Issa Rae Pushed Back Against Focus On White Characters In Insecure

Issa Rae Pushed Back Against Focus On White Characters In Insecure

Insecure star and co-creator Issa Rae explains why she pushed back against advice to focus more on the supporting character of Frieda.

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Issa Rae Pushed Back Against Focus On White Characters In Insecure

Insecure star and co-creator, Issa Rae, explains why she turned down advice to focus on white characters. Premiering on HBO in 2016, Insecure explores the Black female perspective of Issa (played by Rae) and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji). Dealing with career and relationship changes, while living in Los Angeles, the pair experience their share of triumph and heartache.

The dramedy, which was co-created by Larry Wilmore, was partially inspired by Rae’s previous work in the web show, Awkward Black Girl. Critics have consistently praised the series, with Rae’s lead performance garnering a slew of praise and several nominations at the Emmys and the Golden Globes. Fans have loved the show as well, with many confessing they’re not quite ready to say their farewells when Insecure returns for its fifth and final season on October 24. But, in new remarks, Rae reveals a suggestion that could’ve fundamentally changed the show.

As part of a cover story for Mic, Rae shared a piece of advice she received from a colleague that altered two of her projects. While developing Awkward Black Girl, she was told by the colleague that she’d be wise to add a white character since it would cause more white viewers to follow her show and would likely lead to more attention from outlets such as NPR. Rae stresses that she never felt pressured by HBO, but the advice did influence Insecure. In its early stages, there was some discussion about prioritizing the white character of Frieda. Rae also touches on that in her quote, which is included below:

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“She was just like, ‘Girl, if you want this shit to set off to the next level, you got to put a white character in there, then white people will care about it, then NPR is going to write about your shit, and it’ll blow up. And then it literally happened. […] I was like, ‘f–ck no! This is not a show about Freida! That was when I started actively resisting. When Issa quit work and we got rid of the We Got Y’all storyline, I realized, ‘Oh my gosh, our show is just about Black characters now in the most refreshing way.’”

Frieda (portrayed by Lisa Joyce) was part of the first few seasons of Insecure, last appearing in the fourth episode of season 3. Working alongside Issa, the two characters were friendly at times. But, during others, viewers observed how Frieda would wield her privileged status and fail to stand up as an ally when Issa faces racism. That type of supporting character has its utility, certainly, but to take the focus away from Issa and Molly would alter the story that Rae had hoped to tell in a fundamental way. And, as the actress indicates in her remarks, Insecure has been appreciated by its fans for how it examines its Black characters. The show focuses on everything that the protagonists deal with, both personally and professionally. While racism is undoubtedly a factor in their lives, it is not the totality of their experience.

Rae’s comments, in another sense, speak to the difficulty that minorities, and particularly Black actors, can face when seeking to bring their stories to the screen. On shows that largely feature a white male cast, such as Riverdale, performers have spoken out about feeling tokenized and underappreciated. But then, in the same vein, even a creative voice like Rae is nudged to highlight white characters even though that may run counter to the narrative that she wants to explore. Insecure obviously doesn’t reflect every Black experience, and Rae points out that she understands that pressure since there are relatively few Black-led shows, but part of the issue is a false perception that movies and shows featuring primarily Black casts can’t be successful without some sort of caveat.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/insecure-show-issa-rae-white-characters-response/

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