100 For creating lots of smart, funny, and black experiences
former MTV VJ with a master’s degree in African American studies, Amanda Seales uses her platforms to explore the black experience in ways that range from hilarious to humbling. Over the past year she has embarked on a sold-out, 23-city tour for; produced her weekly self-help podcast, ; and debuted , her first stand-up special, on HBO. Along the way, she’s rallied audiences into singing the black national anthem and invited white hecklers to the stage to unpack their motivations. “My philosophy is [that] comedy is the filter through which information is shared,” she says. Her book, , is due out this fall. When people ask me who my comedy idols are, I tell them, Chris, Dave, and Jerry. They’re always like, “No women?” And I’m like, “When have we ever had black women comedians presented to us at the same level of stardom?” It requires tapping into what’s going on in the zeitgeist and matching that to my guests. When we were at Princeton, we had Imani Perry and Eddie Glaude, two of the greatest African American history professors of all time. So I allowed them to exhibit their next-level knowledge [of history]. That’s different from the show with actresses Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell, which I wrote to demonstrate their musical capabilities. I just keep the engine running so that whenever I need it to take off, it can go. I want to write a novel, but I don’t have time right now. But [last night] I came up with a lead character’s name in my half-awake, halfasleep state. It had been avoiding me for weeks. When I finally have the time to write, I won’t be starting fresh.
