Confessions of a Video Vixen

Summary:

Karrine Steffans tells a story of her evolution into adulthood. Not just the age over 21 but the actual maturity that comes with it. In the book Confessions of a Video Vixen Karrine Steffans starts off with her childhood, she tells a story of the neglect she received from her mother and the love she received only from her grandmother. Steffans goes into full detail of the events that she went through as a child; she was forced to move to the United States by her mother, far away from her only protected who was her grandmother and treated as though she was an unwanted child by her. The reason being, Karrine’s mothers was still hurting over the fact that Karrine’s father had abandoned them. Karrine’s mother’s rage and hatred grew so much it caused her to runaway and finally be able to live with her dad. There she found another safe haven, until additions to the family rapidly came and she found herself running once again. She became a stripper to maintain living off the streets and at least comfortable, there she created a whole new persona. Leading her to her husband to be Kool G Rap, who only abuses her sereval ways in order to life himself up as a person; with him she has her son. After years of abuse she finally lives and then on Karrine begins her quest in the music business, she gains help from known iced-t and tries to make a life for herself, leaving her young son behind with his father who she later retrieves. She meets many men who will change her life especially a man she calls papa, JA rule and r&b singer ray j. with JA rule she learns the ways of a drug addict and alcoholic. It wasn’t until she faced a near death experience and lost everything realizing no one actually loved her for a human being, only for the things she has done. Once she turned to god and stopped being addicted to the lime light she only then changed for the better and changed her life around.

Quote: “Sitting on the floor, I cried, and it pained me terribly that I rose to my knees and began to pray… I need help and the only one who could help me was him: (Steffans 173)

Reactions: Throughout the book I had mixed emotions on the protagonist Karrine Steffans. I thought of her as irresponsible and dumb but as I began to understand her more I feel as though I would like my life to turn out similar to hers. I would like to use my past in order to get ahead of my future; Karrine Steffans is now a responsible, independent woman who depends on nobody but herself to make things happen.