Chances are you’ve told someone, “Bye, Felicia,” or have even been told, “Bye, Felicia,” yourself. Nowadays it’s quite common, and amazingly, there are some people unaware of its origins.
But here’s a quick primer, courtesy of the movie Friday:
In the interests of keeping up with social media and all things reality TV, VH1 thought it was a novel idea to title its new Iyanla: Fix My Life type of show Bye Felicia! But of course BET 2.0 had to put its own spin on things. The series stars Atlanta-based life coaches Deborah Hawkes and Missy Young, and they’re trying to get people to “Bye, Felicia” their old ways. But not just any type of people; they’re only helping white women.
“This eight-episode, hourlong series follows Atlanta-based life coaches Deborah Hawkes and Missy Young as they set out to help white girls across the Los Angeles area. Each closed-ended episode aims to empower two different women who could use a dose of honesty in order to turn their lives around,” the VH1 press release reads.
Maybe VH1 should have titled the show Rent-a-Sassy-Sista. Bye Felicia! hasn’t even aired, but people are already not feeling the idea, and do you blame them?
https://twitter.com/CherrellRene/status/534520051605729281https://twitter.com/youngsinick/status/534519982756204544https://twitter.com/daniecal/status/534479698030764032https://twitter.com/radicalhearts/status/534520467617374208https://twitter.com/wish112/status/534434061989994496
“Deborah and Missy have the bold, no-nonsense voice that VH1 viewers love,” says Susan Levison, VH1’s executive vice president of original programming and production.
“Plus, they are two of the funniest women I have ever met; we are so excited to introduce them to America,” Levison adds.
Sassy black women coming to rescue white women isn’t anything new. Lifetime also has a similar show, Girlfriend Intervention, where not just one, but three black women attempt to fix a white woman’s life.
Sorry, but I’d rather not be Captain Save a White Woman, or watch a show that centers on the concept. But if you’re interested, Bye Felicia! premieres Dec. 9 at 9 p.m. on VH1.