Frasier, Platinum Doors, and Being Black in Technology...


Not many people know this about me but I absolutely love the TV show, Frasier. For some reason, high-brow dry wit does it for me every single time. I've been thinking recently about the episode "Door Jam."

Now in it, Frasier accidentally receives a letter that was meant for his neighbor. It's a fancy invitation to a place called La Porte D'argent. So of course, Frasier and Niles are desperate to find out what this place is. Turns out, it's a day spa that you can only get into with an invitation and if your name is on a list. After a bit of subterfuge, the brothers are "accepted" in.

The entire experience is fantastic. They're raving about how great everything was... when Frasier notices an acquaintance heading for a Gold Door. He goes to say hello but the door closes in his face and Frasier is told that that particular room is for Gold Members only. Naturally, the brothers want to know how to get into the Gold Room and so after some hemming and hawing, Roz gets them in through a connection. 

They get into the Gold Room and the shit is fantastic. They absolutely love it. And as Frasier's eyes adjust to the light, he notices a Platinum Door. He goes to take a peek inside when an employee tells him flatly that he's not allowed in there and walks away.

"Please remain in the Relaxation Grotto... have crueler words ever been spoken?" 

Not one to be told where he can and cannot go, Frasier is insistent on finding out what's on the other side of that door. And so he hoists Niles up in his arms, kicks open the door, and finds himself.... outside. Near the dumpsters and right next to mountains of trash as the door slams behind them.

-----

Now this isn't an apples to apples comparison but being Black is tech, at least to me, feels a lot like being at this goddamn day spa. You somehow get an invitation to the most exclusive club you've ever heard of.  You get in and it's great. You start getting to know people and making connections only to find out that there's a Gold Room.

So you use those connections to get into the Gold Room and you fucking love it. It is literally the best thing you've ever experienced. Until you see that goddamn Platinum Door. What the hell is behind that door? You go to find out when someone tells you that you're not allowed in there.

Fuck that, you say. I belong in that Platinum Room and who the hell are they to tell me otherwise? So you barrel through, only to find out that you're surrounded by trash. Lots and lots of trash. It's not at all like you thought it would be and not only are you surrounded by trash but you have no way of getting back into the Gold Room, AKA: The Relaxation Grotto.

-----

Like I said, it's not totally apples to apples but sometimes it feels like there's always another goddamn Room that I'm fighting to get into in this business. I've get into the spa and some might even consider YCombinator to be the Gold Room but all I can see is another door that I can't get accepted into and my fear is that eventually, I'll end up being surrounded by nothing but trash.


Here's a Youtube clip of the part of the episode I'm talking about.