Review: The Mother of Black Hollywood
The Mother of Black Hollywood, A Memoir
By: Jenifer Lewis
Quoted from The Mother of Black Hollywood, A Memoir Ch.15 - On The Back of a Two-Humped Camel (Ref: 2015 Webster University Commencement Speech)
My speech brought to mind the words of the love of my life, Miguel, when he’d said, “Yennifer, joo have thees great ability to get zee attenshoon of zee people, but den, joo say no-thing.”
1.) What was the book about?
The Mother of Black Hollywood, A Memoir, is a personal tell-all from Jenifer Lewis, a self-proclaimed Diva who has lived up to the moniker apparently her whole life. From her earliest beginnings as the youngest of seven children in Kinloch, MO – to her extensive show business career in theater, television and movies. Her larger than life personality was the catalyst for securing theatrical roles along-side some of the stages most prolific performers such as Gregory Hines, Loretta Divine, and Sheryl Lee-Ralph; making the transition to the big and small screen in some of the most memorable black sitcoms and movies such as A Different World, Fresh Prince of Belair, and Girlfriends. While a fair amount of her roles cast her as a smart and straight-talking Auntie, she has also played a considerable amount of motherly roles (What’s Love Got to do With It, Poetic Justice, Preachers Wife, Think Like a Man, and The Temptations, to name a few) earning her the title Mother of Black Hollywood. Currently, she has been playing the role of Ruby, Dre’s mother on the critically acclaimed sitcom black-ish that is both funny yet socially conscience.
2.) Do you have a favorite quote from the book? Oh, yes! “I think I broke my pussy bone!”
Listen, there is a lot of shock and awe in this book. The first two chapters ease you into the crazy, wild, sexual and manic world that is Jenifer ‘Muthafuckin’ Lewis! She holds nothing back, and pulls out all the stops naturally, because that is who she is…all the time! The quote I have chosen here is mentioned in Ch.15, following a long ride on a two-humped camel. When I read the phrase, I literally threw the book down, and laughed-loudly at 3AM… I hope I didn’t wake my neighbors.
This is just an example of the feeling of the whole book. Several times I found myself thinking: who says these things, who does these things, how does she maintain energy for the craziness she does? As you read this book you will start to see that Jenifer has moments of depression and manic behavior that is later diagnosed, at thirty-three, as bipolar disorder and sex-addiction. These behavioral disorders feed into her role development process and seem to work for her professionally, allowing her to stay employed, but there are several examples that she gives where she is self-sabotaging and effectively limiting the professional growth she desires. I think this is more important to key in on as the reader navigates this book.
3.) What did you like most/least about the book?
Reading this book was not easy for me, after reading the first 3 chapters I literally put it down for almost a year. I believe that several points contributed to this –
1. The tempo with which the book was written. At certain points it was too slow to keep my attention, then the mania kicked in and was akin to sticking your head out of the window while going too fast on the highway – and you are the driver.
2. It was a bit self-serving to a grandiose personality that required constant adoration.
3. The constant sexual conquest started to get on my nerves.
By the time I got to Ch: 7 - A Doll Named Killer, I was really starting to feel that manic behavior in the words, I had to slow the pace of reading as she started to realize that seeing a therapist was in her best interest. I praised this decision and by the time I had finished the book, I mentally hoped that her therapist Racheal also had a therapist, because Lord Have Mercy Jenny was a full caseload by herself.
4.) What feelings did this book evoke in you?
As previously alluded to, this book exhausted me mentally at one point. There was a lot of big names dropped from various genres of the entertainment industry. Larger than life people, places and things. You will understand quickly that the industry is connected at all levels, and they see themselves as family and support each other as such. In the book Jenifer calls them gypsies, being able to move at the drop of a dime and entertain absolutely anyone is the dominate trait among them. The age of industry that Jenifer came up in was heavily plagued by the AIDS epidemic of the 80s, and many of her friends were lost. As she details the names and lives lost, you will notice that before she could recover from one loss, another one was around the corner. Through all of us, she gives thanks to the Lord because the sexual promiscuity of her own life did not end to AIDS.
At several points I actually felt sorry for Jenifer, there was the attempted rape where instead of freaking out, she talked her way out of it and helped the man. There was the relationship with her mom, the lack of expression of love, the overacting to receive attention, and the attempted rape by her pastor and lack of support from her mother when she reported the incident to her. The mother-daughter relationship was strained to say the least, and caused great emotional strife, which Jenifer failed to recognize as a result of her upbringing. The moment this all came to realization was in Ch. 8 - Hollywood Not Swinging, when Jenifer meets Rachel (the therapists who finally breaks through to her). After a few baseline questions were asked of the agitated Jenifer, Rachel finally rips off the bandage and says “Tell me about your mother.” “Seeing red, I lunged off the couch into Rachel’s face, yelling through clenched teeth and pounding my chest: “I came here to talk about my career! Don’t. You. Ever. Mention. My motherrrr!!”
5.) If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?
If I had one question to ask Jenifer Lewis, I think it would have to be regarding her love Miguel. She repeatedly describes him as the love of her life. Does she ever regret not slowing down enough for a family, and does she maintain any contact with his family since his passing. Many women, as life unveils more diverse opportunities, find that they put children and family on the backburner in order to advance their professional lives. Unlike men, who can procreate well into old age, women can only safely carry children into their 30s, beyond that you are considered high-risk. So, you have to find a balance or let go of that area of your life. Did she just let that go?
Additional Resources:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jeniferlewisforreal
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeniferlewisforreal
Twitter: @jeniferlewis
When Keeping it Real is Right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoV8d8qJoT4
Jenifer Lewis on In Living Color: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBloL2xCeyk
Jenifer Lewis on Oprah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU8_AHCHRXk
Jenifer Lewis performs LAST DANCE at APLA Commitment to Life Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IN2mAkHdlM
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