Now I know most of us aren’t checking for Insecure’s Molly at this point, but I’m happy that the actress behind this love-hate character is one we don’t have to side eye.
I absolutely LOVE Yvonne Orji!
She’s so talented, beautiful, relatable, and on top of it all she loves and proudly reps Jesus as her Savior. A little bit of melanin sprinkled with a whole lotta Jesus? Now that’s what I call real #blackgirlmagic.
In June 2020, Yvonne debuted her first comedy special called Momma, I Made It! In the words of Yvonne’s real-life momma, do you have Hech-B-O? The special premiered exclusively on HBO and the comedian/actress/producer recently followed this up with a comedy album under the same name.
I watched her stand up special and I could not stop smiling and laughing. First, Yvonne graces the stage with such high energy. She’s dancing, she’s turnt up, and did you see those boots?
Literally, from head to toe, you can tell that she came to slay.
Second, I appreciated how Yvonne weaved in shots of her home and family in Lagos. She’s proudly Nigerian, and we all know that a lot of her routines revolve around her experiences as a Nigerian American, so it was refreshing to learn more about her family, friends, and culture while getting some good laughs.
But what stood out to me the most was her overall routine. Now, I have watched plenty of comedy specials in my day, especially classics from legends like Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence. However, Momma I Made It! truly set itself apart because Yvonne Orji managed to be funny and keep the audience engaged without using one curse word or any sexual references.
And when I say not one, I mean zero, zip, zilch.
Nothing about her act was crude or vulgar, and this may seem like a trivial thing, but it’s what I most appreciated about her show.
Oftentimes, entertainment is filled with obscenities, so much so that they don’t even stand out anymore. We have become so accustomed to nudity, curse words, coarse jokes, and violence that a movie or show with little-to-no vulgarity almost feels boring and unentertaining.
While I cannot speak for all Christians, I know that content laced with crude humor and offensive language is simply too much for me, and I often feel downright uncomfortable when I see some things.
Yet, being able to sit and watch Yvonne Orji’s complete routine and never feel an ounce of offense, discomfort, or shame was like a breath of fresh air, and for that I simply want to say,
Thank you, Yvonne Orji.
I see Yvonne as a peculiar woman: a fascinating mix of Nigerian, blackness, culture, comedy, acting, and Christianity divinely designed to give God glory.
Sometimes people can fall into extremes. Some people are super worldly, no church, no bible study, and not prioritizing a relationship with God. And others can be super spiritual and don’t listen to any music but gospel, don’t watch TV, and don’t associate with anyone but other believers.
But there are also peculiar people, like Yvonne Orji, who show us that Christians can be diverse! Yvonne is beautiful and dresses nicely, so she obviously cares about fashion and her appearance. She loves comedy and entertainment. She dances and kicks it with friends. Yet, all the while still being unapologetically Christian and following a certain lifestyle.
I appreciate her representation of beautiful, talented, hardworking, black, and peculiar Christian women because as we all know, seeing someone who represents and relates to you matters.
So, again, I want to say thank you to Yvonne Orji. Her creative work and Christian representation are much needed and appreciated for a peculiar girl like me.
A WHOLE me.
Congratulations to Yvonne Orji!
This Queen certainly deserves her crown, and I say we give it to her while she can still wear it.