Hollywood Popular Artists

Apr 27th 2012, 22:30

TLC has been popping up in the news lately, though it's for a sad reason: this week marks the tenth anniversary of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' death in a car accident. While we send our thoughts to Left Eye's friends and family, we at MTV Act want to show the amazing and helpful things Left Eye did, along with her fellow bandmates T-Boz and Chilli.

+The Lisa Lopes Foundation

Left Eye visited Honduras and wanted to help out the poverty-stricken country. She was in the midst of starting up her org -- which would supply educational facilities and medical treatments -- when she died in 2002. But that wasn't the end of the Lisa Lopes Foundation, no siree. It's now up and running and this July the foundation's gonna have a Left Eye Music Fest in Decatur, Georgia.

+Safe Sex

Forget a pirate patch! Left Eye liked to wear a condom over her, well, left eye. This was an eye-catching fashion move (arrrgh, bad pun!), but it also held a purpose. Left Eye and her bandmates wanted to talk about safe sex and how important it is to use protection every time a person has sex. Just check out TLC's "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" video to see this style in action.

+Self-Esteem Issues

In 1999, TLC tackled the issue of low self-esteem with their song and video "Unpretty." In the video, Chilli is pressured by her BF to get implants and a teen girl makes herself sick trying to get as thin as models in magazines. By the end of the video, Chilli has let all hell break loose on her boyfriend because of how he treated her, and the girl puts on a bathing suit and is happy with herself the way she is.

+HIV Treatment

In 2003, Chilli and T-Boz hooked up with Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for "Dialogues: Education and Treatment for a Well Planned Future." They wanted to teach people about getting tested for HIV, and the importance of seeing a doc right away for treatment. Talking to a medical professional sooner rather than later can make a world of difference, because there are ways to live a long, healthy life with HIV.

+Be the Match

Since she was a little girl, T-Boz has struggled with health issues because of her sickle cell anemia. Having to deal with so many hospital trips and doctor visits has given her a deep personal understanding of what it's like to be sick, and she wants to help others. That's why she got involved with Be the Match, an org that helps people with diseases like leukemia and lymphoma find marrow transplants.

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