After petitions and lost sponsorship, Shaunie O’Neal pulls the usual soon to be broken promise of a more positive Basketball Wives.
By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
I’m tired of Shaunie O’Neal. She’s a liar, a phony Executive Producer, and a woman who doesn’t have the courage to walk away from a bad thing that has completely embarrassed every woman of color at the hands of VH1.
The original plan for Basketball Wives was to positively show the lives of women who were involved with professional athletes. But the video footage of launching businesses, supporting charities, true friendship and sisterhood never happened. In fact, we got the complete opposite; with childish behavior and disgusting scenes of violence involving former close friends and tossed dishes and wine bottles.
Where did the show go wrong? Easy, there wasn’t any black woman of influence, except Shaunie’s undeserved and imaginary role as an “Executive Producer,” which really turned out to be some fancy title given with no real authority from the network. The positivity never came because no real black woman runs the show. Shaunie and her hoodrat crew are nothing more than the typical network puppets, who must suffer backlash for something they had no real say in.
Last week, even a former cast-mate spoke out on the show’s lack of authenticity and scripted chaos, while Tami Roman hinted herself on Twitter that she is only playing a role that was expected and perhaps asked of her.
Despite any of this, Shaunie refuses to walk away. But to calm the waters, she again promises a more positive Basketball Wives, like she always does when she angers too many people. I guess Shaunie would rather line her pockets than fix her image of a modern day Pimptress, signing on women of color to look like complete fools on national television.
At the recent taping of the reunion show for the fourth season of Basketball Wives, Shaunie does what she does best, lie:
I think as a producer and also a cast member, we hear it. We know what’s going on. Me, myself..it’s really a personal struggle for me because I’m not one to fight. I’m not perfect by any means. I’ll get mad. I’ve seen myself on the show get upset and get out of character. I think that us as cast members, we kinda use this show as a mirror. There’s things that we see about ourselves that we like, that we don’t like. And it’s a work in progress, it’s a change. I feel that all these ladies, I hope I’m speaking for them correctly…I feel that all of them take responsibility for what their actions are. Sometimes after, you’re like “Wow, I really shouldn’t have gone there. I really shouldn’t have done that.” We take responsibility. And after talking and seeing ourselves this season…this season was bananas…it definitely was a lot more bad than good and even when we did have the good, the bad seemed to out weigh it. We did have some good. We had Tami and Evelyn with the mammograms and my daughter’s birthday and things like that that were positive. But we had some rough spots. But we take responsiblity. I’m one person in a room full of many, and I’ve really tried to just preach the whole ‘let’s get some balance.’ And now I think that my voice is being resonated and Shed Media and VH1 have heard me, have heard what I’m saying and we’re all on the same page. We’re all on this page of getting some balance and getting some good and positive content. I’m stepping out here again to be the spokesperson, the advocate along with my partners to say that we’re gonna do our best, you know moving forward, to show you some better content, some more positive, intelligent women, you know. We got our act together.
I for one have heard it all before. But with the heat coming from Black Hollywood, Social Media, and declining viewership, do you think that perhaps Shaunie could be telling the truth this time?
Tell us what you think.
Oh please Shaunie! I just want you and all the other Basketball Baby Mommas, ex wives, and jump offs to just go away already. No, you won’t make it more positive. You just hope we’ll be silenced until something else stupid pops off next season. I’m so tired of everyone making a buck off of black women.
So the show is coming back for another season? Why?!
Now Shaunie, you are starting to behave like the true cartoon character you look like. Don’t make this so easy. PS…use those nostrils and fly away to Never-Land.
I agree with Gia, if any of them had any self respect left they would just walk away from the show. When reality tv becomes negative, it ruins the lives of all those involved. The entire franchise should be scrapped.
So how long is Shaunie going to keep this “Executive Producer” charade going?! Girl we all know you have no say so! Sat down!
Everyone thought Shaq was downgrading when he divorced Shaunie and started messing with Hoopz. Now we all see he in fact, upgraded. Didn’t take too long to see that a Flava Flav concubine has more class than BBW pimptress Shaunie O’Neal.
The easiest way to get rid of the show is to not watch it! That simple. You don’t need a petition, hateful blog comments, or to tweet them ratchet tweets. Just stop watching the show! But don’t complain then watch. Because then you’re part of the problem.
The petition actually launched the movement that we needed to start the boycott of BBW. Believe it or not, by using the social networks to tell these women how we feel about their behavior on the show, a lot of things are happening. I see your point, but I think all of these tactics help to a large extent. There is nothing wrong with creating petitions and being vocal.
I need all these birds to fly away. Pronto.
I hope no one buys any of this. The show will not get better. It has already caused enough issues for women of color and must be taken off the air. Stop supporting these greedy heifers. They need real jobs.