Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B was certainly a “hot topic” this weekend, but likely not in the way Executive Producer Wendy Williams had hoped. The much-hyped biopic aired by Lifetime on Saturday night saw Aaliyah superfans and casual viewers alike erupt on social media in a protest larger than that resulting from Zendaya originally being cast to play the lead.
Those who tuned in took issue with just about everything the flick had to offer. The poor casting choices spurred a bout of memes on Twitter with the trending hashtag #LifetimeBeLike. There was also the minor detail that not one Aaliyah song was actually featured in the film – a problem caused by the fact that Aaliyah’s family did not give the go-ahead for production. These issues, along with the lackluster script, made for a movie barely worth an illegal download.
Wendy Williams responded to the critics on Monday via her syndicated talk show by acknowledging that Lifetime’s showing “broke the internet”. Regarding the numerous criticisms, the media maven simply stated “everybody got an opinion” and left it at that. Wendy praised the acting chops of Alexandra Shipp, the newcomer chosen to play the iconic star, and then made it a point to say that “whether you loved or hate (sic), you watched. It was the second highest-rated movie on all of cable this year so far”. So despite the film being panned by the public it was, in fact, a ratings hit.
Seems like the “How You Doin’?” Host (who has been heading up her own “How You Laughin’” comedy tour) will end up having the last laugh on this debacle. Want to chime in on the Aaliyah movie but missed the first viewing? Lifetime will be re-airing the film tonight – so check it out (if you dare) and sound off!
FameFlynet
