"Hasaan Hates Portland": An Authentic Reflection on the Black Experience in the City of Roses
Written by Nickolas H.
Mischa Webley’s newest project, Hasaan Hates Portland, is more than just a satirical take on life in Portland—it’s an honest, sharp-edged exploration of a city’s soul caught in the crosshairs of progressive image-making and underlying racial tensions. Through this project, Webley holds up a mirror to the contradictions between Portland’s self-congratulatory liberalism and the lived experiences of those navigating its veiled prejudices. The dark side of the Portlandia bubble became a reality during the pandemic and preceding civil rights protests, exposing economic and racial disparities long swept under the rug in Portland. The city’s celebrated “weirdness” became a double-edged sword, appealing to outsiders while alienating residents who saw their social communities overlooked and their physical spaces overtaken. Webley’s project counters that trend, focusing on the overlooked narratives that define the actual city behind the polished façade.
The series is personal for Webley, who sought to create something rooted in truth, with no filters or external meddling. “I want to do this on 100 percent my own terms,” Webley emphasized, pointing out that Hasaan Hates Portland didn’t undergo a lengthy development process. “This show had to come out and say exactly what I wanted to say, exactly the way I wanted to say it,” he shared with us during an exclusive interview, revealing his insistence on independent creative control to ensure the story’s integrity.
Mischa Webley Creator of Hasaan Hates Portland.
This desire to maintain authenticity runs deep in Webley’s approach. He recognized the necessity to thread “some pretty fine needles,” conveying messages that resonate without dilution. The essence of Hasaan Hates Portland stems from years of feeling silenced by a pervasive and anticlimactic force Webley terms as “ally whiteness”—a condition where white allies, despite good intentions, fall into performative behavior trap that ultimately amounts to just a different flavor of racism.
And while Portland is often celebrated for its progressive ethos, to the chagrin of many it was given an outsized reputation through the lens of Portlandia. The satirical sketch show framed the city as a quirky utopian monolith of flannel-clad hipsters, overthought coffee orders, and putting a bird on everything. Yet, this portrayal had lasting consequences. The show failed miserably at capturing any of the city’s real complexity, contributing to a culture of surface-level liberalism that ignores deeper systemic issues - and perhaps that was the point. “Portlandia brought so much tourism,” Webley noted, “yet a lot of that tourism neglected businesses owned by BIPOC, queer people, and other underrepresented groups.” And while Hasaan may find itself appealing to a similar audience, the show is differentiated in fact that “it’s actually funny and it has actual black people in it.”
The making of Hasaan Hates Portland was intentionally insular; Webley didn’t advertise his work or invite the scrutiny of gatekeepers. He took a grassroots approach, reminiscent of the DIY ethos that’s long-defined Portland’s underground arts scene, quietly building his show until its potential was undeniable. “I didn’t make a lot of noise about it,” Webley explained. “I wanted to come out of the hole with it, so people could see the finished work and understand where we were going.” By working in the shadows, Webley bypassed the typical skepticism, condescension, and tokenism faced by many BIPOC creators in predominantly white creative circles. It also insulated him from the “cute” dismissals that plague underrepresented entrepreneurs in Portland’s arts and business scenes. “I’m not doing this because it’s cute,” he reflected. “I’m doing this because I care and I’m from here.”
Webley’s show, then, is more than entertainment; it’s an act of reclaiming Portland’s narrative from the hands of those who - for better or worse - have fetishized our beloved quirky home and profit from rage-baiting media that retains little hold on reality. It’s a rejection of sanitized allyship and a challenge to viewers to recognize the tension between reputation and reality. “There’s a time for compromise, but not now,” Webley stated, underlining the stakes of storytelling as an act of truth.
For a city that prides itself on progressive values, Hasaan Hates Portland is a wake-up call—a reminder that true progress and cohesion in a growing urban landscape require more than just checking boxes. It demands listening, hard conversations, and the willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about who benefits from Portland’s mythology and who remains excluded. This series, born from personal grit and social critique, could be the start of a much-needed dialogue about authenticity, privilege, and change in the Rose City.
Socials and info for the show:
Hasaan Hates Portland Instagram
