If you haven't heard of web series Pursuit of Sexiness, you're missing out. Starring SNL's Sasheer Zamata and Girl Code's Nicole Byer, the six episode first season focuses on the two besties living in NYC and, you guessed it, getting sexy.
Comparisons to Girls are pretty inevitable, but truthfully, the show reminds me more of Comedy Central's newest show, the brilliant Broad City; which itself started out online. It's less "self-conscious, over-earnest examination of life and love" and more "shameless pursuit to get laid at all costs." It's raucous, funny, and completely bananas.
I'm not going to pretend that the stars' blackness doesn't impact my enjoyment of the show. It does. It matters greatly to me to see two dark skinned black women, one of them plus-sized, unabashedly take charge of their sex lives. Byer's character is delightfully inappropriate, spending the end of the pilot desperately trying to coax her date's penis into a satisfactory erection. Zamata's character spends the pilot dropping increasingly obvious hints that she's more interested in her date's financial prospects than his company.
For all the writing I've done about the lack of presumption of sexual agency for black women, it's incredibly refreshing to see two black women; women who look like me; move through their sexual interactions unencumbered by the racial micro-aggressions that most black women are far too familiar with. In Zamata and Byer's universe, neither Sasheer's natural hair or Nicole's body are obstacles that must be overcome. They are simply parts of the people that they are; mere footnotes that accompany their whole.
I also love the way that the show tackles the intersection of black female sexuality. Zamata's pretense at modesty and Byer's lack of shame are played for laughs, but not in a way that scapegoats their blackness. Byer's character in particular calls to mind an essay I wrote last year about Jill Scott's character in the film Baggage Claim. As terrible as that film was, (it was very terrible) I found Scott's characterization to be an fun subversion of the usual "oversexed black woman" trope.
"Normally, the idea of yet another hypersexualized black female character would irritate me, but this was different. We have very specific narratives for how we interact with black women in the media. We get the Jezebels, and we get the Mammies. The Jezebels are sleek, sexy and can't keep their legs closed. The Mammies are overweight and asexual; never the twain shall meet. But with Gail, we have a voluptuous woman, who is very sexual, and not even a little bit ashamed of it. It was refreshing for me to see a plus-sized black woman engage with men sexually onscreen, and not be the subject of derision."
"[...] There's no disgust, there's no incredulity. This man is depicted as being just as sexually interested in Gail [Scott] as we the audience might expect him to be in Montgomery; read, skinny women. I think that's the a huge deal, no pun intended. Too often, plus-seized women are excised from the pool of sexuality for no other reason than the fact that they aren't thin, when the fact remains that being overweight doesn't mean that your libido evaporates, or that you're no longer desirable."
Byer applies the same idea to her character in Pursuit of Sexiness, to hilarious results. I appreciate that the show doesn't make the women's size or blackness a caveat to their attractiveness or potential desirability. Not to mention, the show is fucking funny! But to be fair, I'm pretty corny and it doesn't take a lot to make me laugh. Check out the first episode below and decide for yourself.
Honestly? I'm only annoyed that I didn't find the show sooner, and that both Zamata and Byer are now so thoroughly mainstream that they might not have time to film a second season!
Speaking of sexual agency and bossiness, I'm curious as to your take on Carnival festivities, particularly in your country. I have to say, its culture is both familiar and unfamiliar to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why it would come up? I'm confused as to why you'd make a connection between sexual agency and Carnival. Because the costumes are revealing?
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but the idea came from various parts. First because of one of the letters to the editor that was published in the newspaper a few days after Carnival. Now, most of those were complaining about the lack of morals, vulgarity, sexuality, etc.. But one letter (from a woman) mentioned how those were days that women could use to liberate themselves, temporarily, from the continuous sexual oppression that occurs daily. In those two days, women could be free to express themselves and their sexuality, when the rest of the days they have to cover up and even then get constant street harassment.
ReplyDeleteAnd I must say, one thing that did surprise about it (I played mas), was that during those two days, I was treated on the street much better than what I am treated daily. Considering how I was dressed, I got barely no catcalls, no comments. Now, the next day I put up my work suit, go to work, and get some unwanted comments along the way. It was... weird and frustrating.
As well, later I went to an event that included an open forum on the role of women within the group, and one of the men mentioned how it seemed women got power but gave it back or lost it, like when they dressed up for Carnival and are seen by their male coworkers. How they lost their respectability by doing that.