Although “Empire” and “Scandal” are putting black actors and actresses on the map, the plots of these shows are unrealistic. There aren’t many people who have a father who owns a million-dollar record company, or people handling the biggest scandals in politics. While these shows fail to offer relatability, there's a new online channel that is making up for that. Black&Sexy is a YouTube channel creating content geared towards documenting the essence of black life. Their scripted series vary in content and offer storylines that almost everyone can relate to. What started out as a few series has now blossomed into over 100,000 subscribers and has branched into a subscription service called Black&Sexy Now. This offers a subscription for $7.99 a month that allows viewers to get exclusive content. With series being produced at a rapid rate, Black&Sexy is well on their way to reaching their goal.
Black&Sexy originated from the 2008 independent film “A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy,” which was directed by Dennis Dortch. The film focuses on relationships and sexuality in the black community, diminishing any stereotypes about black sexuality. The creators of the brand, Dennis Dortch, Numa Perrier, Brian Ali Harding, and Jeanine Daniels, have stuck to the movie’s theme and applied it to Black&Sexy. Their channel is all about focusing on a side of black life that many people don’t see, and this is what sets them apart from the rest. They focus on issues that are pertinent to our culture, like colorism and single motherhood. Their casting of solely black actors and actresses also sets them apart. They have done such a great job at giving these aspiring artists a break that one of them has gone on to get a major role on primetime television. Andra Fuller, who plays Jay on “RoomieLoverFriends,” has garnered two roles on BET’s “The Game” and Adult Swim's “Black Jesus.”
Black&Sexy’s content is creative, original, and, most importantly, relatable. Out of the abundance of series they have, the one that stands out the most is “Becoming Nia.” A spin-off from their series “That Guy,” the show chronicles the life of Nia, a black woman who is experiencing the highs and lows of single motherhood. When she’s not being a mother, she’s dealing with drama from the father of her child or trying her hand at dating again. In one particular episode, Nia doesn’t have any money to buy food. Left to improvise, she ends up using the scraps in her kitchen to feed her child. Not everyone was raised in a one-parent home, but I believe many people can relate to their mothers making something out of nothing. Outside of her personal life, Nia is seen trying to find steady income and is let down on numerous occasions. With Black&Sexy, there are no write-ins to save the day for the characters. They simply have to figure it out for themselves and deal with the consequences, just like it is in the real world.
Another important series on Black&Sexy is “Hello Cupid.” Although it offers love and drama, it also raises awareness about colorism. Whitney signs up for a dating site and isn’t catching any good candidates. After a debate with her best friend, Robin, who is of light skin complexion, Whitney switches her profile picture to one of Robin. She simply wants to show that if she was of light complexion, she’d get a lot more attention. Her experiment works, but starts a whirlwind of drama that viewers have to see. The plight of the dark-skin woman and the privileges of women with light skin stick to the truth about the issue and many young women can relate to Whitney’s consistent rejection.
While the channel can delve deep, they also keep it lighthearted and funny with series like “RoomieLoverFriends” and “That Guy.” While the former showcases a male and female roommate trying to manage after they’ve had a one-night stand, the latter reveals a black man who is a player at heart, and everyone knows someone who is that guy. In addition to their series, the channel is also making movies with the “That Guy” characters, which premiered last Christmas, and “RoomieLoverFriends” is in the making.
Black&Sexy is putting their hands in everything -- movies, series, reality shows, and even talk shows. They must be doing something right, as one of their series, "The Couple," has been picked up by HBO and is set to be executive produced by Spike Lee. For those who don’t know about Black&Sexy, I would recommend that they join the movement. For $7.99 a month -- the same price as Netflix -- a person can get great content that gives the fun and truth about black life. Hopefully, with the abundance of success they are getting, viewers will one day see them on television. Our stories deserve to be told and this channel is doing just that. It’s Black&Sexy, baby!
