I Hate Harper Stern.
This woman doesn’t think about anyone but herself – and I absolutely live for it. In every show, the black woman is an upstanding woman in society – with a moral code - always supporting others and putting others before herself. The black woman is constantly deferring to others, wondering how her decisions will impact other people, being afraid to make a move that is best for them if it means that someone else may potentially get hurt. All while EVERY OTHER WHITE CHARACTER OR MALE IN THE SHOW COULD GIVE LESS OF A FUCK.
For once in my natural born black life, I finally get to see a black woman that is worried about herself and her own bag. She doesn’t care about how her decisions affect others as long as it benefits her. She’s navigating the world like every other white person and male and everyone is in SHAMBLES!!! They hate her so much. Meanwhile I’m on my couch like, please keep scamming. Please keep doing to others what they would do to you in a HEARTBEAT.
Harper is such a bitch that you almost feel bad for Rishie – the man that cheated on his wife on their wedding day. Harper is such a bitch that you almost feel bad for Eric – who also cheated on his wife and attempted to get her off the desk by prioritizing his client over hers. Lastly, Harper is such a bitch that she had us tweeting #justicefordaria - a white woman LMFAO.
This might be the most hated protagonist since Rue. Craziest part is, I loved Rue. In “Euphoria,” the writers show all aspects of her life that led her to her drug addiction – which makes you sympathize with her. Her dad died. When she was young and taking care of him, she picked up his medicine off the side of his dresser so that she could understand and feel what he was feeling. This led to her pain killer and drug addiction - subsequently propelling her into a slew of selfish behaviors that hurt her mom, his sister, her friends, her sponsor, and those around her. Her story humanizes her though. I couldn’t IMAGINE my mom or dad dying. I also couldn’t come close to judging someone and their actions if they have experienced this.
The writers of “Industry” do the same with Harper. We don’t know much about her, foster parents, but we do get glimpses of the fact that they must have been horrible – so much so that her twin brother is a crystal meth addict. Her past is so dark that she seems completely unable to address it – which is why we’ve only seen snippets of it.
Honestly though, I hate that there has to be a reason behind why Harper is the way she is. I would love it even more if she was a black woman with no moral compass because this is America and that’s how you need to operate in order to get further in American society. America is a capitalist society. Darwinism at its finest. Kill or be killed. Adapt of die. Harper adapts and doesn’t die and it’s everything that I’ve ever needed in my life.
Moral of this whole long story – is that Harper is absolutely gangster. And representation matters. When I look at black women on the screen, I love to see all different types. This is the first time I’ve seen a black woman operate like this on screen. And as someone in the same age range, gender, and race as Harper – that shit makes my heart smile.
Hennyways, everyone go out and rob a man of an opportunity at success in the name of reparations.
