By Alexis Stodghill on Mar 8th 2011 8:15AM
Filed under: Professional Profiles, News
From TheGrio.com:
If you tuned into NBC's Celebrity Apprentice last night to catch some of the much-hyped tension between Star Jones and NeNe Leakes you were likely disappointed. Last night's premiere was very mild. Star Jones took charge as the project manager of the ladies' team and succeeded. Although she and Lisa Rinna clashed a bit, Jones and Leakes appeared to be cool. That, as several articles have promised, won't last for long.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Jones called Leakes "ghetto trash," a description that would get many black women's blood boiling. Leakes has labeled the attorney, who gained national celebrity as a co-host on The View, a "horrible bitch and a terrible snob." In addition, Leakes reportedly found Jones's behavior curious since "she's descended from slaves just like me and just like every other black person in America."
Jones has come out and expressed disdain for Leakes's comments, telling People magazine, "I did Celebrity Apprentice to raise money and awareness for the American Heart Association, which has been instrumental in my life, not to see it reduced to a cliché where black women attack one another for publicity's sake."
Reportedly Trump loves the tension because that means a ratings bonanza. In 2009, ratings slipped by 21 percent after the season premiere, but rebounded greatly in 2010 due to rocker Bret Michaels's surprising life-threatening condition during the show's airing. As the season goes on, ratings shouldn't be a problem, as many will tune in to catch Leakes and Jones fight tooth and nail. While Trump only sees it as a benefit for him, the real question is -- will it be good news for black women?
Now it must be noted that Celebrity Apprentice is unusually diverse for a network television show. In addition to Leakes and Jones, LaToya Jackson and Dionne Warwick are also contestants. While Jackson doesn't come across as the brightest crayon in the box, there is something warm about her. She certainly seemed harmless enough and incapable of any conniving board room behavior on the season premiere but time will tell.
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Reality Bites
Reality Bites
The reality TV show phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down -- as long as viewers keep watching the shows. BlackVoices.com takes a quick look at some of the most notable personalities within the reality series realm. Join us.
Various
The Record
BlackVoices.com
Reality Bites
Reality Bites
The reality TV show phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down -- as long as viewers keep watching the shows. BlackVoices.com takes a quick look at some of the most notable personalities within the reality series realm. Join us.
Reality Bites
Russell Simmons
Affiliation: 'Running Russell Simmons' on Oxygen
Side Note: Before the Def Jam co-founder got his own reality show, he appeared sporadically on his business partner and ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons' hit E! show 'Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane.'
Reality Bites
Melanie Brown
Affiliation: 'Mel B: It's a Scary World' on The Style Network
Side Note: Mel B is affectionately known as Scary Spice from the British pop group the Spice Girls, but she made a career comeback on the competition series 'Dancing With the Stars.'
Reality Bites
Kandi Burruss
Affiliation: 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'
Side Note: Though she was in her own platinum-selling girl group, Xscape, this Atlanta native won her only Grammy Award for penning 'No Scrubs' for fellow ATL girl group TLC.
Reality Bites
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.'
Reality Bites
Holly Robinson Peete
Affiliation: 'The Celebrity Apprentice 3' on NBC
Side Note: The 'Hanging with Mr. Cooper' actress and her husband/former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete created the HollyRod Foundation in 1997 to honor her late father Matt Robinson who died of Parkinson's Disease and also to raise money for families who are affected by autism.
Reality Bites
Al B. Sure
Affiliation: 'Donald J. Trump Presents: The Ultimate Merger'
Side note: While vying for Omarosa's love during the show's first season, the former 'Apprentice' star described the R&B crooner as; "the ultimate romantic and perfect gentleman. He sets the tone for all of the bachelors on how to properly court a woman."
Reality Bites
Trey Songz
Affiliation: 'Trey Songz: My Moment' on BET
Side Note: Born Tremaine Aldon Neverson, this Virginia native, originally put out diss mixtapes aimed at R. Kelly, but quashed his beef with the legendary Chicago crooner when he enlisted Kels help to produce 'Grub On' off his 2007 album 'Trey Day.'
Reality Bites
Dwight Eubanks
Affiliation: 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'
Side Note: Although he remains a flamboyant bi-sexual, Eubanks, who owns his own Atlanta hair salon owner, told Essence magazine in 2009 that he was engaged to be married to an Atlanta woman.
Reality Bites
Brandi Simpkins
Affiliation: 'House of Glam' on Oxygen
Side Note: The Howard University graduate's The B. Lynn Group quickly became the go-to image agency after stylist Crystal Streets nailed Jay-Z as her third client – helping him craft his style persona.
Reality Bites
Warwick is another surprise. Considering that we haven't really seen her that much since her stint on the Psychic Friends Network in the 1990s, any appearance from her just seems odd. Let's just say she showed her age and her status with her inability to nail the finer points of operating a credit card machine smoothly. Like Jackson, she didn't appear capable of any backstabbing but it's only the first episode.
Read page 2 on 'The Apprentice': TheGrio.com
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Comments: (20)
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By: Amanda on 3/08/2011 9:06AM
Donald trump is purely exploiting Nene Leakes, Star Jones as the angry black women on his show.
And this is ALL for ratings.
It is disappointing how black women have to be portrayed as bitter, angry and argumentative.
This season will probably the most watched too. shame
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By: Greg on 3/09/2011 2:15AM
No, Trumps not doing that! These BW are exploiting themselves! They're only
reinforcing the stereotype that the majority of BW already have, and love! But, when someone says that BW are like that, then as usual BW get their usual big negative attitude! Anything for money, and no self respect! That's nothing but the usual BW's low self esteem in action again! I can assure you most BW just love seeing this kind of nonsense, because that's exactly how most are!
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By: Mook on 3/08/2011 11:56AM
Im a black male and I must say black women have a reason to be angry. Black men are disgraceful all in jail...not being a father to their kids...or just being dumb and living a reckless lifestyle. It's sad b/c Im 21 years old and i dont have many friends b/c they all want to do the same thing...smoke weed and thats it
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By: Dee on 3/08/2011 1:06PM
Maybe you don't have any friends based on your home sits on wheels. I know plenty of black males your age who are not in jail, in college, working and taking good care their children. There is an jumpsuit with your name/number on it waiting for you.
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By: Mook on 3/08/2011 1:22PM
lol learn how to read i said i dont have many
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By: elle40 on 3/08/2011 1:54PM
Mook, your post seems innocent enough to me. You simply expressed that black women have a reason to be angry- - an assessment I do agree with. If you review the chronicling of history, black women have given so much, endured great hardships, and tolerated being maligned by society, all of which would make any human being angry. Let's be honest. You go on to state in your post that you wish you could find more ambitious black males who desire more than to sit around smoking weed. So why would Dee post a negative retort???????
Why would should come out verbally swinging on your thoughts? Why would she talk about where you live (and she doesn't even know where you reside) and speak a negative prophecy about a jumpsuit with your name & number on it- - implying you will be going to jail?
Why? Because she is a project logic, stinking thinking individual. Small minds always seek to belittle and malign people. If you don't have anything positive to say, Dee, then shut up!! My prayer for you Dee, is that you grow up and change the tone of your future posts. You don't have to be ugly in your conversations. Be uplifting and encouraging. There is so much hate and anger in the world today. Be kind!! It doesn't cost you a thing.
Mook, ask God to lead you to people who can help you grow. It's great to have friends that will motivate, inspire, and encourage you to dream big dreams and watch you soar. Keep a pure heart Mook and work hard, you'll find those friends....they are out there.
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By: Greg on 3/09/2011 2:16AM
To: Mook
Well, I feel your pain, but you sound just like the typical BW! Yes, I agree there are a disproportional number of BM in prison! But, FYI...but BW are the most women in all US prisons for women of all races at 57%! Don't you also consider that as also being disproportional as well? I do! As for being disgraceful, why are all these BW having, and continuing not to practice safe sex, and not having all of these OOW babies that they already know they can't provide for? or, with men that they also already know won't be there for them! Why even go there? BW smoke just as much weed as do BM if not more! And they also unfortunately do it while they're pregnant too! Perhaps you need to get out more and see that BW have issues too!
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By: ooozzzzz on 3/08/2011 12:51PM
Quote: "While Trump only sees it as a benefit for him, the real question is -- will it be good news for black women?
Will it be good news? No it won't because (1) these women don't care about that and (2) it's never intended to be because the planned premise of any reality show (and it's star characters) is to display and highlight confrontational and dysfunction of all races of women.
And the "Angry Black Woman" angle? At the moment, it seems to be Hollywood's latest fad with Black women (rap/video vixens and strippers are out, "angry black women" educated or uneducated, are in) and these Black women could care less about their portayal and what you think....All that concerns them is gettin' paid.
Donald Trump and his corporate TV staff need drama on that show and purposely picked NeNe Leakes because of her "Housewives Of Atlanta" ghetto reputation (real or fake) and Star Jones for her myraid of persoanal drama (real or fake) with others in order for them to clash with precise show editing to enhance their differences and NeNe abd Star are not innocents either; they eagerly signed up and are going along with the program in order to get viewer ratings and keep them revelant on TV and in the media (after the Apprentice, NeNe will be considered a national "Hollywood star") so in essence, this "reality" is just non reality TV since all players in this game are in it for their own personal benefits (the work for charity is just a sideshow) and in the end, there are no enemies here. They are all friends who pretend not to be friends and use this latest hustle to keep them in the spotlight and keep you tuned in and interested.
So the louder and more threatening NeNe gets with anyone on the show coupled with all the sassy talk, neck rolling and eye bugging, her status climbs, positive or negative and it gets her more money and more work down the road.
It's all a game.
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By: Mission on 3/08/2011 1:26PM
The bottomline is that we are the ones that give NENE her job.. If we dont' watch her guess what like any other show she's a gone.. And to be perfectly honest I would love to see her gone just as I did New York.. They both a disgrace to black woman and on top of it can't they see that there no money on earth that will change what people think and believe about them.. Money is only used to support our needs it will not make anyone care for you now that real and not fake.. And for NeNE LEAKS her day will come and when it does..
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By: Gichaya on 3/10/2011 5:33PM
Alexis, why did you find it necessary to write about these two women? You are giving attention where it is not needed. I too saw the Apprentiss and I found more angry WHITE MEN then angry black women. Why didn't you write about them. You are prepetuating that stereotypical bullsh*t about black women that we would expect from someone other than another black woman. Everything is not newsworthy.
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