#blackAF: A mockumentary that I believed was real?

When I first saw the trailer for #blackAF, I could not believe that this was an actual documentary. Actually, scratch that. I did believe that this was an actual documentary. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing in the trailer and that a real family was like this. It wasn't until I looked it up that I realized that it was indeed all acting and not a real family. I should have known but since I have never actually watched any of Kenya Barris' other shows like Black-ish, Grown-ish, and Mix-ish, I did not realize that it was him playing the role as an actor with a fake family. Now, before you get on to me for never watching any of his other show, I true is that I never sat down and watch full episodes. But I have seen enough clips and follow enough for the story lines to where I know the majority of what happens in each of those shows. But back to the main point. #blackAF premiered this past April on Netflix. It about how a black family try to make it into the world as a family with 'new money' while also getting in hilarious and messy situations along the way. It is presented as a video application for one of Barris' daughters in the shows it show what it's like for her family. Now, after seeing the trailer I knew that I had to watch it immediately. I was looking for something new to watch and I just started getting into more mockumentary style shows. Now, I first want to focus on what I liked best about the show. During almost each episode, they would spend a about a minute or two to give history lessons on things that black people had the face in the past while also what the have the face right now. While I knew the history behind most of what was being said, some of it was knew to me. It made to research even more on and while also having a greater understanding on why some things more they way they are. I felt that for a comedy show, it was nice to have the serious of teaching the viewers about real life problems that people or colour are facing today. However, the one thing that I did not like was how there would be serious moments the like these, only for more jokes to come just as soon as it ends. Also, while there were mention on things that happened in previous episodes, I felt that it would have been more interesting to have more of those previous story lines bleed into the new ones. There were story lines that I wanted to be explored more for them to only be mentioned in one sentenced or not mentioned at all. I also felt that while I understood the the cast of the show would be well off, it was hard to connect to them on a personal level as we did not get to see a lot of them without being surrounded by their wealth. There were a few moments where I would feel connected to the characters. I just wish that there would have been more. A nice thing would have been to see a few scene of what their life was like before they became rich instead of just talking about it. Or to even see more of the parents' sides of the family outside of their luxury house. It would have been interesting to see where they grew up or the even hear more from their families outside of talking about movies. There was a missed opportunity of not having Joy's family in the episodes. Getting off the things that I did not like that much, what I did enjoy was the different notable black stars in the industry.

It includes Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Ava DuVernay, Will Packer, and Tim Story. I have seen a lot of their and shows how more and more black people are becoming more successful in the industry than where it was 100 years ago. People are working harder and harder every day to make the industry no longer the white male dominated industry that it was. For people who wish to work in the industry, seeing all of these successful people in a scene together gives viewers a sense of motivation of where they could be as long as they are willing to work for it and don't give up. Even having iconic black people in the opening and songs by well-known black artists throughout the show was a plus for me. All in all, I can say that I really enjoyed the show. I liked how the actors played of each other and how thy were able to be funny but also get serious when the needed to. I would recommend this show for anyone who is looking for something short to watch while also learning how it is to be a black person in America, as told by a fictionalized rich family.