Matchmaking Failures & Online Dating Adventures: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 1 Episode 5 Recap…

Born Again Virgin Cast  TV One

Hello World,

I’ve tried online dating before and had mixed results. Through eHarmony, I met a gentlemanly attorney who actually lived within miles of my home but we had never crossed paths. While it wasn’t a love connection and we have both since married, he was probably best candidate I met online. Another guy I met through the same website gave me the creeps from jump. We met for dinner, and then he wanted me to get in his car and ride clear cross town to some spot where we would play adult games like at Dave & Buster’s or Top Golf. Mama didn’t raise no fool. I politely declined, shut down the date and sped home.

So on last night’s episode of “Born Again Virgin,” Jenna laments her online dating experience, particularly as she is trying to do it (online dating) while not doing it (having sex). It seems that all of the men profess to want “love and happiness” when they really want s.e.x. While Jenna and Kelly are checking out a dating website, Tara breezes in and announces she has a date with an Atlanta Hawks baller. And apparently, it’s her second baller. Jenna asks, “How did you meet another baller?” To which Tara responds, “I exist.” When she bends over in a tiny black leather skirt in front of them, her roommates see that her assets probably have something to do with it.

So Jenna decides to take a different approach to dating since the online method is getting her nowhere. She asks her hunky neighbor, the delectable Donovan, to set her up with one of his friends because “hot men travel in packs.” It’s clear that Jenna and Donovan are attracted to one another, but she doesn’t think and Donovan tacitly agrees that he can date her and respect her “born again” boundaries. Still the both of them agree to set up with one another with an attractive friend, and Donovan even volunteers to host the double date dinner party at his home. And he even agrees to cook for the group as he is a “lawyer by trade but a chef at heart.” Could he be even more perfect? A man who loves to cook and can do it well is a rare gem..

Ever the exhibitionist, Tara decides to take it up a notch and announces to her friends that she will pose nearly nude for Black Sweat magazine particularly as other more famous exhibitionists like K. Michelle and Amber Rose have posed for the magazine. Kelly is horrified and sets out to convince her friend that the magazine cover will hurt rather than help her career, not to mention her reputation.

Jenna, on the other hand, chooses a chubby girlfriend from college who is “really nice” to set up with Donovan. Before Brooke arrives at Donovan’s place, Jenna taste tests the menu for the evening as Donovan feeds her. Cue soft music in the background with Donovan’s suggestive words that “food can be so sensual,” and its clear that the two don’t need anyone else for a hot date. And then Brooke arrives. And she is no longer fat. And she is extra curvy. And that is one advantage that formerly chubby women have over naturally slim women. And I can say that since I was once chubby. Naturally slim women tend to be just that: slim. But when a chubby woman loses weight, she still has curves. Jenna, who looks like one of those naturally slim girls, is noticeably annoyed as Donovan and Brooke seem to hit it off.

Meanwhile, Kelly and Tara go through the drive through of a fast food spot where Kelly knows that she knows the pretty cashier but cannot remember where she knows her from. When Kelly tells the cashier that she knows her from somewhere cannot remember exactly where, the cashier conveniently pulls out an issue of Black Sweat magazine as she was on the cover of the magazine in 2012. She is flattered that she has a “fan” in Kelly. She turns to Tara and says “One cover does not a Kim Kardashian make.” It’s obvious that Kelly set up the encounter, but Tara is still not deterred from her plan of being a cover girl.

At Donovan’s dinner party, Brooke is impressed with his use of demitasse cups for coffee and crème fraîche for a blueberry tart he has made. But Jennatank pronounces him as “persnickety” and implies that he is gay. The evening gets worse when her date for the evening, Dejante arrives and addresses Jenna as “Shawty.” I actually like being referred to as “Shawty,” but that is another post for another day. Short and skinny and adorned in athletic gear complete with a baseball cap to the side, he simply does not compare to Donovan’s tall, dark and handsome which is exactly how Donovan wants it. Plus, he announces during dinner that he contracted two STDs from his previous ex-wives and is therefore celibate. When Brooke is not scared off by Jenna’s insinuations about Donovan, Jenna intentionally spills the blueberry tart on Brooke while making it look like an accident. After Brooke and Dejante leave, Donovan reveals that he was never really interested in Brooke but just went along with Jenna’s matchmaking experiment for her sake. He explains his lack of interest can be traced back to one thing: she is not Jenna. Awww…So obviously, they will be cooking up something other than food in future episodes…

When demonstrating what can happen to a career after posing nearly nude on a magazine cover doesn’t work, Kelly shows up at the actual magazine photo shoot. Tara is being treated like royalty including the photographer remembering her as a child star on a Mable’s Biscuit commercial. It is not until a long line of women wearing black bathing suits arrive as opposed to Tara’s white bathing suit made of “six pieces of string,” that she wonders what is the photographer’s vision for the shoot. In addition to the other women, she also discovers that mud will also be involved. Apparently, she will be atop a pile of muddy women. Even Tara realizes the concept is degrading and storms off with Kelly in tow.

So Jenna & Donovan are free to continue to explore their flirtation, Tara’s career and reputation are intact and Kelly helped….Remember that Shake N Bake commercial where the little girl says in a Southern drawl,  “And I helped?”

Yes, I’m a pop culture Ph.D.

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

3 Reasons Why We Should Trust the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit Instead of Bill Cosby, Josh Duggar & Jared Fogle

trio

In my Sesame Street voice, this post is brought to you by the number 3.

Hello World,

2015 is shaping up to be the worst year ever for three pop culture icons: Bill Cosby, Josh Duggar & Jared Fogle. And we still have four months left in the year…

These three have starred in a trifecta of sex scandals this year. A New York magazine cover photograph earlier this month featured 35 women who accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them over the years. But most damning of all was his own “admission in a newly released court record that he had obtained quaaludes to give young women with whom he wanted to have sex,” according to a New York Times article. And if admitting molesting young girls wasn’t enough, as of a few days ago, “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar, a married man, has now confirmed he is a cheater too. And he is no run-of-the-mill cheater who met some chick  at a T.J. Fridays or Applebee’s. It was confirmed a few days ago that he used the popular Ashley Madison, a website for cheating spouses. And if the scandals that are Bill Cosby and Josh Duggar weren’t enough, Jared Fogle, who became a spokesman for Subway after his inspiring story of losing over 200 pounds by eating the sandwiches, has now been accused of having sex with minors and receiving child porn!

These men are a ménage à trois of messy, a trio of trips, a triplicity of duplicity, a threesome of creeps, a troika of trolls,  a triad of tribulations, a trichotomy of tricks, a ternion of vermin, a trilogy of tragedy, essentially an unworthy triumvirate these three…allegedly…

1. Bill Cosby as Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable was once hailed as America’s favorite father, but as of this year, he has been knocked off of his pedestal, proving again the only perfect Father is Father God.

And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Matthew 23:9

2. Let some conservative Republicans tell it, Josh Duggar was the embodiment of the perfect son, but as of this year with 2 sex scandals and counting, the Truth is only one Son is worthy of worship. straight

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38

3. The obese nation that we are, Jared Fogle was an inspiration for countless Americans as he was able to lose 245 pounds and for the most part, keep it off. But the Subway guy in no way compares to the inspiration provided by the Holy Spirit if only we would seek His help.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The only perfect One is the triune Godhead, the only perfect Trinity…

Any thoughts?

Dying Alone & Other Single Lady Fears: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 1 Episode 4 Recap…

Hello World, Born Again Virgin Cast  TV One

Remember the single lady who was dead alone in her London apartment for three years before anyone found her? Her body was so badly decomposed that she could only be identified by her dental records. Amazingly, when she was found, the television was still on…As a single lady, when I heard that story, I understood how such a tragedy could take place…I mean this is an extreme example, but if someone is not close to their parents or other family members and doesn’t speak to their friends every day and or out of work, I can see how someone could be dead and or injured for at least 2 to 3 days alone at home without anyone realizing that person is missing. So dying alone and not having anybody even notice was one of my fears when I was a single lady although my mama called too much to let that happen…

So that was a long introduction to last night’s episode of “Born Again Virgin.” The show was titled “Slaying Your Dragons” and was about the fears that ladies, particularly single ladies, have. The episode begins with Jenna and Tara debating which one of them is brave enough to kill a humongous bug that has landed on the refrigerator. Confession: One of the perks of being married is not having to be on bug duty anymore. Men totally get into being the protector of the home against evil forces including bugs 🙂 Anywho as the women are scared to even get near the bug, Kelly comes into the kitchen and promptly uses a high heel shoe to smash the bug right on the refrigerator!

In the next scene, Jenna is at a coffee shop when she overhears two women discussing one of their favorite bloggers, a woman who is chronicling her journey as a celibate single woman. Obviously, Jenna thinks the women are discussing her until she continues to listen to them and realizes that another blogger actually had the same idea that she had. Finally, Jenna cannot stand the suspense of waiting for them to reveal the identity of the other celibate blogger and crashes their conversation, asking the identity of the celibate blogger. When the women oblige and show her the celibate blogger’s website Chaste & Chill with Chelsea, she is shocked because she realizes that she knows Chelsea and had even discussed the idea of her blog with her when they worked together at a life and style magazine!

Meanwhile, Tara, the actress, is excited about auditioning for a new part as a teenager, particularly a “promiscuous  young woman with Daddy issues” hence wearing a blonde wig styled into two ponytails. However, her ego is hurt when she discovers the director actually wants her to portray a mother in the production. That transition from being seen as a carefree, sexy single lady to being thought of as old enough to be someone’s mother when you are not is pretty scary. This realization happened to me when I started watching Empire…Check out my post “Why ‘Empire’ is Causing Me to Have a Midlife Crisis…” if you are interested in the specifics…

Kelly, the pr exec, is elated when she lands a huge account until her boss simultaneously praises and denigrates her! He tells her he is glad she is not married so that she can focus on her career and reveals that one of his fears is that someone will marry her and “put a baby in you” thereby decreasing her commitment to her job. Wow, the struggle is real for a woman who dares to have it all: a successful career, marriage and motherhood. Now, Kelly can no longer focus on her score at her job and instead focuses on the fact she has not scored so to speak in her personal life.

So what do single ladies do when suicide is not option and the “rainbow is enuf?” (My shout out to for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf  by  Ntozake Shange) Head to the club of course because as we all know a deejay can save your life (My shout out to the song Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life) Yes, as a woman of a particular age, my pop culture references go back to the ’70s and ’80s…hence my midlife crisis mentioned above…

tankWhile at the club, Jenna, who mistakenly took one of Tara’s valium pills instead of an aspirin she intended to take for her headache, is a complete mess. That mess is exacerbated when she runs into Chelsea, her blogger copycat. Instead of confronting Chelsea, who seems to be high on something as well, the women end up dancing together and making out while taking pictures of themselves to post on her social media accounts. During the girl on girl action, Chelsea reveals that she is not actually celibate and her blog is actually a lie. Tara attempts to ignore texts she receives from the production director as he is trying to convince her to take on the role of the mother. Worst of all, Kelly runs into an old boyfriend Andre, whom she broke up with, at the club. And not only does she run into him, he introduces her to his fiancée. Ouch. She attempts to forget about the run-in by dancing with another dude at the club. Her moves are impressive until she runs of the dance floor in tears as she is unable to dance away her heartbreak.

How does it all end? Because the show is only 30 minutes and has to wrap it pretty quickly.

The next day, Jenna discovers she has the video evidence to blow up her blogger copycat’s spot as she videotaped Chelsea’s confession without intending to do so. However, she doesn’t do so because she wants her blog to blow up on its own merit rather than by her tearing down other bloggers. Her fear (yes, back to the premise of this show) is that the risks she has taken in her career opting to be a blogger rather than having a traditional career won’t pay off. Somebody pass the offering plate because church was had in that moment…at least for me…

After shutting down the director’s requests to take the role of mother instead of the daughter, Tara decides to take the role thereby confronting her fear: aging as an actress and being invisible altogether. She takes off her blonde wig to reveal her hair: an adorable close-cropped cut at least to me. Long hair is seen as more youthful, but I’ve always loved a jazzy short cut. I’m not an actress, but I will say this. Not being seen as attractive as you age is a very real fear, particularly after you have children. I don’t know this firsthand as I’m not a mother, but I like what Kerry Washington from Scandal recently had to say about going back to her pre-baby body in Self magazine after having her first baby about a year ago. “My body is the site of a miracle now. I don’t want to be pre-miracle.”

Finally, Kelly meets with college sweetheart Andre after he realizes his club introduction to his fiancée may not have been the best timed introduction. During their conversation, she asks him why she wasn’t the one after she thought he was the one. Deep.  He couldn’t give her a clear, definitive answer except to say that he wasn’t ready to be married when they were together because he didn’t have a good job and blah, blah, blah. When he met his fiancée, he was in a different mindset with a good job. Over my years of being single, I noticed that again and again with men. They can date a slew of wonderful women who are all marriage material, but baby, if they are not ready, it’s best to keep it moving. Then all of a sudden, those men wake up one day and decide they are ready…I swear the next woman they date, who may not even be as wonderful as the women they previously dated, ends up being the one…So after the conversation is over, Kelly has to confront her fear of not finding love again after “The One” got away.

So there you have it: my recap of Season 1 Episode 4 of “Born Again Virgin.”

I liked this episode better than last week’s episode, but I’m still not feeling the characters the way I want to feel them. When I really love characters, whether on television or on film or in books, they feel real to me, like I’ve met them before or want to know them. I still see them as actors. I love the premise of the show because it is so counter cultural, but I need more depth to really immerse myself in their world. On the plus side, the women look like friends and are adorable.

What do you think?

Any thoughts?