Keke Palmer is doing major things. The 20-year-old actress/singer is set to make television history this summer as she will become the youngest talk show host ever. With her show “The Keke Project” set to debut on BET this summer, Palmer has kicked off her promotional rounds to generate buzz about her new venture.
In an interview with Madamenoire, Palmer tackles a variety of topics including her new talk show, reality television, abstinence, being grounded and much more.
Check out excerpts from Palmer’s interview below.
How does it feel to become the youngest person in television history to host a talk show?
“It’s unbelievable! When I started the process of the talk show, I did not consider how young I am. It was a dream I was trying to achieve and to get recognition on top of that is the icing on the cake!”What can you tell us about ‘The Keke Project” and your plans for the show?
“It will be a fun show for my generation, where people can have a place to respect ourselves and our skills: whether it be fashion or getting ready for college. For me personally, I will be dealing with living on my own and not having my parents around. I will also discuss men and the pressure of sex. I want to touch on everything young people go through.”How do you manage to stay grounded in the entertainment industry?
“I stay close to my family, friends and God. I am extremely close to my parents and I have a great support system. I always make sure I am prayed up. My focus is not on the materialistic things around me. I never wanted to get caught up in the Hollywood stuff because that is not what matters. What matters is my purpose and spreading God’s love around the world.”What do you think of reality television shows and the backlash they receive?
“I think people need to know the difference between entertainment and reality. People get caught up with the circumstances in shows like Basketball Wives or Teen Mom; people say if young girls watch these shows, they will want to emulate these women. I say no! It is not a television show’s fault if your child wants to behave in a certain manner. This means your child is not being taught the difference between what you should and should not do. My sister watches Teen Mom but she never says,’I want to be a pregnant teen.’ If anything, my sister tells me it is what she does not want to become. People take reality shows too seriously and the are usually not even real. Every thing you watch does not need to become a part of your personal life.”What can you tell us about abstinence and the dating scene?
“Both men and women pressure each other for sex. We’re young, live your life and enjoy yourself. My thing is, people need to be with those who respect you. At the end of the day, whoever you spend your time with make sure they value you. If you feel over the course of time they are deserving of whatever it is you would like to give them, fine. My twitter rant [about sex] was for myself; I find myself dating guys who I do not talk to anymore because, I assume, we have not had sex. [Sex] is the number one topic in the conversation with these men and I’m like ‘uh no, I do not want to talk about that all the time!’ I do not know why there is so much pressure being built when you are dating someone. It’s like they have a ticking time clock on you. It is not about the time, it is about making sure this is the right person. I always use my Twitter as an outlet. It’s like my therapy. I feel like my talk show will allow me to do the same self-expression. People are going through these same burdens. My priority is not the sex. I refuse to succumb to my flesh. I will not offer myself up to someone who does not know my spirit.”
Read the full interview here.
