What I Saw: Atlanta

Trying to keep up with all the TV I’ve been watching lately. I also started playing another story rich game called Life is Strange, which seems interesting so far but lacks a lot of diversity in it’s characters. I’ve barely started it so maybe that will change. Anyways, I’m trying to keep up with some of the shows I’ve been blogging about so far while exploring some new ones, which is harder than it sounds. Eventually I will get back to watching and writing about Luke Cage and Nurse Jackie, which I think I was close to finishing but just haven’t circled back for. I keep thinking I need better time management, and then I just keep plowing through new (or rather new to me) shows, or shows like Queen Sugar which have been recommended to me. Well, one day at a time I guess.

What I Watched:

Atlanta S1.E3&4 - “Go for Broke” and “The Streisand Effect”

What I Saw:

 

In “Go for Broke,” Earn is still trying to win back his ex-girlfriend, Van. His plan is to take her out on a real date to show that he is being responsible and earning enough money to contribute. Problem is, he isn’t earning enough money, and barely has $60 to his name after the bills are paid. Darius recommends a restaurant which is nice but also has a half-priced happy hour which should help Earn be able to pay for the date. Alfred and Darius say they are going to a drug deal with some new people they haven’t met, and Earn warns them that the drug dealer lifestyle is too dangerous for the money and they should reconsider; but they brush it off saying they are tough and if anything goes wrong they can just take them out. Earn struggles throughout the episode to make sure the date goes off without a hitch, while Alfred and Darius end up in a shadier deal than they anticipated.
The theme of the episode is about how stressful and, in Alfred and Darius’ case, how scary as hell it is to pretend to be something you’re not. Alfred and Darius are pretending to be badasses, but are really just normal people who want the money drug dealing brings in. They start to question just how tough they really are when they are told the meeting spot has changed and it’s in the middle of the woods. They witness first hand just how dangerous the people they deal with are when some other man, who seemed to have done something earlier to upset them, gets killed right in front of them. Alfred and Darius’ reality got checked when they witnessed what happened, and were much more polite and friendly than what they told Earn. Life has a way of destroying any illusions of control you think you have, and will teach you real quick just where exactly you stand in this world.
Earn, on the other hand, is pretending everything is fine and he is the kind of man who can provide while chasing his dream of being in the music industry. Earn is only able to convince himself that he is pulling it off, and Van is ordering food without thinking of price to test Earn. He rushes to find out just how much the meal is costing him, and takes his anxiety out on the waitress who was suggesting expensive items for Van to try. By the end of the date Van is suggesting he take a security job so he can make a little more money, and tells him that being a rapper is a kid’s dream, not an adult one. He lashes out and tells her that her own dream of owning a boutique is just as far-fetched, which naturally makes her mad.
Now the idea of following your dreams is a complicated one. It is important to have a goal that will drive you and keep you going in this life of ours. This very important aspect of human life has been given many names: self-actualization, raison d’être, ikigai. All of them basically mean “a reason for being alive.” Without it, why even bother getting up in the morning? However, Van points out certain realities like providing for their daughter and keeping a roof over their heads. Besides, it seems like Earn has not taken into consideration that Van may be passing up on her own dreams to be able to provide for herself, their daughter, and for him as he pursues his own dream. For a lot of people the reason for being is family, and you should be willing to put up with a lame day job so you can get to what really matters. If your dream is the only thing that matters, then it is time reconsider the role you should play in that family. Earn has yet to fully commit to that decision.

“The Striesand Effect” covers the idea of some of the side hustles people take to chase their dreams of getting out of the ghetto into a better life. Alfred runs into a guy named Zan who uses social media to generate revenue and sell merchandise. He has products such as hats and the like as well as uses Alfred’s popularity as Paper Boi to boost his own brand. He chronicles his life on social media to constantly generate content for the hungry consumers we call Americans. Earn talks with Darius about needing money and wants to pawn off his phone to pay for groceries. Darius makes a proposal to trade his phone for a katana, and they end up on an adventure of trading one thing for another to end up with an investment that will churn out thousands of dollars….in about 9 months.

The side hustle is well known among people of color. White people, well I guess I should be more accurate and say middle-class white people, equivalent would be something like the stock market day-trading. For us people of color, the side hustle is just that: a hustle. We have to work and journey far and wide just like Darius and Earn did; and remember who needs what to make all the pieces fit together and hopefully end up with something at the end of it.

Zan is exploiting the fame of those around him and uses social media as well as being social with strangers to spread the word and make a little money. Paper Boi explained that he has his side hustle of rapping because no one is going to give a job to a black man with no work experience, at least not the kind of experience he can put on a resume. Which even if he did, the simple fact that he is black reduces his chances of getting hired. They are both trying to make the best out of their situations, just like everyone else.
For others, the side-hustle may be something more long term like going to college. That is a huge investment for people of color, because it usually means staying poor while they try and go to class. In fact, there have been studies that showed one of the main reasons why young people of color struggle in school is not because of academics, it’s because they don’t have enough money for food or rent. It’s hard to concentrate on schoolwork when you’re stomach is growling, or when you’re thinking about what you can do to earn enough money to stay in your apartment or dorm; and I am speaking from experience. I remember for me the side-hustle was to find free food: I used to trade drinks from the coffee shop I worked at, for food the cooks at the restaurant next door made; take home the leftover pastries from the same job and use it for breakfast; or attend trainings or events with free food. Luckily it did pay off and I can just use this blog as a hobby, but the struggle was real for a moment.
As for you readers, who do you think is right when it comes to dreams: Earn for chasing his dream no matter the cost or Van for putting dreams on hold to provide? Also, what are some side-hustles that you guys have done or heard of? Let me know in the comments!