Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty
For the record, outside of Basketball Wives, I can appreciate and respect Shaunie O’Neal. I think she has a nice sense of humor, is a great mother, and has built quite the empire for herself since she parted ways with Shaquille. However, when it comes to her role as boss meets I’m-just-one-of-the-girls cast members on the show, I’m over her being down for the foolery one minute and then holier than thou the next.
The example of this came both early and late in Wednesday night’s episode. At one point, following the reconciliation of Jennifer Williams and Evelyn Lozada, Jennifer was asked if she thought she could make peace with Malaysia Pargo. Jennifer said that while she may owe Malaysia an apology for making her feel used in that whole Evelyn and Shaq rumor drama, Malaysia also owed her an apology for throwing a table at her in Amsterdam.
Shaunie didn’t think Malaysia apologizing was necessary. In fact, she labeled Malaysia’s aggressive behavior as simple strong emotions.
“This is not a 50/50 apology. Malaysia threw a table out of anger and passion. Jennifer tried to use Malaysia to help spread this whole rumor with Evelyn and Shaquille,” she said. “I feel like Jennifer’s 95 percent responsible and you know, give Malaysia a little five percent.”
I immediately disagreed. Sure, Jennifer could say sorry for her words and intentions, but Malaysia’s decision to throw a table, a violent act, should require an apology as well if they’re truly being adults.
Still, that was Shaunie’s opinion, and she felt Malaysia was justified. Noted.
But what bothered me was that near the end of the episode, she completely changed her tune when similar “anger and passion” came from OG.
It happened when OG confronted Feby about writing disparaging raps about her, only for Feby to deny that she did (despite saying on camera that she definitely did). Instead, Feby claimed that she just wrote about fake clothes and that if the shoe fit, OG could wear it. OG told her that she didn’t believe her and had earned a “fade.” It was a bit much, I’ll admit. But it was way too much in Shaunie’s eyes.
“I’m at a loss, telling one to get your a– whooped?” Shaunie said. “I’m sorry, a lot of us have been around different people who’ve played sports their whole life, that don’t mean they always turn everything into a physical fight. Do you really think this moment should lead to an a– whoopin’ though? We didn’t have to go to catchin’ a fade.”
This time around, Shaunie found OG’s aggressive behavior to be problematic, saying it was causing her to be a pariah of sorts in the group.
“OG’s aggression is driving a wedge between her and everybody else,” she said in her confessional. “She’s like the Tazmanian devil. Seriously.”
Her stance took me back to a comment OG made earlier in the episode during her confessional when the ladies were discussing Malaysia’s table-throwing antics. The only real reaction anyone could muster up when thinking back on that behavior was to call it “extreme.” The newbie pointed out the double standard she was facing in this group of ladies.
“Okay, so Malaysia throwing tables, Evelyn throwing drinks, it’s cool,” she said. “If I remotely say anything or even open my mouth, I’m literally crucified. This is absolutely crazy and it has to stop.”
Seriously though, it does. I get the hypocrisy somewhat from Evelyn because she simply doesn’t like OG, but Shaunie has been surprisingly hard on that girl for some time, dating back to when she scolded OG like she was her mother because she revealed that Scott family secret. That was somewhat understandable. However, her decision to call out OG’s behavior this time around, keeping Feby from taking full responsibility for just being plain old mean and getting caught red-handed, seemed quite unfair. The disdain and confusion with which Shaunie asked OG about why she wanted to possibly resort to violence, as though she hadn’t just watched her friend jump a table and throw a drink at someone the day before, was out of place. In fact, she’s watched plenty of people go from 0 to 100, from Tami Roman popping Meeka Claxton in the face to Evelyn throwing a bottle at Kenya Bell. And just earlier this season, it was Shaunie who was throwing threats at Jennifer and storming out of her own son’s party because she felt sis disrespected Shaquille, and therefore, disrespected her kids. Yet, when OG calmly let Feby know she could use a good a– whoopin’ for privately mocking and possibly lying on her, the first time anyone has laid clear their feelings and desires to fight as opposed to just exploding in them, she’s a “Tazmanian devil.” Wonder what that makes Evelyn?
I’m not going to run wild with the narrative some people believe online, which is the belief that the cast’s profound ire for OG and overreaction to her commentary is due to colorism and her look and overall style not coming off as soft as everyone else’s. I will say though, that Shaunie is bias. If her circle of friends threaten someone or actually assault them, her energy level is nowhere near what she displayed with OG. What makes their anger justified and OG’s irrational? Let’s be honest: She simply likes the people who kiss up to her and Evelyn (Feby Torres and Kristen Scott), and she has dust to pay those who don’t (i.e., Brandi Maxiell and Royce Reed). Until she’s honest about that, or at least pretends to be able to see both sides, I don’t need to see anymore of her attempts to play peacemaker on anymore of these shi–y girls trips…
Hit the flip to see what people had to say about the hypocrisy of Shaunie by hitting the flip:
