Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin' (2019) Reviews

• #knowyourself

  jscoleman-538172019-01-29

  I laughed the whole special. I really admired her honesty. On my list of funny specials!

• They call this comedy?!?!?

  Steve8192019-01-27

  A black female "comedian" talks about the greatness of black women, growing up with "women who happen to be white" as opposed to white women, and the subject of "White Privilege". About "anyone who identifies as a woman" knowing what it is like to be a woman? And just how would somebody who "identifies" as a woman, but is not biologically a woman know what it's like to actually BE a woman? Just a bunch of leftist, racist B.S. 0 Stars for this one.

• It was cool, just not as good as expected

  krisboogie2019-03-18

  I follow Amanda Seales pretty closely, I like her a lot. I think she's hilarious and intelligent (though often a bit dramatic- but artist you know) and I'd probably call myself a fan but this just wasn't as great as it was hyped up to be. I think the main problem was that it was just super predictable, like it was just a compilation of stuff she says all the time compiled in a semi new way. It also seemed like she was trying to incorporate some of the "Smart Funny & Black" show aspects that just didn't fit quite right in the special (like singing the black national anthem, it went just a beat long enough to make it awkward). And on the one hand, I get that it's her first comedy special, she was using some of the classic Seales humor that people have come to love her for. On the other hand, there was no real surprise elements, no truly memorable jokes. It seemed like she was just trying to create a special of like quotes/phrases everybody would walk away repeating all the time with the "how black am i gone have to get" or "i be knowin" which is kind of already repeated among the IG fan base (similar to Kevin Hart's, "pineapples", "you gone learn today" or Bernie Mac's "milk & cookies")...but for the most part it just kind of fell flat. I also think she isn't an artist who takes criticism very well, even if it's well meaning. In a sense it's good she doesn't like live to please fans, she's just authentically who she is. However, everyone's not hater and if future specials fall flat like this she's not gonna reach her ultimate potential. I think it's especially hard with a semi-political special like this to separate haters from fans who just weren't feeling it. It might be easy for her to say, oh it just got low ratings cause white people were hating or cause I wasn't politically correct. And don't get me wrong, there are definitely a lot of people (mostly white) who are just mad the special wasn't about them or made to please them...despite the fact that she told yall what it was before the special started. And the fact is, she was sharing legitimate and real aspects of the experience of being a black woman in America. It doesn't mean she thinks all white people are bad, it means black people and black women encounter a lot of white people and micro aggressions throughout our lives that are annoying/hurtful and funny. However, there are also a lot if people like me (a fellow black woman btw) who legitimately are just criticizing the writing/pacing/delivery aspects of the special and hoping it gets better...who I also think she'll probably write off as hating or not getting it.

• This did not touch my "hoirt"

  apryla-587952019-02-01

  I really like Amanda Seales. She is really funny in the HBO show Insecure but this was kind of cringe-worthy. I thought we were all past using the n-word and that it had been established that no one should be using that word regardless of race but she used it throughout the entire show and the audience was clapping and laughing every time. America is divided enough with everyone being offended by everything. We need to try to see the things we have in common not focus on what makes us different and that is what you hear most people of color express commonly and yet this special did nothing but paint white people out to be awful and black people to be better than white people. Not sure how that's helpful. It's a shame because she has all the elements of a good comic. She's very expressive and energetic, her stories seemed well thought out, she seemed at ease and comfortable on stage, she engaged the audience BUT something about this just felt inauthentic and forced plus she covered all the same stereotypical things that have pretty much been done before by everyone. I get that she was performing to a mostly black audience and therefore her show was geared towards that but all races and genders watch HBO too and like her as an actress so you would have thought she would've tried to keep that in mind. She did have a little speech in the beginning before she got on stage pointing out who the show WASN'T for...she should have included white people because this show is not for you if you are. She specifically called out white people throughout the show and not any other race which is pretty hypocritical. Can you imagine the outrage if a white comic got on stage and said stuff like "Black people do this and that and I don't like it." That person would be shamed, lose their career (rightfully so) and they'd never be able to show their face in public again...but yet Amanda does it and it's ok? I get that some people will say "Well she can do that because of oppression etc..." To which I say-there has to be certain ground rules in place for everyone. Not every white person is evil. If it's not ok for one race to do something it shouldn't be right for any race. I would have felt so uncomfortable if I had been in the audience for this show. This just makes me feel hopeless about our country coming together which makes me sad and frustrated. If this special is anything to go by then no matter what we do it won't be enough and we will offend people no matter what. Amanda Seales is funny but this was disappointing and makes me realize that on some levels we will never be united as a country if we keep giving platforms to this kind of divisive material.

• Funny, Talented, and Smart

  robert-706742019-02-10

  Her command on character voices is incredible. She offers incredible insight and is courageous enough to share with her experiences with us. I not only laughed, it was also a very valuable learning experience. Something, some of the 'Becky's' in the review section seemed to have missed if indeed they actually watched it like they said they did.