- . Digg It
- . Sphere It
- . E-mail This
- . Save to del.icio.us
- . Permanent Link
Push It Real Good
Salt-N-Pepa throw down on reality TV
I don't know about you, but when I think about hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, I prefer to conjure a mental image of the "Push It" era: black spandex body suits, chunky gold jewelry, and three adorable girls-next-door trying on some teen sexuality to the tune of a monster jam.
Unfortunately, those days are long gone. By the '90s, Cheryl "Salt" James (now Cheryl Wray) and Sandy "Pepa" Denton (accompanied by DJ Deidre "Spinderella" Roper) had become huge stars — ultimately amassing sales of over 12 million. But their songs and image had taken on an awkwardly mature tone. Couched in a cartoonish feminism that often felt forced, the spark that had ignited such promise was fading. By the new millennium, they were pretty much done — destined to go down in history as an important, but mostly sentimental, footnote.
That is, until VH1 got a hold of them.
Starting October 15, Denton, who appeared on Season Five of VH1's The Surreal Life, is set to star with Wray in The Salt-N-Pepa Show. The 10-episode series will follow the two women as they seek to repair their friendship (I didn't even know it was broken until VH1 started blaring it in the teasers) and re-establish their music career. Wray, now a wife, mother, and devout Christian, is reluctant to perform Salt-N-Pepa's sexified classics, and Denton, ever the wild child, is not happy about it. Judging from the acrimonious preview clip, this does not look like the fun and funky Salt-N-Pepa of yore — but like two middle-aged women with an ax to grind. Bummer.
No word yet on whether Roper will participate (VH1's blog would suggest that they're saving her for something special). If she does, I hope she's in a better humor than the other two. Hang on to your memories — the glory days are definitely over.
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
Unfortunately, those days are long gone. By the '90s, Cheryl "Salt" James (now Cheryl Wray) and Sandy "Pepa" Denton (accompanied by DJ Deidre "Spinderella" Roper) had become huge stars — ultimately amassing sales of over 12 million. But their songs and image had taken on an awkwardly mature tone. Couched in a cartoonish feminism that often felt forced, the spark that had ignited such promise was fading. By the new millennium, they were pretty much done — destined to go down in history as an important, but mostly sentimental, footnote.
That is, until VH1 got a hold of them.
Starting October 15, Denton, who appeared on Season Five of VH1's The Surreal Life, is set to star with Wray in The Salt-N-Pepa Show. The 10-episode series will follow the two women as they seek to repair their friendship (I didn't even know it was broken until VH1 started blaring it in the teasers) and re-establish their music career. Wray, now a wife, mother, and devout Christian, is reluctant to perform Salt-N-Pepa's sexified classics, and Denton, ever the wild child, is not happy about it. Judging from the acrimonious preview clip, this does not look like the fun and funky Salt-N-Pepa of yore — but like two middle-aged women with an ax to grind. Bummer.
No word yet on whether Roper will participate (VH1's blog would suggest that they're saving her for something special). If she does, I hope she's in a better humor than the other two. Hang on to your memories — the glory days are definitely over.
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
What People Are Saying…
Leave a Comment
10:01 EST, 16.Nov.07