I just finished rewatching Insecure for the 100th time, and wow the nostalgia. I will never forget the feeling I got while watching the first episode. I can’t even put the feeling into words, but I knew from that episode, the show was going to be something. It was culturally relevant, but not too blatant. It touched on so many topics (relevant topics), that it was hard not to love the show. You would think that Insecure was meant for the women, but in reality, its target audience was Black people in general: men and women. Anyone could watch the show and relate to the situations that were presented.
I’ve been wanting to write a blog post ever since I finished the show a few weeks ago, but there were so many topics to touch on, that I got overwhelmed. Then, a few days ago, I saw a tweet that suggested that everyone should rewatch Insecure once every few years, to see what current phase of their life relates to the show. I took that tweet as a sign to finish my post. When I first watched Insecure, I was in a very different season of my life than I’m in now: I was one year away from graduating college, working part-time at Zara, and interning at City Hall. I had an apartment I was sharing with three other people, and I was also in a three-year relationship. During that time, I was just trying to figure out what my next steps were after college. Although the characters in Insecure were meant to be in their late twenties, and most were already established in their careers and in life, there were still parts of the show that were relatable. We all know that in season one Issa was all over the place, and not really present for herself, but yet trying to be her biggest advocate. That was the Issa I related to. Now this phase of my life is similar to block party Issa. She was a little more confident in herself and in her purpose in life.
As I was rewatching it, I was taking mental notes of the conversations I wanted to have with my sisters. Here's a little something I wrote down:
March 18, 2024
I watch Insecure and feel for Issa. Not being sure of yourself, feeling like you’re not doing good enough, especially when everyone around you (mainly your friends), are doing great things for themselves. I feel like the name of the show was appropriate because you accept so little when you’re insecure. You put up with so much when you don’t know yourself. Your decision-making, all ties into how you view yourself. It’s like I want to reach through the screen and hug her. I think that’s why I like the show so much. It’s relatable.
Relatable. That’s one word I would use to describe Insecure. As a viewer, you were able to relate to the characters and their circumstances. It was like watching yourself on screen. It wasn't until this time around, that I really "understood" the show. I noticed that a lot of problems the characters were facing festered because certain conversations weren’t had when they needed to be had. This applies to every main character. For example, had Issa and Lawrence talked about their relationship issues when they arose, I don’t necessarily think Issa would have cheated. Had Issa and Molly talked about their friendship issues, and what bothered them, their relationship wouldn’t have been so chaotic. Had Nathan opened up to Issa in the beginning stages of their friendship about his mental health issues, his ghosting her would have been a little more understandable. Communication was such a big theme in the show and something I didn't notice the first time around watching it. A lot of things I agreed with when I first watched Insecure, I no longer agree with when rewatching it this time: different phase in my life.
Now, when I think of my top shows, Insecure is definitely on that list. Looking back, I think what made Insecure such a great show was that it encouraged conversations that NEEDED to be had within the Black space: being the only Black person in an all-White work environment, Black women and men not feeling “good enough” regardless of their accolades, depression, dating, racism, any topic you can think of, was touched on in that show.
What current phase of your life relates to Insecure?
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