The Game: The Baby Mama Speck
The premiere episode of The Game on BET attracted 7.7 million viewers, making it the biggest premiere in cable television history. The love of the fans, which seems stronger than ever, brought the show back after cancellation. Even after a loopy, at times, disappointing premiere– Tasha Mack smoking Black-n-Milds and leaving Rick Fox for 106 & Park’s scrawny Terrance, the miscasting of lil’ Brittany’s character and the most dubious of revelations, that Melanie aka “Med School” has decided not to continue her studies to become a practicing physician– even after all of that, last Tuesday’s episode still attracted 5.9 milly.
The crux of these first two episodes revolved around Jenay and the paternity of her son. For the past two years we thought, like Melanie and dem, that Derwin was the father. Still Melanie, who has never been comfortable with the idea of being a step mom, causes a blowup of epic proportions when she conducts a DNA test and gets her answer in all the wrong ways. Derwin you are NOT the father, err… my bad, Derwin you ARE the father! Crazy, but then this is why we love the dynamics between Melanie and Derwin. It’s not perfect. There aren’t any tidy bows and coordinated outfits. It’s messy, honest, undone and full of passion and problems. So the idea of baby mama drama is a logical next progression. Besides, the idea of having a baby out of wedlock isn’t the hot ghetto mess it was once deemed. Doctors, lawyers, academicians, actors and athletes are having babies, but not putting a ring on it. The stigma that once followed women (and to a lesser degree men) is kind of a thing of the past. When Heidi Klum was unmarried and preggers with another man’s baby she met and fell in love with Seal who she eventually married and who, for all intent and purposes, is as much a father to her firstborn as he is to their three children. Of course Heidi is a glamorous, German, Victoria Secrets model and so she and Seal were portrayed in the press as the ideal picture of love and happiness.
And even though the stigma may not exist, take it from me, there is still a great deal of stress and pressure involved. A few years ago when my ex had a baby it was, initially, a huge pill I had to swallow. Just one month prior to learning he would be a dad, he had called my mom and shared with her his desire to give our relationship another shot (we had been split up for a couple of years). At first I was pessimistic, but six weeks later, after giving it some serious consideration, I too wanted to see if we could reignite our love. It was then that he told me he was going to have a baby. I was devastated. When Tasha Mack says to Melanie, “You almost crapped-out when (Derwin) had that baby, but you fought through that. Everything is all good except for that one little speck in the corner messing up your pretty picture,” I can totally relate. That “speck” is no joke, but like Melanie, I decided that I would fight through it. I wrote emails to my ex, had a few heartbreaking conversations and even wrote a rhyme about it (“I love you, you say you love me/ Don’t worry I’ll be a great step mommy.”) LOL, yeah I went there! However, unlike Melanie you could say I “crapped-out” and we went our separate ways, but I learned a wonderful lesson about myself and how far I would go for love. Before this experience, I wasn’t trying to be in a committed relationship with a man who had children. That was the kind of baggage I knew I didn’t want. I learned though that if I was going to make a serious attempt at dating and finding that special someone, especially in NYC, that caring for someone and loving that person unconditionally means accepting their “baggage” and learning to live freely with that speck. But if all parties involved aren’t honest and secure riding in their respective lanes then that lil’ speck will not only cause a major hole in your wall, it will drive a rift as wide as the Canyon between you and your significant other.
Remember Tracey Edmonds who married Eddie Murphy soon after his ex, Mel B, gave birth to his baby girl? Well there were a ton of rumors being tossed about as to why they divorced two weeks later and I bet his attitude toward Mel B. and their newborn played a role (he wasn’t even trying to assume paternity or pay child support so you know the deal).
I hope The Game’s creator Mara Brock Akil will focus less on “The Pit & Dip” and topless scenes with the ladies and concentrate more on this important new-gen family dynamic and on Melanie’s angst. We all know by now that the actress who plays Melanie, Tia Mowry, is pregnant in real life so I’ll be curious to see if and how this is worked into the drama. Meanwhile I’ll be tuning-in tonight to see how Melanie deals with the speck in her perfect picture. I’m pretty sure going to church and never talking about the baby isn’t go to work. What do you think? Have you experienced your own personal “specks”? How did you deal?
Salim Akil (Mara’s husband, and fellow director) is at the reigns this year— so a lot of that perspective that seems off really just comes (IMO) from having a male directors take on the show. I suspect that the show will begin to hit a stride soon.
Oooohh! I just hulu-ed the Game. I am so looking forward to tonight’s episode. I think Mel was off the chain with her blurt-out. Children are love and love and respect go a long way to easing a new mother’s fear about some “other woman” co-raising her child. Kind and loving intentions on all sides ease every situation. I have never experienced anything but love and respect from all sides.
I’ve dated a lot of men with children and I’m happy to say I never had baby-mama drama. These men and their children’s mothers may have had issues of their own but it never was anything having to do with not wanting their children around another woman. I got to play every other weekend step-mom and I kinda liked it. I dig watching good dads in action. It’s very sexy. I don’t need to be the first one to give anyone I love a child. I think our love should be able to stand strong in it’s own uniqueness without all that symbolic mess. People have lives way before you meet them so it’s about accepting where their journeys have taken them and not look for perfect paths which would probably boring as hell. I actually like the idea of a man having children cuz he won’t be stressing me to pop any out and I can enjoy his with him without the stretch marks. But if I decide to have a baby his prior experience would be a plus because at least one of us would know what the hell we were doing. And that’s on the real!
One of the things that makes this show one of my absolute favorites is the fact that it is so realistic! It would’ve been way too easy if DJ was found not to be Derwin’s son. But that’s now how life works, and neither does “The Game.” I was disappointed with the downgrades (Rick Fox for Terrance J, Robin Givens/whoever for Megan Good, and no more Stacy Dash?), and the imbalance of drama to comedy in the premiere. Also, I did wanna see Med School finally become Dr. Mel, but I being a writer and fan of “Girlfriend’s” know good and well you cannot consume yourself with writing to please the audience. That’s how you end up with fluff like “Let’s Stay Together.” No one needs any more of that. So I’m happy and will be faithfully watching since I think Malik is about to get a huge dose of karmic retribution that may finally force him to grow up.
P.S. I’m not happy at all about the rumors that Kelly is leaving and that one-dimensional Good is supposed to become a regular cast member. Pray with me that it’s just a rumor!
@Dynree: I attended a media screening for The Game and both Mara and her hub were there and they said that they are co-directing. There IS something amiss though this season. Maybe a few different writers. Not sure but like you I’m gonna assume they’re working-out the kinks.
@Bilqis: Love, Love, Love your comment!!!!! Great points esp the line: “I can enjoy his with him without the stretch marks.”
@Sweetilocks: Oh yeah I forgot about Stacy Dash. She was so fly. I miss her too! And I have no words for “Let’s Stay Together.” Let’s just say I’m not watching BET at 10:31. And they need to do something with Kelly. I hope she’s not leaving either but right now her character looks and acts so cold, I feel nothing for her.
“Let’s stay together” is a little silly, okay it’s a lot silly. But in the beginning I didn’t really like “Girlfriends” or “The Game” but I kept watching them and they got better so I’m trying to give it a chance.