Hello World,

I’m not going to be a hypocrite…I do watch “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” every season…Yes, I look forward to the rollicking ratchetness that is RHOA…But it not something that I brag about…And now that the Queen of RHOA aka NeNe Leakes is gone, I had wondered if there was a reason to watch at all this season…But the producers have done it again!!! They have found a way to get my eyeballs back on the screen. Kim Fields aka Tootie from “The Facts of Life” aka Regine from “Living Single” has joined the cast of RHOA for its latest season, which will debut on premiering Sunday, November 8 at 8/7c. If you are a ’70s baby, you know Kim Fields! She was one of the few people I saw on television who looked like me when I was growing up in the ’80s! Remember how cute she was whirling around the campus of Eastland School on her roller skates with her pressed pig tails and wide grin? And then in the ’90s, she was the lovable, wannabe bougie princess from the ghetto Regine on “Living Single?” And remember when Kim Fields was Nathan’s love interest on the Boyz II Men video for “On Bended Knee?” Most recently, she was a producer and lead director of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne.” And these are just a few of her accomplishments! So with a résumé like that, what does Kim Fields need with the ratchet RHOA?!!!

Kim Fields is also a friend to my blog! I interviewed her back in 2011 as she was promoting her Christmas television special “Holiday Love.” If you haven’t read the interview, please read “Check out Kim Fields in her TV Christmas Special ‘Holiday Love’ Airing on Christmas Day!!!” I asked her about how she became a Christian in Hollywood at age 14 and about being one of the few black people on television at that time particularly as a child star. But although she is a friend to this blog, and it was privilege to interview her, I have to be honest and say that I’m not sure if this show is the right move for her. First of all, reality TV has a way a ripping apart lives…If you don’t believe me, read my blog post “Why Mary Mary May Need To Get Off Reality TV…My Open Letter to Erica & Tina Campbell.” In the blog post, I referenced a New York Post article “Scott’s suicide reveals tragic side of city’s glitzy scene”  by Maureen Callahan in which she reported that, “over the franchise’s eight-year lifespan, 12 Real Housewives have filed for bankruptcy, one has been evicted on camera, several have battled substance-abuse issues, one couple has pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court, one husband has been indicted for fraud and identity theft, and one husband has committed suicide.” I’m not saying that these types of tragedies will happen to Kim Fields (who is happily married with two sons), but why would you take the chance? And as a Christian, I just don’t know how she is going to resist being pulled down by some of the attention-seeking antics of her cast mates. I’m not saying that Christians have to cloister themselves in the church never to interact with others but RHOA is a cesspool…

And finally, I’m somewhat disappointed that Kim Fields is not reppin’ for the sisters with locs anymore? When I met Kim Fields back in 2011, she had long, beautiful, blonde locs. And now from the promotional shots for season 8 of RHOA that I’ve seen, she is no longer wearing them. Before anyone gets nasty, I think how a woman wears her hair is a personal choice. However, the woman of RHOA are known for being pretty much “unbeweavable” if you get my point, and it would have been nice to see a woman rocking her natural hair on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”…It makes me wonder if Kim Fields did that just for the show…If that is the case, that just may be the harbinger of hell of what is to come this season…But I will be watching…Will you?

Any thoughts?

The post Why Is Tootie & Regine (aka Kim Fields) on Season 8 of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta?!!!’ appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

After today, Christmas is just two days away! Yay!

What is Christmas without holiday specials? One of my favorite actresses Kim Fields is back with another installment of “Holiday Love,” a Christmas program that debuted in 2010 and has been broadcast on television every Christmas season since then. Now, she is taking “Holiday Love” to the Internet. “Holiday Love: The Rebirth” is a new installment of the program. Here is a brief excerpt of what Fields said about the special in her interview with Rolling Out…

“Absolutely! I actually play myself and the film is centered around my pregnancy, the birth of Christ and the nativity. So the idea of us having a newborn right around that time inspired us. So basically my husband had the idea of what if we had me pregnant and I have this horrible dream that I’m directing a reality TV show called “Lifestyle of the Pregnant and Fabulous.”

So it’s a fictitious holiday special where the celebrities are brought together to compete to have their child be born on Christmas to be the baby in the nativity scene at the All Star Nativity Concert. So, comedian Gary Owens plays our producer who puts it all together and my husband plays his assistant. Debbie Morgan plays one of the contestants as a surrogate and there’s just lots of funny bits and pieces to the story.”

According to ABC News, the idea came to her when she discovered she was pregnant with her second child at 44 years old. (There is hope for us older brides!)

When the actress-director made the big announcement on the syndicated talk show “The Real” on July 31, she was shocked to see it go viral.

“It had such a big impact that we just started brainstorming,” Fields said of her and Morgan, a fellow actor. “We knew that I would still be pregnant by God’s grace and would deliver right before Christmas.”

And according to Us Weekly, she gave birth earlier this month – Dec. 3!

Fields and the Broadway actor named their new bundle of joy Quincy Xavier. He weighed in at 8 lbs., 8 oz. “We are so blessed and grateful to God for this newest gift to our family,” the couple tells Us.

“Holiday Love: The Rebirth” will air tonight at  8 p.m. EST on HOLIDAYLOVE.TV. Also, I interviewed Kim Fields previously on After the Altar Call…Below is a preview of the special…

Holiday Love Trailer from Ogden Bass on Vimeo.

Any thoughts?

P.S. Have you seen Queen Latifah perform “Christmas in Hollis” with D.M.C.? Check it out below…One of my all-time fave Christmas jams!!!

The post Kim Fields Celebrates Christmas in “Holiday Love” and HER NEW BABY!!! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Wow, in just THREE DAYS, a New Year will be here! To me it is no coincidence that the New Year follows our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Once we discover and rediscover our Savior, life can begin anew…and so that is where we are three days before 2012 commences…

As has become my custom, I like to take the time to reflect on my year here on After the Altar Call and remind me and you of my favorite posts for every month of the year…So if you have a few minutes, take this journey with me…

January 2011 – Remember our snowstorm earlier this year?! We in the A were hemmed up for nearly a week!!! I wonder what God has in store for us as far as weather is concerned this winter – Divine Hem Ups aka Atlanta Snowstorm 2011

February 2011 – Although I have lived in the A since I was six years old, I went to the Bronner Bros.  International Hair show for the first time in February, and I took you with me! If you haven’t been yet, you definitely need to check it out!  See for yourself why – Saturday in the A – Featuring the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show

March 2011 – I pondered what happens when your girls start getting married and you’re not. This is an issue that continues to evolve as other issues continue to emerge – What To Do When You Friends Get Married

April 2011 – I got it poppin’ on After the Altar Call after I posted my thoughts on Anthony David’s song “God Said.” Tribute to God or Jesus it was not in spite of the title…And David stopped by here to speak his piece making for a very interesting discussion of 31 comments – Controversy – Anthony David’s “God Said” video…

 May 2011 – I wrote a tribute to my mama that I’m proud of. I rewrote Proverbs 31 to describe my mama-girl Alice May – Alice May, It’s Your Day (Happy Mother’s Day to All Mothers)

June 2011 – I “spoke” publicly about my book for the first time…I still cannot believe that in less than two months I will have the published copy in my hands…Goose.bumps. – 2011 Faith & Fiction Retreat aka Debuting My New Book!!!

July 2011 – In July, after a few revisions, my book cover was released…I love it so…what do you think? – The Vision I Had in My Head Debuting My New Book Cover Woo Hoo!!!

August 2011 – I was blessed to interview Dr. Alveda King, niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and daughter of his King’s younger brother Rev. A.D. King, about her uncle and his dream the week that the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which is located on the national Mall, was to be officially dedicated…But God had other plans…A hurricane made it necessary to postpone the dedication to later in the year – Let Freedom Ring: Dr. Alveda King Remembers Her Uncle Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 September 2011 – In spite of the attack of the enemy, we are still here 10 years after September 11, 2001 – Remembering 9/11 10 Years Later…aka We Won’t Stop…

October 2011 – I never imagined when I began blogging in September 2008 that I would love blogging soooo much!!! And this year, I went to my first blogging convention where I was able to meet other bloggers who love it as much as I do – Be Blogalicious! 

November 2011 – My line sister Lola Brown, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor, was featured on 11 Alive and TheGrio.com. Her full testimony is also featured in my book – My Line Sister is a Two-Time Breast Cancer Survivor Under 40 Years Old

December 2011 – And I was so elated to interview Kim Fields (Tootie from “Facts of Life” and Regine from “Living Single” last week!!! And wasn’t “Holiday Love” great?! I hope it becomes a Christmas classic! – Check out Kim Fields in her TV Christmas special “Holiday Love” airing on Christmas Day!!!

Any thoughts?

The post Retrospect: 2011 in Posts…. appeared first on After the Altar Call.