Reality TV has given pop culture some truly iconic moments. From the meme-worthy, to those that produced one-liners to use when talking to your friends, reality TV has nestled itself into so much of everyday life. A lot of those moments came from Black women, who have single-handedly held down the culture of reality television. The shows that air today wouldn’t be the same without the influences of people like Tiffany Pollard and NeNe Leakes.
As an ode to the pop culture moments from Black and multicultural women, here are some of the best from reality TV.
Tiffany Pollard
It is extremely important to start this list off with Tiffany Pollard, aka New York, who got her start on “The Flavor of Love.” Her role in reality television was crucial as she was one of the first Black women to step into the space when it was first being built and create an empire off of her unforgettable personality. Her time on the dating show, centered around finding love with rapper, Flavor Flav.
She was able to star in two seasons of the show and receive three seasons of her own spin-off “I Love New York.” Since then she has had several other reality TV opportunities resulting in other memorable moments.
But perhaps one of her most unforgettable sayings comes from her first season on “The Flavor of Love.” She and her cast member, Hottie, got into an argument. In the heat of battle, Hottie mentioned that people think she looks like Beyoncé and Pollard’s reaction was priceless. Her “Beyoncé?!” line is used to this day, almost twenty years later.
Nene Leakes
NeNe Leakes is next up on the list. Her breakout work on the Real Housewives of Atlanta really set the standard for Black women on a new network. Bravo has had a history of working with white reality stars with some Black women here and there before she arrived on the scene. Nene’s influence in pop culture has landed her several gigs within the reality TV space.
One moment that lives in infamy, is a clip of her going to visit her cast member, Kenya Moore at her apartment. She didn’t like the area. The entire walk from the car to the building she just kept commenting on how “ghetto” it was. Social media users use the clip on a regular basis to this day, you may even hear people use the phrase in casual conversation as well.
Cardi B
Cardi B is one of Love and Hip Hop’s most successful cast members. Although she didn’t get her start on the show, it definitely catapulted her music career to help her get to where she is today.
One moment that stands out during her time on the show was when she met up with her friend, DJ Self, for a studio session. The two discussed how he was acting at an event that she didn’t necessarily like. She explained that if someone has beef with her, they are going to have “beef foreva.” That line went on to become the inspiration for one of her first hit songs, “Foreva,” which led to her hit single “Bodak Yellow.”