Appeared on: Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School (2007)
In a fight between Bootz and Buckeey on the reunion episode of Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School, Mo'Nique comes out from the back to deliver the following moment of Mother Love Realness: "It breaks my heart to sit back there and watch a TV camera and have your mother and have your mother sit in the front seat and you speak like that in front of your mother. It breaks my heart." She's great because she actually thought she could change the ways of foolish people. Plus, she's an Oscar winner, so that's got to be exciting to someone like Mimi Faust, who acts like a Tyler Perry scene every week on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, no?
Gary Busey, the zany actor you've seen in Lethal Weapon and Point Break, entered the program, though he claimed to be in the role of mentor, not patient. Which is odd, because, well, look at his face? After the confusion was cleared up, Busey went on to get himself together. Er, at least he did well enough to appear on Celebrity Apprentice. Yes, he's better. You know, for Gary Busey
Appeared on: The Surreal Life, Season 3 (2004); Strange Love (2005); The Surreal Life: Fame Games (2007); Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Season 1 (2008)
Brigitte Nielsen, famous for playing the uncompromising wife of Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (aka the one that ended the Cold War) showed her ass, her addiction, dated Flavor Flav, and showed her ass again all in the name of keeping a gig on reality television. VH1 should take care of her for the rest of her life for the work she did for the network's reality programming, from the early days with The Surreal Life (essentially The Real World with declining celebs) to cleaning up her act on Celebrity Rehab. Just look at that resume.
Appeared on: Flavor of Love, Season 2 (2006); Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School (2007); Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012-present)
Originally known as Buckeey on Flavor of Love, Shay has managed to make a TV career out of pursuing unattainable men. To her credit, no one believes any of the contestants really wanted Flavor Flav. Unfortunately, she lost that fight all the same. To go from that kind of defeat to looking like the sideline character in Lil' Scrappy's love life, well, what else is there to say but: The thirst is real. Shay's been cashing in on that desert for more than five years now. We'd love to see her find a boyfriend.
Although we cheered for just about every heel that ever went against Hulk Hogan in his WWF years (minus Sgt. Slaughter), his VH1 reality show made him far more likable-mostly because his family proved to be far, far more annoying than his goodie-two shoes wrestling persona ever was. He supported his daughter's ill-advised pop star dreams and tried to help his son Nick after meeting some legal problems. Then there was his wife, who after divorcing him and dating one of her daughter's friends, showed herself to be a less than magical person. It's still unforgiveable that he beat Macho Man Randy Savage at Wrestlemania V, but let's call it even for now, Hulkster.
Appeared on: Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (2007-2009)
The guy from Poison managed to score a dating game show in which 25 women competed for his affections. "Shockingly," the winner said she didn't actually have any real feelings for the rocker-leading to him taking a second and third shot. Not surprisingly, those efforts proved just as fruitless. Still, it could've been worse. He could be still known as that guy from Poison.
Appeared on: Love & Hip Hop (2011-2012); Chrissy & Mr. Jones (2012-present)
BET may have had Keyshia Cole's mama, Frankie Lons, but Jim Jones' Mama Jones is a close second in the competition for ridiculous mothers. Hell, considering she can turn it on without the substance abuse, and she might place first. Plus, she paved the way for overbearing mothers who hate their sons' girlfriends. Now, it's time to give her, Momma Dee, and Waka Flocka's mama that Hip Hop Mamas show, stat.
Appeared on: Flavor of Love, Season 2 (2006); Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School (2007); I Love Money, Season 2 (2009)
Saaphyri made waves by beating the hell out of a fellow contestant over a bed-then offering her some lip chap. A year later, she won a competition based on reform and etiquette. Ultimately, she wound up in jail for 22 months. You think Mo'Nique and/or Flavor Flav put any money on her book?
Appeared on: The Surreal Life, Season 5 (2005); The Salt-N-Pepa Show (2007-2008); Let's Talk About Pep (2010)
Pep is like that older auntie who wants to go to the club with you, and once she does, she out dances you, knows everyone working in the establishment, and is the last one to leave. It's no wonder she and the other half of Salt-N-Papa, the now devout Christian Cheryl "Salt" James had so much conflict over how to carry on with their legendary act. And any way you look at it, her search for love on the sitcom-like reality series, Let's Talk About Pep, was ahead of its time.
Appeared on: I Love New York (2007-2008); I Love New York (2007); I Love New York 2 (2007); New York Goes To Hollywood (2008); New York Goes To Work (2009)
We're not sure if she was really Tiffany Pollard's mama (chances are, no), but Sister Patterson was quite entertaining in all her faux Holy Roller ridiculous. Like the time she croaked some hymn in "church" (still can't believe a clergymen let a VH1 camera crew inside). Or when she bitched out people applying to be Tiffany's assistant. Then there's her gaydar, which made a very loud appearance during one episode of I Love New York. Real mama or not, she pretended enough.
Appeared on: Flavor of Love, Season 1 (2006); Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School (2007)
Born Schatar Taylor, but dubbed "Hottie" on the Flavor Flav-focused dating show, this woman tried to cook raw chicken in the microwave, routinely dodged accusations of being a gold digger, and, in a fight with a fellow contestant, told the other pugilist that she was jealous of her because she looked like Beyoncé. Kenya Moore, you are Hottie's son.
Appeared on: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012-present)
Hopefully VH1 figures out a spinoff for this ex-pimp and drug dealer turned empress of her imaginary kingdom, jungle, and village. Momma Dee is literally a real-life version of Dorinda from Truck Turner, and she is magical. In that order.
She curses like a pissed-off sailor, will fist fight two women at the same damn time, has ties to the mob by way of her newly-freed-from-prison husband, and gets asked to rap in French Montana videos. What's not to love about Drita D'Avanzo? Well, minus the felony connections.
The artist formally known as Saved by the Bell's "Screech" was a smug, condescending, self-loathing jackass who fought with everyone on Celebrity Fit Club, including one of the judges, U.S. Marine Harvey Walden, who clearly wanted to kick his ass from the set's stage all the way back to Bayside High. Although most wouldn't consider earning top Google honors for the search term "Dustin Diamond Douchebag" a win, if you're the attention-whoring Dustin Diamond, that's pretty much mission accomplished.
Appeared on: Love & Hip Hop (2011-2012); Chrissy & Mr. Jones (2012-present)
If you're a fan of Deebo from Friday or Coretta Cox from The Steve Harvey Show, you must adore Chrissy Lampkin. Her sucker-punches and screams about marriage earned her a spot on a hit reality franchise and a subsequent spinoff. We'd like to offer a counter to why bullying behavior remains a negative, but...the second season of her spinoff will be back soon, so there you go.
Appeared on: Basketball Wives, Season 2 (2010-present)
In 1993, Tami Roman was making TV history as she had MTV's The Real World cameras document her abortion. A decade later, she was sneak-slugging her cast mates on VH1's Basketball Wives. While the former might've given women strength in making a difficult decision, the latter is the kind of antic that bred new life into Tami's career.
Now she's getting booking acting roles, selling weaves, and she got off welfare (a fun fact she revealed when first joining the show). Those singing dreams may have never happened, but, then again, Tami has the kind of fame now that could at least help her score a cheap iTunes hit. Go on girl, or something.
Appeared on: Mob Wives, Season 2 (2012-present); Big Ang (2012-present)
The only thing larger than Angela "Big Ang" Raiola's gargantuan breasts is her heart. With two shows on the network, plus a book deal and constant media attention, Big Ang is proving you don't have to be wicked to get ahead on VH1.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder what a hip-hop version of Hannibal Lector would be like?" That's exactly what Joe Budden is, at least on Love & Hip-Hop. The show's last season wasn't the strongest, but Joe and Tahiry's on again, off again relationship made for interesting television. Particularly when you take into account that he literally whispered the entire time. At least he proved you don't have to scream to make someone feel like **** on the inside.
Evelyn Lozada is evil incarnate. Surely one of the people she's thrown a bottle or drink at can vouch for that. There's also the fact that she bedded Tami Roman's husband—only she waited long after they became cool to sneak that little fun fact in. If that wasn't bad enough, she proceeded to say, "Yeah, I banged your husband, but you were a 'non-mother******ing factor' at the time." Super classy. Nevertheless, she's been the breakout star of this franchise and her antics have filled her bank account. She must have enough money to buy a soul.
Appeared on: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012-present)
Before she joined Love & Hip-Hop's Atlanta spinoff, K. Michelle could sing her ass off. But after telling her story of domestic abuse and cracking three jokes per segment on her cast mates, now the world not only knows who K. Michelle is, they're loving her for both her wit and singing ability.
Appeared on: For the Love of Ray J (2009-2010), Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business (2010-2011)
Ray J should really let go of Kim Kardashian, given it's 2013 and no one cares when they had sex. That said, when people actually were interested, Ray J made the most of it, starring on multiple reality shows capturing all of his...talents. That's as close to a compliment as we can muster out of the situation.
Appeared on: The Surreal Life, Season 3 (2004); Strange Love (2005); Flavor of Love (2006-2008)
Though it's been a long time since Public Enemy was a cultural force, we're not entirely sure how to feel about a rapper who participated on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back transitioning into a reality star on a show where 20 tequila-guzzling women fought over his affection. Nevertheless, it was certainly a profitable move for him. Not to mention for VH1, a network that might've still been playing Pop Up Video all day if not for Flav's string of reality hits.
In some ways, it's sad that such a talented musician who produced for so many of the biggest stars of our generation (Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G.) is now known for acting like a creepy pimp.
On the other hand, when you take into account that he gives sociopathic teases and makes Master Splinter faces all the time, you can't fight fate. But, you know, drop some more heat, Stevie. Let the children known you're more than Joseline's...well, whatever they are.
Appeared on: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012-present)
Joseline is an ex-stripper, aspiring rapper, black/Puerto Rican woman who speaks like Charo, if Charo had grown up in a Miami hood. And while she may still be struggling with some deep-seated issues that keeps her in the back pocket of men like "Steebie J," don't worry about her. Why? Because this show and the fame it has given her has opened her eyes to so many different things. She's going to take over the world. At least, we hope so.
Appeared on: Flavor of Love (2006); Flavor of Love 2 (2006); I Love New York (2007); I Love New York 2 (2007); New York Goes to Hollywood (2008); New York Goes to Work (2009)
Flavor Flav may have been VH1's first breakout star, but it's Tiffany Pollard who's the most memorable. Her over-the-top antics didn't solidify her acting career like she wanted, but she sure broke the mold when it comes to stars on the network. So many are trying in vain to copy her shtick now, but there's only one "New York." (The person, not shows with her name in the title. Of those there were many. Salute.)
