By now we’ve all heard about Mo’Nique’s plea to boycott Netflix.
Before I launch into my take on the situation, let me first say that I applaud sis for standing up
for herself. As women, we live in a world that tells us to be invisible; not to speak too loudly. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard someone say, “yeah, she (insert name of beautiful woman here) should just stand there and be pretty.” It takes a lot of courage to stand on your convictions and be unafraid and speak your mind. So, for that I give her a standing ovation.
On the other hand …
I think Mo’Nique has missed the mark because she apparently has failed to understand a few things.
- It’s all about the money.
Mo’Nique is asking a people who will never see a half million dollars in their lifetime to boycott Netflix for not paying her the same amount of money. To the average, working class person, that’s life changing money so we really can’t identify with her turning down that check. Not to mention, most people are either too broke or too cheap to have their own Netflix account and are therefore piggybacking off a relative’s log in, so there really isn’t a financial investment coming from the consumer’s end.
- Knowing your Worth?
Mo’Nique has clearly been able to quantify her worth in her mind. What she hasn’t done, however, is much in the public eye lately to demonstrate that her vision is worth good old physical currency. Hell, I’m worth all of the money in the Federal Reserve to me, but unfortunately for the both of us, we have to put the work in every day to build enough loyalty with an audience to demand this kind of money. I’m not saying that she isn’t worth it, but I haven’t seen Mo’Nique since she was on TV complaining about “Oprah n nem” and let’s just say that wasn’t her best moment.
- Starting Over
While I haven’t seen Mo’Nique in a while, one can’t deny her body of work (especially that retched, swine of a whore she played in the movie Precious). But sometimes, when we haven’t been practicing our craft for a bit, we have to take a step back to take one forward. The climb is a bitch and I can attest to working so hard that you burn yourself out and have to take a break. But once that battery gets put back in your back, you can’t be upset when your audience has moved on to whatever else is bubbling. You just have to take the L, get back on the horse, and ride that bitch to the mountaintop.
- The Real Deal
Lastly, and I think most importantly, sometimes we don’t have to say something is riding on our spirits for it to be apparent. Call it angry, an attitude problem, or just plain bitter, sometimes it’s not our words, but the way we speak, communicate, or bend our faces that tells the real story. I’m watching this sister articulate herself and couldn’t help but feel the anger, pain, and slight sense of entitlement behind the words she was speaking. Her outer appearance was poised and confident, but I could see the fire burning behind her eyes. This is the most important lesson for me in all of this because it’s a reminder to make sure my intentions are pure and that I’m speaking, acting, and behaving from a place of honesty and truth, not just pure negative emotion.
All in all, I feel for Mo’Nique. I can understand exact how she’s feeling, but I think it’s time for her to pull up at the table and eat a slice of humble pie. It tastes like shit going down, but I think she’ll be better for it.
On another note, the sad part is that even if people were on her side, this Netflix boycott would last a smooth two days until a new binge worthy show came on (see also, Shea Moisture, the NFL, Dove, and H&M).
IJS
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