Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Five Prime Reasons to Check Out Issa Rae's HBO Show "Insecure"


Sunday nights are about to be super lit.
HBO took a chance on debuting a hip hop girl empowered television comedy called Insecure.  Created by Awkward Black Girl's Issa Rae and funnyman Larry Wilmore, the modern day series follows in the path of a working black woman, Issa and her best friend, a hotshot corporate lawyer, Molly. It's pretty badass, rated R raunchy with heart, and laugh out loud funny. Plus, like Queen Sugar, inclusivity is featured behind-the-scenes as well. That's wonderful!
Here are five prime reasons to fill your Sunday nights with Insecure:

Issa Dee (Issa Rae) finds her life on display instead of the organization she represents.

1. Kids honestly can't understand our conscientiously fluid adulthood.

When Issa stands in a stuffed classroom of misbehaving, badmouthed fourth graders, embarrassment levels are up on full blast. They dis her speech, her singleness, her clothing style. She takes their offensive darts left and right, standing tough, a big golden smile on her face. Yet as questions become more invasive with cruel clapbacks, how can anyone not feel sorry for poor Issa?
Plus the haunting (albeit vexing) question “why do you talk white?” has hounded most intelligent, well-educated black women for almost our entire lives. We're taught by our own race that being articulate is a crime against ebonics. And that “why is your hair like that?” given specifically to black women with big chops and short TWA's tells us that our unique version to white girl pixie cuts are not allowed.




2. Microaggressions at the workplace are common. Find ways to cope.

Issa hates being singled out for ideas, especially the click-and-bait. She decides not to help them out by pretending she has no idea what ghetto linguistics are. It's quite hysterical.
Even if her white co-workers have the best intentions, they're delivering inflammatory remarks (often spoken in an over-saccharin dripping tone in how one asks for a cup or sugar). That should always be taken into serious context.
Issa handles their racism like a snarky, tea-sipping boss.

Out of all the lipsticks, Issa decided a clear gloss was best. That's all of us.

Nothing wrong with being your own cheerleader.
3. Love yourself 101.
When Issa preps for a night out, switching lipsticks and personalities, the scene felt like a powerful, celebratory statement. Overall honest and candid, a rare look at how black women see themselves when alone. A black woman can be anyone she chooses to be-- sweet, sexy, goth, funky, and innocent all in the bathroom mirror.
Issa's reflection was everyone's reflection.
She loves herself. And we are falling in love with her too.

No one should be resting in one place.

4. Relationships hit rough patches. Things will only worsen over time or evolve into something profound.
Each scene featuring sweats clad Lawrence, Issa's boyfriend of five years, showcases a man's potent fluency in laziness limbo. The handsome couch occupier goes from sleeping like a hibernating bear, to canceling birthday dates to “stay in,” to eating a big bowl of cereal whilst having the audacity to call out Molly's "high standard" taste in men. However, appearances are deceiving. Lawrence is looking hard for a job. Real hard.
Yet Issa is fed up. Perhaps that explains her being drawn to an old infatuation, her long time crush, Daniel (Y'lan Noel) who Facebook/text messages her constantly and ignites hilarious impulses.
Still, without distractions (and a job) causing strife, maybe Issa and Lawrence can work it out somehow.


Girls just wanna have fun. Go Molly (Yvonne Orji) and Issa (Issa Rae)!

5. Don't ditch your surrogate sis for a man. Ever.

We all have a ride-or-die best friend that we love hardcore. They're usually depicted as our long lost sibling, our better half, perhaps even our real soulmate. At the same time, we have moments of pure selfishness.
Issa and Molly have an amazing friendship, a real, genuine chemistry igniting the screen.
It was only right that Issa hilariously sang a bit of The Girlfriends theme to her. Their vibe is as fresh as a bite of peppermint gum.
Towards middle of the episode, Issa commits the ultimate friendship code wrong-- planning a “girl's night out” solely for intentions of seeing a guy-- Daniel of course. With Daniel's cheerleading, she bravely takes open mic freestyle stage and spits female empowerment song "Broken Pussy" over a slick beat. However, Molly is not celebrating Issa's bravery. She only sees it as a hurtful slap in the face.
In the end, admirable that though prospect tempted our coilly coifed protagonist, she declines a Daniel's indecent proposal. Issa instead (and rightfully so) spends the night with her bestie, bonding over junk food, slyly ensuring an allegorical promise that this half-hour comedy will become addictive guilty pleasure as the season progresses on.

The-Oh-You-Just-Go-Leave-Me-Hanging is the worst. Great save Issa! Not awkward at all.

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