Reality shows have become the new career-recovery vehicle, especially in an age when former music channels prefer “real” drama to that relic once known as the music video. If you’re an artist and can’t get your clips into those Top 10 shows (which usually don’t even have the patience to play the full three minutes or so), your best shot is to sell out a piece of your personal life for a celebreality series. So now with Still Standing on BET, which premiered Tuesday night, Monica is treading the same path the pre=”the “>Osbournes and the late, lamented Lachey-Simpson marriage accidentally pioneered but many have tried to follow since.
Sadly, Monica’s show looks like it’ll go the way of those from MC Hammer and Coolio, which is to say, nowhere, really. The girl has grown up since her monster hits of the ’90s like “Don’t Take It Personal,” “Angel of Mine,” and that irresistible slice of pop heaven with Brandy, “The Boy Is Mine.” And it hasn’t always been easy, from a tumultuous public relationship with rapper C-Murder and another boyfriend’s suicide to single motherhood and a tough climb back up the charts. These days she’s pulled it together, is engaged to rapper Rocko, is looking for a comeback, and…well, being pulled-together is kinda boring, if the premiere is any indication. Her life consists of mostly doing her job, which in this case is recording her fifth studio album. Her voice sounds great as ever, and the bits of songs that we heard, particularly “Infinity,” seem promising, if not instantly hooky. But when she said there’s nothing worse than a boring video for a first single, I couldn’t help thinking: An unmemorable reality show isn’t much better. A whole scene about a fixer-upper house involving dialogue about water heaters and appliances? Love the lady, but I’ll skip the rest of the series.
What did you think, PopWatchers? Anything that made you want to keep watching Still Standing? Or will you just buy the album instead?
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…who the hell is “Monica”??
“It’s just one of those thangs, that a girl goes through, when I’m crazy insi-ide, don’t wanna take it out on you-ou.” Or something like that. Before Britney vs. Christina, there was Brandi vs. Monica!
…who the hell is “Barney”??
monica is hot star from the 90s but mostly she recognized by people who appreciates r&b/soul music .. unlike duh. barney (above)
First off, Give the woman a chance! Yea, I’ll watch another episode and most definitely buy her album. Good luck wit all your endeavors Mama!
I think it’s a very positve show and of course i love monica so i definetly will continue to watch this show.
i thought the show was actually pretty good. kudos to Monica for opening up her life to her fans. unlike the other celebreality shows, this one will focus more on the positives, rather than the negatives that life may bring.
her sons r adorable, rocko is a great father and partner. her family is so supportive, and im sure the fans cant wait til next week when they get another live preformance from monica at the end of her show.
this will be an exciting season to see if monica can claim her spot as the true R&B princess
I thought the show was a breath of fresh air. I’m sick of black woman fighting each other for ratings. Monica has opened doors for a lot of R&B singers. I will watch and record her show and buy her album. No one does it like MO!!!!!
OH Please, why must all reality shows swim with drama, Im lookin forward to the rest of the season….besides nothing more than a bad review from someone who just wants to be heard, rewrite you review….If you want drama, tune in to reruns of Keyshia Cole, Frankie&Neffe…..its time for something positive, but thats just my opinion like you gave yours……
Another thing, is it so wrong for a show to a woman, no matter the race taking care of her kids while she’s working, I tell ya! Monica Go head with your bad self!Mrs. Best was right”theres only one judge”
Tell me why yall hatin? lol
I watched the show and I enjoyed it. I’ve been following Monica’s music since way back in the day, and it’s interesting to see her life and the work that goes into her career. It’s also nice to see a black woman on reality tv that is self-made and is not cooning (Frankie and Neffe) or riding on the coattails of more successful men that she has been with (Tiny & Toya). I’ll be watching weekly.
I thought the show was great. Im glad she is getting noticed from just that one show. It shows me that people are paying attention. At the end of the day Monica did great cant wait to see it.
I agree that we are tired of seeing all these negative shows (the black ones and the white ones). Monica is my girl and has been since her first album. I was glad to see her being a MOTHER and not running all over the place acting a fool…cursing and drinking like no tomorrow. I wish her well on her new album and the show…Good to see you back Monica
My lord this is only the 1st episode…lol. She mentioned she witnessed her boyfriend commit suicide…doesn’t get anymore dramatic than that…but, she is showing how she survived it all. We need more positive role models…go ahead Monica!!
I would rather watch this,than Frankie and Neffie. She is boring though. Watching her in the studio all the time will get tiring. Only thing that kept me interested were her cute little boys. Love monica though,but she has always been dull and boring.
if you like monica you liked the show because you’re invested in HER. but it wasn’t that the show was boring, i thought the editing sucked. the scenes all ended kinda dangling abrupt. i’ll give it a 2nd peep.
Monica can sing and Im so happy she is in love at last seems like her past relationships really dragged her through the mud so im happy she’d happy. cute kids drama free show good music to come she’s back on top. I bet her exex feel like crap oh I forgot one shot himself the other is serving a life sentence and where the hell is yung Buck lol!
loved the show..its a breath of fresh air compared to that other ghetto messiness just went offf…monica is a true talent and it only gets better from here
Miss armstrong, you should be ashamed, finally a black reality show with some class and positive stuff and you are negative. Who died and left you queen.
I for one can say I LOVE the first episode of the show. Yes, im a fan of Monica and have been since day 1. I’m really looking forward to seeing her take on all this and still raise those babies!
Go Monica!!!
People need to stop!!! Monica has one of the best shows ever. We need more positive shows with less drama. Thank You Monica do your thing.. *TEAM MONICA*
See thats the problem with America now adays, if there aint no drama or fights/cussing/argument then something is boring. Its sooo sad that when someone is on showing positivity and a true part of their life then it has to be boring. Jennifer Armstrong you need to go and sit down somewhere. I will watch EVERY episode and each encore and MOST DEFINITELY buy the album.
I will do both. I found the show to be very inspiring and informative.
Well I am glad its not drama. MONICA and Rocko are already married. I just know it
. He seem like a really goooooooooooooooood father and supportive man. We need more men like him. See Monica smart she showing women that you can have a man that care about you and not ashamed of thw World knowin it! Go RocMO ;0
That show is so corny, and its not about it being positive, if she wants to preach she should become a gospel singer, If she wants to share her life, how about knowing how boring it is before putting it on TV? SHe is a nice girl but this show is horrible. BET is horrible.
I really like her show. I like the fact that it is showing up and coming artist that you have to fight to stay true to yourself. she said that she tried a new approach on her last album with pressure from record company that the first single had to be the up beat everytime the beat drops which I loved and it did’nt sell as many records as before. She is trying to get back to what she felt her fan based loved the most. It’s obvious now how hard it is to pick songs that you feel will work. Positive show love the family support. I will be watching and buying her next album. She is a strong singer with strong values and has come through a storm that would have discourged most. YOu go girl!!!!!!!!
I watched the show for the first time and thought it was very positive show in terms a young black woman showing a positive side to her. She truly loves her family. What bothered me though is that when she visited her doctor and told him she stopped taking her blood pressure meds, he just did not seemed alarmed and simply told her that her blood pressure is lower since her last visit. What he failed to tell her is that her bottom number is still very high at 90. She will eventually damamge her heart if and may even suffer a stroke it’s not controlled.