Spike Lee has rekindled his inaugural film, She’s Gotta Have It, in the form of a Netflix series bearing the same moniker.

And folks got all the things to say. Which is fine. Opinions are great and welcomed here …. as long as they’re not, ya know, dumb.

I tend to feel some type of way about those who do not pause in  reverence of something that came before them, especially when it is great. Not opinion based great, but critically acclaimed, ground-breaking greatness! The lack of acknowledgement, or worse, the lack of any awareness at all, that amazingness has preceded a current moment — a moment that you have so many thoughts about — drives me to distraction! It’s rude. Rude AF.

Say you don’t like it (cause, contrary to popular belief, we don't have to like all things black), but do not come telling me that it's trash.

Do not be insulting to this man’s entire skill set, that has literally set the tone and paved the way for your faves. Do. Not. Do. It.

A particular comparison that produced ire within me is that between the HBO series Insecure and She's Gotta Have It. Issa Rae is brilliant. I have no counter argument to this. I actually love her and would welcome her as my bestie on any day of the week.  She has done amazing things and should be celebrated for all that she has contributed to media; all of the realness of an awkward black girl that she has so honestly brought to the masses in such a relatively small amount of time is inspiring. She is worthy to be praised at every chapel that resides in my heart.

However, even in all of her greatness … why are y’all comparing Insecure to She’s Gotta Have It? Why are y’all coming out your faces to say that SPIKE LEE is mimicking Issa?

It is like implying that Jordan, THE Michael Jordan, was copying Kobe. It makes zero logical sense.

Do y’all know who TF Spike Lee is? This man pioneered virtually every category of modern black film. Blockbuster black films did not exist before Spike Lee. Spike Lee, creating Do The Right Thing in 1989, changed the landscape and made it possible for y'all to throw your dollars at black film, regardless of their quality. *side eye*

His catalogue from just 1986 to 1993 (back-to-back films, including She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, Malcolm X and Jungle Fever) was so groundbreaking that his influence simply became embedded into what we see in black media. From his camera angles, to his purposeful use of  black music and his bold choice in confronting issues that relate specifically to black people, he impacted us all. Spike was giving us Black Lives Matter realness on film in the '80s!  He caused all the controversy and made it much smoother  for black filmmakers and screenwriters to even consider presenting a script on provocative topics. Spike Lee changed how our stories were told. 

So, it’s fine to say that you don’t like something, but you better, in the very next breath, respect this man’s legacy on behalf of our entire culture.

Cause otherwise, you’re just being downright awful.

And that’s the truth, Ruth.