Who Told You You Were Naked?

Let's talk about Adam and Eve in a way they've never been discussed. This is not a post based on religion, so don't skip it because it doesn't correspond with your beliefs. We all know the story of Adam and Eve. They ate the apple and sinned, now everything bad exists in the world. There are several versions of this story, so let's get off the sinning part. Let's talk about the life they led. Adam and Eve were the first people on the earth and as parents often do with their first born, they received everything God had to offer. He gave them a beautiful place to live, he fed them, the weather was beautiful, they didn't age, they didn't get sick, they didn't have to work, they didn't need clothing, everything they could have wanted was theirs for the taking. They only had one rule, that was not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. All the stuff they were given, all they had was one rule and it was simple. It wasn't as if they were starring at the tree in hunger, God gave them an abundance of food.

Then came the serpent. He took Eve's attention off of their blessings and onto the one thing they couldn't have. She wanted more. She wanted to know how the fruit tasted, she wanted to be smarter, she wanted to know the difference between good and evil, she wanted to be like God. So she ate and Adam ate. Then the serpent told them they were naked. They hid. I find it ironic that their was the thing that most concerned them. They were naked all along. Surely, they had sex before, they were husband and wife. They were also the only two people in the garden and the animals didn't care about their nudity and surely God didn't care. But their nudity was the most important thing to them. Not the fact they lost all the blessings God gave to them. Little is said about what happened to Adam and Eve after this incident, but the life they lived ceased to exist and they were banished from the garden. Now Adam had to work until he died to provide for his family. I'm sure they regretted their sin; they'd be foolish not to.

Adam and Eve let the serpent, who couldn't care less about them and only caused their sin as a revenge against God, cost them a life of serenity. The serpent tricked them and there was no going back. All the serpent gained was  an enemy and the loss of his legs. Eve had to bear children in pain and Adam had to work until he dropped dead. There was no point of return. They had one rule and their greed led them to break it and forsake what was given to them.

They let someone who was pure evil trick them out of the best lifestyle ever. Do you have someone like the serpent in your life? Someone who is trying to trick you out of what has been bestowed to you? Someone who is showing you futile things about your life instead of the bigger things? Don't fall for the tricks of your enemies who may look like a friend. Don't let your greed cost you what is yours? If your life is 80% good, your blessed with a home, loving spouse, beautiful children, a career you enjoy, don't allow the words of a bitter, jealous, or evil person who doesn't want to see you succeed be the cause of you losing that. If your life works for you, let it work for you. If you're happy and content, be happy and content.
The world may try to tell you a thousand different things about yourself and you might close this post and hear a million declarations of what you are or who you’ll always be, but know this you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are beautiful, smart, successful, sexy, loved, whatever the adverb is, take it and attach it to yourself and carry it wherever you go and use it as your shield.

Getting Stuck

This is another one from my personal diary. This is inspired by all the advice columns I listen to on youtube and the Steve Harvey Morning Show. When I listen to the letters about relationships that should have never been or lasted too long, I want to find the letter writer, smack them and tell them to move on. One of my favorite quotes, which is on my dream board, is "Let Go, Go On."

 Life is too short to get stuck in any, way shape or form. Do not waste your life on something that should have ended months or years ago. This includes relationships, jobs, things, anything that can cause you to get stuck.We get stuck because we cannot see the forest from the trees. We also get stuck because we're too lazy to find what we need to move on. We often feel like what we have, no matter how good or bad it is, is the best we can do. We don't realize more is out there because we're too close to the trees to see it. Why get stuck in something that no longer fits, never fit, is unhealthy, or isn't growing with you?Sometimes we guilt ourselves, or let others guilt us, into staying where we no longer belong or into stifling our growth.Why we feel we must settle for anything is beyond me? It's okay to want more, to want to be more, to want to be happy; it's okay to let go. Sometimes letting go isn't giving up, it's going on.

TOTD: Growing Pains

This is something I wrote in personal diary as part of "Life as I know it" but I decided this is worth sharing.

Life is gonna break your heart. If you live long enough, you're gonna get hurt. That is the reality of life. We are so scared to get our feelings hurt. Scared to fail, scared to try, we're so scared. But no matter your lot in life, you're gonna get hurt. You're gonna get rejected, things are gonna fall as you build them, things are gonna happen that are unexplainable, unfair, your dream will become a nightmare, you will lose what you worked hard for, your credentials will be perfect and you will be bypassed, you will follow the rules and be passed for someone who shunned authority, you will do your best and come up short, you will lose friends, people will die. It doesn't matter who you are, what you do for a living, how much money you make, how nice you are to people, if you say please or thank you. It doesn't matter because life will break you and leave you to pick up the pieces. Life will step on you multiple times without excusing itself.

This isn't intended to sound bitter or angry at the world, it's intended to stop needless fear and inertia. You're not expected to be perfect. You're not expected to succeed at everything on first try. You're gonna fail at something. That's life. It doesn't mean you crawl into the corner and hide for the next 30-40 years because you got your feelings hurt. And just because life broke your heart, it doesn't mean you were "bad."When I have kids, I will tell them this. I'm tired of the punk kids we're having, who are passed through the system and have no real knowledge of what it is to struggle and be hurt.

Really Nicki Minaj?

Nicki Minaj and her boyfriend hype man/assistant/best friend Safaree need anger management. First, they get into an altercation in Dallas and now they're assaulting maids.

A couple weeks ago, a maid hired by Nicki retrieved a discarded photo the rapper threw in the trash. Apparently the maid asked Nicki autograph the picture and that's when hell broke loose and the maid was fired. Yesterday,  the maid arrived at Nicki's Hollywood condo and round two ensued, with Minaj demanding she leave her property and the maid counter-demanding that she not "be treated like an animal. Nicki made mistake #3 when she threatened the maid stating, "I'll show you how to treat someone like an animal. Get the f--- out of my house! Safaree, still not having learned his lesson from Dallas, decided it was a good idea to push the maid.

However, it seems that Nicki with her millions may need new glasses, and a really good lawyer, because the maid she had the altercation with was the wrong maid-this maid was a new employee. Dang Nicki, you can't tell the difference between your maids. Well, this maid is not going away quietly. A battery report was filed with the LAPD and the maid inquired about a citizen's arrest but no arrests have yet to be made.

Nicki, you better put on your big girl panties, apologize and write a really nice check to this maid. You also need to control your anger because you can't talk or treat people like that. 

Kris Humphries is My Hero

I promise that this will not become the Kim and Kris blog but I saw this clip on Missjia.com and I died. I am officially in love with Kris Humphries but I need him to read the terms of his contractual agreement again because I'm pretty sure he can't talk to her like that. Watch 0:17-0:24 for the hilarity to ensue. Side note: Kim looks pretty though. I love the lipstick and the hair.

No Title or Commentary Required

We are gonna let this gif, found at missjia.com, speak for itself. Keri, we all know the Beyonce stans pray to beysus that you will die a fiery death get better and bigger security. That. Is. All.

Wreck of the Day: Rocsi

I'm not going to edit this outfit. I'm not going to waste too much time commenting but this outfit deserves to be burned and never spoke of again. Rocsi, I know you wanna do the acting thing and you spend hours working on your body, but you're trying too hard. I know in today's culture, the less you wear the better, but less is more. If this dress was solid and didn't have the 90's slit up to the crotch, I wouldn't be mad it at. But you look like Elvira's slutty cousin that no one talks about and you need to retire this look and never repeat it. You're too good for this. That. Is. All. 

Edit Your Outfit: Gabourey Sidibe

(spotted at http://necolebitchie.com/2011/10/27/gabourey-sidibe-rocsi-lala-nas-cuba-gooding-jr-more-attend-tower-heist-nyc-event/#more-161941

When I first spotted this look at Necole Bitchie.com, it made me sad. I love the color and I love Gabourey's confidence, she is a big girl in a town that celebrates bones, but this outfit is a no-no. Everything but the color is wrong. I know few people that full body rouching looks good on. This outfit is also a couple sizes is too small. See exhibit A. This dress is not flattering it's accentuating her stomach and her lack of shape. I love you Gabourey, but when you're shaped like a box wearing clothes that accentuate your lack of shape, is a no-no. Girl, whoever put you in that dress is not your friend and needs to be fired. 

Tips:

1. keep that color- jeweled tones look beautiful on richly colored skin, Kudos for picking it
2. when you're bigger or without an ideal shape, fabric needs to flow away from the body. That doesn't mean that you wear a tent but unless you're Kim Kardashian, and she has her no-no days, tight clothes are not your friend. 
3. accentuate the positive. I like her hair and make up. He face is beautiful and her verve is so great that I almost forget that the dress was so unflattering. Almost.
4. Leave the too small jewelry alone. That pinky ring is not the business and looks as if she borrowed it from a cousin and it didn't fit, so she wore it on the only finger it could fit on.
5. fake the shape. If you don't have an hour glass, choose cuts that create the hourglass like a v-neck,  defined waists, or wrap dresses. If that is not an option, add a wide belt or tie around your waist to create the illusion or choose wrap dresses. 

Ideas:

Beyonce ft. J. Cole

It seems that Mama-to-be Beyonce has gathered some random people her friends in a random trailer park for her new video, "Party." True to her hard working nature, this is the third video that Beyonce has dropped this month. And yes, Andre 3000 has been exchanged for J. Cole and new scenes were added recently so her belly changes sizes.

Milk and Honey by Brown Paper Dolls

We need more positive shows, so I'm going to be posting webseries for you to watch while you're supposed to be working. Here is one from Brown Paper Dolls production starring Lance Gross(yummy), Asha Kamali, Idris Elba(extra yummy), Faune Chambers, and Debbie Allen. The show is set in Los Angeles and is like an updated Girlfriends mixed with Entourage and a bit of How to Make it in America.
Milk and Honey Trailer
milk + honey: episode 1 from brown paper dolls on Vimeo.
Milk and Honey First episode

This was first peeped on necolebitchie.com

Kim and Kris Updated

I'm giving myself a congratulatory pat on the back. Everything I said in the last post, with exception to some opinions, happened to be true. According to Gary, from the Ricky Smiley Morning Show, the Kardashians realized that Kim getting married would be a big money maker, so they set it in motion. They asked an NBA player,  whose name I can't recall or Google, but he is supposedly talking, saying that he was asked by E! if he would marry Kim, to which he politely declined. They approached Kris, who as we see, jumped on the opportunity.

All is going well on the business front because Kim has made a reported $17 million in wedding gifts, endorsements, wedding specials, and the exclusive sale of wedding and honey moon pictures. All is not going well on the home front because Kim and Kris have yet to spend any real time together and it's an open secret that the newlyweds barely tolerate each other. All of their time has been in front of the cameras and when they're not rolling, according to sources, the newlyweds don't speak or interact at all.

As I said in my super long post yesterday, I never bought into Kim and Kris because they didn't have the basic chemistry, they didn't seem to know basic things about each other, the Kardashians don't like him, he didn't matter in the wedding, and they didn't get along. Also, when their friend made the speech at the reception, all he spoke about was Kim the celeb, not Kim the person and her upgrading of Kris; nothing about love. So they don't know each other and their friends don't know them as a couple. That's not the foundation for marriage.

Kim as beautiful and successful as you are, why did you feel need to marry someone just to say you're married? Let this be a lesson to you. Don't let your pimp mama Kris, Ryan Seacrest, or E! trick you into that; no matter how much you make. Let you marriage be for love not for publicity. Better luck next time Kim!

Edited to note: This plan was put into motion in early 2011 during the filming of Kourtney and Kim Take New York. Kim Kardashian and the KUTK producers originally wanted Knick player and Kris' former teammate, Danilo Gallinari, to be Kim's husband/boyfriend/love interest and they tried to entice him with the promise of fame but he declined. I didn't think Kim went for anyone lacking melanin in their skin but Danilo isn't a bad catch. I've seen flattering and questionable pictures of him.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

Before all you Kim stans comment saying how much money she has and how dare I hate on her, let me say that I couldn't care less about Kim Kardashian, in fact I find her irritating, but this was placed on my heart. So let's talk.

We all know Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries got married in August after a 6 month courtship. We also know that their marriage is on a timer. Anyone who watches their interactions is privy to that information. I'm pro marriage and I believe that there is no rule book for courting; every relationship is different. I just never bought the whole Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries thing.

1. He doesn't know her. I know he's busy and all but he couldn't take 30 seconds to google her. It's not like she's a random woman, she's one of the most famous women in the world. Everything you need on Kim Kardashian is readily available. How did he not know about her father and the fact that she was married, is beyond me? Everyone knew that.
2. He seems irritated with her. If you watch the Bora Bora episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, you can see his irritation with her. She cried that the room was too big, that it was too hot, and about her earring. If you watch the wedding special, he was irritated with a lot of things she did but he seemed to let them go for sake of peace.
3. The Kardashians seem irritated with him. Khloe is not the biggest Kris fan and she has told him repeatedly but she seemed to let it go with the realization that they're now temporarily family. Kourtney didn't like Kris but she seemed to let it go when he defended Scott. Really Kourtney? You need more people.
4. He doesn't buy into the Kardashian hype. On the wedding special, during a fight Kris kindly reminded Kim that four years ago she was just worked at a boutique. It was my favorite part of the entire special. Kim Kardashian lives in a fairy tale world while Kris is more practical.
5. The ring. I think this whole marriage thing is planned. Looking at how practical Kris is, I don't buy into him spending $2 million of his $8 million net worth on a ring. And the publicist just happened to have it and everyone knew about it. Either the Kardashians bought it or it was gifted but I refuse to believe he bought it. Also, how was PEOPLE there to take pictures of the proposal and the engagement party, and they were interviewed at the party as it was going on? So the deal was done before the engagement? Suspicious
6. It's all about Kim. When Kris Jenner forgot to book cars for the Humphries family, I knew it was a wrap. How does everyone associated with Kim have a car but not his family? I would've been too through, but that's me. Everything is about Kim. The cover, the special, the wedding. It was all Kim, Kris was just a tiny insert. When Mason came down the isle and Kris said, don't steal my shine little man, I thought Kris, it's not your wedding, you're just invited. 
7. They treat Kris like a child. When Kim berated Kris for being late, in front of her mother and millions of people, I thought of  Jon and Kate. You can't talk to people like that. Especially not your future husband. One day Kris is going to leave and never come back, as all men who are berated do.
8. She chased him. I'm sorry feminists and independent women, but the courting rules have not changed. A man is still the hunter, that's their nature. I have yet to see a relationship that is woman driven last because men are naturally the aggressors. He didn't even ask for her number, she gave it to a friend to give to him.
9. They have no chemistry. I was looking at dlisted and saw a picture of them Kim and Kris and thought I have more chemistry with the cake I'm eating. They look like they're in two different pictures. There is no natural chemistry. She's smiling and he's looking off to the side into space. It's weird. 

Now that I have written a ridiculously long list, I will say that when Kris writes a book, after his confidentiality agreement expires. I will read it. I  want to know how it all went down and don't leave out any details. 

Intuition

 Imagine that you're in your last semester of school. You only have one more class to take before you get your degree. This is the class that combines all of the knowledge you've acquired over the years and tests your readiness for your profession. One your first day of class, a student offers to help you. Not just help you but give you the answers and lead you in the right direction. As you look at this student, you wonder if he's even supposed to be here. He looks like a hippie, so you politely decline. On your left, there is another student with the same offer. She is dressed in a suit and looks very professional, so you immediately accept. As the class goes on, you notice that the student who looks like a hippie is giving you the right answers, while the student in the suit may have the right idea, but she's wrong most of the time.That my dear is an example of intuition.

It seems that we've been listening to the person in the suit. We were told if we had more money, bigger house, more respectable career, more cars, that if our life looked a certain way that we would be happy. Well we're not. More people are miserable than ever. More people suffer from depression and insomnia than ever and health is failing at an alarming rate. People are looking for something that's why religion, not God, and self help books are more popular than ever. Remember the end scene in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy who went on this long journey to reurn home, found out that all she had to do was click her heels together and she would be home? Her power was with her all along, she had to tap into it. That's us. Your intuition is your power, but we tend to ignore it. If someone in a nice suit, with a prominent career, multiple degrees, and fancy letters behind their name didn't tell you, it's not true. The only letters your intuition needs are G-O-D. We like to make things so hard and complicated. We have been trained to think that if it isn't hard, it isn't worth going through. Life is not that hard. Life is easy when you learn how to listen to your intuition.

We spend so much money on self-help, when the help is within self. Like Dorothy, you already have what you need, you just have to tap into it. You are your problem and therefore you are your solution. Tap into your intuition. Listen to that small, unrefined voice in your spirit and let it lead you.

Back to Basics: Natural Hair Care

I am natural. I have been for the last 8 months. I transitioned for a year and a half and my big chop was on a whim. I find that most of my big decisions have been on a whim. But after 8 months, I'm finally finding my natural footing.

The last 8 months looked something like this:

cleanse with apple cider vinegar
co-wash
deep condition
seal with jojoba oil
blow dry on friday night
flat iron saturday morning
bun until friday

lather, rinse, repeat. You get the picture.

Yesterday I had a revelation. Before I went to bed, I decided to check Curly Nikki, and she had an update where she admitted to using hair grease, which is taboo in the natural hair community. It wasn't so much that she used grease, which I have never been a fan of because it's too heavy, it was that she said her regimen mimicked the one of her younger days. My hair heyday was from 4-10, before I had a perm. My hair was thick and long. My signature style was the threes; one in the front, two in the back. The one in the front, which was placed on the top of my head, was shoulder length and the two in the back, where arm pit length. My hair was healthy.

I asked my mom what she did to my hair and she said that all she did was wash and condition it and it grew like that. I don't know how often she did it, if she used grease or not, but according to her it was a simple wash and go. She washed my hair and let it air dry in the twists and it thrived. I began to think: how do I update that basic regimen for a 25 year old with an adult life and adult responsibilities?

Here is my current regimen:

1. Shampoo in sections: because my hair is so thick, it's hard to clean my scalp properly, so I decided to rinse shampoo my hair in banded sections and remove them once the scalp is cleansed. Some naturals cleanse in braids but that's too complicated for me and I don't feel like braiding to remove them a few minutes later. 
2. Tea rinse: I rinse with black tea and let it sit for a few minutes. This adds sheen and strength to my hair.
3. Cool and seal: I found this method on curlynikki.com and I like it a lot. I add a basic conditioner to my hair and use my hair dryer to heat it for however long my arm holds up. I really like dove repair and Aussie moist conditioners. While the conditioner cools, I use this time to detangle my hair in sections. I section my hair in fours and clip them with butterfly clips. As I move to a section, I divide my hair into two and detangle that way. I  add the deep conditioner to my hair and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing. I like to use Aussie 3 minute miracle.
4. I  resection my hair into fours and towel dry it. I band each section with two bands to stretch the hair.I sometimes use a glosser, which adds a nice smell to the dry hair. I allow the hair to air dry. 
5. my hairstyle of choice is a simple bun that I tie with the headbands which look like a long scrunchy. I tie the band like I'm wearing it as a headband but I tie it 3 times so the bun is smaller. I then twist and pin until everything is in a neat.
6. for maintenance: I used a water and Garnier Fructis conditioner that I didn't like on my hair and I spritz my hair when it becomes dry. I also use a castor oil and apricot oil mix when my scalp become dries. My dad, who owns a health food store, sent me 16 ounces of this oil which I'm hoping will replace Jojoba oil, which is $10 for four ounces and only lasts a month when used right.$10 is a lot on a budget. The ultimate rule in natural hair care is: do not throw anything away. You can use it as a leave in spritz or when the weather changes. 

That's basic, very few products, and low maintenance. We'll see how that goes but my hair seems to like it. My hair looks healthy and shiner. My hair, straight, natural, or relaxed, likes to be left alone.

TOTD: No one wants to win second place

Like all dogs wanna go to heaven, all hoes, jump offs, girlfriends, fwb's, eternal fiances, long term partners, baby mamas, any title that is not wife, all want to be wives. When someone tells me they are content with being anything but a wife, I rarely believe them. While you may be "happy," you still want to be a wife. No one trains for a race aiming to win second prize. When you settle for the title of anything but wife, you are accepting second, third, honorable mention, and not even worth mentioning. Like Steve Harvey has said multiple times, "when a man loves you, he gives you a title." I'm going to take it further, when a man really loves you, he makes you his #1. He makes you his wife. Women, who have settled for being second place, have been vocal in their instance that being a wife is overrated. So is being a jump off.

Men are not complicated creatures. We, as women, make them complicated because we don't wan to accept the truth. Men have 3 basic needs, food, sex, and money, not complicated at all. They actually tell us what they want. They may not vocalize it but their actions say it. If a man is saying he doesn't want a relationship, listen to him, he's telling you the truth. If a man says he doesn't want to get married, pay attention. If he's cheating on you, leaving you high and dry, blowing you off,telling you he doesn't want to be with you and giving you an invitation to cheat, he's telling you he doesn't want to be with you and he doesn't respect you.

Move on. Stop wasting time with men whose only plans are to bust a nut. It doesn't take years to get married, if a man wants to marry you, he'll do it. Lamar Odom was in a relationship for 12 years and had 3 kids with the woman, married Khloe Kardashian, who he has no kids with, in a month. His long term girlfriend said he was a commitment phobe, no he wasn't, he just didn't want to marry you.

Sometimes you're not wifey or girlfriend, you're ol' faithful. Most women have played ol' faithful. I know I have. When I was in college, a "boyfriend" of mine, after a month separation, walked into my job kissed me and we were back together. Come to find out, he spent that month romancing 3 women, being Facebook official with one, and really wanting to be with my co-worker but her rejecting him for her boyfriend of 6 years. I was ol' faithful. I was the one he could be with when his options waned. He knew where I was and that all he had to do was kiss me and say some sweet nothings and it was back on. Don't be ol' faithful. He's not going to make you official, he's not going to realize how much he loves you and marry you, he's not going to stop chasing other women. You know why? Because he knows there's something better than you. If he does make you official, it'll only be because all of his options have dissapeared.

 Don't settle for that. You deserve more. If you want to be married, find someone to give that to you. Don't settle for someone who only sees you as a filler. And when he comes back, which he will because men come back to ol' faithful because she's faithful, tell him to kick rocks. He won't change and he doesn't respect you.

Before I go, ladies stop having kids, buying houses, claiming to be engaged, basically playing wife to a man who has no intention to play husband. Stop doing that. When he puts the second ring on your finger, makes the vow in front of God, and signs the paper, then have the kids, buy the house, cars, have joint accounts, etc.  

The most beautiful person in the world

One of my favorite songs is Prince "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." I listen to it for pleasure and when I need a boost. I like this song because it's not about external beauty but internal beauty.

As I was listening to the song, I realized I am the most beautiful woman in the world. It wasn't out of conceit, although I love my looks, it was because if I'm not who is? Some superficial celebrity whose job it is to look like that? Some stranger?If you're not the most beautiful person in your eyes, who is? Everyone should feel that way about themselves. It's not taking away anyone else's beauty, it's celebrating and appreciating your own. Everyone should be pro themselves.

My beauty is not only external but it's internal as well. I am beautiful because my spirit is beautiful. I am beautiful and no other woman can hold a handle to me. Your spirit can make you beautiful or ugly by default. Have you met a beautiful person, whose clothes were nice, hair was nice, skin flawless, features flawless, but their spirit was ugly? They became ugly very quickly. Their outer beauty and inner ugliness merged and all you noticed were their flaws. Same with a person lacking in out beauty. A person with a beautiful spirit and lacking physical looks becomes the most beautiful person in the world. You forget about their outer lack of beauty and become entranced by their inner beauty.

Celebrate your inner beauty and declare yourself the most beautiful person in the world.

Mariah and Nick

The rumor mills are ablaze with the fact that Mariah Carey said in her interview with 20/20 that she does not trust her husband of 3 years. In the clip, Barbara Walters asked Mariah if she trusted Nick and she said sometimes. Nick looked very shocked and assured her that she could. This part has received more attention than the babies themselves.

I'm cringing, not because of the soundbite, but because this interview shouldn't have been done. Mariah and Nick should have given 20/20 a picture or tweeted or posted them, but this interview may be the beginning of the end. Anytime you let someone into your relationship, be it one person or millions of people like Mariah and Nick did, you break the bond that you and your partner have. Not only that, it's difficult to get those people out. Now Mariah and Nick's relationship will forever be scrutinized. Everything is open for discussion. Did he cheat? Why would they get married if they didn't know each other? Why did they argue?

Mariah and Nick, let this be your last joint interview. Let this be your last interview about your relationship. Keep your relationship private. Don't involve your family, friends, the public, your hair dresser, anyone. Your relationship should be between you, your spouse, and God or your higher power.

(Dem babies, Monroe and Morroccan, via dembabies.com and musicbox.com)

Tyler and Kim

How do I begin this? This has been marinating in my mind since I heard the news of Kim starring in Tyler Perry's new play turned movie "'The Marriage Counselor," but it only hit me a few minutes ago while I was bathing. Let's get into it.

Kim Kardashian is starring in Tyler Perry's new movie as the assistant of the said marriage counselor, played by Journee Smollett, who gives her boss a makeover to help her struggling marriage. I have seen 4 reactions to this news. Mad that a woman who got her start in a sex tape is taking roles from women who have worked hard to make it as an acress; dissapointed that Tyler now seems to be falling into the hollywood trap; shocked that after Kim's less than stellar performance in "Disaster Movie" that she's getting another chance to act; indifferent, most people don't care about her or Tyler Perry's work or will still see it anyone. I am indifferent. I respect Tyler Perry's work, love Madea, and have seen all of his movies and most of his plays. Say what you want about the quality of his work, the man hustles and works hard. He is making more money that veteran movie producers like Steven Spielberg. This post is not about Tyler as much as it's about Kim.

I think people are giving Kim too much credit. I think Kim is giving Kim too much credit. I respect the Kardashian hustle. They have a $65 million empire that probably isn't slowing down as long as Kris has breath in her body. She turned an embarassing sex tape, literally and figuritively, into a lucritive empire complete with every deal imaginable. Kim doesn't need to be an actress. She probably wants to legitimize herself. The number one rule in Hollywood is that if you're a reality star, tabloid star, girlfriend/baby mama of a well known person and you want to be respected, become an actress.

Kim is not starring in "The Marriage Counselor." I've seen the play, the assistant only gets a half hour of screen time at most. I doubt Kim's screentime exceeds 1/4 of the movie. Maybe Tyler will expand her scenes. But Jurnee Smollett is carrying the film. She has the title role. I admit I want to see how Kim does but I don't expect her to bomb. I think she'll have a few lines, will look cute in her outfits, make some faces and go home. That's it. I don't doubt that Kim will be promoting the film like she's starring in it and she will probably have her own poster because her name is marketable. It's like Beyonce in Cadillac Records, she promoted the film like she starred in it and she was on the poster, but she only appeared in the last few scenes of the movie and her screen time didn't exceed 20 minutes.

 Tyler Perry fans, relax. Kim will not make or break the movie. Jurnee Smollett will not make or break the movie. People are not coming to see Kim; they're coming because of the name Tyler Perry. The only name that will make or break the film is Tyler Perry.