Donald Glover is bothered whenever someone compares his acclaimed Atlanta series to David “Lil Dicky” Burd‘s Dave. In a Q&A for Interview Magazine, Glover asked himself about Dave, insisting that he likes the show but feels it is “artificial” in “flavor.” Both shows are about a rapper’s journey to success, but they tell that story differently.
“I like that show. But it does bother me when Atlanta‘s compared to it,” Glover, who previously performed as the rapper Childish Gambino, said. However, he has a better idea for a show about a white rapper. “The organic show should be about a white rapper who’s more successful than his Black peers from the jump,” the former Community star said. “Because he’s more accessible. But what he actually wants is to be part of the culture, but his success keeps him from that, and a lot of his Black peers and friends resent him for it but also feel like they have to f- with him because it’s good for them. That’s the internal struggle I see. Anyway.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Glover admitted that his version of Dave is “sadder,” and he does not think Burd should change it. He went on to respond to allegations of being pretentious. Although he can be a “snob,” Glover believes “in entertainment or art it’s important to know the difference between things.” Anthony Bourdain was not pretentious, but “he definitely knew the difference between a dry-aged wagyu and a smash burger,” Glover noted.
Glover continued to compare television shows to food. Dave is a “good burger you should eat fast because the ingredients are fresh,” he said. “By a guy who didn’t study at a culinary school but paid close attention to other burger spots and has the plug on good ingredients.”
HBO’s Euphoria is a “really good butterflied chicken in the restaurant attached to an old hotel having a resurgence,” Glover said. “It tastes really good, and you feel guilty eating it because it’s got foie gras. But after going there for six months, you realize you always leave a little hungry.”
When Glover began promoting the long-awaited Atlanta Season 3 in November 2021, he published a series of since-deleted tweets about Dave. He made it very clear he did not like the Atlanta–Dave comparisons. “And just for the record, I’m watching y’all [saying] Dave is on par. Like y’all forgot what we did. No disrespect,” he wrote. “We got Black people on here debating which is better, and I’m the sellout? I got receipts.”
Atlanta airs on FX Thursdays at 10 p.m. Dave finished its second season in August on FXX and was renewed for a third season. Both shows are available to stream on Hulu.
