#BlackAF is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Imagine The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air infused with a little Parks and Rec… then throw a couple of gold chains, a dash of profanity, and some hunnids on it and the result is a show with inconceivable amounts of flexing by a successful TV writer and his family. (Goals, tbh.) It is such a simple concept, yet it took decades for us to receive our first uncensored Black family television comedy. Even though their wealth is unrelatable, I am grateful for the representation of cussing ass Black households and this new step into uncharted Black sitcom territory.

#BlackAF is a 30-minute, mockumentary-style comedy by Black•ish creator and writer Kenya Barris that mostly operates on “CP time”, giving us episodes that run from about 35 to almost 50 minutes. I respect and appreciate it. This is our first uncensored Black family television comedy; we’re breaking all the rules! Fuck conventional narrative structure.

The show stars Barris and Rashida Jones as the parents of SIX beautiful, brown children, and they are all learning how to navigate Blackness, affluence, being affluent Blacks, and life in general. If you look at the episode titles, you will notice that most of the family’s conflicts are “because of slavery” (which I mean….facts), but the Barris’ use intellect and this awareness of history to uncover lessons in common issues encountered by families of all socioeconomic levels. Once you adjust to the expensive track suits and sometimes excessive stunting, the Barris family will begin to remind you of your own.

The Cool Kids’ Chuck Inglish tweeted that Kenya Barris is like Larry David but from the hood, and that observation is spot on. Barris’ sense of humor is similarly dry and honest and, like many writers, riddled with overthinking. He also flexes his Larry David muscle by having a number of celebrity cameos from people like Ava DuVernay, Issa Rae, and Tyler Perry, who has one of the most memorable scenes in the season. And he wasn’t in drag!

Barris’ favorite line in the show — “what is going on, dude???” — pretty much sums up how I feel about this world most of the time. #BlackAF is a breath of assuring fresh air in a confusing wave of Tiger King hype and poorly produced live-stream content. I have had a little beef with them over the years, but I have to give credit… Something like #BlackAF would not be possible without an outlet like Netflix. It has provided an opportunity for us to take a step up from the watered-down, easily digestible, Disney-approved Blackness in shows like The Fresh Prince or Black•ish. The door has been cracked open for uncensored Black family television comedies; a new level of Black representation has been unlocked! Kenya Barris gets a knock from me for lack of creativity on show names, but overall, I enjoy his perspective and have mucho respect for his contributions to “the culture”. It might not be for everybody, but I think #BlackAF deserves a chance. Whether you hate it, like it, or love it, let me know what you think!