When I first heard about gospel duo Mary Mary’s foray into the realm of reality television I was a little worried–the genre doesn’t always paint Black women in the best light. But after attending a sneak peek of the WE television show earlier this week where the stars, Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell held a Q&A following the screening, I think this show is a good idea for them. The first smart move is that they have executive produced the series–given them a say in what’s going on.
What’s refreshing about the show is that it seeks to make a distinction between Mary Mary, their stage personas, and Erica and Tina–who are also wives and mothers. During the discussion Tina pointed out that she doesn’t take “Mary” home with her. The other thing that works is the family dynamic between both the duo as well as other family members. And because they don’t pretend to be who they are on stage the audience gets a better sense of their personalities. And I will just say Tina is something else (but not in a Tamar Braxton way) which helps the show from becoming saccharin sweet. Finally, the incorporation of their music strikes a good balance while also being seamless. And it doesn’t require that the viewer know gospel music or them in particular. Their faith walk is evident but so is their struggle to do it all.
Erica spoke a bit about their motivation to do the series after the screening and this is what she had to say on choosing to do the series:
“We are grateful for the opportunity to hopefully let our lives inspire some people. Maybe some women will be a little bit more submissive to their husbands,” say Erica. “Maybe some sisters will forgive each other who’ve had crazy arguments. Maybe some people realize the important stuff–which is family…”
All in all I think the series will strike a chord with fans and those unfamiliar with the duo. They’re telling a universal story. Try it you might like it.
Mary Mary premieres tonight, March 29th at 10PM on WE. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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