Okay, first of all, I am a faithful viewer of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta", and in the first season, NeNe was the most appealing and lovable of all the ladies. She was funny, seemingly down to earth, and she was the housewife everyone wanted to get to know and hang out with, simply because of her bubbly personality and her no-nonsense persona. She was just REAL and we loved her for that! We also sympathized with her as she learned that the man she had always acknowledged as her biological father was not her real dad at all.
But as the second season dawned, the NeNe that we had come to love had evolved into another person - someone whose ego has inflated at least 10 times what it was last season to the point of being obnoxious, loud and just plain mean. This fact was totally evident as of late when she intigated a rowdy and childish argument with another cast member (Kandi Burruss) at a party over something that really wasn't all that important to her. I was wondering, just what is going on with her?? Why was she being so bitchy?? This is behavior by a grown woman who is supposed to be a socialite and old enough to know better. I still like NeNe, but she's not making that easy to do these days. She has regressed from being cool, fair-minded and witty to being nasty, bitter and downright juvenile. I have to conclude that her sudden fame as a reality show star is a contributing factor.
All of these things are evident in this new book by NeNe Leakes, which she didn't actually "write", but merely told to the real author, Denene Millner, what she wanted to say in it. She obviously thinks the sun rises and sets on her and she has nothing good to say about Kim, her castmate - who ironically was once her closest friend - and Sheree (whom she seems to now have an alliance with). Believe me, I am not a fan of Kim's either, but NeNe crosses the line here. There are some people who might say that this is not real, that we are taking it too seriously, that it is only an act for TV. But if that is so, then that would make NeNe far from being the "real" person she claims to be - making her nothing more than a poser. However, if it IS indeed truthful, then she seems to have forgotten that she is the one who started the feud with Kim last season by making fun of her. NeNe was the one most likely to stir things up amongst the other women on the show this season, and then stood back to view the carnage. It's perfectly okay for her to talk mess about others behind their backs, but if someone does it to her, then they're the ones who are wrong. She claims to have taken the high road and doesn't want to deal with drama, but yet she devotes entire chapters to how much she dislikes Kim and Sheree - therefore, keeping the drama going. Way to go, NeNe!
This book is a disappointment. I expected more from this sista who should be setting a positive example to young black women about how to conduct themselves, but instead she makes excuses to justify her actions. Just a note: Strong black women don't need to disrespect others to order to earn respect. Sad to say this, but NeNe seems to be a miserable and insecure woman who gets off on putting other people down in order to build herself up. She comes off as being nothing more than a hypocrite and it shows in her book. This book could have been inspirational and empowering about her upbringing, the abuse she endured, her search for the truth about her real father and how she went from being a stripper (yes, she admits it) to being amongst ATL's elite - but instead it is just catty and narcissistic. In the end, all I can do is feel sorry for her. If and when the old NeNe comes back, I will welcome her with open arms. But until then, I will steer clear. Spend your money elsewhere.
