Issa Rae's "Awkward Black Girl"

I was a sophomore in college when “Awkward Black Girl” dropped on YouTube. Webseries were still in their infancy, YouTube beauty “gurus” were just starting to nail down sponsorships—it was a different YouTube content creator’s world back then (yes, I say that with faux nostalgia dripping from my lips. Or maybe it’s Talenti. I should get a towel.)

But for me and my friends, Issa’s “Awkward Black Girl” was as much a part of our pop culture consumption as “Scandal” Thursday’s and the slow-dying “Gossip Girl” series finale viewing parties (Hey, treat yourself--those "Scandal" and "Gossip Girl" links are to vintage #BrionnaJimerson content during college days. Thanks, Internet.

It was an EVENT whenever Issa and the team dropped a new episode. Her narrative of an awkward, introverted young woman straddling several worlds and levels of self-discovery  fit right into our experiences, our humor, and our hunger for deadpan comedy that looked like the Internet but felt like much more. Since those days, I’ve probably watched ABG seasons 1 and 2 at least a dozen times each. As a consumer of Issa’s creative work (and her business savvy), I’m now comfortable acknowedging myself as an insecure, awkward, black lifetime patron of Ratchetpiece Theatre and honorary Double Mint Twin.

What I Loved About “Awkward Black Girl”

The first line of “Awkward Black Girl” had me like (GIF.) I was reading it during my work commute when the first line stung me in the face like disrespectful 30 degree winds:

 “At only 11 years of age, I was a cyber ho." - Issa Rae, "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, p.1

The book is divided into chapters, ranging from autobiographical to vignettes and musings on culture, dating and fidelity, coming of age, career, and being black in America. At every turn, it feels like Issa is whispering to you, “I went through this, you gon' be alright."

On the 99’s and the 2000’s: TV Representation, and the Return of Empathy

Growing up, shows like "Moesha", "Martin", "Kenan and Kel", "Family Matters" (AKA “Urkel”), "Living Single", "Martin", and "A Different World" filled up my mental registry of relatable black people as regulars on my TV.  It can be demoralizing if the pop culture that you consume doesn’t represent you in the meaningful ways you need. It can be hard to create loving links for yourself. I'm grateful that empathy is back, and just in time for my quarter-life crises. In the 'era' of "Scandal," "Sleepy Hollow," "Empire," everything Mara Brock Akil touches ("Being Mary Jane" and "Girlfriends"), "Atlanta," and everything in between, I'm grateful there's an empathic space as we try to love ourselves every day.

On My Creative Journey: "Bri Books" is to me what "Awkward Black Girl" was to Issa

For me, my podcast is for me what "Awkward Black Girl" was for Issa Rae--it's not so much a foot in the door, it’s about saying the following to myself:

1. YES, I can create something of value that serves a community.
2. YES, I can put TIME behind PASSION.
3. YES, I'll create like no one knows my name. 

In this episode, I sit down with my favorite “Awkward Half-Mexican Boy” and co-producer Rush Perez to talk about “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” Issa’s debut book + the web series by the same name, aaaaand a casual HBO show she created/ executive produced/ starred in, called INSECURE.   Show Notes 2:00 – The impact of “Awkward Black Girl” webseries on me in college, and Issa’s binge-watching obsession with the webseries. 6:45: F***, Marry, Kill: Insecure edition. 10:10: Issa talks black families and girl power on TV in the 90’s. Here’s what Rush and I remember from that era of TV. Now we’re in another era of black TV renaissance with blackish, Atlanta, insecure, Shonda, fresh off the boat…we have a lot of shows that feature POC prominently. 13:30: Getting into Juno Diaz quote. It’s not about optics, it’s about what does this say about what’s possible in art? Until you see it, it’s not real to you. In the conversation Issa is having in the book she’s referring to junot Diaz. 16:45: Talking empathy for black women on TV and in media, and creating empathetic spaces for black women. 19:15: Issa’s creative journey and how it mirrors my own. 24:30: rush on his parent’s divorce, and Issa’s life post-parents’ divorce. 29:35: How Issa’s feelings/ experiences with infidelity may have colored Insecure. Her parents’ divorce put her into overdrive/ triggered something in her that said people can’t be trusted. In the show, infidelity is major theme throughout. 30:15: Final thoughts – the book is a super easy read. Not in a dismissive ay—she’s just a very easy writer to access, and she writes in a very accessible way. It’s like picking up a blog and burning through OPP (Other People's Podcasts) Reommendations Crimetown - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crimetown/id1170959623?mt=2  Making Oprah - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/making-oprah/id1171160683?mt=2  Out West from The Outline - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/out-west-westworld-fan-theories/id1167700780?mt=2 

I recommend the book! I loved reading Issa's development into herself. I love that Issa learned quickly and she learned hard. She figured things out very quickly, even the difficult parts. Pick up "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl" and treat yo self.