theGrio

Back to the Top

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Home
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • The Dish
  • Health
    • Ask Dr. Ty
    • Black Men’s Health
    • Black Women and Breast Cancer
    • Back to School Health
  • Living
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Living Forward
    • Books
  • Politics
    • Perry on Politics
  • Sports
  • News
    • Good News
  • Opinion

Entertainment

‘Paris Is Burning’: Diddy ‘borrows’ title from documentary on NYC LGBT culture

by Briana Lopes | April 17, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Comments
Print

Related Posts

  • Diddy wins Oscar for 'Undefeated'
  • Model's hair catches fire at Diddy's live Ustream party
  • Documentary on life of rapper Heavy D to air
  • Diddy to fix model's hair that caught on fire
  • New album 'Last Train to Paris' is do or die for Diddy

Rapper turned business mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs has never been shy about his affinity for opulence. He’s been bragging about his bank roll for years (in songs like Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems”), and he even named his latest attempt at the next best thing in music Dirty Money. So it’s no surprise that the trend continues with his latest creative project, Paris Is Burning, a short documentary film about extravagance.

Diddy released the first trailer yesterday, shot by French director Julien Bachelet. The 1 minute clip follows the Ciroc owner through a maze of screaming paparazzi as he hops in and out of his limo to attend a fashion show, shop for Rolex watches, and simply enjoy the life his wealth affords him.

As he shops, he muses to the camera, “I’m fresh out the store, you see how we do it… collecting Rollies…. I’m a have over 100 Rollies within the next month.”

WATCH DIDDY in ‘PARIS IS BURNING’ (2012) TRAILER:

Is Diddy aware that his lavish short film goes by the same name as the documentary from 1990 about marginalized, gay, and trans people of color emerging from the New York City “ball” scene?

Paris Is Burning, the original Jennie Livingston-directed film, chronicled the ball culture in New York City’s disenfranchised and neglected black, Latino, and queer communities during the 1980s. Madonna learned to “vogue” here, and America discovered what “throwing shade” was for the first time.

Octavia Saint Laurent, an aspiring trans model and drag queen, was just one of the many “characters” Livingston spotlights in her anthropological film. Like many of the gay and transgendered performers who came out of the ball scene, St. Laurent suffered from AIDS, and she deeply affected her proceeding generation of admirers when she died of cancer in 2009.

OCTAVIA SAINT LAURENT OF ‘PARIS IS BURNING” (1990):

Regardless of whether or not Diddy has appropriated Paris Is Burning from the original — named after one of the balls it features in the film — do you want to see his continued display of materialism branch over from music and television into film?

Follow Briana Lopes on Twitter at @briananikohl

  • diddy.jpg
    Next Story:

    Diddy tops Forbes’ 5 wealthiest hip-hop artists list

  • g-dep.jpg
    Previous Story:

    Rapper G. Dep convicted in 1993 NYC shooting

Filed in: Entertainment, Top Stories, Video | Related Topics: Balls, Black, Documentaries, Drag, Drag Queen, France, Gay, Latino, LGBT Transgender, Madona, NYC, Paris, Paris is Burning, Sean Combs
  • Learn about our User Panel

    Read More
  • New Stories on theGrio

    • Chief Keef threatens to slap Katy Perry via Twitter Chief Keef threatens to slap Katy Perry via Twitter
    • Warrant for rapper Tim Dog, despite death reports Warrant for rapper Tim Dog, despite death reports
    • Pa. woman convicted in fiance’s wedding day death Pa. woman convicted in fiance’s wedding day death
    • Mayoral candidate ‘endorsed by Jesus’ finishes last Mayoral candidate ‘endorsed by Jesus’ finishes last
    • First lady: ‘I have failed at things’
    • Is hip-hop finally over molly?
    • 4 boss moves to make during Memorial Day weekend
    • Stop and Frisk report: Whites stopped more likely have weapons than blacks
  • What Your Friends Are Reading

  • More from theGrio

More Stories on theGrio

Top News

Politics

  • Transportation Secretary nominee, Charlotte, N.C. Mayor Anthony Foxx testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2013, before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

    Anthony Foxx receives warm reception from senators

  • Obama cites new framework for terror war

  • Obama's 1979 prom photo, yearbook note to 'foxy' friend unearthed

  • Are the Obamas too critical of black Americans?

» Read More in Politics

Business

  • An elderly black couple. © poco_bw – Fotolia.com

    Black Americans retiring earlier, with less savings

  • BlackStartup.com seeks to uplift black businesses

  • Payday loans: A debt trap in disguise

  • Tiger Woods makes a comeback on the course, and in video game sales

» Read More in Business

Living

  • mcdonalds_lottery 1x9

    McDonald's can't shake criticism about nutrition

  • Beyoncé and Rent The Runway launch 'The Beyoncé Boutique'

  • Homeless teen graduates as valedictorian of high school class

  • Memorial Day staycation hotspots!

» Read More in Living

Inspiration

  • Television journalist Robin Roberts poses with her Peabody at the 72nd Annual Peabody Awards at the Waldorf-Astoria on Monday, May 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

    Robin Roberts to write memoir about illness

  • Charlotte remembers 1963 desegregation 'eat-in'

  • Tornado survivor saved by teacher

  • Obama speech makes Morehouse grads 'proud'

» Read More in Inspiration

Entertainment

  • Kanye West  (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

    The top 5 rap lyrics of the week

  • UK rapper live tweets London knife attack

  • Darius Rucker rides 'Wagon Wheel' to top of charts

  • Janet Jackson officially hits billionaire status

» Read More in Entertainment

News

  • ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 16: Quarterback Robert Griffin III #10 of the Washington Redskins watches from the sidelines during the game against the St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome on September 16, 2012 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

    Robert Griffin III still aiming for Redskins' opener

  • UCLA awarded $10M grant to study autism in African-Americans

  • Chinua Achebe honored in Nigeria funeral

  • Zimmerman wants Trayvon's pot use referenced

» Read More in News

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Politics
  • Living
  • Video
  • Inspire
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with TheGrio
  • About
©2013 NBCUniversal
Powered by WordPress.com VIP