So by now you’ve heard of Donald Glover’s Atlanta and its Southern blackness. The series premiered on FX Tuesday and was Glover's TV directorial debut. We’re here for it.
The 32-year-old cleverly explores issues like parenthood, relationships, police brutality and sexuality in a comedic light. The situations faced by the Atlanta cast are super relatable to the black millennial audience—which makes sense, since Glover is, indeed, a black millennial.
If you missed the debut, FX has uploaded the first episode, in full, on YouTube. But if you can't spare 20-or-so minutes, check out these GIFs that sum up how, in Atlanta, Glover gives the black millennial life.
When were you first locked out of your parents' home? Was it when you became legal at 18? Or after graduating college at 22? When you got your first job at 17, you say? Whatever the age, having the locks changed on you isn't fun, but it's a reality for many millennials. Nope, you can't enter your parents' house, and do believe that Daddy will stand in the threshold to make sure you don't think twice about stepping in.
Indeed, sexuality is a spectrum. A transgender black woman was represented in Atlanta’s jail scene: Stand up, ladies. You matter.
The situationship is real. There’s the “he said, she said” of "We’re kicking it," "We’re dating," "We’re friends with benefits." Been there, done that. What makes this particular situationship more complicated is that Earn (Donald Glover) and Vanessa (Zazie Beetz) have a child involved. Side note: Shout out to the costume folks in Atlanta for having Beetz's character wear a scarf to bed.
Parenthood isn’t easy. Enough said.
That time a white acquaintance tries to say the n-word in front of you. Yeah. How about that? Message to white folks: Don’t do it. Please don’t do it. Guaranteed, you will get an earful from the black person with whom you’re speaking. At the very least, expect a confounded look; at the worst, expect to be cursed out.
Felice León is multimedia editor at The Root.