Accidentally waving at someone who isn’t waving at you or running into the same person multiple times in the hallway are awkward situations that we all try to forget ever happened. Issa Rae has decided to turn these every day awkward moments into a type of entertainment people aren’t used to seeing with her hit web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.
J, the show’s heroine played by Rae, leads viewers through her awkward life as she deals with frustrating work problems, friends, and her love life. Her adventures have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Youtube and led to a Awkward Black Girl college tour that stopped by the University of Maryland February 24.
(Photos provided by Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl)
The event included a screening of the first seven episodes of Awkward Black Girl with a question and answer session at the end. Issa Rae and Madison T. Shockley III, who plays Fred, stopped by to give the inside scoop on the hard work it takes to create a show and keep it running.
Rae explained how each episode takes weeks to write, film, and edit a single episode of Awkward Black Girl. So much so that the season one finale release date was delayed due to editing taking longer than expected. Fans responded with an outraged out cry and demand for the episode. While some fans called Awkward Black Girl out on being unprofessional, Rae’s response was that “Yes, we are unprofessional”.
Rae stressed that the web series is not a professional show being backed by a major network that would avoid such hiccups in the road and have everything run smoothly. In fact, Awkward Black Girl is funded by donations from fans who have given generously to keep their show alive.
These fans are people who find Awkward Black Girl to be a show that isn’t what they are used to and they love it.
“I love that she’s a black female and not a black female stereotype,” junior psychology major Brandi Pressley said. “I never understood why TV never has a black female lead that is relatable. It’s been such a successful show because it fights the norm. A lot of media is predictable and repetitive, people are ready for change.”
Rae said that she made it a point to have a real black woman as the star as opposed to the type of black women she is used to seeing on television. One of the reasons she has chosen to keep her web series the way that it is and not moved on to a bigger network is because she wants to hold onto that relatable black female identity.
“A lot of girls, whether or not they realize it, are influenced negatively by media portrayals and for a minority, accurate portrayals, especially ones that are honest, that don’t present caricatures, can boost and encourage self-esteem,” junior government and politics major Davia Coke-McKay said.
However, Rae says that her show is something that both male and female and all races can relate to. The common thread being an awkward moment that you can’t avoid.
“The fact that the show centers around a person that constantly has awkward moments and encounters makes her really endearing and a lot of people appreciate that type of honesty,” said Coke-McKay.
The show is currently on a hiatus as the cast and crew prepare for their second season. In the meantime, you can check out awkwardblackgirl.com for more information.