Viral Video Shows Issa Rae Pitching TV Series For Black Teens
Television series geared towards being a teenager and all the melo-drama that follows have been a mainstay for years. From shows like Degrassi and Boy Meets World, capturing the ups and downs of a high schooler as they find themselves is always a binge-worthy good time. More recently shows like Gossip Girl and Friday Night Lights have kept the trend going. Unfortunately, as good as these shows are they can sometimes commit the sin of only capturing a specific point of view.
Photo Courtesy of Teen Dramas Online
The Black voice, as well as the voices of other minorities, isn’t as well represented in these popular teen dramas as much as the voices of our white counterparts. Although new shows like the highly anticipated Grown-ish and even the popular Hulu original series East Los High are major steps in the right direction, it’s been a while since a teen drama that amplifies the under represented point of view has crossed our TV screens.
Cue Issa Rae. Her new HBO show Insecure is a regularly trending topic on social media and she has been making a name for herself in Hollywood because of her unique storytelling style. A viral video produced by The New Yorker has Issa Rae pitching a concept that is said to be a cross between Gossip Girl and Beverly Hills 90210 but for black teens. Check out the video below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viZ378W15sQ&w=560&h=315%5D
Remembering shows like A Different World, Moesha and One On One is enough to get us excited for how a show like the one Issa describes would be one to tune into every single week. It’s uncertain if this concept is one the Issa and her team is actively working on or if this viral video is supposed to serve as a calling card for more networks to consider producing more series geared towards teens but from a Black, Korean, Indian, LGBT, etc. perspective.
Would you watch this show? If you have an idea for a show similar to Issa’s, we’d love to hear it as well. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
SOURCE: The New Yorker
Insecure airs on Sundays at 10:30pm on HBO.
