Hi Friends,
It’s me, Sister Indica – your homegirl for LIFE! I’m back with a brand new column, as if I didn’t have enough on my plate! Between being an active Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, hosting my own podcast “JOY BOMB!”, giving advice with “Dear Indie” or spilling the T on all the best music for you to get into with “Sister Indica RECOMMENDS”, it’s a wonder I even sleep. Well, I barely do because I’m so excited to debut this NEW column OBSESH, where I’ll turn you onto stuff I’m OBSESSED WITH (you know, besides music). First up is the web series Got 2B Real.
The show, which lasted two seasons, is a shade-filled extravaganza featuring parodied voice-overs of female R&B artists, both old and young — and it all comes from the mind (and for the most part the voice box) of Patti LaBelle super-fan Patti LaHelle. I don’t even know how I stumbled upon the two videos that preceded the series (which centered around Patti LaBelle receiving a BET Lifetime Achievement Award) but I was hooked from the start. I watched excitedly as Got 2B Real began, blossomed and turned into the viral internet sensation it became. Not only did it spawn copycat shows, it providing us with enough sassy one-liners to dominate and win any verbal sparring match we could ever get into. The shade was heavy. The shade was real. And I loved every second of it.
I was honored to have a virtual tea party with the show’s creator. Get into our gab-fest!
Sister Indica: As you know, I’m a HUGE fan of Got 2B Real – and from the gate! (I state this to maintain my indie cred). What inspired the show?
Patti LaHelle: My YouTube channel (LaBelleoftheBall2) was always a Patti LaBelle-heavy hub, celebrating her life and career. I’ve been a fan of her ever since I was little and sharing a lot of the performances that I had of her with the YouTube community was what I did for a very long time, but on the internet you find that not everyone is as amazed.
For so long I would watch Patti LaBelle’s fans and Aretha Franklin’s fans go at it in the comment section of various videos. They bickered non-stop over who was the “real” queen of soul, who was an incessant screamer, whose voice was struggling past its prime, and for some of these things to be coming out of the mouths of grown men and women made it hilarious to me, and a bit silly. Because who really cares about that stuff, right? These are two music veterans who have paid their dues long ago, so why should they be compared in the first place?
But, just as well, as an active member of the Twitter age I’ve seen the same thing go down on my timeline almost every day concerning artists of a newer generation. I’ve witnessed countless “stan wars” with accolades and album sales being slung like flaming arrows in the name of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ciara, Mariah… So I thought to myself, “What if these women talked to each other like this behind closed doors? What if they were so petty that they acted and reacted like their fans do when under attack?” I wanted to hold up a mirror to all the cutthroat “stans” and show them what they sounded like using the faces they loved and loved to hate, so I created a mock reality show where R&B divas, young and old, relevant and forgotten, temporary and legendary, could be seen together in the same space rehashing beef that is and (in some cases) never was. The latter was the most entertaining part for me, honestly.
SI: How surprised were you by the success of the show, especially since you’re known for shunning fame (something this media whore doesn’t understand ONE BIT)? How did you process all that (sudden) attention?
PL: Well, it was so surprising that sometimes I still don’t believe how many people the show has reached in this world. I knew there would be people who would watch the videos and find them entertaining, but never in a million years did I think all that attention would turn into trending topics and magazine features. I’m typically a very reserved person, but doing Got 2B Real–anonymous and all–gave me the opportunity to let my creativity be as free, loud, and wild as it wanted to be. I expected maybe a couple thousand views at the most but it came as a huge shock to my system that my efforts threw me into more of the limelight than I predicted and, as time progressed, was comfortable with. I guess you could say that part of my inability to truly process and accept the attention led to my decision to bow out of the “parody game” altogether.
SI: You’ve mentioned in other interviews (I do my research) that many of the divas featured in Got 2B Real have seen it. Did their attention add a layer of pressure and did it factor into your decision to end the show?
PL: Oddly enough, knowing that my videos were on the radar of celebrities didn’t put any pressure on me. I was just in awe of the fact that I was noticed by them. Initially, I was only worried that, given my YouTube channel’s proximity to Patti LaBelle’s camp, Ms. Patti she would see the show and find it offensive. But, once I found out from a trusted member of her team that she actually loved it, and had played it back several times, I felt pretty good about continuing with what I was doing. I figured since she knew I only did it out of love for her and the other women that were portrayed then it shouldn’t be so hard for others (who the videos did not concern) to understand.
SI: Your fans are rabid and dedicated and not all of us have accepted that it’s really “OVER”. How do you feel about others picking up the torch and carrying it forward?
PL: There is nothing new under the sun; we all know this. No one truly owns voicing over a video of the likeness of other people or even cartoon characters, but it’s all in how you take from that age-old idea to springboard off of it into something bigger and better. I strived to do that with my editing, my writing, my wit, even my randomness, and I do believe I achieved that. Now, for others who’ve come along and tried their hand at parodies there is no way I can be upset.
For one, I knew from always being asked–and commanded–to include certain women and men into my videos by viewers that there were vacancies open. I wanted to use the women I felt passionate enough about to impersonate with a believable likeness and not just jump to open the inner circle because people wanted me to, just so they could see someone they liked being portrayed. So I did expect people to come along and make their own show but all I could really sit back and hope for was that they truly made it their own, not just pour my creative juices into a different bottle, slap a new label on it, and suggest to everyone else the recipe is improved.
I tell you, when I got accused of stealing from a show that actually appeared eons after I started my parody journey, that was rich! But I could never wish ill on any of those projects because I’ve been in their shoes before and know how hard it is to do you with everyone watching.
But that’s YouTube, and all is fair in the public domain.
SI: Your wit, writing and editing certainly gave Got 2B Real the high level of quality that made it such a hit…but your musical knowledge and vocal talent took to it another level. We know Got 2B Real is over, but can we expect music from you in the future?
PL: Probably not, although I don’t want to completely rule that out for me because I have no clue what the future holds. But I certainly do, and always will, enjoy making music–even for my own entertainment. Literally, not a day goes by that I never open my mouth to sing.
SI: All right – one last question (and a bit of fangirling). Sure, the shade thrown is that of legends and what most people quote and focus on…but I always love the subtle details. My favorite moment was the reactions to a REAL clip of Rihanna singing Mariah Carey’s “Hero” – the silence, the flicking of a nail, someone coughing. What moment did you get the biggest kick out of?
PL: It’s hard to say because there were so many good ones, but after re-watching Don’t Call It A Throwback, having Latavia muted and Aretha calling her “Lasagna” before delivering the longest, most confused pause just…I cry.
Make sure to subscribe to Patti’s YouTube channel and follow her on Twitter. And bring a flashlight because it’s gets AWFULLY shady!
And yes…the show is REALLY over.
Your Homegurl for Life,
Sister Indica
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