Entertainment

Reel-ality TV Talk

Published

11 years ago

July 20, 2015

By Marquesa LaDawn
NNPA Columnist

Autumn Veatch, the 16-year-old young lady who survived extreme odds when her grandparents’ small plane crashed last week en route from Montana to Washington state, credits reality TV with saving her life. Unfortunately, her grandparents didn’t make it. Autumn thanked her dad for forcing her to watch survivor shows with him because they taught her she would find civilization if she followed water – a tip that led to her survival – according to King5.

“She’s just an amazing kid,” David Veatch, her father, told reporters outside a hospital in Brewster, Wash. “There’s more to her than she knows. ‘Survivorman’ should be very proud of her,” he said, referring to the Discovery Channel show that chronicles Les Stroud as he travels alone through the wilderness.

Why does this excite me so much? I’ve heard time and time again, reality TV is fake, stupid, shameful and several other less than flattering adjectives. I will agree, some reality shows have no boundaries, but not all. Kinda like people. There are good men out there and bad ones.

I, too, have learned lessons from Reality TV. Heck, I realized I got frustrated easily after seeing a reality TV person with a similar vibe.

In my professional speaking circles, folks are impressed when they learn that I’m a syndicated columnist. But when I tell them I write about reality TV, they grow silent.

This reminds me of The Real Housewives of NY. In one episode, I learn about friendship, communication skills (good and bad) and dealing with the loss of big love.

Heck in this week’s episode, the real personalities were front and center. Ramona, needs attention, even when it makes no sense. Dorinda, the newest housewife, is loony with liquor and extremely emotional.

Then all hell breaks loose, one group of ladies hangout all night, the others, turn in.

Next morning, there’s a naked man in the bed, in the adjoining room near Heather. She freaks out, loses it and rips the partying girls into pieces for being so immature.

This argument takes on a life of its own! Luanne, normally the diplomatic one, lost it.

Her words: If I want to bring a man home I can! Yep, you can, but put him near you or better yet, with you.

Okay, so a question for you? Do you think you were spoiled as a kid? I was and loved every minute. However, I can see how that can mess you up. This exact situation played out on The Real Housewives of the OC; Vicki’s mother is very ill, so I will give her break, this time.

Now, I do not feel the same way about Lisa, on Married To Medicine, who loses control when it comes to her husband. Clearly, he has a cheating past that would make any woman crazy. Heck, a stripper shared unwanted information that her husband is a regular visitor to the strip club and Lisa did not take the news well. She’s haunted by her husbands, you know.

One more life lesson that proves reality TV can be good for you comes from the Braxton’s reality show. It’s no secret that the sisters are struggling to get along. The tension is so thick, you could cut it. But, they were smart enough to bring in Bishop TD Jakes to help with their family issues. Boy, did he live up to his reputation; he gave the sisters a reality check and called them spoiled. Let’s face it. Only he could get away with that one. But I was true and that was the lesson.

Bottom line: Stop dissing reality TV because it may save your life. Just ask crash survivor Autumn Veatch.

Marquesa LaDawn is a professional businesswoman who escapes the pressures of living in New York City by retreating into the real world of reality TV. Follow me on twitter @realityshowgirl and subscribe to her podcast at www.RealitytvGirl.com.

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Related Topics:Marquesa LaDawn Reality Show Girl Reality TV Girl reality tv shows Reel-ality TV Talk RHONY RHOOC

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

Published

1 week ago

October 4, 2026

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Business

From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”