Karen Obilom confesses she wanted to abandon her Kickstarter for the film “When They Go Low,” but not because of a fundraising failure.
“Oh, oh, kiss this, eh, eh, kiss this. Hey, hey, y’all, ha ha, it’s your girl, ha ha,” Obilom said, opening a TikTok video about the campaign. “So the rumors are true. I almost quit my Kickstarter. I know they say don’t quit. I’m not proud of it.”
“But hold on, the reason is good, because I’m freaking ecstatic, because I am so happy,” she continued. “I’m riding this blue wave like a damn Hawaiian surfer, y’all.”
That video comes after the US midterm elections that allowed Democrats to take over both chambers. Obilom explicitly ties that result to her short film.
“And this connects because my short film ‘When They Go Low’ takes place on Election Day 2024,” she said. “Yeah, the one we don’t really speak about. Different headspace.” In the 2024 Presidential election, the Republican candidate Donald Trump becomes a winner.
“But these midterms showed me that people listened. They actually listened. We did it, y’all,” Obilom continued. “All the rage that we felt was for this very moment. That person in the White House is here for this very moment.”
According to the information on Kickstarter for the film, the comedy revolves around the story of a young woman who did everything correctly:
“She voted. She smiled. She took the high road. Zero detours,” says the description of her movie.
“But after a particular election pushes her to the brink, one fed-up Black woman decides she’s officially retiring from being the bigger person and embarks on a hilariously petty revenge spree against everyone who’s ever tested her patience,” the description continues. “Even her therapist isn’t safe from the chaos.”
However, Obilom explains that the election is just the spark, the starting point. “And then I had to, like, step back and remind myself that this story is not just about the election,” she said. “Election Day was a catalyst. And if you know storytelling, you need a good catalyst, and that was perfect.”
“This is a story to remind you that the rage and the passion that we feel get things done, Obilom said, using an expletive. “And I want you to know that I see you. It’s a story about liberation, freedom, doing whatever you want to do, even if it’s just finding our happiness or our pettiness.”
The video caption says she “genuinely considered quitting this out of happiness,” adding, “I’m so serious.” She reminds us that it’s not about her anymore; “it was always a love letter. To you, Black woman … Thank you. This is for you,” she wrote.
“They ride the blue wave that erupted from the earthquakes and volcanoes of passion within us,” the caption continues. “May our lava continue to burn through the country, creating divine new growth in its wake.”
However, Obilom is ready to keep her pledge to finish her campaign. “So, I won’t quit. I will keep going,” she said.
“Kickstarter is an all or nothing platform, which means that if I don’t make my goal, I don’t get anything,” she said. “But if I do make my goal, we’re gonna rage one last time. OK. OK. OK.”
The campaign has not started yet. However, Obilom recommends that people sign up for updates on her pre-launch page mentioned in the biography on TikTok.
“So I’ll have a pre-launch link in my bio, which is just the launch before the launch. The launch is coming very, very soon,” she said. “But if you resonate with it, then, you know, sign up for the updates and we can make a movie. You know what I mean?”
“If you want to help make it happen, sign up for the campaign updates on my pre-launch page,” she wrote in the caption. “I’ll send a special gift to everyone who signs up.” She also urged viewers to “Follow @chinasa.entertainment for all things WTGL,” an abbreviation of the film’s title.
“It’s my baby. It’s my baby. I’m very passionate about it,” Obilom said in the video. “It’s so funny, and I’m really excited for y’all to see it. And if we do it, I will never quit again. I will never think about quitting again.”
Obilom ends her video giving her creation to the public. “So the ball’s in your court, ball’s in your court, you guys. Love you,” she said. “And if you don’t wanna see it, kiss this, kiss this, ah, ah, kiss this. Oh, at that blue wave. Kiss this, eh, eh, kiss this. OK. OK.”
Obilom finished the caption with a joke. She apologized for the “can of beans holding up the broken cabinet”.
