When it comes to love, they don’t have much in common. One has been married for more than a decade to a wife with whom he abstained from premarital sex. The other, divorced, boasts about his conquests and is in no rush to leave the single life. Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons and Tyrese Gibson are hoping their conflicting perspectives will appeal to a variety of viewers when their OWN series, “It’s Not You, It’s Men,” premieres Saturday.
Simmons and Gibson will be welcoming celebrities including Marlon L. Wayans, Amber Rose, Yvette Nicole Brown and more.
“This is not a show where we’re going to be bashing men or throwing all men under the bus. That’s not what this is about. It’s about opening a real, raw and honest dialogue,” Tyrese recently explained on New York’s Power 105.1 radio.
The men offered a glimpse into what their show will offer during their interview with Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee and DJ Envy. They discussed shacking up, born again virginity and marriage.
Though the men disagreed on a lot of topics—Tyrese dismissing the concept of a born-again virgin and Simmons defending those who want to “start over”—they shared some common ground when speaking about the importance of marriage.
“Getting married is not like the Super Bowl or the basketball championship. When you get the ring, the game is over. When you get married, the game just starts,” Tyrese said. “At the end of the day, it’s very simple. When you get married and all the balloons are gone and the tents are torn down, your little horse and carriage and 1500 people that you flew in town…do you even know the person that you’re marrying?”
Simmons said he got to know his wife, Justine, before they tied the knot by abstaining from sex. That’s not a concept around which Tyrese could wrap his mind, comparing premarital intercourse to taking a car on a test drive. However, the men agreed that while sex is important to a romantic relationship, it’s not the most important thing.
“It’s a big part of your marriage, but there’s so much other dynamics going into the marriage to be happy and to be in love. You can’t base your whole relationship on whether the sex is good,” said Simmons.
The Run DMC rapper said forgiveness has been a secret to his successful marriage, and he puts pleasing God above any temptations he might face.
“My first commitment is to scripture,” said Rev. Run. “I don’t want to let God down.”
The father of six said he believes his obedience to God is one reason he and his family have been blessed.
“I believed there was a reward behind doing what scripture said. I don’t really question why everything God says is real, but if you follow it, you’ll be blessed. I believe he blessed me to be relevant today and I believe he blessed my family for doing what’s right,” said Rev. Run. “My suggestion would be that you trust God.”
“It’s Not You, It’s Men” highlights the men’s “wildly different points of view,” and neither seems to be wavering from his mindset, but instead, the two have seemingly resigned themselves to agree to disagree.
