Issa Rae Threatens To Cancel ‘Insecure’ If Melania Trump Is A Fan, Is Proud To Have Michelle Obama On Board
Issa Rae, the producer and star of the HBO series Insecure, said she will cancel the show if she finds out Melania Trump is a fan, according to an extensive interview with Glamour.
Rae recently found out that former first lady Michelle Obama, for whom Rae has great respect, is a fan of the show, apparently having been turned on to it by daughters Sasha and Malia. Back in 2017, Rae and the former FLOTUS crossed paths, and right away Mrs. Obama struck up a conversation with Rae about how she (Rae) had ended the previous season. Rae was thrilled to have Michelle as a fan.
“It was like talking to my auntie.”
She then went on to lament having the Obamas in the White House.
“It bums me out that I will never have that feeling again of the First Family f**king with us so hard and getting us.”
And as for the prospect of Melania Trump being a fan of her show? Rae is not having it.
“If Melania [Trump] said that to me, I would be like, ‘Well, I guess it’s canceled. We’re not making this show. It’s not ours anymore.'”
Insecure, for those not familiar, is an HBO comedy-drama about the African-American experience.
Requiem for Rasheeda! #InsecureHBO pic.twitter.com/MkYwnJxWyr
— WHIZ WARD (@yopotnawhiz) August 27, 2018
According to a July 2016 L.A. Times report, Insecure is in many ways not unlike HBO’s Lena Dunham-driven comedy-drama Girls, in that it doesn’t shy away from nudity, frank sexual humor, or awkward situations. But instead of being a mainly white cast like Girls, Rae’s show focuses on the lives of African-American women. But Rae is quick to point out that her show focuses not on gritty crime or life inside an underprivileged neighborhood, like so many African-American-driven dramas.
“We’re just trying to convey that people of color are relatable. This is not a hood story. This is about regular people living life.”
Rae developed a reputation for her biting comedic wit on her YouTube series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” during which she demonstrated her ability to mine awkwardness for laughs. Originally, she was in talks with ABC to produce a sitcom, but those talks fell through and she eventually wound up at HBO. That turned out to be for the better, as the cable network was able to grant Rae more creative freedom than she would have had on a broadcast network.
“I’m just so proud that we made the show we wanted to make.”
As of this writing, it is unclear if Melania Trump is a fan of Insecure or if she’s even ever heard of it.
