Tamar Braxton is no longer just Toni Braxton's younger sister. She's actually now a much bigger celebrity figure than her sister, with multiple R&B hits, two reality shows and a daily talk show "The Real," which debuted nationwide a month ago.
She hasn't lived full time in Atlanta for years but comes here frequently since her mom and two of her sisters reside here. She headlined V-103's "For Sisters Only" event at the Georgia World Congress Center this past Saturday, had dinner with NeNe Leakes Sunday night, then spent Monday promoting "The Real" in Atlanta with her castmate and former Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon.
I caught up with both of them at Red Pepper Taqueria up the street from Fox 5 studios, where they had just done a stint on "Good Day Atlanta." Fox 5 airs "The Real" at 11 a.m. weekdays.
They were in good spirits, which isn't surprising. After a month on air, "The Real" is pulling in solid ratings, doing better than fellow freshman show "The Meredith Vieira Show" with women 25-54. It airs on Fox 5 at 11 a.m. after "The Wendy Williams Show" and is doing much better than the cancelled "Bethany Frankel Show' that aired in that time slot last season. And if you miss the 11 a.m. episode, you can see it at 6 p.m. on BET.
Both Bailon and Braxton emphasize the chemistry among the ladies on a very upbeat program. The opening section usually focuses on a single topic such as whether the New York Times critic's use of the phrase "angry black woman" was fair when directed at Shonda Rhimes . Later, they interview and play games with celebrities such as NeNe Leakes Wednesday, and do cooking and fashion segments.
The big difference is the entire cast is minority women: three blacks, one Asian American, one Latino. And they are generally younger than the casts of CBS's "The Talk" and ABC's "The View," attracting a younger audience to boot.
Doing a talk show like this, Braxton said, "was a lifelong dream." She really preferred an ensemble show rather than a solo one. Plus, the show shoots three days a week, allowing her time to shoot "Braxton Family Values" and take care of her toddler son Logan, as well as promote her music. Plus, Logan is at an age where he can spend time on the set almost ever day of shooting.
She likes the structure the show provides her life. "I really needed it. I didn't know that until we became parents. It's important for a 16-month-old to have structure."
As for the show, "we live our truth," she added. "We're not afraid to be who we are. It takes courage to be real." (Thus, the title of the show.)
Bailon once dated Rob Kardashian but is now dating Roc Nation's Lenny J. (I was warned not to ask any Kardashian-related questions. That would be unreal, wouldn't it?)
She said the level of exposure she is getting on a five-day-a-week talk show is far greater (or broader at least) than when she was a Cheetah Girls star on Disney. "It's a way to reintroduce myself to the world," she said. "I'm not playing a character. For the first time, I really get to be myself." (She is 30 years old. On "Cheetah Girls," she played a teen when she was well in her 20s.)
Bailon said folks probably don't realize that she grew up a very normal life, that her fame only started at age 15 with 3LW and Cheetah Girls at age 19. "I went to a regular high school. I had a Metro card, I was a regular New Yorker," she said.
Their dream guests? Mariah Carey for Tamar and J. Lo for Adrienne.
Their assessments of their cast mates - Tamara Mowry is deemed the nice one; Loni Love, the funny one; and Jeannie Mai the crazy one (surely, the use of "crazy" in the best sense of the word.)
On TV
"The Real," 11 a.m. weekdays, WAGA-TV (Fox 5); 6 p.m. weekdays, BET
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