The Shop

This is an important new series with compelling dialogue centering around a few pro athletes and their POV regarding living as a person of color in America.

First of all, if you're not interested in the people then you're not going to be interested in the show.

It's mainly basketball stars, but there's musicians comedians and others who stop by "the (barber)shop" to hang. They're all successful and big names. They're in an environment where they can say *almost* anything they want.

This is, I believe, completely unscripted. Your morning talk shows or shows on certain news networks still have talking points and a narrative to follow. This one is open ended (or so it seems).

I find the dialog interesting and enjoyable. I hope the show continues with the format they have, and I hope it's successful.

One last thing: One reviewer said that he has a PhD in history and this show strays far from the facts. I have a graduate degree (not a PhD, but...) and am trying to think of where this show went into details about world history. They talk about life and sports mainly. I feel like that reviewer didn't watch the show and made up a bad review. The basis the reviewer used is doesn't apply to this show.

I loved hearing about their first hand experiences; you have to watch this with an open mind to fully grasp the topics. Great to see these men and women talk about the things that impact them the most, and show that they're more than the field that they're in.

I certainly hope that the bad reviews will not stop HBO from airing more episodes. My husband and I watched it in Canada. Might I add we are as white as white can be and loved the show.

We liked the insight into what it is like to be black in America. How growing up poor and black and then becoming a superstar athlete made them question why people in their college liked them. How Snoop Dogg said that living as a black in America you don't realize that in other countries they don't treat people of colour the same way. Things you don't realize until you travel.

Also, I love Jon Stewart and always will. I liked how it was a group of men discussing feelings, so rarely seen in person and something I think young men growing up should be exposed to.

Hoping for more episodes

I don't know the more detailed technical aspects of what I am watching. That being said I thought the show itself looked very nice. Clean and crisp, nice cuts.

In my mind this show is a hybrid between a journalistic documentary (an element of jon stewart's contributional presence), a reality-esque theme and an excellent example of what an honest, personal, insightful discord looks like. Together, in my eyes, these facets spawn a new type of format for a series. One featuring the very tribalism they discuss in the show. Maybe I'm wrong on that. Idk. Wait now I am realizing that that's probably what happens in a black barber shop anyway and why it's called the shop in the first place goddamnit.

Call me bold or over enthusiastic or whatever but I truly believe it's hard not to be empathic and more mindful to the reality of the black expirence in America, no matter how educated on the subject you may be.

A nice compliment to Hard Knocks on a spots-centric Tuesday night.

Am high.