Hello World! Well I know I'm a little tardy for the party, shout out to Kim Zolciak, but I just watched Gabrielle in Being Mary Jane! I love the show, the concept, and the fact that Gabrielle is the LEAD! So excited for her in particular because I've been waiting for her to get her shine.
The show is about a young lady by the name of Mary Jane who is an entertainment talk show host and has it all, the looks, education, money, success, and beauty. Despite all of her many accomplishments, her private life is in shambles. Her mother is ill, her niece is pregnant (AGAIN), she argues with other family members who constantly give her a hard time about financial needs, and her love life is a complete mess. Created by Mara Brock Akil, the new original BET series has received raving reviews!
BET is branching out and trying new things being that this is the network's first series and the first season will contain 8 episodes. So what did you all think? I loved it. The fact that Gabrielle is playing is a single black woman who experiences what most single black woman experience. What I do admire is that this story is not just the same old SOB STORY! Mary Jane wants a man but the ones she is dealing with cannot get their lives together. She also really wants a child, and that particular scene touched me (she was baking a cake for her niece's baby shower and looked at a tv show, seeing babies with their mothers and began to cry because her biological clock is ticking). That is what most black woman deal with. 42% of black woman have never been married and it's predominantly the successful Black woman who have no partners.
I love that this show cleverly provides that twist, opening up with simple statements such as "This is the story of a Black woman, but not every Black woman". This is a topic that is easy to disgust but difficult to solve because Black woman are constantly asking Where are the Black men who are DOING something positive and want a monogamous relationship, want to build a foundation at? It's a question that everyone wants to know the answer to and I feel like this show will have us on our couches looking for answers. But the twist that this show offers is that Mary Jane sleeps with one of her booty calls, saves the condom they used, and steals the sperm (freezing it for future use). Now that scene HAD ME AND MY LACEFRONT IN SHOCK! I was clutching my pearls lol! But seriously that scene was crazy because I immediately was fascinated with the length that she went to create the possibility of giving birth. I'm really feeling how we get to see a softer side of Gabrielle Union. She cries in scenes, talks to herself, confides in friends, and shows how Mary Jane is a human. I really like how refreshing this role is for her.
Also, I love how Mary Jane wanted to do a story on how Black woman are constantly told they are ugly and struggled with her Latina co-worker/friend to help her advocate for the story. There was a scene in which they were at work and debated over if Mary Jane should pursue the story or not. Her co-worker/friend told her how both of them were women of color and how Mary Jane would be labeled as the stereotypical angry Black woman if she kept pushing a story that was given the BIG NO a week ago. She also mentioned how as women of color they had to be careful with what they do so they won't be perceived a certain way. This will definitely cause discussion.
There is also a gay Black man in the show which adds another twist. He is close friends with Mary Jane. He is not the stereotypical gay Black man because at first glance his sexual preference is ambiguous. I assumed that he was one of her lovers but once I studied how they talked to each other, and his lover came to the forefront, I was like YASSSSS!!! LOL!
There is so much to discuss about this show! I feel like this will be a good run! Gabrielle is doing her thing! I'm proud because Kerry Washington opened the door with Scandal, Meagan Good followed with her tv-series Deception, and now Gabrielle has arrived with Being Mary Jane! It exciting to see Black actresses appear on the scene again. After watching Oprah's Next Chapter: African American Women in Hollywood and hearing Phylicia Rashad, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Oprah, and Alfre Woodard discuss their experiences with Hollywood; it gave me more joy to see Gabrielle develop her craft. All five women touched on light skin vs. dark skin, lack of acting roles, jealousy, support, success, and Gabrielle's honesty about her 'mean past' in a healthy fashion. It was a fantastic show.
It looks like we will have to wait until next year for more episodes of Being Mary Jane. I will definitely be tuned in, will you?
Share your thoughts and comments! What did you think of the show? Will it last? Are you excited to see Gabrielle in a new light? Why is it difficult for successful Black woman to find a Black man? Is Mary Jane pursuing perfection?
Hugs, kisses, and wishes!!!
