Klarna Is Layaway (This Black-Ass Life)
Welcome to the 95th installment of This Black-Ass Life! This week, we were chatting about how layaway has been made sexy through the Klarna of it all, and we want to talk about sneaky ass capitalism reinventing and glamorizing things once associated with struggle, especially Black struggle.
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I. The Facts
Y’all remember when Lyft and Elon M*sk invented public transportation? One thing capitalism is good for is putting a new, pretty bow on a thing you’ve already been doing.
These chefs innovated taking leftovers and putting them on toast.
Silicon Valley reinvented multi-family homes and now they’re fancy $2k per month dorms.
Klarna, Afterpay and more have glamorized buying things on layaway.
From clothes to furniture to even camping materials and more, the people are RENTING their wares.
Boo and hiss to the vending machine company poised to take over bodegas.
Wealthy white women are wearing essentially beauty shop jewelry.
Also now that they’ve received the blessings of white women, nail art, color contacts, hair extensions, vibrant colorful hair color, are being made into high fashion.
Needing multiple jobs to survive and thrive is glorified as “grind” or “hustle.”
Why does it matter?
Capitalism loves remixing itself and trying to tell us that it’s not capitalism. The influx of these start-ups, the glorification of hustle culture, are all symptoms of a society weighed down by student debt, wage stagnation, and our government’s absolute dedication to the wealthy.
If you want to rent furniture, tap into a payment installment plan, or live in a multi-family home, it doesn’t inherently mean you’re struggling but it is dangerous that capitalism is tripling down on making the taste of exhaustion and the inability to cover essentials with one income into something that is fabulous.
Capitalism in all its remixed forms has to stay flexible so its oppression is harder to recognize and thus harder to fight.
What can my Black ass do?
What can you do in the face of capitalism other than take a nap?
Also please give your coin, time and/or talents to mutual aids in your community!
ll. Other Things
Sha’Carri Richardson is already a legend.
Read Terrell Jermaine Starr on meeting his father, developing a relationship and processing complicated love.
All love to Gina Torres.
A perfect review of Succession, a show I (Mitu) love because it really is “white people safari.”
Proud of Naomi Osaka for protecting her peace.
We bow down to THAT GIRL Sha’Carri Richardson who made us all SOB when she went to find her grandma in the stands after sprinting toward an Olympic debut.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Jumoke):
Father’s Day makes me think of Dance with My Father, which eventually leads me to Never Too Much, my all-time favorite Luther song.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to Mitu and everyone else loving Love in Color, an amazing book I just finished.
I (Mitu) look forward to summer pools.
lll. Shout out to our Black-Ass Dads
Jumoke’s dad is officially taking care of a highway and Mitu’s dad was recognized as a COVID hero for working to get his community tested and vaccinated.
Stay Black, thrive and love on your Black-selves! We’ll hit your inbox next on July 5