She’s as unique as her moniker

MO’NIQUE is the host of VH1’s “Charm School,” on which the young women from the reality show “Flavor of Love” are being remodeled from the inside out. She has hosted “Showtime at the Apollo,” toured with the “Queens of Comedy” and acted in Tony Scott’s “Domino.” She wrote “Skinny Women Are Evil.” In 2006, she married Sidney Hicks, a friend since high school.

“Soul Plane” is one of my favorite movies. People were freaked out by that movie because apparently they thought the depiction of black people was problematic.

I don’t know how people got to that. That movie was just funny. That’s it. Remember “Airplane”? ... I’m a tell you right now, I laugh every time I see it. And on the street, that movie was a mega-blockbuster hit. Do you hear me? I know that movie made about $500 million on the street. I want my money.

Speaking of depictions, there’s the NAACP Image Awards, which you’ve won repeatedly and been nominated plenty. They just had the gay version of that, the GLAAD awards, and I wonder about the idea of “portraying good images.”

Right. Because we live in that type of society. If you don’t fit this image right here, you’re different. So we have to label you. You’re just people, that’s it. Sometimes it makes me laugh when it’s Gay Pride Day. Why does it have to be Gay Pride Day? Why can’t it be Human Pride Day? They happen to have sex with people with the same sex, so what? Some of you like to have sex with ducks, so what? We just live in a society that’s so judgmental. It’s quick to say what’s wrong. That’s why I tell people: Do you. That’s it. Do you. For those of you who like to show your T&A;? Do it. Her name is Jenna Jameson, she makes millions! But do it. Don’t [do it halfway] because you’re scared of what someone’s gonna say.

When white people interview you, do they tend to ask you about black-identity stuff more? In an interview with you from Sister 2 Sister magazine, you didn’t talk about identity -- instead you talked about love and babies and body image.

You know what? When I first started out with “The Parkers” and it was No. 1, I was in Philly and this woman says, “It’s great that you’re No. 1 in Black America, but you’re No. 160-something in White America.” I said, “Well, before I answer your question, have you asked the cast of ‘Friends’ how it feels to be No. 200 in Black America?” The interview was then over.

You’re hosting “Charm School,” but you made your name by being bawdy and brash.

You know what -- that always makes me chuckle when people say you made your name being that way. That’s just who I am. That’s the only Mo’Nique I know how to be.... Sorry, sugar, that’s how I am.

As we get older, we become more who we are.

Yes. But I think we’re nothing but kids with grown-up faces. That’s all. You’ll find two women in a church rolling their eyes because someone’s skirt is short. And they’re 83!

Do you go to church?

No! You know, I don’t believe like that. I believe -- I take that back. I go to church every day. I’m with me every day. I truly believe God is in all of us.

Do people have a habit of leaving Baltimore and not going back?

Oh, I go back! And I oftentimes include Baltimore in what I’m doing. When I was hosting “Apollo,” there was always bus trips coming up. It’s hometown. Would I ever move back? No. Nooo. No indeed. But I’ve got no bad feeling. I’ve just seen other parts of the world. I remember when Oprah was doing “People Are Talking.” They did a field trip from my school. I said to her, “I wanna be just like you.” She said, “Well, if you work really hard you can do anything you wanna do.” And I never forgot that. I can’t wait to tell her “thank you.”

You don’t run into her?

Never! What is that about?