Skip to main content

It Was Just A Kiss

The hit BET series Boomerang is back, and I’m here for it. The show follows the lives of a group of close friends and rising young professionals navigating the world of friendship, careers, and their growing relationships. After watching the first season, I couldn’t wait to see how things continued to unfold with Simone and Bryson. If you’ve seen the show, then you already know last season ended with a little heartbreak after Bryson found out his girlfriend Simone went to dinner with her newly engaged ex-boyfriend for closure, mind you, Bryson said it was cool when Simone asked if it’d be okay if she got up with her ex. Well, after she did, the evening ended with Simone kissing her ex, lying about her whereabouts when Bryson checked in on her and finally confessing to what she’d done. Of course, this didn’t end well for her. Bryson was hurt, felt like he couldn’t trust her anymore, and he bounced. 

Now that we’re in season two, Bryson’s got a hotation situation going, friends are taking sides, and Simone is the odd girl out.

While I know there are levels to betrayals and cheating, I was surprised to see Bryson so dismissive, cold, and in his feelings over something as small as a kiss. It was just a kiss. Sure, I’d be upset and maybe a little hurt if someone I was involved with kissed someone else, was dishonest with me about it, and then confessed later, and while I’m not excusing Simone’s behavior, compared to what some guys and other girls do when they’re being shady, what Simone did wasn’t all that bad. She could have done a lot more. But she didn’t. Here’s where the double standard kicks in -- because Simone is a young woman, what she did is perceived as a major betrayal and she then becomes disposable and unforgiven, however, if the roles were reversed, Bryson would likely be quickly forgiven and then everyone would eventually move on and start talking about something else. 

I maintain that it was just a kiss. Nothing more. Nothing less. Only the meaning given to it.

Make no mistake, I don’t condone or excuse crossing lines and boundaries if you’re involved with someone or getting involved with someone you know is spoken for, but does Simone deserve to be mistreated and shunned? We all make mistakes. Bryson’s not perfect. Neither is Simone. And he has a right to be disappointed, but he also gave the okay for her to go to dinner with her ex in the first place. I wonder, in what world did he think agreeing to that would end well for him, Simone, or their relationship? 

Think about it. 

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space.  I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

Ditching Dating And Decentering Men

Today’s current dating climate is bizarre. It’s grown so bizarre, that men barely, if ever in some cases, will approach a woman in person and ask her out on a date. Instead, the new normal has become DM sliding, creeping on social media accounts, and liking photos to build romantic connections, which honestly doesn’t sound too romantic or appealing to me at all. As a child of the 90s and a teenager of the early 2000s, I miss and prefer the time when men interacted with women without hiding behind technology. There was something special about handwritten cards and notes, thoughtful dates, serendipity, and intentionality. After having some unpleasant encounters, embarrassing moments, and failed set ups (from well meaning people who believe I need to be partnered), I’ve decided, that now, at 36, to choose me. I’m ditching dating and decentering men. I’m no longer interested in meeting anyone, dating, or creating space to prioritize a relationship. I’ve never been a male-centered woman any...

The Day I Took A Concealed Carry Course

Ability, opportunity, and intent are three words I’ll never forget after taking my first concealed carry course. Learning about firearm safety, how to properly purchase and use a firearm, and obtaining my concealed carry license were goals I set for myself and accomplished at the end of last year. Although I felt completely outside my comfort zone, I knew taking these steps were important to me. Mainly because of the current state of our world and society in general. During the course with Concealed Coalition, our instructor began by stating that the world seems more hostile than ever. He shared how you could be an innocent person minding your own business and suddenly find yourself in a situation where a firearm is present or needed. When he asked, “What made you take this course?” I responded, “For protection.” The course was filled with men and women there for the same reason and others. We all learned about specific laws in place surrounding firearms, the steps to purchase them, ho...