‘Insecure’ a Sure Bet to Make You Laugh

Issa Rae has a reputation for candid humor that delivers commentary on the African-American female experience—the overarching theme of her Youtube series “Awkward Black Girl.” “Insecure,” which HBO recently released on HBO GO and which will make its official premiere on Sunday, represents Rae’s transition to television. The series follows a woman in Los Angeles as she attempts to navigate work, friendship, and dating. Issa, the “awkward black girl” of “Insecure,” works for a non-profit that helps underprivileged children, but her job is nonetheless rather unfulfilling. She struggles to create meaningful connections with the students she is serving, and so her visits to LA schools often unravel into embarrassing exposés of her unconventional blackness. What is most striking about “Insecure,” however, is how charming Rae’s portrayal is. Simple and authentic, “Insecure” tackles the challenges of not conforming to societal definitions of blackness with tremendous humor and heart.

To be clear, “Insecure as F--k,” the premiere episode of “Insecure,” is hardly without fault. In a cultural space filled with stories of 20-something friends, the show is not groundbreaking at first blush. Likewise, “Insecure as F--k” struggles to define male blackness beyond stereotypes; most of the black males in this first episode seem to conform to tropes of being “players,” generally unaware of the effects of their actions on the black females of the show. This is not a general condemnation of the show, as it is certainly possible and even likely that the romantic subplots involving Issa will explore the male experience more thoroughly, but does bring into question how the black experience can be gendered in its narratives.

What makes the show so compelling, however, is the contrast between the awkwardness of the characters and the tremendous wit and charisma with which they are played. In one particular scene, for instance, Issa speaks to a group of inner-city schoolchildren but cannot help but notice that they only want to delve into her personal life. When she reveals that she comes from a supportive family and has a college degree, a noticeable tension emerges, as expectations and reality seem to be in conflict. Nevertheless, Rae is undeniably loveable in her portrayal of Issa. Her charisma is perhaps most evident in the closing sequence of “Insecure as F--k,” during which Issa and her best friend, Molly (Yvonne Orji), go to a nightclub to find dates. Despite her struggles to be graceful (when a potential date eludes her handshake, Issa immediately breaks out into a rendition of the robot), Issa charms the nightclub audience by rapping with surprising passion and rhythm.

The stylistic choices of director Melina Matsoukas heighten the authenticity of the show. Indeed, background shots of Los Angeles juxtaposed with Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” provide a setting that is culturally black in its richness and strong character. The show is also quite intimate. Multiple times throughout the premiere, the audience witnesses Issa’s insecurities laid out before them as Issa talks and raps to herself in front of a bathroom mirror. It is these sequences that provide insight into the struggle of a woman who feigns confidences but in reality is remarkably human—unsure of her lipstick choices, her tone of voice, her “aggressiveness.”

The true virtue of “Insecure” rests in the honesty with which it delivers. Issa Rae’s humor is wound up in the notion that we should embrace ourselves in all our weirdness. It is not in spite of awkwardness that our lives are entertaining but rather because of it.