George Lucas (Getty Images)

Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network has announced a list of guests for tomorrow's Triumph Awards. Those to be in attendance include stars like Diddy, Samuel L. Jackson, Tamara Tunie, and director George Lucas. Though Mr. Lucas, whose second Star Wars trilogy featured a crude racial caricature in the form of pidgin-speaking alien Jar Jar Binks, may seem like an offbeat choice at first blush. However, he most recently directed a film about the Tuskeegee Airmen, Red Tails, which represented a rare chance for black actors to carry a big-budget film. After widespread criticism of the "stereotypical" Jar Jar, Mr. Lucas has seemingly redeemed himself. 

Samuel L. Jackson. (YouTube)

Poor Samuel L. Jackson. Once a Jedi, the actor's current résumé reads like a string of four letter words that would make your mother swoon. From his infamous "I've had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane," to his audio rendition of Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep, Mr. Jackson is now synonymous with blue language.

So it's no surprise that his ad for Barack Obama isn't any different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIBqd1kxoQk
According to Page Six, Mr. Jackson's next foray as a spokesperson will be an upcoming ad on YouTube that will drop (ugh) on September 28. In it, he will convince Americans to re-elect President Barack Obama by telling them to "Wake the f--k up, Vote for Obama."

Will this be successful? Since the ad is also being written by Mr. Mansbach, we're assuming that it will appeal to exactly the type of people who loved Go the F--k to Sleep. Who were probably voting for Barack Obama anyway.

Inside the Great Hall guests convened to celebrate the institution’s dedication multiculturalism and diversity. The evening honored several people who have shown a commitment to multiculturalism and the arts, among them La Tanya Richardson and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower De Niro.

Guests arrived and mingled in the hall, snacking on mango shrimp, apple smoked trout, and, somewhat unusually, French toast bites with brie and apple, all the while taking advantage of the dual open-bar setup. Waiters flew around serving their hors d’oeuvres with speed and an impressive amount of agility.  We saw one waitress nearly lose her tray of truffled mac and cheese bites on the floor before deftly catching it.  There was just one casualty, “That’s for you,” she said with a laugh before giving the fallen appetizer a vigorous kick into the coatroom. The pharonic statue, a newcomer to the Met on loan from Berlin, sat stoically on the North end of the Hall, hovering over the party with a regal gaze and the shadow of a smile.

Meanwhile, Steven and Daryl Roth, Star Jones, Al Roker and the Met’s president Emily Rafferty hobnobbed with guests, several perching on the startling gold vinyl couches that the museum had rented for the occasion.  The De Niros and the Jacksons were ushered in through side doors, avoiding the ruckus outside. Strange for people who have made fortunes as screen actors, both Mr. Jackson and Mr. De Niro proved elusive and camera shy. They kept to themselves, refusing interviews and passing the entire cocktail hour off in a corner near the bar.

The Observer ran into director Spike Lee who implored us to take a walk with him as he made his way across the Great Hall. We asked how the Met could increase diversity among its patrons. “It’s not just the Met, it’s everything. Have you seen the latest report by the United States Census?” He asked us, peering over the edges of his circular tortoise shell glasses as he waited for a response. What about the Census?, we wondered. “By as early as 2035 white Americans will be a minority in this country,” he said flatly. “It’s not inviting, you know,” he said of the museum, gesturing vaguely to the vaulted ceilings, a giant cross pendant swinging slightly around his neck. “It’s the high art and stuff like that. So we got to go out and really reach out, which they’re doing but just have to do more of it,” the director added before disappearing into the crowd.

As the goal of the evening was to highlight the museum’s diverse holdings, a special collection of traditional African art was made available for guests throughout the evening. The exhibit, “Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures” featured a wide array of wooden commemorative statues from West and Central Africa. The vast collection sheds little seen light on pre-Colonial African figureheads, memorialized by contemporary artists through intricately carved wooden statuettes.

Former White House social secretary Desirée Rogers soon appeared on the scene, dazzling in a short champagne colored dress. “I’m excited to not only celebrate the Met but also to celebrate the honorees,” she said, looking across the room at Mr. De Niro and Mr. Jackson who were deep in conversation. Ms. Rogers also expounded on the virtues of diversifying the museum’s visitorship. “The more you can get that word out, the more you can kind of open the arms of the museum and make certain that people continue to visit,” she said.

A New York newcomer, Lala Anthony also entered, looking elegant in a strapless blue gown. “I want to plan a day with my husband here, because he was traded to the Knicks, and our life was just crazy,” she said, referring to her basketballer husband Carmelo Anthony. “Now that things are starting to settle down it would be nice to come, you know, take a walk through here.” And how is New York treating Ms. Anthony? “It’s been wonderful, it’s definitely kind of settling in now… and it’s feeling really good,” she said before heading back to cocktail hour.

Later after a dinner in Temple of Dendur, guests re-entered the Great Hall for late night cocktails.  We caught up with Colombian artist Olga de Amaral best-known for her gold-thread filigreed tapestries. Ms. de Amaral was one of the artists to be honored along with Mr. De Niro and Mr. Jackson.  “I feel very, very proud,” she said. “It’s like a dream,” she added with a smile. She admitted that when she told her friends about the award, everyone wanted to know if she would meet Mr. De Niro. “He’s wonderful,” she said of their brief encounter.

Her husband, Jim Amaral, had a slightly different take. “I remember De Niro very young, so it was a little different to see him old,” Mr. Amaral noted. “No, but he’s great,” he said with a good natured laugh.

Diligent waiters were once again crisscrossing the giant room, this time with delectable desserts in hand. Tiny s’mores, churros, and mini-ricotta cheese cakes were eagerly consumed by guests. A DJ was playing classic party hits, and a few brave guests were dancing near the booth. Most, however, preferred to chat while continuing to make the best possible use of the bar.

We left around 10:30, walking down the steps which by that time had been cleared of protestors. Several joggers ran past, breaking their stride to gawk at the black-tie clad guests who were spilling forth from the museum.

eknutsen@observer.com

Monday: The Golden Girls
Thank you for being a friend! If it’s Labor Day Monday, that means it’s time for television marathons, and we’ll certainly take a pass by WE to catch a bit of The Golden Girls. Starting at 1 p.m., you can catch dozens of episodes back-to-back (hence the title “marathon”) and remind yourself that Betty White was funny way before she stole every scene in The Proposal this summer. [WE, starting at 1 p.m.]

Tuesday: 90210
We’d venture to say that the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the first season of 90210 was more compelling than what wound up onscreen. To wit: The reboot actually rebooted itself midseason! If the final episodes of season one were any indication, this new new version will be less inclined to care about the nostalgia of the original series (less Brenda and Kelly!) and more interested in TMZ-ready scandal. Between 90210 and the new Melrose Place (premiering afterward at 9 p.m.), the CW has made it certain that you’ll want to close Tuesday nights with a long shower to cleanse yourself of the sleaze. [the CW, 8 p.m.]

Wednesday: Glee
If you haven't heard about Glee yet, we hope you aren't missing the cool shade of the rock you've been sleeping under. Hasn't the push for Glee been unrelenting? Since the airing of the pilot in May, not a week has gone by when we haven’t heard something about the new Fox series, a quasi-musical about the trials and tribulations of a high school glee club. While conspiracy theorists posit that Fox showing Glee in lieu of Barack Obama’s address to Congress (airing on all the major networks Wednesday night) is because of their Republican leanings, we’re pretty sure they had no choice. They’ve put too much into Glee to have its premiere shifted because of something insignificant like the fate of the health care industry in America. [Fox, 9 p.m.]

Thursday: Deep Blue Sea
Smart sharks! The premise of Deep Blue Sea—something having to do with scientists genetically engineering the brains of mako sharks to help cure Alzheimer’s (seriously)—is as ridiculous as the pastiche cast, which features LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson, who meets his maker in one of the most shocking death scenes ever filmed. (Oh, um, spoiler! Whatever, people, this thing came out 10 years ago, and the statute of limitations have long passed.)  [SyFy, 9 p.m.]

Friday: Jay-Z: Live from Madison Square Garden: Answer the Call
In honor of September 11 (and to promote his new album, The Blueprint III, which conveniently comes out the same day) Jay-Z will be performing at Madison Square Garden and Fuse is kind enough to air the concert you definitely couldn’t afford to see live. Having heard Hova’s latest—it leaked onto the Internet last week—we’re pumped. While “Run This Town” might be the big single as of now, don’t think you won’t be downloading “Empire State of Mind” before this night is through. That song will be the anthem of the fall. [Fuse, 9 p.m.]

The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 11:30pm): Sacha Baron Cohen; Rob Thomas.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm): Samuel L. Jackson; Kevin Connolly; musical guest Andrew Bird.

Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC,12:05am): Kathy Griffin (My Life on the D-List), Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), musical guest Ben Harper and Relentless7

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12:35am): Anne Hathaway; Will Forte; Jon Favreau; Mario Batali.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35am): Evan Rachel Wood; Christopher Gorham.

Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, 1:35am): Patton Oswalt; musical guest M83.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11:00pm): Rerun.

The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 11:30pm): Rerun

Chelsea Lately (E!, 11:00pm): Michael Buble, comedians Brad Wollack, Whitney Cummings and Josh Wolf.

The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 11:30pm): Actor Samuel L. Jackson, chef Emeril Lagasse, musical guest the BPA with Iggy Pop.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm): Cameron Diaz, Johnny Strange, Pete Yorn.

Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, weeknights 12:05am): Actor Thomas Haden Church, actor Ed Helms, Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion Kvya Shivashankar, musical guest 311.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12:35am): John Leguizamo, Nick Cannon, Sonic Youth.

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 am): Marion Cotillard, Michael Musto.

Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, 1:35am): Tim Roth, Miranda Kerr, Black Kids.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11:00pm ): Bill Russell

The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 11:30pm): Simon Schama.

Chelsea Lately (E!, 11:00pm): Derek Fisher, comedians Sarah Colonna, Randy and Jason Sklar.

Out in Los Angeles, Steven Spielberg, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, Bradley Whitford, Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Magic Johnson, Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Berry Gordy and director-producer Reginald Hudlin have all pitched in. From New York, we have Cynthia Brill and Patricia Duff, who each gave $25,000. Ms. Duff's ex, Ron Perelman, gave $50,000, as did Def Jam executive Antonio Reid, Laurance  Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Wendy, Citigroup's Ray McGuire, Sally Minard, Howard Milstein (two family members also donated the maximum amount), and five people with the last name Soros (including, of course, George).

Contributors will receive tickets to the ceremony and, more important, access to official balls and events. Whether the $500 folk will be attending the same parties as the $50,000 crowd is unclear, but it seems, shall we say, unlikely. 

JCVD

What's the story: Jean-Claude Van Damme (yep) stars as "Jean-Claude Van Damme" in this meta tale about the down on his luck actor coming to grips with his own failures while also being caught up in a bank heist gone wrong. The trailer is bananas and leads us to believe that Mr. Van Damme's comeback film, which owes large debts to Dog Day Afternoon and the works of Charlie Kaufman, could be pretty awesome.

Who should see it: Steven Seagal.

Soul Men

What's the story: Two estranged soul singers come together for one last concert. Snore. Mostly, Soul Men will be remembered for the late Bernie Mac and for the possible lawsuit that Sam Moore, the surviving member of 60s soul act Sam & Dave, might bring against the Weinstein Company for stealing his life story. Great! Mr. Mac looks appropriately funny in the trailer, even if the film itself seems like an arch combination of Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Grumpy Old Men coated in every African-American stereotype you can imagine. The late Isaac Hayes also co-stars along with Samuel L. Jackson who, in a twist, delivers every line by yelling.

Who should see it: Sam Moore's lawyers.

Role Models

What's the story: We've been watching the trailer for Role Models since August when it played in front of Pineapple Express, and we're still laughing-out-loud. Sure, Role Models is an Apatow rip-off in premise--two man-children realize they can't be kids forever and are forced to grow-up--but this time it actually looks funny. That probably has a lot to do with director David Wain, the fertile mind behind The State as well as Wet Hot American Summer (we'll pretend The Ten didn't happen). Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Seann William Scott (Stifler!) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin!) co-star, but we're most interested in Bobb'e J. Thompson. With a foul mouth and whip crack timing, Mr. Thompson steals the trailer in ways we haven't seen since... well, McLovin.

Who should see it: Kevin Smith.

It's not that we're against The Last Dragon; when we were kids, we watched that film on Channel 11 more than we'd care to admit. And casting Mr. Jackson as Sho'Nuff is as obvious as casting Tina Fey to play Sarah Palin. But when you put The Last Dragon next to the rest of Mr. Jackson's work, you start to see a pattern. Simply put, he makes terrible movies. And with each passing film, his performances seem to be getting worse: more over-the-top, more self-referential, more stunted.

Mr. Jackson was brilliant in Pulp Fiction, but even before that breakthrough, he drew notices with many strong supporting performances. However since the post-Pulp Fiction luster wore off and after good roles in films like Die Hard with a Vengeance and Jackie Brown, seeing Mr. Jackson's name on a poster now means you need to run in the opposite direction. How many Lakeview Terrace's and Freedomland's does he really need to make? With the exception of The Incredibles, the man hasn't done a good movie in ten years. It's gotten so bad at this point, we don't even know what kind of actor Mr. Jackson is anymore. He has no identity beyond being "Samuel L. motherfuckin' Jackson", and we doubt starring in a remake of The Last Dragon is going to do much to change that.

Can we ever look at Samuel L. Jackson and take him seriously again? We can hope, but we doubt.

According to Mr. Shyamalan, the answer to that lays with the film's many fans. The embattled director told scifiwire that: "[O]ver the years, as it just grew and grew and grew, and people were like, ‘You know, I really like that. That's actually my favorite movie, and I watch that all the time,' and on and on. I'll be on the street, and some kid will run across traffic with it in his backpack - he just is carrying it in his backpack - and he'll be running [saying], ‘I can't believe it's you!' Will you sign my Unbreakable DVD?' And quoting the thing and all that stuff." Um, okay!

Mr. Shyamalan's follow-up to The Sixth Sense was a slow-moving mood piece that ultimately proved to be an ahead-of-its-time comic book movie. (We're pretty sure Hancock couldn't have existed without it.) And while we'll take Mr. Shymalan on his word that Unbreakable has its fans, we can't imagine a majority of the viewing public being excited about a sequel. Honestly, we barely remember anything about the Bruce Willis/Samuel L. Jackson film, with the exception of Mr. Jackson's ridiculous looking hair. Come on, it came out in 2000! On top of that, Mr. Shyamalan hasn't even written anything yet, so that would put its release date at least ten years after the original first appeared. Who is the audience for this?

In the meantime, M. Night's latest disaster, The Happening, is out on DVD today. We suggest Netflix'ing it only because it was easily the worst major release we've seen in theaters this decade.