The Most Awkward Girl in the Room: Explorations as an ABG

It’s my birthday and I want to talk about something close to my heart, awkward black girls. This genre is quickly exploding and I’m trying to wrap my head around it all. Me, self-identifying as awkward and also not self-identified because I know other people think I am awkward. Everyone and their mother asked me, “have you ever seen Awkward Black Girl?” or said “ OMG you have to watch Awkward Black Girl!” Just the other day, a drunk man at a bar said to me on the dance floor “You look like Issa Rae!” Ummm no, no I don’t. But let me take it back to when Awkward Black Girl blew up on the inter webs. Since everyone just thought of me immediately – I figured I’d check it out.

I first read up on Issa. Her platform seemed sound, referencing the emergence of awkward comedy in general and how there’s 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, the Tina Feys, and Amy Poehlers, but never saw black people’s brand of awkward really represented. After reading up, I said what the heck, let’s watch this. I watched the first two episodes and wasn’t into it, I realized we were different types of awkward. I didn’t get the jokes, I chuckled at times but couldn’t fully commit. In addition I’m turned off by her use of rap in her work. I was raised in Hip Hop culture and using rap for comedic purposes is a delicate situation for me. To use it properly, the content and/or circumstance has to be extremely witty, precise, and layered or it feels like making light of the true skill of emceeing. It is a thin line and the…