By Bridget Bland, BlackVoices.com
What a genius idea to intermix iconic entertainers, humanitarians and entrepreneurs. The experience humbles each legendary person and allows fans the chance opportunity to see a different side of some of their favorite people.
This is what the 'Iconoclasts' television show is about.
Earlier seasons of the hit Sundance network series featured pairings of visionaries like Maya Angelou with Dave Chappelle and Alicia Keys with Ruby Dee, respectively. In the fourth installment of 'Iconoclasts,' episodes have teamed up activist Desmond Tutu and entrepreneur Richard Branson and music mogul Clive Davis and comedian Bill Maher. This week, multi-Grammy Award-winner and humanitarian Wyclef Jean meets tennis ace and clothing designer Venus Williams. The pairing of these dynamic African-Americans takes viewers on an intimate journey from the music studio to the tennis court.
Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion, gets her very-first guitar lesson from the former frontman of The Fugees. During the lesson, Jean freestyles a song for her.
Later, the multiple Grammy Award winner picks up a tennis racket for the first time and is tutored by Williams. On the court, he picks up some moves and gains her approval. He fills her in on how his father influenced him to make music as a boy and Venus shares her earliest memories of playing tennis.
The stand-out moments of 'Iconoclasts' are always being able to go along for the ride when these superstars return to the places where they got their start.
For him, it's Newark, NJ, where he is reminded by his high school music teacher Ms. Price of his achievement as the first hip-hop artist to play New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.
In the end, the two plan to work together in the future on Jean's 'Yele Haiti' charity.
This episode of 'Iconoclasts' premieres on November 13 at 10 pm.
If you like it, be sure to tune in to the season finale of 'Iconoclasts' with actress Cameron Diaz and architect Cameron Sinclair, which airs on November 20 at 10 pm.
Comments: (8)
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By: Barry on 11/12/2008 10:28AM
I'm sure I will become a fan once I watch it. I just had no knowledge of it's existance. Seems like an interesting concept though.
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By: FACEMONKEY429 on 11/12/2008 8:31PM
I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT THAT WYCLEF JEAN CAN CO EXIST WITH TENNIS CHAMPION VENUS WILLIAMS, THEY BOTH CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT WAYS. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HER WITH A GUITAR AND LEARNING TO PLAY ALONG SIDE A GRAMMY WINNING MUSICIAN SUCH AS WYCLEF JEAN AS HIM BEING ON THE TENNIS COURT LEARNING TO PLAY TENNIS WITH A GRAND SLAM CHAMPION SUCH AS VENUS. I ALSO THINK THAT THE TWO OF THEM WOULD ALSO MAKE A GREAT COUPLE ON THE SOCIAL SCENE BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM ARE DOWN TO EARTH, FRIENDLY & THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR CHARITIES WITH GREAT CONVICTION.
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By: Jay on 11/12/2008 2:46PM
It is a great thing to see the two together. Venus williams is so sweet, sexy, beautiful,talented, and yet gracious.Wyclef Jean in his own right is also gifted, and gracious. I just love to see Venus play tennis and Wyclef performs. I wish the two could put an album together.
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By: Rick on 11/12/2008 5:25PM
I love Venus Williams! Congrats to V for winning the Sony Ericsson Championships last week. Winning the Year End Championship (YEC) tournament is a big deal. Winning that AND Wimbledon all in the same year is great. Keep it up V. Looking forward to seeing V get that #1 ranking next year. Go V !! You're simply the BEST...better than ALL THE REST !!
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By: kbrc on 11/12/2008 6:29PM
Does anyone know what chords Venus was playing?
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By: madupont on 11/12/2008 6:49PM
I'm just surprised that there is a 52% thumbs down for Iconoclasts. Desmond Tutu's visit with his friend Richard Branson was an eye-opener. The archbishop becomes visible as a "Holy Man" in the more often Eastern sense of that term. He has that humor that is so true of most of them and you see how Branson is going that route himself by having been guided along by Tutu; a meeting destined to happen.
Likewise looking back to the day Chapelle was delivered to the door of Maya Angelou, that interaction is something any and all of us can mostly recognize, it too is hilarious but in an entirely different way that Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson who are of course "buddies.
Whereas, Maya Angelou think she is his teacher, as she so long held forth in relationship to Oprah. Nothing could be further from the truth, when it comes to Dave Chapelle who,in respect for her age, was a respectful little boy from the word,"Come and visit,do." and did he ever. He took it all in,recognizing it for what is/is, which might have taught her a thing or two looking back which she probably surely did. It's harder for her, I think, because she is a very serious woman and he is a very playful man who intended to grow up just as he has by never letting the eternal child ever completely escape.
And, yes, there was the night where Alicia Keyes got Ruby Dee going, very politely done, soon after Ruby appeared in,American Gangster. Very graciously, Ms.Dee told her story of becoming an actress (as the term was used back in the day)in such a way as to include Alicia with an undertanding of what it had been like in Harlem, to build a career, the meeting of Ozzie who swept her off her feet,and how much the American political-social context affected their careers which is something for the younger set like Alicia Keyes to remember and keep in mind.
There were other wonderful chances to observe powerful emotional ties otherwise hidden from us because of our not having an opportunity before this to eavedrop and view the love of two friends as the years went by, Robert Redford and Paul Newman who has just recently departed from all of us.
I am looking forward to the Wyclef finding Venus Williams at home episode in the series tomorrow.
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By: marti444 on 11/13/2008 5:12PM
what points you made madupont!! you said it all in your post, respectfully! thank you!
I just happened upon this show about a month ago and just wanted to see what it was about. I watched a little bit of the one with Madeline Albright and Naomi Judd. I had been seeing that show in my tv lineup but never thought anything of until I couldn't find anything to watch and there it was!
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By: Laura on 11/16/2008 9:56AM
I love iconoclasts. My personal favorite is with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam with Laird Hamilton, surfer and water sports inventor (he creates other apparatus other than surfboards to ride the waves.) Their conversation was unreal, and I enjoyed their discussion comparing perfomeing music to surfing.
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