DD55 said:

Here are my take-aways on chapter 2

.

She wasn’t a fan of P like her sister, but the psychological warfare in the (movie) family drew her to the PR movie (it resembled her own family situation), yet she listened to purple rain all the time. She says her sister was the real Prince fan, I wonder if she realized how much she was too? Did that draw her to him later in life?

.

Her mother was a strict catholic but lived with a guy with her young children? (Sorry, I hope I don’t get kicked off the thread for expressing my continuing displeasure with Mayte’s mother.) Yet to say something positive about her mom, dance school 90 mins away, that’s a 3 hour round trip. Hard to believe they (her mom and her) made this trip three times a week.

.

(oh here I go again…) She let her 16 area old daughter stay with a man in a hotel for the night. No matter that they just talked, it’s the appearance… idk, just wrong. I wonder if her mother wanted something to happen? It would be her ticket out of Germany.

.

sheepish, one more mom statement. She knew her 16 year daughter was getting ‘tips’ tucked into her costume by strange men.

.

She was a typical teenager in many respects, stayed in her room a lot, listened to music, challenged our parents/mother to shave our legs (wear makeup etc), and many girls feel alone in adolescence.

.

Her mother takes the kids and reunites with her father in Germany… she knew her mother made a mistake and ‘learned that mistakes aren’t necessarily forever’ and 'Second chances happen’ . She lived the last 25 years with that belief in mind with regards to Prince.

.

The whole description of trips to Egypt baffle me. Weren’t there tailors / seamstresses in Germany? If bellydancing was so big at the time, you would think someone closer to her home would open a costume shop. I live in NY, anything I would need to find, I can find in NYC, I wouldn’t even have to go to another state. Maybe IDK… maybe I just have a small town mentality (not saying that in a negative way). I got the feeling it was her mothers way (excuse) to get out of the house and take a trip/vacation. The whole topic is confusing to me.

.

Seems pretty fearless to get up on stage and dance when the guy… Amor Diab.. called her on stage.

.

She still looks back on P’s MTV interview, and it 'makes her ache to see him so young'. She describes his look, his face, his being with such love. And she imagines her son. ...tears...

~DD55

I think it was part of that, but also in that world of dance, or any creative world, there comes a point where you step up your game, attire, equipment, etc and this lady was like the best of the best in that world. Plus Cairo from Germany isn't as far. We both live in NY and there's so much more access to many things here than in alot of other places so I can see how you feel. We're so culturally spoiled in NY.

That second part had me sobbing. Amiir would've been gorgeous.

DD55 said:

one more thought...

I guess my over all summary of what I saw: she didn’t learn normal man/woman boundaries at age appropriate points in her life. She traveled the world but didn’t have a clue about relationships and the boundires between strangers (money stuffed into her costume). Since her childhood was so unique, when P came along, even though was strong willed did she let herself be overshadowed by him because she didn’t have any of normal boy friend/girl friend relationships that most teenagers have?

Exactly!

But I'll betcha if things had turned out differently and Amiir had survived and they'd had a daughter, too...NO EFFING WAY would P have allowed his 16 year old bellydancing daughter go off to spend the night platonically with Justin Beiber or somebody. NO WAY.

I noticed that too; it sounded like Mayte's Egyptian connection inspired Prince's Egyptian/Arabict-tinged projects at that time.

sonshine said:

That whole Egyptian experience sure captured something in Prince because he really played up that theme for a time. The only thing so far I'm left wanting to know more about are his family dynamics. Anyway, back to work for a bit lol [Edited 4/6/17 19:22pm]

CHAPTER 2

Officially begins. Who wants to add the talking points? GO

sonshine said:

That whole Egyptian experience sure captured something in Prince because he really played up that theme for a time. The only thing so far I'm left wanting to know more about are his family dynamics. Anyway, back to work for a bit lol [Edited 4/6/17 19:22pm]

I think when he heard Princess Mayte he was hooked on the entire plotline, start to finish. Then she was also a dancer so she could function in his world and she was very pretty (still is). WHAT?

But I think that whole Arabic thing combined with er stage name being "princess to his prince", that feuled his fantasy and sealed the deal.

Priscilla to his Elvis, definitely. Mayte even mentions that couple and the similarities.

P was hot mess. lol

[Edited 4/6/17 19:45pm]

LBrent said:

sonshine said:

That whole Egyptian experience sure captured something in Prince because he really played up that theme for a time. The only thing so far I'm left wanting to know more about are his family dynamics. Anyway, back to work for a bit lol [Edited 4/6/17 19:22pm]

I think whenhe heard Princess Mayte he was hooked on the entire plotline, start to finish. Then she was also a dancer so she could function in his world and she was very pretty (still is). WHAT?

But I think that whole Arabic thing combined with er stage name being "princess to his prince", that feuled his fantasy and sealed the deal.

Priscilla to his Elvis, definitely. Mayte even mentions that couple and the similarities.

P was hot mess. lol

I was totally thinking about comparisons to Elvis and Priscilla while listening...

sonshine said:

petalthecat said:

Okay, something is niggling at me. I love Mayte but I need to play devils advocate. If Mayte was such a feisty young girl, she was earning all that moolah, fiercely independent and had travelled extensively, why does she seem to convert to a shy, naive little girl once she moves to Minnesota? She wasn't "in love" right away so it can't be that. I can't help wondering if she's slightly exaggerated her early career potential because she's tired of having lived with "golddigger" comments for years. There, I said it!

I think she was crushing on him hard from the beginning. Perhaps not in love per se but definitely smitten. I don't get the shy vibe really. Naive yes in romantic matters. Doesn't sound like she had much experience with dating and such. So that put her at a disadvantage regarding relationships with the opposite sex.

sonshine, I definintely agree that she was crushing/smitten.

LBrent said:

sonshine said:

That whole Egyptian experience sure captured something in Prince because he really played up that theme for a time. The only thing so far I'm left wanting to know more about are his family dynamics. Anyway, back to work for a bit lol [Edited 4/6/17 19:22pm]

I think when he heard Princess Mayte he was hooked on the entire plotline, start to finish. Then she was also a dancer so she could function in his world and she was very pretty (still is). WHAT?

But I think that whole Arabic thing combined with er stage name being "princess to his prince", that feuled his fantasy and sealed the deal.

Priscilla to his Elvis, definitely. Mayte even mentions that couple and the similarities.

P was hot mess. lol

[Edited 4/6/17 19:45pm]

Deleted my post of retorical questions.

DD55

[Edited 4/6/17 20:01pm]

purplethunder3121 said:

LBrent said:

Actually, Rick James woulda been a HELL NO!!!

I'm Rick James, bitch! (Sorry, I had 2 do it. Chappelle's Show was popular when I was in high school.)

DD55 said:

Chapter two - if you'all were to give it a name what would that be?

On another thread (Mayte's ABC Interview About The Book: http://prince.org/msg/5/440567), I read this very eloquent comment by NotACleverName, in response to another orger's comment: "She does not disrespect him in any way. As a matter of fact, she does a very good job conveying her unyielding devotion to the man." (I hope it's okay that I quoted this, NACN.)

--

After reading what amounts to half of the book (due to skipping around a bit), this book only confirms what I already suspected to be true: Mayte loved Prince unconditionally. Even before reading the book, I had come to think that it may have been to Prince's detriment to divorce Mayte. The more of the book that I read, the more that I do believe it was absolutely to his detriment to divorce her. I think that if anyone loved Prince, flaws and all, it was her. Perhaps that speaks to something flawed in her that she would continue to love him in spite of his flaws. She saw him in some of his darkest moments, experienced the worst of him, and yet she remains loyal to him even after his death.

This book humanizes, celebrates and exposes the complicated Renaissance man named Prince. Well done, Mayte. Five stars. Oops! I skipped ahead. Sorry.

[Edited 4/7/17 0:14am]

DD55 said:

Chapter two - if you'all were to give it a name what would that be?

Good question. Maybe something like Coming of Age? Maybe something in Deutsch since Deutschland is where she spent most of her adolescence.

Well, if she cherry picked details then one could argue that she does disrespect him. I am not however saying that. I don't know.

That being said, you would have to believe that Mayte loves self flagulation if there wasn't something loveable about Prince. Maybe, her committment to him speaks to the merits of them both. He was a mixed bag but many of you folks are acting like he was just a bag of hatchets and razor blades.

206Michelle said:

On another thread (Mayte's ABC Interview About The Book: http://prince.org/msg/5/440567), I read this very eloquent comment by NotACleverName, in response to another orger's comment: "She does not disrespect him in any way. As a matter of fact, she does a very good job conveying her unyielding devotion to the man." (I hope it's okay that I quoted this, NACN.)

--

After reading what amounts to half of the book (due to skipping around a bit), this book only confirms what I already suspected to be true: Mayte loved Prince unconditionally. Even before reading the book, I had come to think that it may have been to Prince's detriment to divorce Mayte. The more of the book that I read, the more that I do believe it was absolutely to his detriment to divorce her. I think that if anyone loved Prince, flaws and all, it was her. Perhaps that speaks to something flawed in her that she would continue to love him in spite of his flaws. She saw him in some of his darkest moments, experienced the worst of him, and yet she remains loyal to him even after his death.

What rock and hard place? Prince didn't do anything with her yet. Thank God. A mom could simply say "no". A 16 year old doesn't need a career that much.

Jesus, the rock and roll world is filled with actual pedophiles. People we admire like Bowie and Jimmy page were fucking 14 year old groupies. Prince is the bad guy (even though he obstained for three years) here completely but the stage mom gets off scott free.

The reality is that parents had the power to say no. Being greedy isnt an excuse.

That being said, you are all overreacting because everyone is too damn cynical. Prince could have had a 16 year old anytime he wanted without waiting three years. Maybe, just maybe, they had nothing to truely fear because there was nothing to truely fear.

annalizer said:

DD55 said:

I agree with you LBrent, but even being the ‘big rock star’ he was, even he had to realize it was unusual for a mother to leave one’s teenage daughter with a 30 year old man. What was he thinking? What conclusions could he draw? Her father even went along with this, don’t you find that unusual?

.

P was a gentleman but seriously, how were they to know he would stay a gentleman? Yes, she was jailbait, you would think he wouldn’t put himself in any situation where he could be falsely accused, even if innocent. IDK. Or, maybe in Germany she was of legal age of consent so he didn't worry about that, but I would htink he woudl be cautious of the situations he put himself in with regards to younger women.

.

I guess we all bring our personal attitudes into how we read situations, I was a very liberal mother but that would have been over the line for me.

I think her mother was between a rock and a hard place and didn't want to rock the boat. Prince pretty much gave the indication he wanted to be alone with her, but as a mother I would have asked him why? If this was supposed to business related. He blatantly showed his true intentions.

Exactly!

There are plenty of opportunities for predatory behavior. P didn't have to import international p*$$y from Germany. If he wanted that I'll bet there were plenty of locals who would've not only volunteered, but their parents woud've co-signed and paid HIM for him to participate. Lol.

annalizer said:

DD55 said: I think her mother was between a rock and a hard place and didn't want to rock the boat. Prince pretty much gave the indication he wanted to be alone with her, but as a mother I would have asked him why? If this was supposed to business related. He blatantly showed his true intentions.

purplerabbithole said:

What rock and hard place? Prince didn't do anything with her yet. Thank God. A mom could simply say "no". A 16 year old doesn't need a career that much.

Jesus, the rock and roll world is filled with actual pedophiles. People we admire like Bowie and Jimmy page were fucking 14 year old groupies. Prince is the bad guy (even though he obstained for three years) here completely but the stage mom gets off scott free.

The reality is that parents had the power to say no. Being greedy isnt an excuse.

That being said, you are all overreacting because everyone is too damn cynical. Prince could have had a 16 year old anytime he wanted without waiting three years. Maybe, just maybe, they had nothing to truely fear because there was nothing to truely fear.

So maybe Prince wasn't just molding the people around him. Maybe he was being molded a bit by them as well. (in the way that Andy Allo might influenced his afro. Or like he once said that he tried to play his guitar like Patti Labelle sang. Or stealing Mayte's clothes because he obviously thought she had good taste. Or Wendy and LIsa's musical tastes. Or Joni MItchell's quirky vulnerability )

I find it offensive to both Prince and the women in his life to depict these women as either clay in his hands (with no unique traits he found appealing) or sex objects to him. He was controlling in his own way obviously. But I do think he saw something in the women that he wanted to bring out, cultivate,influence, participate in, be inspired by, and even live vicariously through.. A part of me thinks that a part of Prince wished he could have been a woman..(not in the way it sounds...no Prince was not transgender wannabe). I am saying he might have wanted to see the world through their eyes. But he was a man and so therefore also wanted to live up to expectations placed on men of his generation.

Complicated.

disch said:

I noticed that too; it sounded like Mayte's Egyptian connection inspired Prince's Egyptian/Arabict-tinged projects at that time.

sonshine said:

That whole Egyptian experience sure captured something in Prince because he really played up that theme for a time. The only thing so far I'm left wanting to know more about are his family dynamics. Anyway, back to work for a bit lol [Edited 4/6/17 19:22pm]

LBrent said:

annalizer said:

LBrent said:

Exactly!

There are plenty of opportunities for predatory behavior. P didn't have to import international p*$$y from Germany. If he wanted that I'll bet there were plenty of locals who would've not only volunteered, but their parents woud've co-signed and paid HIM for him to participate. Lol.

You're both correct, but I was referring to future intentions not that particular time.

I can understand how someone looking at that time now might feel uncomfortable with how things might've gone down, but it was a bit more innocent time.

I think P certainly thought she was attractive, but was more curious about Mayte's "Arabic persona" and the exotic nature of bellydancing in the begining.

He could be quite innocent sometimes.

It has always struck me that P never renamed the women he married.

Mayte tells the story of him trying to rename her "Arabia", but her refusing because of her respectful fear of her mother.

I wonder if he ever tried to rename M2.

Thoughts?

LBrent said:

It has always struck me that P never renamed the women he married.

Mayte tells the story of him trying to rename her "Arabia", but her refusing because of her respectful fear of her mother.

I wonder if he ever tried to rename M2.

Thoughts?

I think some of it probably had to do with naming of people he saw as artists/performers. Manuela wasn't that to my knowledge.

But there could be more to it. And then there's the idea of "pet names" that many couples have. That's very different, though.

purplerabbithole said:

What rock and hard place? Prince didn't do anything with her yet. Thank God. A mom could simply say "no". A 16 year old doesn't need a career that much.

Jesus, the rock and roll world is filled with actual pedophiles. People we admire like Bowie and Jimmy page were fucking 14 year old groupies. Prince is the bad guy (even though he obstained for three years) here completely but the stage mom gets off scott free.

The reality is that parents had the power to say no. Being greedy isnt an excuse.

That being said, you are all overreacting because everyone is too damn cynical. Prince could have had a 16 year old anytime he wanted without waiting three years. Maybe, just maybe, they had nothing to truely fear because there was nothing to truely fear.

annalizer said:

DD55 said: I think her mother was between a rock and a hard place and didn't want to rock the boat. Prince pretty much gave the indication he wanted to be alone with her, but as a mother I would have asked him why? If this was supposed to business related. He blatantly showed his true intentions.

I think you have a lot of good points in your posts.

As for bolded, I think people are thinking for themselves (not that you said that isn't true), and there's a pretty big range of opinions expressed here.

sonshine said:

LBrent said:

Gurl, I was outnumbered...5 kids...aged 5 year old, 2 and a half year old twins and newborn twins.

I wasn't havin all that damned arguing. If you have someone else's color, give it back. Period.

cosign the thud

petalthecat said:

Okay, something is niggling at me. I love Mayte but I need to play devils advocate. If Mayte was such a feisty young girl, she was earning all that moolah, fiercely independent and had travelled extensively, why does she seem to convert to a shy, naive little girl once she moves to Minnesota? She wasn't "in love" right away so it can't be that. I can't help wondering if she's slightly exaggerated her early career potential because she's tired of having lived with "golddigger" comments for years. There, I said it!

I love her too and with only a couple of obvious exceptions I enjoyed the book as well but what you said was niggling the hell out of me also.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

petalthecat said:

Okay, something is niggling at me. I love Mayte but I need to play devils advocate. If Mayte was such a feisty young girl, she was earning all that moolah, fiercely independent and had travelled extensively, why does she seem to convert to a shy, naive little girl once she moves to Minnesota? She wasn't "in love" right away so it can't be that. I can't help wondering if she's slightly exaggerated her early career potential because she's tired of having lived with "golddigger" comments for years. There, I said it!

I love her too and with only a couple of obvious exceptions I enjoyed the book as well but what you said was niggling the hell out of me also.

she idolized prince and at age 9 declared her intent to marry him; years later she meets him, he likes her - is she going to rock the boat and challenge him at the risk of losing that something special? did anyone challenge prince and last a long time in his circle???

just my 2C. i know i would have been very intimidated by the guy if i'd been in her shoes.. just saying.

LBrent said:

DD55 said:

one more thought...

I guess my over all summary of what I saw: she didn’t learn normal man/woman boundaries at age appropriate points in her life. She traveled the world but didn’t have a clue about relationships and the boundires between strangers (money stuffed into her costume). Since her childhood was so unique, when P came along, even though was strong willed did she let herself be overshadowed by him because she didn’t have any of normal boy friend/girl friend relationships that most teenagers have?

Exactly!

But I'll betcha if things had turned out differently and Amiir had survived and they'd had a daughter, too...NO EFFING WAY would P have allowed his 16 year old bellydancing daughter go off to spend the night platonically with Justin Beiber or somebody. NO WAY.

Of course not! Parents always have the "do as I say, not as I do (or have done)" stipulation. Prince would have been no exception. I could just imagine Justin Timberlake trying that and Prince's reaction.

With her sister being older I think she was kinda into Prince more then Mayte was. Jan got her listening to Prince and seeing Purple Rain. I don't see her parents as big Prince fans. The dad wanted to take his family on a little vacation, because he knew that it might be the last time because the girls were all growing up. They had their choice of seeing 1 concert while they were on vacation, Celia Cruz or Prince. They were trying to decide when Mama read that Prince's tour was called NUDE, and that got Mama's interest up.

.

And at this point she had a contract to work in Cairo. So she was well on her way in the dancing world.

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