Befriending Becky

If you are The Master's Artist- a Christian artist- and you want to find out what kind of work does God want you to create, then I advise you to attend one of Mary Demuth's workshops. Last September, I sat through two days of rediscovering who I am in Christ through her at the ACFW Conference.

I also discovered what I am not.

Today Mary talks over at the TMA Blog about Becky, a fictitious representative of the Christian buyer's market, a woman who in no shape or form could ever be me.

There's a fake woman who symbolizes the target audience for much of Christian music, and specifically for Christian radio. She's generally called Becky, though some stations have their 'own' 'woman.' She embodies all of the demographic junk of their average listener--she has so many kids and does this and shops here and only likes music she's heard 800 times before, blah-blah. And they'll talk about her like she's real--'Becky' or 'Jennifer' or whoever 'doesn't like that song.'"
- Built for Becky?

Problem is this Becky Jennifer is a real person. I know her. In fact, I know many like her. And I can't speak for her, because I am not her, of course. But I can share her perspective. I can share with you what she needs and how God has planted us here at the same time as she, to help her. To help all of us.

A few years ago I used to think that the only people who would understand my words were deeply southern, Black Christian Women who watched TD Jakes and Juanita Bynum every morning. She attended church with me, grew up wanting to be Whitney, belonged to the Young Adult Ministry, wore MAC makeup, dreamed of wearing an Amsale wedding gown, watched Bobby Jones Gospel and had a secret crush on Bobby Jones(circa New Edition) and now crushes on LL Cool J or Tyler Perry or Boris Kodjoe or JMoss or Blair Underwood or Common. I called my fake bookclub president, chick-Tonya Yolanda Jones.

After writing and allowing others to read my words Tonya Yolanda Jones needs a new name. She is far more mainstream, multicultural, cross generational than my old gal pal now. So I wonder...

Who is the embodiment of your readers? And why? And what should I call my new fanclub president?