Wow, wow, and wow. I didn’t think it would happen, but it looks like all the discord with Basketball Wives may be coming to a head. There is a petition circulating to have the show taken off the air, and there is rarely an episode that doesn’t end in a violent smack down. Bullying abounds. The women act like fools while preaching to their “friends” how they take the high road. Y’all know…you’ve seen it! Well, in a recent interview with TheDailyBeast.com, Tanya Young Williams of Basketball Wives:LA, shares her experience on the show…which she describes as hellish. While she says she’s never watched the original ladies of Miami, she reveals that her time working for Shed Media was horrific. Highlights of that interview are below, but you can read the whole thing here.
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My knowledge of the inner workings of Basketball Wives stems from my role as one, in the inaugural season of Basketball Wives LA. Though I was cautioned against participating in the series, my intention was to change the perception that wives of basketball players are flighty, overly emotional, and senselessly dramatic. I wanted to show interesting aspects of my life and also bring attention to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, for which I am a celebrity spokesperson. But as the proverb goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” And working on Basketball Wives was sheer hell.
Within weeks of taping Basketball Wives LA, there was a horrific fight between two cast members while we dined at a swanky Santa Monica restaurant…I was paralyzed by shock and anger. I sat motionless as the women fought over my head and producers worked to break up the melee. However, the cameramen never lost sight of their target: the fight. They captured every moment, from every angle. The footage was the guarantee the producers needed to bait their audience during teasers for the premiere of Basketball Wives LA. As the women pulled out pieces of weave, called each other names, tore each others’ clothing, and struck each other in the face, the producers struck ratings gold—and they knew it.
I oftentimes think that if VH1 and the production company that produces BBW would hire at least one African-American woman producer, with a legitimate say in the creative and editing process, there would be a heightened level of awareness and sensitivity to the images of black women they are broadcasting. Nevertheless, the producers…can’t force any cast member to throw a punch, toss a glass of water, or curse someone out. The women must take responsibility for their actions and the resulting consequences.
I shot Basketball Wives LA for months, including wonderful footage of my involvement with the domestic-violence hotline, an event at my home, a charity event for another cast member, and “normal” dining outings with the women. Yet I was only shown in two episodes. I was not only a threat because I would not belittle myself and simultaneously embarrass my mother, my daughters, and every black women in America, I was also a threat because I told the women that “no television show is worth fighting on and disgracing yourself for.” Despite the fact that legions of fans and supporters wrote to VH1 and on blogs of their desire to see a balanced show, which they felt that I represented, Shed Media decided that a “sophisticated” (their words not mine) woman like me didn’t fit into the new and evolving storylines (“storylines” in the same sentence with Basketball Wives sounds comical).
Basketball Wives is a valuable commodity to Shed Media and VH1. The women of Basketball Wives should start acting like professional businesswomen and less like tightly wound puppets and demand a balanced show. Working on Basketball Wives is a gig, not a career. If the women don’t want to lose paychecks due to the mounting boycotts, they had better stop fighting each other and join the raging battle against the network and the production company to eliminate the negative portrayal of women of color on Basketball Wives—before their 15 minutes of fame is up.
Again, I say wow. She is certainly articulate in portraying her point of view…I would have liked to see more of her on BBW:LA. I am so happy that Tanya wrote this editorial. She is able to express what I believe a lot of the viewers are feeling.
While Tanya is trying to better the programming on VH1, her Miami counterpart Evelyn Lozada is busy promoting her upcoming reality show with fiance Chad Ochocinco. As you know, Ev and Ocho will chronicle the couple’s trip down the aisle…provided they make it that far! In this week’s Life & Style, Evelyn tries on wedding gowns in anticipation of her big day, which she says will be shared with about 250 guests including Rhianna and Gisele Bundchen. I just don’t see this happening, but I have been wrong more times than not!
Of her dress, Evelyn says, “I want to look like a sex kitten walking down the aisle. I just want Chad to think, Sexy!”
Having the cameras rolling for her fairytale weddings will make planning even more stressful. Evelyn admits, “There’s extra pressure because you want everything to be perfect!” With another petition urging people not to tune into the spin-off, it may not be something she needs to worry about!
COMMENTS ON TANYA’S EDITORIAL? ARE YOU STILL WATCHING BBW? DO YOU CARE WHAT EVELYN’S WEDDING DRESS WILL LOOK LIKE?
