I’ve never watched NBC’s “This is Us.” (If you want to know what it’s like to live and work on a deserted island, try being detached from one of America’s most drama-filled network phenomena.) Yet the comforting thing about “This is Us” and other popular shows is that I don’t have to be a loyal watcher to keep up. There is no need to tune in, pull up or click on a single episode to stay looped in on the latest dramatic twist and turn because audiences are talking about it. More importantly, my people—my community, my crew—are all talking about it.
Slack messages, memes, huddles and pre-Super Bowl tweets conspire together to provide me with all the threads I need to weave coherence around the trials and tribulations gripping “This is Us” characters. And I’m here for it—so much so that I’m toying with the idea of actually becoming a viewer.
Author Seth Godin might call “This is Us” remarkable. The characters emote vulnerability, the storylines resonate broadly and the writing tugs at our heartstrings. Viewers feel so connected to the show that they tell their friends and loyally tune in for new episodes every week (or over the weekends, if binging).
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Keesa Schreane is host and executive producer of the podcast "You've Been Served." She is a featured columnist in Essence, Latina and Black Enterprise magazines and an on-air contributor with NASDAQ.