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Girlfriends: The Mirror Of Myself I See In Joan Clayton
The all-time best Black women show in the early 2000s defiantly goes to UPN's Girlfriends! If you weren't a confrontational Maya, maybe you were a materialistic Toni or a free spirit with no responsibilities Lynn or a super accomplished Joan. After the eight-season series relaunched on Netflix in October, I had to rewatch the series over to fully dissect their experiences–as a grown woman and not as a child (like I was back when it came out, and I shouldn't have been watching it).
I saw a bit of myself in all of the women on that show. I am the unapologetic spicy part of Maya, the comical aspect of Toni, and I am a Black bi-racial woman like Lynn; I know the struggle very well of not feeling Black enough. But the character that hits home the most was the mirrored perspective I seein Joan. She had such a big heart, but so little boundaries that she wasn't aware was dishonoring herself more than anything else. Here's what I mean by that.Joan was the prize and the problem.
Joan was every Black woman's goal; she was an accomplished lawyer, she rocked her natural curly fro hair like it was nobody's business, was stunningly beautiful from head to toe, and owned a home before 30–all by herself, no man needed! She was the muse, but she didn't know it. Countless times throughout the series, she has bent over backwards for almost every man stepping into her life.
Joan was a serial dater because she feared being alone and feared that she would be unable to have a family of her own because of her biological clock. One of her deepest insecurities was not being able to achieve her fairytale in the timeframe she saw for herself. She went from date to date with minimal breaks without seeing the necessity of reflecting on who and why she involved herself with the men she chose. As I was rewatching the series, I thought this woman is doing too much, and then I sat in my bed thinking, damn, that used to be me.
As women, we stretch ourselves too often, selling ourselves short and falling in love with potential and not thoroughly looking at what this partner can contribute to the partnership. Just like Joan, I didn't see the beauty in solitude or even understand how other people did; I just knew I had a void to be filled. I had long-time abandonment issues due to my biological father being in and out of my life, and I entertained countless amounts of the wrong people to fill that void.
But over the last two years, I learned that no one could fill that void; but me.
A love letter to my younger self.
If I could write a letter to my younger self, I'd embrace her tightly and tell her I see you trying, but you're putting all that energy in the wrong places. To experience a lasting long-term relationship, you will have to know your worth fully and hold others to the standards you put in place.
Once you know your worth, you're not afraid to be alone, you simply accept that you will be handing out a lot of no's because everyone doesn't deserve access to you.
During Charlamagne's interview with the Girlfriends cast, he asked all the women where they would see all the characters now based on their growth as individuals. Joan a.k.a. Tracee Ellis Ross mentioned she doesn't think Joan got married:
"I think Joan is happy in herself, I don't think she's had a child or gotten married, and I think it sets the example that the happy ending does not mean that you ride off with a man on a horse."
The bigger problem is how society perceives women's worth based on marriage and children and not for their individuality–as their male counterparts. Women are whole people, not just a fraction of a person on a man's arm; we have to hold other women and men that belittle women's worth based on their patriarchal views accountable.
I understand where Joan was coming from why she did what she did, but it's a toxic cycle, and she couldn't find meaningful love until she knew what she was looking for and not just accepting a bunch of nobodies masquerading as her somebody. There is beauty in solitude and digging deeper to know ourselves as women.
Self-reflection is a journey, not a destination, so if you're playing victim, throw that mindset out; you play a part in every relationship you involve yourself in–platonic or romantic.
Slow and steady wins the race; stop trying to jumpstart a super intimate relationship with someone that most likely doesn't even know your last name and is probably wearing a mask for the first six to twelve months of the relationship just to please you. Let people show you who they are; pay attention to how people treat you. Words are easy, but actions show you where someone's heart is.Partner or no partner, the most sacred relationship is with yourself. The most intimate relationship starts with you and ends with you.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissions@xonecole.com.
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Ajeé Buggam is a content writer and fashion designer from New York City and an alumna from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She specializes in writing about race, social injustice, relationships, feminism, entrepreneurship, and mental wellness. Check out her recent work at Notes To Self
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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