Pheaturing Samantha Newark From "Jem"

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Fridaryr. How are you doing? This happy news story out of New Haven, Connecticut seriously sounds like a sequel to The Parent Trap. Two biological sisters, given up at birth for adoption, have been reunited by pure coincidence. Cassandra Madison and Julia Tinetti met while working at the same restaurant and instantly became best friends. Nine years later, a DNA test has confirmed that they are also full siblings. According to WTNH, Cassandra Madison and Julia Tinetti were in their early twenties when they met, in 2013, working at The Russian Lady, a pub in downtown New Haven. Madison noticed a Dominican Republic tattoo on Tinetti’s left arm, and was excited to inform her co-worker that she was also Dominican… and had the same tattoo on her back! From then on, their friendship was solidified. And it didn’t take long to notice more similarities between the pair. They had both been adopted and raised by single mothers in America. Since they also looked similar, naturally they wondered if they could be related. But due to errors in Julia Tinetti’s adoption paperwork, they thought it was not possible. But their big sister-little sister dynamic continued anyways. According to Nexstar, Tinetti has described purposely “twinning“ with her friend by wearing the same clothes. Still, they lived without the realization… for nearly a decade. In 2018, Cassandra Madison successfully tracked down her biological father using a DNA test kit that linked her to a cousin, also living in Connecticut. Through that, Madison was put in contact with her father who still lives in the Dominican Republic. He and Madison’s mother, who passed in 2015, have seven children that they kept. And, it turned out, one more that they’d given up. Their biological father admitted the truth about this other daughter reluctantly. He explained to Cassandra Madison that it was a difficult period to think about, since he and his wife could not afford to keep the two girls. That’s why he did not bring it up sooner. Hearing this news, Madison hoped that Tinetti’s adoption papers had indeed been incorrect. The girls finally decided to undergo their own DNA test for the first time... nine years after they’d first met at The Russian Lady restaurant. Madison is now 32; Tinnetti is 31. Two weeks later, the results confirmed that these girls were full sisters. Last week Madison and Tinetti decided to share their rare story on social media last week, through a now-viral TikTok. And as we come out of a painful pandemic year, with so many relatives lost to coronavirus, it’s truly heartwarming to hear about this unlikely family coming together. Attention filmmakers: somebody, please, make a documentary about this!  

In Tennessee, 150 children are getting the chance to live their own lives again, following the success of the joint law enforcement operation known as “Operation Volunteer Strong.” The operation launched a massive kidnapping investigation, strategically locating and rescuing the missing children ranging from 3-17 years old, with only a few of them being potential human trafficking victims. According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shelly Smitherman said, “The situations of the children recovered vary widely, ranging from children that left home during difficult situations, some who were found with non-custodial family members to children ‘dealing with abuse or exploitation.'” The kids have also been receiving services, including placements in foster homes, group homes, or other specialized care. The TBI also explained that a “number of arrests” have also been made in connection to the missing children. According to their press release, they had started conducting their searches on January 4th of this year, concluding in late February with three sweeps in different parts of the state. The first sweep was from January 4th-15th in East Tennessee, recovering 56 of 86 children. The second sweet was then on January 25th- February 5th in central Tennessee, where they recovered 42 of 72 missing. And their last sweep covered West Tennessee from February 8th-12th and again on February 22nd-26th, recovering 52 of 82 missing children. The U.S. Marshals Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, FBI, and Tennessee Department of Children’s Services have also been helping with this operation. U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee Tyreece Miller said with warning, “I hope this operation changes the course for 150 young lives and leads them to the path of opportunities every child deserves. Our efforts should also serve notice to those who prey on society’s most vulnerable that these children are not forgotten. Investigations will continue and the next knock at the door could be for you.”

In Salisbury, North Carolina, an investigation has been launched on an officer who was caught on video poorly handling a K-9 police dog. The investigation stems from the horrifying video showing the officer taking the dog’s leash, clipping it onto its collar, and roughly swinging the dog’s entire body over his shoulder where the dog was hanging above the ground by its neck. He then slams the dog into the vehicle. You hear another officer in the video say, “We’re good… no witnesses.” The officer was unnamed pending the investigation, but the disturbing video was enough to initiate more observation. As the video continues, you can hear other officers asking one another if their cameras are on, followed by requests that the cameras be turned off. Roy Taylor has been a veteran police K-9 handler for more than 20 years and has also been a police chief in three North Carolina cities. He thoroughly criticized the officer’s physical handling of the German shepherd named Zuul, saying, “I think this was an example of something you should not do. By slinging the dog over his shoulder, carrying him back, he’s cutting off that blood supply and air for several seconds, and then by throwing him in the vehicle the way he did, he risked causing some cervical spine or cerebral spine injuries to the dog” He also expressed concerns in how the officer’s actions would affect the investment in K-9 training, explaining, “Sometimes it can be up to $20,000 to $25,000 and the potential damage to the dog’s training. Now going forward, the dog’s going to have to reconsider whether he gets out of the car at all,” referring specifically to how the officer was escorting the dog to the police vehicle. However, Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes remained vague in a news conference about the investigation, purposely not commenting on whether the treatment was permitted or not. He did mention that it may have been part of the canine training tactics, saying, “when a canine is non-compliant with the handler’s commands, the handler is trained to correct the dog.” He also explained that the officer is currently administratively separated from the K-9 unit while “SPD (Salisbury Police Department) conducts its review.” I can be the first to admit that I lose my patience more quickly than most, but I don’t think I can relate in feeling this frustrated with any living being to do this to them. Not to mention that this officer could’ve potentially backtracked this police dog’s training, probably scaring it into not responding the way it’s supposed to. Kyle Heyen, a former police officer who trained dogs for law enforcement agencies, said, “The actions of the handler were not appropriate. If you’re frustrated because that dog came out at that point in time and you respond with that much frustration, it just makes you wonder what that officer is going to do in a real-life situation.” 

Meghan Markle has decided to speak out about her time as a royal. The former actress is ready to tell the truth in a new sit-down preview for the upcoming interview between Oprah Winfrey and Meghan and Prince Harry. The former actress revealed that she doesn’t see how the royal family could expect her and her husband to stay “silent” for so long. In the sneak peek shared by CBS, Oprah is heard asking Markle, “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?” To which she responds, “ I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing and perpetuating falsehood about us. And if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean I... there’s a lot that’s been lost already.” In the clip of a very anticipated tell-all CBS primetime special released over the weekend, Winfrey told Harry and Meghan, “you said some pretty shocking things here.” Buckingham Palace shortly announced that it will be launching a probe into bullying allegations against Markle herself that were reported by The Times in the U.K. Through a statement, they announced, “We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex." They stated, “Accordingly, our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.” The Duchess of Sussex has denied all the allegations made towards her. Through a statement obtained by People after The Times publish their story, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan stated that the Duchess is very saddened by the latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has heavily been targeted on bullying herself and is very committed to supporting those who have experienced trauma and pain. They continued, “she is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and we’ll keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.” Oprah’s CBS interview is expected to cover Meghan’s journey from stepping into life as a royal to marriage, mental health, philanthropy work, motherhood, and facing intense public pressure. Harry is expected to join his wife to talk about the historic move to the United States. Oprah with Meghan and Harry is set to air Sunday, March 7th at 8 p.m. on CBS. Prince Harry recently sat down with James Corden in Los Angeles. The duo spoke about his time in the United States focusing on his life with Megan and their son Archie, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip. The late-night segment was filmed before Meghan announced on Valentine’s Day that she was expecting their second child and it was also taped before Buckingham Palace confirmed that the couple will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family. 

A global pandemic, aliens, cicadas… and ZOMBIES? The CDC has decided to scare the world a little bit more this year, by making sure that we know what to do whenever a zombie apocalypse occurs. Because well, 2020 was an absolute shit show, and 2021 is, unfortunately, shaping up to be just like it. I’m sorry, let’s face it. With the way the situation is going you sort of just have to sit down and nod your head. Which is what the CDC did to keep us at ease. According to Nostradamus, 2021 will be jam-packed with several events that could shape the future of humanity. Some of the predictions include a famine Biblical proportions, a comet either hitting Earth are coming very close, solar storms, and of course a zombie apocalypse. In case you don’t know who Nostradamus is, he’s a 16th-century French astrologer and is best known for his book Les Propheties which is a collection of several properties that he has made. He is given credit for predicting the rise of Adolf Hitler and World War II. So for 2021, he predicted that scientists would create a biological weapon and produce a virus that can turn humans into zombies. where is Will Smith when you need him, huh? The prediction reads, “Few young people: half−dead to give a start. Dead through spite, he will cause the others to shine, And in an exalted place some great evils to occur: Sad concepts will come to harm each one, Temporal dignified, the Mass to succeed. Fathers and mothers dead of infinite sorrows, Women in mourning, the pestilent she−monster: The Great One to be no more, all the world to end.” So, to have a back-up plan the Centers for Disease Control and Preparedness create a campaign to help ease the fears and decided to share several tips on how one can be zombie ready just in case. Because well, it’s better to be prepared. My guess here is that they prepared by watching "The Walking Dead" and learned from their mistakes. CDC writes, “As it turns out, what first began as a tongue-in-cheek campaign to engage new audiences with preparedness messages has proven to be a very effective platform. We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via zombie preparedness." Trying to alleviate the situation a little bit, they also noted “You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.” In order to survive this so-called zombie pandemic, CDC says that one needs to prepare an emergency kit. Once your kit is complete, it’s time to come up with that very specific emergency plan. Apparently, this includes where you do and where to go if the zombie starts appearing outside your house. One can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake, or another emergency according to the CDC. Here are the following steps you want to make sure to follow so you don’t get killed. Identify the types of emergencies that are possible in your area. Besides a zombie apocalypse, this may include floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes. If you are unsure contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information. Pick a meeting place for your family to regroup in case zombies invade your home or your town evacuated because of a hurricane. Pick one place right outside your home for sudden emergencies and one place outside of your neighborhood in case you are unable to return home right away. Identify your emergency contacts. Make a list of local contacts like the police, fire department, and your local zombie response team. Also identify an out-of-state contact that you can call during an emergency to let the rest of your family know you are okay. Plan your evacuation route. When zombies are hungry they won’t stop until they get food (i.e., brains), which means you need to get out of town fast! Plan where you would go and multiple routes you would take ahead of time so that the flesh eaters don’t have a chance! This is also helpful when natural disasters strike and you have to take shelter fast. 2022, we’re ready for you! If the zombies do start roaming the streets, the CDC says that they would conduct an investigation just like if it was any other disease outbreak. They would determine the cause of the illness as a source of the virus/toxin/ infection, or and how it is transmitted, and how readily it is spread. They will also study how to break the cycle of transmission in order to prevent any further cases and how patients can be treated. They noted, “Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas.” So, there you have it, everything you need in order to stay safe during a zombie apocalypse. Because at this point, I’ll believe anything. If you want to learn more you can visit the CDC website. Enter at your own risk. 2021 is going pretty great, huh?

Do you know what makes me chuckle? When families reenact their old photos, just like this one...

That's my favorite one yet. If I had a TARDIS I would probably end up at a Harlem Peace March in 1967, to end racial oppression.  

The quote “No Vietnamese ever called me a nigger” is often misattributed to Muhammad Ali. What Muhammad Ali actually said was, “My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father… Shoot them for what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail.” Man, I wish I was in England right now. Look what came out there!

I want some! I was thinking of getting a new tattoo but someone had the same idea I had...

Okay, so, a person who suddenly finds themselves single after having been in a complicated relationship can either feel liberated or left dealing with many mixed emotions. But that does not give the dejected person permission to make others uncomfortable. One Phile reader is a 19-year-old female who felt it was necessary to confront a friend who had recently gotten out of an “extremely toxic relationship.” But after the fallout from the interaction, she emailed the Phile and asked...

"Am I wrong for getting a friend kicked out of a restaurant? Hi! Throwaway because my friends know my main. Also English is my second language. Apologies. So, for some context. My friend (let's call him M) is super shy and came out to our friend group as gay not that long ago. We were all super supportive and had no issues. Our other friend (lets call her J) was extremely excited at the time to finally have a ‘gay best friend’ even though they don’t really hang out outside of this friendship group. Now, J has an extremely toxic relationship with her boyfriend and they are on and off every few weeks or so. We have all told her at some point that she should probably run but she always goes back to him. She recently broke up with him again. We all went out the other day just to see each other and socialize a little. The virus is not as prevalent here. During the dinner, J goes on and on about how bad her ex is and how she is so glad she has left him. We are very used to this and keep on talking about our lives. At the table J and M just happened to sit next to each other and mid way through the meal, she starts flirting with M. She starts talking about how handsome he is and how its ‘such a shame’ that M is gay and getting very touchy feely. Putting her hand on his thigh, touching his neck and shoulder, etc. I saw M getting really uncomfortable and asked him if he was okay, to which he said no. He had already told her to stop several times by then so I called her out on it. She immediately got defensive and said that it doesn’t matter because he is gay and he won’t care. When I pointed out that he was uncomfortable, she went on about how she has been feeling very depressed about her relationship and how she just wanted to have fun with someone who is not a ‘threat.' The manager saw the commotion and came up to us to see if we were okay. When I responded that J was harassing M, the manager suggested that J leave the premises and would not be welcomed with that sort of behavior. J left the restaurant after the manager insisted. Our other friends didn’t really intervene throughout this. Most of my friend group called me an asshole and left shortly after this because I made this a ‘scene’ and got J taken out even though she is going through a rough time with her boyfriend. I really felt justified though because M and I are really close and she was making him very uncomfortable. AM I wrong? No, you are not wrong. If you switched genders and had a guy rubbing up against a girl who kept telling him to stop, and he was refusing, people would demand he be in jail. She was assaulting him. He asked for your help in dealing with it. You did the absolute right thing. And her absurd reaction that because he’s gay he’s not going to care that she’s groping him is vile and dismissive of him as a human. She was sexually harassing/assaulting your friend. Good on you for speaking up! She was being blatantly homophobic and trespassing on his boundaries. Zero respect for him at all. Frankly he could file a sexual harassment report and it wouldn’t even be a lie. If being flirtatious is not consensual, it is wrong to continue harassing someone, regardless of their gender or sexual identity. If you have a problem you'd like my opinion on then email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. 

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York here is...

Top Phive about Things Said About Meghan Markle Being Called A "Bully" By A British Paper

5. Don't blame it on sunshine, don't blame it on moonlight, don't blame it on good times, blame it on Meghan Markle. 

4. Has anyone asked Meghan was where she was when Charles I was beheaded?

3. Can't believe Meghan took a pangolin to that wet market in Wuhan a year ago, honestly what was she thinking?

2. Can you believe Meghan Markle wore earrings from a country we're still selling arms to?

And the number one thing said about Meghan Markle being called a "bully" by a British paper was...

1. Very cool on the eve of Meghan Markle speaking put about the British press drumming up vicious, racist lies, the British press is coming out with a vicious, racist lie!

Pants

long-sleeve shorts

The 147th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Natalie will be on the Phile in a few weeks. I can't wait. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jeff, shall we?

Looks like a cold day there. 

Today's guest is an English-born American musician, singer and actress. She is best known for her voice-over work as the speaking voice of Jem and Jerrica in the animated cartoon series "Jem." Please welcome to the Phile... Samantha Newark.

Me: Hello, Samantha, welcome to the Phile. How are you? 

Samantha: I'm doing well, how are you doing? 

Me: I'm doing great. So, did you enjoy cartoons as a kid? 

Samantha: Yes, but it was limited because I grew up in England where there was some programming. I remember I loved Rupert the Bear. Gosh, what else? Crystal Tipps and Alistair was my favorite. Funny enough it had no voice-over, it was just this flat cartoon that was very psychedelic. It was a little girl and a dog and she had rainbow hair. I think it was rainbow hair. A clarinet was the only soundtrack and they went off to the beach together. It was my favorite, I remember loving that as a kid. I also lived in Africa, I moved there when I was six and a half so television changed. I didn't grow up with "Sesame Street." When I came to the states there were all these iconic things I didn't know about. I was slowly getting on board with them. 

Me: I loved Rupert and still do. Last year I had a Rupert calendar hanging up in my kitchen. What age did you come to the states? 

Samantha: I was ten. I never had a Halloween, we didn't have Halloween in England. American's have some fun customs. Our equivalent is Guy Fawkes where he tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament over 400 years ago. So around that time of year we have bonfires and we create an effigy of Guy Fawkes and hurl the effigy into the bonfire and everybody cheers. 

Me: Yeah! I'm from England and know about that. My son was born on November 5th, which is Guy Fawkes Day. They have Halloween there now in England, I think because of American TV shows and movies. 

Samantha: Oh. Halloween has become so commercial. Probably the Brits thought hey, that looks like fun, we should do that too. 

Me: So, how did you get involved with "Jem"? 

Samantha: I've been singing professionally since I was a little girl. I was singing when I lived in Africa, I made a record and toured and all that. When I came to the states I signed to ICM a pretty big agency and I was doing state fairs and auditioning for films. I kind of got lost in the big agency so I went to a smaller agency and one of the agencies from that agency started another boutique agency with a voice-over department and I went with her. Actually "Jem" was the first animated thing that I ever read for. I did PSA's and commercials for radio, that type of thing. I never auditioned for an animated series and I got the lead. I worked with some of the most incredible accomplished voice actors which as a great way to learn. It was such a fun show, it was really awesome. 

Me: So, you are a singer, but you didn't sing as Jem, right? What's the deal with that? 

Samantha: Because it was already cast in New York. I was living on the west coast in L.A. and all the music had already been cast so they were basically were auditioning when I found out about it, they were auditioning the voice artists to match the singing voices. So all of us that sang didn't get a chance for the music and there are a lot of singers who are voice actors who didn't get a chance at the voices and that's what they did. The 80s were so funny, secret identities, secret this and secret that, none was the wiser. We never really met, none of us really met until the 2000s when we started meeting each other at convention appearances. Like oh my god, I haven't seen you in all these years. 

Me: So, who did the singing on the show? 

Samantha: Her name is Britta Phillips. You should interview her, Jason. 

Me: Yeah, I'll look into it. So, what was it like working not this animated show which I heard of but never saw I have to admit.

Samantha: Wally Burr who directed "Jem" was awesome. From what I heard since the show by the other actors talking about they would go and do other animation projects and it was just in and out, easy peasy, blah blah blah. But Wally was very specific and really, really, really hands on. Which I loved, I really appreciated it and loved it But I didn't have any other experience other than my experience with Wally, on how it all worked. But apparently he was very hands on and we would do things multiple times. He was amazing. So, you've never seen the show? 

Me: Nope, but a good friend, Melody and her husband Bill have. Mel is a HUGE Jem fan. But I haven't seen it. 

Samantha: You should. It's really unique and it stood the test of time. 

Me: Why is that? 

Samantha: Because it has such a lovely heart. It's got a lot of heart and it's got the over the top ridiculousness of a cartoon and it's got campiness and all these really fabulous elements. Its funny, I get to meet the fans all the time, I didn't get to meet them when they were little kids but now I meet the grown-up Jem fans at these convention appearances. They used to watch "Jem" eating cereal and now they're binge watching "Jem" on Netflix. It stood the test of time even as an adult watching. 

Me: I was living in England from 1984 to 1987 when it was on, but I think I still wouldn't have watched it if I was over here in the states. It was geared towards girls, right? 

Samantha: Yeah, Hasbro was smart. They knew "Jem" would be sandwiched between boys shows so they didn't want to lose the boys during "Jem" and they made sure that Christy Marx who created "Jem" wrote a lot of stuff that boys would enjoy like the car chases and the bombs going off and the action and all that. That is definitely what kept the boys engaged, but it was geared for girls mostly. It was like a soap opera for kids. 

Me: So, why did the show last only a few years? 

Samantha: If the dolls done better, which was the reason they pulled the show. 

Me: So, there was a live action movie about Jem which I barely remember it coming out. Here is a poster of it... 

Me: I know my friend Melody did not like it, what did you think of it? She said there was a lot of changes in the movie than what was in the cartoon. 

Samantha: It's actually a good movie. Obviously they made a lot of changes and it was entirely for a new generation that didn't know the cartoon. There were a lot of shout outs that only original fans would get. It was like the trailer was an epic fail, the trailer was horrible, it didn't show anything that the fans wanted to see. Had they done that then I think the fans would be like okay, all right, I'll give it a chance. Because there was nothing it started this hate train. It had so much momentum that it was unstoppable. I think it's unfortunate because it didn't deserve the backwash that it got. 

Me: Was it in the theaters for long? 

Samantha: Oh my gosh, it was gone in like two weeks. 

Me: So, what did the fans hate the most about the movie? 

Samantha: There was no Misfits, no Synergy, no this or no that. I toured the Misfits set when I filmed my scene and of course I couldn't say anything. I was watching this melt down and I had to keep my mouth shut. The Misfits were at the end of the movie. 

Me: What did you think about the girls that played the Holograms and Jem? 

Samantha: I think they did a beautiful job and I was so protected of them. They were very talented girls and they were awesome and I wanted the fans to give them a chance. The soundtrack did really well which is good. 

Me: I didn't realize you were in the movie, Samantha. What was that like? 

Samantha: It was amazing. I think that's why I was so bummed when the movie didn't do well. But I'm coming at it from a whole different angle than the fans that grew up with it because obviously Jem means something to me in a whole different way than it does to the fans obviously because I was an adult and wasn't watching the cartoon as a kid. But I have so much love and reverence for it to see the property come back was very special and very rewarding. It was a very different experience for me walking through the set. 

Me: Did the younger cast know about "Jem" the cartoon and who you were? 

Samantha: No, I didn't have any conversations with them about it. They were working, the day I shot my scene they were working on the montage, everybody getting their new looks, but I got to watch Juliette Lewis work all day and the girls worked all day so there wasn't anytime for chatting or anything. 

Me: So, your hair is pink, is that because of Jem? 

Samantha: Yeah, there's a connection to it that I take very seriously. Nostalgia is really powerful and this is people's childhood, like Jem is their childhood hero and I don't take that lightly. I feel like it's quite a responsibility. I want to make sure I love up to fans expectations of when they meets somebody that represents something that is so important to their childhood. I just feel so blessed to be a part of it and meet the fans. They see my pink hair and hear my voice and I get a lot of people crying. 

Me: Samantha, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Take care and come back again soon. 

Samantha: I'm glad to do it as well. Thanks, Jason.

Okay, that about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Samantha for a fun interview. The Phile will be back on Monday with actor Greg Evigan. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Kiss your brain.

Give me some rope, tie me to dream, give me the hope to run out of steam, somebody said it could be here. We could be roped up, tied up, dead in a year. I can't count the reasons I should stay. One by one they all just fade away...