Mo'Nique - The Underestimation of the Plus Sized Princess of Hollywood and Beyond

What do you think of when you hear the name Monique? Quite possibly you may think of actress Monique Coleman who played Taylor McKessie in the uber popular "High School Musical" and its sequel and was also featured on "Dancing With The Stars". Also entering your mind might be an actress who "performs" in films of the adult variety, Monique Alexander. Finally, and most importantly in my humble opinion, you may come up with a comedienne and actress simply known as Mo'Nique. As much as I am sure some of you would enjoy an article that would delve deeply into the achingly passionate xxx world of adult cinema a la Ms. Alexander, this particular one pertains to the latter of the three.

I could give you a rundown of Mo'Niques life and how she was raised and how she got into the business and blah, blah, blah, but since you were adept enough to find this article, I am going to assume that you are net savvy enough to look it up (or click the link that I so generously provided :-]). In this piece of writing I plan to focus on why this plus sized beauty of immeasurable talent is undoubtedly overlooked by some comedy fans.

Just why Mo'Nique is overlooked or under appreciated by some is somewhat of a difficult question for me to answer. From her early days in comedy to her surprising turn in the film "Shadowboxer" with Cuba Gooding Jr all the way to her hilarious comedic role in "BeerFest" which includes the now infamous "mustard scene",she never ceases to pull out every stop. Possibly it is the fact that a lot of what Mo'Nique does could be labeled by some (myself not included) as "black comedy" and a portion of white viewers may just automatically turn tail and retreat at the mere mention of such a term. Also, some may be turned off by the fact that she is proud to be large and celebrates that fact with every ounce of her being. What I have heard, and it makes me sad, is that a certain demographic is turned off by the fact that Mo'Nique is a larger than life proud black woman who exudes self confidence and is more than willing to stand up for herself and anything she believes in. Whatever the reason may be, this writer believes that those who refuse to give true talent a fighting chance are missing out on a world of great opportunities to see some things that just might make them smile.

Mo'Nique has not used her deserved fame solely for her own gain. She recently appeared on VH1 in a program she moderated that attempted to teach some reality show girls (the cast offs from VH1'S Flavor of Love) some class and manners. On said show, she became sort of a mentor and mother to the girls in a way only she could. She delivered straight up, true to life advice that was as real and as honest as it was poignant. She also participated in a special documentary on the oxygen network examining life behind the bars of a womens correctional facility and even initiated a reunion of sorts between a mother and daughter who were both incarcerated at the same facility but rarely spoke.

I suppose my point tot his whole jumbled charade is that Mo'Nique is not a one note lady. I will use an old cliche' line and say that she is similar to an onion with layer upon juicy layer. Just when you think you have her figured out, you stumble upon the video of her sexy, sultry dance to Beyonces "Crazy In Love" at the NAACP Image Awards. Mo'nique Imes is a larger than life figure who appreciates her art and her place in life. She feels a responsibility to not take anything she has for granted and she is constantly doing her part to aid her fellow female. I would say she is well worth a look. Thank you and may the delta farce be with you.