Our marijuana laws have never, and will never, be enforced fairly. The brutality of modern drug enforcement reaches every community, but if young white men were given criminal records and subjected to profiling and police harassment at the same rates as people of color, the criminal justice system would quickly come to a crashing halt. The drug war was built on a foundation of fundamental unfairness, and mitigating its catastrophic impact on communities of color requires measures far more drastic than telling police for the millionth time that there’s more to their job than searching young black men all day and night.

No, legalizing marijuana won’t solve the problem. Not even close. But what it will do is remove one of the primary justifications police rely upon when stopping and searching people in urban communities.

Full Editorial HERE.

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Click HERE (and bookmark) for updates on appeals and motions filed.

____________________

Mo’Kelly just got word from multiple sources!  Former Supreme Basileus Julia Brogdon Purnell triumphed!  The books of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority will be opened!  Supreme Basileus Barbara A. McKinzie will be compelled to open the books and be held accountable!

Spread the word!

Barbara A. McKinzie…You Can’t Win!

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Julia Brogdon Purnell

Former Alpha Kappa Alpha Supreme Basileus Julia Brogdon Purnell joined the organization in 1942…you know at the early portion of WWII.  In other words, her dedication to the organization is above reproach.  I can tell you that 68 years into my service to Omega Psi Phi…Mo’Kelly will not be filing writs to open the organization’s books.  Her loyalty and dedication are simply beyond reproach.

To that end, Purnell has revised her petition for writ for Mandamus for Examination of Books and Records.  She goes back to court for a final ruling Thursday, July 1.

It’s clear, if Purnell prevails…game over.

Click HERE

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Click HERE.

UPDATE: 2:15pm PDT - Mo’Kelly just received a call from Mr. Hillary O. Shelton Director, NAACP Washington Bureau / Vice President for Advocacy today.  There will be a follow up to this piece as Mr. Shelton was kind enough to elaborate and clarify the position of the national office on this issue.

Hillary Shelton

__________________

Black people…don’t fall for the okie doke. Things are what they are, not what they’re often times manipulated to be.

African-Americans…don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe. It’s official, the NAACP (the California chapter at least) has sold its soul. The debate continues as to whether marijuana should be decriminalized and in some ways has taken an unexpected turn with the California chapter of the NAACP coming out in support of decriminalization. Alice Huffman, president of the state conference offered this in justification of the organization’s stance:

“We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities and approximately 56% of the public in saying that it is time to decriminalize the use of marijuana.”

Don't fall for it...

Huffman also said that prohibition has a taken a “heavy toll,” if not disproportionately so on African-American communities.

Stop.

Stop right there.

Did you see it? Did you catch that? If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have missed it.

It’s at this point many may fall for the okie doke. It’s at this point others will fall victim to the banana in the tailpipe. The NAACP has the unmitigated gall to suggest that the legalization of marijuana is now a “civil rights” issue…with racial overtones.

A civil liberties issue? Absolutely. A civil rights issue…hell to the naw.

Before anyone starts in on their predictable comparisons of marijuana to alcohol and tobacco, let’s deal with this singular issue before proceeding any further. “Civil liberties” should not be confused with “civil rights.”

Voting is a “civil right.” Rolling a blunt at the crib would be a “civil liberty.”

Don’t confuse the issues.

Presently there is a measure in California that is set to be voted on in November which would allow individuals age 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.

The California chapter of the NAACP also cited statistics from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, showing that in 2009, 62% of the state’s marijuana arrests were of nonwhite suspects and that 42% were under 20.

Going further, the NAACP argued that the arrests of African-Americans ranged from double to quadruple that of Whites across the state, although the rates of usage skewed more to Whites.

The NAACP is both very shrewd and sickening; couching this debate within the context of racial inequality. It’s illogical, it’s misguided and ultimately patently offensive. The California chapter of this nation’s oldest civil rights organization has no business leading this parade. It shouldn’t be on any of the floats and shouldn’t even be playing in the band bringing up the rear.

The issue of decriminalizing marijuana is a separate and distinct discussion from the inherent inequities of the criminal justice system. Both are legitimate issues, but not meant to be commingled.

You do not send the NAACP to fight to decriminalize marijuana any more than you would have them fight for Ebonics in the public school system because “African-Americans are faring poorer in English.” You don’t send the NAACP to fight to decriminalize marijuana any more than you would have them fight for the Lotto because African-Americans are disproportionately suffering from poverty. You don’t send the NAACP to fight to decriminalize marijuana any more than you would have them fight to legalize speeding if African-Americans received a disproportionate amount of speeding tickets.

The NAACP walking point in this debate reeks of a political shell game with the aromatic stench of back room deals and lobbyist quid pro quo. All at the expense of the tradition of the Civil Rights Movement.

This is akin to arguing violent crime statistics would go down…if you would just legalize murder. It’s attaching the wrong solution to the wrong problem.

The underlying issue of racial inequality is inextricably linked to the criminal justice system and the prison industrial complex. On that we should all agree. If the real issue is the disproportionate number of African-Americans arrested relative to Whites, then the answer is in the disparate enforcement and sentencing guidelines related to the law, not the law itself.

Voting is a “civil right.” Rolling a blunt at the crib would be a “civil liberty.”

Don’t confuse the issues.

I’ll listen to every argument and review every pie chart you have on the dangers of alcohol and how they supersede those of the chronic.

I get it.

I’ll let anyone wax rhapsodic on the documented historical failure of prohibition or the death legacy of cigarettes.

I get it.

Just don’t confuse THESE issues. Compare your alcohol and tobacco “apples”

Ida B. Wells-Barnett

to weed “apples” all day, every single day. Knock yourself out.

But when you start including the civil rights “oranges”…that collective rumbling sound you hear would be W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and dozens of others log rolling in their graves.

“Civil liberties” are not the same as “Civil rights.” They “sound” similar but they are not the same. Civil liberties deal with the supposed excessive government intervention in the private lives of its citizens. Civil rights have to do with the essential tenets of American citizenry, which can not be denied along the lines of race, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

When Whites can roll a blunt, and African-Americans can not…then and ONLY then has this become a civil rights issue. A disparity in arrests is an argument of the thinnest order that such is presently taking place.  Attack the enforcement practices and sentencing guidelines.  Anything else is a ruse.  Don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe.

The NAACP, the nation’s oldest CIVIL RIGHTS organization walking point on the CIVIL LIBERTIES issue of marijuana legalization is a farce and an embarrassment. Let the ACLU do what it does…so the NAACP (in California and beyond) can deal with real CIVIL RIGHTS issues, such as the immigration law in Arizona…for starters.

If the issue is purely statistical in nature, (i.e. the disproportionate arrests of African-Americans in related to marijuana,) then attack enforcement and sentencing guidelines. Attack it in the way that the Senate recently passed a bill to reduce crack-to-cocaine sentencing ratio from 100-1 to 18-1. (Under current law, it takes only five grams of crack cocaine to earn a mandatory minimum five-year federal prison sentence, but 500 grams of powder cocaine to garner the same sentence. )

This is a dishonorable fight by the NAACP, be it a local chapter or national body. It is in the same basket as the aforementioned Ebonics and “saving” the N-Word.

If we as African-Americans allow the battle to legalize marijuana co-opt and misappropriate the legacy and tradition of the Civil Rights movement…

Shame on Us.

In college I had to read Stolen Legacy by George G.M. James. Maybe it’s time to write the sequel, Misappropriated Legacy, turn it into a Reality TV show and put it on BET…with malt liquor commercial breaks.

Shame on Us.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said the state NAACP is “the first mainstream civil rights organization to endorse marijuana legalization.

“This represents the expansion of the … alliance of forces across the political spectrum from the progressive left to the libertarian right that agree we have to junk this disastrous prohibition policy,” he said.

Roger Salazar, a Democratic consultant working with “Public Safety Now,” a group opposing the marijuana initiative said the NAACP endorsement is “unusual.”

He added: “Reasonable people can argue about the merits of legalization … But the unintended consequences of this initiative will be a disaster for all California communities.”

The NAACP endorsement isn’t necessarily a harbinger of the African American vote.

In 2008, the organization opposed the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. But African Americans voted overwhelmingly for the initiative.

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Does that mean raise the speed limit if a disproportionate number of African-Americans get speeding tickets?  The question is not who goes to jail, the question (and answers) are in how we choose to enforce the laws and what responsibility is on the citizen.  Not only that…Mo’Kelly is clearly uncomfortable with couching the legalization of marijuana as a “civil rights” issue.

___________

From the L.A. Times

Saying that prohibition takes a heavy toll on minorities, leaders of the NAACP’s California chapter announced Monday that they are backing passage of a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot.

The war on drugs is a failure and disproportionately targets young men and women of color, particularly African-American males, said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP’s state conference.

The group cited statistics from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showing that in 2009, 62% of the state’s marijuana arrests were of nonwhite suspects and that 42% were under 20.

The pattern was consistent in the state’s 25 largest counties, with arrests of African Americans at double, triple and quadruple the rate of whites even though studies show that blacks use marijuana at lower rates than whites, NAACP officials said.

“We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities and approximately 56% of the public in saying that it is time to decriminalize the use of marijuana,” Huffman said in a prepared statement.

November’s measure, if approved, would allow people 21 and older to legally possess an ounce of cannabis. Marijuana sales would be taxed, potentially raising billions of dollars for government services. Opponents say legalization would increase crime and drug dependency.

– Catherine Saillant

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Number one…Mo’Kelly doesn’t watch the BET Awards, because Mo’Kelly doesn’t watch BET.  Haven’t done so in years.  Number two, Mo’Kelly has no personal grudge against El.  The only time Mo’Kelly  had anything to say about El was when El emailed Mo’Kelly, got arrested or both.

El DeBarge performing at the BET Awards isn’t exactly news.  But just so y’all will stop emailing, texting and calling asking…Mo’Kelly is publicly noting he’s aware.

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Michael Vick

Forbes magazine recently released its list of “The Most Disliked People in Sports” a survey of 1,100 people age 13 or older who are active in sports as either a player, coach, manager, broadcaster, agent or owner.

Before we go further, let’s keep this honest.  It’s the “most-hated” poll.  It is what it is.  Don’t get tripped up and tricked by the euphemism of “dislike.”  These are athletes that evoke visceral responses, as is evidenced by their “strong dislike” quotients below.

The respondents had to be actively involved as to eliminate the multitude of those who might only know of Vick through his dog-fighting arrest and nothing more.  Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the full list with the percent of “Strong Dislike” in parentheses.

1.         Michael Vick (69%)

2.         Al Davis (66%)

3.         Ben Roethlisberger (57%)

4.         Tiger Woods (53%)

5.         Jerry Jones (53%)

6.         Mark McGwire (48%)

7.         Terrell Owens (47%)

8.         Alex Rodriguez (45%)

9.         Allen Iverson (45%)

10.       Gilbert Arenas (44%)

Today is only going to ask questions.  Some are rhetorical, others are interrogatives actually in search of an answer.  But today, it’s going to be more about questions than anything else.  This survey is supposed to be the answer to the question of “who is the most ‘disliked’ in professional sports?”  The list above is your answer.

Mo’Kelly could extrapolate out and write a scathing editorial on how troubling it is that even the “more informed” (i.e. sports enthusiasts) still have a disproportionate amount of contempt for Michael Vick than anyone else, but no…not today.  Mo’Kelly could theorize the implicit role of race in the perception of athletes, but no…not today.  Mo’Kelly only has questions, you the readers will have to provide the answers.

Ben Roethlisberger

• How is it that Michael Vick is still the “most-disliked” in all of sports when he’s been a model citizen since he’s been out of jail for more than a year?

• Why is it that Michael Vick tops this list and Ben Roethlisberger who has been accused of rape TWICE is nowhere close in percentage to Vick?

• Should Mo’Kelly make the leap that killing my neighbor’s dog 3 years ago is somehow socially less acceptable than (allegedly) raping the same neighbor’s daughter 3 months ago?

• Why is Terrell Owens as “disliked” as much Mark McGwire and more than Alex Rodriguez, when of the three, he’s the only one who didn’t cheat in his sport (or on his wife for that matter)?

• Did these people somehow forget that Mark McGwire’s career was a fraud and he in essence “pleaded the 5^th” before Congress?
  

  Terrell Owens...and the popcorn

• Don’t these people know that being a fraud for your whole career like McGwire is probably worse than making a career of creative endzone celebrations like Owens…and the two shouldn’t be equated on any level…ever?

• How did Gilbert Arenas make this list and not Plaxico Burress? (Is that because since he’s “in” jail, he’s not “in” sports…i.e. ineligible?)

• If Michael Vick were never to have played in the NFL again, (despite not being eligible for the list), Mo’Kelly wonders if people would still dislike him as much…i.e. less jealousy/contempt?

• Why is Tiger Woods so much more “disliked” than A-Rod when Tiger’s never been caught cheating in his sport and arguably equally as unfaithful as Alex Rodriguez?
  

  A-Rod and Madonna

• Does that mean cheating on your wife with a married Madonna (and presumably plenty others) is somehow socially more acceptable than cheating on your wife with porn stars and cocktail waitresses?

• Or let Mo’Kelly ask the same question slightly differently.  Why is cheating on your wife (as a superstar golfer) comparable in “dislike” to being accused of raping two women (as a superstar NFL quarterback) and more “reprehensible” than the superstar baseball player who cheated on his wife AND cheated in his sport?

• 

  Jerry Jones

  What did Jerry Jones do to deserve to be on this list?  Al Davis, I get it.  But Jerry Jones?

• How many people tried to write in OJ Simpson’s name, even though he’s not eligible for this list?

• Is Mo’Kelly the only one who wonders what “other” criteria was considered by the respondents…be it consciously or subconsciously?

Hmm…

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Aaron McGruder

Dr. Cornel West has often asserted that the late, great Richard Pryor was the “freest” Black man who ever lived. Not that I disagree with the noted philosopher and leading public intellectual, but I would like to also add that cartoonist and satirist Aaron McGruder deserves honorable mention.

McGruder’s entertainment resumé has been decorated with numerous chalk outlines, laying waste to both individuals and institutions arguably out of step with what’s best for the African-American aggregate.

Anyone familiar with McGruder’s work knows that the The Boondocks is unabashed, unrelenting and unrepentant in its attempts to offer its creator’s viewpoint on everything from popular culture to political fodder. Whether you agree with McGruder’s approach often times determines whether you are a fan of his work, regardless of the point he strives to make.

McGruder’s work is akin to chitlins…either you really like them or you can’t even stand the thought of the smell. There’s no in-between and he likely revels in the visceral response he often evokes.

In the latest episode of The Boondocks, McGruder took aim at the Tyler Perry empire by way of

Tyler Perry

“Winston Jerome.” Stopping short of imitating Perry’s voice and likeness, McGruder lampooned the legacy of Perry in every way, even hinting at supposed unresolved homosexual issues which allegedly power Perry’s most popular character, “Madea.”

If McGruder is anything, he is consistent. His consistent effort in “putting hands on” the seemingly untouchable or immensely popular is probably unmatched. Perry has fast become a movie mogul in an entertainment world in which knows few of his color. Right or wrong, public criticism of him and/or his work is not acceptable in many African-American circles. Criticism of such lofty African-Americans is often dismissed has being rooted in jealousy or a “crabs-in-a-barrel” mentality; regardless of how factual and accurate the criticism just might be.

Don’t talk “crazy” about President Obama, don’t talk “mess” about Oprah and don’t talk “ish” about Tyler Perry. For many, they are simply above reproach.

Uh…no they’re not and yes you should when warranted.

As a matter of fact, McGruder has put his foot into the backside of all of the aforementioned over the course of his career.

In this particular instance, he has a point and it’s a good one (several actually).

At the same time, Mo’Kelly isn’t so sure that Aaron hadn’t already abrogated his moral authority to take anyone’s “Black card” anymore or is wise by throwing stones from his glass house of negative imagery.

Let Mo’Kelly digress momentarily…

For what it’s worth, can anyone describe the immense irony in the fact that one of Perry’s most vocal critics (outside of McGruder) is filmmaker Spike Lee?” That would be the same Lee whose groundbreaking films and vision as a opened the door for more Black voices and Black directors to be seen and thrive; names like Tyler Perry. If Tyler Perry has become a money-making monster in this business (and he has), some thanks must go to Dr. Spike Frankenstein who unwittingly helped create him. In the way that there probably is no Tiger Woods without Lee Elder…there’s probably no Tyler Perry without Spike Lee.

W.E.B. DuBois

Such is the nature of the battle for the souls of Black folk. And speaking of The Souls of Black Folk, once upon a time it was W.E.B. Dubois who offered sharp criticism of Booker T. Washington. Langston Hughes’ artistic vision was roundly criticized by James Baldwin. Despite these truths, history had more than enough room to celebrate them individually and collectively.

In other words, the fight for the souls of Black folk didn’t begin

James Baldwin

with Harriett Tubman and it didn’t end with Barack Obama taking his presidential oath. Let’s not lose sight of these facts.  History will have ample room to celebrate all of these figures and their contributions in the coming generations, Aaron McGruder too.

But back to McGruder/Perry…

For some, the fact that Tyler Perry has built his empire on the back of a cross-dressing character with many features similar to the “Mammy” stereotype of yesteryear concerns many in the Black intelligentsia. Some have characterized Perry’s work as nothing more than “coonery” and “buffoonery.” In truth, it’s a fair criticism.

Yes, I said it…it’s a fair criticism.

There are real similarities between “Madea” and “Mammy” which can’t be denied. The shenanigans of the characters on programs like Meet the Browns evoke for some, comparisons to Stepin Fetchit.

Stepin Fetchit

Stepin Fetchit, not-so-coincidentally was the first Black millionaire actor…”Stepin Fetchit” was the stage name for Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry. The fact that “Tyler” and “Lincoln” share the same surname is not where their similarities begin or end. The amassing of great fortunes while promulgating questionable images of African-Americans has managed to bring both their names together in discussions many times prior to this editorial and will continue to do so long afterward. It’s a reasonable discussion to be had. You may agree or disagree ultimately, but the historical similarities do bear mentioning and are worthy of discussion. No number of Black people Tyler Perry has managed to employ over the years mitigates these similarities or marginalizes those who take issue with the images Perry puts forth.

As I’ve said many times over the years…if the game of dominoes taught Mo’Kelly anything, it’s that not all money is good money. If Al Jolson, BET’s Comic View and HBO’s Def Comedy Jam taught Mo’Kelly anything, it’s that not all “funny” is good funny.

It does beg the question as to whether the exaltation of Tyler Perry comes at too high a cost. We must be willing to ask ourselves if Tyler Perry becoming an eventual billionaire is any different than when Bob Johnson became one thanks to BET? McGruder’s answer to the question (on both) is abundantly clear, yet are African-Americans willing to accept long and sustained criticism of Perry or might they eventually turn their backs on McGruder? Throwing hay-makers at BET as McGruder has done in the past could be considered “easy” as BET has long been universally accepted as the top villain in such discussions. The same can’t be said of Perry.

Perry is firmly entrenched and beloved within the church-going community from his original stage plays which paved the way for his eventual success in TV and movies. The love affair with Perry’s characters is both long and strong. Conversely, it’s always been easy to hate BET. The company and its executive leadership have always made it rather easy to do.

Spike Lee

But as always in The Mo’Kelly Report…we strive to go deeper. Simply criticizing Perry is a superficial read of this issue. Let’s get to the substantive.

Where Spike Lee has it right is that all African-American filmmakers have a duty to put forth responsible imagery. Yes, ALL of them. We do not live in a post-racial America and we as African-Americans are not adequately or respectfully represented across video and audio media. Any irresponsibility on the part of a Lee, a Perry, a Singleton, a Fuqua or even an Ice Cube has a disproportionately negative effect on its target viewership.

It’s not fair, but it surely is the truth.

She's Gotta Have It (1986)

If Lee should view Tyler Perry with contempt, Spike should also remember his own similar missteps. Girl 6, the movie about the phone sex operator is not liable to end up on Turner Classic Films and did nothing to place Black women in a positive light. She’s Gotta Have It...anyone…anyone?

Bueller…Bueller? Oversexed Black woman stereotype?

She Hate Me, you know, the Spike Lee movie about the Black “buck” who impregnates 18 women at $10,000 a pop (no pun intended) for his “sperm donor business.”

Stereotypes? Coonery and buffoonery?  Nobody was exactly twisting Lee’s arm to tell that “positive” African-American story in the 21st century.

That’s a double-edged sword cutting more than just Perry…let’s be intellectually honest and fair. Lee can make the argument that his body of work is balanced and offers a wider swath of African-American life, and it would be an accurate statement. Yet he too has willfully trumpeted obviously negative imagery along the way to make a dollar.

Which segues Mo’Kelly back to McGruder.

As for McGruder, let’s not forget his liberal…no, LIBERAL use of the N-word over the years. It’s not for Mo’Kelly to necessarily say one evil is worse than another, but Mo’Kelly will say “evil is evil.” Negative imagery is negative imagery. It’s difficult to rationalize it in either small doses or large. It’s too complicated to try to reconcile the supposed difference between someone offering negative imagery only “some” of the time as opposed to “most” of the time. Mo’Kelly didn’t know such a sliding scale existed.

Do we now grade “sell-outs” on a bell curve? That’s what it sounds like McGruder is saying we should do. In the end, Mo’Kelly isn’t high on the N-Word OR cross-dressing Black men when it comes down to discussions about positive representations of African-Americans.

So before we all run to jump on the McGruder bandwagon, let’s be wise enough to examine the fullness of history. History has shown that there’s enough room for all of these towering figures to coexist and we’ll celebrate each of their legacies long after they’re gone. History has also shown that none of these towering figures is above reproach and has done his questionable fair share. Yes, McGruder is an honorable mention for the freest Black man in the history of America, and his points about Tyler Perry are well-taken and in many ways valid. Let’s just not let McGruder and Lee get “brand new” on us either. You can’t hold someone else up to the light and not also have some of that same light shine on you too.

RELATED: Black Electorate – Time to Grow Up (Or Go to Your Room)

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For the second consecutive year, Michael Vick is the most-hated man in sports, according to a Forbes magazine poll.

Vick topped the list that included five NFL figures among the 10 most-hated people in sports. He was disliked by 69% of respondents.

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis was second on the list, with 66% disapproval rating, with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger third at 57%.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was tied for fourth with Tiger Woods, with 53% of respondents saying they disliked him.

Terrell Owens was the other NFL stakeholder on the list, with 47%.

(Mo’Kelly: There’s plenty commentary to be had on this one.  How Tiger Woods is running neck and neck with a twice-accused rapist on a “most-hated” survey is curious at best.  And let’s be clear, this isn’t about a favorable/unfavorable perception…it’s a “most-hated” list.  Mo’Kelly will save his other commentary for later.)

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Angelina Jolie

From EURWEB.com

The backlash over Angelina Jolie’s casting as African queen Cleopatra in an upcoming biopic is picking up steam.

It all started earlier this month when producer Scott Rudin announced he was developing the film “for and with Jolie” based on Stacy Schiff’s book “Cleopatra: A Life.” Schiff applauded the choice, telling USA Today, “Physically, she’s the perfect look.”

Needless to say, the casting is not sitting well among many African Americans, who have taken to Internet sites – including this one – to voice outrage over yet another white actress being chosen to play the Egyptian queen.

“I don’t care how full Angelina Jolie’s lips are, how many African children she adopts, or how bronzed her skin will become for the film,” Shirea Carroll wrote in an editorial for Essence.com. “I firmly believe this role should have gone to a black woman…What’s next? A biopic on Sojourner Truth played by Betty White?”

This isn’t the first time Jolie has found herself at the center of a debate about race in Hollywood. In 2007, she raised eyebrows within the African American community when she wore dark make-up to play the role of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl’s wife Marian, who is partly of African descent. Pearl herself took to the press to defend Jolie, telling Time Magazine, “It is not about the color of your skin. It is about who you are.”

While experts can’t say with certainty what Cleopatra looked like, physically speaking, Jolie certainly doesn’t fit with the features historians now know she inhabited. In addition to the wrong skin color, Jolie is also thought to be too tall, too skinny and too striking to mirror the real Cleopatra.

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

“Sadly for those who seek the secret of her personal allure, the more we study Cleopatra’s surviving images, the less certain we may be of her [allegedly gorgeous] looks,” Susan Walker, a senior curator at the British Museum, told the British Sunday Times.

In fact, according to ABC News, Egyptologists insist that the legendary temptress, known for having used her beauty to seduce Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and general Mark Anthony, was actually “short, fat and plain.”

Elizabeth Taylor was the first to portray the famous queen on film in 1963′s “Cleopatra.”

RELATED:

Post-Racial Hollywood?  One Big Cop-Out

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