Vibe Magazine recently released its cover art for an upcoming issue of the magazine and it has been stirring up controversy ever since. It features 4 reality TV stars, Kandi Burress, Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Lozada, and Chrissy Lampkin. In bold grey and pink letters the words “Meet Your New Role Models” stand out to highlight the feature article, and that is precisely where the controversy began.

Are they seriously telling young Black women to look up to these women as role models, or did they create the cover to stir up controversy and get people talking about Vibe Magazine. I hope it’s the latter, because the cover art has gone viral and Vibe is being talked about on social networks and blogs like never before. But if it wasn’t the latter then what merits does one have to achieve to be hoisted up to role model status. Let us examine these women’s merits shall we.

First off, I believe that Kandi should be the only one on the cover because she has years of independent success to back her up. From being a member of Xscape; to becoming an award winning song writer, boutique owner, radio show host, and being the owner of an exotic toy company, she has shown that she has what it takes to be successful and maintain that success. By those merits she should be a role model for Black girls and women alike. As for the rest of them, if Vibe believes they deserve to be role models, one must ask, what kind of drugs is the Editor In Chief on, seriously.

Evelyn was engaged to a basketball player who never married her; opened a store in Miami to make herself look like a business woman, closed the store because it was a sham created for the reality show she’s on, Basketball Groupies, starts drama every chance she gets on the show, and now is “engaged” to an NFL player, to get another show, and now is unemployed because her BS antics along with one of her fellow cast members got their show cancelled. “Role Model”

Tamar married a producer and record exec who used to manage her sister (who should be on the cover instead of her), was in a failed singing group, and her producer/record executive husband won’t even put out an album featuring her. “Role Model”

And Chrissy was dating rapper Jim Jones, so because of that she was able to get on a reality show called Love and Hip Hop. On which she proposed to him, gave him a ring and he promptly lost it. Then he finally proposed to her and they’re getting a spin-off show to be aired next year or something.

Now you see why, the cover had to be for entertainment purposes only. Create a controversial cover, hope it goes viral, and cause a hoot in the social world and blogosphere. If that wasn’t the reason, then I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

As for role models, Kandi is the only one that comes close to someone that I would want my daughter, if I had one, to look up to. The other 3 have done nothing that resembles being put on the role model pedestal, unless you count groupies getting engaged to sports stars, women marrying music execs that won’t put out your music, and rapper girlfriends finally getting engaged to get a reality show achievements.

If those things are the kind of achievements that you want your daughters to aspire to, then Basketball Groupies, Like and Hip Hop, and Braxton Marry a Mogul Values are looking for new cast members. Oh but you have to sleep with the producers to get the job, that shouldn’t be a problem, right!