(ThyBlackMan.com) Earlier this month, Mo’Nique was a guest on Steve, hosted by friend and fellow comedian/actor Steve Harvey. The interview featured a few laughs and personal conversation that sparked discussion afterward. A discussion about integrity vs. money.
The Mo’Nique Interview
So things started off fairly light. As a host, Mo’Nique is good but she shines as a guest. This woman never meets a beat and it will tie in later. After some friendly talk, things got serious. Steve directed the conversation towards Mo’Nique being blacklisted in Hollywood. As expected, what led to her being labeled as difficult.
This would lead to look into a private conversation between the two where Steve’s stance is he tried to explain how Mo’Nique could’ve handled the situation. Mo’Nique’s side was that she was defending
her integrity. She said she was hurt when Steve didn’t defend her and said on his show that she is basically her own worst enemy in this case.
Ultimately, it came down to how they have to play the game because they’re Black. That game is the money game, according to Steve. While she understands the rules of the game, Mo’Nique refuses to play it. That isn’t to say that Steve believes Mo’Nique is 100-percent wrong. He admits that what she spoke out about had truth to it but feels she went about it all wrong.
Basically, truth has no place in the money game. You need to be the most cooperative and marketable talent to make sure you get your bag. High principles aren’t going to get you paid. As a matter of fact, high principles are likely to result in you having a lighter wallet.
“Not Blackballed”
The discussion did raise some questions, mainly what was so egregious that her integrity was being tested to begin with. During the release of Precious, Mo’Nique was told to go overseas and promote the film. She would have to cover her expenses and travel during the press tour when she had other things going on: promotion in the States, her talk show The Mo’Nique Show, etc.
Since she was unable to do it, she “No.” That was really it. After Precious was applauded as a success, she upped her price—as white actors and actresses are wont to do when they or their film gets major awards or nominations. Remember, Precious racked in tens of millions and she took the role for $50,000 on a $10 million budget going in because Lee Daniels was a friend at the time.
So, Mo’Nique was deemed difficult and blocked out of some opportunities. Definitely a shame because she’s more than comedy, she’s really strong at dramatic performances. Maybe her comedy performances also mark her as a liability for future, mainstream work at the time. Even Eddie Murphy put the performances that brought him to the dance on the backburner when his star rose.
That’s a very soft “maybe.”
Today, you have plenty of comedians who go out, do film and TV then do their comedy specials. They don’t make any changes to their style and their audiences are bigger and, in some cases, more mixed. Come think of it, her comedy performances definitely attributed to her being further blackballed. There’s that “incident” from last year where she told Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry, and Oprah to “Suck my d***.”
That definitely sealed it at least with those three—even though she’d been in the dog house for years prior to that.
The Money Game vs. The Integrity Game
Steve and Mo’Nique’s back and forth on the game they have to play was interesting because it showed two sides of being a Black entertainer. They both had rising stars during the 1990s—which was a golden age for Black comedy.
There were a ton of sitcoms on TV with Black leads and a number of films popped up at this time. It made perfect sense as the 1990s became more edgy and risqué and that particular brand of Black comedy was a fit for media in that decade. A lot of the comedians who got shows or were cast on shows saw their stars start to rise because of TV opportunities and their live performances.
Then those stars rose to different levels and show business was different. It didn’t change, it was always like that, it is just a different level with different rules. Mo’Nique was getting roles but turning them down because the offers weren’t right considering she’s an Academy Award-winning actress and has been around for decades.
As a matter of fact, the Netflix boycott—which never really took off—had this as a point. Mo’Nique was being offered $500,000 for her special. That’s nothing to sneeze at but then Amy Schumer was offered $13 million. While Schumer is currently still a popular star, the difference in pay shouldn’t have been that extreme.
Steve’s approach to Mo’Nique’s issue was to play the game and secure her bag. Don’t rock the boat, don’t cause waves, just get your pay. Mo’Nique said this was now a matter of integrity. In discussion, there’s a split between believing Steve is right or believing Mo’Nique is right. One of the points made is that it’s about money but now it’s only about integrity because she wants to play the victim.
The game can be both. You can get your money and not grovel with your tail between your legs—depending on the industry and your status. Yes, there’s always fine print. Certain jobs and at certain places in life, it’s not wise to put your pride and integrity forward.
If you’ve got kids to feed and all this stuff to pay, maybe it’s not the best time to do that unless you’ve got something else lined up. Your kids might be proud that you walked it like you talked if you ever told them “Don’t let people look down on you and don’t accept just anything,” but children can’t eat pride.
The circumstances matter. In the case of Steve and Mo’Nique? Yeah, you can take that stance and choose a hill to die on. If you tell the truth, there are consequences to deal with good or bad. In the end people will remember those stances.
Kind of like how just like people will remember someone going behind another comedian’s back to try to get big roles because they’re about to go supernova. You know, because integrity has no place in the money game.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.
