S02.E02: Sportin' Waves

[wanderingstar]

That meeting Earn and Al went to at the music streaming startup (or whatever it was) was cringe-inducing. But not as bad as that acoustic cover of Paper Boi's song. Oy.

I look forward to whatever hilariously absurd scenario we'll see Alfred meeting up with that guy who robbed him at the start of the episode.

Still no Van? Hope she's in next week's episode.

[drivethroo]

Earn is stupid for handing over the $4000 for the gift cards, getting the text from Tracy that they were on to him, then continuing to shop it up in the mall.  $4000? Best believe they have crystal clear surveillance photos they WILL put on the news.

Hollering the commercials from last season on the tv.

Hollering at the Bobby Schmurda person dancing on the table.

[Dee]

I lost it during Al & Earn's adventures at Spotify headquarters.

[JenE4]

Continuing the conversation on Earn’s education and career prospects as started in the “Alligator Man” thread...

I think this episode in particular really kicked up the theme of institutional racism and poverty that’s been a common thread throughout the series—and seemingly the main focus (so far?) of season 2: Robbin’ Season.

Stealing around Christmastime is apparently just accepted as normal practice in this community. You can rob your own buddy (and long-time drug customer) at gunpoint and just ask forgiveness and promise to pay him back someday. You just take the shoes you want and have a whole conversation in front of the salesclerk that he can’t do anything about it other than to continue to provide good customer service. You get a windfall of money and instead of investing it like wealthy people would do or, hell, using it as first and last month’s rent to avoid being HOMELESS, the “logical” thing to do is double it on stolen gift cards.

But also look at what these black men are going through this episode when TRYING to make a better lives for themselves with legitimate employment. The guy with the waves—forgot his name—was SO excited about the prospect of $12/hour! Working full time, that’s less than $25,000/year. To most people in America, you’d think wow, that’s still below the poverty line—how do you live on that? But this was like all the money in the world to this man! He was so excited about having the perfect shoes and his hair just right and how to talk to white people so he could try to break into what would have amounted to an entirely new socio-economic class. But the white hiring manager seemed to look under the waves and the shoes and the eagerness about learning and saw the poor black guy underneath—which, upon realizing The Man is never going to give him a break—he resorts right back to.

Al has the exact same experience at the music company. He tried to play along with these white millennials. Though Al was obviously frustrated the whole time, Earn does have the ability from his time at Princeton to be able to code switch and fit right in with the rich white folk. Even though he’s frustrated, too, he knows how to keep smiling and gives Al “the look” to just hang in there and keep going. Eventually, after being forced onstage to perform for these people who are not “his audience”—these people would looove the dealer’s girlfriend’s acoustic version, though—he’s out. Al gives up the opportunity to open up his music to a new demographic and i’m assuming lost a lot of cash doing so because that white person’s world is not HIS world. The guy with the waves is willing to give up his personality to fit in the white work world and change his circumstance—but not Al. I guess you can say, what’s a rapper without his “street cred” (unless he’s big enough to turn into producer mogul status at least)?

Then that brings us to Earn, who is the epitome of the adjective “earnest” while trying to verb “earn” money. God damn. This homeless man ended up buying a decorative basket—to decorate what home?? It must have been the first thing he could grab with his 15-minute spending spree. And he bought himself vitamins, which an old lady on the bus stole—much to Darius’s chagrin: Damn, they’re expensive! But our earnest Earnest is just trying to do what he thinks is right. No big-screen TVs to spend the cash faster like Al’s new TV. He’s not going to steal shoes just because he can. Earn to some extent probably knew the gift card wasn’t legal, but it’s a “victimless crime.” He’s not going to look the shoe salesman in the eye and walk out with those sneakers, though. Damn, the man is broke and can’t afford to eat—but these vitamins right here will help him keep up his energy...but, hell, it’s robbing season even for old ladies on the bus. 

So that brings us back to the question in the previous episode thread—and the same question we’ve been asking all along. If Earn has the capacity to get out of Atlanta—or at the very least, is smart enough and capable enough to go get a good job with the “white folk” and perhaps then even go live on “the good side of town” why doesn’t he? I THINK I recall Van implying he couldn’t handle the stress of Princeton, but that also may have just been our season 1 theories of why they’re not together. She was also upset when he was signing people up for credit cards instead of having a good job. Now, a job like that would probably BE a good job for our new friend sportin’ waves. But not a Princeton drop-out who could at the very least go finish his education at a lower-tier but still good college. Something happened to Earn that he came back to Atlanta where “street smarts” is more important than “book smarts.” Earn is impressed by Al’s Street smarts, but that’s the issue that he just goes along with whatever the boys tell him to do because he really doesn’t know any better. I suppose that’s just the whole dichotomy in a nutshell: book smart black guy who COULD make it in “white Atlanta” learns what life is like for street smart but poor black people in Atlanta—and what he learns is not pretty. Atlanta streets will continue to chew up and spit out our earnest protagonist in this commentary on institutional racism and cyclical poverty.

[scrb]

Yeah I guess that part is satire, Paper Boi being above doing the promotion and then that acoustic rendition.

Ernie is so desperate for money that he hands it over to someone he doesn't even know for the prospect of double the gift cards.

And PB spends all that time to audition people who would sell him pot.  He has enough money to partake as much as he wants but he has to meet with them himself to transact, having a gun pointed at him.

I don't know, I'd move to Colorado or something but his family is there in Atlanta as are his fans presumably.  You sometimes have NFL and NBA players, right after they make the league, often hang out back in the old hood, sometimes get in trouble, even getting shot.  Well their family is back there so that is why they go back, but once they make some money, they will move their parents out of there, for their parents' sake as well as their own.

Several of the episodes feature being around dangerous  (armed) people or sketchy characters.  I don't doubt that this aspect of the show is verisimilitude.  But you get the sense that some of this is to impress people who didn't grow up in the hood?

[Dee]

2 minutes ago, scrb said:

And PB spends all that time to audition people who would sell him pot.  He has enough money to partake as much as he wants but he has to meet with them himself to transact, having a gun pointed at him.

Al & Darius lack the heart to be serious dealers. For them trapping is more of a means to an end than a way of life. That, coupled with Al's rising profile & current legal situation, underscores their DIY aesthetic.

[Dee]

16 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

 Earn is impressed by Al’s Street smarts

I don't think Earn's impressed by Al's street smarts. He views Al as a vehicle for his get rich quick schemes. If Al wasn't a semi-successful rapper, Earn wouldn't have anything to do with him.

[scrb]

14 minutes ago, Dee said:

Al & Darius lack the heart to be serious dealers. For them trapping is more of a means to an end than a way of life. That, coupled with Al's rising profile & current legal situation, underscores their DIY aesthetic.

What is his main source of income?

He told the guy who held him up that he doesn't make money on his songs.

So does he perform at clubs or make appearances to get paid?

Does he get radio airplay or his hit is mostly underground?

I don't think streaming would make him a lot of money either.  The superstars can dictate high rates for Spotify but unknowns don't get paid and can only hope the exposure leads to better opportunities.

[Dee]

Al plays gigs and makes public appearances as Paper Boi, which seems to pay well enough, because he was able to surprise Earn with a nice bonus at end of last season.

Outside of music, Al & Darius sustain themselves via trapping, which is why they were so determined to find a new supplier after their current connect stuck Al up.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Dee

[announcergirl]

Unreal! It’s unreal how well, and REAL this show is written. Smart writing. 

This episode touched too many social topics. I don’t even want to talk about it. Just let it marinate! Unreal.

[xaxat]

My read on Earn? He's exactly what he accused Uncle Willie of being, a person getting left behind because he just lets things happen around him. He lacks initiative and any kind of a plan. The only reason he got that cash was because Darius had a plan. Does he take that money and pay off his court fees or try and to find a way out of being homeless? Nope, he says yes to someone else's plan to get rich. I'm actually surprised he's done enough to stay in Al's good graces. 

Van was already tired of his act last season. I'll be really interested in seeing where theit relationship stands now. 

Loved Darius' hat and Tracy's wave was spectacular.

[wanderingstar]

I re-watched this episode a few days ago with my sister, and Tracy's face when the interviewer rejects him is just...so heartbreaking. Good performance from Khris Davis in that scene - actually, he was great throughout the episode.

[Ohwell]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for thieves.  He did steal those shoes.

[DearEvette]

I don't even understand Earn. How on earth could he think handing over his entire $4,000 to a criminal he just met on a gift card scam is a good idea?  Why not just try it first with 500?  See if it works. He is supposed to be the smart one. 

I am not gonna lie, that Yoo Hoo commercial was obnoxiously catchy.

[heatherchandler]

1 hour ago, Gillian Rosh said:

I re-watched this episode a few days ago with my sister, and Tracy's face when the interviewer rejects him is just...so heartbreaking. Good performance from Khris Davis in that scene - actually, he was great throughout the episode.

He is really really good.  The best actor of the ensemble is definitely Al - I was really impressed.  Even more so when I saw that he went to Yale School of Drama.  

[Racj82]

I wanted to punch Earn in the face for that gift card shit. The mother of your child has to do the majority of providing for your child, you have nowhere to live, no car and court fees. And you want to put that money on a fucking gift card? Get the fuck out of here. Give half to Van and use the rest on what you actually need. Idiot.

[Sheenieb]

1 hour ago, Racj82 said:

I wanted to punch Earn in the face for that gift card shit. The mother of your child has to do the majority of providing for your child, you have nowhere to live, no car and court fees. And you want to put that money on a fucking gift card? Get the fuck out of here. Give half to Van and use the rest on what you actually need. Idiot.

Same. I came to the conclusion after watching last season on Hulu that Earn is a loser. It's very hard to empathize with him when he does stupid shit like this. As I wrote in the last episode, he's proud but has nothing. Instead of going to the bank and opening an account, giving some to Van for Lottie, or at least renting a room so he'd have somewhere to lay his head, he does this gift card shit. I don't even understand how that scam was supposed to work. 

[Dee]

Also, to top it off, the last that was shown of Van, she had lost her job, so their one steady source of income, as a family, had been compromised.

But instead of learning from his mistakes, he blows the money he lucked into, from a previous get rich scheme, again. Only this time, without even the promise of a potential future financial windfall.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Dee

[scrb]

It's Ernie's fault for getting swindled but it also didn't help that PB said the guy was legit.

PB should have slapped Ernie upside the head for even considering doing that gift card scam in the first place.  Instead, he enables the foolish decision.

[Racj82]

57 minutes ago, scrb said:

It's Ernie's fault for getting swindled but it also didn't help that PB said the guy was legit.

PB should have slapped Ernie upside the head for even considering doing that gift card scam in the first place.  Instead, he enables the foolish decision.

I would never give a shit about anything paper boi had to say about some good scheme shit. He never seems concerned about Ern's well being so he still wouldn' care now. And even if it worked like a dream. It was 8 thousands dollars he could only spend in the wall. In that mall. Which means it wouldn't help with anything he actually needs. He's a fucking idiot all by himself. I shouldn't be this hyped or fictional character but I hate watching people blow money. Him, baby mama and his child all needed that money. 

There is argument  to be made that he was thinking if Darius is on point then this guy would be too but he doesn't know this dude and he just got out the penn. No way do you trust this dude.

[scrb]

Didn't he ask PB though about the guy?

[possibilities]

It was a scam whether or not it would have worked. He was willing to do it, basically an illegal scheme to defraud the mall. While he's already dealing with the court system. Whether or not he would have gotten away with it, it shows execrable judgment.

[Racj82]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

Didn't he ask PB though about the guy?

As someone just pointed out. It's a scam no matter who cosigned it. Who recommended it is irrelevant. As I said, Al really doesn't ever seem to care about what's going on with Ern. Shows no interest. So why would it matter if he cosigned it or not? It's also pointless when you can only use it in a mall. 

[Dee]

Al does care about Earn, but he doesn't interfere in Earn's personal life, unless he's specifically asked to. Plus it's not Al's job to sort out Earn's issues.

Had Earn possessed enough humility to ask Al (and Darius) if he could temporarily stay with them, they likely wouldn't have had a problem with it.

But that chip on Earn's shoulder keeps him from communicating effectively with anyone in his life beyond what they can do for him.

[Racj82]

20 hours ago, Dee said:

Al does care about Earn, but he doesn't interfere in Earn's personal life, unless he's specifically asked to. Plus it's not Al's job to sort out Earn's issues.

Had Earn possessed enough humility to ask Al (and Darius) if he could temporarily stay with them, they likely wouldn't have had a problem with it.

But that chip on Earn's shoulder keeps him from communicating effectively with anyone in his life beyond what they can do for him.

I don't think Al cares about his Ern's personal life. Know or care. Doesn't mean he has no love for him. I don't think cares about anyone's personal life so I would never expect Al to be the one to bother trying to stop him. And no he didn't to tell Ern anything. Ern is a adult. A adult that makes some really dumb decisions about money based on what we see. That chip will kill him for sure though. Mentally.

[Ohwell]

On 3/9/2018 at 1:31 PM, Gillian Rosh said:

That meeting Earn and Al went to at the music streaming startup (or whatever it was) was cringe-inducing. But not as bad as that acoustic cover of Paper Boi's song. Oy.

As bad as it was, it's not nearly as bad as Taylor Swift doing an acoustic cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's September.  She's getting hammered, and rightly so.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/twitter-is-not-a-fan-of-taylor-swifts-country-esque-cover-of-earth-wind-and-fires-september/ar-AAvQE7C?OCID=msnHomepage

[terxav]

Okay this has been bothering me, at the end of the episode last season Darius gave Earn a cell phone he could trade in to get money immediately.  If this replaced the money he used to buy the sword, why did Darius give him a cut of the puppy sales this episode ?  Earn was surprised I thought because he did not actually have an investment in the puppy’s.

[Dee]

The phone Darius gave Earn, didn't replace Earn's Cane Corso investment. That was an added bonus.

[terxav]

Interesting, makes me wonder how Darius makes money.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 3/9/2018 at 4:41 PM, JenE4 said:

vitamins

Vitamix