Insecure

One of my favourite shows to watch is the hit tv show on HBO called Insecure, written, directed and played by herself as the main character is Issa Rae, a LA native and Stanford University graduate. The show is based around the awkward experiences of the black women in America and was created off of her hit Youtube web series The Mis-Adventures of the Awkward Black Girl. 

Issa has made it very clear in interviews that she wanted this show to portray the ordinary lives of black people especially black women and not the usual negative stories often told that are associated with black content on television. 

When the show aired in 2016, I have been hooked from the first episode. I saw myself on the screen, I saw my awkwardness and the woman trying to find herself and navigate her way around in this world, where women like us are not particularly seen, introverted and shy, and seeing that being portrayed on this show stuck with me and it is now 5 seasons in with the final season that has just aired a week ago.

The storytelling from this show is simple, raw, and current. The show is narrated by Issa about how she and her friends go about dealing with friendships and relationships, their jobs and social lives. The show speaks to millennials not knowing which direction to take in their lives and struggling to make important life decisions. It also tells a story about friendship, the ups and downs and how people evolve and the things and people that they once shared a great love for might be outgrown. 

Taking a look at a few of the principles of Pixar storytelling:

1. Stories are universal: Although this show is made to tell a story about black women growing up in a LA city it has resonated with so many women around the world, dealing with breakups, friendship or being stuck in a particular place in their lives.

2. Clear structure and purpose: The story has structure and referring to the story spine that it has a beginning, starting with Issa at a job that had her stuck for many years and in a relationship with a partner that had no ambition, The middle of the story a few seasons in and Issa decided to make a change, find a job she would be passionate about, dating people that had more purpose in their lives, and finding what truly makes her happy. In the end, while the show is still currently airing, [insert ending here], I have my own predictions on how the show will end. I’m hoping she finds her one true love, she becomes a very successful events planner for her community and continues to grow in all other aspects of her life. 

3. Good stories are simple: The story is focused on Issa and the people she has relationships and friendships with. How they deal with certain situations and overcome them.

4. Good stories give you a character to root for: Issa being the main character of the show, starting off with her having a hard time at the beginning of the show and how she has evolved for when the show 1st started – everyone wants to see Issa win!

What is so unique about Insecure to me is how the story focuses mostly on black culture, but how Millenials worldwide can relate in so many different ways, A great part of the show’s storytelling too is in particular scenes when Issa is going through something, there are scenes created of her in her bathroom, looking in the mirror and talking to her self, but this conversation turns into a rap battle with her self and her conscious (in the mirror) answering back at her which speaks greatly to her audience that love rap music. These rap sessions are a huge part of the storytelling and how she does her thought process, which has been a huge takeaway from the show. 

In many interviews, Issa Rae has been asked about her creative process and how she finds inspiration to tell the stories that she does and her answers are always that she creates for her audience, the people that look like her and have experienced what she has — The story is honest, it’s personal and real and that’s why this show will be stuck with me for many years to come.