The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency [Racialicious Review]
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency also took some pains to dispel certain myths. I liked the interplay between the more rural area where Precious grew up and the city center where she lives now. It was interesting to see the shift in ideals and values, particularly as they mirror some of the dynamics that exist here in the U.S. (Did anyone else notice that a modern body type was not only slim, and rocking western style clothing, but also had hard relaxed hair or a weave, compared to Precious’ natural?)
The role of Precious’ weight also played a significant role in the series. Jbrotherlove remarked on twitter “watching The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on HBO. I’m disturbed by how many characters have negative comments about Jill Scott’s weight.”
It is harsh. Most of the female characters on the show do have negative things to say about Precious’ weight, though she seems unfazed by it. She often remarks “many men prefer this way.” And this is proven in the series, as Precious becomes quite the seductress, normally using her feminine wiles to coax men into assisting her. However, I am not quite sure yet how this will all pan out. I like Precious’ character because she is complex and independent. The scenes involving her abusive ex-husband, Note, hint at some of the emotional depth of the character. Yet, taking all this into consideration, I am not sure what statement – if any – the series will make about gender, though it is referred to often.
A review of the show on Kansas City.com also points out a broader criticism:
And that brings me to my qualm. For most Americans, this is the only glimpse of Africa they will see on TV all year, and such an odd vision of Africa it is. It looks like it was filmed in 1975. Watching “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” you will have no clue as to the humanitarian challenges being faced in sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana, in fact, has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, and its 1.6 million inhabitants can expect to live on average less than 34 years.
Squaring the realities of Africa against the fairy-tale Africa of “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” where the worst thing Precious and Grace were likely to stumble upon was a cheating husband, was proving surprisingly difficult for me. That is, until I had a simple four-word epiphany.
Cheating husbands spread AIDS.
So maybe the stakes weren’t as low as I’d originally thought.
I can hear that criticism. However, one of the reasons that so many of the actors signed on to the show was to display a more positive image of an African country. And, based on the way in which the topic of domestic violence was discussed, I think that a large topic like the AIDS crisis will require a few more episodes before the writers delve into that topic.
Overall, I enjoyed the show. The pacing was slow at points, and some of the plots were resolved a little too neatly. (Yeah hi – murderous crime boss selling kid bones for witchcraft, and he was immediately apprehended by the police based on a tape recorded confession? Riiiight.) Still, I have high hopes for the series. Jill Scott is wonderful in this role and the series has a lot of potential to develop into something great.
(Psst – I know we had five readers from Botswana come to the blog last month. If any of you are around, I would love to hear your thoughts on the series, especially on the casting.)
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