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We applauded with encores and standing ovations as the fourth season of Insecure came to an end, now, we wait impatiently for season five for our fix of just… "everything" a black woman wants and needs from a binge-watchable series.
Situated stateside and set in Los Angeles by its creator Issa Rae, who plays Issa Dee, we shared and related to the many ups and downs of her friendships, relationships, situationships and her career pitfalls and successes.
The show has captured the hearts of many Black women and as the news of eight Emmy nominations was recently announced we applauded even harder because we know the show deserves every single win.
Here’s 10 reasons why we love the show as much as we do – and you can have your say about Insecure and this article below in the comments section…
AWKWARD BLACK GIRL
We’ve all been the awkward Black girl, where our inner nerd comes to the fore every once in a while be it at school, work, in relationships and surprises even you! Awkward Black Girl, created by and starring Issa Rae is a Youtube web series and the main character J, played by Rae is just that, an "awkward back girl", a nerd, who time and time again is faced with uncomfortable situations when dealing with co-workers and love interests. The show’s success made Rae a household name, the show was recreated to what we now know as Insecure.
GIRL GANG!
Who, what and where would we be without our girl gang, our hype women, our besties. Issa’s best friends Molly, Kelli and Tiffany, played by Yvonne Orji, Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales are the perfect combination of awkward, fly (yes I said ‘fly’ and you know exactly which character I’m referring to!), funny and… curvaceous, and then there’s that friend who’s just plain bougie. All are relatable, we know these characters inside out, they’re our best friends – the one who’ll check you when you're being a fool, the one who tells you exactly what you want to hear, then side-eyes you when shit goes tits up. And the one who has their life together, married, nice house, good job, their life seems to run so smoothly, it’s admirable but they tend to have way too much unsolicited advice that you’re nowhere near ready to hear.
THE BOYFRIEND
The one you love whether you’re with them or not. You grew from young adult to kinda grown (late twenties) together. You’re soul mates. Their interests are your interests and vice versa. You have a laugh together. You cry together. You’re happy when they’re happy, even if it’s not with you. Foolish! You have mutual friends, so get-togethers are always easy. You have their back through thick and thin and cheating on them, doesn't mean you don’t love them.
THE MALE CAST
Tantalizing, sexy, strong and full to the brim of melanin… mostly. The men who have graced the show throughout the four seasons have kept us fully involved, enticed even. All that male Blackness is good for the soul. It’s also nice, for once to see Black men on screen portrayed as they are in real life. Some good, some not so good, fine as hell, not so fine, kind, smart, ambitious, funny, geeky, loving, hurting, no hard drugs, no jail, no violence, no ghetto, need I continue..
THE SITUATIONSHIPS
The actions and behaviours of our love interests and of ourselves… what is an alternative word for love interest? Because let's face it, it definitely is not always about love. Sometimes, we just need no commitment, no attachment, no emotion, and sometimes, on the very rare occasion, there’s no revealing of names! Just like Issa and her friends, there have been times where we’ve got caught up in all kinds of erm… entanglements! Sometimes the situations are full of emotion and feeling on both parts, showing the characters vulnerability, when they are hurting, when they need answers to situations that have no answer, like most of us have felt at some point in our lives.
THE SHARED AND UNNECESSARY AWKWARDNESS AT WORK EXPERIENCE
We’ve all faced some level of awkwardness at work where we have to tone down our Blackness just to get through the day, knowing that our Blackness won’t be understood especially if you want a promotion or pay rise! Your non-Black colleagues sometimes feel over-privileged and way too comfortable saying the most inappropriate things that cause offence, but you definitely don’t want to be seen as an angry Black woman. Or, you’re amazing at your job, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are but you know, you’re never going to have equal opportunities if you’re female.. and Black. We have to face our fears and take those risks outside of our comfort zone and work that much harder to prove our worth. It's all in an awkward day's work!
THE SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack is everything! The endless selection of songs that make you want to call that ex, make that booty call or call up your girls and relive the days where you rocked up to the club at 1am, wavy and partied all night, flirting your way across the dancefloor. They make you want to live that LA life, cruising in your drop-top, palm trees included!
THE FASHION
The fashion game between Issa and Molly is a strong one. Molly’s co-ords make you want to check your entire existence. You ask yourself why you don’t work out as often as you should, why you didn't study harder at school and become a high-flying lawyer so that you can afford those very well tailored outfits, and why you didn’t invest in that quality wig that cost a few hundred more. Issa’s laid back style lets you know that she’s your homegirl, her statement tees connect with you from one ‘sis’ to another. Her natural hairstyles make you smile in absolute appreciation. She’s out here just casually rocking her many natural hairstyles on TV. It shouldn’t be a thing, and it's not but we know damn well that it is. Get it sis!
THERAPY… IS OK!
It is no secret that Black people are less likely to have therapy because we like to be seen as strong at all times and sweep everything under the carpet due to the stigma within the Black community when it comes to mental health. Molly who is portrayed as assured and feisty is brought to the realisation by best friend Issa that she would do well to speak to a professional therapist as her personal life becomes a challenge. As it transpires, therapy works and it isn’t all that bad!
VALIDATION OF OUR SHARED EXPERIENCE
Not that we need validation but sometimes it’s nice. It’s nice to know that we’re not alone in our experiences, that we didn’t imagine certain situations and that our actions and reactions are similar. The show is proof that what we go through as Black women is very real. It depicts real, ordinary, everyday experiences. Nothing wild or crazy, our experiences as Black people are very much the same, from social issues, relationships, family life to work. Through the show, we share these experiences, we discuss them with friends and reminisce, we listen to the show as a topic on podcasts, we engage in social media chat about the love triangles and what you would do if you were in the same situation. We even look back and cringe at that one time in our life when we thought we could rap! Or is that just me?
Have your say on Insecure and this article below in our comments section.
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