. This feeling of desirability is not solely sexual in nature, but also appeals to female readers by allowing them to experience romance, agency, and personal autonomy vicariously through male characters that are freed from the constraints of patriarchy. While romance between is tolerated in some contexts and thus "cannot be read as subversive "per se"", manga scholar Christina Parte argues that Ash and Eiji's status as allows them to "transgress Japanese gender norms" by resisting gender roles typically associated with female Japanese adolescents.


title: Banana Fish

text: Per Parte, Ash and Eiji express a degree of gender ambivalence by alternating between masculinized and feminized agency. Ash embodies typically masculine agency in his position as a leader of a street gang, but is frequently feminized though the rape he suffers at the hands of men. Conversely, Eiji possesses the typically feminine trait of nurturing domesticity – he soothes Ash when he is troubled, treats his wounds, and remains at home while Ash fights – but towards the end of the series, it is ultimately Eiji who takes up arms to free an emaciated Ash from Golzine's clutches. Parte argues that despite the American setting of the series, Ash's quest for self-determination ultimately represents a rejection of restrictive Japanese gender roles: both the "good son" (becoming Golzine's heir) and the "obedient wife" (becoming Golzine's sex slave). Thus, through Ash and Eiji's struggles, the ostensibly female reader is able to "escape from Japanese reality" and "resist the pressures of a highly hierarchical gender and sexual system".


title: Banana Fish

text: The release of "Banana Fish" in the late 1980s coincided with a period of fascination with New York City in Japanese popular culture. Schodt notes how the series reflects the Japanese perception of 1980s New York as a "modern Wild West" characterized by rampant crime, drug use, poverty, and racial tension that was "a symbol of everything that was wrong with America", but which at the same time "seemed symbolic of America's raw energy and exciting individual freedoms". Within the New York of the story, Eiji functions as an intermediary for the Japanese reader, echoing earlier manga such as "Fire!" that used Japanese characters to link works in American settings to their Japanese readership. Parte argues that it is "tempting to see in Eiji the personification of reverse orientalism" as a Japanese character who is captivated by an American, but that his status as a representing a blending of male and female traits allows him to embody a "female internationalist occidentalism" wherein the female reader can vicariously experience an "exotic American setting" that has fewer limits on personal expression.


title: Banana Fish

text: Beyond its American setting and characters, "Banana Fish" features frequent allusions to American literature: Blanca's character arc is drawn from Ernest Hemingway's "Islands in the Stream", Ash compares his life to Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", and the title of the series itself is a reference to J. D. Salinger's short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". The "bananafish" of Salinger's story are fish that eat to excess until they are unable to move, and the story ends with the sudden suicide of the protagonist. The symbolic meaning of the bananafish within "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is the subject of debate, and the significance of manga's title as an allusion to the story is similarly obscure, as there are few direct references to "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" within the manga. Anderson writes that "there are perhaps connections to Golzine's self-destructive greed and Ash’s seemingly suicidal tendencies, but these connections are tenuous at best." Thompson considers how "both the manga and the story involve life's cruelty, and traumatic experiences, and sudden death", while Parte considers the manga's banana fish drug as symbolizing "male greed, materialism, and destruction". Critic Hisayo Ogushi considers a less allegorical explanation, noting that the protagonist of Salinger's story commits suicide after he envisions the bananafish, just as characters in the manga lose control of themselves after they are given the banana fish drug.


title: Banana Fish

text: The action-oriented plot of "Banana Fish", characterized by frequent fight scenes, multi-chapter action set pieces, and the extensive use of speed lines, represented a break from the typical visual and narrative conventions of manga. Yoshida has stated that her interest in action stems from childhood, specifically her desire to play active sports like soccer instead of typically feminine pursuits such as rhythmic dance, and that the preponderance of male characters in "Banana Fish" stemmed in part from her difficulty in imagining stereotypically passive girls in these active scenarios. Violence and its dehumanizing effects recur as a major theme throughout the series, as character struggle to reconcile their humanity with the violent acts they commit and endure. Ash represents the apex of this theme: a character whose traumatic past has left him resigned to a life of violence, and who faces the conflict between his desire for a "normal" life with Eiji, and his desire to "protect Eiji from the horrors of his violent life".


title: Banana Fish

text: Sexual violence also recurs throughout the series, with depictions of rape that Parte argues echo scenes of sexual abuse of women in erotic manga. Thompson notes how the series does not contain any explicit depictions sex or nudity, and how rape is depicted "entirely as trauma and never as titillation", contrasting the common theme of rape fantasy in BL manga.


title: Banana Fish

text: , over 12 million copies of collected volumes of "Banana Fish" are in print. A 1998 reader's poll in the Japanese magazine "Comic Link" ranked "Banana Fish" as the greatest manga of all time.


title: Banana Fish

text: While Yoshida had published several manga titles prior to "Banana Fish", the series became her most critically and commercially successful work, and "cemented her status as a great creator". Though "Banana Fish" was published and marketed as a manga, its dense plot, heavy dialogue, and extensive action sequences led it to attract a significant crossover audience of male and adult female readers; Schodt identifies the series as "one of the few girls' manga a red-blooded Japanese male adult could admit to reading without blushing". The series was similarly praised "as an example of mature, plot-driven comics" when it was released in English, and became one of the earliest manga series to reach a wide audience in the United States. "Banana Fish" was particularly influential on the boys' love genre, inspiring a wave of action-centered boys' love manga which focused on older protagonists and realist artwork, including "Fake", "Yellow", and "Togainu no Chi".


title: Banana Fish

text: The series has been praised by critics, with Jason Thompson calling it "one of the great manga epics" and praising its "consciously literary" writing. Its artwork has received a mixed reception among critics: Frederik L. Schodt favorably compares Yoshida's artwork to the "clean-line realism" of artist Katsuhiro Otomo; Thompson, conversely, calls Yoshida's "dull artwork" the "one weakness" of the series, but nevertheless concludes that the "worldview of "Banana Fish" is so fully realised that the art is almost redundant, and even when the panels are nothing but talking heads, we hang on every word". "Banana Fish" is the favorite manga of Japanese musician Gackt – the artist claims to have read the series over one hundred times – and inspired the song "Asrun Dream" on his debut album "Mars".


title: Banana Fish

text: The New York Public Library Main Branch, a prominently featured location in the series, has become a tourist attraction for fans of "Banana Fish"; the New York Public Library reported a significant increase in gift shop revenue in the 2019 fiscal year, which they attributed to popularity generated by "Banana Fish". Japanese tourism company Kinki Nippon Tourist Kanto offered a New York City tour featuring stops at locations featured in the series and a guided audio tour narrated by Yuma Uchida and Kenji Nojima, who respectively voice Ash and Eiji in the anime adaptation of "Banana Fish", performing in-character. In 2019, the tour was selected by the Japan Travel Industry Association to receive the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Award at the annual Tour Grand Prix, which honors tourism plans that benefit Japan's travel industry.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music. Dubbed the "Gentle Genius," he first achieved success and recognition with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group The Impressions during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s, and later worked as a solo artist.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield started his musical career in a gospel choir. Moving to the North Side of Chicago, he met Jerry Butler in 1956 at the age of 14, and joined the vocal group The Impressions. As a songwriter, Mayfield became noted as one of the first musicians to bring more prevalent themes of social awareness into soul music. In 1965, he wrote "People Get Ready" for the Impressions, which was ranked at no. 24 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song received numerous other awards, and was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, as well as being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: After leaving the Impressions in 1970 in the pursuit of a solo career, Mayfield released several albums, including the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film "Super Fly" in 1972. The soundtrack was noted for its socially conscious themes, mostly addressing problems surrounding inner city minorities such as crime, poverty and drug abuse. The album was ranked at no. 72 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was paralyzed from the neck down after lighting equipment fell on him during a live performance at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, on 13 August 1990. Despite this, he continued his career as a recording artist, releasing his final album "New World Order" in 1996. Mayfield won a Grammy Legend Award in 1994 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. He is a double inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of the Impressions in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He was also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee. He died from complications of type 2 diabetes at the age of 57 on December 26, 1999.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on Wednesday, June 3, 1942, in Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Marion Washington and Kenneth Mayfield, one of five children. Mayfield's father left the family when Curtis was five; his mother (and maternal grandmother) moved the family into several Chicago public housing projects before settling in Cabrini–Green during his teen years. Mayfield attended Wells Community Academy High School before dropping out his second year. His mother taught him piano and, along with his grandmother, encouraged him to enjoy gospel music. At the age of seven he sang publicly at his aunt's church with the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield received his first guitar when he was ten, later recalling that he loved his guitar so much he used to sleep with it. He was a self-taught musician, but he grew up admiring blues singer Muddy Waters and Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: When he was 14 years old he formed the Alphatones when the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers decided to try their luck in downtown Chicago and Mayfield stayed behind. Fellow group member Sam Gooden was quoted "It would have been nice to have him there with us, but of course, your parents have the first say."


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Later in 1956, he joined his high school friend Jerry Butler's group The Roosters with brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks. He wrote and composed songs for this group who would become The Impressions two years later.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield's career began in 1956 when he joined the Roosters with Arthur and Richard Brooks and Jerry Butler. Two years later the Roosters, now including Sam Gooden, became the Impressions. The band had two hit singles with Butler, "For Your Precious Love" and "Come Back My Love", then Butler left. Mayfield temporarily went with him, co-writing and performing on Butler's next hit, "He Will Break Your Heart", before returning to the Impressions with the group signing for ABC Records and working with the label's Chicago-based producer/A&R manager, Johnny Pate.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Butler was replaced by Fred Cash, a returning original Roosters member, and Mayfield became lead singer, frequently composing for the band, starting with "Gypsy Woman", a Top 20 Pop hit. Their hit "Amen" (Top 10), an updated version of an old gospel tune, was included in the soundtrack of the 1963 United Artists film "Lilies of the Field", which starred Sidney Poitier. The Impressions reached the height of their popularity in the mid-to-late-'60s with a string of Mayfield compositions that included "Keep On Pushing," "People Get Ready", "It's All Right" (Top 10), the up-tempo "Talking about My Baby"(Top 20) and "Woman's Got Soul".


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: He formed his own label, Curtom Records in Chicago in 1968 and the Impressions joined him to continue their run of hits including "Fool For You," "This is My Country", "Choice Of Colors" and "Check Out Your Mind". Mayfield had written much of the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s, but by the end of the decade, he was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Mayfield's "We're a Winner" was their last major hit for ABC. Reaching number 14 on "Billboard"s pop chart and number one on the R&B chart, it became an anthem of the black power and black pride movements when it was released in late 1967, much as his earlier "Keep on Pushing" (whose title is quoted in the lyrics of "We're a Winner" and also in "Move On Up") had been an anthem for Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was a prolific songwriter in Chicago even outside his work for the Impressions, writing and producing scores of hits for many other artists. He also owned the Mayfield and Windy C labels which were distributed by Cameo-Parkway, and was a partner in the Curtom (first independent, then distributed by Buddah then Warner Bros and finally RSO) and Thomas labels (first independent, then distributed by Atlantic, then independent again and finally Buddah).


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Among Mayfield's greatest songwriting successes were three hits that he wrote for Jerry Butler on Vee Jay ("He Will Break Your Heart", "Find Another Girl" and "I'm A-Tellin' You"). His harmony vocals are very prominent. He also had great success writing and arranging Jan Bradley's "Mama Didn't Lie". Starting in 1963, he was heavily involved in writing and arranging for OKeh Records (with Carl Davis producing), which included hits by Major Lance such as "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" and "The Monkey Time", as well as Walter Jackson, Billy Butler and the Artistics. This arrangement ran through 1965.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In 1970, Mayfield left the Impressions and began a solo career. Curtom released many of Mayfield's 1970s records, as well as records by the Impressions, Leroy Hutson, the Five Stairsteps, the Staples Singers, Mavis Staples, Linda Clifford, Natural Four, The Notations and Baby Huey and the Babysitters. Gene Chandler and Major Lance, who had worked with Mayfield during the 1960s, also signed for short stays at Curtom. Many of the label's recordings were produced by Mayfield.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield's first solo album, "Curtis", was released in 1970, and hit the top 20, as well as being a critical success. It pre-dated Marvin Gaye's album, "What's Going On", to which it has been compared in addressing social change. The commercial and critical peak of his solo career came with "Super Fly", the soundtrack to the blaxploitation "Super Fly" film, which topped the "Billboard" Top LPs chart and sold over 12 million copies. Unlike the soundtracks to other blaxploitation films (most notably Isaac Hayes' score for "Shaft"), which glorified the ghetto excesses of the characters, Mayfield's lyrics consisted of hard-hitting commentary on the state of affairs in black, urban ghettos at the time, as well as direct criticisms of several characters in the film. Bob Donat wrote in "Rolling Stone" magazine in 1972 that while the film's message "was diluted by schizoid cross-purposes" because it "glamorizes machismo-cocaine consciousness... the anti-drug message on [Mayfield's soundtrack] is far stronger and more definite than in the film." Because of the tendency of these blaxploitation films to glorify the criminal life of dealers and pimps to target a mostly black lower class audience, Mayfield's album set this movie apart. With songs like "Freddie's Dead", a song that focuses on the demise of Freddie, a junkie that was forced into "pushin' dope for the man" because of a debt that he owed to his dealer, and "Pusherman", a song that reveals how many people in the ghetto fell victim to drug abuse, and therefore became dependent upon their dealers, Mayfield illuminated a darker side of life in the ghetto that these blaxploitation films often failed to criticize. However, although Mayfield's soundtrack criticized the glorification of dealers and pimps, he in no way denied that this glorification was occurring. When asked about the subject matter of these films he was quoted stating "I don't see why people are complaining about the subject of these films", and "The way you clean up the films is by cleaning up the streets."


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Along with "What's Going On" and Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions", this album ushered in a new socially conscious, funky style of popular soul music. He was dubbed 'The Gentle Genius'. The single releases "Freddie's Dead" and "Super Fly" each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs by the R.I.A.A.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: "Super Fly" brought success that resulted in Mayfield being tapped for additional soundtracks, some of which he wrote and produced while having others perform the vocals. Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded Mayfield's soundtrack for "Claudine" in 1974, while Aretha Franklin recorded the soundtrack for "Sparkle" in 1976. Mayfield also worked with The Staples Singers on the soundtrack for the 1975 film "Let's Do It Again", and teamed up with Mavis Staples exclusively on the 1977 film soundtrack "A Piece of the Action" (both movies were part of a trilogy of films that featured the acting and comedic exploits of Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier and were directed by Poitier).


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In 1973 Mayfield released the anti-war album "Back to the World", a concept album that dealt with the social aftermath of the Vietnam War and criticized the United States' involvement in wars across the planet. One of Mayfield's most successful funk-disco meldings was the 1977 hit "Do Do Wap is Strong in Here" from his soundtrack to the Robert M. Young film of Miguel Piñero's play "Short Eyes". In his 2003 biography of Curtis Mayfield, "People Never Give Up", author Peter Burns noted that Mayfield has 140 songs in the Curtom vaults. Burns indicated that the songs were maybe already completed or in the stages of completion, so that they could then be released commercially. These recordings include "The Great Escape", "In The News", "Turn up the Radio", "What's The Situation?" and one recording labelled "Curtis at Montreux Jazz Festival 87".Two other albums featuring Curtis Mayfield present in the Curtom vaults and as yet unissued are a 1982/83 live recording titled "25th Silver Anniversary" (which features performances by Mayfield, the Impressions, and Jerry Butler) and a live performance, recorded in September 1966 by the Impressions titled "Live at the Club Chicago".


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In 1982, Mayfield decided to move to Atlanta with his family, closing down his recording operation in Chicago. The label had gradually reduced in size in its final two years or so with releases on the main RSO imprint and Curtom credited as the production company. Mayfield continued to record occasionally, keeping the Curtom name alive for a few more years, and to tour worldwide. Mayfield's song "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go" has been included as an entrance song on every episode of the drama series "The Deuce". "The Deuce" tells of the germination of the sex-trade industry in the heart of New York's Times Square in the 1970s. Mayfield's career began to slow down during the 1980s.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In later years, Mayfield's music was included in the movies "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Hollywood Shuffle", "Friday" (though not on the soundtrack album), "Bend It Like Beckham", "The Hangover Part II" and "Short Eyes", where he had a cameo role as a prisoner.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield sang openly about civil rights and black pride, and was known for introducing social consciousness into African-American music. Having been raised in the Cabrini-Green projects of Chicago, he witnessed many of the tragedies of the urban ghetto first hand, and was quoted saying "With everything I saw on the streets as a young black kid, it wasn't hard during the later fifties and sixties for me to write my heartfelt way of how I visualized things, how I thought things ought to be.”


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Following the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, his group the Impressions produced music that became the soundtrack to a summer of revolution. It is even said that "Keep On Pushing" became the number one sing along during the Freedom Rides. Black students sang their songs as they marched to jail or protested outside their universities, while King often used "Keep On Pushing", "People Get Ready" and "We're A Winner" because of their ability to motivate and inspire marchers. Mayfield had quickly become a civil rights hero with his ability to inspire hope and courage.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was unique in his ability to fuse relevant social commentary with melodies and lyrics that instilled a hopefulness for a better future in his listeners. He wrote and recorded the soundtrack to the 1972 blaxploitation film "Super Fly" with the help of producer Johnny Pate. The soundtrack for "Super Fly" is regarded as an all-time great body of work that captured the essence of life in the ghetto while criticizing the tendency of young people to glorify the "glamorous" lifestyles of drug dealers and pimps, and illuminating the dark realities of drugs, addiction, and exploitation.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield, along with several other soul and funk musicians, spread messages of hope in the face of oppression, pride in being a member of the black race and gave courage to a generation of people who were demanding their human rights. He has been compared to Martin Luther King Jr. for making a lasting impact in the civil rights struggle with his inspirational music. By the end of the decade Mayfield was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement, along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Paving the way for a future generation of rebel thinkers, Mayfield paid the price, artistically and commercially, for his politically charged music. Mayfield's "Keep On Pushing" was actually banned from several radio stations, including WLS in his hometown of Chicago. Regardless of the persistent radio bans and loss of revenue, he continued his quest for equality right until his death.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was also a descriptive social commentator. As the influx of drugs ravaged through black America in the late 1960s and 1970s his bittersweet descriptions of the ghetto would serve as warnings to the impressionable. "Freddie's Dead" is a graphic tale of street life, while "Pusherman" revealed the role of drug dealers in the urban ghettos.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was married twice. He had 10 children from different relationships. At the time of his death he was married to Altheida Mayfield. Together they had six children.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: On August 13, 1990, Mayfield became paralyzed from the neck down after stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Afterwards, though he was unable to play the guitar, he continued to compose and sing, which he found he could do by lying down and letting gravity pull down on his chest and lungs. 1996's "New World Order" was recorded in this way, with vocals sometimes recorded in lines at a time.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. In February 1998, he had to have his right leg amputated due to diabetes. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 1999. Health reasons prevented him from attending the ceremony, which included fellow inductees Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Dusty Springfield, George Martin, and 1970s Curtom signees and labelmates the Staple Singers.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield's last appearance on record was with the group Bran Van 3000 on the song "Astounded" for their 2000 album "Discosis", recorded just before his death and released in 2001. However, his health had steadily declined following his paralysis, so his vocals were not new but were instead lifted from archive recordings, including "Move On Up".


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield died from complications of type 2 diabetes at 7:20 AM (12:20 GMT) on Sunday, December 26, 1999, at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia. He was survived by his wife, Altheida Mayfield; his mother, Mariam Jackson; 10 children; two sisters, Carolyn Falls and Judy Mayfield; a brother, Kenneth Mayfield; and seven grandchildren.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was among the first of a new wave of mainstream black R&B performing artists and composers injecting social commentary into their work. This "message music" proved immensely popular during the 1960s and 1970s.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield taught himself how to play guitar, tuning it to the black keys of the piano, giving the guitar an open F-sharp tuning that he used throughout his career. He primarily sang in falsetto register, adding another flavor to his music. This was not unique in itself, but most singers sing primarily in the modal register. His guitar playing, singing, and socially aware song-writing influenced a range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Sinead O'Connor.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In 2017, it was reported that Lionel Richie had secured the rights to produce a Curtis Mayfield biographical film. In a statement he said, "I'm so grateful to be working closely with [Mayfield's widow] Altheida Mayfield, [son] Cheaa Mayfield and the Curtis Mayfield Estate and couldn't be happier to be moving forward on this amazing project about a one-of-a-kind music genius." Altheida Mayfield added, "It's time to celebrate and re-evaluate Curtis' legacy. For years, too many others have tried to claim what he alone did. He was a genius, always stood on his own."


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: In 1972, the French Academy of Jazz awarded Mayfied's debut solo album "Curtis" the Prix Otis Redding for best R&B record.


title: Curtis Mayfield

text: Mayfield was nominated for eight Grammy Awards during his career. He is a winner of the prestigious Grammy Legend Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.


title: Calendar

text: A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physical record (often paper) of such a system. A calendar can also mean a list of planned events, such as a court calendar or a partly or fully chronological list of documents, such as a calendar of wills.


title: Calendar

text: Periods in a calendar (such as years and months) are usually, though not necessarily, synchronized with the cycle of the sun or the moon. The most common type of pre-modern calendar was the lunisolar calendar, a lunar calendar that occasionally adds one intercalary month to remain synchronized with the solar year over the long term.


title: Calendar

text: The term "calendar" is taken from , the term for the first day of the month in the Roman calendar, related to the verb 'to call out', referring to the "calling" of the new moon when it was first seen. Latin meant 'account book, register' (as accounts were settled and debts were collected on the calends of each month). The Latin term was adopted in Old French as and from there in Middle English as by the 13th century (the spelling "calendar" is early modern).


title: Calendar

text: The course of the sun and the moon are the most salient regularly recurring natural events useful for timekeeping, and in pre-modern societies around the world lunation and the year were most commonly used as time units. Nevertheless, the Roman calendar contained remnants of a very ancient pre-Etruscan 10-month solar year.


title: Calendar

text: The first recorded physical calendars, dependent on the development of writing in the Ancient Near East, are the Bronze Age Egyptian and Sumerian calendars.


title: Calendar

text: During the Vedic period India developed a sophisticated timekeeping methodology and calendars for Vedic rituals. According to Yukio Ohashi, the Vedanga calendar in ancient India was based on astronomical studies during the Vedic Period and was not derived from other cultures.


title: Calendar

text: A large number of calendar systems in the Ancient Near East were based on the Babylonian calendar dating from the Iron Age, among them the calendar system of the Persian Empire, which in turn gave rise to the Zoroastrian calendar and the Hebrew calendar.


title: Calendar

text: A great number of Hellenic calendars were developed in Classical Greece, and during the Hellenistic period they gave rise to the ancient Roman calendar and to various Hindu calendars.


title: Calendar

text: Calendars in antiquity were lunisolar, depending on the introduction of intercalary months to align the solar and the lunar years. This was mostly based on observation, but there may have been early attempts to model the pattern of intercalation algorithmically, as evidenced in the fragmentary 2nd-century Coligny calendar.


title: Calendar

text: The Roman calendar was reformed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. His "Julian" calendar was no longer dependent on the observation of the new moon, but followed an algorithm of introducing a leap day every four years. This created a dissociation of the calendar month from lunation.


title: Calendar

text: The Islamic calendar is based on the prohibition of intercalation ("nasi'") by Muhammad, in Islamic tradition dated to a sermon given on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah AH 10 (Julian date: 6 March 632). This resulted in an observation-based lunar calendar that shifts relative to the seasons of the solar year.


title: Calendar

text: The first calendar reform of the early modern era resulted in the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 and based on the observation of a long-term shift between the Julian calendar and the solar year.


title: Calendar

text: There have been several modern proposals for reform of the modern calendar, such as the World Calendar, the International Fixed Calendar, the Holocene calendar, and the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar. Such ideas are mooted from time to time, but have failed to gain traction because of the loss of continuity and the massive upheaval that implementing them would involve, as well as their effect on cycles of religious activity.


title: Calendar

text: A full calendar system has a different calendar date for every day. Thus the week cycle is by itself not a full calendar system; neither is a system to name the days within a year without a system for identifying the years.


title: Calendar

text: The simplest calendar system just counts time periods from a reference date. This applies for the Julian day or Unix Time. Virtually the only possible variation is using a different reference date, in particular, one less distant in the past to make the numbers smaller. Computations in these systems are just a matter of addition and subtraction.


title: Calendar

text: Very commonly a calendar includes more than one type of cycle or has both cyclic and non-cyclic elements.


title: Calendar

text: Most calendars incorporate more complex cycles. For example, the vast majority of them track years, months, weeks and days. The seven-day week is practically universal, though its use varies. It has run uninterrupted for millennia.


title: Calendar

text: Solar calendars assign a "date" to each solar day. A day may consist of the period between sunrise and sunset, with a following period of night, or it may be a period between successive events such as two sunsets. The length of the interval between two such successive events may be allowed to vary slightly during the year, or it may be averaged into a mean solar day. Other types of calendar may also use a solar day.


title: Calendar

text: Not all calendars use the solar year as a unit. A lunar calendar is one in which days are numbered within each lunar phase cycle. Because the length of the lunar month is not an even fraction of the length of the tropical year, a purely lunar calendar quickly drifts against the seasons, which do not vary much near the equator. It does, however, stay constant with respect to other phenomena, notably tides. An example is the Islamic calendar.


title: Calendar

text: Alexander Marshack, in a controversial reading, believed that marks on a bone baton (c. 25,000 BC) represented a lunar calendar. Other marked bones may also represent lunar calendars. Similarly, Michael Rappenglueck believes that marks on a 15,000-year-old cave painting represent a lunar calendar.


title: Calendar

text: A lunisolar calendar is a lunar calendar that compensates by adding an extra month as needed to realign the months with the seasons. Prominent examples of lunisolar calendar are Hindu calendar and Buddhist calendar that are popular in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Another example is the Hebrew calendar, which uses a 19-year cycle.


title: Calendar

text: Nearly all calendar systems group consecutive days into "months" and also into "years". In a "solar calendar" a "year" approximates Earth's tropical year (that is, the time it takes for a complete cycle of seasons), traditionally used to facilitate the planning of agricultural activities. In a "lunar calendar", the "month" approximates the cycle of the moon phase. Consecutive days may be grouped into other periods such as the week.


title: Calendar

text: Because the number of days in the "tropical year" is not a whole number, a solar calendar must have a different number of days in different years. This may be handled, for example, by adding an extra day in leap years. The same applies to months in a lunar calendar and also the number of months in a year in a lunisolar calendar. This is generally known as intercalation. Even if a calendar is solar, but not lunar, the year cannot be divided entirely into months that never vary in length.


title: Calendar

text: Cultures may define other units of time, such as the week, for the purpose of scheduling regular activities that do not easily coincide with months or years. Many cultures use different baselines for their calendars' starting years. Historically, several countries have based their calendars on regnal years, a calendar based on the reign of their current sovereign. For example, the year 2006 in Japan is year 18 Heisei, with Heisei being the era name of Emperor Akihito.


title: Calendar

text: An "astronomical calendar" is based on ongoing observation; examples are the religious Islamic calendar and the old religious Jewish calendar in the time of the Second Temple. Such a calendar is also referred to as an "observation-based" calendar. The advantage of such a calendar is that it is perfectly and perpetually accurate. The disadvantage is that working out when a particular date would occur is difficult.


title: Calendar

text: An "arithmetic calendar" is one that is based on a strict set of rules; an example is the current Jewish calendar. Such a calendar is also referred to as a "rule-based" calendar. The advantage of such a calendar is the ease of calculating when a particular date occurs. The disadvantage is imperfect accuracy. Furthermore, even if the calendar is very accurate, its accuracy diminishes slowly over time, owing to changes in Earth's rotation. This limits the lifetime of an accurate arithmetic calendar to a few thousand years. After then, the rules would need to be modified from observations made since the invention of the calendar.


title: Calendar

text: Calendars may be either complete or incomplete. Complete calendars provide a way of naming each consecutive day, while incomplete calendars do not. The early Roman calendar, which had no way of designating the days of the winter months other than to lump them together as "winter", is an example of an incomplete calendar, while the Gregorian calendar is an example of a complete calendar.


title: Calendar

text: The primary practical use of a calendar is to identify days: to be informed about or to agree on a future event and to record an event that has happened. Days may be significant for agricultural, civil, religious, or social reasons. For example, a calendar provides a way to determine when to start planting or harvesting, which days are religious or civil holidays, which days mark the beginning and end of business accounting periods, and which days have legal significance, such as the day taxes are due or a contract expires. Also, a calendar may, by identifying a day, provide other useful information about the day such as its season.


title: Calendar

text: Calendars are also used to help people manage their personal schedules, time, and activities, particularly when individuals have numerous work, school, and family commitments. People frequently use multiple systems and may keep both a business and family calendar to help prevent them from overcommitting their time.


title: Calendar

text: Calendars are also used as part of a complete timekeeping system: date and time of day together specify a moment in time. In the modern world, timekeepers can show time, date, and weekday. Some may also show the lunar phase.


title: Calendar

text: The Gregorian calendar is the "de facto" international standard and is used almost everywhere in the world for civil purposes. The widely used solar aspect is a cycle of leap days in a 400-year cycle designed to keep the duration of the year aligned with the solar year. There is a lunar aspect which approximates the position of the moon during the year, and is used in the calculation of the date of Easter. Each Gregorian year has either 365 or 366 days (the leap day being inserted as 29 February), amounting to an average Gregorian year of 365.2425 days (compared to a solar year of 365.2422 days).


title: Calendar

text: The calendar was introduced in 1582 as a refinement to the Julian calendar, which had been in use throughout the European Middle Ages, amounting to a 0.002% correction in the length of the year. During the Early Modern period, its adoption was mostly limited to Roman Catholic nations, but by the 19th century it had become widely adopted for the sake of convenience in international trade. The last European country to adopt it was Greece, in 1923.


title: Calendar

text: The calendar epoch used by the Gregorian calendar is inherited from the medieval convention established by Dionysius Exiguus and associated with the Julian calendar. The year number is variously given as AD (for "Anno Domini") or CE (for "Common Era" or "Christian Era").


title: Calendar

text: The most important use of pre-modern calendars is keeping track of the liturgical year and the observation of religious feast days.


title: Calendar

text: While the Gregorian calendar is itself historically motivated to the calculation of the Easter date, it is now in worldwide secular use as the "de facto" standard. Alongside the use of the Gregorian calendar for secular matters, there remain several calendars in use for religious purposes.


title: Calendar

text: Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church and generally include the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time (Time after Epiphany), Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time (Time after Pentecost). Some Christian calendars do not include Ordinary Time and every day falls into a denominated season.


title: Calendar

text: The Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in most of the Muslim countries (concurrently with the Gregorian calendar) and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days and festivals. Its epoch is the Hijra (corresponding to AD 622)


title: Calendar

text: With an annual drift of 11 or 12 days, the seasonal relation is repeated approximately every 33 Islamic years.


title: Calendar

text: Various Hindu calendars remain in use in the Indian subcontinent, including the Nepali calendars, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Vikrama Samvat used in Northern India, and Shalivahana calendar in the Deccan states.


title: Calendar

text: The Buddhist calendar and the traditional lunisolar calendars of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand are also based on an older version of the Hindu calendar.


title: Calendar

text: Most of the Hindu calendars are inherited from a system first enunciated in Vedanga Jyotisha of Lagadha, standardized in the "Sūrya Siddhānta" and subsequently reformed by astronomers such as Āryabhaṭa (AD 499), Varāhamihira (6th century) and Bhāskara II (12th century).


title: Calendar

text: The Hebrew calendar is used by Jews worldwide for religious and cultural affairs, also influences civil matters in Israel (such as national holidays) and can be used business dealings (such as for the dating of cheques).


title: Calendar

text: Followers of the Baháʼí Faith use the Baháʼí calendar. The Baháʼí Calendar, also known as the Badi Calendar was first established by the Bab in the Kitab-i-Asma. The Baháʼí Calendar is also purely a solar calendar and comprises 19 months each having nineteen days.


title: Calendar

text: The Iranian (Persian) calendar is used in Iran and some parts of Afghanistan. The Assyrian calendar is in use by the members of the Assyrian community in the Middle East (mainly Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran) and the diaspora. The first year of the calendar is exactly 4750 years prior to the start of the Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian calendar or Ethiopic calendar is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and Eritrea, with the Oromo calendar also in use in some areas. In neighboring Somalia, the Somali calendar co-exists alongside the Gregorian and Islamic calendars. In Thailand, where the Thai solar calendar is used, the months and days have adopted the western standard, although the years are still based on the traditional Buddhist calendar.


title: Calendar

text: A fiscal calendar generally means the accounting year of a government or a business. It is used for budgeting, keeping accounts, and taxation. It is a set of 12 months that may start at any date in a year. The US government's fiscal year starts on 1 October and ends on 30 September. The government of India's fiscal year starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March. Small traditional businesses in India start the fiscal year on Diwali festival and end the day before the next year's Diwali festival.


title: Calendar

text: In accounting (and particularly accounting software), a fiscal calendar (such as a 4/4/5 calendar) fixes each month at a specific number of weeks to facilitate comparisons from month to month and year to year. January always has exactly 4 weeks (Sunday through Saturday), February has 4 weeks, March has 5 weeks, etc. Note that this calendar will normally need to add a 53rd week to every 5th or 6th year, which might be added to December or might not be, depending on how the organization uses those dates. There exists an international standard way to do this (the ISO week). The ISO week starts on a Monday and ends on a Sunday. Week 1 is always the week that contains 4 January in the Gregorian calendar.


title: Calendar

text: The term "calendar" applies not only to a given scheme of timekeeping but also to a specific record or device displaying such a scheme, for example, an appointment book in the form of a pocket calendar (or personal organizer), desktop calendar, a wall calendar, etc.


title: Calendar

text: In a paper calendar, one or two sheets can show a single day, a week, a month, or a year. If a sheet is for a single day, it easily shows the date and the weekday. If a sheet is for multiple days it shows a conversion table to convert from weekday to date and back. With a special pointing device, or by crossing out past days, it may indicate the current date and weekday. This is the most common usage of the word.


title: Calendar

text: In the US Sunday is considered the first day of the week and so appears on the far left and Saturday the last day of the week appearing on the far right. In Britain, the weekend may appear at the end of the week so the first day is Monday and the last day is Sunday. The US calendar display is also used in Britain.


title: Calendar

text: It is common to display the Gregorian calendar in separate monthly grids of seven columns (from Monday to Sunday, or Sunday to Saturday depending on which day is considered to start the week – this varies according to country) and five to six rows (or rarely, four rows when the month of February contains 28 days in common years beginning on the first day of the week), with the day of the month numbered in each cell, beginning with 1. The sixth row is sometimes eliminated by marking 23/30 and 24/31 together as necessary.


title: Calendar

text: When working with weeks rather than months, a continuous format is sometimes more convenient, where no blank cells are inserted to ensure that the first day of a new month begins on a fresh row.


title: Calendar

text: Calendaring software provides users with an electronic version of a calendar, and may additionally provide an appointment book, address book, or contact list.


title: Calendar

text: Calendaring is a standard feature of many PDAs, EDAs, and smartphones. The software may be a local package designed for individual use (e.g., Lightning extension for Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook without Exchange Server, or Windows Calendar) or maybe a networked package that allows for the sharing of information between users (e.g., Mozilla Sunbird, Windows Live Calendar, Google Calendar, or Microsoft Outlook with Exchange Server).


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Robin Hood is a 2018 American action-adventure film directed by Otto Bathurst and written by Ben Chandler and David James Kelly, from a story by Chandler. It is a quasi-contemporary retelling of the Robin Hood legend, and follows his training by John to steal from the Sheriff of Nottingham. The film stars Taron Egerton as Robin, and features Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin and Jamie Dornan in supporting roles. Returning home to England to learn the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Mendelsohn) has seized his family estate, aristocrat Robin of Loxley joins forces with Friar Tuck (Minchin) and Little John (Foxx) – a fierce Arabian warrior who wants to put an end to the Crusades. Armed with arrows and dubbed Robin Hood, Loxley leads a band of oppressed rebels in a daring plan to rob the Sheriff of his money and take away his power.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: The film was announced in February 2015, with Egerton signing on as the lead role that September. Hewson, Foxx and Mendelsohn all joined the cast over the following year, and principal photography began in February 2017, lasting through May.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: "Robin Hood" was released by Lionsgate on November 21, 2018. The film received negative reviews from critics, who criticized the direction, narrative and wasting of the cast, and grossed over $86 million against a production budget of $100 million. Due to its critical and financial flop, partnered with its modern take on classic source material, numerous publications compared the film to 2017's "". "Robin Hood" was nominated for three Razzies for Worst Remake, Worst Supporting Actor for Foxx, and Worst Picture.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Lord Robin of Loxley, an aristocrat and an English longbow master, lives in Nottingham and enjoys a good life with his lover Marian, before he is drafted by the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham to fight in the Third Crusade against the Saracens.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: After four years away from England, Robin becomes disillusioned with the Crusades when he fails to prevent his commander, Guy of Gisbourne, from executing unarmed prisoners, including a teenage boy, despite the pleading of the boy's father, which prompts Gisbourne to send Robin back home under accusations of treasonous conduct.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: When he returns to Nottingham, Robin learns from his old friend Friar Tuck that the Sheriff had him officially declared dead two years prior in order to seize his land and wealth to continue funding the war effort at the behest of the corrupt Cardinal Franklin, exiling the citizens from the city and into the coal mine town across the river.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Investigating "the Slags", Robin witnesses the commoners planning to rise against the government that oppresses and exploits them and learns that Marian is now involved with their aspiring leader, Will Tillman. Robin is prevented from making contact with her by the prisoner whose son he tried to save. The man then introduces himself as Yahya — which he says can be translated to "John" — and proposes that he and Robin work to end the war by stealing back the money taken from the people to fund the church's conflict. Marian seeks Robin upon learning that he is alive, but he's advised by John not to tell her of his plans for her own protection.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Through a gruelling training regimen in his now-decrepit manor, Robin greatly expands-upon and improves his skills in archery and combat and begins stealing the riches that the Sheriff has extorted from the townspeople, earning the nickname "The Hood", while concealing his activities by masquerading as a frivolous playboy-Lord who supports the Sheriff's regime.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: During a party in the Cardinal's honor attended by Robin, Marian and Will, Marian and Robin discover the war is a ploy of the church, which is also funding the Saracen army, to defeat the king and claim total power after his death. Gisbourne and his men raid the Slags at the Sheriff's behest to find the Hood.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Marian attempts to intervene despite Will's objections and crosses paths with the Hood, whom she discovers is Robin by recognizing his voice. John is captured by Gisbourne and tortured by the Sheriff but refuses to reveal the Hood's identity. When the Sheriff uses John's faith against him, he threatens him with the promise, that his eyes and face will soon be the last he sees.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Robin reveals himself to the commoners at Marian's urging and is embraced as their leader, upsetting Will. Will leads a riot to distract the Sheriff's men while Robin intercepts a caravan transporting the Sheriff's fortune out of Nottingham, due to be delivered to the Saracen army. Robin then leads the townspeople in a battle against the Sheriff and his corrupt forces. During the confrontation, Robin shares a kiss with Marian, which is witnessed by Will, moments before he is horribly scarred by a Molotov cocktail. Angered by Marian's love for Robin, he abandons her and the revolution.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: When the tide of the battle begins turning in the Sheriff's favour, Robin surrenders to avoid further bloodshed and is taken to the Sheriff's castle to be executed; one of the guards is actually John, having previously escaped his cell, and he finally claims revenge on the Sheriff by hanging him by the chain on a massive censer burner and left dangling high on up from roof of the cathedral. Robin and John flee to reunite with Marian and the townspeople who assisted them, taking refuge as outlaws in Sherwood Forest, sharing out their reclaimed loot.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Meanwhile, the Cardinal approaches a vengeful Will and offers him the chance to claim the power vacuum in Nottingham if he is loyal to the church. Will is appointed the new sheriff and brands Robin and his followers criminals, with Robin defiantly challenging Will to come after him with a well placed arrow through the wanted poster being held up by Will to his townspeople.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: The project was first announced on February 26, 2015, when a third Robin Hood script was announced written by Joby Harold, which Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way would produce. There were two scripts already in the works: one at Disney titled "Nottingham & Hood" and another at Sony titled "Hood". This script was expected to be taken by Sony to merge it with its other project. Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights to the film on March 19. It was then titled "Robin Hood: Origins". On June 4, Lionsgate set Otto Bathurst to direct the film, which DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran of Appian Way would produce along with Harold and Tory Tunnell of Safehouse Pictures. On July 31, "Deadline Hollywood" revealed that several actors were circling for the lead role, including Taron Egerton, Jack Huston, Jack Reynor, and Dylan O'Brien. Basil Iwanyk would also produce the film through his Thunder Road Pictures.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Later on August 6, it was reported that Egerton was at the top of the list for the lead role and he was in early talks with the studio; however, it was predicted that he might not sign on to star in the film because of scheduling issues with the sequel to "". On September 30, "The Hollywood Reporter" confirmed that Egerton had signed, with shooting to begin in February 2016, but that he was in conflict with the "Kingsman" sequel, which was scheduled to begin production in April. Later in mid-October, it was confirmed that the scheduling issues had been settled between both studios and that Lionsgate would now begin "Robin Hood"s production right after Egerton wrapped on "Kingsman", likely at the end of summer 2016. On October 15, 2015, Eve Hewson was chosen for the role of Maid Marian.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: On January 11, 2016, it was announced that Jamie Foxx had been cast to play the role of Little John, the leader of the Merry Men. On September 19, 2016, it was reported that Jamie Dornan had joined the cast to play Will Scarlet, half brother of Hood, member of Merry Men, and husband of Marian. In November 2016, the film's title was announced to be "Robin Hood," with Paul Anderson cast for an unspecified role, which might be a darkly toned character. On December 13, it was reported that Ben Mendelsohn had been cast as the Sheriff of Nottingham and on February 14, 2017, it was announced that Tim Minchin had been cast as Friar Tuck.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Filming began on February 20, 2017 at different locations in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and in Le Raincy in eastern Paris, France, in the Église Notre-Dame du Raincy. Filming concluded on May 19.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: "Robin Hood" was released in the United States in standard theatres by Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment on November 21, 2018. The film was originally scheduled to be released on March 23, 2018 but in November 2016 was pushed back to the November date.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: "Robin Hood" grossed $30.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $54 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $84.8 million, against a production budget of $100 million. "Deadline Hollywood" calculated the film lost the studio $83.7 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: In the United States and Canada, "Robin Hood" was released alongside "Creed II" and "Ralph Breaks the Internet", as well as the wide expansion of "Green Book", and was projected to gross $13–15 million from 2,827 theaters in its five-day opening weekend. The film made $3.2 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from early previews ($800,000 from Tuesday night previews and an additional $400,000 from advanced Monday night screenings). It went on to debut to $9.1 million (a five-day total of $14.2 million), finishing seventh at the box office. With a production budget of around $100 million, "Deadline Hollywood" already listed the film as a box-office bomb, blaming the poor reviews and recycled property. In its second weekend the film made $4.7 million, dropping 48% and falling to eighth.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, ""Robin Hood" robs from rich source material, but is ultimately just another poor attempt to needlessly gussy up a classic tale with amped-up action and modern special effects." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 32 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 75% positive score but a "low" 43% "definite recommend".


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: In his 1/4-star review, "Rolling Stone"s Peter Travers wrote: "Arriving just in time to win a place among the year's worst films, "Robin Hood" robs you of two hours", while Glenn Kenny of "The New York Times" said that the film "strains to be relevant ... Jamie Foxx must have lost a bet. The plot is twisty in a perfunctory way, the action predictably explosive, the sought-after exhilaration nonexistent." Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" summarized the film as a "beardless and bloated prequel (which) should be outlawed". Michael O'Sullivan, writing for "The Washington Post", described the film as amounting to "a chilly and flavorless frappé of historical speculation, revisionist folklore and every lazy action-movie cliché ever written" and further characterized the dialogue and costumes as anachronistic.


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: The film had the dishonor of being nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards at the February 23, 2019 ceremony. Producers Jennifer Davisson and Leonardo DiCaprio were nominated for both


title: Robin Hood (2018 film)

text: Worst Picture and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel. Jamie Foxx was nominated as Worst Supporting Actor.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach. It is the third in the "Austin Powers" film series and stars Mike Myers in four roles: Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and Fat Bastard. Myers and Michael McCullers co-wrote the screenplay, which also features co-star Beyoncé Knowles in her theatrical film debut, as well as Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Michael York, Verne Troyer, Michael Caine, Mindy Sterling and Fred Savage.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: "Goldmember" is a loose parody of the James Bond films "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice", also incorporating elements of "Live and Let Die," "The Man with the Golden Gun," "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "GoldenEye". It opens with a self-parody of the "Austin Powers" film series called "Austinpussy", where Austin Powers is featured in a bio-pic parody of the James Bond film "Octopussy". The self-parody is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Cruise as Austin Powers, Gwyneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil, Danny Devito as Mini-Me, and John Travolta as Goldmember.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: The film was distributed by New Line Cinema and released in the United States on July 26, 2002. "Goldmember" finished its box office run with an international haul of $296.6 million. A fourth film in the series has been considered since "Goldmember"s release, but has yet to enter production as of 2022.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In 2002, from his lair behind the Hollywood Sign, Dr. Evil unveils to Number 2, Mini-Me, Frau Farbissina, and Scott Evil that his plan for world domination is to travel back in time to 1975 and partner with the Dutch, gold-obsessed Johann van der Smut, who after losing his genitalia in a smelting accident, is known by the alias "Goldmember". Goldmember developed a power unit for a tractor beam which Dr. Evil names "Preparation H" and he intends to use it to pull a meteor into the earth. Austin Powers, is on his way to watch a movie about his life, and the Ministry of Defence invades the laire and arrest Dr. Evil and Mini-Me. Queen Elizabeth II knights Austin for his service, but Austin is disappointed when his father, the famous spy Nigel Powers, does not attend the event. During an after party, Basil Exposition informs Austin that Nigel has been kidnapped and the only clue is that the crew of his yacht have had their genitalia painted gold.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Austin seeks Dr. Evil's help to find the culprit, but the imprisoned Dr. Evil antagonizes Austin by reminding him that his father was also absent when he was given the title of "International Man of Mystery" during their British Intelligence academy graduation, an event that angered Dr. Evil due to him being the top of the class. He eventually tells him that Goldmember is behind the abduction so Austin time travels to 1975 and infiltrates Goldmember's roller disco club. He is reunited with his former lover, FBI agent Foxxy Cleopatra who is undercover. Austin locates his father but is unable to rescue him and Goldmember takes Nigel through Dr. Evil's time machine to 2002. Dr. Evil and Mini-Me instigate a riot in their prison, allowing them to escape. A British Intelligence mole named Number 3 informs Austin that Dr. Evil has moved to a new lair near Tokyo.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Austin, accompanied by Foxxy, travels to Tokyo and they confront Fat Bastard, who is now a Sumo wrestler. Fat Bastard reveals that businessman Mr. Roboto is working on a device for Dr. Evil and Goldmember. Austin and Foxxy meet with Roboto, who pleads ignorance. Austin and Foxxy infiltrate Roboto's factory where the command unit for the tractor beam is being loaded in Goldmember's car, and Roboto gives Goldmember a golden key needed to activate the beam. Foxxy confronts Goldmember while Austin attempts to free Nigel, but Goldmember escapes and flees to Dr. Evil's submarine. Scott Evil presents Dr. Evil with sharks with laser beams attached to their heads, . Roboto then dies when Scott causes him to fall into the shark pool. Dr. Evil replaces Mini-Me with Scott as his favored son and the rejected clone defects and joins Austin and Foxxy.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: The trio infiltrate the submarine but Austin is captured. Dr. Evil prepares to activate the tractor beam, but Foxxy steals the key and frees Austin. Austin prepares to shoot Dr. Evil, when Nigel appears and reveals that Austin and Dr. Evil are actually brothers. Confused, Dr. Evil explains that his parents died in a car accident and he was brought up by evil Belgians, but Nigel reveals that the explosion came from an assassination attempt and he thought that only Austin survived. Dr. Evil (revealed to be named Dougie), Austin, Nigel, and Mini-Me embrace; enraging Scott, who leaves to pursue his own vengeance while Goldmember commandeers the tractor beam's controls, unzipping his trousers to reveal his gold-covered genitalia to be a spare key. Goldmember activates the tractor beam, but Austin and Dr. Evil work together to reverse its polarity, destroying the meteor and saving the world.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Goldmember turns to the camera to reveal the entire story was adapted into a film called "Austinpussy" and was directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise as Austin, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil, Danny DeVito as Mini-Me, and John Travolta as Goldmember. Upon exiting the cinema, Austin and Foxxy encounter Fat Bastard, now thin but with sagging flesh thanks to the Subway diet. As Austin and Foxxy kiss, Scott Evil – now completely bald, dressed and behaving as his father, declares he will get his revenge against Austin before dancing like Michael Jackson. During the end credits, Mini-Me talks with Britney Spears, and she asks him if she can give him her phone number.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: The title of the film, "Goldmember", led to legal action being taken by MGM, the distributors of the "James Bond" film franchise, that briefly led to the film's title being removed from promotional material and trailers. Several potential replacement titles were prepared, including "License to Shag", "Live and Let Shag", "You Only Shag Thrice" and "Never Say Member Again." The dispute was quickly resolved and the film title remained unchanged on the provision that the film would include trailers in its cinema releases for the then-upcoming James Bond film, "Die Another Day", and "".


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Austin Powers (Myers), having conquered the 1990s and the 1960s, travels back to the 1970s and teams up with his nemesis Dr. Evil (also played by Myers) to thwart a new villain, Goldmember (Myers once again). Myers also plays Fat Bastard for the second time, this time parodying the kind of "wire fight" seen in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The film also stars Beyoncé Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra (parodying blaxploitation heroines, primarily Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, as well as Christie Love when she says, "You're under arrest, sugah!"), Michael York, reprising the role of Basil Exposition, and Verne Troyer in his second appearance as Mini-Me. The film also introduced a new character named Number 3 (a.k.a. the Mole), who is portrayed by former child star Fred Savage. Clint Howard plays a radar operator in all three films. Michael Caine guest stars as Austin's father, Nigel; this role was inspired by the character of Harry Palmer from "The Ipcress File", a 1965 film starring Caine. Sean Connery was originally considered for the role of Nigel Powers and Honor Blackman for that of Mrs. Powers.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Four actors who appeared in the earlier films play different characters in "Goldmember". Rob Lowe, who played the friend of a dead guard in "International Man of Mystery", reprises his role as a younger Number 2 from "The Spy Who Shagged Me", while Neil Mullarkey (quartermaster clerk in "International Man of Mystery") and Eric Winzenried (army private soldier in "The Spy Who Shagged Me") appear as the Physician and Henchman Sailor in the Sick Bay. Michael McDonald (the Virtucon guard who got run over by a steamroller in "International Man of Mystery" and a NATO soldier in "The Spy Who Shagged Me") appears as the royal guard.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Johann van der Smut, better known as Goldmember, is a fictional villain played by Myers (John Travolta plays the character in a cameo at the end of the film). The name was inspired by the James Bond villain Auric Goldfinger. Goldmember's Dutch origins and character traits were, according to Myers, inspired by an episode of the HBO TV series "Real Sex" featuring a Dutchman who operated a "sex barn" north of Rotterdam. The man's distinct forms of expression caught Myers' attention while he was writing.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: "Austin Powers in Goldmember" took in £6,364,796 in the United Kingdom on its opening weekend. In the United States, it broke the opening weekend record for a spoof movie, surpassing the previous Austin Powers films. It grossed $73.1 million during its opening weekend, surpassing 2001's "Planet of the Apes" for the biggest July opening of all time. It also surpassed New Line's "Rush Hour 2" as the biggest opening for a comedy film. This was the fourth-highest opening weekend of all time, behind "", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Spider-Man". The film grossed a total of $213 million in the United States, according to Box Office Mojo.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: "Austin Powers in Goldmember" was released on VHS and DVD on December 3, 2002. The DVD was released under the "Infinifilm" label, and was re-packed in 2011 as part of the "Austin Powers 3 Film Collection". The film debuted on Blu-ray for the first time on December 2, 2008 in a three-film collection with its predecessors.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 53% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While the narrative structure is messy and doesn't make much sense, the third installment of the "Austin Powers" franchise contains enough inspired bits to entertain." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: Myers was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the third time, but lost against Daveigh Chase for her role as Samara Morgan in "The Ring", making it the first time Myers lost the award. However, he did win the award for Best Comedic Performance, making it the first time he won the award, having previously lost twice for the first two films.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: The song "Hey Goldmember" interpolates and is a parody of four 1970s disco songs formed into a medley; "Sing a Song" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "Get Down Tonight", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", and "That's the Way (I Like It)", all by KC and the Sunshine Band.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In October 2005, in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly", Mike Myers discussed the possibility of studio sources moving forward with a fourth film. "There is hope!". "We're all circling and talking to each other. I miss doing the characters." In May 2007, in an interview with IGN, "So no more "Austin Powers"?" was asked, and Myers replied, "No, no, there is a fully conceived idea for a fourth and I can just say that it's from Dr. Evil's point of view. So if you balanced how much of it was Austin with Dr. Evil, it's more about Dr. Evil than Austin". Also, in the audio commentary from the DVD release of "Goldmember", Myers revealed that in the fourth film, Fat Bastard would return and regain the weight that he lost in "Goldmember".


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In May 2007, at the "Shrek the Third" premiere, Mike Myers announced that a fourth "Austin Powers" film was planned, but that it would focus more on Dr. Evil rather than Austin. He also said that he'd start work on it after he started work on "The Love Guru", which became a box office bomb. In February 2008, it was announced that Jay Roach would return as director. In April 2008, it was reported that Gisele Bündchen had been offered a role in the film. However, Seth Green, who played Scott Evil, stated that there was no script at the moment and that "Austin Powers 4" would be made if a script is written and approved. In June 2008, when asked about another "Austin Powers" film in an interview, Myers stated, "I have an idea, and again it's one of those things that will emerge or it won't." In July 2008, Mike Myers stated that he had begun writing "Austin Powers 4", and that the plot is "really about Dr. Evil and his son."


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In March 2010, Jay Roach indicated to MTV that Myers is working on ideas for a fourth film. In August 2011, Mike Myers revealed he would return, and had begun writing a script for a fourth installment. In September 2013, when asked about the future of "Austin Powers", Myers answered "I'm still figuring that out." In September 2015, Verne Troyer expressed his desire to return as Mini-Me if he was asked to do so.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In May 2016, Roach was asked about the fourth "Austin Powers" film during an interview with Larry King, and he stated the ideas for the fourth film that he and Myers have are good and interesting. In August 2016, in a telephone interview, Mike Myers stated "Everything is being negotiated and worked out and all that stuff" in regards to the fourth installment of the "Austin Powers" film series.


title: Austin Powers in Goldmember

text: In April 2017, as the twentieth anniversary approached for "", Mike Myers claimed he would love to do another "Austin Powers" film, but audiences would "just have to see". Two days later, Roach stated that a fourth film would only occur if Myers creates a good story for it. In May 2017, Troyer stated that Mini-Me will reveal that he can speak in the fourth movie. However, Troyer killed himself on April 21, 2018, delaying production of a fourth film and precluding him from reprising his role as Mini-Me. In May 2018, Myers reiterated his interest in making a fourth "Austin Powers", stating that it would be fun, also hinting that some tribute to Troyer might be included. In November 2018, Myers stated that the project's future is "looking good" with the script already written and that Austin Powers and Dr. Evil will return soon, citing his parenthood as the reason for how long the production has lasted and that Roach will most likely reprise his directorial duties.


title: Paul Pierce

text: Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN's basketball programs "The Jump" and "NBA Countdown".


title: Paul Pierce

text: Pierce was a high school McDonald's All-American and earned consensus first-team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas. After being chosen by the Boston Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with Boston. Pierce's nickname, "the Truth", was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal in March 2001. He starred as captain of the Celtics, earning 10 All-Star selections and becoming a four-time All-NBA team member. Pierce combined with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007 to form a "Big Three" that led Boston to two NBA Finals and an NBA championship in 2008. Pierce was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 2008. In October 2021, Pierce was honored by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Along with Larry Bird and John Havlicek, Pierce is one of only three players to have scored more than 20,000 career points with the Celtics.


title: Paul Pierce

text: In July 2013, Pierce was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with teammates Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. He signed with the Washington Wizards as a free agent in 2014. After one season with the Wizards, Pierce signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, reuniting him with former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. He spent two seasons with the Clippers before retiring in 2017. On July 17, 2017, the Celtics signed Pierce to a contract, enabling him to retire as a member of the organization with which he spent his first 15 NBA seasons.


title: Paul Pierce

text: Pierce was born in Oakland, California. His family later moved to Inglewood, California, where he attended Inglewood High School. He was cut from Inglewood High's varsity basketball team during his freshman and sophomore years and seriously thought about transferring before spending extra time in the gym and becoming the best player on the team by the end of his junior year. In his senior year, he averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Pierce went on to participate in the 1995 McDonald's All-American Game alongside future NBA stars Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Stephon Marbury, and Antawn Jamison, and was a contestant in the game's Slam Dunk Contest, which was won by Carter. He grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan and dreamed of playing for the team.


title: Paul Pierce

text: Pierce spent three years at Kansas between 1995 and 1998. He earned honorable mention All-Big Eight honors and was selected second team Freshman All-American by Basketball Weekly. He was also honored as the Big Eight Co-Freshman of the Year with Colorado's Chauncey Billups. During the summer of 1996, Pierce earned a spot on the roster of the USA's Under 22 team and helped the United States go undefeated in the World Championship-qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico. As a sophomore, Pierce captured the first of two Big 12 Conference tournament Most Valuable Player awards after averaging 21.7 points and guiding Kansas to the inaugural tournament championship.


title: Paul Pierce

text: As a junior in 1997–98, Pierce won Most Valuable Player honors in both the Preseason NIT and the Big 12 Conference tournament. He was selected First Team All-Big 12 Conference by both the AP and Coaches, and was named Associated Press First Team All-American and a finalist for the 1998 John Wooden and Naismith awards. He scored 777 points as a junior—the fifth-most single-season point total in Jayhawks history. He ranks as the fifth-leading scorer in Kansas history (1,786 points) and 11th on the all-time rebounds list (676).


title: Paul Pierce

text: Pierce was selected with the 10th overall pick in 1998 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, a team he "despised" growing up. He scored 19 or more points in 10 of his first 11 contests. For that year, he averaged 16.5 points and finished third in the voting for Rookie of the Year honors. In his second season, he raised his scoring average to 19.5 points per game. In the 2000–01 season, Pierce appeared in 82 games (all starts), averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.68 steals in 38.0 minutes. He led the Celtics and finished eighth in the league in points per game and fourth in total points (2,071). He was named NBA Player of the Month for March 2001 after averaging 30.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.60 steals for the month.


title: Paul Pierce

text: In the 2001–02 season, Pierce was named Eastern Conference Co-Player of the Month twice, for December and April. That season, Pierce led the Celtics to the playoffs for the first time in seven years and on to the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 3 of the conference finals, the Celtics pulled off the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history, with Pierce scoring 19 of his 28 points in the final 12 minutes as Boston overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the New Jersey Nets 94–90. The win gave the Celtics a 2–1 advantage in the series; however, the Nets went on to win the series in six games.


title: Paul Pierce

text: From 2002 to 2006, Pierce made the All-Star team every season. He led the league in total points (2,144) in 2002 and was an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2002 and 2003.


title: Paul Pierce

text: Prior to the 2007–08 season, the Celtics acquired the services of fellow NBA All-Stars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. The pair combined with Pierce to form a "Big Three". The Celtics completed the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history, with the "Big Three" leading Boston to 66 wins in the regular season, a 42-game improvement. However, the team struggled initially in the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks took them to seven games in the first round, as did the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals. In Game 7 of their series against the Cavaliers, Pierce racked up the second most Game 7 points in franchise history with 41 as the Celtics edged the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics went on to defeat the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning two road games.


title: Paul Pierce

text: On June 5, 2008, in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce was injured in the third quarter and was carried off the court in serious pain. However, he came back to the court only a few minutes later to spark the Celtics with 15 points in the third quarter en route to a 98–88 victory. He went on to lead the Celtics to their 17th championship with a 4–2 series victory over the Lakers. Pierce was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 22 points per game over the six-game series.


title: Paul Pierce

text: Pierce and the Celtics looked to repeat as world champions during the 2008–09 NBA season. Pierce missed only one game the entire season and led the team in scoring. He was named to the 2009 NBA All-Star Game and for the first time to the All-NBA Second Team. Despite Pierce's success, with Kevin Garnett injured, the Celtics lost in the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.


title: Paul Pierce

text: At the 2010 NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Pierce became the first Celtic since Larry Bird to win the Three-Point Contest.


title: Paul Pierce

text: In Game 3 of the first round between the Celtics and Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Pierce hit a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer to beat Miami 100–98 and give the Celtics a 3–0 series lead. The Celtics went on to win that series, and also defeated the heavily favored Cavaliers in the second round. They faced the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals and beat them in 6 games to advance to their second Finals appearance in the Big 3 era. They faced off against the Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals and took a 3–2 lead heading back to Los Angeles. However, in spite of Rasheed Wallace more than making up for the loss of injured center Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics were blown out in Game 6 and lost a 13-point second-half lead in Game 7, losing the deciding game 83–79.


title: Paul Pierce

text: On June 29, 2010, Pierce opted out of his contract and invoked his early termination clause to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2010. However, on July 2, Pierce and the Celtics verbally agreed to a four-year extension keeping him in Boston through the 2013–14 season.


title: Paul Pierce

text: On November 3, 2010, during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Pierce scored his 20,000th career point on a free throw, becoming the third player in Celtics history to reach that milestone solely in a Celtics uniform. The Celtics finished the season with the number 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and swept the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round, the Celtics took on the Miami Heat and their big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The Celtics lost to Miami, who eventually moved on to the NBA Finals, in five games.


title: Paul Pierce

text: On February 7, 2012, during a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Pierce scored 15 points to pass Larry Bird for second place on the Boston Celtics' all-time scoring list. He was named to his tenth NBA All-Star appearance on February 9, 2012. He then played his 1,000th career game with the Celtics on March 9, 2012, against the Portland Trail Blazers; only Pierce, John Havlicek, and Robert Parish have played in over 1,000 career games for the Celtics. For the 2011–12 season, Pierce averaged 19.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game as the Celtics finished the season 39–27 during the shortened lockout season.


title: Paul Pierce

text: In the playoffs, the Celtics beat the Hawks in six games in the first round, as Pierce averaged 21.2 points per game during the series. In the conference semifinals, the Celtics faced the Philadelphia 76ers led by Doug Collins. They pushed the Celtics into a full seven game series, but the Celtics won the final game 85–75. The Celtics then played the Miami Heat in the conference finals. Pierce hit a crucial 3-pointer over LeBron James in game 5 to take a series lead of 3–2, but the Celtics lost the last two games, and the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. Pierce finished the playoffs averaging 18.9 points per game while shooting only 38.6 percent from the field and 31 percent from three.