Without ever stepping onto a runway she has managed to do what supermodels are supposed to do, but haven’t. She has made us sit up and take notice of fashion in a way that no other singer has. She’s made women of all ages re-evaluate our style and our fashion choices. Her peers strut around looking like a bag of brand names, but never seem to pull off the “together” look. They think they do, but no.
And the winner is…Rihanna.
Wait a minute! Hold on, before you get your Spanx in a bunch. I do not support, condone or agree with any of the actions that have been reported in the recent media headlines involving Rihanna (who knows which ones are true). I know what you want to ask, “Rihanna? But she just…?” You’re exactly right. according to reports she just did what many of us did when we were her age (some did worse and you know it). And aren’t we all glad that no one wrote us off or ignored the areas of our lives that were going well because of it? If every one of us had our talents and/or professional achievements weighed against the backdrop of the decisions we’ve made in romantic relationships, would any of us be viewed as successful? What if after making the deans list they adjusted our grades by the boyfriend we chose or the verbal insult that we took?
When Oprah told us that she grabbed on to the back of a Datsun B210 chasing after a man, we didn’t think any less of her. For those of you who question whether Rihanna should be a role model for your daughters, well…Should any 21 year old be a role model? In fact, it’s the 21 year olds that need role models. If she weren’t singing, she would not have even graduated college yet. Besides, I don’t think any child has ended up in therapy because of what their favorite singer did. Stop passing the buck to the younger generations and be the role model you want to see. That’s why the men have their pants sagging now, nobody ever…never mind…that’s a different post for a different blog. I’m going to stay in my lane.
In light of all of that, I must add this reminder for all my rainy day divas:
Makeup was created to enhance your beauty, not cover your bruises
Smiles are supposed to show the true happiness you feel from within, not hide your pain.
I wish all of you (me too) and Rihanna the best.