Monique Ruffin: Moms Change the World: Kenya Stevens
Theodore Johnson: President Obama and the New Talented Tenth
Buzz about the upcoming season is high as media stories surrounding an alleged on-camera feud between the former co-host of 'The View' and NeNe Leakes of the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' recently made headlines.
BlackVoices.com spoke exclusively with Jones, and the 48-year-old legal eagle not only addressed the rumors surrounding Leakes, but also discussed her new position as editor-at-large for Uptown magazine and Barbara Walters' recent ABC heart surgery special, 'A Matter of Life and Death.'
You recently became editor-at-large at Uptown magazine. Tell me about this endeavor.
What an exciting opportunity to add my voice and point of view to Uptown. As a luxury and lifestyle magazine that caters to affluent African Americans, this is a unique opportunity to expose a different side
of our culture to the masses. What we think, where we live, how we celebrate, what motivates and what exasperates...nothing is off limits; but from the perspective of someone who has both experienced the world and been exposed to what it offers.The current co-hosts of 'The View' were on 'The Oprah Show' last Friday, and Barbara Walters was surprisingly kind to you when your name came up during the discussion. Have you two made peace?
I was glad to hear that from my sources. It's been so long since I did 'The View.' There certainly is no animosity on my part. It's been time to move on!
Speaking of Barbara, she had a heart surgery special on ABC recently called 'A Matter of Life and Death' that featured President Bill Clinton, David Letterman, Regis Philbin, Charlie Rose and Robin Williams. You also had heart surgery a year ago, why don't you think she asked you to participate?
Normally I would say: "Now, Jawn, don't try to start anything." However, this time it really isn't about me, but about the new face of heart disease. This disease is no longer your old white man's disease. It is the number one killer of women and the number one killer of African Americans. Heart disease kills more women and blacks than the next four causes of death combined. I had open heart surgery a little less than a year ago, and regardless if it was my "heart story"
or someone else's, by not being more inclusive, BW missed a tremendous opportunity to educate, inform and influence the actual people that cardiovascular disease is affecting.You are featured on the new season of 'Celebrity Apprentice' and the charity that you compete for is the American Heart Association. The show is getting a ton of pre-press mainly because Nene Leakes has been doing interviews about you. What went wrong with you and NeNe?
This actually saddens me. Black women trashing other black women all for the sake of personal aggrandizement. When the cast was first announced, I was both excited and concerned. Excited that this was going to be the most diverse cast in prime-time reality programming and concerned because the media immediately started the drumroll of "can this many black women get along?" The four of us actually chatted about the unique opportunity we had to influence the perception of black women and the way we interact. We each brought something different to the show, so I had hoped we could avoid falling into the typical "snake charmer in your face loud bombastic black woman" stereotypical box that was expected. Some of us were more successful at our quest than others. I knew I wanted to approach the game intelligently, professionally and strategically, while keeping in mind my true purpose for being there – winning money for my charity.
Who are you telling! You know my girlfriend gatherings are legendary! But you'll see this season on the show, at some point Nene attacked all the black women on the show and scared the other women to death with her aggressive approach. But to be fair, it is an approach that works for her kind of television interaction, as evidenced by the great ratings they generate. But it isn't an approach that works in the professional environment and it isn't an approach that most sisters use in interacting with each other. I would hope, as she becomes more exposed to a variety of professional situations, she will tone down the vitriolic emotional reactions and learn to express herself in manner that is more reflective of the majority of black women in America.
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- Open Letter: Star Jones Checks Bill O'Reilly's Racist Remark
Reality Bites
Sharisse "Shar" Jackson
Affiliation: 'Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp' on VH1
Side note: Though some may remember her as the sidekick Niecy Jackson on the groundbreaking UPN sitcom 'Moesha,' Jackson gained international tabloid attention as the mother of two children with Kevin Federline (who was married to pop superstar Britney Spears for three years). All together, she has four children.
Fantasia Barrino
Affiliation: 'Fantasia For Real' on VH1
Side note: The 'American Idol' champion (2005) is a best-selling author ('Life is Not a Fairytale') and garnered critical acclaim as Miss Celie in the Broadway musical 'The Color Purple.'
Nene Leakes
Affiliation: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' on Bravo
Side note: The brazen Queens, NY native is a domestic abuse survivor and a former stripper – all revelations she detailed in her 2009 memoir 'Never Make the Same Mistake Twice.'
Terrell Owens
Affiliation: 'The T.O. Show' on VH1
Side note: Alabama's very own football star simply known as "T.O." -- literally let it all hang out for the photo shoot promoting his new reality series, in July 2009. The show revolves around his life off the field as he searches for love, repair family relationships and make the move from Dallas to Buffalo.
Ray Cunningham
Affiliation: 'College Hill: Virginia State University' on BET
Side note: One of the more memorable characters from the Black Entertainment Television network reality ranks, Cunningham has become an openly gay LGBT advocate, budding actor and busy blogger, who was featured in Adam Bouska's groundbreaking NoH8 Campaign, which assembled California notables responding to the state's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. Cunningham was also cast in acclaimed filmmaker Maurice Jamal's new forthcoming TV project 'Friends and Lovers.'
Miss New York
Affiliation:'Flavor of Love' and 'I Love New York' on VH1
Side note: The upstate New York drama queen competed for hip-hop hype-man Flavor Flav's love twice and was rejected both times.
MC Hammer
Affiliation: 'Hammertime' on A&E
Side note: Stanley Kirk Burrell seems to have done it all: Joined the navy; won Grammy Awards; danced for KFC popcorn chicken; fathered six children; wiggled his manhood in a Speedo bikini on a music video; went bankrupt; became a preacher; and now doing reality TV. 'Hammertime' is a look inside the family life of the man formerly known as one of the riches entertainers of his era.
Keyshia Cole
Affiliation: 'The Way It Is' on BET
Side note: In an interview, thuggish ruggish rap icon Young Jeezy claimed that the hip-hop soul songstress asked him to marry her but he turned her down.
Mo'Nique
Affiliation: 'Charm School' on VH1
Side note: While promoting the movie 'Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,' Mo'Nique told Oprah Winfrey that co-star Martin Lawrence once gave her invaluable advice about show business.
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
Affiliation: 'The Apprentice' on NBC and 'The Surreal Life' on VH1
Side note:The former White House staffer proudly became the superbitch of reality TV.
Comments: (338)
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By: Jen on 3/06/2011 3:12AM
Carey,
The truth is that black women from other countries actually have no idea what black women in this country are like. They are getting all of their info from TV, which is NOT a good source. Don't come over to this country judging harshly about something you know nothing about. You all follow us a lot more than we will ever follow you. So there!!!
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By: Yerac on 3/06/2011 2:54PM
Team Star all the way. This article is so on point. Nene needs to tone it down and start thinking first before she reacts. Best Wishes! Star
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By: 20Virgo11 on 3/12/2011 6:43PM
NeNe was fine in Season 1, but she's become an embarrassment. Black people just LOOOOVE to laugh. Demean us as women ... we don't care as long as it's FUNNY!! We have classy Michelle Obama on one hand and boorish NeNe Leakes on the other and I guarantee you more black females aspire to be like NeNe than Michelle. Remember when Martin Lawrence did the character Sheneneh on his show? You had black kids (and unfortunately some mothers) walking around talking and acting like Sheneneh. Well, NeNe Leakes is our modern day Sheneneh and we've come too far as a people to still think it's funny. The loud talking, neck rolling, eye bucking, finger popping, in your face antics of NeNe should INSULT us as a people (especially as black women) not entertain us. If we're not careful we're gonna laugh our way back into slavery. NeNe Leakes is a cartoon and I'm too old for cartoons.
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By: Barbara on 3/31/2011 1:27AM
Wow Carey, if you're actually a black female, then you are expressing a lot of self-hated my dear. An intelligent person would not make such an ignorant comment -- judging an entire group based on the actions of a few. I pray that you seek help for the sad opinion of yourself.
Love ya my sister!
*************************
By: Carey on 2/16/2011 10:41AM
Lowest Ranked
Star, is absolutely correct, NeNe is classless, boorish and arrogant and typifies 90% of black women in the U.S.A. They have no love or respect for each other. The sad truth is things will never change. I cringe every time I come in contact with a black woman I don’t know as their demeanor is usually less than favorable. YES, I AM BLACK! Thank God I am not from the U.S.A
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By: NiHi on 4/11/2011 1:08AM
It's not what you say or do it's how you say or do it. Anyone who thinks the way NeNe conducts herself is okay is either like that themselves, come from a family of loud mouth ghetto women, or get their definition of what a strong, assertive, black woman is from rap music.
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By: Keith on 4/20/2011 12:35AM
Simply stated- Nene puts the "G" in Ghetto. Her Bufoonish behavior on national TV has set us, as Black people, back 100 years. It is obvious that Nene is an opportunist. She is using her position on these reality shows as a platform to fatten her pockets, even when it comes at the expense of embarrassing her own people. Because of that, she has earned the title of a bonafide "Sell Out." This HEIFER (yes I did say Heifer) sold out to the establishment and has proven herself to be no better than the "LITTLE WAYNE." But then again, what more can we expect from an Amazon Woman who goes by the name of Nene- A typical Ghetto Name. Talk about the miss education of a black woman-My Loud. I am just grateful for the class and grace of Star Jones who has chose to take the high road. Keep representing for us star. You are doing a great job. And I advise all black media to boycott Nene and call her out on her Ghetto ways. We don't need her kind on national TV.
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By: cynthia edwards on 5/08/2011 8:58AM
Star Jones is a person of poise and dignity. NeNe is trash. Reality TV has sold alot of dreams to the everyday person and NeNe bought in. She is too stupid to realize that Donald Trump used her and the amazing thing is the editors didn't show us 'what Star did' to enrage NeNe -- they only showed NeNe's intelligence level. NeNe is a bully and I still say 'you're only a bully until you run up on the right person'. Star you don't need DT -- don't lower yourself. Tell NeNe that she is no celebrity -- she will always be a wannabee!
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By: Blacq on 7/12/2011 5:34PM
Star IS a bright, accomplished woman as her demeanor has illustated.
NeNe exemplifies all that sistas do not want to BE. She could learn a lot from Star.
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