A lot has been said about the series adaptation of Spike Lee’s seminal joint, She’s Gotta Have It. But allow me to say two more things.
As someone who grew up loving Nola Darling, simply for the fact that she was unapologetic about who she was, I was beyond excited to finally have that woman resurrected in 40-minute to one-hour chunks that I could binge-watch.
With Being Mary Jane on its death bed - if we’re being real, it hasn’t been good since the middle of season two and that’s not 50 Cent’s fault, despite what Gabby Union says - and the black girl magic starting to wear off, with shows like Scandal and The Fixer, I needed She’s Gotta Have It to be brilliant.
It’s not.
Full disclosure: I have never been to Brooklyn and I’d like to see what’s good. But the world wide web has made the world so much smaller that if my BK cyber friends are complaining about how unrealistic the show is, I have to believe them.
DeWanda Wise as the feisty Nola Darliing in She’s Gotta Have It. Picture: Supplied
Besides, in just your own circles, where do you find a tight group of friends where one is painted as a hoodrat, the other is a upper-class bougie chick, the one is a yoga-loving, African-dance-trying white girl and the other is a polyamorous artist?
Where would these girls even meet? Inside a Skittles packet?
So the first thing I wanted to say is: She’s Gotta Have It is unrealistic.
From the awkward friendships and the convos about “what were you doing walking out at night” that are so 2000-and-late, to this theatrical acting that is just so off-putting from a series that is meant to be young and cool.
Issa no, Spike.
Speaking of Issa, why is this Nola Darling looking and sounding like she was modelled after Awkward Black Girl?
Anyway. On to my second point. In defence of the members of the itty booty committee, not everyone is trying to get a Nicki Minaj butt. And even those who are have seen enough cautionary tales to do better than what Nola’s friend, Shemekka is put through.
undefinedThe charicature of big booty girls is so eyeroll-inducing. The fact that - and here’s a spoiler alert - Shemekka spends forever getting these butt injections and then falls down once and suddenly, pop, all the contents of the new booty are splattered onto patrons at a club?
Come on, Spike! Your Judge Judy side is showing.
Of course there are side-effects to any cosmetic surgery.
Yes, you should love yourself as you are, blah, blah, blah. But this is the real world.
If you want it, you can buy it and you can live a long, healthy life in spite of old people trying to shame you.