#blackAF

As sitcoms go, #blackAF is competently written. The production values are topnotch. It employs the popular pseudo-documentary style that is used by shows such as "The Office," "The Bernie Mac Show," and "Veep," where we follow that characters along throughout the day. Sometimes the characters seem aware of the cameras shooting them (including when they participate in direct interviews) and other times they do not seem aware that they are being recorded. The question for the potential viewer to ask is whether or not he or she would be interested in following this particular family around for thirty minutes at a time. If the answer is yes, you may find much to enjoy about the show. If the answer is no, you may find the series boring and annoying. The key to your enjoyment (or lack thereof) depends largely on how you feel about the character Kenya's worldview. He's a classic nouveau riche that defines success by the accumulation of things such as designer clothes, fancy cars and the oversized house in the suburbs. In his role as a television showrunner he views himself as more than just a cog in the network wheel, but as an artist. He also doesn't shy away from his support of the black cause du jour and sees himself as some sort of revolutionary that is working within the system. As one will see in the first season, Kenya's vision of himself and the reality are often two very different things. His wife Joya is an ex-corporate lawyer that is struggling to find a purpose to her life beyond motherhood. Fortunately for the viewer, you don't have to watch each episode in sequence to decide if the series is for you. Unlike other streaming shows, it's not heavily serialized. If you're on the fence about watching this series, skip ahead to episode five (entitled, "yo, between you and me... this is because of slavery"). In that particular episode, Kenya is baffled by the enormous amount of acclaim that a new black film is receiving and seeks feedback from fellow black filmmakers (featuring cameos by filmmakers that have achieved either commercial or critical success) about his role as an artist. It is by far the best episode and the essence of what the series is about. If that episode fails to impress, there is no need to continue. On the other hand, if it grabs you, there may be a few nuggets worth discovering in other episodes. Kenya and Joya mean well, but are less than stellar parents. Their six children have their own distinct personalities, but to varying degrees are casualties of their parents skewed priorities. For example, Kenya is more interested in telling his son that he shouldn't mix designers in his sweatsuit than say, the importance of doing well in school or eating healthy. Kenya does an acceptable job essentially playing a version of himself. One would imagine the same is true with the young cast playing the couple's six children. Therefore, Rashida Jones seems to be the only one of the regular cast members that is really playing a character. Once again, a viewer's enjoyment of the series is determined in large part by how interested he or she is in spending time with these people. Ms. Jones may be phenomenal in her role as Joya, but if you aren't interested in the journey of her character, you won't appreciate the skill of her craft. In short, #blackAF is not for everyone. Some will identify with the characters. Others will not. Some will find the situations amusing. Others will find it trite. Others still might not be interested in a show about Hollywood and the people who work "behind the scenes." Some will laugh with the characters and some will laugh at the characters. Others will not laugh at all. Keep you expectations in check and you just might find it worth watching.

#blackAF **** un poco en adaptarse, pero en el quinto episodio se impulsa inesperadamente por la toxicidad, autobiográfica o no, de los personajes principales.

I love Black-ish and Girls Trip and enjoy Grown-ish. This is first thing Kenya Barris has done that I’m not a big fan of. It’s got its moments, but there’s a lot of awkward preachy or poorly edited sequences. Could use some sharper writing and maybe Barris could get an acting coach to work in his delivery.

My problem with blackAF is it's trying so hard to be the quintessential "black" show. That's impossible because black people are so diverse that it's impossible to represent all of us without falling into stereotypes. The family's wealth doesn't help with their relatability or political discussions. That's not to say that shows about rich back people can't be good or relatable. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Cosby Show are two of the best black sitcoms of all time. The difference between those shows and BlackAF is they focused on characters and story first and race issues second. I know it's important to talk about racism in a show featuring black people. However, if the characters are unlikable and the story is not entertaining, then any message will come off as preaching. It also doesn't help that apart from one episode, the way the writers discuss racism feels like it's from the perspective of rich white people. The movie Green Book had the same problem. That's not to say that white people can't make a good black sitcom that discusses racism. An example is the sitcom Good Times. Most of the producers and half of the writers were white, but the difference between them and BlackAF is they did their homework. They consulted with the black writers and actors so the show wouldn't be alienating to black people. Despite being black himself, Kenya Barris demonstrates how living in a bubble has made him forget about the black experience. One example is when in one episode, his character blurts out, "I hate white people." There was no build-up or context to that statement. While there are black people who hate white people, it's usually for fairly justifiable reasons. For instance, black people who were convicts have seen the absolute worst in white people. When Kenya had that outburst, it came off as petty because the audience doesn't know anything about his past or relations with white people that would lead to that statement. Not to mention he's a millionaire. Whatever racism he may have experienced certainly didn't inhibit his ability to make money. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, BlackAF is a dumbed-down version of Black-ish. Both shows are about a privileged black family living in a predominantly white neighborhood, working and attending school with mostly white people, and figuring out what it means to be black. Balck-ish is better because, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Cosby Show, it was a sitcom first and a soapbox second. Also, the title is way better. Black-ish makes sense as a title because it fits the show's theme of black identity and assimilation. BlackAF sounds like the title for a Soul Plane reboot directed by Marlon Wayans. Kenya Barris has a lot in common with Tyler Perry. Both men are wealthy black creators praised for hiring and representing black people in the mainstream media. Their problem is they keep pumping out the same shlock. They both struggle with writing dark-skinned black people since they're either the villains, self-inserts, or just nonexistent in their stories. They try to make relatable content while being oblivious to how their fame and wealth affected their perspective. They both use their blackness as a shield from criticism. They also both have extremely loyal fanbases who are apologetic and blindly praise their content. I understand why people feel the need to support them. Racism in Hollywood is still prominent, so it's nice seeing black people become professional producers. However, Kenya Barris and Tyler Perry both need to be held to the same standard as any white director because, as black men, they should both know better. They need to know that portraying dark-skinned black people as evil, and black women as crazy harpies that can't be fulfilled without a man is harming the very community they claim to support. They also need to hire better writers.

Some video clips of a man being a bad, rude and dumb parent but absolutely not in a funny way, and some other people moving their limbs around and talking cringe. All the modern elements like vertical videos, Instagram posts and stuff about technology are so unnatural. There is no link between the stuff we see in the chaotic first 90% of an episode and the very allegedly-wholesome last 10%. Even the names of episodes are trying to hide under the racial inequality which felt like the only spot left to hide for such a terrible work, believeing (rightously) hopefully that the racial inequality is a fact that shouldn't be questioned (again, rightously, don't get me wrong). Low.