Rihanna - Talk that Talk

 

Oh Rih-Rih..

The interview everyone has been looking forward to finally came.. and went. I made sure I did whatever needed to be done for the day so that I can watch my Sunday night line-up without interruption. You would've thought I was getting quizzed on what I was watching. I had my bottle of water, notepad, and chocolate icee on hand and ready for Oprah. And so it began... 

Don't you remember singing along to "Pon de Replay" , not even realizing you were looking at our generation's next big thing? It's easy to forget that Rihanna is so young; we're the same age. She's so accomplished and well known that we don't stop to wonder who she is behind the music... where's VH1?!

I will say that I am a fan of Rihanna, but I'm not as obsessed with her as I am with certain other celebrities *cough, cough* (Alicia Keys).. anyway, I was just as interested to watch Rihanna sit down with Oprah. From the moment the interview started, it was clear that Barbados is the place she feels most at ease-- That was refreshing to see. Even with all of the money and notoriety she has, she is most at peace when she is in her home town. 

Rihanna looked very relaxed during the interview, and from the start you knew you were about to get to know her a little better. She described being idolized and the fear of the pedestal that comes with fame. I'm not famous yet, but I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to know you can be held responsible for your influence on the lives of people you don't even know. It's hard enough being a big sister and knowing you have to set a good example for your younger siblings.. but talk about pressure! People are always quick to judge Rihanna and say she needs help because she's always taking pictures partying and drinking.. but guess what.. she's doing the same thing most people her age are doing anyway. I commend her for at least taking the time to try to enjoy her youth.

The part when she began to talk about her "Gran-Gran Dolly" was really sad. It's obvious that her relationship with her grandmother was very special to her. When she began to cry, it humanized who she really is. She has feelings that her tough girl image doesn't let us see.. and I appreciated her sincerity. 

Obviously the highlight of this interview was revolved around the Chris Brown situation. I thought she might try beating around the bush and she didn't. It's easy to judge a relationship from the outside when you don't know what is going on. She wanted people to want to help him during that time, but she knew no one was going to. Rightfully so, she said she was angry and in a dark place for a while after the incident. These situations aren't easy when you're just common folk, imagine trying to move past something in your life but constantly having to address it. Poor Rice Krispie, (Chris's current girlfriend) is probably mad as hell about this interview. No matter how you want to put it, Rihanna and Chris will always love each other... that doesn't mean they're meant for each other. It is what it is-- Young love is not always innocent. 

Rihanna then took us on a tour of her hometown, where she was just Robyn. Everyone was excited to see her and she was happy to stop and talk to them. Humility is an honorable thing, and even if you may not like her as an artist, she deserves respect just for that. I found it hilarious when she went to her old house and asked to walk through it. If that was me I would've been on the phone in my living room like "yea girl, not doing much today.. just have Oprah and Rihanna walkin around the place.. the usual." 

The interview was overall very raw, and very real. At the end, she surprised her mother with a house and before that, let us know that the situation with Chris strengthened her relationship with her father. Sometimes we don't realize that behind every bad thing, something good can come out of it. I hope that after this interview people will let it rest. We got what we wanted. She spoke about Chris and admitted to still loving him and it being awkward when they're around each other. It happens to the best of us. She is no different than we are.. and I think that's what she was showing us.. without even trying.. just being Robyn. 

Until next time.. 

Ask no questions, hear no lies?

A very interesting conversation on twitter sparked up this morning, and it is something worth blogging about. It all stemmed around the question, "is omitting the truth considered lying?" Well, ladies and gents, this is my opinion... 

I'm not a liar, but I will knowingly omit certain things from certain conversations. It's more because I don't think it's your business rather than me hiding something from you. We've all done it. Your mom asks, "where were you?", your response is "After class I went to get something to eat with Julie and did laundry." You clearly skipped the part that while you were doing laundry your boo thang was laying in your room watching a movie with you... but she doesn't have to know that... right?

So did you just lie to your mom? (enter surprised face here) 

Another example is if your significant other goes to a party and when you ask them about it they fail to mention that their ex was there.. did they lie to you? See, I'm not one to ask questions in the first place-- to anyone. One of my biggest pet peeves is to be asked more than two or three questions (that's pushing it) during a conversation. I feel like if I want to tell you something, I'd tell you without having you grill me like some criminal. 

If you are purposely omitting something from a conversation that means you are hiding something. For the most part, I don't have anything to hide so if I'm not telling you something it's for a reason. I will tell you that if one of the few times I do decide to ask you a question and you know why I'm asking you, but you fail to include the information.. my trust in you has officially been jeopardized. 

Now, we all have different reasons for keeping things from someone. Just remember that the quote "everything that is done in the dark will come to light" is nothing less than the truth. It's usually best for people to find out certain things straight from the source than from someone else... that will cause a whole kind of unnecessary problem. 

Until next time.. 

Cheater's Delight

 

I don't even know where to begin with this post. This conversation is one that I hear over and over again. We've heard about it in the news; celebrities and us regular folk alike. 

"She's a home-wrecker."

After time to process everything I've seen, read, and heard.. I've come to a realization -- there is no such thing as a home-wrecker.

You may be wondering what kind of idiotic conclusion this is... Of course there are women who throw themselves on men who are married or in committed relationships. They flirt, wink, show a little leg.. even that corny little laugh where she'll playfully nudge him just to get a chance to touch him and see his reaction. This is all an obvious attempt to see how interested the man is in her. As women, we often throw subtle, and sometimes not so subtle hints at men letting them know we're into them. Whether we are doing it intentionally or not, we are sending them a message.. I want you. 

In my opinion this doesn't necessarily separate one woman from the other. Flirting is basically human nature for both sexes. Fighting temptation is the battle. People are quick to judge the Alicia's, Angelina's, and Gabrielle's without knowing the full situation. Although some people do just cheat for the hell of it, the thrill, if you must.. others will stray away from their relationships because they are no longer happy within that relationship. No one forces anyone to have an affair, not only a physical, but an emotional one. 

I'm not here condoning a cheater, or a woman who is deliberately trying to take a man from another woman. Anyone who chooses to give in to that temptation is solely responsible for their actions. You can have all of the temptation in the world it is up to you and ONLY you to choose what it is you want to do. You have the power to say no, or even avoid the situation getting too far. Everyone is quick to blame the "home-wrecker" but very few put blame on the person who chooses to leave the relationship. This leaves the woman with the Scarlet letter pinned to her chest all of her life, whether she stays with this man or not, while he gets a "get out of jail free" card. 

I know there are some of you who disagree, and that's perfectly fine. This is always going to be a debatable topic. I just felt that we need to focus more on what's in front of us rather than what we want others to believe. Neither person is a victim here. As conscious adults, the decision to participate in these actions is mutual. Any self respecting person who flirts and doesn't get the response they want, will stop. It only continues to build up if the other person allows it to. That being said, now how about you just don't cheat. Make the conscious decision to either work on your relationship or get out of it.. that way no one cheats and no one wrecks a home. Simple. 

Until next time.