I bet we are all laughing at the version of ourselves who, 365 days ago, said 2020 was going to be our year. Boy, were we so wrong! Before the ball drops to usher in 2021 (which hopefully isn’t so cruel), there’s no better way to commiserate than with AmazonPrime Video’s new comedy special Yearly Departed.
This series of eulogies for the year 2020 say goodbye to the things we lost in this tragic year like the expectation of wearing pants, casual sex, and beige band-aids. Yes, it’s as funny as it sounds. The lineup of superstar comedians includes well-known names like Tiffany Haddish, 2 Dope Queens phenom Phoebe Robinson and TV writer and Baited With Ziwe star Ziwe Fumudoh all dressed in their finest black attire to lay an insufferable year to rest. All were hilarious additions to this ep
The 43-minute special doesn’t apologize for its morose setup, and more than makes up for it with a tongue in cheek approach to 2020’s long-awaited funeral. ESSENCE spoke exclusively to Ziwe about her eulogy for beige band-aids – a very direct swipe at corporate America’s sudden attempts at being more inclusive.
“I did not realize that band-aids were supposed to be ‘discreet’ and invisible. So it was absolutely shocking to me learning that they were going to make band aids in brown colors,” she jokes. “I have existed on this earth for several decades, even though I identify as 19, and didn’t realize bras were supposed to be a certain color or that my foundation should match my face. I think we can all relate to these issues that we didn’t know we were being left out of until very recently.”
Ziwe says she can’t confirm or deny whether the corporate push to release more products catered to brown girls is genuine or performative, but says it’s at the very least “convenient that 2020 is the year we decided that Brown people existed.”
Ziwe, who has written for comedic acts like Desus & Mero, Robin Thede and Stephen Colbert, will soon be stepping into the spotlight for her very own Showtime variety series in 2021. The timing has never been better for the world to get a glimpse of what this quirky genius has to offer as she joins a slate of up-and-coming Black female comedians knocking down doors in Hollywood. In fact, Ziwe got a chance to work with the ones she admired for Yearly Departed. “Tiffany Haddish has this electric energy that makes you laugh and laugh,” says Ziwe. “It made me think, how do I emulate in what I bring to a room? It’s interesting to see her change the chemistry in the room just by being herself. All of the women in this project had these unique and strong abilities, and I was so fortunate to be able to collaborate with them.”
Yearly Departed.is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, just in time for you to say your last words to one hellish year.