How 'The Shop' Amplifies Black Voices and Excellence
Maverick Carter and Lebron James - The Shop: Uninterrupted (Youtube)
The Shop: Uninterrupted is a standout talk show that amplifies Black excellence and authentic POC voices in a memorable, personal, and engaging format that deserves more visibility. The show is the brainchild of businessman Maverick Carter and NBA superstar Lebron James that had 4 seasons on HBO from 2018-2021, before switching to YouTube for its fifth season in 2022. What makes The Shop stands out from other talk shows is its commitment to authenticity and culture, giving iconic figures in their fields a platform to chat and mingle as if they were simply chopping it up in a barber shop. In the wealth of movement towards greater inclusivity and diversity on screen, The Shop is an excellent example of putting POC voices in POC hands to create a platform that engages with and promotes voices and opinions that get lost in the mainstream.
The Shop
The entire premise of the show is rooted in Black culture and experience. At initial glance the choice to set the talk show in a barbershop as guests are receiving haircuts feels eccentric and quirky rather than impactful. However, the role of Black barbershops in the US actually makes it the most authentic setting to hear POC voices. The choice to film the show in a barbershop is a deliberate tribute to Black culture and unity. The barbershop is not just another store but has become a central hub and safe haven for countless Black communities.
The importance of barbershops for African American communities has been decades in the making. After being emancipated from slavery, there was a massive population of Black people in search of careers and livelihoods. Since many enslaved people had previously learned grooming and barbering care for their enslavers, barbering became an appealing job path. In the early 20th century when barbering started requiring formal training, the Tyler Barber College was opened to give Black people an opportunity to learn the profession. This school was a massive success and, at one point, 80% of all Black barbers learned from this exact institution. From then on, African Americans across the country were able to start their own barbershops and achieved massive success. Barbershops owned and ran by Black became integral in providing a sense of camaraderie and connection in their neighborhoods. The impact was felt across culture, as barbershops even played a crucial role in the success of Black music like hip-hop. The Shop is not the first media to pay tribute to the barbershop, there’s an entire movie franchise starring Ice Cube that is centered around the importance of Black barbershops.
One of the strongest aspects of The Shop is its commitment to keeping things feeling as authentic as possible. The cameras are hidden in between the chairs, giving viewers an up-close perspective of the guests. The guests are all in a circle, spread between different chairs and couches, and the viewer is placed right alongside them. It genuinely feels like a circle of friends discussing this-or-that; and then you realize that these are legends like Snoop Dogg and Will Smith that you are listening to.
The People
Other talk shows are often limited in the number of guests they can bring on at a time, often also limited to stars on press junket tours to promote some other work that they are in. The Shop sidesteps these limitations thanks to its personable format, giving the show one of the most impressive lineups of guests that any show has had. In it’s 5 year run so far, the show has had sports legends (Candace Parker, Naomi Osaka, Carmelo Anthony), music icons (Will Smith, Pharrell, Jay-Z) and even political leaders (Barack Obama, Gavin Newsom). The list goes on with the Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, and international figures like Bad Bunny and J Balvin. On an episode with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, he wasn’t even the biggest name as Grammy and Emmy winner Donald Glover sat in the same room.
The barbershop was not made to be racially exclusive, as there have also been a number of other POC and white guests who have contributed greatly to the discourse. Guests like Bad Bunny and J Balvin helped include Hispanic and Latino voices into the conversation. Hassan Minhaj, Katelyn Ohashi, and Naomi Osaka brought in AAPI and biracial perspectives. Other figures like Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Rogen and Jon Stewart engaged and learned about the culture when they made their appearances. Though the show is primarily focused on celebrating Black success, it presents solidarity with the achievements of other POC as well.
The star power is blinding on paper, but on-screen, these titans of their industry are made to feel grounded. There’s no lead host on the show, so there are no formatted segments or pre-written questions. Guests are invited to ask each other whatever they are curious about which, often times, is what viewers are also interested in. When Lamar Jackson asked Lebron James for advice on how to excel in his sport, he did it because he’s also a fan of James. Viewers are able to hear the questions asked by their idols directed at another inspiration.
The Voices
The Shop has given POC icons an inviting platform to share their thoughts, so what have they had to say? Carter summed it up nicely when explaining the importance of the show’s setting: “Everything happens in a barbershop. The critics of the movies… Last Sunday’s football game… In the barbershop you cannot lie.” The discussions these guests engage with vary tremendously, but they are all shared with sincerity and genuineness. There is a central focus on keeping the discussions feeling authentic to the speaker and their thoughts. A recent Nielsen report on Black representation on screen found that one of the greatest criticisms for Black on-screen representation was a lack of authenticity. These findings make it all the more important for POC voices to be heard when they are honestly spoken. The discussions vary greatly in each episode, in response to the rotating guests and current events, but there’s an underlying celebration of Black excellence that drives each episode.
There are some standout moments of conversation that carry such impact for viewers because of that combination of straightforwardness and the influence of the speakers. On the episode with former president Barack Obama, viewers got to hear thoughtful praise about the success of young activists and voters. In the midst of the pandemic, the first Black president in US history chose a barbershop as his platform to share his thoughts and praises for the good work being done.
After Snoop Dogg’s performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show the guests were gleeful about seeing hip-hop music take the front stage. It was the same type of conversation you would have with a coworker on the Monday after the game but was elevated because of the guests’ focus on culture and the influence that they themselves have. They were shocked but happy to see C-walking at the Super Bowl, a sign of greater visibility for Black culture and music. These are discussions that could send political talking heads into a spiral, but in the barbershop it feels safe. The celebration of Black excellence is not met with skepticism, but joy, humor, and excitement.
Of the many shows deserving of praise for their amplification of POC voices, The Shop should be at the top of everyone’s list. It takes the important cultural hub of Black barbershops, gives audiences the most exciting guests and sets them loose to have authentic conversations with one another. That commitment to authenticity, visibility, and representation makes it incredibly impactful in the continued push for greater authentic diversity on screen.
