Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Casting the White Version of 'They Cloned Tyrone’ With Director Juel Taylor

Episode Date: August 1, 2023

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss the latest Donald Trump indictment, and give an update on Hunter Biden’s trial (21:21) before discussing the boost of Bidenomics (42:30) and a social media post that has people discussing vulnerability and dating (46:09). Plus, a reaction to the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford fight (1:10:41), before Juel Taylor, director of ‘They Cloned Tyrone,' joins to discuss the wacky sci-fi hit (1:20:31). Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guest: Juel Taylor Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? Higher learning is on. It is I Van Lathen, Jr. And it's me, Rachel and Lindsay. Rachel saw Barbie. I saw Barbie. Rachel review.

It was, it was good. I think, here's the thing. I came in after everybody's already seen it. So I was just, I don't know what I was expecting. But I thought it was good. It wasn't as amazing as I, you described it as like, Did you say it was like the best movie you see? What did you say?

I said it was the best theater experience I had since Avengers Endgame. Everybody was laughing. I was having a great time. I was feeling. I was into the movie. So I liked it. I love the message. I love the Barbie world versus the real world.

I love that whole concept. I loved Ryan Gosling in it. I thought it was so good. I loved the Barbie. Like the various Barbies that I saw. It was a good movie. I wasn't blown away by the movie in general, but I love the message of the movie.

The message blew me away. The message blew you away, but not the movie itself. I think I read too much about the movie. And then, you know, doing the rounds on TV last week, everybody wants to talk about Barbie. So I was talking about a movie I had not seen. So I'm researching, you know, America's speech. I'm looking at the reviews.

And so it's like, I think I should have seen it before all of that. I think you hate women. Okay. Then I would hate the message. Well, it's not, the message is one thing. Yeah, get it right. The message is one thing. But you, you know, I get criticized a lot on this podcast for my takes towards women.

I don't think that yours have been like appropriately. I don't think that yours have been appropriately examined for your own. overall allegiance to women's freedoms and the freedoms of their bodies and this is why they don't do this because if this is the hill that you're going to die on and this is the example you want to use your family, you got to come better than this. It was good. Donnie, have you seen Barbie? I did. What did you think? It was hilarious. We did a double feature. We watched Barbie, went for lunch, then saw Oppenheimer. I don't know how y'all do that. Why? Yeah. I'm never going to go see Oppenheimer in the theater. I'll tell you right now.

I'm not sitting for three and a half hours. I'm just not. To watch the movie? I'm not. I can't do it. My attention spans not that great. To watch the three hour movie. I mean,

I know a lot of people like that. I'm good. I need breaks. Need breaks. In a movie. A three and a half hour movie. A three and a half hour movie. So I don't know.

What's the longest movie that you like? I don't know. Do you ever see? Maybe Legends of the Fall. That's pretty long. I don't know if it's that long. It's last of the Mohicans long. I love that.

I love Lassan Mohicans. How the fuck you're going to state? Lassan of the Mohicans is a tough watch. That's a great movie. But that's more of a tough watch than Oppenheimer. I loved. But it's also a very beautiful movie though. Lassad of the Mohicans.

So good. It's like looks beautiful. Legends of Fall looks beautiful too. Maybe Rage is a more aesthetic movie goer. You know what I mean? Like you like, because those movies are very grand in their shots and the lyricalness of the nature's and stuff.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. like coupled with the music and the acting. It all just, it moves me. Last movie isn't that long. It's 112 minutes. Okay. Well, see. It's not that long. What's the longest moving? Like, X. You ever see X, Malcolm X, Denzel Washington?

That's long. But I feel like I watched it in pieces. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't see it when it came out. I wasn't allowed to watch all that. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Hold on for a second. Hold on for a second. I get that the judge wouldn't allow you guys to watch films that had a lot of sex and violence and all of that stuff. Couldn't watch R.

Okay. The judge wouldn't allow you guys to watch a movie about the life of Malcolm X. It wasn't the who. It was the rating. I can't. We got to get the judge on here. I can't, I can't, I don't, I think, I think that's whack-orone. Like, you can't watch a movie about the life of Malcolm X. I couldn't watch rated-a-movies. You talk to, use the judge. I mean, talk to the judge.

Here we go, Titanic. With the judge have allowed you to watch the Passion of the Christ. I was 17 when I came out. No matter. With the judge, like, at the time, let's say the Passion of Christ came out when you were 13. No. You couldn't watch the Passion of the Christ. No.

Interesting, man. Okay, so you were saying, though, go ahead. Titanic. Titanic. Okay, Donnie said X was PG-13. I wasn't 13 when it came out. So X is not even R. I couldn't see those.

I had to sneak to see it. I couldn't see 13. So I was 13, PG-13. So X, you couldn't watch a movie about the life of Malcolm X. I mean, look, do you know there's so many places like to go? No exceptions were made. But it was PG-13. But I know you want to go places because of who it is, but it didn't matter.

I could not see any movie that I wasn't allowed to. I could. I could have, you know, like, snuck around and to see it, but I could not see any movie. So the judge didn't want you to see the movie and you. It's not specific to Malcolm X. I know how you want to make it. But there should have been an exception for Malcolm X. Does the judge like Malcolm X?

Is he a fan of his works? Or is he like that nigger of troublemaking? a, like, No. No, no to your nigger troublemaker. Nigger. Not known to Malcolm X.

Nogra. Nigra is funny. Let's tell you why. No, nigger's hilarious. Because they do, they do Negro, and then they do nigger, but in the middle, there's nigger,

and they say nigger. Hold on for a second. Hold on. Nogra is hilarious. I'll always. We'll agree. Nigra has always been funny, to me.

Negro Trumbemaker. I'm putting that up. Anyway, okay, so you couldn't watch that. You did. You didn't. You couldn't watch that. So what other movies are long? Titanic.

That's the one that probably the longest that I've seen. Gone with the Wind, too. But there's no way I sat through that whole movie. Yeah, who's going to watch Gone with the Wind like that? I've seen it. You've seen it, but in pieces. But Titanic, I sat through and watched the whole thing. I didn't even realize it was a three-hour movie, over three-hour.

The Green Miles over three hours. Have you seen Malcolm X? Yeah, I've seen Malcolm X. When did you watch? Is that one of the movies that you like? College. Okay. So you watched it and you-

I saw a lot of black. That's when I got back into my ex-way. Go ahead. So I couldn't watch Raiderot movies so I was 17. So when I went to college, it was like, oh, now I can watch all these movies. I wanted to start with black movies because there were so many that I couldn't see. You know that like- There were shows I couldn't watch too.

A lot. Do you know that like Emmanuel Acho said that he didn't realize that he was black until he got to college? That's not me. I'm just asking.

No. I said I could not watch movies and what first movies did I want to watch black movies. I didn't say I didn't feel black because I couldn't watch movies or whatever he said. So you got to college

and it was like, yo, I'm having a Rachel Lindsay Film Fest tonight. First up, first of all, we're going to do TV first. we're going to do Living Single.

And then after we do Living Single, we're moving on. We're going to do X, Harlem Nights, and we're just going to catch up. I could watch Living Single. What did you see Friday? Didn't Friday come out probably when I was 17 or not? Friday came out in 95, I think. Oh, I feel like I saw that fairly. So your dad let you watch Friday.

No, I didn't watch Friday. I'm just saying it was one of the movies I watched quickly when I was of age. That was a really good kid. So whatever the judge said, I didn't. I fuck with the judge. I'm teasing you, but... No, I know. I know.

I fuck with the judge, though, because... I was, like, scared of the wrath of God. Because you was going to watch that shit that Joe's was going to know. You're going to say something. The Joe's going to be like... I was really... You've been watching them low-bottom.

You've been watching them low-bottom nigger movies? Huh? I was really scared. I remember... When my parents found... Gosh, what year... It was like, puffed daddy and the family. It was...

What else did they? My sister's CD's I remember the pro in the mouth What else came wrong around that time? I just see they hit them But they hit them in the closet Oh my God And I found them

I remember that Puff Daddy and the family As I get this devil music out of here Puffing in the Daddy in The only dad is Jesus That's my father I'm scared Puff Daddy and family

That's the way out That album is crazy She was good, bro. Is this the end? Is this the end? Puff Daddy and the Family musical group. Yeah, that's the CD. I remember the cover.

I love that. That 100% was. No way out was crazy. I said, oh my gosh, Kassas got in trouble. She got in trouble because of Puff Daddy and the Family. It was an explicit CD. Explicit CD. So all the CDs that were supposed to you couldn't listen to him either.

So no Tupac, no, no. No, that. But you also. a lot younger than me. So a lot of that stuff. By time you got, so you became of age in the late nine, well, no, in the 2000s. In the 2000s. But I remember my sister taking me to the CD store and trading in my country CDs. Wait, he let you listen to that? Oh, but didn't have the parental advisory. No, no, no. But I remember distinctly going in. I was of it. So she must have been sneaking how my parents back to do it. Took me and I like traded in my

country CDs for it was a Hot Boys Guerrilla Warfare That's what I'm talking about I got Girl you right up The blueprint

And I got something else I can't remember You know that story I know every song on those Because I listen to them That's all I had Over and over again There's a show on Amazon

It's called The Year I Turned Pretty We're gonna do a show About you called The Year I Turned Black. Because that implies I was not black before. You got Blacker. Call it the year I found the culture. How about this?

The year I found the culture. The year I became a nigger. Nigra. Nigra. Say brother. You watch all of these old movies, niggers. The niggers. Nigra is somehow worse.

Have y'all heard nigra? And Chloe, have you heard nigra? You never heard nigra before? Have y'all heard nigra in the room? Chloe, Chloe, jump on. I've never heard that. You've never heard that. You've never heard nigra?

Chloe, say nigger. Nigra. Donnie, you ever heard nigger before? Yeah, but not in like real life on movies. Only on movies and TV. I can't even find I'm looking at a Negro. So you got

Negro black people and then it goes to different types of stuff. So you saw Barbie. We're going to talk about the boxing match that happened this weekend. Tough stuff. Tough, tough, tough. It really was.

Tough stuff for Dallas. But before we dispensed with the pleasantry, and getting to the show. We have a great show today. We have Jewel Taylor, the writer and director of They Clone Tyrone, a movie that we both loved coming on the show. We're going to ask them a lot of questions, including

it's going to flip it. What if they cloned Tyrone was all white? What if they cloned Travis was the movie? Who would he cast? It's a good answer to that. There was a really disturbing and sad trio of lives lost here recently. First, a singer and a very very big.

important voice of social protest and change, Sheney O'Connor passed away at age 56. It was a kid. I was actually watching live on Saturday Night Live when Chanel O'Connor ripped the picture of the Pope. I didn't know what was going on. Sure. But, you know, I was up, watching Saturday Night Live.

I had known her. And that was one of the first times in my young life that I saw a firestorm around like one specific thing that someone had done. And I realized that there were things that you could do or people that you could call out or criticize to where it would really negatively affect your career. Because she was everywhere at one point and then she was nowhere after that. Not that she went anywhere, but as far as her presence in pop music and pop culture, it was significantly affected by the stand.

she took. And later on, she took stands in many different things. She converted to Islam and talked extensively about what's going on in Palestine. She never, never hesitated to use her voice. I was very sad. And then this morning, back to back, two shocking deaths. One, Paul Rubens, Pee Wee Herman, who was a staple in my youth. It's not just from the show, but from Big Top Pee Wee, from Pee We's Big Adventure, and just, you know, all over the place.

The guy was almost omnipresent in my youth, a fantastic performer. The Pee Wee Herman character, like almost just one of those things that, like, signifies youth for me in a way. He passed away. And I think something right now that the younger people and a lot of fans are reeling from is Angus, who's from Euphoria, he passed away today. Yeah.

And it is absolutely shocking, like really destructive to a lot of kids of that age that watch that show. just people that are fans of the show. Angus Cloud, having passed away, cause of death still not understood. The other two people that we've talked about, we lost them, I think, to cancer. But Angus is only 25 years old, and I know that's somebody that you've met and talked with before.

Chenate O'Connor was to cancer? I'm pretty sure it was. Yeah, no, when I will... First, I'll start with Schneid O'Connor. It's interesting you talk about watching that on Saturday Night Live and what that did to her popularity and not popularity, but maybe more so the perception of her. And a lot of people were talking about how, because one of the things she's been outspoken on too is mental health and her struggles. And really. Let me jump in.

She was, it doesn't seem like it was to cancer. It's saying that there's been no cause of death indicated. I don't know where I got that from. I apologize. It's okay. Yeah. But one of the things she's talking about. about a lot is about mental health and her struggles. She's been vocal on social. She's been

vocal in interviews. We know that she was struggling. It had been a year, just a little over a year to the date, her passing from her son's passing, who was very close with. And in reference to that Saturday Night Live performance, a lot of people have discussed that if that had happened today, it would have been perceived totally different than it would have today. And it just shows where we've come in a society in regards to, you know, mental health or, you know, calling out certain systems or powers that be. But, you know, I just want to touch on with her that she was for a lot of people, a voice towards mental health and struggles and normalizing, speaking out about that. In addition to her many talents,

Pee-Wey Herman, this won't shock anyone. I'm not as familiar with. obviously I know who he is because he's iconic, but I never really watched anything with Pee-Herman as a kid. But I know he meant a lot to a lot of people and shaped a lot of people's childhoods. Angus, I walked in and you were telling me, right as I walked in and started this podcast, you were telling me that Angus passed away.

25. That is, like you said, devastating for a whole generation, just in general, just somebody so young lost their life. We don't know the story behind it. It doesn't matter. It's just such a tragedy. But yeah, I have been around Angus at a concert. We were like all together.

And he was so nice, so warm, so disarming. So just like, he didn't know me from anyone engaging in conversation. Ask him questions. We had like such a good time. And I remember I walked away like, you're such a star, but you don't present yourself in that way at all. just like a normal person enjoying the show like we all were. And, you know, like I really took pictures and everything. Just like a really, from that brief encounter or that moment that evening, he was just a really, really nice guy.

And my heart goes out to everyone who's impacted by these losses. And, you know, we're thinking of you guys. And I don't know what is happening. I know somebody who has lost to their grandmother. I know somebody who just lost their mom. I know somebody who just lost their dad. I'm talking like all in the last 72 hours. I don't know what is happening.

But for anybody else who's lost someone, if we didn't name, just, I don't know what's happening right now, but I'm thinking of you and stay strong. There's a lot of death going on right now. Stuff. Everybody take breaks. I know specifically with a lot of the youth who really, really have connected with a euphoria.

that this was a beloved character and a beloved actor. So, you know, I just want everyone to take breaks. I know that grief is an un... Just an unstoppable monster. And it doesn't really get easy. So easier so. At least that's been my experience. So just everyone kind of let yourself feel,

but make sure that you don't internalize every single thing. happen and all at once because then you can overwhelm yourself. And look, of all the people that we talked about, particularly Paul Rubens and Shnay O'Connor, they lived lives where they weren't without controversy. So I'm sure I think Pee We was the fucking man, but Sheney was very political. So I'm sure there are going to be people out there that have things to say that aren't so aren't as glowing, should I say is what we just did. But I thought Sheney O'Connor was a fantastic talent.

And from my childhood, she represented somebody who exemplified going against the grain and using your voice for things that are central to who you are. So rest in peace to all three of those people. We are going to get into the show now. We're going to have Jewel Taylor later on. They clone Tyrone is the movie. You like that movie. I loved it. I want you to rank the three.

Well, you can't rank them because you didn't. Well, I'll do one and two. One and two. They clone Tyrone by a landslide. By a landslide. And Barbie, Barbie, too. Give Barbie a great. An A minus.

You're given an A minus. So give it a minus. So you loved it. I really did like the movie. You just didn't think it was fantastic. I just don't know what I was, I just expected to be blown away. That's the problem when the expectations are so high. That's why you got to go see the movie first week.

That's, you know what? You're right. Yeah. You got to see the movie first week. Got to see the movie first week. But they closed Tyrone A plus. Fantastic. Okay.

Trump, superseding indictment on the other side of this. The playoffs are here, and you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul predicts. Predict the spread, total points, and even the game winner. Sign up and get a $25 bonus. Offered by Fandul prediction markets LLC, a registered futures commission merchant, 18 plus. Bonus is non-withdrawable and expires seven days after receipt. Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tool.

Restrictions apply. See terms at Fandul.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash terms. Did you know about one and three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you? Listen to what it sounds like to be a million miles away. Trimphaya, gusalcumab taken by injection, is a prescription medicine for adults with moderate to severe. plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections or pills or phototherapy and for adults

with active psoriotic arthritis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or if you need a vaccine. Imagine being a million miles away. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Trimphia. Tap this ad to learn more about Trimphia, including important safety information. You know, I've been watching a lot of stuff about Ron DeSantis. I'm a DeSantis head. Oh, that's nice. Yeah, he's very funny.

Is he funny to you? Funnier than Trump? No, he's not funny in a high highway. He's funny in a... Damn. You know what I'm saying? Like, I watched Ron DeSantis. with Megan Kelly. Did you see this exchange? I did not watch the interview.

So Megan Kelly is on DeSantis' ass. Yes, I saw that she was doing this. You know what I mean? And I just thought they're kicking his ass. And he doesn't get it. It's just so, it's hilarious, though. But he doesn't get it. Well, he's...

I don't think he gets it. He tries to do his thing, but it's very funny. Yeah. It's very funny to me. And I think he's the guy right now in second. And I'm like, things are getting increasingly more precarious on the right. He's the guy in second who everybody is flaying him wherever he goes, whether it's a home game or away game.

Donald Trump is facing additional charges in the Mara Lago documents case. So Farrell indictment was filed in the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Trump was part of a scheme to delete security video. And there is a newly charged defendant here who was identified as a property manager at Maralago, told another employee that the boss wanted the server deleted. That employee is Carlos DiOlavera, who's a maintenance supervisor at Mara Lago. He was charged on Thursday. The indictment lays out what federal authorities say

was an obstruction scheme. Trump was very focused on not allowing officials to get their hands on his boxes. So this is after the government has asked for these boxes. This is after they know that Trump knows that the government wants these boxes back and it's not just slow rolling the government and deciding which boxes to send back and which boxes to not send back. This is alleging that Trump

ordered people around Mar-a-Lago to destroy different shit and do all kinds of different shit, delete security video and obstruct justice. This is a, new person indicted here, Carlos, the O'O'Avera. Yeah. So that's just another person that the government could potentially flip.

No. It's not a matter of if it's when. Oh, you think this guy's going to flip for sure. Why? So this guy's going to go to jail for all these years for Trump. How many years is he looking at? I don't know. Double digits.

Right. For Trump, I just don't see that happening. this is like a save yourself situation at this point and I think that's the exact tactic that the prosecution is going to bank on and that's why well not that's not why I mean it's because he did something illegal but that's exactly

what their plan of action is going to be you don't think so you think they're going to have a hard tough time maybe it depends on how far this guy's in the Trump world I mean he's I expected Walt Nata to at least consider flipping and it doesn't seem like that's going to happen

I know that guy is a lot closer to Trump This gentleman right here looks like he was just a maintenance supervisor at Mara Lago. But I have to wonder if gentlemen like this are scared. If people are afraid at this particular point to flip on Trump because, I mean, it hasn't really, Trump has made political enemies in the past, Michael Cohen, whomever. And it hasn't been that bad for those people. But I do feel like the level of crazy has been ratcheted up to a point to where some of these people. I mean, the former president out and out, the former president out and out, threatens people.

He threatens Jack Smith. He threatens the country. He says, if I'm indicted, or excuse me, not if I'm indicted. If I'm convicted, then there are going to be a lot of angry people out there. They're going to do a lot of, you know, crazy things. He makes vague threats all the time. So I wonder if people like this are afraid to testify against Donald Trump. So, you know.

Well, it's like, what do you fear more? Years and years in prison? and what do you expect that Trump's going to be there when you get out? Yeah. He's going to take care of you. He's going to take care of your family. Or do you fear Trump? That's what it's going to come down to because he potentially, I mean, they've got him literally hiding this stuff.

I think he stands to go away for a really long time if he's convicted of this. Yeah. Obstruction. Yeah. So I just, I see him talking. I really see him talking. I really see him saving himself at this point. So that's a little bit of trouble for a little bit more trouble for Donald Trump.

There's stuff going on in Georgia. Can I ask you this? What's up? What's up? So it seems like every day it's like another day, another Trump indictment. Trump, Trump, Trump. Trump, Trump. Breaking news, Trump's going to be indicted.

Oh, they've sent a letter to Trump and the indictment might come this week. There's either an actual indictment, there's a threat of the indictment, there's a new charge, there's a superseding chart indictment. Like, we just, it always just seems to be something. Do you think that the indictments are losing their impact? Do you think they're making an impact at all? Do you think that people are taking it less serious? Do you think this is adding to the whole, well, they're just looking for anything? I'm not saying that Trump is that there's obviously probable cause to be charging Trump in each case.

But do you think that it's just becoming so much? that it's playing into the whole Republican theory or that side of the Republicans where they're like, they're just looking for anything to throw at Trump. Do you feel like it's becoming less effective? So...

Sorry, that was a lot of questions that I threw it. I get me. So the most important answer to that question for me is that it doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things. Well, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things because I personally don't think that the

the goal of indicted Donald Trump should be to affect a political election, right? Or to sully his reputation. So whether or not the indictments are losing their effect or not, I mean, I think the purpose of the indictment is to bring Donald Trump to justice for things that he might have done that are illegal. So that should be the effect. If there's a political effect that comes secondarily to that, then that just kind of is

what it is. They can't not indict Donald Trump because you think it's going to affect his political chances. And you shouldn't be indicting Donald Trump because you think it's going to affect his political chances. So as far as whether or not people still care, what I think is there is a sliver of people that are going to be swayed by how electable they think Donald Trump is when they decide to vote. So there's the diehard Donald Trump people, right, that are going to vote for him. even if he's caught having sex with an underage UFO. You know what I mean? Underage alien.

Those people right there, you can't change him. He's the second coming of Christ. But there are people to me that are maybe less dedicated to that or sort of less religious about who Donald Trump is that I think are affected by how much smoke is around him. And those are the people that can kind of turn the election. the question is, do they have a viable second candidate? And the more DeSantis shits the bit,

and the smaller the pie is for everyone else, meaning there's so many people right now in the Republican field, that there's not a lot of opportunity for there to be another real threat at this point besides Trump. I mean, Vivek is in third, I think, right now. and you have Tim Scott and Nikki Haley and Larry Elder and the rest of these people that are not even in shouting distance of it. And this is all before any debates, before any primaries. There's a ways left to go to get here.

But I think the fact that Trump is the only viable candidate might make some people stick by him that maybe did it before. Yeah. But I do not think that Donald Trump is electable in a general election in any way, shape, or form. And I don't think that Ron DeSantis either is either. I personally cannot see how a party that is normally so good at clear messaging, clear apopt tactics, and a direct line to their constituency is fucking up on a national scale this badly.

I just think they've just gone too far. I really think that that's what it is. Because, you know, there's an argument to be made that DeSantis had it in the bag. But then he positioned himself on the far right side, the other side of Trump. And I think that they've just gone to a point of no return where they're even splitting their party.

That's what's happening. You talk about clear messaging and them being on the same page. They had that. But now you have a sector of them that are just going so far that the other side can even, like not that it made sense

or was logical all the time. anyway, but it's too much to where they can't even, like, I'll just use the slavery. You have Republican, even Tim Scott. Not even, not just Tim Scott, Byron Donalds. Like the whole, like, you see what I'm saying? It's going too far where it's like, listen, we can't even, we can't even agree with you on that. You know, you know what Ron DeSantis really did? Ron DeSantis has all of his black Republicans in the room.

And the slavery thing was like him saying the N-word. he thought that he was that cool with them that there was just no level that he could go to where they wouldn't be like hi bro chill you know that's always the problem sometimes when you got the cool white boy in the room with you or the white boy that's a part of the click in the room is like they always go too far

and with DeSantis he had done a lot of shit and they were kind of dealing with it right you know what I'm saying he had bought the Fubu shirt he had done all of this other stuff to, but yeah, and they were going, they were like, okay, that's fine, that's fine, that's cool. And then slavery, saying that that was cool,

was tantam out to basically saying that these are my niggas. Tim Scott and Byron Donald. Niggras. Nigras. These are my niggas. And it was interesting to see that those guys who have really not stood in the gap in any way,

I mean, Kim Daniels was first. It was interesting to see that they all went, nah, that's too much. Yeah. Yeah. Like, that's too much. much. And that was just a really important rebuke from them because it was the first time that I've seen those guys who don't deserve any credit for this. Yeah. It was the first time I've seen them kind of stand up to the rhetoric of the far right. So there is a limit and a level that it seems like they won't go to. Now it's- Or is it because it was DeSantis. That's the question.

Yes. Had Donald Trump. Exactly. I do not think so. You don't. Not from Tim. So you think that if Donald Trump Because Donald's has said something before In relation to black people And I cannot think of what it was And Tim Scott didn't take a hard stance Like he did with the edge of the benefits of slavery Let's stay on the benefits of slavery thing

Tim Scott, Byron Donald's These guys are guys who I feel like Have Trump's running mate In their In their imagination I think these guys want to run with Donald Trump. Oh, Byron, too?

Yes, for sure. Okay. I think these guys want to run with Donald Trump. And so, you know, it doesn't really do a lot to them politically to come out against Ron DeSantis. I think it actually probably helps them with. If they want Trump, it does. To curry favor with Trump. You're saying you think that had Trump done this whole benefits of slavery thing because this is not just a statement, this is actually in the curriculum down there in Florida.

so this is a material change. You feel like if Trump had done something like this, that these guys... It's hard to say, because I haven't really seen Tim Scott do that yet. He has, Tim Scott, I don't want to be, he has pushed back on Donald Trump with some stuff. Like a little, like a little, like a little...

There's stuff that he's done that he hasn't, that he hasn't, you know. But a lot, but you are seeing this with a lot of people, you know, take out like a Will Hurd or Chris Christie, but a lot of them have been afraid, you know, they'll say, well, I would pardon Trump. you know, if I was president, or, you know, they're still backing Donald Trump. And I'm, it's hard to say that Tim Scott wouldn't do the same.

I don't know what he would do. But the track record makes me feel like he would not have taken as hard of a stance because there still seems to be some fear when it comes to Donald Trump. There are some breaking news surrounding the Hunter Biden probe. Did they finally get the agreement together? No, this is something else. There's a gentleman by the name of Devin Archer who told the House Oversight Committee on Monday

that his former business partner, Hunter Biden, was selling the illusion of access to his father. This is according to a source familiar with the closed door interview. He testified to them that this is part of the probe into Hunter Biden, that Hunter Biden at least in part intimated that access to Joe Biden was a part of some of his overseas dealings. There is also the assertion that at points that Joe Biden was on speakerphone during meetings that Hunter Biden was having with people and talking with them.

Of course, if you know what's going on with Hunter Biden, The whole thing in, this was, of course, when Joe Biden was vice president, the whole thing about Hunter Biden's influence peddling is not necessarily Hunter Biden himself. It's like whether or not his father was involved in the stuff while he was the vice president, and whether or not Biden was using his power as the vice president to enrich his son or enrich businesses that are connected to the family.

Devin Archer is a gentleman who has his own legal troubles. He was convicted of federal tax charges in 2018 as part of a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. The conviction was overturned, reinstated, and appealed. He was expected to report to prison in the coming months to serve a one-year sentence on that. So there's some thought here that he is trying to carry a little favor here, talking to people, but he was a business associate. of Hunter Biden's who now, depending on who you listen to, because the reporting on this,

I'm looking at CNN right now, and CNN is reporting that Hunter Biden was selling the illusion of access to his father. If you go to... He was under the web? That he was selling the illusion of access to his father. And if you go a little bit further to the right in the reporting, then what they're going to say is that this testimony is a smoking gun

and that the fact that Joe Biden, might have in any way knew about the communications or been there at the communications is evidence of his direct knowledge to Hunter Biden's influence peddling. And that means that Joe Biden knew what was going on. And because he knew what was going on, that means that Joe Biden is somehow criminally responsible. And the end of the road here is impeachment. The end of the road here is trying to get enough.

on Biden where they can impeach him. Of course, people on the left here say that this is an incredible waste of time, that there is no reason to believe that Joe Biden is involved in this in any way. But other people think that this is the nail in the coffin. But this is a witness. Have we not been here before? I mean, look, look, I personally, I personally, I personally. am not interested in anything other than the truth.

You know, James Comer, who is chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said that Archer's testimony reaffirms questions about Joe Biden's knowledge of his son's foreign business dealings and shows that the president was not being truthful in his previous denials. We should remember that when asked about this, Joe Biden has said,

I knew nothing of what my son was doing. And that is an incredibly high standard because that means if you knew anything, then you lie. So Comer says, when Joe Biden was vice president of the United States, he joined Hunter Biden's dinners with his foreign business associates in person or by speakerphone over 20 times. And so the question is, what does no mean? Does knowing means that you know he did business?

Did you know the way that he was doing business? What does it mean? So Archer's saying that they were, that he joined these business dinners and he was there in person or by speaker phone over 20 times. they think is a smoking gun. So that's so everyone knows. That's so we're not reporting on the trouble that Trump is in and not reporting on the fact that Joe Biden might be in and things that he might have done when he was vice president.

We'll find out what's going on here at Higher Learning. We'll get to the bottom of this. But I will say this. I personally think, if I'm being real about this, that the right has an incredibly, an incredibly important task ahead of them. Okay. They have to nail Joe Biden's ass to the wall. Because if not, they are spending a hell of a lot of time, not governing.

they're spending a hell of a lot of time on this instead of doing the business of the American people. Yeah. And look, that's kind of indicative of the times that we live in, but it seems like they're more fixated on Hunter Biden than anything else. And at times, to be real with you, it seems like the left is more fixated on Donald Trump than anything else. And sometimes I ask the question while we're,

while both of these sides are pissing on each other, like who's really thinking about the American people? It's a great question to ask. Neither. Neither? I mean, the way you pose it right there, you're right. I mean, I could see the argument on both sides, but I don't know.

I said up before, I'm so tired of Hunter. You're tired of Hunter? I'm tired of Hunter. I'm tired of his naked body. I'm tired of Hunter. That's why I asked the question about the way people feel about here, constantly hearing about the Trump indictments.

It's going to be an interesting 2024. It's going to be an interesting 2024. I gotta be honest with you. I fuck with Hunter Biden. Good for you. In what way?

I mean, look, what is Hunter Biden supposed to do? His dad's the vice president. He's trying to get money. Of course you're going to be like, yo, my dad is the vice president. There's no,

there's no doubt that he did that. Everybody has a problem with Hunter Biden. Man, y'all, you, y'all homies name to get into the club. And you should. Y'all use, y'all do all kinds of stuff. And you should.

I once saw the guy that fucking cut Kanye's hair try to use that to get at girls at the den. Why not? You know what I mean? Like, no, not the dead at the parlor. He's like, yeah, Kanye, one of my clients. I'm like, really?

You're going to use the fact that you cut Kanye's hair. Bet it's worked. To try to fuck these girls? That it's worked. That's sad. That's sad on the part of the women. Of course it is. Do you think that there are women out there that would fuck the guy that cuts Kanye's hair?

I know them. Are you kidding me? Proximity is a real thing. The U.S. economy is doing well. Scaining steam. Talking about Joe Biden here, whether or not he knew about what Hunter Biden is doing is one thing. But the economy is growing at a 2.4% rate. in the second quarter, surprisingly strong showing that adds confidence to the idea that the nation

might avoid a recession. That's huge. If they go into recession before this election, I said I was exhausted about talking about Hunter Biden. That is exactly all we will be talking about. That's the worst thing that could happen for Biden and the Democrats going into 2024. Inflation is slowing, and unemployment sits just 3.6%. obviously all great news for President Biden that the economy is getting a little bit more robust. I do think that there is still a gap in these numbers and what they're showing in terms of the data

and what people are actually feeling in their daily lives. But the math always comes first. And then, you know, when the buying season in the fall comes, you'll be able to kind of see more order and all of that stuff. Yeah, some people are saying these numbers are, you know. Frugazi? A little inflated. Like I was reading one thing that says,

well, really it's not that there have been 13 million jobs that were added. It's 2 million jobs and the 11 million jobs were lost or post like kind of push to the side during the pandemic and people just got those jobs back. You know what you can't deny though? What? Progress. You can look from the pandemic. Yeah. You can look at different levels of progress and different rates of progress.

But what you can't deny though is that the economy is writing. itself. Okay. And while people are pointed at other things that are going on with the Biden administration, and while I still have big issues with some of the things that were said that were going to happen, I have to say this in a real way. Biden's doing a good job. So Bidenomics is working for you. Well, Bidenomics, Reaganomics, whatever. Like it's like, it's like, It ain't Reaganomics. It's not Reaganomics, but I'm just saying, like, I don't like, oh, this is how big my dick is. I'm the president of the economy.

No, what I'm telling you is that it's fair to give credit to a robust economy or a growing economy to the administration that's in power. And looking at that, it's so funny watching Maria Barter Romo and the rest of these people report this stuff on Fox because it pains them reported that the country is actually doing well. And that's how polarized things is better. Better. You're right. Better. So look, Chips Act, a lot of things out there that infrastructure put a lot of money back

into American cities all over the place, all over the country, shall I say. Things are not terrible. Things are getting a little bit better. And that's something that as Americans we should be actually happy about, but depending on what side of the aisle you're on, people aren't. that fucking like thrilled by it. Well, people aren't also paying attention to it.

It's getting lost in the hoopla of talking about all these other things. So it is important to bring it up that, you know, things are slowly moving in the right direction. All right, let's talk about something that happened here. There's a gentleman named Jonathan Ventura. His username is

Jonathan does comedy. and which makes me think that this video isn't real. I thought that, but then I watched the video. It's like not towards anything else he does. It doesn't relate to any of his other content. Don't do that. Keep going. Because I sent this video to all my single girls. Did you?

I did. I said it to everybody. Okay. So apparently this gentleman was going on the first date, and he got ghosted. All right? They didn't, the date didn't show up. Donnie, run the audio here, this vulnerable young man.

So I just left a restaurant after waiting 30 minutes for a day to show up. And apparently I got stood up. I don't know what to say. I'm trying to do everything right to be a gentleman. I brought flowers. I've been consistent talking with this girl for two weeks, trying to get to know what she likes, what she doesn't like. I made plans.

I picked the restaurant the day and the time. You know, I've done everything to be just the kind of guy that would value somebody's time. Like, I just, I'm just looking for my person. I'm just looking for the one that, I guess, he's out there for me. I mean, I want to be somebody's husband someday, father. I'm trying to do everything that's right and I just get stood up. Like, my feelings didn't even matter. Sitting there eating the meal by myself and realizing that nobody even cares.

I don't want to do the topic. I don't want to do the topic. Elliot dating shouldn't even be this hard. It shouldn't be this off-defense about it. It shouldn't be this difficult to fall in love. To be kind of one of them. What ladies, tell me, what did I do wrong? No, I don't want to cover it.

Because he's talking to people like you. Wait a second. I sent this to all my single girlfriend. Okay, what a second? In and out of state. Wait a second. Okay. So I have some questions.

First of all, why did you send this to all your girls in and out of state? Because I, dating is really hard, right? It is tough right now, whether it's on the apps, whether it's in person. And I hear a lot of horror stories for my single girl. Horror stories? Horror, just like the things that these dudes say to them, it's wild. It's just. You hear a lot of horror stories.

Horror. Horror. Sorry. Okay. Get that second roar. I thought that was obvious. You said you've got some horror stories from them too. Hey.

Proximity. Horror stories. And I have a lot of friends who will talk to, basically what he explained, I have a lot of girlfriends that go through that. They'll have these conversations. I can't have a serious conversation with you. I can't have serious. This is real.

I mean, dating is really hard. I was having this conversation with another girlfriend who is with someone recently. It's just about how it's a jungle out there. Van, I'm going to look. I'm going to talk to you. I'm listening to what you're saying. I'm going to have an honest conversation with this man. I am. I'm the way. Listen.

My girlfriends will say how they'll have conversations with guys. Full out, back and forth, back and forth. Guys will just disappear. Or they'll go on dates with the guys. Guys will just disappear. Or it's just so sad. They're putting themselves out there. They're really trying.

They're throwing whatever lists they have away. They're putting whatever certain expectations. they have. You know, they don't compromise on their morals and values, but they want to find the significant, their significant other. And they go through situations like this young man right here. And you, Van Lathen Jr., think it's funny. You think it's funny to laugh at the expense of the lonely. First of all, no, I don't. What do the lonely do? Let's just be real. I've been lonely. And so I notice, I do have questions, though. Go ahead. Okay. I have questions. I've been lonely. I empathize with this gentleman. I wonder why post the video, which I do think is a comedy video. I do think he's posted.

If his name wasn't comedy, would you have thought it was a comedy video? I think it's comedy. But if it wasn't, if that wasn't in his name, would you think that? So he got there and the date never showed up. Yeah. Now, my only question is he only waited 30 minutes. That's not a long time. time. That's what he said, I thought. Well, he had to wait longer than that. Because he said he ate a meal. He ate the meal by himself. So my thing is, so your date doesn't show up and you go, I'm here, fucking I'm hungry. I would do the same thing.

Would you now? I would. So. I got all dressed up. To me, you either, because you can make lemons, right? You can make lemonade, which is eating a meal by yourself. Hey, I'm on a nice little. But you can't come out the restaurant with a full.

full stomach and still be... And an empty heart. You can't be still... A full stomach and an empty heart. At a certain point, you got to charge you to the game. You can't have the full stomach and then still be upset like you're about to cry. What way are you empathizing this? He ate a whole meal by himself and he was supposed to be enjoying the accompanying of somebody else.

He ate a meal by himself, right? He ate a meal by himself. Okay. He's by himself eating the meal. So after he gets up from having eaten the fucking meal, he goes outside and he makes a video with a full stomach, the endorphins from the meal still happening, I think it's cap.

I don't think it's real. Have you never worked yourself up to a situation? Have you ever been like, shit, something happens and it doesn't go the way that you want and like you're good? And you just keep thinking about it. No. And you keep thinking about it.

No. This happens to me. I know it happens to you. And I get angrier and angrier. and I'm like, you know what? And then that happens. This easily could have been there. Let me tell you something.

When I was going through my fat, lonely stage to where I was shit on by women, big time. Okay. When I was going through that, if I got a meal, I was good. I go to the Benigans and I get the, yeah, I go to, I get the fucking loaded baked potato. I get the fries. I get the goddamn chicken tenders. and I get the brownie with the ice cream after that, you can't tell me shit.

I don't believe this guy took himself on a date, which is what happened, and then went outside and just started crying because the day didn't show up. And but there's nothing wrong with it. I wonder why people make these videos, though. I really do. Make these videos talking about this is,

this is this nigga trying to get some pussy. Well, that could be it. I'm just being for real. I'm not saying that's not the case. This guy right now probably got a DMs full of women that are like... Kiki Palmer posted about it. See what I'm saying? No, but listen, listen, listen.

I just think this is emotionally a little bit manipulative by this dude. No, people do this. We don't do this. I'm like you. I don't understand what people get on social media and they cry. I don't understand what people pour out their hearts in that kind of way. But I mean, I've cried on social media before, but it was like over some, like, social injustice. that I was frustrated about and speaking on.

But I do think there's a sector of people on social media who do this. I have girlfriends who have shown themselves crying or reveal every little intimate detail about their life to their followers. They do this on YouTube. They do this on their stories. They do this in whatever it may be. That might be what he's doing here. But I don't know.

This really spoke to me. My heart just, and maybe because I really, as of late, have been hearing these type of stories. So when he posted it, I was like, I think this is cap. I don't think that this ever happened. You're heartless. I'll just be honest with you. First of all, I have definitely shown emotion on stuff. I cried on the ring of verse one time. We were all talking about best moments and it was a father and son moment and I started to cry. I've gotten emotional. It's a true thing. I just don't believe that this guy, especially after he said he ate the meal,

this guy took the time to order. He is like, like the waiter comes by, he's like, yo, I would like the steak, medium, fries, whatever, I get the whole thing. He eats the meal.

The whole time, he's probably looking at his phone while he's eating the meal. He leaves, and then he goes, you know what, I'm going to tell the world about how I got stood up. First of all, I don't have enough faith men to believe that this dude is, is that this really happened to him.

First of all, and that's what, and that's his problem. It's Jonathan does comedy, number one, and that video is hilarious. I don't care what y'all say. And then number two,

I think that he is, this is game. This guy is the sickest fucking pimp in the world. Stop. This is game. I'm telling you, this is game. I'm telling you this is game.

In two weeks, when this nigga is at Andrew Tate's house, I don't want to hear nothing from nobody. This is game. Donnie, Donnie, am I tripping? No, I feel you on the food aspect of it. But I think adding to that, he might have had a few drinks

that made him in a certain way. And he's like, I'm going to take this to the internet. I think that's what he was. He probably did. And he was probably sitting there eating that meal thinking maybe she'll come. Maybe she's running a little bit late. Do you believe him, though? I do.

I don't think he's that good of an actor. I've watched some of his Instagram, some of his comedies, and it's funny. He's made me laugh a couple of times. I watched two bits, and I laugh twice. But they also don't seem like this. This felt like super authentic.

Right. He says he's a down-to-earth guy with CP. With CP? Cerebral palsy. Okay. That's how he describes himself. Ah, I see. Damn, that kind of changes things.

No, yeah, keep it. You are heartless. You are cold. I'm not trying to be heartless and cold. And I'm sure he did get women that would, that replied to him and slid in his DMs after this. But it goes with people saying it is hard to date in L.A. And people want a specific kind of guy in L.A. You know, that's why the barber who cuts so-and-so's hair can win over a down-to-earth guy.

Like Jonathan does comedy? Like Jonathan does comedy. So what? Jonathan does comedy. So what? I don't know, bro. This wasn't even comedy. It was funny, though.

It's a lot of people supporting Jonathan does comedy right here. I want to know. I want to know. I'm going to follow him. Which one of you women out there are going to, which one of you women out there are going to take the challenge here? You know? Like, which one of you women are going to take the challenge here for Jonathan does comedy?

I'm about to invite them on to the podcast. No, I don't want you to embarrass me. I'm going to embarrass you. Okay, I just followed them. I don't know. Can you come on our podcast? I got to, I got to investigate this for myself. I just think if you eat the meal, I just feel like,

Damn man. Can you come on our podcast? We'd love to talk to you about what happened. Calls himself the last dope human. And I believe you. The last dope human? That's what his bio says. This fucking guy is self-centered as hell.

Oh, delete the message. No. And... Nah, I'm fucking with Jonathan. Look, let's bring Jonathan. on. Let's bring Jonathan on. Okay, let's talk to Jonathan. And let's see, because maybe I'm wrong. I hope that I am wrong. I hope that I am wrong. But it, it, we'll see. I don't know. I don't know. But, you know, if everybody is as, everybody who is who they say they are, then one of you women needs to step up and suck Jonathan's dick.

Like is somebody Somebody step up and make Jonathan feel good This is what he deserves Would you put one of your girls up to Getting down with Jonathan Who can we hook Jonathan up with Since you're single here At single here

Since it's this big of a deal Jonathan's a nice guy He's got a comedian career Who could you put Jonathan on with Because I'm sick of this I feel for somebody Man You know

Put the pussy where the mouth is like get like So crude Like get Okay Both of us Will nominate a single

A single You nominate one as well There's nobody I know Who's single Who's gonna fuck with Jonathan I'm not even Ask you why I'm just gonna be honest with you

First of all I don't know That many single women But there's not a lot of single women That I know That's gonna fuck with Jonathan It has nothing to do With like the single women

That I know I can be honest with you They don't respond to stuff like that And I think that you're gonna see that a lot of your friends probably aren't going to respond to Jonathan being that vulnerable. The vulnerability was pulled out of me.

I tried it. So the women, single women, you know, don't want a vulnerable guy. They're not going to respond to vulnerability. They would rather... Be single. Nope. If that was future who made that video. Okay.

Well, we just deal with it. I'm just saying, I'm going to listen to LA. If that was future... And that's why he's saying this is a problem. Because your single friends that you're describing only seem to want somebody with some type of fame or celebrity. Not famous celebrity. You just said future. You named it for a reason.

That's not famous celebrity. There's a different thing that Future has. It's a swaggy. It's a, it's, future has a lot of kids, and it has not stopped any of the ladies from giving future a spin. I did not think future. You don't, okay, well, I mean, it's like whatever. But what I'm telling you is that, you know, Jonathan, in the situation that he is showing the vulnerability like that.

Shame on all y'all. And showing the whole situation. Shame on all y'all. I'll be honest with you. I'll need to see somebody step up. I'm over that. I don't need a vulnerable man. Do you know what I had to do in order to get back out there?

I had to like, in a real way, I had to lose 120 pounds. I lost 120. I've ever told you, though, Yahoo personal story? Mm-mm. This is in the book. This is the Yahoo personal story right here. This is when I realized all of it's bullshit.

Yahoo personal story. Because a lot of people could say, hey, Van, maybe you're not as charming as you think you are or whatever and that was turning people off. First of all, I never not had girls. It was always like women that were interested. I never did.

It's just facts. You've asked anybody. Okay. I don't know. But yes, I believe. But I had to work very, very, very hard at 370 pounds. Like, I had to work very, very hard.

I had no neck. You see in Grimmis, that was basically me. It was Grimus. Remus is fucking Ron McDonald's friend. Oh, that's what I thought for McDonald's. Right, so that was me. So I had to work very, very hard. Girls love a funny guy, though.

Very funny. Yeah, girl, that goes a long way with women. It worked after a while, but remember, we were also in college. So it was, it was, they weren't to the point to where even emotionally people understood what they wanted yet everybody had raging hormones and all that stuff. And it's not that easy to kind of. to be the guy that I was. Truth. Okay, here's a deal.

So I get out to L.A. This is a true story. I get out to L.A. And I don't know anybody. So meeting women is even harder because you're not meeting girls that you're in class with. You're not going to the same parties

and that you were going to in Louisiana. You can't get into anything when you're out here in Los Angeles, right? And so like, where do you meet people at? You know what I'm saying? And I wasn't having any luck meeting anyone. So I made a Yahoo Personals account. Okay?

The story is in the book. Like, I made a Yahoo Personals account. And I put the Yahoo Personals account up, and it was me. I took a shot that I thought, I was about $350 at this point. I lost 20 pounds that was coming down. I took a shot that I thought was very flattering. I put it up there. Yahoo Personals account looking at it.

I come back to it. Nothing. Funny writer, wrote a funny thing. whatever, my writing has taken me places that who I am has never, like, I am being van on there. I'm checking the account, I'm doing that, nothing. I'm in LA, nothing's happening. I stop looking at the account. I get so fucking frustrated with any of it.

I stop looking at the account. I'm just like, you know what? I'm going to be out here and I'm going to let stuff come to me. I'm going to let it come to me. I'm going out with my friends, hanging out. forget about dating, forget about women, forget about that stuff, put this stuff into you. So I lose weight. I lose weight.

I take six, seven months, I lose all the weight. Weight gone. And just for fun after the weight was gone, I updated the Yahoo Personals account. I promise you, like, I took a shot of me, holding on the Oscar. if you read the book, it's in there. You can see the picture. Shot of me, holding an Oscar. I'm in great shape.

Smile, hold nine, boom. I put that on the Yahoo Personals account. I'm not trying to act like I'm Chris Brown or anybody like that. The fucking Yahoo person's account starts to blow up. I am not an unhandsome man. The personal account starts to blow up. And you know what I learned from that? It's all bullshit.

It's all horseshit. Everybody's attracted to the aesthetic. Sure, your personality matters, but that's after somebody gets to know you. And sometimes it takes a while to break down walls for people if they are not automatically attracted to you. There's nothing wrong with it. Like women started to reach out to me. Women started to get mad at me that I wasn't responding to them on the y'all. who purses the account.

I remember one thing that was like, well, why do you even fucking have this if you never even look at it? Like, it started to be a thing. And so when I see stuff like that, like empirical evidence, like empirical evidence, that then put this up,

maybe five or six people reach out. And I remember I reached out to one girl. And then when I reached out to her, then when she reached back, she was a prostitute. Which is, I'm not dating. on her. But she was like, I was a reason, hey, how are you, blah, we're going back and forth. And she's like, yeah, you know, kind of what I'm into, you know, it says here that you're a producer.

So, like, kind of what I'm into is like a cool, discreet, no strings attached relationship. And I was like, that sounds great. Yeah, we just hang out and see where it goes. She's like, yeah, you know, things are tough around here. So I normally take a little bit of money for maintenance monthly. And I was like, oh, and I had been talking to this person for three or four days before they told me that, right? And so I didn't trip, didn't blame it on anyone. Hey, it's not the right time. When I changed that picture, my fortune's changed. So all I'm saying is, if you guys really feel bad for Jonathan does comedy when he made the video on the full belly,

somebody got to get his nigga a shot. You're right. Somebody does. Because all of the other shit is just live. service. And yeah, I don't feel like people really mean it. Everybody wants to. People or L.A. When I was back in bad, you have to understand. So I want to call any names. But there was a girl at best by that I really liked. Oh yeah. I think you told me about her. Talked about this. A girl at best by that I really liked. She ended up becoming my girlfriend. Okay. I had to wait for another

nigger to get tired of fucking her before she became my girlfriend. I met her. We hang out. We watch movies. We do the whole thing. We're hanging out, we're watching movies. Look, I'm putting her on to new films. We're doing stuff. You friend zoned yourself. No, I didn't. I did not friend zoned myself.

I didn't friend zone myself at all. She knew very well what was going on. Yeah. So, like, she knew very well what was going on. I remember when this dude came in for his interview, he walked in for his interview, I was like, that's going to be a problem. I remember, I was like, that's going to be an issue. Like, that's going to be a problem.

He walked in there, came in, he was working back in the warehouse, the niggil was like swole. He was a Kappa. I was like, God damn, that's going to be tough. And me, I'm not a hater. So I'm never going to salt you. I see you, it's the thing. I kind of see them talking.

I'm not going to ever be emotional about it. I'm not going to be a hater. She disappears six weeks. I knew he wasn't going to be on it. And so I played the shoulder to cry through situation back in there. And she becomes my girl, friend. I looked crazy to all my homies. But I had to be... You played the long

game. I played the long game. I played the long game. Right. And so what I'm saying is a lot of these, all of this shit, the shit is cap. And then what happens to me, what happens... I can't disagree with you. What happens after a while is after having a 20s of dealing with guys like that, people get to a point. and they go, nobody loves me.

And by the, of looking at a guy like they get to a point and they go, nobody loves me. They go, I'm here and I've been doing, and nobody loves me. And it's just hard for me sometimes when I know how it goes. Sure. To like feel a certain way. But for Jonathan, don't fucking say, oh, my bad. give Jonathan a hand job. You're right.

Take Jonathan out. Buy him food. Don't post it, Kiki Palmer. You're seemingly single right now. Go on a date with Jonathan. You don't know if she's single. Well, she might not be. But your emotions aren't going to keep this man warm in night

and keep him getting stood up. That's true. Poor Jonathan. I hope he gives us an update about somebody else he's dating. Do you want to see the picture that was the Yahoo Personals picture? But why did you have an Oscar with you? It was a fake Oscar. They don't know that.

It does because there's a wire hanging from the Oscar to the thing. It's like the Oscar experience in California. It's like it's a fake Oscar. It's a situation. You got to see the picture because it was one of the best pictures of me and it was a picture that I used for a long time. And it kind of put me on. Like, I was on.

What the fuck what y'all niggas talking about, man. Nobody's saying, you over here fighting yourself. Nobody said anything. What happened in Vegas to Dallas? Talk about it. What can I say? You did the interview. Earl, listen.

I knew it was going to be a good fight. I thought it was going to be more 50-50. Obviously, I was going for, Earl Spins Jr. I would have put money on it if I really had time and thought about it. This is a fight that was a long time coming. He made it happen, which Terrence Crawford gave him the credit for at the end of the match. But watching that fight, I was shocked. I mean, first round, I remember thinking like, oh, like he's, well, one, I was like, he's really going after him. He's given a lot of energy, but like Earl looks good at the first round. And I never said that again.

Yeah. Never said it again. It's like he wasn't moving out of the way. He was leaving himself so exposed. And I'm not a boxing expert, obviously. But he just seemed to be leaving himself so exposed every single time he would throw a punch. It's like he was wide open. Like I said, he didn't seem to be weaving and bobbing.

And I just, nothing he hit, like, really even affected to him. I told this to somebody I was like, it didn't even look like Terrence broke a sweat. It's tough. It did not. It was a boxing fight. We had Arrow Spence here on the show. Arrow Spence said that he was going to punish

Terrence Crawford. And look, that's how Arrow Spence beats guys. He punishes them. The fight happened. And it was one of the most highly anticipated fights in the entire sport to Welterweight undefeated champions. for the unification of all the belts.

And Terrence Crawford just smoked Arrow Spoutes' boots. He just smoked him. It wasn't very competitive. It wasn't really competitive at all. It's tough to watch. I was like, please call it. Please call it.

It was tough. And it was a bad weekend for Texas because Jamal Charlo, Jamel, Jamal Charlo Charlo brother, one of the Charlo brothers got the shit smacked out of him by Caleb Plant. Why does stuff keep happening backstage like that? Because it's going down.

It's going down. Did he sneak up on him? No. Caleb Plant claims that Charlo, it's Jamel or Jamal? I feel like it's Jamal Charlo. Jamel Charlo. Jamal Charlo. Anyway.

Jermel. Jarmel Charlo. He claims that he put his hand in his face. And then Caleb Plan, who's also a fighter, very good fighter, sprang into action like White Panther and slapped the dog shit out of Charlo, adjusting

his hat on his head. Now look, it's not funny that that happened. Why you say it's bad for Texas? Because Charles was from fucking Houston. Born in Louisiana. So what? Louisiana roots. That's fine. He's... Born in Lafayette. So now you don't want him is what you're saying.

Just saying it was a bad day for the South if that's what you want to say. Bad day for the latex community. The guy is representing Houston. He's fighting out of Houston, Texas. The guy is fighting out of Houston. That's okay. Look, it's not that big of a deal. I love the Charlottes.

My thing is, it's like watching the fight, it was a shocking end to what happened. We didn't get a chance to interview Bud Crawford, right? We did not get a chance to interview Buck Crawford. But we did talk to Errol Spence, who seemed very confident, who seemed like he was in the zone, Jamal. Yeah. Very confident in the zone. And it just wasn't a fight at all. Everybody was there.

And a ninth round stoppage or eighth round stoppage. No, it was a ninth round stoppage. Just Crawford looked like a fucking. But it was the best he's looked at. Like, I haven't seen every Crawford fight. but it's the best I've ever seen him. He looked unbeatable. Yeah.

Like literally. Worst I've ever seen Earl. He looked unbeatable. He looked stronger, faster, more determined, everything than Earl Spence. What do you, what do you, what do you, what do you do? Steve Smith says he should fucking retire. Okay. Smith's chill out with the dramatics. He should not retire. This is the first time he's lost.

First time he was even knocked down. But he said on stage that he wanted to do it again. Now, I don't know if he was all with us when he was on stage talking. But when he was interviewed, he said, I want to do this again, which it's up to him to do it. I think Crawford would be down to do it again as well. I think it would bring, it would have just as much attention. But if the worst happens for him again, then it starts. time to start talking about all that other stuff. But right now, you go home, you regroup, you watch the tape, you learn from it, you get better. The question is, is he going to stay in that category?

Because he said that he wasn't going to fight in that category. I don't know. Weight class. Weight class, whatever. Whatever. I told you. Mojo, dojo, Casa House. I was like, wait.

Kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, mojo, casa, Casa house. Anytime I Explain something to Rachel like that I'm gonna catch myself and say Mojo Dojo Casa House Category weight class You know what I meant You know what I meant

I already said I'm not a boxing expert But the question is Is he gonna stay in that weight class? Well there's a rematch clause In the contract And it's up to him So he could trigger a rematch clause I do not think that Earl Spence

I think he should Should you think he should rematch I think he should He had one good round he'll do better than that next time. I don't know, man. It almost was like he wasn't prepared to fight him at all. Like not physically in any kind of way,

just like his, like his Crawford's game plan. It was like, Crawford knew everything Earl was going to do. Earl knew nothing that he was going to do. I don't know if he should, I don't know if he should, if they should fight again, man. Like, at least not right away. I mean like not... So who should Crawford fight next?

Who should Crawford fight next? That's an interesting question. So Crawford wants to fight one of the Charlo brothers who is an undisputed champion at 154, which is the next weight class up from 147. So Crawford's willing to go up? Yeah, Crawford wants to go up to. Okay, he wants to go up too.

So if he fights him, that Charlo brother has a fight with Canelo Alvarez next month. That's at 168. So that's two weight classes up from where he normally fights. he probably won't win that fight. If they don't break up his belts, based upon him taking the fight with Canelo Alvarez, then the fight with him and Crawford at 154

for all those belts is a pretty good fight. It's a big money fight for him. It would be two big money fights for him in a row. It just depends. It depends on whether or not he triggers that rematch clause. If he triggers that rematch clause, and they'll probably have to fight again in December. It also depends on whether or not they break these belts up.

There's a guy named Tim Zhu at, at 154, who is the mandatory for Charlo. So if they do strip him of one of the belts, he could get one of the belts. And then that's a different situation for Terrence Crawford. Because if Terrence Crawford has to fight one guy to become undisputed at 154, which would make him a three-time,

undisputed champ in three different weight classes, which was really historic stuff, that's one thing if he has to do it in one or two fights. But if he has to go around 154, collecting all of these belts that have been split up, that might be like a two-year. That might be like a two-year, maybe even a three-year endeavor, and he's already 36.

So he's turning 36 pretty soon, so he may not have time. It's interesting. The worst thing for the economics of this fight was to have one of these guys get beat this bad. Because if the fight was close, then there's an automatic rematch, right? If it goes to the cards, or even if the fight is close back and forth and then somebody gets knocked out in the 10th or 11th or 12th in the championship rounds, and they come back and they do it again, Mojo Doja-Casha House. But if, because I'm explaining all of this stuff.

I understand what you're saying. Oh, Mojo Dojo Casa House again. Okay. You don't think I'd do? No. Even the fact that you had to ask that is another Mojo Dojo Casa House. Okay. So, no, it just depends because like now they kind of fucked the money up a little bit.

Because you could have got three of these or at least two of these. But now a lot of the public doesn't want to see it again because it looks like fucking they. He got his motherfucking ass kicked. Like, not, it looks like he got his fucking ass kicked terribly. And by the way, fighters lose, bro. It's not that big of a deal.

It's one loss. Arrow Spence Jr. will be back. All right. That's a lot of mojo. Look, we have an interview with Jewel Taylor of the clone Tyrone coming up right now.

You excited to talk to him about the movie? I am. Because of how much I enjoyed it. You love that movie. Mm-hmm. You love it more than Barbie. Mm-hmm. Yeah, what I'm talking about.

But on the other side of this break. This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and making a mess. You don't need Weather Tech floor liners in the summer, unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner. Or a road trip goes sideways. Ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips.

Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. you don't need weather tech unless you plan on doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. Did you know about one and three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you?

Listen to what it sounds like to be a million miles away. Trimphaya, gusalcumab taken by injection, is a prescription medicine for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, who may benefit from taking injections or pills or phototherapy, and for adults with active psoriotic arthritis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or if you need a vaccine. Imagine being a million miles away.

Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Trim Faya. Tap this ad to learn more about Tramphia, including important safety information. Okay, so there's a movie right now that's got my mind in a blender. You and everybody else. I'll be honest with you guys. The rage was Barbenheimer. Everyone was talking about Barbie and Oppenheimer.

There was a film that came out that asked more central questions to my life. took me on a much more deep and winding ride of desperation, intrigue, and also humor. The name of that film is They Clone Tyrone. Shout to Charles King and everybody over there at Macro. But shout out to this man, the writer-director of They Clone Tyrone,

who joins us today on Higher Learning. Jewel Taylor. Oh, man, appreciate it. Thank you all for. for having you. Of course, brother. Thank you for joining us on Higher Learning. My man, what a fantastic movie.

Black surrealism at its finest, black humor at its finest, storytelling at its finest. What was the inspiration for the film? Man, it knocked my socks off, bro. I don't have any more socks. You guys knocked them off.

Oh, man, I appreciate that. That's warm my heart. Man, I really warm my heart right now. Yeah, honestly, it came from a couple places. You know, there's a plot kind of place that came from a just wanted to make a bootlegs, gooby-do movie. You know, just wanted to make something where a detective movie where the detectives were ill-equipped,

but somehow uniquely equipped. And the other just think, about, you know, friends that I had that had some very unfortunate things happened to them that were, like, way outside their control and how it affected them. And subsequently how that affected me and my perception of, you know, what they were going through, you know, I had a friend who was depressed for a long time, but I didn't know it. And, you know, when I finally sat down and really talked to him about it, I was like internally embarrassed, you know what I'm saying, that I didn't realize that he had been depressed for so long.

And just thinking about like control in general and the idea of just blame versus responsibility and, you know, how privilege plays into that. And I think like somehow those two things kind of congealed into some weird planet of, you know, this goofy Scooby-Doo movie with this very like wacky, But this, you know, this thing that, like, really bothered me, like, personally bothered me, you know. And, like, I couldn't get out of my head, you know. This idea of, like, is there a difference between blame and responsibility? And really feeling a level of discomfort about it, you know. I think because it made me uncomfortable, you know, when I sat down, me and Tony would always talk about it.

We felt like there was something there because it made it so uncomfortable. So that's when we kind of started to explore it. And we always say like our ideas always start off as a gas cloud and they congeal into a planet eventually that has hopefully some semblance of coherence. Like hopefully at the end it makes sense. But a lot of times it's... a lot of disparate ideas that somehow coalesce into something that maybe makes sense. Maybe makes sense.

Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you. I'm not honest. Can you dive a little bit more into when you talk about blame versus responsibility and how that created this idea, this concept, this movie, because I find it really interesting. Yeah, I mean, I think when you look at Fontaine, he's a character who on the surface has no culpability whatsoever, he's made two. He's a few days old. And yet, so you could safely say that he is not to blame for where we find him in the movie, when we find him. But it's not a movie that like we didn't really sit out to be.

be didactic or try to provide any answers. There's just things that, you know, I was exploring thematically. And so that idea, you know, him starting in a place where his memories are on his own, his circumstances aren't his own, his home isn't his own. He has no mother, et cetera, et cetera. But when an inciting incident happens to him, you know, seeing himself, you know, now the responsibility is, no. Nonetheless, put on to, like, fix the situation, right?

Like, despite the fact that he didn't put himself in the situation. I think, like, there's a level of unfairness to that, you know, that, you know, and that that's the thing that rhymed with people that I know back in, you know, like, in terms of, like, you may, there's something, like, deeply unfair about it, but at the same time, the other side of the coin is like it is what it is. If somebody, you know, puts Fontaine in the situation, they probably did it on purpose. And so they're clearly not going to help them get out of that situation.

So I think that's that pushing cool of, you know, a character relinquishing responsibility, you know, and accepting responsibility is kind of what Fontaine is fighting throughout. the movie, right? It's up to these three people who are kind of classic, quote unquote, wrong side of the tracks kind of characters, you know, who some may say are culpable for why their neighborhood is the way it is in the eyes of outsiders.

And suddenly they shouldn't the responsibility to save the neighborhood is put on. And so I don't have like a good answer personally. Like again, it's like I think we go out of a way not to be restrictive about it. And so like I think it's more like that's the heart of that question and how it's expressed to the plot. Yeah, that was great. You definitely had an answer. That was great. That was great.

I got it. I saw something in the movie when, Kiefer Sutherland showed up, right? You think that Kiefer Sutherland is the ultimate big bad of the film. But then he tells you I'm not. I'm just the guy here in mall cop sort of middle management capacity, making sure that things go right. And when you get to not the ultimate big bad,

but the person that's literally putting the liquid in tubes, he's black he's an older version of the clone that we have been following he's an older version of who I like to call John Wickfontein that's who he was

that's the John Wickfontein right was there something to be said there about the fact that when you use the blame versus responsibility dynamic that at a certain point some of this stuff is

maybe our own doing at this point? I mean, I think there's a lot of ways to interpret that scene. I mean, like, I think again, you know, I try to stay away from, you know, saying like, oh, we put ourselves in this situation specifically, but there's undoubtedly there's undoubtedly things that we inflict on ourselves that we probably don't need to.

More of having that conversation, right? Like you're taking a character who you're hopefully going on a journey of self-discovery, right, in a classic gnomic premise. And if the mystery is, if the real mystery of the movie is like, who am I, right? Fontaine isn't really trying to find out what happened. He's trying to find out whoever at the end of the day, right? Like, this is a person who understands, like, the science fiction mechanics that just happened to him. So he knows he's just been a trade candidate.

He knows, you know, that there is a level of, you know, there's a disparity between what he might have internal impulses to do and, like, what they might have programmed. So, for example, you hear him listening to Albi Shulings, listen to Blackbirds. Like, there's small pieces of evidence that might suggest that certain things weren't programmed in you. There's this drift, like, that may or may not be, you know, evidence of soul, as you want to say. And when you get to the end of the movie and you're having this conversation with yourself, I mean, I think a lot of it is, like, working on hopefully multiple levels where you could interpret it as, like, a black community.

having a conversation with itself. It's also this guy having a conversation with himself on just a existential level of like who he wants to be, who his identity is, even though he's come from this person, he's literally that guy. You know what I'm saying? They're very different people, you know what I'm saying?

And so I think, you know, it's definitely fair to say there's some level of meaning to be extracted by, you know, the guy he meets being quote unquote the man in the mirror, you know, if you want to put it that way.

But again, I hesitate to prescribe that meaning somebody watching it because somebody watching it might not get that. You know, like I think it's there if you're looking for it. You're doing your Donald Glover thing right now where you go, hey, it's in the art. Aye, Jewel Taylor. Genius. Genius director, Jewel Taylor.

I will not explain it to you. Whatever you think it is is what it is. I know what you're doing, Jewel. I mean, but I do think it's true or a lot of love it. Because if I can tell you like, oh, man, this is that nerve. But if you watch it, you ain't get that thing. Like, who about to tell you that you're going to? It's really, it truly is not mine.

This is in the universe. Like, it really is to, you know, whoever consumes it, whether they like it or they don't like it, right? Like, it's still, you know, someone who doesn't like it is just valid for not like it. To be honest, right? You don't like it. Who about to tell you the reasons you? you don't like it, aren't good reasons for not liking it.

So it feels presumptuous like this, which is I understand why Donald Glover and why Stanley Kubrick once upon a time. I understand why they didn't explain things all the way because I personally feel very presumptuous, pinning it down to most of the thing, you know, because I feel like so many people watch it and interpret it different than I might have interpreted when we were writing. fried chicken relaxers grape juice the church no no no no no drink

no juice see that's how you know where she's from stop stop stop it's not it's not grape juice it's not grape juice it's not grape juice it's all right you said grape juice

it's grape drink those are two completely different things all right don't embarrass me grape drink. You knew what I was saying. You knew where I was coached. Honey D and he said, I want that purple stuff.

That purple stuff. Yeah, like Dave Chappelle. Give me that purple stuff. Yeah. Excuse me. Grape drink. Drink. The church, relaxers, fried chicken. Why?

Well, one, how did you land on these things to choose? And why did you choose these specific things as to associate control with, I guess these are staples with the black culture, but to associate those with control? Like, why did you decide to use those? And was there any, I don't know, did you think you might get pushed back in any kind of way from the black community to play into those stereotypes, I guess?

Of course. I mean, you know, we have people, you know, test screen a movie. I mean, you know that the second movie start, talking in that parlance, there's going to be a level of discomfort, you know. And that's cool, you know. I think we had a test screen, and there were people who were like, yeah, I understood it was satire, but I ain't like seeing it. It's like, which is fine.

Right, like, it's who am I to tell you, you know, that you should like something? You know what I'm saying? So I knew way before we ever shot it that there was plenty of potential for pitfalls, so to speak. There was a banana peels on the floor to slip on. And I think, you know, again, when it comes to, like, why, I think there's a couple of reasons that the film presents, you know, going back to the first image of, like, first thing you see in terms of how other people see you, right? Like, you start, you come out of these eyes and they're, like, observing you from a disaffected point of view.

you know what I'm saying? I think like these it's not just necessarily like control but it's also like perception that I think is interesting to play with right? Because I'm from Alabama and I do know people who don't want to eat chicken

in front of white people. We don't want to eat watermark for the white people, you know. And you understand why. You know what I'm saying? I think it's more just interrogation why that makes me feel uncomfortable, why those things make us feel uncomfortable.

You know what I'm saying? And like, what is it about the inherent act of eating chicken, you know what I'm saying? If not removed from the concept of someone else watching. You see what I'm saying? Anerate act of eating chicken. That's your next movie. That's the title of the next movie.

The inherent act of eating chicken, colon, they clone Tyrone too. Or why does this pop up? tastes so fucking good. Oh, I do. I don't know fucking because. I'm sorry. Oh, you can curse.

Yeah. We don't go to fuck. You know. Or why has this podcast? So, fucking good. Yeah, I mean, I think, like, there's

there's something interesting in the dynamic of seeing these things that are very personal to us. You know, like, I love all the things depicted in the movie here.

Right? Yeah. You know what I mean? It's not it. Yeah, you look like a fried chicken eating, nigger. Oh, man. You know, it's funny because I don't love fried chicken much as baked chicken, but in the context of, like, macaroni and greens and, like, rice and only.

It elevates, it's bitter than it is a hot. You know what I'm saying? I don't go to, like, KFC in the fried chicken, but, like, fried chicken in the context of a larger meal seems to be, like, I'm more of a, like, baked chicken in right with like, you know, the gravy with that. But, you know, I think everything depicting the movie is

stuff that I grew up consuming my sister. You know, my sister you, probably, my sister you. So, like, the only thing I would say is, like, you know, the intention isn't necessarily to demonize, you know, what's being depicted. But more to,

more to have fun with the discomfort of knowing and they're like white people watching. Because I think if white people were watching the movie, this wouldn't even be a sports spy. If that makes it. We were in wildfire and stuff watching it. Like, there's nothing to feel embarrassed by it. I think there's something interesting about that.

You know what I'm saying? Like, the idea that, like, you know, there's still some level of decorum that you want to show in front of white people. It's weird. After everything that's happened. You know what's interesting about the movie? I was just thinking about this

because I've watched the movie like five times, right? Oh, man, thank you for inflating them numbers. Yeah, I watched it like five times. I told Stephen, I told, like I told him, like, I told him, I was like, I've watched the movie like five times. I watch the movie a lot, you know. Between those three films, it was the single greatest movie weekend I've ever had for new films. And you guys took the pole position.

But I'll say this, about the last time I watched the movie, I noticed something, Jewel. okay I's got to be real with you okay I watched the movie and the movie made me

want to go listen to the soundtrack shout out to the song Shistie by Trinidad James plays at the end of the at the end of the film I had to go hit that record the needle drop was perfect and the movie made me

hungry for fried chicken so Jewel in a way if there was the perfect mind control movie that was out there, I'm just being real with you. The movie made me hungry for fried chicken, and it made me want to go listen to the soundtrack of Dayclone Tyrone, which I have listened to. I look drunk as fuck.

All of these songs are great. The soundtrack is fantastic. It takes me back to my youth when a movie had a soundtrack that was actually part of the narrative of the film, which we don't see that that much anymore. but you're not working for you're not working for the cloners are you Jew oh man

I can't even joke like that because somebody will be like he told you he telling me I wouldn't like you know what I said I wouldn't leave me into the market but the second you even joke like that they can be like nah but he would tell the truth fun you know yeah because if somebody who was working for the cloners would definitely say that

they weren't working for the cloners So just be careful what you answer. I do have to ask you something. I mean you can't answer at all. There's no right answer. Right. No comment is more damning than anything. John Boyega in this movie.

I am from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rachel here is from Dallas, Texas. So we are all southern brethren. Texas kind of. Texas sort of. I'm from the South. You're from the South. She's from Texas.

Shout out to Texas. Do you consider Texas the South? Yeah, I mean, definitely. I mean, I think Texas is like three places for real. It is. That's not a lot. That's true. The West side of Texas is like the West Coast, you know,

I don't, I've driven across Texas. I've driven from family in L.A. and that, like, you know. It's the whole fucking. It's different biomes in one state. The topography changes. You go, like, it's just total. You go from the bayou to the goddamn desert. It's different.

John Boyega, not from the American South. Notariously, this nigger is an English man, T. and Curpets. He's a British. He fell into this role so crazy. I mean, when I say one million percent authentic, and I know he's a fantastic actor, but still, though, even I was like, God damn, Fontaine, I know him.

what made his performance, number one, so authentic in the role, and what made you guys see him as Fontaine in the first place? Yeah, I mean, to be honest, you know, like me and John had a lot of conversations about that. You know what I'm saying? Like, John is one of the coolest actors you'll ever be, you know, because you can sit down with him and have, like, a straight-up honest conversation with him. And like, I was worried about the British to Southern Translation. We talked about it, you know what I'm saying?

And I think, like, it was the fact that, like, I love him as a macro, obviously. Like, I saw Attack the Block Bay back when it was like, he's going to be a star. And they're like, oh, that's my boy. When I saw Star Wars trailer, I was like, I had the, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo, Jeff, I was, like, super excited. to see that this actor that was a little movie that I loved was like

starting to get his recognition. So I already knew he was going to be big because he is a like fantastic actor, but I think it's the fact that like he's so cool and down the earth. So when you sit down and talk to him, like man, what's up with this southern accent, bro?

Like, I don't know if we should go full. I could talk more country than I've been talking, right? Like I can get deeper into talking like I'm from Montgomery Free. Right? But in LA so long, he gets like to steal down and start telling hell is in the mix.

Suddenly, like, you don't talk of something as you normally would be surrounded. And I think a lot of that was like, understanding that there were no way that he would be able to fully disappear into the most aggressive southern archetypes. But that he could,

you know, if he, if he didn't try to go 100% the country as person you ever, meant that there was something that he could, like, achieve that I think would be really believable. And he really, like, just honestly, like, he came Atlanta and he was, he was everywhere. You know what I'm saying? He was hanging out with my friends. And so I think just the fact that he kind of threw himself into just being a southern

and we were, you know, during COVID, so we were, like, sequestered. So I think a lot of osmosis are just hanging around southern people. that I think before we actually started shooting that like that mixed with a little bit of restraint performance like again I got you know I think we're like don't be the most southern guy we've ever met you know what I'm saying that's going to be much harder to

much harder to accomplish which you can be from the South like everybody from the South doesn't talk like they have these countries actually for sure plus we have a little bit of leeway because we don't actually know where they are. They may be in Alabama, maybe in Georgia, maybe in Tennessee. I thought it was Tennessee.

So you also have a little bit of ambiguity in the region, so the dialect doesn't have to be, no one from Atlanta could be like, that's not an Atlanta accent. You don't even know if it's a, you know, like that. Because the dialects obviously have

a little nuance between the states, you know, but I think being able to kind of immerse himself like just in the culture and general and being around even being so open

and like willing to you know willing to just go get barbecue with us and just you know things that like kind of are extracurricular

to an extent but like he truly is made to it. You know so so y'all gave him high blood pressure Yeah, for sure. Yeah. You came in there.

He was his shit was regular, but now he's been around y'all for so long. That's crazy, man. It's crazy y'all did that. It's a fan. We talked about how the movie makes you think. It makes you question certain things. One thing that just blew me away was how funny the movie is. I mean, Tiana and Jamie together were the comedic duo that I never thought I needed.

and I want to see more of them together. David Allen Greer as the pastor, and my goodness. And when I saw that, I like screamed. I was like, oh, it's David Allen Greer. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, like how, I don't know, how it all came together. The casting was so perfect, just working with everyone. Can you touch a little bit on that?

Yeah. Castings took like almost two years to cast me. You know, I was a lot of snafu. in the casting process, you know, a lot of just difficulty arranging schedules. I mean,

that turns out to be like bane of their existence. It's like, people schedule not lot about in bed. But like, I think we were super lucky,

you know, just to be able to have anybody interested in the script, right? By the time we, you know, by the time we've written the script,

we set it up without script and we wrote the script, and were lucky to have interest, you know, from some people who were like way too talented. Like, I would not have been to people if I would be actors because I would not have trusted myself at all. I'm just like a random dude out of film school. Me and Tony, don't know anybody know who we're on. We just got a script.

Yeah, like all these activists who were, like, gravitated towards it for whatever reason. And so it really was like an embarrassment of riches, you know what I'm saying? And so, like, once we had Jayne and John, I think they were kind of a magnet for Keith of Sutherland's David Allen Greer. It's like they, they were attracted because we had Gen. Fox, because we had John Brady, we had John Farris. And their chemistry was this, honestly, was out-the-box kind of chemistry, right? Like, it was very natural because I think everybody got along so well offset.

everybody just like drag jokes like that just in the trailer you know and so I think that translated in a way that was unpredictable but I was like thank God because you write you might write a line

and it might just be an interstitial line just to get you from point A to point B and then they perform it and like there's a lot of lines that you know you see a screening the audience laughs and you're like okay that's like you know what I mean like it wasn't written necessarily like with the expectation of someone laughing but they're so you know they're so comedically talented they have such a good time and have such good chemistry that you know you get surprised I mean Eric Robinson Jay Alfonz like they are like stupidly funny to the point where while we were shooting we started adding stuff like oh I did not know it's funny okay we got okay we need more like you know

we need more eyes. We need more be false. You know what I'm saying? Because they were so funny that, and they had, like, such good chemistry with John, that we find yourself trying to give everybody more screen like, Tamblea Lair and play video. Like, she was crazy, really added scene for her.

And I think a lot of that just came down to nothing that I can tip for, you know what I'm saying? That's all. They came and sat like that, you know what I'm saying? So I just sat back like everybody else to try not to miss it. Before the movie came out, obviously, everyone knows that Jamie Fox, who is one of the leads of the film, had a really, really scary health issue. And I think the culture was holding its breath, hoping and wishing that Jamie was going to be okay. And, you know, as luck and fortune would have it, he was up and around just around the time that this movie was getting ready to come out.

It's like literally like a week, the week, or a couple of weeks before, you start to see that Jamie is okay before a long time. Nobody knew and the only thing that was really out there were rumors. What was it like for you guys in the lead up to the film? trying to get the movie out there, but also I'm sure having mixed emotions and just emotions, period,

about Jamie's health, how well he was, and, you know, how much he was going to be able to be a part of the rollout of the film. Yeah, I mean, I don't really, when it, you know, when he was like, oh, James in the hospital,

everybody was like, you know, so I'm saying, yeah. So the rollout of the film was definitely way in a bag burden. Especially, you know, like, in the beginning, like, people are posting it. You know, like, you know, you don't know what to believe. But, like, I know, like, I know, like, I know, I know just talk to Jamie in a day of your face. Right.

And we shot the movie in, like, 2019, 2020, I'm excuse me, 2020, 2020, right? We've been shot this, like, years ago, in terms of them Jamie there. So, you know, you don't want to be, I'm sure, like, many people call them. Like, I don't want to, like, go his phone up, you know what I'm saying? I try to call him. And so, like, you really, like, in those first, you know, a couple of days, you're consuming the same media that everybody else is supposed to. Like, people are posting on all kind of theories on Instagram and, like, people saying

them some. And so, like, that was, like, super worrying because really, I had no idea what was going on. So I'd actually just sent Atari and text me. Like, hey, just let you know, just let him know that we love him, you know what I'm saying. And he had texted back like, he's in good spirit, so I was like, all right, I'm going to clear the line. You know what I'm saying? So I think, you know, just in keeping in touch with Atari, he was one of our producers, Atari, you know, he kind of let us know, he kind of let us know, like, that he was doing on.

We knew that, like, it wasn't as dire some people made it out to be, you know what I'm saying? And so I think we were able to, you know, I talked to him for like five minutes, like maybe like a bumper belt, whatever that was. That's awesome. And he sounded like himself, you know, he sounded like he sounded like himself.

Like I talked to him, legit, like not a long time. Me and John Boy, Eger both talked. Right. And he seemed like himself. I mean, it's just like, I'm proud of y'all. I'm just glad everything is good. You're sure upset. I never, you know, we never put no pressure on me to, like,

to come, yeah. Marketing or, like, you know, you need you to make a post about Toronto. Like, you know, anything he posts about to Tyrol, like, you know, old willish. I got one more question for you before you go. I know you got to go. Oh, no.

I'm pitching a movie to you real quick. I do this all the time on the show. I got to pitch for you. The movie is called They Clone Travis. Okay, for sure. It's a white version of They Clone Tyrone. You have to cast this right now.

I need Slick. I need Fontaine. I need the Tiana Paris character. I need just cast it real quick. They cloned Travis is the movie. You have to go. You have to leave right now. So you have literally 30 seconds, maybe a minute to cast.

They cloned Travis is the name of the movie. Go for it. I think Travis is going to Timothy Shalame. Okay. All right. Timothy Shalemey is Travis for real. You know, my, I put it in my gut. Slick Charles, we're going to pull

with Jim Carrey back in the comedic bag. Oh! Okay, I'm liking this. Another in living color along this right there. So, for sure, we put Jim Carrey back in the comedic bag. We got to bring them eyeballs, so you know we've got to cast Marco Wobby. I was thinking that. As yo-yo, he'll stick.

My eyeballs. for the preacher we got to go Walton Goggins I like that I love Walton Gagons and he's right now have you you watching Amargo I haven't seen it yet I plan to watch the end of the internet I've played in the episode half of those episodes

so Sao Haynes in that cut Tarong she cut half the episode so I want to be able to sit down and like binge watch it. Right. That's it. That's it. You got it.

I want to see it. I want, they clone Travis. I'm telling you, what's going to happen now? It's going to happen now is they're going to come to you and they're going to be like,

hey, you and Charles King, Steve and Dr. Love, they're going to be like, hey, we want to do they clone Travis, bro. Telling you.

Telling you. You know, just tell Timothy, people to hit my people type of You guys, that is someone who I'm not going to bullshit you. I think the guy's a genius. I'm sorry to say that in front of you, bro. It's tough. Yeah, I think the guys are genius.

That's Jewel Taylor. Thank you for joining us on higher learning, man. We love the movie. I'll probably spend it five or ten more times just to let you know, bro. That's a great film. I want to fill out slippery questions and shit, you know, which I'm slippery.

No, no. You were great. You're great. I'm going to go get some fried chicken after this and listen to some more of the music, some of the mind control music, bro. Some great juice. Some great drink. We appreciate you join us on higher learning. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Fast, reliable internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business. It keep companies of all sizes connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S. based support, millions of business owners already trust Spectrum business. So visit Spectrum.com slash business to learn more. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. This episode is brought to you by Sweet Green. The day doesn't ask for permission. Lunch window? Gone before you saw it coming. You deserve a break that actually satisfies. Sweet Green's new wraps

have got you. Real ingredients? Zero shortcuts. Everything you love in one hand. Think Green Goddess chicken, garlic aoli, crumbled bacon, corn salsa, 40 grams of protein, made to keep up with whatever comes next. New sweetgreen wraps hit different. Order now at order.com. There's other stuff that we, oh, real quick, before we go. Rachel, there's a Twitter account called to activism, posted a quote in a picture of a white grandfather with his mixed-race granddaughter. And it said, my dad didn't approve when I married a dark-skinned man. He's some kind of racist hillbilly. When I was pregnant, he told me he didn't want anything to do with my biracial daughter.

Here he is, paying her toenails on her third birthday. Here's proof people can change. This tweet has been getting caught out by people who don't like the fact that this exists. Do you have a problem with this tweet at all? Yeah, she clearly doesn't understand racism, the mother who posted this. How so? Well, the fact that you're calling your dad a racist hillbilly, which who knows what all he said about the fact that you were with a black man and the fact that you were going to have a

child with him. That is some deep-rooted racism. This man is much older in age. The fact that he's painting your granddaughter's toes means that he likes your granddaughter. It doesn't mean that he has changed his entire opinion on black people. He likes his granddaughter. That's all I see from it. And just because he's painting her toes doesn't mean he's probably calling in his head that her a little nigger at the same time. You don't think he's still, and he could still be, he could still be racist as fuck

and still be painting her toenails. So, the fact that you're using that as an example to show that this is how people can change, I'm gonna need a lot more than grant from granddaddy. So know that he's changed his ideas on black people more than him painting his biracial granddaughter's toes. What would you need from granddaddy?

Well, I need to, him to tell me how he's changed. It's not my, I need, if he's changed, tell me how. You painting,

you tolerated. your granddaughter by painting her toes does not show me that you're not, you're not racist anymore. Okay, so I'm dispassionate about this picture and everything. I'm not passionate about it. I know, but I'm saying the pain of the toenails doesn't at least indicate in some kind of way that he loves and fucks with his granddaughter?

You don't think so? I know somebody. Okay. Who we went to school together. And I remember this white, boy liked me in school and she told me we were in elementary and she told me that the Bible, I think I've said this on the podcast before, that the Bible says that dark and light people are not supposed to mix.

You didn't take that advice. And neither did she. Because she went on to date black men and now has three children by a black man. Okay. She changed. And she told me that her parents were the ones who told her that dark and light are not supposed to mix. So that's letting you know where her parents,

thing. Her parents love those grandchildren. Do I think her parents still have issues with black people in general? Absolutely. Why? They love their grandchildren because their daughter had that. And I see the way that they treat the father of that child. They do not like him. They do not like him.

They do not have any kind of relationship with him. And there's other issues that have gone on. So it's more than just him being black. but they certainly have certain issues about him and feel a certain way, but they love the children because they look at the children as innocent. The children choose who their father was. I'm serious. That's why I look at this picture and I'm like, I keep, I'm trying to say the girl's name.

It just reminds me of that family. So, I mean, that's a fantastic point. Just because you love the people that are coming out of your body and your loyings, doesn't mean that you love black people. Right. Those are their great. Yeah, their daughter had to. these kids, these innocent children.

And they love their grandchildren. They really do. Can't say something else? I don't really find the cause for concern when like white people get over racism. I mean, cause for celebration. When white people get over racism and reform themselves from being racist or anyone gets over anyism, I don't really, you know what? It's fine.

Look at what can happen. People cannot be racist. and I don't get the warm and fuzzies. Well, this woman does not understand racism. Here's a picture of my granddad painting her toes. Proof people can change. He's tolerating the little nigger. All right.

They think... All right. Take your thinking caps off, but do not stop learning. I am Van Lathen, Jr. I'm Rachel Lynn Lindsay. Bye, guys. Thank you.