Patti saying it like it is.........

[blueskies]

http://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/patti-labelle-slams-today-39-divas-quot-little-145000396-us-weekly.html

[nabob]

I never considered DIVA as a 100% positive term. I always thought of it as pertaining to a difficult to manage, over-pampered woman who uses her special gifts to demand special treatment and who throws tantrums when things don't go her way. While I understand where Ms LaBelle is coming from in her use of the term it's just not synonymous with the description above. My first exposure to the term was from a description of Maria Callas' behavior off stage. I've also heard it applied to Kathleen Battle's behavior. And there are others who've garnered the moniker with public displays of tantrums. Separating the talent from the behavior we have an individual to be admired.

[jobeterob]

LOL, I notice she says she has 3 albums coming out!

Aretha Franklin has had an album coming out forever.

Mary Wilson has had her CD [[first?) coming out for 10 years.

Wonder if we'll ever see any of them.

[blueskies]

I've also heard it applied to Kathleen Battle's behavior. Yea, just ask Carol Vaness about M. Battle's behavior in the dressing room at the Met

[nosey]

I as well heard the negative connotation of Diva.

[soulster]

I never considered DIVA as a 100% positive term. I always thought of it as pertaining to a difficult to manage, over-pampered woman who uses her special gifts to demand special treatment and who throws tantrums when things don't go her way. While I understand where Ms LaBelle is coming from in her use of the term it's just not synonymous with the description above.
Right on! You speak truth!

[Jerry Oz]

"Diva" in a pop cultural sense has always seemed to be a back-handed compliment to someone who was talented but difficult to manage. To them, the "little people" around them are there to serve and buy their records, but not to be heard or answered to. Maybe I am too cynical in my definition, though.

[soulster]

"Diva" in a pop cultural sense has always seemed to be a back-handed compliment to someone who was talented but difficult to manage. To them, the "little people" around them are there to serve and buy their records, but not to be heard or answered to. Maybe I am too cynical in my definition, though. I think you're pretty accurate.

Funny, though, how so many people on this forum worship divas. Why?

[skooldem1]

The definition of the word diva in pop culture has evolved.

[smark21]

Here's the link to Urban Dictionary's definitions of "Diva"...as you can see the definitions run a gamut from positive to negative. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=diva

[splanky]

For the most part I agree with what Patti said and though I'll always be a big fan of her skills
and music I do think she is a bit late with this assertion especially when at times she's acted
as a bit of a "Diva" in the negative sense herself. Also, today it's common for quite a few
singers to refer to themselves and their peers as such, thinking it's a compliment and then
going on to conduct themselves on the other end. I've even met at least a couple of my
favorite singers whom though I'll keep listening to their music, I've seen get all Miss Thing
in person:)...

[splanky]

BTW, I forgot to mention how curious I am about this supposed jazz release Patti talks
about doing. I know more than a few soul/R&B singers have talked about doing jazz
and finding out they don't have the chops or requisite sensibilities. Patti, of course has
an instrument but not everyone who has a rifle is a sharp shooter...Hmm, we'll see...

[soulster]

The definition of the word diva in pop culture has evolved.
To what? It always had a negative connotation to it. No wonder Aretha Franklin's "La Diva" album bombed!

Hey! EnVogue had an album called "Funky Divas", Does that mean they stink? :)

[soulster]

For the most part I agree with what Patti said and though I'll always be a big fan of her skills
and music I do think she is a bit late with this assertion especially when at times she's acted
as a bit of a "Diva" in the negative sense herself. Also, today it's common for quite a few
singers to refer to themselves and their peers as such, thinking it's a compliment and then
going on to conduct themselves on the other end. I've even met at least a couple of my
favorite singers whom though I'll keep listening to their music, I've seen get all Miss Thing
in person:)... Yeah, they're all stuck on themselves and can't get out their own way. They live in their own little world where they think they're all that and a bag of Doritos.

[Jerry Oz]

Yep. They try to outdo themselves. Mariah Carey drops a million to renew her wedding vows at Disneyland because she wants to have the fairy tale wedding that Snow White had. Nicki Minaj goes out of her way to be rude and above everybody else at times. Beyonce wearing her fur coat to a vegan diner and calling in favors from the POTUS to take a vacation in Cuba.

These are all small things that people observe and wouldn't care much about if the person doing it wasn't seemingly flaunting their status when doing it. There's a reason they make sure the cameras and media surround them where ever they go, BTW. We shouldn't care, but that "diva" thing kind of draws our attention, so we do.

And yeah, Patti LaBelle has had her fair share of diva moments which sadly has eroded her image for many. It's no big thing, actually. They're just people who want to believe that success gives them the right to be bigger than they actually are. That's too bad, because eccentric and spoiled behavior makes them seem smaller to me.

[blueskies]

That's too bad, because eccentric and spoiled behavior makes them seem smaller to me.

An 'Amen' to that!

[antceleb12]

To what? It always had a negative connotation to it.

Not true. The word "diva" used to refer to female opera singers with enormous talent. It was a massive compliment. Attitudes and egos didn't play a part of the definition of the word until much later. The male version, although used much less, is "divo" and has not procured as much negative connotation over the years.

[splanky]

Not true. The word "diva" used to refer to female opera singers with enormous talent. It was a massive compliment. Attitudes and egos didn't play a part of the definition of the word until much later. The male version, although used much less, is "divo" and has not procured as much negative connotation over the years.

antceleb is right, soulster. Diva had for years been a positive term in Opera. I remember when Kathleen Battle came on the scene she was heralded as a new black Diva. Unfortunately we learned later she could sometives be a real "Diva", if you get my drift:)...
But I liked the thing she did with Janet Jackson. Not many opera singers acknowledged popular music...

[Soul Sister]

I agree with NABOB & Splanky.

LOL.............Patti got the nerve to talk even if what she is saying is true.

S.S.
***