The first time I appeared on "The Wendy Williams Experience," I was admittedly a wee bit concerned. I didn't know as much as I should have about Wendy, but I did know that she was ferocious. I was being invited on her show to talk about Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, 50 Cent and Ice Cube. There was a beef between hip hop and the Oprah crowd, and Wendy seemed to feel that I could be a good referee.

I didn't mind standing in the middle of this conversation, because I have respect for both sides of the fence. Hip hop is one of the most powerful creative art forms in the history of the world, but it also possesses tremendous problems, primarily due to the impact of selective commercialization within the context of socially irresponsible corporate models. Oprah, on the other hand, is one of the most amazing and prolific public figures I've ever seen. But she is also not without her issues as it pertains to dealing with black men. I respect all sides, but I am not afraid to critique all sides when necessary.

In my first appearance on Wendy's show, I met her incredibly efficient producer, Nicole Spence. I was sad to see Wendy and Nicole fall out, because I honestly feel that they needed each other. But I digress. Before the show, Nicole told me, point blank: "The interview is going to last for at least 20 minutes. It will only be longer if Wendy likes you."

Okey-dokey then. Either we would hit it off nicely or she would put the hook around my neck like the Apollo Theatre. Wendy is not polite enough to care if she hurts your feelings, so I knew she would only keep talking to me if I could give her good commentary. In front of 11 million listeners, we were going to be feeling each other out. The pressure was on, but I respond well to pressure and confront all challenges head on. In fact, I almost always win.

The show was awesome and I didn't get the "Wendy hook". After appearing on Wendy's show 7 or so times over the next couple of years, I developed an interest in her career and a mutual respect. Wendy is hardcore: She will slice you into pieces with a rusty butter knife, but there is no host in the game who is more professional and capable when dealing with a guest. She always respected me (although she made me explain why I never married my beautiful ex-fiance - "Dr. Boyce, are you a cheater?" - The answer was a firm "No".). She gave me time to answer my questions. She plugged my books whenever she could. It was always a productive visit, which made me that much more eager to appear on her show.

I also gained an appreciation for her co-host, Charlamagne Tha God, who has since moved on to 100.3 "The Beat" in Philadelphia. Charlamagne is a good human being and brings a degree of intelligence and much-needed conscientiousness to the hip hop industry. He's right in the middle of it all, but is not afraid to call a spade a spade. Charlamagne showed reverence toward me long before anyone else ever did, I'll never forget that. His recent blockbuster interview with Cassie from Bad Boy Records shows that he's destined for even bigger things in the future.

Wendy Williams is going to absolutely dominate television. The only question I've had is why the TV deals did not come through sooner. Like her or not, Wendy is not only the kind of host who can keep a great station in first place; she's the one who can take a station from the bottom of the ratings to the very top. For all of her "geto-fab" drama, Wendy Williams is in a class with only Oprah Winfrey when it comes to dominant black women in media.

What is also interesting about Wendy is the loyalty of her audience. I've rarely seen a host with such a committed following. People like Tom Joyner, but he is not entirely different from Steve Harvey. Wendy Williams' fans (as one of her producers explained to me), really feel like they are her best friends. There IS NO REPLACEMENT for Wendy in their minds. There are young personalities such as Lady Drama, who frame their entire career around becoming the next Wendy Williams. What is also interesting about Wendy is that she has a tremendous respect for black intellect. Like myself, she is not a fan of hoity-toity, over-your-head communication that uses 10 syllable words just to impress other people. But she is also not a fan of "keepin it real till it goes wrong" ignorance. Rather, she realizes that intelligent dialogue can take place in any vernacular, and what you're saying matters far more than how you say it.

I look forward to seeing Wendy Williams on television. She will always be the woman you love to hate. But in the end, even those who hate her have an awkward respect for her, because she has no match in media.

Dr Boyce Watkins is a professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, "Black American Money", set to be released on July 15, 2009. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.