Danity Kane Listening Party

Making the Band 3 is in its third season on MTV and the ladies of Danity Kane: Aubrey, Aundrea, Shannon, Dawn, & Wanitam are everywhere. Tonight Diddy hosted a listening party for the group in a quaint studio tucked in a low-key area of Los Angeles. The party brought media and artists alike out to enjoy the melodic tunes of the new group as well as an opportunity for the ladies to schmooze attendees with their charming personalities.

I’m still getting my feet wet in these types of settings. I am used to being backstage or in VIP, but this whole media industry aspect is a new way of life for me. So, I decided to make friends. I get engaged in a conversation with two reporters (one from US Weekly and the other from People), and a publicist. The topic: Star Jones’ untimely departure from the View.

I was the only one to admit that I think Star was railroaded and profusely hated on by the media and cast members. I mean come on, everything was fine when Star was the fat, black, single woman without a cause. Day in and day out playing "mammy" while successfully moderating the show. She gets a man, looses a bit of weight and then turns into the female version of Godzilla. I think that media spoon fed the public these negative images of a once successful prosecuting attorney turned desperate fag-hag. Since I began watching the show, back when Debbie Matenopoulos would trip over every word out of her mouth, Star did what she was there to do. I guess in America you can't step out of the "stereotypical" image that everyone else chooses to identify you with; Star Jones is a perfect example of that.

Rosie O'Donnell started this mess. She talks shit about how she doesn't like the fact Star didn't reveal her true method for weight loss. Get a grip, we don't need to know all of that, just like we don't need to know all of the details in your life. All and all, the other two journalists disagreed with me. I support Star, no matter if she thinks Payless shoes are marketable. (This is something Star will have to stand alone on) heheheee.

My counter argument is always shunned though. The People journalist pointed out Star's abuse of the spotlight. She accused the former-host of using the show to try and get free gifts for her wedding, which in turn ruined chances for any of the guests to plug products or upcoming events on the show. Is that a crime? I think Angelina Jolie selling her baby pictures to donate the money to charity is just as bad. But no one will side with me on that one. I don't know, I think that if the media likes you, so does the rest of America. (So people beware, stay on my good side)

I quickly got out of that "celebrity gossip" circle and nestled up with some of my favorite people to party with, the guys.

As I mingled throughout the crowd I noticed several videographers surveying the scene with their cameras and gaffers following close behind. A couple of the male attendees asked me what they were filming for. Never at a lost for words I quickly made reference to the fact that the girls are cable TV stars and it was probably for their reality show. Sure enough, that turned out to be true.

A short while later the party started to jump off. The music was pumping and drinks were flowing. The big surprise was the host of the night was the man, the fabulous, the accomplished Diddy. When Diddy arrived the small setting of about 40 people turned into a media frenzy. There were camera’s snapping and people vying for a chance to be photographed with him. Hey, what the –? Isn’t this a party for the girls? Well, when you have a mega-star there like Sean Combs you kind of forget what the whole reason for the existence of your life; well maybe it's just me. I stood there waiting for my photo op, but I didn't have anyone with me to snap the shot. Unfortunately, I had to turn to the journalist who I was just going head-to-head with. Unenthusiastically, she agreed to get the shot of Diddy and I.

He thanked everyone for coming out to support the event and then he brought out Dainty Kane. Diddy has done it again; put together something from nothing. MTV’s Making the Band 3 has produced five beautiful girls with interchangeable weaves…no, just kidding. The multicultural group of young women that he mistakenly referred to (several times) as “the girls” beamed with excitement as they posed for pictures. They were in reality TV mode the entire time; he has trained them well.

Listening to the album blast through the speakers I noticed something, the girls didn’t sound half bad. As a matter of fact, they belted out sounds with confidence. The sound was poppy, doused with hip-hop rhythm and a new-school bluesy feel. The beats were amazing. Producers like Timbaland and Dark Child (Rodney Jerkins) stepped up to assist the group with unique sure-hit tracks.

What I can't say for sure is what market Danity Kane is more likely to penetrate. While I enjoyed the tracks that I heard, I don’t know what demographic they plan to target to push listeners to go out and cop the album. I would assume that people who follow the show are more likely to support it: like I did as a big fan of Making the Band 2. The whole deal is, there is a chance for these ladies. I’d have to hear a few more singles to determine what rating to give it exactly, but for now I’d say two stars out of four. The ladies personalities and kick-ass figures stand out far more than their songs. Instead of branding these ladies as too hot for TV, we can say Danity Kane may be too hot for CD.