"Laughing at black women's hair is predictable and uninteresting," says Robin Thidi, creator of HBO's "Funny in Black" sketch show, which this week aired its second season in the country.
"There are a lot of talented women."
Robin Thidi (right) in "Funny in Black"
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Courtesy of yes
This week, HOT, yes and Cellcom TV aired a second season of the groundbreaking "Funny in Black" sketch show from HBO, starring African-American comedians.
"Funny in Black" was created by Robin Thidi, who began her career as a lead screenwriter on the satirical show Larry Wilmore (a subsidiary of "The Daily Show" with John Stewart) and on Kevin Latifa's daily talk show.
In the sketch show, which last year won the American Television Critics Association Award and was nominated for three Emmy Awards this year, Thidi puts black women and their content world at the center. Aside from the team of young comedians who star in the show, there are also guest appearances by prominent African-American women such as actress Isa Ray, creator of the "Unsafe" series; Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child, and actress Angela Bast. The new season will also feature actress Gabriel Union and TV presenter Aisha Kerry,The wife of NBA star Steph Kerry.
At the event to promote the new season of "Funny in Black", Thidi said that "we did not want to represent old-fashioned stereotypes in the program. There are so many rich and varied ideas when it comes to black women. We correspond with a variety of genres, from thriller to musical. "It's predictable and not really interesting. We came to get out of the box."
According to Thidi, the casting process was quite quick and informal. "I brought in some comedians who have been my girlfriends for years. As soon as I got the green light for the show, I sent each one a message: 'Hey, do you feel like participating in a TV show?' And that's how it was. There are a lot of talented women. The excuse that people give as if they do not see a lot of comedic women because there are not many of them is a complete lie. They are also funny - that's what unites us. "
