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Mo'Nique Reminds Us She's Been 'Striking For Years' While Showing Support To WGA And SAG-AFTRA
Comedian Mo'Nique is voicing her opinions regarding the ongoing Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild union strikes, despite being allegedly blacklisted in the entertainment industry for years after advocating for equal wages.
The strikes started in early May after the WGA, which contained about 11,500 writers, decided to protest when their requests for higher wages and more residuals were unmet. A few months later, in July, the Screen Actors Guild union, also known as SAG-AFTRA, joined the movement when negotiations for more residual pay from streaming fell through.
Since the strikes began, many celebrities have come forward in support of the protest, such as Aisha Tyler, Jodie Turner-Smith, Yvonne Orji, and Vivica A. Fox, to name a few.
On July 19, Mo'Nique showed her solidarity on Instagram by recalling her past experiences of being shunned by influential people and companies simply for demanding more money due to her expertise in the field.
The various reasons why Mo'Nique was allegedly blackballed in the industry were because the star refused to promote the hit 2009 film Precious for no additional pay and her highly publicized discrimination lawsuit against Netflix.
Mo'Nique boycotted and sued Netflix for gender and racial bias in 2019 after the company offered her $500,000 for a comedy special. At the same time, other comedians like Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Amy Schumer received paychecks worth millions of dollars. The lawsuit between Mo'Nique and Netflix was ultimately settled last year for an undisclosed amount, and the actress has since released her stand-up special My Name Is Mo'Nique on the platform.
Mo'Nique's Resurfaced Viral Clip On Boycotting and Low Wages
In the post, which featured a compilation video of Mo'Nique's past interviews on Steve, TV One's NewsOneNow, and The View, the 55-year-old discussed why she was very adamant about standing her ground when it came to Netflix and refusing to take on any project that didn't pay her what she's worth.
In the 2019 Steve interview, Mo'Nique explained that she called for a Netflix boycott at the time because of the low compensation she was presented with.
"Inequality is devastating, and it's extreme. When people say, 'Mo'Nique, do you think calling a boycott was extreme?' You damn right. Isn't inequality extreme?" she said.
Further into the clip, Mo'Nique opened up about the adverse effects of calling out powerful people without getting support from her community.
"I got labeled as difficult because I said one word, and that was no. You called me with the morning show on the phone. I said to you, Steve [Harvey], my family is suffering behind this," she stated. "Y'all know I did nothing wrong. Y'all know my husband did nothing wrong. But none of y'all in real time was strong enough to go public."
In another interview with TV One's NewsOneNow, Mo'Nique provided insight into why she declined many roles that had what she considered lowball offers and how it could impact the future generation.
"It's not like I couldn't be on television or couldn't be back in the movies," she said. "But the offers didn't make sense, and we felt like if we continued to accept the offers coming in, what does that leave the little girl, who's not here yet."
Mo'Nique On Current WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strike
In addition to the compilation video, Mo'Nique shared a touching caption regarding her stance on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
The BMF star informed her fans that she supports the cause because she's been fighting about this for years, so much so that she and fellow actress Countess Vaughn are also suing to get their residual money from The Parkers, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
"Hey, my sweet babies. Folks keep asking me how I feel about the strike! As you can see from above, I've been verbally striking for years," she wrote. "But some of my brothers & sisters, as the video shows, have been striking me down for years. But, yes I support the WGA & SAG/AFTRA. That's why @Countessdvaughn & I filed a lawsuit to get our money from The Parkers!!!
@Countessdvaughn We are The Parkers!!!
I love us 4real!!!"
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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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