That Netflix's "The Vince Staples Show" turned out to be hilarious should have been expected, at least by those who have known for years how funny the hip-hop star is, through his dead-pan social media presence or on-screen roles like "Abbott Elementary" recurring character Maurice. But more importantly, "The Vince Staples Show" is also the kind of programming so many Black viewers have been waiting for. At first glance, some might compare it to Donald Glover's groundbreaking "Atlanta," because they're both offbeat comedies made by and about rappers. But in a way, it's more like Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," for us — a layered, wry comedy about the fictionalized everyday life of a professional artist in Southern California (Long Beach, in Staple's case, compared to L.A.'s westside) navigating absurd situations with dry wit.
Over the years, Hollywood has been working to diversify the African American stories it tells. For the most part, we have moved beyond the days of audiences seeing only a single token Black character — if that — and of performers only being considered for roles such as a driver, maid or burglar. Black-led comedies like "Martin" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and more recently, HBO's "Insecure," have been met with great success, not to mention acclaimed dramas like "Power," "The Chi" and "Snowfall," just to name a few, as well as countless biopics and other films. Representation of the depth and breadth of the Black experience matters — we are rich, we are poor, we are cops, we are robbers, we are silly, we are stressed out, we are in love. We are regular people with very regular problems.
