Omarosa, Why Don't I Care About Your Book?

I’d rather devote time to remembering Aretha Franklin’s legacy. The Queen of Soul passed this week at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer, but instead I’m going to talk about someone I have no respect for. Someone I don’t think has contributed anything to society in any way, unless you’re interested in cautionary tales of what not to do and how not to act to make a dollar. 

I’m talking about Omarosa, and about credibility, and as far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t have any. From reality TV star to - what exactly did she do in the White House? Ah, director of communications for the office of hot air and not much of anything - to author, Manigault Newman seems to have nine lives when it comes to staying relevant - if of course your idea of relevance is consistently finding ways to remain in the public eye. 

Busily peddling her new book “Unhinged: An Insider Account of the Trump White House,” I can’t help but wonder, does this woman care nothing for her image? Or is she solely concerned with a payday and notoriety? 

For sure she’s notorious. As for the rest of it, I dunno. It just seems kinda pathetic. I mean, doesn’t everyone already know the President’s mental health is debatable? Doesn’t everyone already know that he’s a racist? What’s new here? The whole business screams nine day wonder, and maybe not even that. 

The fact that she swears there is a recording confirming the President used the N word and said derogatory things about black people - at this point is that even necessary based on his behavior? - is about the only even mildly interesting thing about her book. If the recording exists, I wonder what is she waiting for to release it? The right appearance, a fat speaking engagement fee? It’s dodgy business anyway you look it. 

Even the President tweeted that Omarosa has zero credibility. It’s probably the first - and the last time - he and I will agree on anything. 

She comes across as completely opportunistic and untrustworthy, neither of which are attributes a public figure with any emotional intelligence would aspire to. But like so many clueless celebrities she doesn’t seem to care. I mean, at one time she endorsed Trump, defended him even. Now he’s a racist? Were you medicated before that you’re only now coming to that conclusion?

The whole thing just stinks. Perhaps I think too much about legacy. About using my media chops to help people even if it’s only in a very small way. I am far too conscious of the impact that ill stated words or even potentially suspect behavior have on the global community of women, the global community of people of color. To be careless when it comes to the ideas I publicly espouse and the behavior that I am known for exhibiting, it’s just silly. 

I hope I don’t sound too third-world when I say this, but you can always make money. Is it worth throwing your image, your public persona into the trash heap? I’m far from perfect. I can be short-tempered, patience is not only of my strengths, and I can be incredibly intolerant of anything that unnecessarily hurts someone else. But I’m still cautious about what I put out into the world. I will not do any and everything to get paid, and in my experience people who do end up limiting their earning potential, not the other way around.

And it’s not about being nice. It’s not even about being liked. It’s about being reasonable and ensuring that my contribution to the world, to the dialogue about race and gender is substantive, at the very least, it should be defensible if one is reasonable. Can Omarosa say the same? 

The only thing interesting about her media blitz this week is the fact that she played a recording of her dismissal that took place in the White House Situation Room, which according to one article I read, is supposed to be among the most secure locations on Earth. But that’s not an Omarosa story per say, that’s a how frickin’ lax is security in the White House story.

I don’t care that the Trump Jr. allegedly had a dirty texting session with Danity Kane girl group member Aubrey O’Day. That’s his wife’s problem. Trump dated model Carol Alt in the nineties? Nope, still not interested. I actually feel stupid for even writing that. But I did to illustrate how similar her book seems to a tabloid. The only difference is, the tabloids you see on newsstands these days offer recent hearsay. Hers is decades old, recycled and third party.

If you’re gonna write a tell all, there should be a modern day hook. If you’re gonna drag the President of the United States, you should make a statement, a strong one. I haven’t read the book, but if the snippets that are being released are any indication, a monumental truth is not forthcoming. 

Is the book’s lack of teeth a reflection of the time in which we live? A time of fake news and world leaders who go on Twitter rants and lie with impunity? Perhaps. Or it could be that some of us really love to watch a train wreck. 

We love to watch people act like fools. It’s entertaining to watch them position themselves as a player when in fact they are the ones being played. But I suppose that remains to be seen, no? 

As director of communications she supposedly earned more than $179K annually, which is on par with a chief of staff or a national security advisor. I don’t know how much she got for her book, but is money more important than legacy? That’s the real question for me, and I suppose we all have a different answer.