So, if you haven’t heard the buzz surrounding the newest Netflix Series called “She’s Gotta Have It” You must be living underneath a rock. The Spike Lee, re imagined series based off the original movie from the 1986 feature length movie, completely threw me off guard. Now, back in the day I wasn’t even remotely interested in watching the original version of the movie. However, in light of my recent (early forty’s newfound consciousness) I’ve begun to look at things from a much more open perspective. Honey, let me tell you, that is exactly what you will need to do, in order to completely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the character known as Nola Darling.
YES! I binged all 10 episodes in a 24 hour period. Of course when you live in “Nothing Better to Do North Carolina, that isn’t very hard to achieve.
Now let me keep it 100%.
She almost lost me by episode 2. Firstly, I couldn’t really understand what all the unnecessary screwing of several (isn’t several 3?) different guys amounted to. I was instantly appalled that Netflix would even subscribe to showing a black woman in this light. Also, I think the only reason that I kept watching was because I truly felt pity for her. How dare I…..
I’m not gone lie…..OK, so at first, I had my face screwed up. I mean I never appreciated the original version of the movie. I thought it was cheap and stupid. Truth be told though, it took a while for me to throw judgement out the window. I realize now, that I was doing what many of us do. We judge people without truly attempting to understand. So, finally after watching about 4 episodes….I began to identify with certain aspects of Nola’s personality.
What I realize now is that this new present day version of Nola Darling reminds me of the girl next door, you know turned all Afrocentric and conscious and shit. I swear, she reminds me of every third girl on social media who has an uplifting and positive message with great style, flair and of course, natural hair. So the truth is I feel like I know her. I mean the conversations that she had with her friends are so typical of the ones I’ve experienced with my own girlfriends. Real conversations about life, society black womanhood, relationships, independence etc. I guess I saw so many glimpses of myself in Nola.
But For Real Tho…..
OK, so living without a real job was, admittedly, unrealistic as hell for me. BUT, let me say that if I had the guts to quit this good damn job and start painting or making natural skincare products or writing blogs all day, while waiting on some magical grant to come through, I WOULD TOTALLY DO IT. For some that may be a pipe dream, but for others, hey leaping and believing the net will appear actually does happen. I know more than one person that left corporate or otherwise seemingly secure jobs in the workplace to do what they love in hopes of turning their passion into profit and have found success in the process.
While it may appear that Nola is extreme in her juggling of 3 (occasionally 4) relationships at once, one has to appreciate her effortless ballet of sex, art, then more sex and more art again.
The real truth about Nola Darling is that she represents the ideal of a truly emancipated, free and independent woman. She ascribes to no rules except the ones that she creates for herself. And thank goodness for the “must use a condom rule”, cuz the way she was smacking it up and flipping …. But I digress. What I understood about myself after watching this series is that I really admired Nola. She represents at her core a level of authenticity that few of us will realize maybe in this lifetime. Unfortunately, many of us are so worried what others think about us that it literally cripples us into doing or being someone that we truly don’t want to be.
I wonder if Spike Lee will return with a second season.
The Melanin Pot!!! 