The fall television season is my favorite time of the year. I love when network and cable channels pimp out their new merchandise for the masses to love or hate. I especially love when my favorites finally come back from their nail biting cliff hangers. The only problem? The wait until mid-September when most of these shows come back on. The summer was made for blockbuster movies; not staying at home and enjoying television.
Not many programs have grabbed my attention since all of my favorites ended (except Mr. Robot). So, I have been re-watching Bob’s Burgers and drooling over all of the cakes and breads from Martha and British bakers. I was starting to feel bored until I randomly went on Twitter and saw an ad for a new MTV half hour comedy.
I am not the biggest fan of MTV programming, except for the occasional re-run of Daria and True Life, but when I saw my eccentric curly haired doppelganger on Twitter starring in her own show I almost screamed. The woman? Nicole Byer, one of my favorite on-the-rise comediennes. She is loud, black and un-apologetically so and it is wonderful. I have been following her career from humble beginnings at New York and Los Angeles’ UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade, where many Saturday Night Live actors found their start) with her hilarious sketches she posted on YouTube. One of my favorite shows was a web series she starred in with her best friend and SNL actress Sasheer Zamata called Pursuit of Sexiness. It is a perfect first step into discovering her type of over-the-top humor. She really found her footing when she became the queen of Girl Code on MTV. Seeing her on that show was great for a short, fat, black girl with a lot of insecurities. She was confident and didn’t hold back about her sexuality, body and other womanly things. And after a few seasons of Girl Code, MTV decided to let her star in her own show.
Loosely, Exactly Nicole is a half hour raunchy comedy on Monday nights on MTV. It stars Byer basically playing a heightened version of herself living in Los Angeles, California with her gay roommate, Devin. She is a not-so-great nanny struggling to become an actress (like most people in LA). Through her struggles she still manages to be a great best friend to Veronica (her roommate’s enemy) and apparently great lover to her hunky lover boy, Derrick. Byer’s comedy is almost always spot on. She is confident in her body and she is not afraid to talk about sex, relationships, race, or being a woman. She embraces every part of herself and for someone with confidence issues, it is wonderful. Byer is everything I want to be in life. She is not afraid of being the loud, fat and fabulous black woman in the room. I am proud that MTV gave her a show because women like myself need inspiration, no matter how sex crazed and raunchy she is.
I have high hopes for this show because it has been a long time since we have had a black comedy with a plus sized female lead. There have been plus size actresses in supporting and minor roles, think Yvette Brown from Community and Donna Meagle (Retta) from Parks and Rec, but none in the leading role since Mo'Nique's The Parkers in the '00s. This show is important to the landscape of comedic entertainment for black women. They do not have to only be the sassy sidekick with a few GIF-able one liners. They can be strong, powerful, funny leaders in their own shows. Nicole Byer is someone to look out for in the future.
Catch Loosely, Exactly Nicole on Mondays at 10:30/9:30c on MTV.
