With the madness of today’s world serving as the backdrop for a typical day, our natural ability to feel enjoyment sometimes seems lost.  Clinging to just about anything that takes our minds off of the craziness, these two shows could possibly save our sanity.   Certainly, “our” means you, us, all races, all sexes, but I must say, it is refreshing to watch shows that push the limits and dive deep into topics that seem off limits within the black community (dating, commitment issues, finding a job…ever heard a rap about a broken pussy?).  FX’s Atlanta and HBO’s Insecure showcase black actors that are educated, funny, charming, and cute (which is unfortunately rare).   Both shows cover real issues, real dialogue, and REAL humor that isn’t over-dramatized.

Black women can watch Insecure and after each episode feel like their story is being told or have moments that directly relate to their everyday lives.  The show isn’t just for black women, which is what makes it so genius.  In comparison, HBO’s Girls once reserved the spot as the show that brought comedic moments to serious issues that plagued the lives and minds of many young women.  Women sometimes go through things that men just wouldn’t believe.  Females have conversations with their girlfriends that are so private, we couldn’t fathom repeating them to anyone else.  Girls was our first glimpse at bringing these private thoughts and moments to households everywhere.  That is, until now.  Being a huge fan of Girls myself, I can say that something was usually missing.  Not every episode was easy to relate to.  I didn’t see myself in any of the characters.  The show was set in New York City, but rarely were there any black characters (like never).  Insecure has similar dynamics as Girls, but has a diverse cast, and it makes all the difference.  Women, start watching this!

 

 

I like to describe Atlanta as the male version of Insecure.  The best part of this FX hit series is its simplicity.  The characters aren’t over the top, they aren’t trying to be funny (they just are), but more importantly, they are representative of a lot of the black men that I know and love.  With a mixture of rough around the edges, hip, funny, smart, talented, and driven all at once, this show represents so much of what is great about black men.  Atlanta depicts the honesty of what they go through on an average day, the stupid decisions that they make (like all of us), all while maintaining the hustle of surviving and providing for their family.

Overall, both shows bring back what’s been missing from television.  We (brown people) can now see ourselves in the characters we watch and that is so major.  But, what makes it all very magical is that ANYONE can watch and feel like they can relate.  There will be plenty of moments when you’ll find yourself saying, “OMG! That’s so me!”  You may even be surprised at the moments when you can say, “WOW! That actually happened to me and my friend!”  There are so many MOMENTS worth watching so be sure to show your support (you can catch episodes On Demand) and enjoy what the rest of the world has already caught onto…black excellence.