Say what you will about Karrine Steffans, but thanks to her debut book Confessions of a Video Vixen, you probably know who she is. Whether the purpose of her book was merely to launch her career or to unmask the sexually explicit life of the music industry is still up for debate. However, one thing is for sure; she’s still got a few more stories to tell. In her latest book, The Vixen Diaries (Grand Central Publishing), Steffans spills more beans about her sexual experiences and relationships with members of the entertainment industry, as well as how her life has changed because of them. Predictably, the second dose isn’t nearly as good as the first. Steffans realizes her intelligence during certain sections of the book. In her many television appearances, she often speaks to the negative depiction of women in the music industry, and is not shy about mentioning such issues in the various chapters of The Vixen Diaries. Yet the book’s tone is less interesting this time around. Just like a shallow gossip session with a best friend, Steffans tells a bevy of random stories that are never tied into one particular point. With the exception of a few chapters, paragraphs jump from one subject to another as though pages just needed to be filled. The best example of this would be the chapter titled “Myspace.” Granted, though each story is focused on her Myspace encounters, but they don’t seem worth of whole chapter devotion. If there is one constant in The Vixen Diaries, it’s that Steffans is proud of how she trailblazed her own path to success, entrepreneurship and independence. As Confessions of a Video Vixen found her wounded, lost, and addicted to self-medicating; The Vixen Diaries speaks to a woman who is somewhat sure of herself. Despite her setbacks—breaking up with Bill Maher, after which she tried to slit her wrists and letting Bobby Brown into her house and heart for the second time—Steffans does flex her ability to tell right from wrong. Yet, as each page turns, and one mention of her first book being atop the New York Times best seller’s list turns into several mentions of this achievement, the lack of tangible substance is clear. Karrine Steffans is a woman who found a way out of nowhere. She went from sleeping in her car to owning a million dollar home. She remains tenacious in her quest for success and is unapologetic about mentioning the notable people she slept with on multiple occassions, in case you didn’t get the picture the first time. The Vixen Diaries continues to show, however, that she has gotten the ultimate revenge, getting you to pay attention whether she means to or not.
