Issa Rae, who is the star of the popular web series  Awkward Black Girl, has a new TV show on HBO called Insecure. To me this show is like Awkward Black Girl 2.0 because both shows have a lot of similarities. On Insecure, Rae plays the main character who is also named Issa. Rae said in an interview that Issa on the show is 80% her.

I love this show because it captures an honest portrayal of friendships between Black women that hasn’t been seen on television since Girlfriends. As a matter of fact, Issa’s best friend on the show, Molly, reminds me of a character on Girlfriends in terms of looks and personality.

I love this show because it shows Black women as full fledged human beings. Issa and Molly aren’t being shown as stereotypical Black women that we have seen portrayed on television over and over again. They are multi-dimensional characters, and I can relate to them in some ways. It’s nice to watch a show where you see someone who reminds you of yourself. Television Issa feels like she’s in a rut at her job and in her relationship with her boyfriend, Lawrence.

One of my favorite aspects of this show is Issa’s raps. Instead of venting in a journal, Issa vents out loud by herself through rapping. It’s hilarious and awkward just like she is.

Speaking of music, the music in this show is wonderful. It helps when you have Solange Knowles as a music consultant on the show. That makes it automatically awesome! I’m excited to see where this show goes next, because I’m already invested after 3 episodes.

While the show isn’t available in our catalog yet, Rae’s book is. It’s a great read. What new shows have you been watching this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Happy watching!

~Kayla

Kayla works at Squirrel Hill as a Clerk, so when you come up to the customer services desk you might see her face! When she’s not at the library she enjoys reading, watching TV & listening to music. You might also find her at your local Starbucks, because she loves her Frappuccinos.