Balancing Act courted trouble from the very beginning, when Oakland based, black-owned Marcus Books refused to carry this trashy title. Plummer and his publicity team raised homophobic doubts. When asked this week whether he thought the owners banned the book because of his homosexuality or his history with McMillan, Plummer stayed vaguely political:
They're both affiliated. They both are. I know the owner of the bookstore personally – throughout the years, I was with Terry. A very nice lady. It's interesting that she doesn't want to carry the book.
Interesting, but not surprising. McMillan's never been a wallflower. Remember when she reamed Plummer on Oprah? The nastiness doesn't end there – in fact, it seems to be getting worse.
Responding to a post on AOL's Black Voices blog, McMillan – or someone pretending to be McMillan – described Balancing Act as "opportunistic, exploitative, trash that's being referred to as a novel". She then turned her eye on the publisher, Simon & Schuster:
Simon & Schuster is as much to blame for insulting me and hoping to cash in by capitalizing on my good name for their own corporate gain.
…
They have promised fame-mongers something they shouldn't want or need, which is yet another display of black-on-black crime… I am grateful to all of the intelligent people who are smart enough to know the underlying racist reasons for publishing this book — which is to capitalize on my good name so that they make out like bandits.
We can't say racism motivated the publishers, but they certainly wanted a bawdy tell-all, which they think translates to "best-seller".
According to Plummer's cousin publicist, Mark Plummer, McMillan's been lurking in other shadows, as well:
Every single place Jonathan and I go in support of Balancing Act, the organizers have received mail or letters from Terry about why we should not be able to speak about this novel. It’s embarrassing. You’re not supposed to be able to interfere with someone’s right to make a living in this country. We have encountered resistance that does stem from her and I’m being honest – I know for a fact that that’s the case.
Mark's also become a contentious presence in Plummer's publicity campaign.
Earlier this week Vanessa Lake penned a piece called "A Diva Before His Time: The Mismanagement of Jonathan Plummer" in which she scathingly writes,
Adding [to the] acid mix of personal and public destruction for Jonathan Plummer is Mark Hilton Plummer, who's own reputation as a fragile, volatile, egomaniacal, with an extreme lack of business savvy cripple his effectiveness . In a nutshell, a manager of unproven grandeur which equals his client's. Dust is clearly in their eyes and it's definitely not stardust derived from their own talents. The Plummer's perception of themselves is indeed bigger than their reality.
Lake explains that the boys canceled a visit with non-profit People of Color in Crisis so that Plummer could walk in a since-scrapped fashion show. Mark Plummer denies the charges, sort of: "The trip hasn’t been canceled. It’s merely been postponed". As tensions build, Mark's been pointing the finger at his former business partner, Terrance Russ.
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Terry McMillan isn't the only highly intelligent artist who lacks plain old common sense, and is vulnerable. I say don't contribute one nickel to Jonathan Plummer, and that goes for his brother Liquid, too.
Maelan Magazine and VIP Talk Radio had an interview with Jonathan Plummer on October 6, 2007. Jonathan didn't not fullfill is obligation and reclined the interiew indirectly through another party. Maelan Magazine's publisher and associates spent numerous days and hours promoting Jonathan and his book. It was an unpaid experience!
How do you 'recline' an interview?
OMG, that "nectar" passage. If they're going for comedy, mission accomplished!
My article, "The Mismanagement of Jonathan Plummer" was scrapped from Nathan Seven Scott's website and really should not have been reproduced here. It was pulled due to inaccuracies furnished to me . I apologize to the Plummers whom I never met. You will be approached by a lot of fraudsters. Pray and use your discernment and you'll be alright.
Regarding Balancing Act, it's a good first fiction! Give us some more…
Love,
Vanessa Lake
My lengthy expose on Jonathan Plummer and his book "Balancing Act", and my companion editorial on the controversy between Mr. Plummer and
Mr. Russ, will soon appear on Imperious Entertainment and other news/entertainment sites.
I can tell you now that this Queerty article is pretty much on "the money" where the controversy is concerned. In the editorial, amongst other topics, I will discuss what it takes to sell a gay novel these days, and that Mr. Plummer made several missteps regarding this. "Balancing Act" deserves better.
Wyatt O'Brian Evans, journalist/entertainer and author of the upcoming novel gay/ethnic/erotica), "Nothing Can Tear Us Apart."
What a nasty hatchet piece! YOU'RE the one with the overwrought purple prose here, Queerty.
It's just a book, fer chrissake. How can you take it so seriously?
declined–hope U FEEL BETTER.
Let’s get a few things straight–err– I mean clear.
1) Balancing act was “ghost written†by Karen Hunter. Ms. Hunter writes books for people who cannot write books on their own. Listen to Jonathan Plummer speak, he is inarticulate, and often bursts into girlish giggles.
2) Jonathan Plummer is pushing 35 and is merely an out of work dog-groomer and sometimes hair stylist. He is not handsome enough to model, even though he portays himself– err– I mean “Justin†as a male supermodel. There has never been a male super model. Certainly if there existed a male supermodel he would be handsome. Not just sort if cute in an effiminate sort of way.
3) Do you ever see pictures of Jonathan’s cousin, Mark Plummer??? Well, he is short, obese, wears glasses, and has a receding hairline. Once could easily call him gnome-like. And if you think Jonathan sounds girlish, listen to Mark speak.
4) The book has officially bombed. Tanked. Died. No one is buying it. Not African-Americans, not gays, or as Jonathan might say “Not nobodyâ€.
5) As for Jonathan and Mark Plummer’s “fameâ€, here is a typical conversation:
“Mark Plummerâ€
“Who?â€
“Jonathan Plummer’s cousin.â€
“Who?â€
“Terry McMillan’s gay ex-husband.â€
“Who?â€
“The writer of “Waiting to Exhaleâ€.
“Oh that movie Whitney was in when she was clean and sober, wasn’t that about 15 years agoâ€.
“Yeah, that one.â€
“Who cares.â€
Balancing act is currently at #356,468 in Books on Amazon.com. How low will it go????
"Balancing Act" is now Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,639 in Books!!!!
This book is a failure with a capital F!
Mark Plummer is an idiot. He uses malapropisms constantly. He had mediocre grades at Harvard, much like many typical affirmitive action students. He has done nothing worth mentioning since graduation. He spent time collecting unemployment insurance benefits this last year. What a big fat loser!
Now Appearing!!!! Super Plus Sized Drag Illusionist Mark Plummer now appearing as his alter ego "Shirley Insane" at "The Flame"!!!! Ms. Insane will talk candidly about her time in many, many mental hospitals, her "possessions" by "animal spirits", her time homeless, sleeping on the floor at her work, and her haunting places such as "Nob Hill Theatre" and even more notorious glory holes.
A good time will be had by all!!
Why are all of these posts about Mark and not Jonathan. Why? Cuz Mark Plummer is the bitch!….not Jonathan. Jonathan may be gay alright, but that Mark is a b-i-t-ch and I am glad is he is finally getting his.
I saw Mark Plummer on the set of the Wendy Williams show….he could be cute if he wanted to be, but he's just one of those bitch-identified men! (BIMs I call 'em)
Wendy looked at him and said "You're responsible for all of this," and he did not know what to say with his highly arched eyebrows!
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Balancing Act was released in paperback….you go Jonathan. Sistuhs need to pick up this book read it, heed it, cuz you need it! We need to start loving our bruthas who are struggling with their sexual identity. Yes, they are our sons, brothers, and our fathers.
Karen Hunter put her foot in this….Jonathan did not write this all by himself, but he allowed his name, likness, and story to be used in a responsible way. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Hey NAA NAA,
I can spot the writing of Mark Plummer a mile away. Jonathan did not write a word of the potboiler that was written entirely by Karen Hunter. Mark, honey, get a J-O-B!!!! Obama went to Harvard too, and look what he is "doin'".
Jonathan is an aging grifter. Mark is just another "affirmative inaction" victim.
Seriously, honey, let it die already. Go somewhere that people do NOT know about the fisco you created live, like ALASKA!!!!
Lose some weight, get hair implants, get laser eye surgery, etc. and WORK for a living. Jonathan is less than nothing, and you are even less than that.
Balancing Act in paperback is now ranked on "Amazon.com Sales Rank: #905,441"
Time for Jonathan to join Mark at the welfare line!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enough of Terry's monkey business. I am sick of her monkeying around the East Bay, especially Oakland. The missing link in her logic is that even Stevie Wonder could see Jonathan is gay. She needs to swing from another tree and find a new banana to chomp on. She has gone ape too many times.