By Joséphine Li
Recently, the American TV show “Woke” premiered on Hulu. The show tells an impactful story of a Black cartoonist experiencing an awakening about racism in liberal San Francisco. The show mixes eccentric humor and characters with its timely real-world echoes.
Former “New Girl” star Lamorne Morris returns to television in the comedy-drama series. This semi-animated series is inspired by the life and work of famous cartoonist Keith Knight, known for his humorous cartoon handlings of social, political, and racial issues. The show develops a bit slowly but deftly straddles the line between weightier matters and mining its sillier side.
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In “Woke”, the protagonist Keef is a self-identified non-controversial Black cartoonist who’s on the verge of mainstream success. Introduced saying he’s “just a cartoonist” and wants to “keep it light,” however, after an unpleasant encounter with some aggressive, gun-toting police officers who mistaken Keef for a mugging suspect, Keef starts being confronted about racial inequality. The incident leaves Keef understandably shaken and changes everything. Keef starts to get to grips with all the harsh realities of being Black in the US that he’s been pretending don’t exist by navigating the voices in his head who challenge him with what are ostensibly new ideas to him, without letting go of everything he’s been able to accomplish pre-woke.
Woke was co-developed by Knight with Marshall Todd, and overseen by Jay Dyer, “Woke” derives much of the comedy from Keef’s quirky and funny roommates Gunther and Clovis. Keef thus balances the urge to fight for social justice against pragmatic concerns about paying the rent, in the same way “Woke” oscillates between race and more traditional sitcom preoccupations, mostly about single guys dating in the big cities.
“Woke” does keep things relatively light compared to some programs that have touched on similar themes thanks to its flights of fancy built around Keef’s cartooning, but the messages about race, policing and the pressure to be a cartoonist still come through. The plot advances at an unhurried pace, but that is one of the luxuries streaming offers. The show should have the opportunity to keep the conversation going, potentially for a good long time.
