Each week Politini gives you the scoop on why the headlines matter.
When we first heard the news break regarding the trailer for Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta stars Mimi Faust and Nikko’s sex tape we rolled our eyes. We were and remain a bit baffled about why so many people are in such a “faux outrage” over this supposed scandal.
Side Note: No one is fooled by the lighting, multiple camera angles, and positioning in this “home video”— if you listen closely you can probably hear the director yell “cut.”
Nonetheless, why do we have such pointed anger at two people who have clearly outlined their path to prosperity? We may not like it, but based on the amount of clicks the trailer has received this week—I’m sure their pockets will.
Here’s the thing: As Oprah has said, when people show you who they are, believe them. Black women, Mimi is not a mirror. Her decision to commodify her body is of no reflection on you. She is a reality star, not Clair Huxtable or Whitley Gilbert or any other televised ideal of black womanhood. Her pay is based on how utterly ridiculous and ratchet her and her co-stars can be and whether or not their extreme behavior can hold our ever-evaporating attention spans.
So, the question we ask is: Why y’all mad at Mimi?
Danielle and Aisha Moodie-Mills are executive producers and co-hosts of Politini, a weekly politics and pop culture show covering the personal side of politics every Thursday 8pm EST on Blis.Fm. Follow their musings at facebook.com/Politini, subscribe to their podcast, and visit them at www.politini.com.