A lively festival that ended up in utter pandemonium
Do you know the fable about the frog and the kids who in vigorous effusion hurled rock pieces at several frogs lingering around a waterbody near school? The moral of the story here is that it is never justifiable to do something to other people just for the sake of making oneself feel good. This time in a recent documentary film titled “Freaknik, The Wildest Party Never Told,” the directors examine the birth, peak, and demise of the party festival, which was once the heart and soul of Atlanta, Georgia back in the 1980s and 90s.
The film shows a celebration that, at first glance, looked as if it would be timeless, but in the end, became far more unruly than expected. What started as a harmless fest, became a cause for people to visit Atlanta, if only for Freaknik week. But then again, what is Freaknik all about? Is there even such a term? Well, if there is, what is the origin of it? How has it transformed from once being a joyous carnival, into a chaotic neck of the woods?
Freaknik originated in 1983 when college students from Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities organized a spring break celebration. It was created for students who could not return home during the spring break period, but over the years, Freaknik became a notable event, turning into a holiday celebrated by families from all over the United States.
By the early years of the 1990s, Freaknik had garnered a lot of limelight and had a strong following allowing it to include several activities like music, rap sessions, basketball games, dance contests, parties, film festivals, and even career fairs. The festival was instrumental in laying down the roots of the ecstatic sound of music in Atlanta, especially Southern hip hop which had its soaring era during the twenty years of this festival.
Freaknik brought attention to the cultural and musical scene in Atlanta. But like many good things, Freaknik also had a bad side. Chaos started erupting in the city due to the festival leading to more illegal and unlawful stirs like rapes, pickpocketing, and other forms of crimping in Atlanta. This incredible transformation from a crazy, joyful, entertaining carnival to an uncontrollable scenario evokes doubt as to what triggered this change in Freaknik and what the current status of Freaknik is.
P. Frank Williams’s 1 hour-20 min film does present another format as it remains linear incorporating stock footage and episodes that feature interviews with the festival’s founding organizer and other successful musicians in Atlanta. You might be lost during the early stages of the footage if you are not aware of the event, though after understanding the premise, you should be amazed by the movement from the 1983 scene with so much potential till the very peak in the mid-90s.
The exhilarating Californian warmth of the film sets3532 this documentary apart. It is worth mentioning that the Hulu documentary finishes strong throughout, and that includes addressing where does the term Freaknik even come from and the idea behind it. Its cinematographic cruelty follows a clear, engaged, and active development in its audiences as the flow progresses from the beginning to the end of the event.
The sociopathological demonstration of such excessive people’s desire for self-gratification more or less emphasizes the boundaries of anyone’s interference with others. Freaknik was not only a street party but a massive street invasion that swept Atlanta and its many hundreds of thousands of visitors from the USA across the country, even to Los Angeles.
With so many visitors emerging, Atlanta and a number of its suburbs were almost paralyzed and asaph and at rare instances some incidents ensued because of the lack of operational channels for vehicles such as fire engines or ambulances. Unmet expectations for strong management and relativism towards such controlling factors as the boom of music, among many others, seemed to imagine an audience of Freaknik.
Because of this lack of control, some of the residents left Atlanta for the duration of the festival, stating the chaos and noise was too disruptive. As the festival started to gain popularity, it had to cater to an older demographic which led to disorderly conduct, and people’s eligibility to find out bingo games started to sour. Given that the festival had no proper organization or regulation many issues were present during the execution.
The lack of concern from the police and local government regarding the issues raised by black people further exacerbated the already problematic situation. Had the organizers shown more attention to the quality of the festival, it may have been successful in the long run.
There is a fine line between permissible anger and obscene behaviors and Freaknik went over that line. There’s no denying that people can wear whatever they want, but if a college festival turns into a sex party, the festival loses its definition. This change is unwarranted, and this change deteriorates the spirit of the fest.
Many who once found pleasure in the festival began to feel even more uneasy and ceased being participants, showcasing how the festival had derailed from its initial purpose. At one point, people came to perceive Freaknik as a very uninspiring portrayal of black culture, and to an extent, they were not entirely incorrect. After all, it was intended to be a college festival, but somewhere along the way, it turned into a festival that revolved around sexuality.
Girls and women would initially attend Freaknik festivals on their own. However, over time, they started contemplating their security concerns. Alongside these, countless instances of pickpocketers also caused men and boys to start seeing Freaknik in a negative light.
It is common knowledge that Atlanta is one of the black Meccas of the Southern United States and some black people interpret Freaknik as a burst of creativity and a true example of black joy, self-political will, and education. Inner Atlanta people turned the Freaknik into a money-making machine as millions of dollars were exchanged within the festival’s duration daily. It also became the marketing world’s dream.
The event which had the capacity of being the jewel of the Atlanta economy, as, in the sympathy, many people could have been empowered in different ways; unfortunately just became a tragedy. It became more and more centered toward the “freak” side of the equation than the “nic.” Even people about 35-40 years old joined the ranks of Freaknik just because of the total hype surrounding Freaknik.
Freaknik, The Wildest Party Never Told has an interesting story, and engaging ideas and is very interesting to watch. The documentary is truly experienced because of its visual aspects. Although Freaknik is already a fixture within American pop culture, this standpoint appears unique in its brutality and rawness, a beauty in itself.
I too admire the production of this particular documentary. Because they have encapsulated the entire concept of Freaknik in a sensational way that is so picturesque.
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