JHud & Her Studio Audience Share Their Favorite Mom Sayings
February 07, 2023
Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to her mother on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” in both a touching and hilarious way — by sharing her mother’s favorite sayings.
Jennifer began by holding up her mug of the day, which read “MOM” and was adorned with a butterfly.
“Sometimes we think that our kids don’t be listening to what we say,” she told her live studio audience on the show.
“It wasn’t till after [my mom Darnell Donerson] passed that there is not a day go by that I don’t say, ‘My mama used to say…’” said JHud.
One of Jennifer’s favorite sayings from her mother was, “If something hurts, if you moan, it’ll make you feel better.” This bit of advice inspired her to write the song “Moan” off her 2014 album, “JHUD.”
According to Jennifer, another saying that inspired that song was her mother’s saying, “If you think you seen it all, keep on living.”
A few more of Darnell’s oft-repeated phrases that Jennifer loves to say to this day are:
“If you want something done right, you better do it yourself.”
“If you work hard, you should play hard.”
“One monkey don’t stop no show.”
“A sharp walk is better than a beat-up ride any day.”
“Have some stoppin’ sense.”
“A closed eye ain’t always asleep.”
“I don’t live for your likes or your dislikes.”
“All you can do is the best you can do.” This saying in particular helped Jennifer gain the confidence to take the mantle from Jennifer Holliday and play Effie in “Dreamgirls.”
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View StoryJHud then asked her studio audience to share their mothers’ favorite sayings, and they didn’t disappoint!
“If you want to dance to the music, you have to pay the band,” said one audience member of what her mother would often say. “You can do whatever you want to do, but there’s always gonna be consequences.”
She offered one more amusing bon mot: “Don’t let your mouth write a check that your behind can’t cash.”
“Don’t wrestle with pigs; they love it and you get dirty,” said another audience member. “Don’t get involved in the messy drama!”
Another audience member shared a phrase her mother would say in Spanish that translates to “The should haves don’t exist.” The meaning behind this saying? “Don’t cling to the past, something you can’t change, and move forward.”
Jennifer, a mother herself, had a few sayings of her own to share. “I’m done being dragged by the face,” said JHud, referencing the end of a long day of working hard. That related right to another JHud saying that has been adopted by the crew of “The Jennifer Hudson Show”: “Ain’t nothing else I can do with this day.”
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.
