5 Skits That Perfectly Showcase the Genius of HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show

If you're new to the politics of "Hoteps" and "Herteps," let ABLSS introduce you the ridiculousness of it all. Haley, or Dr. Hadassah Olayinka Ali-Youngman, Pre-PhD, is one of the best recurring characters in the show, and as she spits her "world-renowned philosophizer" wisdom, you'll realise you've definitely met someone like her before — though probably only on Twitter, thankfully. Even though I wholeheartedly agree with her daddy that Haley needs to sit her "5 percent ass, 100 percent of the way down," I also can't wait for her next appearance.

There is no universe where a skit featuring Angela Bassett and Laverne Cox wouldn't be ranked near the top of any list. Especially one where it's all about being a "bad b*tch," which is obviously a life goal for us all. Are you an aspiring "OK b*tch" trying to take deep breaths? Don't be scared — there's a support group for you. ("As long as you're not a basic b*tch!")

Speaking of basics, despite my desire to rise to the tier of "Bad B*tch," I'm really the exhausted child of House Tired. This "Basic Ball" sketch is serving me POSE for the everyday trivialities that makes the world go round. It's flashy, yet funny, and everyone can get into it whether or not they actually understand ball culture or not.

We love a classic comeback! This nostalgic parody of the '80s sitcom 227 is a perfect example of what makes ABLSS so important and unique — who else has ever thought to, or even could bring back such an iconic show? Everyone nails their impressions to a T, but Thede does such an accurate mimicry of Jackée's Sandra that it's almost eerie. And then, to have 227's cast appear for the ending? It's such a beautiful homage to the classic sitcom, and no one could have done it better.

I'm not going to lie to you folks, the Shakespeare nerd in me jumped out with this sketch. So many worlds collide in the very best possible way: Shakespeare, niche dance parties, conversations about female rappers, and troubled teen romances! Brunson is at her peak in this skit, and Everybody Hates Chris's Tyler James Williams reminded me that he is, indeed, a grown man now.

Not only is the sketch funny, it's also just really clever. Addressing the absurdity
of stan culture by using the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet is so damn good, especially combined with the use of Black English. It reminded me of my favourite episode of Disney Channel's The Proud Family, "Romeo Must Wed." Which basically means we need a hip-hop version of Romeo and Juliet, ASAP.