I got into a casual convo with a friend today about this Karrine Steffans , whom many of you will remember for her celeb-exposing tell-all "Confessions of a Video Vixen". I don't even really remember how the whole ball got rolling, but it made we wonder: why aren't black women boycotting this chick?
Think about it: this woman is basically the walking personification of everything that's ugly, misogynistic, and sexist about hip-hop, and she has practically made a career out of celebrating this. If you're unaware, and I hope you are, Steffans, who also goes by a nickname so vile I won't even mention it here, rose to "fame" by "modeling" in music videos, doing low budget porn, and sleeping with lots of rappers, ballers, and random celebs. If he's black, somewhat rich and even moderately famous, there's a good chance she uhhh... "serviced" him at least one time.
Jay-Z. Nas. Shaq. Xzibit. Method Man. Ja Rule. Vin Diesel. Busta Rhymes. Kool G Rap. Allen Iverson. Even Ray J got him a piece.
Ray J. Talk about a lack of dignity.
This broad has more nuts in her than a Baby Ruth.
She's screwed more black men than FEMA.
More semen in her than a submarine.
I could go on and on. It's that bad. Really.
Still, some publicist thought it was wise to have her package her stories as a celebrity tell-all. As opposed to portraying her as the floozy (my grandma's favorite word for loose women) she is, the PR spin was that she was a woman abused as a child who didn't know any better and these men victimized her then. But now, she's older, wiser, has found God, and wants to warm little girls about the perils of engaging in celebrity fellatio. Now Mother Theresa Sister Karrine wants to use her past as a tool for empowerment for women to remind them that despite how many times they've scuffed their knees, they can find true love and still succeed in life as strong black female role models.
Trick, please!!!
[I know I am probably about to lose half my female readers here, but I hope all 4 of you will listen very closely to my point before you close the browser or flame me with bad feedback. Then you can flame me.]
If she had really had a great change of heart and realized that her former whoring ways were wrong, wouldn't the noble thing be to write your book and disappear back into a life of obscurity? Wouldn't she perhaps stop dating rappers and just go back to raising her kid(s), rather than continuing to pop up on this red carpet and that with every D-list rapper (Lil' Wayne), washed up Kang of R&B (yes, Bobby Brown got him some), and random white dude (Bill Maher too)? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a change of behavior typically accompany a change of heart? I don't know this woman's private life, but if it's anything like the public one I happen to see from time to time while perusing junk food sites like Bossip, Concrete Loop, and Crunk & Disorderly over my lunch hour, I'd say she hasn't changed much. Outside looking in of course.
What's worse is that with the media attention she's gotten, in my opinion, she's legitimized the whole concept or "video chick" as a legitimate come-up. She's already spawned several copycats, like the tell-alls by Nas' baby mom, radio personality missjones, and reportedly a similar book by singer Mya, who really should have better things to do. Steffans has been on Oprah, 20/20, and of course Tyra Banks (not that that's saying much of course). She has another installment in the series, The Video Vixen Diaries or some such nonsense coming out soon, which to me confirms that she's still ho'ing. And I just happened to see the other day that she's now engaged, although she ain't telling who the unlucky dude is yet. If course, she did note that he's someone famous. Surprise, surprise.
Where's an appropriate Too Short quote when I need one!?!?
Question: why don't black women have a real problem with this? For all the criticism (justifiably so) about "B's and H's" in hip-hop, and all the kerfuffle (unjustifiably so) about shows like "Hot Ghetto Mess" of late in this post-Imus world, it's amazing that nobody really seems to have anything to say about this. Doesn't a woman like this undermine everything that's right about hip hop in general, and black women specifically?
Yes, there are lots of male rappers who spout this mindless garbage and they should be criticized. I'm totally with you on that one, don't get it twisted. But why the relative silence on a woman who darn near celebrates, personifies, and profits from this sort of attitude herself? Wouldn't such a woman actually further perpetuate such nonsense? Where is the outrage? Where's the email campaign and e-petition asking for her publisher to stop this garbage from being published.
Am I missing something here? Isn't Karrine just as much (more?) of an enemy of black women as Snoop, Ludacris, or Lil' Boosie (although I kinda like "Wipe Me Down" - so shoot me)!?!?
Ladies, educate me. I don't get it.
Lena Horne is crying inside. So should every sensible black woman reading this.
Video 'Vixen', Author Karrine Steffans Engaged [AccessHollywood]
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Karrine Steffans: The Black Woman's Worst Enemy
Tags Popped: Crap Music, Drive-By Activism, Get Money, Hollyweird, Negro Nonsense, Raise Your Own Damn Kids
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Average Email
Average FAQ
Average Bio
AB @ AOL BlackVoices
AB @ NPR
AB @ WashingtonPost
Posts
8 AverageComments™:
AVB- you are absolutely right. And as black woman, I feel "called out". I guess my "excuse" (albeit poor) is that I just try my hardest to ignore this chick. I refuse to crack open her book(s) or listen to her interviews, give her the time of day, etc. But you're right- ladies this does call for some serious public outrage.
The black Jenna J (I'm not sure of her last name)you know the one.
Where is Essence magazine to call the sister out?
My Dearest Avg. Bro:
It would be an honor to run this post.
The bottomline, this woman sickens me. I'll admit; I've avoided writing about her on my sight on purpose because I find her downright disgusting and I consider her a lost cause. She is NOT the embodiement of a content black woman. But one who is whorish and will do ANYTHING for money. Just what some sick entertainment love to see when it comes to Black women. And now she is engaged?!?!?
I can think of no worse role model for a young Black woman today.
Thanks for speaking out.
When 50 Cent (or any other talentless rapper) speaks about how many women they slept with (or actually name them like 50 cent did with Mya) in their rap songs, does that make them "Black Men's Worst Enemy"? How is it that men can get away with talking about their sexual exploits with absolutely no remorse, and be called a "G" or "The Man." I feel that as long as Karrine is no longer carrying herself like a whore, and spreading her legs to any and everyone, she is fine in my book. I consider myself to be open-minded with some judgmental tendencies at times, so when it comes to women like Karrine, I try to take current and future behavior into consideration. She is not out there flashing her coochie to the cameras like some of the other women in the media (i.e., Britney Spears). She is tapping into her past, and becoming a productive human being. She is creating jobs for other people, and carrying herself like a lady. And before you start talking about her sexual escapades as of late - it's called dating. You have named a few people that she has dated since her first book. So the hell what. People date - that's what people do until they get married. How many people have you dated in 4 years?
FYI: Karrine is now engaged and I wish her all the best. Yeah she may have her faults (we all do), but she seems like a good person overall.
As Black women, we need to stop talking crap about each other and lift each other up. Try to be open minded and help each other instead of tearing each other down. Think about how many times you have though, "Oh, she ain't all that," or "She thinks she's hot $h1t." We've all done it - it's called jealousy, and it gets you no where. We should all try to live a positive life - life is too short.
I agree with the latest comment. It sickens me that women are so fast to put down others who are trying to move on from their past while teaching others a lesson. You all act like she's the only woman out there that does this, and you act like she's the first woman to ever do it.
Maybe I understand her more because I've been where she's been before. Does that make me a whore? No. It makes me someone who has made mistakes in her past and in her youth and have learned from them.
SO she shared her story with the world. It'd be one thing if she was still doing the same thing, but she isn't. I read BOTH books and if you stopped hating on the woman and cracked the second book, you'd see the difference.
And in case you haven't done your homework, a lot of the women who are promiscuous have been at one point either molested, or raped. To you it may seem like a lame excuse, but to me its REAL LIFE. They do it because its a way to get the control back. Not everyone has a way out, but she found her way out of it, and I'm proud of her for that. She's now engaged, and I'm happy for her. Hopefully he'll see past her past, and they have a great and bright future ahead of them.
I had the liberty of meeting her today, and she is the sweetest to her fans. I admire her courage, and wish her much more success. Its about time we as black women applauded women for turning their lives around. SOmetimes you have to revisit your past to move on into your future, and if that visit turns into a book that secures your kid's future and yours as well then more power to you....
First of all in reply to the very last comment.
Kill Yourself.
I have listened to various interviews i came across this blog as I was reading about this woman because I as a woman of color AM and IS offended and outraged by this woman. Where in the world do we recieve handclaps for putting our pussies on celebs cock. I agree that the woman can say some pretty agreeable things, but in thee end it JUST don't fucking add up. period. You listen to The Jamie Foxx interview, she ain't changed a bit. And doesn't have any attention. So what if she got raped. I have also. I ain't going to go around acting an ass because of the pain that it has caused me mentally, everyone knows right from wrong at this point. I still hold myself in the highest of regards no matter what obtacles have been put in my way. I find ways to be effective in changing my own life even thru the mistakes. Stop cheering on someone who putting on a show, being an actress. so females who are 'weak at heart' can succumb to these prositute inquiries. or shall i say flange.
To the last poster:
If you learned proper grammar and how to form a sentence, maybe your post might be somewhat coherent. Your thoughts are disorganized, and don't make any sense whatsoever.
Like the writer of this article and the individual who spoke on past trauma's they too had shared but never pursued in a sexual manner beyond, I am disgusted. I am a single mother from the ghetto. I was molested on more than one occasion in the very house I lived in every single day by family and friends. I've lived in streets from teenage up, but that didn't make me wanna go out and have sex with every single, married or relationship bound brother with funds in his pocket that I met. Despite the fact that I had no mother or father, I made a conscious decision, that life for me could be better despite where I had been. Since my childhood, I have worked diligently to teach my children, my family, my friends that remain that life can be better if you so choose and you don't have to do the wrong thing in order for it to get better.
I had the dis-privilege of reading Video Vixen and to tell the truth, I was not impressed, to say the least I was appalled. I am an up and coming writer; hardworking single mother with my head on straight; my mind intact. I see not where this woman, if she deeems herself that, has grown. why do we continue to make excuses for our behavior as if it is acceptable?
No, I don't agree with men dogging women or degrading them but I damn sure don't agree with women going through, faking the funk along the way as an excuse to fuck off life and than telling some shitty ass story about how not to be that fucking way.
EXCUSE MY FRENCH, BUT ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Since when did we start praising this type of behavior. The destruction of people's marriages, homes, families, destroyed by this whore. There is no other way to put it. Yes, your past is your past but when you bring your past into the present, it is no longer you past....duh.....
Even now that it is 2008, she was still speaking on the bullshit last year, yet she claims that she changed for her child. She calls it keeping it real but she was and always will be a whore. How do you make the statement that the nickname of superhead was just a nickname and than turn around and literally make a video doing exactly what you said was originally taken out of context in the first place. THAT IS SOME BULLSHITT AND I'M SORRY ANY REAL WOMAN WHO RESPECTS HERSELF, regardless of what she does in her personal life would have to take a second look at the situation.
She used her body to get what she wanted; she got used in the process. Forgive me but I thought that was what the whole fucking world was about not just rap artists, entertainers and other celebrities.
Let's keep real, she was a whore than and she is not far from a whore now, no matter who she marries.
Can anyone be forgiven of their past? Of course they can, but when you still personify the same nasty, trifling trick you were or so still appear to be as more of these twisted so call books rise to the top, how can you speak of change? WHERE THE HELL IS IT AND DON'T SAY MARRIAGE REMOVES THE WHOLE WHORE CONCEPT....UNLESS YOUR AND IDIOT TOO. WE'VE TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN, YOU CAN'T TURN A WHORE INTO A HOUSE WIFE. Good luck Darius, I wonder what she'll say about you next, you don't wonder?
What she has written is foul, disgusting, demeaning to all women, not just women of color. She is a disgrace whether she deems herself to be or not. Cool, if she made peace with her maker about the whore that she was and probably, I'm certain, am still deemed to be, beautiful, but the world will never forget, as long as she continues to remind them of who she was and who she will always be.
To anybody offended by what I said, whateva... I've walked in the shoes that she walks and has walked and if you've convinced yourself that her behavior is acceptable or even was acceptable by any means, than you are just as gullable and as nieve as she was.
Grow up and get your mind right...
what message do you believe our children are getting from this?
Clearly, she doesn't care because she dedicated that first piece of filth and trash to her son.
SAD, SAD, SAD....He should be embarassed, as should she.
Peace...
Post a Comment