Keke Palmer and screenwriter Nakia Stephens have joined forces to bring a new original series, Southern Fried Rice, to Palmer’s KeyTV platform, a digital media network dedicated to uplifting Black stories and creatives. But since the show’s release, social media users have been divided over its unique plotline, which centers on an Asian American character.

Premiering its first two episodes on Oct. 22, Southern Fried Rice follows an Asian American woman, Koko Johnson, played by Page Yang, as she explores her identity and culture while growing up with Southern Black parents. The themes collide when Koko attends Wright University, a prestigious fictional HBCU in Atlanta, and her late father’s alma mater. There, she faces questions of belonging and self-discovery, according to Complex. The cast also includes Kordell Beckham, Choyce Brown, Ashley India, Jada Lewis, and Shaun Rose.

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Palmer described the project as embodying her network’s mission— a story that celebrates “diverse realities while still being full of humor, love, and heart.” Yet, not everyone online agreed with the actress’s ethos.

Reactions to Southern Fried Rice have been mixed. 

After the trailer and first two episodes dropped, some social media users voiced frustration. On X, one user wrote that the show’s lead should have been a Black actress, given its HBCU setting and KeyTV’s mission to center Black stories. 

“Black women aren’t a monolith; they could’ve easily made it about the transformation you go through experiencing an HBCU. Esp if said BW went to a PWI. This just looks like a sloppy attempt to force diversity in a show when black people have to beg for one supp-role elsewhere,” the user penned. 

The post ‘A Lotta Mess!’ Keke Palmer’s ‘Southern Fried Rice’ Ignites Conversation And Controversy: ‘This Thing Is So Weird’ appeared first on MadameNoire.