00:00Like, I feel like the show really brought people out of, and really defined who they were.
00:16You know, people have emailed me letters and comments saying, you know,
00:20I relate to you so much and I never knew what it was called, but now I can say I'm just, I'm an awkward black girl.
00:26And that's amazing to me that people are just embracing the title and the show has sort of like, sort of excused my insecurities in a sense.
00:35Like they've made them open and now I don't have to, now I can be sort of considered normal among this group of people.
00:41I think the most awkward thing that's happened to me since the show is just people expecting me to be super awkward in person.
00:49Like, first of all, being recognized is one thing and that's, I don't know, I get really embarrassed when people stop me on the street and they're like,
00:56Oh my gosh, I love you and stuff like that. And then they sort of just wait, like, okay.
01:02And they just stare at me waiting for me to do something uncomfortable and that makes me uncomfortable so they get what they want.
01:08I have been really surprised just by the response and like everybody, just the overwhelming support has been amazing.
01:14Just because in putting this out there, this is the first time that I'm like putting my own face on the web and putting like my voice out there.
01:23And so I was just immediately expecting sort of like the YouTube haters and commenters to be like,
01:29Get off! We hate this! You know, you suck! And it didn't happen like, you know, right away, I'll say.
01:36It happened like later, but you know, just in general, everybody's just been embracing the show and coming out as awkward.
01:43So I'm glad I've encouraged a lot of awkward black women to come out of the closet. So welcome.
01:48We're about to premiere episode three on Thursday, August 9th. And Pharrell's I Am Other channel and Venture has funded our second season.
01:58So we're really, really excited. And he's just been really supportive and, you know, spreading his microphone and, you know, supporting the show.
02:07So we're really excited about this season. I think maybe Pharrell found himself an awkward black girl.
02:13I think he has a little bit of awkwardness in him. In fact, I know that he does.
02:16I think that he, like, he called me about the show and just, like, gushed over the characters.
02:23And that was just, that made me gush. I was just so happy. And he could just relate to certain elements.
02:29And I think that that's, I don't know, you don't see a lot of characters of color that are relatable these days.
02:35And I think that's why the show is getting so much attention because it's like, okay, she's just like me and she happens to be black.
02:42Like, I go through these thoughts and I go through these situations and I can identify and it doesn't matter necessarily what color she is because we all go through these things.
02:51And I think he saw that and recognized him. He's awkward. He's other.
02:57Young, Black and Amazing was amazing. Like, I just, the staff, the, you know, the crew, everybody involved was just so incredible.
03:08And the response to the cover, just to be featured, you know, it's just definitely a high point in my life.
03:14And still, like, I get tweets every day like, oh, I opened it up and, I opened Essence up and saw you and, you know, I'm so proud of you.
03:21People that I don't even know just being supportive and so happy for me. Essence just solidified that.
03:27So, I was just so grateful to be a part of it.
03:30Well, what makes me Young, Black and Amazing?
03:32I think that I'm very ambitious and I'm very impulsive and I won't take no for an answer in terms of putting my content out there.
03:45I think that I love thinking outside of the box and including other people in that process.
03:50And I guess that's what makes me Young, Black and Amazing.
03:54My name is Issa Rae and you are watching Essence TV.
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