'Girls Trip': A Classic Comedy of Sisterhood and Authenticity
Background:
This article was submitted to Blavity as part of their Community Forum. There was so much negative feedback surrounding the movie Girls Trip, I wanted to provide my perspective and what the movie meant to me as a Black woman who's experienced similar ebbs and flows.
Below is the original article.
For weeks I read statuses across my social media timeline that bashed the movie Girls Trip. The excuse of it being ratchet and distasteful solely based on the trailer was pure BS. These same people listen to trap music, watch LAHH religiously, and the entire Real Housewives franchise; yet, spend their money on the same themed movies with the typical all-white cast and don't blink an eye to drop $20 in the theatre.
Man, the contradiction is real.
I've yet to understand why every time there's a movie by a Black director and a Black female lead cast telling a similar narrative from OUR perspective, the "community" finds something wrong with it and decides to boycott.
So glad the rest of us didn’t pay attention to that hogwash.
Girls Trip is perfectly cast and in my opinion is, by far, one of the classic comedies of the 21st Century.
We are not monoliths. Black women do comedy and we do it well. I loved that I saw a piece of myself in each character. They were relatable and real.
Outside of cackling uncontrollably at Tiffany Haddish in a mixed movie theatre with folks who had no idea what they were watching, the theme of sisterhood and authenticity rang loud and clear.
We all have a crew who’s been down with the get down since 1990-something (some of us 80-something). Together, we've experienced every aspect of life and despite the ebb and flow, the effort to remain connected stayed strong.
Soon, life takes over, shit happens, and things fall apart.
Adulting takes precedence over friendship and we lose touch with the sistas we care about most. Although new people come into our lives, they can’t replace the bond with our girls.
The one who used to be the "life of the party," became the one who loved and lost. She traded in her freakum dress for a Walmart skirt and frilly top, thrusting her energy into her children who seem to be the most loyal people in her life.
The artist who seemed to be destined for greatness, now starving, robbing Peter to pay Paul and putting on airs because God forbid someone realized the "notoriety" she built was nothing but a facade. However, it's no different from the one who appeared to "have it all."
The perfect life isn't always so perfect and it makes you wonder how many relationship gurus you follow and invest in who may not have shit. Transparency is a mutha and it's too many women out here sacrificing their happiness just to maintain a brand.
Authenticity is real.
Women of color always lose themselves trying to hold it together to look put together, when shit is all over the place. The bond between the women in your life who know you, easily recognize when you've let yourself go.
And it's beyond getting your groove back. It's getting your voice back.
We allowed people, places, and things to muffle our voices. They speak loud over the emotions that quietly tap at our hearts. We're resentful of the bestie who chose the dude over us, only to watch him chose someone else over them.
We fear love because we've been broken and rationalize why a pink bullet, detachable shower head, and steamy erotica are great substitutes for physical connection.
We even get so wrapped up in reliving our old lives that we go a bit overboard, although our heart is in a sincere place.
Too bad for the ones who assumed this was another "Soul Plane" because they missed a word and this one was for them.
They missed the reminder to remove the mask because no one's life is perfect. The reminder that friendships are priceless and no woman is an island.
Sisterhood is necessary.
They missed the reminder to live in our truth because other women need to know they have permission to do the same.
We are influencers in our own right. A large social platform isn't necessary to be examples of living in our divine feminine. People will see it on the job, in the grocery store, even in a local cafe.
Authenticity isn't just for social media, it's a lifestyle. A theme I'm sure your favorite "guru" talks about all the time but how authentic are they? How authentic are you?
Go see Girls Trip. Go see it for the laughs but don't get too caught up that you miss the word because it's there waiting for you to receive it. You and your sistergirls.
