Picture it, 1990s in a place not quite Sicily — Towanda and Toni Braxton are Dorothy (the more sensible ones), Trina is Blanche (the adventurous one). Tamar is Rose (you never know what wacky St. Olaf-style, dot-com rant will spew from her lips). And Mama Evelyn is Sophia (sassy, wise and always ready to “slap the taste out your mouth”).
Then, there’s Traci Braxton, the sister who always seems to need a hug and draws comparison to — you ready? Jan Brady: A bit overlooked, searching for identity and meaning, yet somewhat lost in the shadows of more popular, big-hair-tossing siblings.
But whether you want to compare the Braxton clan to “The Golden Girls” or “Brady Bunch,” one thing is certain: The chemistry among these disparate personalities on the WE reality show “Braxton Family Values” is infectious and catchy.
“There is nothing we would change about this show,” Towanda says about the second season of the surprise hit series. “With all the craziness going on, we’re nut cases and we love to have fun with each other.”
In a recent telephone interview, Braxton siblings and Gwinnett residents Trina and Towanda talked about their family dynamic and some memorable scenes.
Q: Rumor has it that you all started singing as kids when Tamar was in the bathroom yelling about toilet paper.
Towanda: That was the first time my mom knew we could harmonize. The song we made up was "Somebody Gimme Some Toilet Paper."
Trina: It started out as one person singing and another joining in and then another. We're so trying to leave that song in the past, but we still do that to this day — one person starting a song and others join in one by one.
Q: And it’s that harmony that helps make your reality show a success, right?
Towanda: Yes, and the show is also so successful because not only do we have a superstar in the family, but there is a Traci, Tamar, Towanda and mommy in everybody's family. You have a loud mouth, who wants to tell everybody's business and wants to be rotten. You have the level-headed one, the crazy one, the fun one, and then the superstar. And then there's the matriarch, so the reason our show is successful is because you can find your sisters and your friends in our family.
Trina: When we said we would do this reality show, we said we would do it in true reality form. No holds barred. This has been therapeutic for us as a family, and we've received tweets from fans saying we give them brand new perspectives on how they can handle family members and situations. So everyone sees themselves through us.
Q: So let’s go back to 1996-97 when The Braxtons remade Diana Ross’s “The Boss,” which was a club hit.
Towanda: You know, we did get a plaque that we were No. 1, 2 and 3 on the Billboard chart for "The Boss." But we didn't get a chance to enjoy it by go into the clubs. That would have been lovely if we were able to do that.
Q: Some people debate over whose remix is better, the Braxtons’ or Ms. Ross’s. Other debates have been who did the lead. Was it Tamar?
Towanda: It was Trina. That was her cute, little sexy voice. Tamar did the hook and then the three of us did the ad-lib. That was a fun song, wasn't it, Trina?
Q: I cringed when you couldn’t get it together on the show to perform for Toni at her Georgia Hall of Fame induction. What were you thinking?
Towanda: We weren't! That's the problem, we weren't thinking! Toni has a forgiving heart. She said we'll have another moment because next year is her 20-year anniversary as a solo artist. So we'll make it up to her.
Q: Did Tamar’s overbearing personality play a role?
Trina: You said it and we didn't. If you were standing here I'd kiss you in the mouth! [Laughs]
Q: Another crazy moment in the show was when Toni told Traci to lose 20-40 and stop thinking that her tummy sticking out is hot. Ouch!
Towanda: In [Toni's] defense, Traci wasn't always a plus-size sister. Traci used to be really skinny. My dad used to call her Big Bird because she was so lean and all she had was booty. These are the things that wind up on the editing floor. Our approach was don't complain about it, just do it. It was coming from a place of love, not malice.
Trina: This show forces us to deal with our issues, even the ones that have been pinned up for years. I thank God for "Braxton Family Values" for myself because I'm learning values for me.
Q: Let’s go back to Tamar. Is she trying too hard to be a breakout star?
Towanda: Tamar is actually a little shy with strangers. What happened is we have created boundaries in Season Two. It's about everyone fighting for their own rights. She's always been who she is, but now you're seeing everyone else's personality break out.
“Braxton Family Values” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on WE.
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