Recently I volunteered for the SFSU 1st annual Women's Conference and had the pleasure of stumbling into a room where Issa Rae ( the star and creator of the web-series Misadventures of Ackward Black Girl) was projecting the show for an audience and talking about her experiences with success.
In the 8- 13 minutes episodes, we follow a day in the life of 'J' who is a black female, humorously struggling to get through awkward but realistic situations and circumstances in her every day life. J's character is one who waffles on how to talk to her office crush, writes X-rated raps alone in her bedroom and is stoked to find an "awkward soul mate" at work. Not only are the social interactions in the show thoughtful and hysterical, but many of the situations bring to light the effects of subtle racism in our society in a witty and humorous way. More importantly, J's character is very relate able for individuals of any color or sex, and the scenarios she is put in are familiar to many. We view life through her lens, and through her private moments, we know her, we have seen her, we like her, we ARE her.
There has been an incredible need for diverse representation in popular television shows and in the realm of American popular culture in general. What I love about ABG is it's DIY ethic. Although the show is growing substantially in popularity, Issa Rae prefers to keep the creative power in her hands, keeping the content online and not thinking of Hollywood as the pinnacle of success. The story telling here is so unique and the main character so complex that I can't help but wonder why big media films require such a big-budget for mediocre predictable story-lines and characters. What do we as humans and audiences to these big-budget films truly value about them? I will support a low-budget, advertisement-less, thought provoking show over any corporate blockbuster any day. Thank you ISSA RAE!
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