Black Twitter’s Mixed Feelings About Hulu’s New ‘Black Twitter’ Docuseries
It’s often mentioned in the Black community and now it’s getting its very own docuseries on Hulu. We’re talking about Black Twitter. Premiering May 9 and executive produced by Prentice Penny, HBO’s Insecure showrunner and longtime sitcom writer, Black Twitter: A People’s History follows the influence of Black Twitter and gets insight from the personalities a part of the culture. It’s described as having “the movement, the voices, and the memes that made Black Twitter an influential and dominant force in nearly every aspect of American political cultural life.”
According to Hulu, the three-part documentary is based on journalist Jason Parham’s 2021 WIRED article “A People’s History of Black Twitter.”
The 30-second trailer gives a glimpse at a list of personalities who lent their perspectives to the project, including authors Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Roxane Gay, Jemele Hill, and Van Lathan, among others.
When the streaming service released a teaser trailer for the docuseries, and as you’d expect, Black Twitter immediately had thoughts on the project.
“The Black Twitter response to the Black Twitter doc is so very #BlackTwitter.”
Some people aren’t too thrilled about the docuseries. Many people noted how Black users made the app the influential platform it became. Someone posted “#BlackTwitter was & is a lot of things; not all of which will be encompassed in a docuseries or film.” Another person said “We don’t need this. We especially don’t need to hear from the names on that list. Regular, non-famous people are the ones who even make Black Twitter what it is.”
One person questioned the intentions of the project, writing on X, “I’m struggling to understand who it will serve and benefit most beyond people that don’t need to be in our (cultural) business in the first place, including people thirsty to exploit Black Twitter.”
Writer Penny took to X to respond to the naysayers of the docuseries. “I’d like to think after 20 years of holding the culture down, y’all would trust I got #blacktwitterhulu best interest in mind. But lowkey, I also love black Twitter mad hesitant and petty ’bout it, too! LOL!”
Despite those who aren’t really feeling the concept, some people are quite excited about it. “Wow. This looks excellent!!” someone said in response to the trailer. Another person said, “Oooooh I can’t WAIT for this.”
It can be unnerving when a project tries to break down such a broad concept in Black culture. But it could be very impactful and insightful. We shall see. Black Twitter: A People’s History starts streaming on Hulu on May 9.
These Black TV Shows Ended Way Too Soon
Girlfriends
This show never got the proper ending it deserved. Girlfriends followed four friends: Joan, Maya, Lynn, and Toni, as they attempted to navigate adult life. Girlfriends premiered on UPN on September 11, 2000, and aired for six seasons on the network before moving over to The CW for seasons seven and eight. Though a popular show, it was canceled in 2008 after an eight-season run. According to TV Series Finale, The CW decided not to produce any more episodes due to the show being too expensive to film. The final season was also during the Writers Guild of America strike.
South Side
The beloved show that melded humor and commentary showcasing Chicago life has been canceled after three seasons. In February, Deadline reported that HBO Max announced the show’s cancelation. “While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a fourth season of South Side, we are so proud of the rich world Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin created,” an HBO Max spokesperson told Deadline. After the announcement from the streaming service, Riddle tweeted that the team hopes to find the show a new home to do more episodes. So, there’s something more to do with the show. Hopefully, we get to see it.
Legendary
The ballroom competition show at HBO Max was canceled after 3 seasons. Legendary judge Leiomy Maldonado addressed the cancellation Tuesday, tweeting, “Thank you everyone who supported the show. On to the next…” All three seasons featured a star-studded guest roster. From Issa Rae, Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach, Keke Palmer, and others. Who knows who else could’ve graced the show?
61st Street
Despite a 2-season order and completion of Season 2 production, the legal drama starring Courtney B. Vance and Aunjanue Ellis was stopped at AMC after only airing one season. Following the sudden cancelation of AMC Network’s 61st Street, executive producers confirm the series is looking for a new home as reported by Deadline.
Kindred
The drama was based on Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 novel about a young Black woman who is pulled back and forth in time. This former FX show had a massive cliffhanger at the end of season 1… and then the show was canceled. Fans of the show were obviously disappointed.
