If you're my employer, just be mean to me
Summary
If you're my employer, just be mean to me," a straphanger tells Kareem, arguing that workplace relationships should drop all pretense of friendliness. This guy's fed up with fake niceness. He wants bosses to stop with the "you guys, I love the way you hustle" routine and just admit they're paying for labor, not friendship. The transaction's the point. Kareem pushes back, asking about email sign-offs and middle managers, but the rider insists only evil and useless people climb the corporate ladder anyway. He's looking for clarity, not compliments. The conversation spirals into talk of slavery, ideological breaks, and oppression before the rider reveals he's actually the boss himself, prompting Kareem to shut down the camera in mock horror at the darkness unfolding.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? If you're my employer, just be mean to me.
100% disagree. Be mean to you? Yeah.
Why? 'Cuz this is a transaction. I don't have to like you. You don't have to like me. Why the do I need your approval?
This is a slave relationship. That's what this is. There was a period in history where we all accepted that wage labor is just slavery. So, let's just act like that.
So, you want the boss to just be an actual slave driver? I'm not saying like you have to be a... But don't go out of your way to be like, "You guys, I love the way you hustle. Do you... you're doing such a great job. I know I did a good job 'cuz you keep hiring me and I got a bad vibe at work.
What if your job is emailing? Email me some memes. I don't know. Like what do you mean?
What about like a hi, hope your day is going well. You don't hope that. You hope I get this on your desk.
What about when you sign off and you say best? Worst? I'm at my worst. If you're in a position where you're sitting at a desk while I'm pushing huge stuff around and breaking my body, don't talk to me.
Just be honest. That's what the money's about.
But what if they're nice? Well, they're not a nice guy at... No bosses are nice.
No. What about the middle managers? You weren't mean enough to make it up to the top of the ladder. I'm sorry.
Only mean people go up. Yeah. Evil and useless people.
Can you be mean back? Yes. Everybody just... It's a free...
I want clarity in the relationship. And if this is a transaction, if you're paying me money for the labor that I'm put, you're not paying me to be a nice guy. You're paying me to get the job to work.
I think we need to create the space for us to make an ideological break with the people that are oppressing us. And you know, in some cases, those are the people that we work for. You know... The big problem is I'm the boss.
Yeah. How much you... you getting paid, right? Be nice to you. I was nice to me.
See, that's [ __ ] up. I feel like that's [ __ ] up to me. Pretty nice guy. Yeah, but in this context, that's bad.
Hey, turn the camera off. Listen to me. Turn that off. There's darkness. There's darkness on this trailer. We're done now. We're done. I can't do it. I'm sorry.