2 Dope Queens Celebrate Black History Month on HBO

Those of us who have been fans of Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson’s live comedy were thrilled to hear that they’d teamed up with HBO to celebrate the Blackest of Black History Months with four specials during the month of February. The duo have hosted the most lit comedy party podcast since 2016, showcasing a variety of comedians and guests — both the well-known and the unknown, and many of them marginalized voices you might not hear anywhere else. Their specials, filmed at the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn and directed by Tig Notaro, bring the live show to the masses who haven’t been lucky enough to attend tapings in person. The first special, their “New York” episode, begins with the queens unable to get into their own show, stopped in the lobby of the theater by an usher who doesn’t recognize them. They buy the last two tickets to their own show — and discover it’s sold out! YAAAAS, Queens.

Once onstage, the hosts’ banter is classic Queens. The two launch into their millennial Black girl magic, run through a list of White People Who Should Apologize, and reminisce about when they each first arrived in New York–their housing struggles and, for Jessica, who is a Southern California native, getting used to Real Weather. So, one ongoing element of the podcast is that at some point, the Queens will ask for someone to bring them water or a rosé or something. This time around, they ask for a stagehand to help clean up the set, and surprise! It’s Jon Stewart, Jessica’s…