Welcome America 4th of July on the Parkway was lame, so to whom should we complain?

**Citigirl** · 07-05-2012, 08:23 PM

I mean besides ourselves, here on Philadelphiaspeaks.com

This is the RFP the City issued for the special event consultant, so it must be someone at the City who is responsible. An individual is not named as a contact on this RFP, but surely there is a PERSON at City Hall who the buck stops with. Is it Mayor Nutter?

http://www.phila.gov/pdfs/Special%20...0RFP_FINAL.pdf

I understand Wawa gave the financial backing, but both Wawa and the City looked bad compared to other major cities' events that were televised.

I wonder who the consultant was, that was selected?

**darthsinatra** · 07-05-2012, 08:28 PM

There is a rather lengthy thread on this topic already. Here is some info that was posted in it:

As for complaints about last night's event I found this:

Welcome America! Festival Headquarters
One Parkway
1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: 215-683-2200, 215-683-2176
Fax: 215-683-2099

Melanie Johnson, Executive Director
(215)-683-2060
melanie.johnson@welcomeamerica.com

Scott Mirkin, Executive Producer
(215)-925-2566
scott.mirkin@welcomeamerica.com

**roxyfoxy** · 07-05-2012, 09:33 PM

Where is the thread on this subject? I can't find it.

**darthsinatra** · 07-05-2012, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by roxyfoxy

Where is the thread on this subject? I can't find it.

http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...-16th-jfk.html

**Citigirl** · 07-07-2012, 11:07 AM

snipped from the philly.com article, quote from Melanie Johnson:

[/I]The concert began at 7 p.m. and ended with fireworks around 11 - making it a late night for children. Contractual agreements with broadcasters made it impossible to set off fireworks any earlier.

"Am I supposed to stop a concert in production that's broadcast live, not only locally, but Livestream around the world, do the fireworks, and then come back?" Johnson asked. "That doesn't work."[/I]

All the other cities with televised fireworks seemed to figure it out, Melanie...She should be embarassed that such a lame production was broadcast around the world.

**RittenhouseGirl** · 07-09-2012, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Citigirl

snipped from the philly.com article, quote from Melanie Johnson:

[/I]The concert began at 7 p.m. and ended with fireworks around 11 - making it a late night for children. Contractual agreements with broadcasters made it impossible to set off fireworks any earlier.

"Am I supposed to stop a concert in production that's broadcast live, not only locally, but Livestream around the world, do the fireworks, and then come back?" Johnson asked. "That doesn't work."[/I]

All the other cities with televised fireworks seemed to figure it out, Melanie...She should be embarassed that such a lame production was broadcast around the world.

I think this Melanie Johnson is missing the point to take note for the future. Hold the events earlier and have performers who don't bring out the thugs in the city en masse.

Bring out an orchestra for classical music, folk rock, oldies, or some such music. People spending money in the city aren't interested in rap or hip-hop. Ridiculous.

**seand** · 07-09-2012, 04:31 PM

Thugs, and everyone else, come out to see the fireworks, regardless of the musical peformer. BTW Queen Latifah and Common are not typically what comes booming profanity out of cars in West Philly and were likely selected to be "concious" and "family-friendly". Also if I were asked by someone to some up this performance, I'd likely call it "oldies or some such".
Welcome America 2012: Queen Latifah performs | Video | 6abc.com

They should keep the schedule tighter.

**RittenhouseGirl** · 07-09-2012, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by seand

Thugs, and everyone else, come out to see the fireworks, regardless of the musical peformer. BTW Queen Latifah and Common are not typically what comes booming profanity out of cars in West Philly and were likely selected to be "concious" and "family-friendly". Also if I were asked by someone to some up this performance, I'd likely call it "oldies or some such".
Welcome America 2012: Queen Latifah performs | Video | 6abc.com

They should keep the schedule tighter.

Queen Latifah, Common, and racist Lauryn Hill are family friendly?

**seand** · 07-09-2012, 04:59 PM

Yeah the gangsters really get riled up to Queen Latifah's "Ladies First" from the 1980's.
And the stuff she's doing now a days. The thugs are all over that stuff.

**BarryG** · 07-09-2012, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by RittenhouseGirl

Queen Latifah, Common, and racist Lauryn Hill are family friendly?

yes.

**five apples** · 07-09-2012, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by RittenhouseGirl

Queen Latifah, Common, and racist Lauryn Hill are family friendly?

If you think this is what your "ghetto thugs" are listening to you are very much out of touch with that culture. I doubt any "ghetto thug" under the age of 18 could even tell you who the horrible racist Lauryn Hill is.

For the record, I am a 30 something white professional male who has Lauryn Hill's solo masterpiece as well as a few Common albums.

The line-up was so not ghetto thug aligned. Other highlights were one of the Jonas brothers and Daryl Hall.

**The Count** · 07-09-2012, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by RittenhouseGirl

Queen Latifah, Common, and racist Lauryn Hill are family friendly?

It doesn't matter who is singing what.

If you hold an event outside at night in a city that is as full of freaks and ghetto hoodrats as Philly, you're going to get chaos and probably some gunplay.

**five apples** · 07-09-2012, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by The Count

It doesn't matter who is singing what.

If you hold an event outside at night in a city that is as full of freaks and ghetto hoodrats as Philly, you're going to get chaos and probably some gunplay.

Bullsh*t, this event has been going on for eons in one form or another. Everyone in this city overreacts whenever something like this happens. It is not the sign of the apocalypse. Hell we bombed a whole neighborhood and we are still ticking.

**The Count** · 07-09-2012, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by five apples

Bullsh*t, this event has been going on for eons in one form or another. Everyone in this city overreacts whenever something like this happens. It is not the sign of the apocalypse. Hell we bombed a whole neighborhood and we are still ticking.

And it's been crappy event for "eons".

I don't think it's the end of the world, it is what it is.

**HogIslandGrip** · 07-10-2012, 04:07 PM

Witnesses: Lack of police in NJ concert chaos | Video | 6abc.com
Well, as far as ghetto thuggery and choice of performers goers, this happened earlier this summer with nary a mention anywhere else.

**ityler** · 07-11-2012, 03:58 AM

i was also very dissaponted when i saw this featured broadcast on the 4th of july celebration. it was really quite embarrassing for me too to see such a lame priduction although i understand that there are certain things to be considered especially when it comes to broadcasting but then this really made us look bad and i do hope that those people in charge will be able to learn from this event and be able to organize a better one next year.

**fishcatch** · 07-12-2012, 02:27 AM

Racist Lauryn Hill?

Hasn't that false rumor been put to rest yet? It's been fourteen years since some nut made it up.

**jester** · 07-12-2012, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by fishcatch

Racist Lauryn Hill?

Hasn't that false rumor been put to rest yet? It's been fourteen years since some nut made it up.

FFS. I agree, fishcatch, this one won't ever die. Lauryn might be a little batty, she might be a tax evader, she might even be (God forbid) Afrocentric, but I don't think she's an outright racist. The worst part is that it's not even remotely difficult to get an opposing view. This is the first thing that comes up in Google if you type in "racist lauryn hill": snopes.com: Lauryn Hill on Whites Buying Her Albums

I don't consider Google searches or Wikipedia to be actual research (although more and more valid documents end up scanned and put online every day), but these days there's no excuse to not getting both sides of the story.

**fishcatch** · 07-12-2012, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by jester

FFS. I agree, fishcatch, this one won't ever die. Lauryn might be a little batty, she might be a tax evader, she might even be (God forbid) Afrocentric, but I don't think she's an outright racist. The worst part is that it's not even remotely difficult to get an opposing view. This is the first thing that comes up in Google if you type in "racist lauryn hill": snopes.com: Lauryn Hill on Whites Buying Her Albums

I don't consider Google searches or Wikipedia to be actual research (although more and more valid documents end up scanned and put online every day), but these days there's no excuse to not getting both sides of the story.

Dead on. In this age of it only taking seconds to get the right information, and it being easy to discern between legit sites and crackpot sites, ignorance should be considered a civil offense.