One Comedienne's Thoughts on Mo'Nique and Netflix

Keep up with Delo Brown on Twitter and Instagram at @KeepItOnTheDELO.

I’ve been hit with the “How do you feel about the Mo'Nique situation” question so much that all I have to do is make a face to give you the answer that you’re looking for. How do you think I feel? I am mad. I am not mad at Netflix. I am not mad at the Breakfast Club. I am not mad at TMZ. I am mad that the person I have looked up to since I was about 8-years-old has to fight for what has already been hers. The Queen of Comedy, the bad ass Nikki Parker, Precious' mother, still in 2018 had to fight for her own worth after being in the game for 20 plus years. Well I will be damned. What a time to be alive.

When I first heard, that Netflix offered her $500,000 I was like "Oh that’s a bit low." Once I heard what Dave, Chris and Amy were making, I was like "Oh that IS low." That is outrageous. This woman has paved the way for myself, Tiffany Haddish, Jess Hilarious and other black comediennes. Mo’Nique paved the way for the plus size, loud, darker skin woman to get in front of an audience and speak her truth. And after 20 years of doing just that she was offered a $500,000 check? BLASPHEMY! 

However, what makes me more upset is the backlash from the black community. The lack of support and the amount of “she’s not even that funny” or “when’s the last time she even did a special” or “that’s all she’s worth anyway”, the shit literally had me confused and in tears. 

You ever sit back and think about the many of times you’ve searched for jobs but never continued the application because the pay wasn’t worth your time? Or how you’ve gone through 3 stages of interviews and then they offer you not even half of what you expected and so you never accepted the job? Well yeah, this is parallel to that. The only difference is that Mo’Nique actually went back to the interviewer and told them what the fuck was good. I believe the backlash from the black community comes from cowards who've never been put in a position to actually have to stand up for themselves and remind people what they're worth. It's no way you can say you stand with black people or black women and not support our fellow black sister. She gracefully stated her issues with sexism and colorism and the underpayment that women of color receive in Hollywood. How can you be mad at that?

It makes me wonder will people ever feel or say the same about me? That I’m not worth more than $500k? I watch how people are so quick to turn on you these days if you’re not necessarily “hot” right now. Well let me say this, wouldn’t be no Delo Brown if it wasn’t for Ms. Nikki Parker. We owe a lot to our sister yet we turn our backs. Everyone wants to all of a sudden unite and be about black solidarity until it's time to be solid. We have to support our sister in her fight for her career and her rights as a black woman who is a pioneer in the comedic world.   

Mo'Nique is the voice we needed to hear. The sister who isn't afraid to take that bullet for us so that now we can be properly armed. As an artist, I want to say thank you to Mo'Nique and staying true to herself. And for my tap dancing uncle tom black folks that only like black people when they're quiet and minding their business, fuck you. 

LOVE,

DELO B