Higher Ground Produces Zainab Johnson’s ‘Toxically Optimistic’ for Netflix
The Obamas' production company made its first comedy special, a project that began when Johnson asked the former First Lady to introduce the hour.
By Layla Richardson ·
The former First Lady introduced Zainab Johnson at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, for the debut of the comedian’s new Netflix special, Toxically Optimistic. The one-hour show, which arrived on streaming platforms on Oct. 27, marks the first comedy special produced by the Obamas' Higher Ground company. Johnson, known for her 2023 special Hijabs Off, secured the introduction through a personal connection with Michelle Obama that formed after a missed meeting in 2024.
The relationship began to take shape during a "Get out the vote" event in Atlanta in 2024. Johnson recounted that she felt ignored by other celebrities in the room before Michelle Obama entered and called her by name. The former First Lady pulled Johnson into a hug and turned to Shonda Rhimes to rave about Johnson’s previous work. Johnson noted that the women who had initially brushed her off later returned to apologize.
In early 2026, Johnson decided to produce the new special herself if necessary. She called her managers to voice a desire for Michelle Obama to record a voice-over introduction. Within a week, the former First Lady’s team confirmed she was recording the intro. Simultaneously, Johnson’s managers informed her that Higher Ground wanted to produce the entire special. Johnson accepted the offer, noting that her friend at dinner told her the universe was telling her she could ask for more.
The special includes material about Johnson’s experience buying a gun in California. She described the legal process, which required taking classes, passing a 20-question multiple-choice test, and visiting a range with a certified person. Johnson stated that she missed two questions but still received the firearm, a margin of error she found surprising compared to the looser regulations in other states.
Touring the material internationally, Johnson found that foreign audiences initially reacted with shock to her opening line about owning a gun. She explained that many viewers in the UK, Paris, and Australia assumed the bit confirmed their stereotypes about America. By the end of the show, audiences often felt that the material humanized the experience of civilian gun ownership.
Johnson also addressed the current state of acting opportunities for people of color. She cited a billboard she saw for a procedural TV show featuring a cast of five cis white actors. Johnson described the industry’s return to that casting norm as a regression, comparing it to the 1990s and noting that the shift is both scary and sad.
