atlantaskylineatnight

 

I’m not a person of interest, say, like a famous actor or athlete. Rather, I’m a hard working entrepreneur who literally works seven days a week running 2 businesses,and a non-profit organization. Like most people who are working to realize their dreams and provide a more comfortable life for their family, I have my fair share of early mornings, long days, and even later nights. Whether you’re an executive over a music label or you work as a receptionist in a dental office, if you’re like me, you value the precious time you have to get out and spend some of your hard earned money on letting loose and having a good time. Since success is a journey and not a destination, it behooves us to work hard and play even harder. One of the places people go to let loose and celebrate their successes is the club.

 

The club presents an opportunity for the average person to mix with friends, mingle with the opposite sex, or just unwind. You can meet people or not—it’s your choice. You can live like a king or queen for a night or lay low in the background. Depending on the spot, there’s also the added likelihood and incentive you may find yourself partying within feet of your favorite celebrity. We can hear our favorite records mixed into what can feel like a personalized soundtrack for our past, present, and future accomplishments. Something about the environment gives us energy, can help keep us motivated, and can also be credited as the catalyst for new ideas. When you look at the club or any other type of nightlife establishment (i.e. a lounge) it’s easy to see the allure. Some people see the exorbitant markup on liquor, the hyper-sexualized nature of it, and the crass exclusivity of trying to “get in” as unnecessary extravagances. But, I tend to look at it from a different perspective.

 

In large part, I go because it is necessary for my business to attend as well as the enjoyment I get from the lights, music, and vibe. Professionally, I must interact with the movers, shakers, and the newly coined “Taste-makers” in order to land exclusive interviews and stay relevant. Standing in VIP next to the likes of Jazze Pha doesn’t make me any better than the guys standing in the general part of the club nor does it make them any less. This belief enables me to enjoy myself whether I’m in VIP popping bottles or standing by a crowded bar. Life is too short and too stressful as is without complicating it further by harboring the wrong attitude, especially when the whole purpose for going out is to “escape” uncomfortable realities and to celebrate. To this point, I’ve noticed a drastic change in the way people party these days.

 

One pivotal thing I’ve noticed is the change in the club goer mentality. It would seem very few people go out to simply have a good time. Instead, they go out to be seen and entertained. The difference between going out to have fun versus going out to be entertained is night and day. It is clear that many women go to be seen in their sexiest outfits (aka freakum dresses) and the only men they’re interested in meeting (if at all) are those men they believe to be “ballers.”  Many men, on the other hand, appear to be more consumed with putting on the facade of “status” and “wealth” that they often miss out on the most important aspect of going out—the fun. Again, it would seem that very few people go to simply enjoy themselves and are much more concerned with standing around all night looking like a star.

 

In Atlanta, which is known as “Black Hollywood” it’s a rarity to see an entire club full of people dancing and enjoying themselves as you may have seen as recently as 10 years ago. Today, it’s more common to see women standing around taking dozens of photographs from one of several photographers than it is to see them dancing and interacting with men. It’s also more common to see a group of guys standing around in the same spot all night instead of buying women drinks and interacting with them. Everybody is a star in their mind and believe me when I tell you, here in Atlanta they sure act like it. Even Lil Wayne identified the staleness that has become the Atlanta nightlife. He tweeted back in August after one of his shows, “ATL was ok but sometimes u run into a krowd of people that’s too kool to move…”  There are many reasons and plausible explanations, but I accredit this “Too Cool” mentality to the proliferation of VIP.

 

Clubs have been around since long before I was born. Thirty years ago, VIP, which stands for, “Very Important Person” actually meant it. Now it would seem anyone who knows one of the bouncers (or a group of 20 guys can scrounge up enough money to get a section for the night) can gain entry. It seems as if people seem to act differently. Instead of going to the club to have a good time, they’re looking to live a façade—to feel as if they’ve made it. There’d be nothing wrong with that if it didn’t dilute people into thinking they were above each other. Historically, VIP was created as a way to segregate mega stars and other important persons (politicians, business men, etc.) from the rest of the dancing populace. It was intended for security purposes more than the “I’m better than you for the night” practice currently under employ. The average person had no aspiration to party in VIP because the real party took place on the dance floor–not in a booth. Now clubs seem to cater exclusively to the VIP sections in their establishments. How could I blame them? They can charge exorbitant sums of money to eager men and women and this helps keep their books in the black. From a business standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world. It’s everybody else I’m concerned with.

 

The way many people look at VIP and the lengths people are willing to go to in order to gain “access” is indicative of a much larger issue. If you’ve ever spent time on the other side of the velvet rope, you know exactly what I’m talking about. People look at you almost reverently and treat you accordingly. A VELVET ROPE…who could’ve imagined 6 inches could create such a divide between the “perceived to be successful” and everyone else? I’ve literally seen it all. The droves of women who promise sexual favors to the bouncers if they can let them and their friends in, to the male groupies who act like they are members of an entourage as they make entry into their section. I once saw a girl unashamedly pull off her thong and hand it to a guy who was sitting in his section drinking a bottle of champagne. Wouldn’t you know it, 15 minutes later she and her friend were both sitting on his lap and all three were making out. Let me state I don’t have a problem partying or anyone who wishes to party in VIP. I do have a problem with the way people have allowed status to undermine how they feel about themselves and other people.

 

If you’re not a part of the “IN” crowd, you might as well stay home. How else could we explain an entire club full of people who stand around all night while some of the hottest records spin? How else can we explain people literally demeaning and degrading themselves just to be around another human being whom they believe is better than them? VIP is a section in a building with four walls, not a backdoor into heaven. The next time you go out with the girls or boys and you’re headed to the club, make sure you remember the whole purpose for going out in the first place… enjoying the club, your friends and having fun no matter which side of the velvet rope you end up on.

 

 

Submitted by Andre Georgé, a lifestyle writer and brand strategist. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TheAndreGeorge.