What I Learned From The Viral Karen Civil & Jessie Woo Debacle
By now I'm sure you've heard about the viral story surrounding digital marketing and media strategist Karen Civil and comedian, influencer, and media personality Jessie Woo. If not, I'll give you a quick recap.
Things got tense when Jessie Woo claimed that Karen Civil "pretended" to book her for an event in order to "obtain personal information" and serve her with "an extortion case for the sum of three million dollars at the fake booking and had it recorded it order to pass the video around the industry with the goal to embarrass and intimidate" her. Then, things began to spiral even more into a frenzy when Karen Civil responded via the Clubhouse app, stating that Jessie is just looking for attention and has been publicly defaming her for months, which was her reasoning for the defamation suit. During this conversation, an artist and popular media personality also weighed in sharing that Karen had committed wrongful acts toward them as well.
During this conversation, an artist and popular media personality also weighed in sharing that Karen had committed wrongful acts toward them as well.
To be honest, when this story initially dropped I was hoping it was released in error. Karen Civil has worked with notable artists, politicians, and more. She's someone I've followed for years, and dare I say, even looked up to. And although I was introduced to Jessie Woo more recently, I've grown to truly enjoy her content and music. In case you didn't know, sis can SING.
Karen Civil lost a lawsuit to Jessie Woo & owes her a more than a few bags 💰💰💰 after trying to extort Jessie & hinder future developments and earning in the industry. Good for her ass!! Talking all that Haitian empowerment crap when behind the scenes you the opposite.
— 🇭🇹👑 Pash (@AlwaysPash) September 16, 2021
It's truly unfortunate to see two Haitian, talented, and creative women at odds so publically, yet here we are. While I'm still not sure who is right or wrong in this situation, I can say, the whole debacle has taught me a few things.
1. "There’s No Friends In the Industry"
Nah, I have to disagree with Drake on that one. I have a few friends in the industry. But, what I mean by that is, it's important not to confuse business and networking relationships with true friendship. If these women had genuine camaraderie, a conversation would have occurred before things escalated to this level. Remember, just because you share similar interests with someone, that does not always equate to friendship.
2. Your Reputation Will Always Follow You
Cam'ron, Jessie Woo and other people have been warning people about Karen Civil for years, but because she aligned herself up with people like the game and Nicki Minaj or people just didnt like some of her accusers she got off easy. Now Joyner Lucas and Jason Lee speaking...😳 pic.twitter.com/UeKr8pQEca
— Tae Tae (@4everTae) September 18, 2021
One of my favorite Maya Angelou quotes says, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." We're all going to make mistakes and maybe even do or say things we shouldn't. But, when actions are taken that cause others to question your integrity, that is when situations become more complicated. Even when stuff is falling apart, make sure your character remains intact.
3. People Can’t Take Away Your Work
No matter anyone's personal feelings toward you, one thing people can't take away is your work ethic. By not putting your best foot forth professionally, you leave yourself open to business and personal scrutiny. But, when you put time and effort into your skill, your work will continue to thrive even through personal adversity and shortcomings.
I hope both women are able to resolve their issues or at least keep it off the internet. To learn more about the Karen Civil and Jessie Woo debacle, check outThe Grio.
Featured image via Getty Images
Kirby Carroll grew up in VA but now calls Atlanta, GA home. She has a passion for creating content and helping brands grow through storytelling and public relations. When not immersed in work, you can find her sipping a mimosa at brunch or bingeing a new TV drama on Netflix. Keep up with her on social media at @askKirbyCarroll.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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Featured image by Stephen Zeigler/Getty Images
