jordanbarclay Reviews

Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show (2024– )

I hate celebrity culture and don't care about Jerrod's life...

[9/10 · 25 May 2024]

But the brilliance of this show is not to necessarily hyper-fixate on Jerrod in any self-aggrandizing way. Carmichael uses this meta-styled documentary to address universal conflicts that come with being gay and colored in America.

Simply put - I don't even like Jerrod or care about his life - but to get this unique of a perspective into gay black culture has not been executed anywhere else on this level. Even if this was 100% fictional, it's still an incredible experience.

Other topics such as infidelity and religious intolerance are brought up as well, but it doesn't always resolve itself as Carmichael acknowledges that he doesn't have the solutions.

Carmichael knew that he could use his public image to therapeutically extend and relate to many viewers. I can certainly see this show helping people struggling with addiction, family issues, identity issues, etc. (Personally, having left the Pentecostal church due to its homophobia, the episodes of Jerrod with religion hit very close to home.)

And massive props to the editing and production team linking all of these episodes so richly. Even if scenes from this are staged, it's still incredibly impressive.

Highly recommend to watch if you're a minority or wanting to see something so original come out of the Black/LGBTQ+ community.

Smiling Friends: Mr. President (2024) Season 2, Episode 2

Can we talk about the political and economic state of the world right now...

[10/10 · 13 May 2024]

He put barbecue sauce on the lamb. He has framed pictures of lamb. He offered lamb to Pim and Charlie. He is a man of good culture and good taste. The president may have some flaws, but deep down he may want what's best. The world is in a mess, but maybe if we all come together we can reach some common ground to advance in society because we - we - we live in a society. And society may have some issues, but pl-

Okay for real don't read any of what I just typed above that's all nonsense to meet the minimum word count. This is such a good episode with chaos cranked to 99999 please go stream it.

The 1619 Project (2023)

For someone who actually watched the first two episodes

[7/10 · 26 January 2023]

I noticed this had a 1.8/10 in under two hours after its release: meaning that these ratings could not even possibly finish the episodes before reviewing.

Obviously, this series was polarizing before its release. The source material is banned in many schools, since it is one of the most prominent publications of modern critical race theory.

I have not read the book yet, but I like to listen to colored voices explain their issues with credible history.

So does the beginning deliver? Yes, in many ways.

This isn't some victim-complex montage of people screaming at you that all white people are bad; this is a calm yet focused presentation of American history trickling down into modern policies.

On the other hand, this isn't as organized as other documentaries advocating for black liberation such as 13th (2016) or LA 92 (2017). So far, this series seems to be a bit too personally led by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the people she chooses to survey.

So is this biased? Of course it is, it's a pro-black documentary in America. If you have strong reservations against black social progression, then get ready to be challenged. But bias aside, legitimate history is here, and I learned a lot of new material from all eras of black America such as modern voting laws, 1960s marching logistics, and brutal punishments of early activists.

Overall, it's a strong series that I would recommend anyone to watch. It's not a cesspool of liberal lies as the other reviews suggest, but it's also not the most impactful series on race ever made. Hopefully the direction of the series can flow better in the remaining four episodes, so I can't wait to finish it.

Watch 13th or LA 92 before watching this.

7/10.

Bookmarks (2020)

Wholesome and informative for all ages!

[8/10 · 6 September 2020]

I finished the first season in a little under two hours, and I am very happy with this production! I am not a kid nor a parent, but even as a 23-year-old that's passionate about racial empowerment, these kids book's seemed very inspirational, helpful, and informative without getting too extreme on policies.

I'm an avid reader on books about race, so it was refreshing to see well-known national book award authors like Ibram X Kendi and beloved activists like Common on this production.

Definitely watch this regardless of your age or race. The readers may sometimes ad-lib for a little too long, but overall Bookmarks is a wholesome production about loving yourself and others.