One of the qualities of Donald Glover’s personality that’s made him relatable as he’s been in the public eye is his honesty and willingness to get candid about his work and more. His tendency to (respectfully) not mince words was on display several years ago when he praised the final two seasons of his show, Atlanta, calling them as good as The Sopranos. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Glover didn’t lie when asked whether he was “insulted” when fans started comparing his show and fellow FX production Dave. The multihyphenate did indeed take some offense and, while explaining the reason why, he made a good point.
You may be wondering why I made it a point to say that the artist formerly known as Childish Gambino didn’t lie. Well, that’s because he was actually hooked up to a lie detector when he made the comments. He and his Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-star, Maya Erskine, participated in a segment for Vanity Fair, which was shared to YouTube. Erskine asked her on-screen partner if the comparison between his show and Lil Dicky’s bothered him. Though the “This is America” performer said that he wasn’t exactly enthused, his reason for that is fair:
Yeah, I don’t remember any critics [making the comparisons]. I think it was just people, but I definitely was insulted. Not because I think that Dave is bad, [because] I actually really think Dave is a good show. I just don’t think they have a lot in common.
On the surface, it would seem that both Atlanta and Dave are quite similar. Both have real-life rappers playing the lead roles and both focus heavily on the music industry. They also include surreal situations that sometimes involve famous guest stars. However, Donald Glover is right on the money, in this fan’s eyes. While Lil Dicky’s series focuses more on fame and the price of it, Glover’s dramedy more so uses the music business as a conduit to shed light on different aspects of Black life and culture. These productions do certainly have their similarities, but I agree with Glover that they’re not truly the same.
This actually isn’t the first time that Donald Glover has spoken out about the comparisons. In 2021, he posted (and then deleted) some shots aimed at Dave. On X, which was still Twitter at the time, Glover questioned how some could say that the dark comedy – which premiered on FXX in 2020 – was “on par” with his own series, which debuted on FX in 2016. He mused that the public “forgot what we did.”
As it stands, both shows have completed their runs, as Atlanta wrapped after four seasons in 2022. It was also reported just days ago by TVLine and more that Dave would end after three seasons due to Lil Dicky – whose actual name is David Burd – deciding to devote time to other endeavors. However, the “Save Dat Money” performer as well as FX are reportedly open to collaborating more in the future should the opportunity arise.
Fans will likely continue to compare and contrast the two series as time goes on, but there doesn’t currently seem to be any true beef between the lead creatives themselves. While taking his lie detector test, he said that he likes David Burd and thinks he’s a “really nice guy.” Yet Donald Glover also admitted that he believes he’s more talented than Burd, saying that he holds that viewpoint simply because of his own “conceited” nature. Again, you have to admire the man’s honesty.
Both Atlanta and Dave are available in their entirety for Hulu subscribers to stream. Anyone looking for newer titles can check out the 2024 TV schedule.