Atlanta Season 3, Episode 9 is a mixed bag of disappointment

The show’s interpretation of Blackness is limited in the same way that the episode attempts to criticize other people’s myopic definitions of what it means to be black, and it shows. At the end of the episode, “Aaron Black” acts in a way he was not before, and therefore he declares that he “has never been more attracted” by his white ex-girlfriend. That’s exactly what I’m talking about when I say that ‘Atlanta’s attempts to say something really meaningful about race are undermined by the authors’ inability to really maintain the landing or commit to it by forcing unpleasant and offensive stereotypes about Black people, in what looks like an attempt to ensure that white viewers are not completely alienated. It just does not seem very funny or humorous to reinforce a harmful and damaging stereotype that black men are hopelessly obsessed with white women when one thinks of the horrific origins of it all. All things considered, the episode would have been better off without it. It’s a place in the same category as the Chet Hanks and Liam Neeson comedies in “Trini 2 De Bone” and “New Jazz,” respectively. I know there are people who are easily impressed by the shock factor and what they perceive as “boldness”, but allow me to point out the reality of the situation.

A show created and run by Donald Glover, a black man who has a proven track record of relying on internalized anti-blackness and racist self-loathing in his stand-up, music and other artistic endeavors, did everything to show two white men, who has been involved in controversial acts of racism – unapologetic cultural appropriation and fetishism in Hanks’ case and wants to commit hate crimes against any black man he saw, based on the actions of a disgusting person in the case of Liam Neeson. “Atlanta” could have used the “standalone” episodes to highlight upcoming black actors and talents in its third season, but chose to focus on white people and put more money in the pockets of privileged white men who have been public and especially racist in the process. Is any of that shocking? Of course. Does it trigger conversation? Of course. But it is not smart, and certainly not a substitute for good writing and storytelling. I do not rule out the fact that Neeson could sincerely be sorry, but his sincerity in apologizing is not the point here, and a few small jokes about the nature of white privileges do not really make up for the fact that a show, which was originally well-liked for its predominantly black cast and surrealistic stories that resonated with the black viewers, has become a kind of disappointing mess for those of us eager enough to see it or worry about.

It just makes no sense that four years after season 2, we have barely seen the black characters we have come to love. The show has turned into a half-baked attempt at an anthology of white privileges that has not even the ballet to go there because it continues and has dedicated four episodes in a season of 10 episodes to showcase white actors and white perspectives. Forgive me if I do not f *** with it anymore because it feels like an intricate minstrel show at this point, and so the praise it receives for being “deep” is nauseating and ridiculous. No matter how you feel about “Atlanta,” there’s only one episode left in season 3. I’ve already seen it. It’s a little sour too, and I’ll tell you why next week.