The dislike many of you feel for Lawrence stems for the real duality of his character.
This idea that many men ruin women who want to believe in their potential by pure laziness.
These character types usually go on and do better in the same fundamentals of a relationship that you begged for in a new relationship or life chapter. Leaving many women feeling disheartened. Plainly, Lawrence’s character is a mirror to many realities that women have been facing for decades.
Cause let’s face it, Lawrence went from Bum to Yum in the matter of one season.
So, why is his character so divisive amongst the sexes?
On one hand you have the #LawrenceHive which is all about praising and uplifting this character until the very end.
Men see Lawrence as a mirror to their own downfalls and triumphs. They connect to the fact that Lawrence was lost and uninspired. A feeling many of us as millennials have dealt with.
As black men with a passion, they understood Lawrence’s need to pour his all into the project “Whoot Whoot”…they even understood him getting so lost in his own mess that he forgot to be the man Issa needed. Lawrence’s storyline holds true to what many men experience, from his lack of initiative in his own life to finally realizing he needed to step up.
Being meant by Issa’s betrayal in the midst of getting his shit together or “trying” set fires in the egos of male viewers…and the hive was born.
Fast forward to later seasons when he decided that fuckin hoes and taking numbers (and STD tests) was the way to go instead of dealing with the raw emotions left for Issa (and her cheating); this was the perfect reflection of how men often deal with painful breakups.
The internet exploded over whether or not Lawrence was actually a f*ckboy or not due to his situationship with Tasha; the answer is yes fellas. He was knee deep in f*ckboy season as a “good guy” in response to broken trust with his ex.
He went on emotional lockdown while still trying to figure out how to have sex without the attachment. From Tasha, to ole girl he dated at the office, to his various sexapades. Our boy had what seemed to be his first “hoe phase;” accept that and move on.
This character is you, you is this character.
Because If Issa is a mirror for millennial females then Lawrence is that for our male counterparts.
Then there’s the majority of the female population who feel that this character is a waste of a perfectly good black and white button up…
But come on girls…he looked GOODT!
This fictional character is showcasing the hard pill that many-a-woman has had to swallow.
Issa: “I don’t know. I got the nigga with potential. You know, I got the work-in-progress. And it took a lot of support and patience. I just feel like she is reaping all the benefits of his time with me.”
Shit! Been there girl and it is not a pleasant feeling.
Lawrence is so convincing that it leaves many women feeling that they know him a little too well. He is their reminder of the guy who sat in his potential on their couches, forgot their birthdays, drained them emotionally/mentally/spiritually.
Then left to only improve on the shit they needed for years. Lawrence is their Tyrone, Brandon, Shawn, Tim, Sam, Anthony.
He is too clear a mirror.
The very character traits that helps male viewers connect with him is the very reason women can’t stand him.
While men think that women should take the good with the bad in this character (and them); women are pushing back tired of the expectation that they should hold down a man barely trying. The fight over who was wrong and who is right is never- ending. Women are tired of “growing men for someone else.” Men want understanding in their struggle phases while women scream that they don’t get the same in return.
Personally, I love to see it. The dynamics that this character brings forces us to confront our old ghosts in a new light; and if we let it, ourselves.
This recent season brings things full circle. With only 4 episodes left in season 4; Lawrence has finally realized that he is possibly still emotionally connected to Issa and the only reason he left is because she cheated at a time when he wasn’t his best self.
It is painfully clear to most of us that men tend to process breakups well after women have made peace with it. The beginning stages offer many distractions like Tasha was for Lawrence. But the road to moving on must first bypass the person he has yet to let go of…Issa. It’s a familiar, sometimes tough story because it is often an experience we’ve had in some way.
The beauty of his character isn’t surrounded by the question of if he will get back with Issa but whether or not he can become the man he’s wanted to be since season 1 and the man someone like Issa deserved.
We see his insecurities surface on how he views himself through his interactions with Condola as he tries to distance himself from who he use to be with romantic trips, lunch dates, and moonlighting as a sauve party guest. Lawrence is every man, just trying to convince hisself that he can be everything his potential will allow.
The missing piece is the understanding that breakups can spark growth.
This is clear in Lawrence’s character as he got fit, got a job, started shaving, and began to care for himself better. Sometimes breakups change a person. This too is a hard pill to swallow for those grown hoarse due to emotionally screaming for that same change.
Maybe his character will grow out of the show; I honestly think that he has much to offer to male and female viewers alike and would love to see continued character development.
The truth of his character is that the reflection feels too real. It’s raw. It’s honest. And that is why it is needed.
Let LBF hear your thoughts on the topic! Comment below and let’s build a conversation.
