Mary J. Blige is 37 years old. At that age she is more fit and sculptured than she was in her twenties. Her arms are tight and toned, with no sign of "chicken wing" flab. She has dramatically remade herself. More importantly, steroids have allowed her to remain in the pop arena with twenty-somethings like Keyshia Cole and Rhianna.
To your other points, I think it is noteworthy that steroids, which used to be the purview of extreme bodybuilders, has funneled down to massive football players to sleek track stars to marginal baseball players and now to entertainers. Where does it stop? ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Daryle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Apologies in advance for what will be a long response. I promise to be > serious about this. Well, sorta. > > I guess my problem with this is that the steroids didn¹t DO anything for > her. There WAS no advantage. It doesn¹t even make sense that Mary took > them at all, if she did. What kid is reading this story and thinking ³I > want to ____ like Mary J. Blige, therefore I should take steroids²? There > was no sudden rise in girls shaving their heads because Britney Spears did > it. No sudden rise in responsible young fatherhood as a result of K- Fed¹s > custody case. If there was some advantage Mary was getting by taking the > steroids, there would be a case here. But these are just bad choices by > people who already had an advantage. They are famous. Based on the stories > going around, they all allegedly took the substances after they became > rich. > > People believe that to be a star you have to wear certain clothes, certain > sunglasses, hire certain producers, and copy certain people¹s performances. > Buy the same car as them. And this is based on the examples given by most of > the performers named in this story. People do not see being a performer as a > physical undertaking. They think you just get on stage and magically have > the stamina for a 3 hour show. It¹s always been that way. Again, if this > story was about Elvis taking steroids, the world would be shook. But it¹s a > list of nobodies who have taken advantage of a period in pop culture when > nothing was actually happening in order to be famous. Labels needed > something to sell, and these people were available. Such is the case with > pop music. > > Pop music brands are not role models. Parents are. Teachers are. When those > two roles are absent, the kids go to the next available role model...and it > is NOT the music artist. I marketed music acts for many years, and I have > seen kids dress like their favorite singer, and use slang like their > favorite rapper. I have never seen a child mimic the self destructive > actions of a performer. In every single case where an artist I represented > was accused, it was discovered that there were more regular folks in that > kid¹s immediate circle who were self destructive than even the ARTIST was. > The self destructive behavior comes from other regular folks in the hood. > Or the burbs. Or the cul-de-sac. Or in the kitchen every morning. Kids > aren¹t carrying guns to school because some rapper told them to. They are > carrying guns to school because they either believe that they need one, or > because they don¹t feel worthy as an individual to stand out on their own > merit. Their own intelligence. Their own unique talent. It¹s not BET¹s fault > that girls under 12 are watching music videos that are soft porn. It is the > fault of a society too afraid to exercise the democracy they keep going on > about and blocking the channel. It is the fault of the parents who are > watching BET themselves. The mother who is allowing her kids to be raised on > BET when you can get Discovery Channel and National Geographic in the same > cable tier. Kids do what WE do. When WE¹re out here trying to be 50 Cent, > then yeah, there¹s a problem. Our kids are going to be off. But it¹s because > they¹re trying to be US. > > If my daughter started using steroids because of Mary J. Blige, it would > mean two things. 1. That my backhand was no longer effective, and 2. That my > PRESENCE and influence was ineffective. Both of these are things that I > would need to address. > > > On 1/17/08 11:46 AM, "ravenadal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Why should we care that Mary J. Blige has taken steroids? We should > > do it for the kids! The kids who will think it is okay to take > > steroids to gain an advantage while not being fully cognizant of the > > significant health consequences misuse of steroids can cause. The > > football player Lyle Alzado and more professional wrestlers than I > > care to name have succumbed to premature death due to steroid abuse. > > > > ~rave! > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com <mailto:scifinoir2% 40yahoogroups.com> , > > Daryle <yokozuna@> wrote: > >> > > >> > > >> > Hold on...why do we care that Mary J Blige has taken steroids > > again? She > >> > can¹t stay in key with or withOUT em. Is this satire? > >> > > >> > > >> > On 1/15/08 6:36 PM, "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> wrote: > >> > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > R&B music star Mary J. Blige, rap musicians 50 Cent, Timbaland and > >>> > > Wyclef Jean, and award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry > > (say > >>> > > it ain't so!) > >>> > > > >>> > > ~rave! > >>> > > > >>> > > http://www.breitbart.com/article.php? id=D8U5PVS00&show_article=1 > >>> <http://www.breitbart.com/article.php? id=D8U5PVS00&show_article=1> > >>> > > <http://www.breitbart.com/article.php? > > id=D8U5PVS00&show_article=1> > >>> > > > >>> > > ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A number of entertainers were named in > > connection > >>> > > with an Albany-based steroid investigation, but they are not part > > of > >>> > > an ongoing criminal probe, according to a published report. > >>> > > The Times Union of Albany cited unidentified law enforcement > >>> > > officials in reporting Sunday that R&B music star Mary J. Blige, > > rap > >>> > > musicians 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, and award- winning > >>> > > author and producer Tyler Perry may have received or used > > performance- > >>> > > enhancing drugs. > >>> > > > >>> > > Law enforcement officials have said evidence does not indicate > > that > >>> > > the celebrities broke the law, but that investigators are > > focusing on > >>> > > doctors, pharmacists and clinics that provide the drugs. > >>> > > > >>> > > Albany District Attorney P. David Soares launched the > > investigation > >>> > > into steroid trafficking last year. > >>> > > > >>> > > Soares is "not confirming, denying or discussing any of the names" > >>> > > involved in the investigation, said spokeswoman Heather Streeter > >>> > > Orth. > >>> > > > >>> > > A spokeswoman for Blige denied the singer had taken illegal > > steroids. > >>> > > > >>> > > Ken Sunshine, a spokesman for Perry, declined to comment. > >>> > > > >>> > > There was no response to calls Sunday and Monday seeking comment > > from > >>> > > representatives of other entertainers. > >>> > > > >>> > > While athletes use steroids and human growth hormone to get > > bigger, > >>> > > faster and stronger, the drugs can also lure other people with > > their > >>> > > supposed anti-aging qualities. > >>> > > > >>> > > Soares' multistate investigation has focused on Signature > > Pharmacy of > >>> > > Orlando, Fla. So far, 10 defendants have pleaded guilty and news > >>> > > reports have linked some professional athletes to Soares' probe. > >>> > > > >>> > > Soares has said Signature was at the center of a web of businesses > >>> > > and doctors that illegally wrote prescriptions for steroids. > >>> > > Authorities raided the company almost a year ago and its owners > > and > >>> > > operators are awaiting trial in Albany on related charges. > >>> > > > >>> > > Records shared with the Times Union and information from several > >>> > > cooperating witnesses on Long Island allege the celebrities > > received > >>> > > prescribed human growth hormone or steroids, the newspaper said. > >>> > > > >>> > > The newspaper said that Blige received the human growth hormone > >>> > > Jentropin and Oxandrolone, an anabolic steroid, in orders sent to > > her > >>> > > at the Beverly Hills Hotel. > >>> > > > >>> > > Her spokeswoman denounced the report. "Mary J. Blige has never > > taken > >>> > > any performance enhancing illegal steroids," Karynne Tencer told > > the > >>> > > Daily News. > >>> > > > >>> > > Former Sen. George Mitchell released a report last month on > >>> > > performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. That report said former > > Mets > >>> > > clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski provided steroids and human > > growth > >>> > > hormone linked to several prominent players. Radomski pleaded > > guilty > >>> > > last year to charges that he dealt steroids to players for a > > decade. > >>> > > > >>> > > Congressional hearings are to begin this month on the Mitchell > >>> > > report. > >>> > > > >>> > > Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This > >>> > > material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or > > redistributed. > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
