As season two of the popular HBO series, Insecure, returns to our screens on 3 August 2017, we can’t help noticing the double standard that is playing across our social media timelines when it comes to women cheating, a storyline highlighted by the show in the last season.
Easily one of the TV highlights of last year, we loved seeing the accurate depiction of black love as portrayed by Issa and Lawrence. It was refreshing to see a ‘normal’ relationship between two black characters, that showed both the beauty and the raw ugliness of love when it goes wrong. And boy, did it go wrong, we could hear the collective yelling at the screen “Don’t do it!”, when Issa finally got down and “scratched that itch” with her ex, Daniel. Yes, we could see it coming a mile away, but didn’t believe she was actually going to go through with it! Lawrence was such a good guy, and they had a great relationship, but there was no doubt that things had been a little strained between them. At the crux of the matter was Lawrence’s joblessness. Seriously, how many of us would turn a blind eye to our partner lazing around at home, for four years, while we went to work and returned to find them, literally in the same spot? As evolved and feminist as we like to think we are, we would guess that many of us, still like our men to be hunter/gatherers. An unambitious man, is a turn off for many women.
Still, that was no reason for Issa to cheat, right? You could argue that it kicked off the circumstances that led to her flirting, and ultimately “risking it all” for Daniel.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re not condoning the cheating, and having a buff, and clearly thirsty Daniel hanging around at every corner, didn’t help matters. But, if you find yourself at that place where you feel like you want to cheat, perhaps you shouldn’t be in that relationship anymore. That’s just our two-pence. However, a surprising upshot of this scenario was the outflow of support for Lawrence’s character. Initially shook about the situation, it didn’t take him long to equal the score with a little revenge sex with a co-worker Tasha (who he pretended not to notice had the hots for him all season!). It’s clear that there are levels of cheating! When a man cheats, it’s all, “well, boys will be boys” or, it must have been something she did. But when a woman does it, her infidelity is simply unforgivable, well according to social media. Remarkably, it appears women as well as men, have this view. Don’t believe us, check out the #TeamLawrence hashtag on twitter.
“#TeamLawrence or #TeamIssa isn’t about Issa being wrong, it’s about Black women being unforgiveable.” https://t.co/PMrIZBujAg
— Abena (@mere_isom97) July 24, 2017
So, is it that women are subject to a double standard when it comes to unfaithfulness? This storyline has certainly touched a raw nerve among many of us. The fact that we’re all wavering between #TeamLawrence and #TeamIssa and getting so emotionally vested in a TV show is testament to the excellent writing and talents of Issa and her whole crew.
Bring on season two, let’s see how this all plays out.
Season two of Insecure, premieres on Sky Atlantic on 3 August 2017.
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