Video Not Safe for Work (NSFW)
Stacy A. Anderson of the Associated Press talks to Issa Rae, the woman behind the popuar Web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, about the series success through the use of social media. Rae had tired of stereotypical depictions of black women in media, so she set out to create her own version of reality.
Anderson reports:
"The Web series came about because I really didn't see anybody like me on the screen, nobody that I could relate to," said Rae, the show's producer, writer and director. "There's just so many limited archetypes for black females in particular, and just people of color in general, and it's frustrating to look at the screen and only be able to relate to people like Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, people who don't look like me."
Since the series first posted online in February, the debut episode has garnered more than 240,000 hits. Subsequent episodes have received more than 100,000 hits and 1,000 viewer comments. Nearly 17,000 people are dedicated to the show's Facebook page. Rae said she and co-producer Tracy Oliver are packaging "Awkward Black Girl" as a half-hour comedy to sell to a cable network, but are strongly thinking about keeping it online to build the audience and maintain stronger contact with viewers.
"Social media is what made the show honestly," Rae said. "Had it not been for social media, this show just wouldn't have been what it is today. I couldn't have done this 10 years ago."
Kudos to Rae for taking her frustration and turning it into something meaningful and entertaining. With chutzpah like that, she'll be on cable television in no time. Who says social media is a waste of time and energy? See Issa Rae.
Read more at Yahoo News.
In other news: Bank of America May Cut 40,000 Jobs.