“Basketball Wives L.A.” finished its fourth season, and it feels like we’ve heard the nasty attitudes and aggressive behavior, and seen the elaborate weaves and MAC makeup before. Watching season veteran Jackie Christie go back and forth with newcomer Brandi Maxwell and Meghan James is as exhausting as it was four seasons ago when we met Instagram favorite Draya Michele. When taking in the entire cast, the one thing that everyone has in common is that they are the sexiest version of themselves imaginable —at least at the beginning of the show. Later, there is footage of the ladies physically fighting, pulling each other by the hair and even spitting on each other. (I believe the first time we saw that was back in the first season of “Flavor of Love” via Flavor Flav). In any case, we’ve progressed since the early days of reality show shock value, and today when a beautiful Black woman throws a full plate of food across the room to connect with the back of another sista; we don’t even flinch. Instead, we assume the series will return next season.
A former charm and etiquette instructor, admittedly it’s difficult for me to witness women slinging f-bombs back and forth at each other like a tetherball, and it pains me to realize that today’s women don’t realize that there is a reason that women are encouraged to sit with their knees together when wearing a dress, not because it’s restricting but because it keeps one’s lady parts covered. Information that one would assume 46-year-old Christie was privy to prior to her appearance on the show, but obviously she was not. Christie’s vajayjay was the first to make an appearance on the reunion show, not to be upstaged by 20-something Meghan James, who insisted that the scarf she twirled around her body as a bikini was appropriate until water hit it and she realized it wasn’t exactly a real bathing suit. Enter vajayjay number two.
Our champion boss chick, Shaunie O’Neal, remained stoic and unbothered during much of the show, but occasionally she did give an encouraging “high five” to Tami Roman as she slung curse words across the room and informed one of the other ladies that if her husband ever stops playing ball she was going to need checks! And checks are the name of the game, in order to continue receiving a check, one must be as outrageously engaging as possible in order to solidify their slot. So while O’Neal isn’t an active participant, it’s apparent she’s not going to make any sudden moves to stop the salacious ratings. Carry on, ladies.
Later during the festivities, the ladies spoke about their philandering athletic objects of affection, while mostly representing the visual of the arm piece or trophy wife. Cancer was made light of, because it was important to move on to something that would “give you a great story.” Eventually cast member Angel Brinks’ escort profile was revealed, after which one of the ladies exclaimed, “So what? You can be a fashion designer and a h-!” And that sums up the reunion, in fact, that may indeed sum up “Basketball Wives L.A.”
