Off and on pretty much all of my life. I love writing. But I can ONLY write about something I'm passionate about.
What really struck me to write about Issa Rae and Insecure was my own sense of doubt about my feelings regarding the show. I am usually 100% resolute in my thoughts and opinions regarding mainstream media representation of African/African-American people (for example, I'd NEVER see nor support a movie like Moonlight, as it's being pushed by supposed "woke" black intellectuals as some sort of defining take on black male masculinity, which I find disgusting) and when I see another black show, created by, an all accounts intelligent and socially aware black woman, which seems to portray black men, yet again, as worthless miscreants, it's doesn't simply offend me, it HURTS me, as a black man. So my knee jerk reaction was to simply dismiss it.
But, if I as a black man, saying that I respect black women, then I owe it to THIS black woman to at least withhold judgement and give her a decent sampling of episodes before I totally belittle her creative vision. When black women on this site such as
@dora_da_destroyer or
@CinnaSlim or
@Milk N Cookies speak up and say, "wait a minute, check yourself". As a black man I should at least hear them out. It was when I really sat down and thought it out I realized that I gave MANY A black male entertainer/writer/actor/ etc. the proverbial "benefit of the doubt" this year, despite not being fully on board with their visions
-I gave Ta-Nahesi Coates the benefit of the doubt with his Black Panther run, despite the fact I didn't inherently agree with his take on deconstructing T'Challa and sort of using him as an avatar for black men overlooking the abuse of black women. I even gave his first issue (the best one so far) a glowing 5/5 review
BLACK PANTHER ISSUE #1 REVIEW
- I gave Nate Parker the benefit of the doubt, despite him being married to a white woman, and that he went back and apologized for comments he made that, in my opinion he NEVER should have apologized for (his statements regarding only portraying positive black men and not emasculating himself by playing a Homosexual) that he wouldn't water down and fukk up the Nat Turner biopic, Birth Of A Nation. When I finally saw the movie I was completely blown away and feel that it is the best movie of 2016
The Sword And The Sermon: A Review Of The Birth Of A Nation — Abernathy
-I gave Kanye West the benefit of the doubt and supported his The Life Of Pablo album, despite the fact that he's a self fulfilling prophecy and abandoned black women to marry a white reality star whore whose main claim to fame is that she fukks and uses black men like enslaved bed-bucks, and that she appropriates unique black beauty aesthetics through surgery and passes them off as her own. In fact, his album inspired me to write the best received article I've ever written
Kanye West The Life Of Pablo #tlop Review: The Dream Of An Ultra Light Beam
So it's now my turn to give Issa Rae the benefit of the doubt, because she's Is black. Because she IS intelligent. And therefore, because she DOES deserve it. I am not saying that ALL of my skepticism is gone, or that my spidey sense isn't tingling, but there was one passage during the second episode, a small dialogue between Isa and Molly that really made me start feeling differently...
It's the exchange they are having in the nail shop when Issa is fretting over whether to truly end it with Lawrence or not and Molly is like "Don't do it, I really like Lawrence." And Issa replies back "bytch, I LOVE him". That moment was played for laughs, but as someone, who again, is really putting a focus on the reconciliation between black men and women, I saw it as a poignant moment of true devotion. Even with all his "faults" (I feel they over-exaggerated the character's ineptness in the pilot, which is no longer a condemnation just a simple bit of constructive criticism) Issa still loves him, she just wants to see him get his shyt together. And even without that, she STILL finds emotional value in him and their relationship. THATS a powerful message that I feel doesn't properly get representation in mainstream portrayals of black romance. Issa realizes that she isn't better off without HIM, but that they BOTH are better off WITH him as consistently contributing memeber to society, through employment, and to their relationship, through better listening and communication skills. We as black men can definitely relate to that...
and when i gave her the description (bum ass dude living with his baby moms, parents dont fukk with him, tryin to be the rap manager for his hood cousin, etc) she was like 
. 
(
).
Granted she hadn't actually seen the show but between her reaction and what you outlined with your own thoughts, I do find it interesting if there are contrasting differences along gender lines with how certain depictions can be depicted/perceived.
so she curved Enterpise dude cause he didn't go to college??