Girl Fight: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 1 Episode 7 Recap

Born Again Virgin Cast  TV One

Hello World,

So admittedly, this recap is late as I normally post my recaps of “Born Again Virgin” on Thursday mornings! But when breaking news comes into play as it did last Thursday, I have to be prepared to roll with the punches so to speak. So please forgive me especially since it’s Sunday, and we’re going to church today 🙂 (You are going to church today, right?)

Considering the Floyd “Money” Mayweather fight last night, this episode goes right along with that as in this episode Kelly is excited about hosting a fight party! Apparently, the pr exec is known for her fight parties that feature her six-feet sub of “pure deliciousness” that she lovingly prepares herself.  Donovan, on the other hand, wants to compete with her by hosting his own fight party that features his popular crab dip. Remember Donovan can cook! But for the time being, he acquiesces to her desire to be the only one hosting the fight party.

While Kelly prepares for the party that evening, Jenna fights a mean case of “Writer’s Block.” She is supposed to churn out an article entitled “10 Things To Do On a Date Without Having Sex,” but the born again virgin is bereft of any ideas which I don’t understand. For the record, there are plenty of things to do on a date without having sex. Here are just a few off the top of my head – dinner and a movie, a day trip, dancing – none of these has to include sex to be fun.

Tara, who is usually self-centered, helps Kelly prepare for her fight party by vacuuming their place. But knowing her friend like she does, Kelly knows Tara is up to something and asks what she wants. She asks to borrow $100 for “womanscaping.” However, she becomes undone when she discovers that her waxing lady has gone on tour with Beyoncé and won’t be back for some time.

Between Jenna’s mean case of “Writer’s Block” and Tara’s missing Wax Lady, Kelly is incensed that the two won’t take the focus off of themselves for once and help her prepare for her fight party. As she cuts vegetables for the party and chews out her friends at the same time, she cuts a chunk out of one of her fingers and should go to a hospital emergency room. But that would mean she would have to cancel her fight party and she refuses to let her friends or Donovan win in their attempts, whether intentionally or not, to derail her plans.

Now that Jenna and Tara realize just how important this party is to Kelly, they decide to handle their own problems. First of all, Jenna takes a shower as Kelly has been asking her to do all day so that she can get ready for the party. As it turns out, she gets ideas for her article in the shower! I have found that anything with an “ing” at the end helps me to get ideas – whether it is showering, running, driving…Tara waxes herself. While her results are not as good as Jenna’s results, she gets it done. Now the two can focus on helping their friend, who has camouflaged her bandaged bleeding hand with a stylish boxing glove, host the fight party.

tankBut just when the fight is about to start and after Kelly party goers have begun chomping on her sub of “pure deliciousness,” she turns on the television to discover that nothing is on. Jenna forgot to pay the cable bill! Without the main course of the fight to devour, Kelly’s party is now a lost cause. Donovan, going in for the kill, suggests that everyone come over to his place where they can eat his crab dip AND watch the fight. Kelly, at this point, has no choice but to turn on her friends, accusing Jenna of sleeping with a whopping 50 guys (soooo that’s why she’s a born again virgin) and Tara of never having a real job! But the women find a way to end their fight as they watch “Mahogany” once their cable has been reactivated. They quote one of my favorite lines from the movie. “Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with.”

I believe the last two episodes of “Born Again Virgin” for this season will air this Wednesday, but according to Deadline.com, TV One has ordered another season of the show so the show will return early next year!

Any thoughts?

‘Pain in the Pews’ Conference Highlights Mental Health & Ministry This Saturday!

pain

Hello World,

C PayneI hope you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday weekend with your family and friends. I also celebrated my birthday yesterday, September 7, so this weekend was particularly fun! But now it’s time to get back to work and more serious topics. One serious topic that I want to address today on this blog is the intersection of mental health and ministry. If you are interested in these topics and live in the metro Atlanta area, “Pain in the Pews,” a conference dedicated to these topics, is a must-do event, and it is free! The conference will be held at Vision For Souls Family Worship Center Cathedral, 6519 Factory Shoals Road, Mableton, GA 30126 THIS Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please see my interview with Chelsealya Payne, who is the founder of PAYNE & Glory Inc., the organization that is hosting the conference.

1. What is the “Pain in the Pews” Conference about, and why did you decide to host it?

Simply, it is about topics that we want to discuss in our local churches, but often don’t get the opportunity to do so. It’s about opening up the dialogue that fuses together our faith in God and putting that faith in action to pursue help in a particular area. This is our 3rd PITP Conference. It is in no way “church bashing,” but rather showing how we can use our faith to overcome the “pain in the pews.”

2. Dr. Alduan Tartt, a noted psychologist, and Dr. LaTonya Powers, a noted pastor, are the featured speakers. What will each of them speak about during the conference?

Dr. Tartt will speak about “Letting Go of Relationship Pain.” Very important – so many people suffer from emotional and mental challenges that stem from their inability to know how to fully let go. Dr. Tartt is EXCELLENT in this area, and will give the participants a lot of “aha” moments. Pastor Powers will speak about “Pain in the Pews.” We often carry the same issue back home with us that we carried to church – the same mental challenges, the same emotional weight, the same guilt, shame and feeling of being stigmatized if I talk about “this.” Pastor Powers provides a down-to-earth spiritual wisdom that is sure to uplift us all. So, the two speakers together will do a dynamic job of showing how the spiritual and professional side are needed for complete healing – mind and spirit.

3. What do you hope people will receive from the conference?

One word – “Hope.” A small word with a powerful impact. I want people to walk away with a sense of hope that they can overcome and be healed from their issues. To have a understanding that hope is still there, waiting and available for them, and that someone really does care about them and what they are going through. Hope.

4. What is your own background in mental health and ministry, and how did you get involved in these two areas?

I have been wanting to host this for quite some time now. I’ve been in the church my entire life and have worked in some capacity or another most of my life. Over the years, I have come across many people that love the Lord, work in ministry but suffer from depression, anxiety, emotional distress, eating disorders, etc. Many of these people were people that were close to me, some were people that I admired in ministry, while others I heard or read about (after something tragic had happened as a result of their mental/emotional anguish). I wanted to create a platform where this topic is not stigmatized. Mental illness is just as important and should be addressed as fervently as any physical illness.

Yes, I actually do have my own personal testimony regarding mental health…but I won’t be sharing that until the conference. 🙂

5. Do you feel like the church, specifically the Black Church, has appropriately addressed mental health and ministry? Please explain your answer.

No, I don’t think so. I think that historically, we have been taught just to “pray about it” – which, I agree wholeheartedly that we should pray about everything. However, it cannot stop there. If Sister Mary comes and says that she is suffering from depression and having suicidal thoughts, prayer along with ensuring that Sister Mary gets professional help is what is going to help to heal her. If someone says I have a tightness in my chest and my left arm is going numb, we are certainly going to pray, but someone is going to/should say “you need to go see a doctor.” The same advice given to someone with a physical ailment should be given when someone has a mental or emotional issue. That is not always the case in the Black Church.

6. Tell me more about your non-profit organization PAYNE & Glory and its mission.

Our organization is designed to empower the total woman – mind, body and spirit. We host live and virtual events on topics from domestic violence awareness and prevention to health and wellness. Twice a year, we offer events that specific to teen young ladies. Our mission is to empower you to impact your future.

7. I read in your bio on your website that you are legally blind. How have you used your disability to inspire your ministry?

When people meet me, until I tell them, no one knows that I have a disability. I use it mainly to let people know that they do not have to allow their circumstances dictate who they are. I do a lot of what I do, like drive, because growing up, my parents didn’t put limitations or labels on me – so I adapted my life what I was taught (in a productive way) – instead of adjusted my life to fit my challenges.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We want people to come to this conference and receive every ounce of healing, strength, empowerment, inspiration and hope that they can carry with them!

Although the conference is free, advance registration is recommended as refreshments for attendees will be provided. Please register by clicking this link: eventbrite.com.

Any thoughts?

Does Technical Virginity Exist? : ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 1 Episode 6 Recap…

Hello World, Born Again Virgin Cast  TV One

Disclaimer: This episode of “Born Again Virgin” was a wee bit more risqué than previous episodes so if you are shy about sexual topics, please stop reading now.

This episode was aptly and euphemistically titled “Secret Garden” so that should give a huge hint as to the direction of this post. In this episode, Jenna’s followers have asked her if you can have oral sex and still be a virgin. First, she discusses the issue with her roommates Tara and Kelly. Tara believes that oral sex is simply foreplay, but then she jokingly accuses Jenna of trying to find a “loophole in the virginity clause.” As Jenna realizes she is unsettled on the matter, she decides to seek out an expert opinion and meets with a woman who calls herself “The Headmaster” as she teaches a class on oral sex. And this is where things get interesting if you love the ’90s like I do! Remember the white lady on “In Living Color,” the hilarious sketch comedy show that introduced us to comedic geniuses like Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx? Her name is Kelly Coffield Park (trivia sidebar: She was in my high school English’s teacher’s wedding according to him! Hi Mr. Stephens 🙂 ), and she portrays the

Kelly Coffield Park

“The Headmaster” in this episode. Obviously, their conversation, which Jenna is videotaping for her blog, goes over the top very fast! For example, the Headmaster says that “oral sex is today’s good night kiss” and takes out sex toys during their very public conversation in a restaurant. Well, alrighty then

Kelly is having an existential sex crisis of her own when her mother mistakenly texts her sexy i.e. naked pictures of herself. When Tara sees the pics, she notices two things: that Kelly will age well as her as her body is concerned and that someone else must have taken the pics because she sees Kelly’s mother’s hands. So not only is the naked thing irritating to Kelly, the fact that her mom has finally moved on after her father’s death is also troubling. So Kelly decides to visit Historic Grant Park where her mother lives to see what is going on up close and “in living color” so to speak.

Tara, who thinks she is the hottest roommate of the three, is insulted when after bringing her latest dude Bruce home, she realizes that he has already dated Jenna when they were in college. He refers to her as “Jenna & Juice,” and they laugh it up. By the way they interact, it is obvious that what went down is that they obviously got down when they were in college.

So after Jenna meets with the Headmaster, she decides to ask random strangers in a restaurant about their views on oral sex. They agree to discuss their views on camera, and their answers runs the gamut. She realizes that for some, there are different degrees of virginity similarly to different degrees of vegetarianism. For some vegetarians, eggs, for example, are okay but for others vegetarians, they are not. Jenna realizes that oral sex is not something she wants on her menu and decides to adhere to a more traditional view of virginity. What is your take?

tankWhen Kelly arrives at her mother’s house, she meets Rob i.e. her mom’s sexting partner and new live-in and much younger boyfriend! Kelly questions her mother about her boyfriend and being faithful to her deceased father (whom she was married to for 30 years) to which her mother replies, “If you want me to kiss your father, I would have to dig him up. And he wasn’t that good of a kisser when he was alive.” She also explains that after Kelly’s father died, she joined the church and got a hobby among other options she tried to keep her occupied, but none of the options kept her “warm at night.” Just uhhh…Who wants to hear all that from your mama?! When her mother leaves the room, she has some real talk with Rob, asking him if he a gold digger or truly interested in her mother. He tells her that wonders of wonders, he is actually interested in Kelly’s mother and that she will have to get used to it. Kelly’s mother also tells her that she is partly to blame for her new relationship as Kelly’s main form of communication with her is via text as she is busy pursuing her pr career and isn’t really there for her. Kelly realizes that she should spend more time with her mother even if now she has to share her with Rob.

After Jenna’s uncomfortable reunion with Bruce, Tara has some real talk of her own with Bruce about what actually happened with Jenna. She tells Bruce that she doesn’t understand how he can like sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie, and that black people only say they like pumpkin pie to appease their white friends. (It is true that black people, for the most part, eat sweet potato pie while white people seem to favor pumpkin pie. Why is that?) He is obviously confused until she explains that she is sweet potato pie and Jenna is pumpkin pie. He says that he actually likes both. But his answer does not satisfy Tara’s ego, and she decides she just cannot see a man who has seen her roommate naked.

At the end of the episode, Jenna, Kelly & Tara dish on oral sex, Kelly’s mama’s delicious new bae (before anyone else…So I learned what bae means in this episode!) and sweet potato pie versus pumpkin pie in the kitchen. Jenna’s mom, whom we find out is white (so maybe she really is pumpkin pie), discovers Jenna’s blog and is mortified. I’m predicting some mother-daughter interaction with them in future episodes. Kelly realizes that her and her mother have the same taste and had she met Rob first, she would have sampled him too. Ewwww….Tara creates a poster board which she posts pics of her previous boyfriends and Jenna’s previous boyfriends to find out if their paths have ever crossed before the Bruce revelation so that they can prevent future relationship reunions and break the bonds of Eskimo sisterhood.

Any thoughts?