2011-10-01
dmvblogspot.bloggieblog.com
Staff Writter
Here we go again another back drop to the Rane Sykes and WPGC drama. This time the author of the story did a post and kissed the black of Jim Bells azz .
Tell Truth, we all read DC City Paper to see who got thrown under bus with no breaks. Hell, Jim Bell will be ok. The post is below
My interview with lawyer Jim Bell was instrumental to the article I penned about Ranelle Sykes' fight for equal pay at radio station WPGC. Still, interviewing him at length, I only used a fraction of the material he gave me for the story.
Bell is a sharp lawyer with a long list of credentials and a pile of interesting cases. I'd love to write a profile on him, getting into just who he is, and outlining the fascinating role he plays in the city. But the piece I wrote for the September 29 issue of Washington City Paper, "Where's D.J. Rane?' was about Sykes. That's why I didn't include more details about his lengthy and successful professional and civic history.
When I contacted Bell for an interview, he informed me I was free to ask him questions via email or phone. Though I utilize those mediums for daily reporting for the Washington City Paper blogs, when writing a cover piece, I prefer to meet an interview subject face-to-face, so I can draw a more profound picture of them. When I explained that to Bell, he suggested we meet up at the Stadium Club located at 2127 Queens Chapel Road NE. Minutes later, I called him back to ask if we could meet someplace a little closer to City Paper, as I was swamped. Bell told me that if I wanted to do an in-person interview I would need to come to the club. I agreed, and later wrote that Bell "insisted" on meeting there.
I thought that it was important to include the meeting. Bell's preference for the club showed that he was a complicated individual, willing to fight against gender discrimination and at the same time, meet at a "gentleman's club." It wasn't meant to be disparaging, just to add a layer to the story.
Before leaving the club, which has a restaurant as well as a performance area, Bell asked me if I wanted to visit the performance side of the club. (Diners at the well-regarded steakhouse can, in fact, see into the strip area). I said I did. Bell finished up his meal. For color, I decided to record what he'd ordered: filet mignon and lobster tail. Looking the items up later via Stadium's online menu, I saw the price of the filet was $40 and the tail 46. I added the two numbers together and surmised it was a $86 meal. I thought the expensive cuisine conveyed Bell's financial success.
Before long, Bell and I sat down in two lounge chairs in the performance area. At some point, Bell summoned two dancers, and had them do a "table dance." I took notes furiously enough so that someone passing by remarked, "What is this, a library?"
During that time I quoted Bell as singing along with a line that I assumed showed up in the Woka Flocka Flame song Bell had asked the DJ to play. I was wrong on that. I haven't been able to find the lyrics in the artist's work. We have corrected the story on that point.
Careers and reputations are a fickle thing, and I didn't mean to impugn Bell's. He's obviously a top tier lawyer. And I don't, by the way, have anything against clubs like Stadium. I spent an enjoyable evening there and would go back.
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