Tsk, tsk, tsk. Some of you all may remember celebrity jump-off-turned-best selling author, Karrine 'Superhead' Steffans, disgracefully covered the November '07 issue of Today's Black Woman magazine, a publication which prides itself on displaying and representing the positive and unique lifestyles of the African-American woman while providing advice and information on the subjects of love, sex and relationships for the contemporary Black woman, whether single, married, divorced, or leading an alternative lifestyle. Some folks (myself included) believe a woman of Steffans' caliber does not exude the magazine's creed. Especially when she's still living the same lifestyle she spoke about in her first book. Her tainted past and present history is something no credible urban media outlet should praise. Yeah, I said it. This is the same woman who flops into bed or drops to her knees for whatever celebrity is hot at the moment; she stayed under Ja Rule and Irv Gotti when Murder Inc. owned the music charts several years ago. Usher, Shaquille O'Neal, Jay-Z, Vin Diesel, Bobby Brown, Ray J. and an unidentified celebrity she refers to as 'Papa' in (Confessions of a Video Vixen) reputations were also contaminated (more than they were before) when they fell, purposefully or accidentally, into her web.
These days, she goes back and forth when discussing her relationships with celebrities such as Lil Wayne and Darius McCrary who have become, more or less her dual soul mates. Oh, and let's not forget the porn movies she starred in where she can be seen giving porn star, Mr. Marcus, (in g-rated terms), a 'snot-rag' procedure. But don't get me wrong, the men who willingly engaged in these festering sexual activities with her are as much to blame as she is. This woman is a habitual liar and should be immediately fitted for one of those white strappy jackets with the extra long sleeves and numerous buckles that make you hug yourself when you're wearing it. Yes, a strait jacket. And what really puts the lid on the jar is the fact that she's a mother raising a nine year old son. Therefore and thus and such, TBW editors had to have known that by placing her on the cover of their magazine, they'd be bombarded with upset readers who asked the same question: 'Why would you put a woman like her on the cover of a reputable and respectable Black magazine cover?'One irate reader said 'there should be a boycott of the magazine.' Adding, 'How could you be so irresponsible? You actually place that tramp in the position of representing today's Black women? If this was just a stunt on your part to drum up sales, it was a lowdown, dirty, cheap shot and you deserve to lose your job over it. You do not deserve another opportunity to speak for or represent Black women in any form or fashion. I, for one, will never buy another copy of your idiotic magazine.'
AFTER THE JUMP, READ MORE LETTERS FROM DISGRUNTLED READERS AS WELL AS READERS WHO SYMPATHIZE & DEFEND KARRINE'S BEHAVIOR.
Other readers referred to Steffans as 'plain and nasty,' adding, 'She is not the representation of today's black woman in my eyes. She is more like today's video 'ho' turned professional 'ho.'
Another reader said: Successful author Karrine Steffans appears on the cover of Today's Black Woman magazine. I have no problem with the former video-model-turned-author being on the cover. TBW signifies women who have achieved success despite the odds and the many obstacles that lay before them. Karrine has earned the distinction of being a cover girl. She went from being a video ho and jump-off to [being] a successful author who is now worth at least a million. Some of us try to pretend that there isn't a little bit of Karrine in all of us. I am regularly chastised for celebrating successful jump-offs when the truth is most of you would die to be in their shoes. The difference between you and them is courage and high self-esteem. It takes courage to make that leap from working for Uncle Sam to working independently towards your goal. And it takes high self-esteem to think you are better than most of the chickenheads who regularly vie for your target's attention. That's why chickenheads are so many and jump-offs are so few.
Instead of bashing the jump-offs, we should learn from them because there is more to jump-offs than just laying on their backs. Yes, I know lives and hearts are hurt in the process. But that's why God tests us--to make us stronger. There is nothing wrong with a woman using her God-given talents to make a better life for herself and her child. If Karrine's rags-to-riches story motivates even one young woman to achieve greatness, then isn't her cover story worth it.
--LJ
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"I would like to know how anyone could decide to put this person Karrine Steffans on the cover of a magazine called Today's Black Woman. Is this your way of saying all Black women are whores and this is how we should make our living and get ahead in life? Is this the model for how we should behave and what we should do to get our 15 minutes of fame? To put this person on the cover of a magazine entitled Today's Black Woman is not only an insult to all Black women in general but especially those of us who are professionals. I feel that any professional Black woman or any Black woman who has an ounce of common sense or pride in herself would never debase herself and buy this magazine again. Is this how you tell the next generation of young Black women to support themselves? They should all become video vixens, be called 'Superhead,' and be known for how many men they have slept with and/or performed oral sex on?
You should be ashamed of yourselves for promoting and encouraging this kind of indecent behavior. And then you wonder why other nationalities look down on African Americans. Funny thing is, I am not even American. I proudly let everyone know I am from the Caribbean and that African American women are stupid for even supporting this slut. Buy her book? For what? So she can laugh her way to the bank? Buying her book doesn't support you or me and I don't need to read the book to know who she had sex with. It's all online--for free. I feel sorry for African Americans as a whole, but especially the women, because if you can take pride in this and glorify these actions, you deserve to be called all the names that those rappers, whose music you love to dance to, call you."
--Katherine Gordon
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"I have no sympathy for any woman who lives this life and uses the raising of their child as an excuse. I am a single mom who has raised one daughter and have one to go. It was hard, but I did it and am doing it. My kids have never had to experience being poor, homeless or deprived of anything. I worked, went to college and got three degrees. Now, I am not trying to brag, just trying to say that if God can enable me to do all of that and raise two daughters, He will do it for anyone. We as women short change ourselves so much and we need to stop. We are mighty women and we need to walk in that victory. Karrine had self-esteem issues and she talks about that. She wasn't as strong at the time she was laying down letting men use her body for the taking. However, she claims to have risen above that. Now, if she would just keep Christ in her life, who knows what wonders He will allow her to perform."
--Angela Davis-Buford
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"Although most of my peers have rushed to judgment on Karrine Steffans, she is not a creature from another planet. The vitriolic name-calling that I've heard some sisters engage in when discussing this woman simply disgusts me. And, no, I am not endorsing her lifestyle or her behavior. What the Karrine Steffans' of the world do, however, in no way do I feel reflects me. Therefore, I am not threatened by it. Unfortunately, Black people have a tendency to obsess over what other people think of them based on the ugly and negative actions of people of their own kind. Once you start to think that way, you are doomed. Self-esteem means believing that your actions will speak for themselves. Just because one Black person is a thief, a liar, a murderer, a rapist or a woman of questionable reputation doesn't mean that we all are that way.
Karrine Steffans is much discussed in our community. As such, she is a controversial public figure, whose books, by the way, were probably bought mostly by Black women who simply wanted to be titillated by her tell-all stories about celebrities and then turn around to spit on her. But guess what? In doing so, they made her the newsworthy, magazine coverworthy, wealthy and famous personality she has become. I think we all need to take a deep look inside ourselves before we start pointing fingers elsewhere and reflect on the hypocrisy in our hearts before we begin to dehumanize another human being. 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.'"
--Grace Morrison
