It’s easy to take your favorite content creators for granted on Instagram. You watch their minute-long clips, laugh, double tap, share, and then move on without a second thought. But those creatives are hustlers, and Jasmine Luv is their prototype.
Since she started making comedy sketches on social media in 2015, the comedian has racked up over a million followers on Instagram alone — plus 2 million more on Facebook. Luv writes, performs, shoots, and edits all of her own content, a process that takes, on average, about 6 hours from start to finish, resulting in comedy sketches about everything from relationship scenarios to awkward interactions with coworkers.
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She says that a day doesn’t go by where she doesn’t remember the priceless advice she received early on from another Instagrammer: “Be patient, because if you just keep doing what you're doing and be true to yourself, it gets you to where you want to be.”
Black comedy on Instagram is a realm dominated by Black men, many of whom have, ironically, found their niche imitating Black women. But the Los Angeles transplant (originally from Columbia, South Carolina) is intentional about trying to be a role model instead of a caricature. Her biggest challenge so far has been getting people to take her seriously.
“It's hard for people to accept me,” she says. “I guess they just don't think women should be doing comedy.”
Maybe this will help: This year, Luv was named one of the It Girls for BET’s Social Awards, taking viewers backstage during the show. Brands and companies pay her thousands of dollars for product placement in her videos, and she charges a minimum of $5,000 for promotions on her Instagram. Sounds like being a woman in Instagram comedy has some major payoff.
Black Is The New Black is Refinery29’s celebration of 20 Black women who kicked down doors in their fields this past year. Black women who are reminding the world that we are not a trend or “a moment.” We’re here — and we’ve been here. Check out the full list.