Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Clarence Thomas’s Nazi-Art Collecting Friend, and Cassandra Freeman on ‘Bel-Air’

Episode Date: April 11, 2023

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay kick the show off with a discussion on DJ Akademiks, Black conservatism, and followers of Andrew Tate (11:24), before digging into the latest Clarence Thomas controversy (35:51). Then, updates on yet another mass shooting and the reinstatement of a Tennessee lawmaker (52:47). Plus, actress Cassandra Freeman joins to discuss her role as Aunt Vivian Banks in ‘Bel-Air’ (58:22). Hosts: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay Guest: Cassandra Freeman 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? Howe Learning is on. It's I, Van Lathen, Jr. And it's me, Rachel and Lindsay. Rachel? Yes. Cassandra Freeman is on the show today.

Very excited about that. Utv from Bel-Aid. You like Bel-Aid? You like to watch the show? Yeah, I'm behind, but I like it. Because I was one of those people who was really thrown off. I had no idea it was a drama. I knew nothing about it.

I was just like, oh, they're remaking the show. Rachel, what do you do? I just show up. What? What? What? Billair. I was like, oh, I heard it was coming back. I had not seen a trailer or anything about it. And I was like, I'm so excited about this.

This show meant so much to me growing up. So I tuned in. When I first watched it, I was like, where's the laughter? What's going on? This can't be true. What's happening? Swear to God. I had no idea.

I don't read up on shows. It's not before. Or like, I rarely see trailers. Even for movies that I do interviews for. I don't really see the trailer. I just go in and watch the movie. What cult? Why would they remake it and just do another comedy situation?

I don't know. People remake stuff all the time. Do the people not remake shows? Am I missing something? I mean, they remake them, but like, not like that. Have you seen, have they done something like this before? Like remade it and made it into like a drama? Not that I can think so.

So why should I expect that? Because when you look at the show, it looks totally. I didn't see it. what I'm trying to tell you. All I saw was maybe like a sign that said Bel Air. I was like, oh, they're bringing it back. Did you think that they just got older? You think they got older?

No. I just thought it was a new cast. And that's my man. I was like, they're going to have a new will. And I was, I just, I hadn't researched it. I hadn't seen anything on. If I had seen the trailer, I would have known, obviously. Is Donna here?

I was about to say, they did something similar with Riverdale. That was like Archie Comics. and then they switched that to be like a dramatic CWT. That weren't even the same at all because they never even had a show. It was no, it was. It just flipped it from the source material. Donnie, they did. It was, so Riverdale was Archie and you're right about that.

But it's not like we had an Archie show in the 70s that was live action or in the 80s. It was just Archie, Archie, Archie, Archie that was super popular. And then they changed it. You just kicked me to Rachel's side when you, did that. Now I'm on her side. Now it's us against you, Ben Affleck. Appreciate you. But Donnie, seriously, isn't it kind of crazy that Rachel had no idea that they changed up the premise of Belair? It's wild, but I'm kind of jealous.

That you go into things like that. Like, you go into things blind. I feel like that's kind of fun watching movies not having any idea what you're getting yourself into. Thank you. I'm kind of jealous. I actually, when I do interviews, I, because it is like there's an element of surprise. So sometimes I'll do a movie and I'm like taken aback by it. Like for example, I just did this movie somewhere in Queens. Ray Romano first, uh, his directorial debut. I loved it. I had no idea what it was about. So I just go in very fresh. I don't have any preconceived notions. I'm just like, hey, it's Ray's first movie that he's directed. Let's go. And then you're, you're, you're kind of beautifully surprised. You don't have an expectation good or bad. You just go in.

Now sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. It did not work for me when I, first started watching Bel Air and then it's like, oh, I got into it. So I just had no idea. We can get off this, but I would say that there's a fundamental difference here because you hear that they're remaking the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and you're not curious as to why or what the update is. They put different actors in it. So somebody's just going to come in.

It's just like, that's what I thought. I knew Will was behind me. I wasn't curious because I knew I wanted to watch it because Fresh Prince of Bel Air was so meaningful to me. So when you watch it, you were just completely fucking thrown. Like the whole episode, I was like, it's, it was almost as if when they brought the game back, not they remade it, and they tried to make it a drama. And everyone was like, where's the laugh track?

What's happening here? Like, it just throws you off because that's not what you were expecting. But then Bel Air's really good. So once I knew what it was like and I had to change the way I was watching it, I was like, oh, this is really good. I just didn't know. Well, Cassandra's on the show. She's delightful.

Yes. We're going to have a conversation with her about why she thinks that Will Smith would have never smacked Prince Rock in the face if it wasn't for the show. Actually, I asked her that question. Nothing to do with anything that's going on. But it's fun. It's fun interview later on. Something, some light fare, because it's going to be a pretty serious show. Just letting you guys know off the top of the dome.

Before we get to any of that, I got to ask Rachel what she did this weekend. Where were you? Did you see me? No. Did you see my Instagram activity? No, what did you do? I saw, oh wait, did I see you and you were like in some kind of racing situation? I was talking, yeah, I was doing like an Instagram live. I was talking. So on my Instagram I'd be- Hang out with Warren Sapp, I saw. Yes, on my Instagram I had been promoting this new league, National Cycling League.

Okay, I've invested in it. And a couple of my friends are the founding members. So two guys I went to college with one guy named Randall, David, he's a top agent in football, David Luligeta. So they asked me to come on and work as an on-air personality too. And of course, like when they told me what it was about, I was immediately intrigued. It's majority minority-owned. Four black men started this. And most of the investors are minority. And so that's intriguing. Also, there's like an equality factor with the sport because the way the races work, the men and women of the teams have to, because your team is of men and women. they equally have to do well. You can't limit,

if the men's team does well and the women's team doesn't do well, it factors into the point so they just don't advance on. Like you both have to do well. They total up your scores together. And then it determines where you place in the race.

Well, what is this? What do you mean? I have no understanding of what's happening here. I was, okay, let me explain the racing. So what was, this is a cycling league. So you know how like, we didn't have soccer here for a while, but it was all over the U.S., right?

And then, you know, like, they started a league. They started something. It was all in the world. We didn't have cycles. We had MLS. Okay. Yes.

Okay. Formula one. It was everywhere. It's now here. Cycling. We had Indy car, but yes. But you, but it's not Formula One.

Right. Okay. So cycling, there's two billion cyclists worldwide. There's 60 million in the United States. There's never been a leak. So they tapped into that. So that there was a need for it,

but then changed it up. So you're not watching like tour to France where it's three weeks. of cycling. This is fast. It's an hour. There's four races for this first year. It's in some of the most iconic areas in the cities that they're in. So this was Miami. They shut down Ocean Drive. You had the beach right here. You had Clevelanders down here. You have Versace mansion. And every two, two and a half minutes, you're seeing these cyclists rip through. First the women's race, then the men's race. But then they also have like fan fest involved. They've got like a DJ. It's like a party. fan fest, but then you're also watching the sport of cycling. Then they have the metaverse element

of it as well. So when they qualify, when they were doing the placement, kind of like in track where you have the placement, they do that same thing for cycling. And so they had to qualify. So they were on these stationary bikes for three minutes going as fast as they could in racing. The metaverse was behind them so you could watch it. So ultimately the goal will be, there'll be technology that will be on the cyclist so you can then cycle against your favorite cyclists. So it's a really cool concept because it's not traditional sports, but they're bringing in a different element to it, which people are moving away from traditional sports. Really cool, especially by the fact that it's backed its minority-owned. So it's historic in a lot of ways.

So who all was there was you and Warren Sapp and who else? Well, there's a lot of football synergy with cyclists because football players are like, it's hard to run. You know, our bodies are so beaten up. It's hard to run on our joints. So they cycle. I didn't realize all of that. So several of the investors are NFL players. So people that I interviewed that were there, Jalen Ramsey, Derwin James, Kevin Byard, Warren Sapp actually cycled in the community race that they did before. Desmond Howard is a cyclist. So he was there, brought his son who also cycles.

So there's just a lot of that. There's more investors, but those are the ones that were actually there at the event. But yeah, I was walking around kind of like the woman on the street, talking to fans, talking to some of the investors, talking to people who were. cycling in the race. And it was a really good time. I mean, Miami Beach is a place where people like are too cool to kind of stay and go. You know, you go to a heat game and people come second quarter. They're gone by the third quarter. People were staying for this. Like 20,000 people came through this event, which has never happened. I mean, who stays and watches cycling?

By the last lap, when the men were coming down in that final stretch, everybody was beating against the railing, which is something you do in cycling. But as far as that, you're not, the eye could see down Ocean Drive. People were lined up watching them come through. It's pretty cool. Pretty cool. Last lap, you just made me think about New York, man. Because?

That's one of my spots, but last lap in New York. Go there. Shout out to remember. Seeing them in Las Lap, got some oxtails, had some drinks. We had a night. I was out there trying to sell my big. Shout out to Last Lap.

That seems awesome. Yeah, NFL player cycle. Killing Winslow used to be a cycle. Kellen Winslow second? Yeah. Talk about him. Well. Talk about psyching.

Psychicum. Fuck you up. Don't great. Don't, don't, don't best. Don't best. I met Thought Warriors, by the way. They were there? What were they doing?

Either attending, coming through. Some people who work with NCL with Thought Warriors. Oh, really? Yeah. Hope they're not from the Reddit. No. They didn't give me. They didn't give me Reddit energy.

Yeah. I can't, can't be allowed. Yeah. You can invest still. It's not too late. Into what? NCO. Nah, I should not.

Okay, all right. But you know what? Here's the thing now. I put a jinx on NCL. The jinx is, I say it's not going to work, which ensures that it will. Is that how, when you say things aren't going to work, they do? I'm doing a purpose, reverse jinx. Okay, we don't need that.

Nobody asked for that. I'm doing a purposeful reverse jinx on NCL. NCL is going to be the next best thing. How long? So are these are pro cyclists like the Tour de France people? I mean, some of them have raced in it. And a lot of the commentators who are actually cycling about the race. That wasn't my role, the race.

They race in Tour de France. When you go to Miami and you're down there for the NCL, do you party? There was like a pre-party and there was a little after party. But UFC was going on at that time. So there was a lot going on. UFC was in Miami to start? Yeah. I didn't.

know until it was over. Did you go? Well, that's where we saw all those pictures pop up. Did what pictures? With Tyson, Trump. All the time. And your friend? DJ academics.

Yeah, he was on there. Fans friend. Yeah, there's a Trump guy. He called him Uncle Trump. It's not shocking to me. It's not shocking to me. Why? Because he likes Trump.

You knew that before. I knew that he talks very lonely of Trump. Let me explain something. to you guys. There's a thing amongst black men with the Trump thing. It's real. I have to be honest with you guys. We don't want to act like it's real. It's real. The thing about act, really to me, is that, like,

acting really, like, one of us like that. It's not. Like, act talked about the fact he's on DJ Blad's podcast. Talked about the fact that, you know, the differences between black and Americans and immigrant groups and all of that stuff. These guys, the guys who would be into like a Trump type of the situation and be down with Trump, there's no really any connection there. Like, act likes like Andrew Tate. But he's like an Andrew Tate dude.

That's not surprising to me that he would be in a car. You compared him to Andrew Tate? Compared who to Andrew Tate. Wait, do you just compare it? No, I said, act likes Andrew Tate. Oh. He's an Andrew Tate. Well, we got to, I don't want him on the show anymore.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. People already get mad when we bring him on. Yeah. Well, I didn't even know all of this about him. What is, see, if you know. But why do you, but I guess my thing is, I guess he doesn't come on the show and spew that out, but I also just don't want to uplift someone who, like, Andrew Tate. Yeah.

Andrew Tate? I mean, like, I, what could you possibly find that you like in an Andrew Tate? Or Trump for that matter. We've gone back and him and I've gone back and forth about Andrew Tate. We've never gone back. and forth about Trump, but he's talked about Trump before. What's in the pro column of Andrew Tate for academic? I don't want to speak for him.

Well, he won't come on here and do it. Yeah. Sure, he will. You ask him. I don't want to speak, I don't want to speak for him. But I'll tell you what Andrew Tate dudes think. They think that Andrew Tate makes, and by the way, he is not even close to the only guy that I know that has said that.

Andrew Tate makes points. He's a misogynist? Right. He's not close to the only guy that I'm. For me, I think that obviously, Andrew Tate is ridiculous, and I think it's a bunch of grift. I think it's incredibly destructive. I think it's immature and debasing. Obviously, I feel that way.

But this is kind of something that we talk about on the podcast, like, that we talk about in my life. like I have all the fucked up conversations with all the fucked up people. I do. Yes, right now. I do. All the fucked up conversations with all the fucked up people. Okay.

People that I know from back home like, you don't want to act like Andrew Tate's making points. You don't want to act like Kevin Samuze is making points. You don't talk to these people. I have conversations with these people. I was mad people to call me up low. Yo, man, did you watch the Kyrie documentary? That shit was facts. You know what I mean?

You know what I'm saying? I'm not in the same realm of you guys where everyone that I know is pristine in a way that I don't ever have to tug them like tug their capes a little bit and give them some get right. I don't.

So when he posted that, I wasn't surprised at all. He had talked about the fact that he had liked Trump before. He talked about the fact that that he was into the fact that Trump makes it easier for people who get a lot of money to pay their taxes. Do I think that a black man that wills that much in the culture should be standing next to

Donald Trump that has that kind of voice? No, I don't. I think it's terrible. But he is not the only one. I know he's not the only one. Yeah. Maul likes Trump. Mall is a Trump guy.

He likes Trump. He talks about Trump. I put, I, I criticized Mike Tyson for being next to Trump. That's because I forgot that Mike Tyson's always been a Trump guy too. And Ma was like, now we got to cancel. I saw the Twitter exchange.

Yeah, now we got to cancel Mike Tyson. And your response was you can roll reading on Twitter. I loved it. You know, like you should go read it up. But, but yeah, so these guys, this thing, this blackmail Trump thing, it's real.

I just, I, you know, I don't want to say too much because people will get on me for dogging black men, but you're not winning yourself any points with stuff like this. And breaking news, DJ Academics has signed an exclusive live streaming agreement with right-wing video sharing platform Rumble. Rumble. Okay. I mean, look, to me, to me, this is the thing.

I don't know what Rumble. I don't know what Rumble. I don't know much about Rumble. He interviewed Candice Owens. Like, you had a conversation with Kansas Owens. him in Kenna's on time to talk. These guys are conservative. They're right wing.

They're fundamental. They're not who we are. They think that we're woke, crazy bastards, and it is what it is. I'm not offended by it. I'm not whatever. It is what it is.

Like, everyone who hates act, who hates any of these people who have all, all, all the reason. It is what it is. Now,

I will say this. when we talk about the gravitation towards the right for some of our brothers. This, oh, Donnie says, Candice Owens' his husband owns Rome.

So there's probably some synergy there between the fact that he talked to Candice Owens and the fact that he's now signed to deal with Rome. He talked to Candice Owens, which I don't think is like a big crime. You know, like we've even considered that on this podcast, but did he hold,

they had like a nice conversation. Like he didn't hold her accountable for anything. There's nothing. I think that they have more uncommon than you think that they do. So for me, this is what, to me, this is what all of this actually means.

But there's two things. Okay. One of the things might be controversial. The other thing is just kind of is what it is. First of all, as we know, there is a conservative street that exists inside of specific places in the black community. And what I mean by that is, whereas politically a lot of black people have gone through the Democrats because of what's happened in the last 40 or 50 or 60 years, there is a conservative street to us based upon mores and values that were established.

still in the black community by the church. We've seen that. That's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And there's a, there's a capitalist street. There's, in certain areas,

especially where I'm from, there's a pro-gun street. There's all of that. But there's something else. And this is, to me, the bigger thing. For a percentage of black people, for a percentage,

not black people, for a percentage of black, males, and I'm going to speak just to like where I'm from. There's been a political brain drain that we don't really talk about. There's a, there's been a sort of incuriousness that has developed around structures and politics in the world that we live in. Mm-hmm. Okay.

There are certain people who, um, don't interrogate, I'm not speaking it for any one particular person. There's a notion to not interrogate things politically to any actual degree. Like we don't talk about this stuff in a real way. And I think that there's a reason. I think that there was a real political consciousness that was brewing, particularly in parts of Black America,

particularly among black men in the 50s and the 60s on up into the 70s. Remember, the guys that were, we're talking about Hampton, X, King, Edwards, the women as well, Ella Baker, you know, like Shirley Chisholm, all of these people were direct and clear political thinkers. There's something that happened. And one thing that happened is we saw a lot of deaths from people. There another thing that happened is through the activities of the American government

and through just living life, these voices were depowered. And what sprung up in, like, that replaced those voices were a lot of people who said things that didn't really have a lot of backing in terms of what's happening in America politically. And what I mean that is, I mean, I'm talking about hip hop artists. I'm talking about a period in the 80s and the 90s where the black leaders, not just hip hop artists, entertainers, period. A period in the 80s and the 90s where you had to really dig to find people that were constructing political thought, that were actually educating you on what the civics of a situation are, or stood as examples of how you should be synthesizing the information that you used to make sense of your world. The guys that you had that were heroes around that time, and I'm speaking for myself as well.

were Michael Jordan, where Charles Barkley, MC Hammer, JZ, Puff, Big, all of these guys. These were the guys, especially in the late 80s and early 90s, that you started to look up to to kind of understand what was happening.

And there wasn't very much education there in terms of how we need to view the world from a socio-political lens. Now, Tupac, a guy like, Tupac, try, right? He would talk about the realities of the world, the inequality in the world, and he would, you know, interrogate what it means to be black in America, what it meant to be poor in America, all of these things, right?

But as far as I was concerned, the reading that I was getting, the people that I was listening to, sometimes you would see a social soldier on TV, sometimes you would see Minister Farrakhan on television. But by this point, the people that you thought were going to push that forward, they were gone. Right. And so, like, a lot of the stuff that I was reading was coming from elders who put stuff in my brain. Sure. And it was coming from my curiosity to educate myself.

I'm saying all this to say this. Because it is, I do think sometimes we move on feeling. We move on, when I say we, I'm not talking about all brothers. I'm talking about a specific group of drugs. They move on how we feel about somebody. What it seems somebody is about. And that is the appeal of Donald Trump. The appeal of Donald Trump is what we've, like when you were,

when you were worshiping all of those athletes and entertainers and stuff, the ones who you really fucked with were the ones that were uncompromising, unapologetic, who said fuck it to everybody. who crashed every party, who did everything that they wanted to do. Right. Those were the people that you kind of looked at and was like,

fuck it, man, I'm not watering my shit down. I'm this, I'm that. Even though Michael Jordan was a pitch man, in a way, Michael Jordan also represented this alpha, like super in control athlete that had everybody else doing

whatever the fuck he wanted him to do and had more, he basically didn't have fans. he had acolytes, you know, he had minions. And so over this entire time, when faced with a political enemy, someone who really is a political enemy, like somebody who really represents things

and a method of thinking that are at cross purposes with who we are and what we should be, it's hard to recognize him through the suit that he has on. It's tough to see when he says, fuck it to everybody, when he's funny, when his charisma, as perverted as it is, is undeniable. When he has everyone talking about him, when he is the world's ultimate political alpha, there's an incuriousness about interrogating what he actually means for you.

And so to me, when I see this, when I see this come up, I start asking questions. I'll be like, okay, well, who are the two signatures from your state? like when was the last time that you voted? Like what do you really know about this situation? What do you really know about Donald Trump? And so I'm never that surprised when I kind of see this. Well, I guess everything that you said makes sense, and I understand all of that.

But I understand what you're talking about between the 80s and the 90s, and even through, I'll just use musicians, the glorification of Trump, which we know that their team loves to say all the times that he's been mentioned in rap songs and songs or whatever it may be. I understand you talking about there weren't certain people who we had before or even we have now who we're speaking to certain things that politically, but we do have that now.

So I guess we're, in my opinion, if you're not, if you're not more educated than we were back then, we at least have access in a way that we never have before. And to me, it's just ignorance that you want to shut out learning the other side of it. At this point, we know way more about Trump than we did before. Even though it was out there, we have access to it and it's been brought to our attention by some of the political leaders that are, you know, leading the way right now. So to me, I hear what you're saying about the feelings and the look of it all and everything that, everything that appeals to the media and why Trump has so much control over it in that way because people can't help but showcase him because he is

such good TV. He is such entertainment. But for me, I can't make an excuse for certain people not seeing the other side of it because to me, the information is so prevalent out there on the monster that Trump is, or an Andrew Tate, or whoever it is, you may glorify for whatever, whatever that reason may be. There's just no excuse for it at this point. So I'm not making any excuses. But what I am saying is this. Number one, Andrew Tate is even different than Trump because they actually agree with Andy Tate. A lot of it. They are. agree with it. They like, they don't, like, I'll come back to Andrew Taylor-Tayn-Sack, they don't agree with it. So there's something on the political side that we also have to

talk about, right? A lot of the political movements that sprung up in the last 10 or 15 years where we really started to become politically literate. And that did not stop, start with President of Obama. I really started after. That started when we started to see movements and mass demonstrations. Sure. And those demonstrations from the police incidents and incidents of violence against black people start to make us re-contextualize and re-sort of examine

or what we thought was our changed perched in American society. Like that's a thing, right? Those movements were run by women. And they sometimes were run by gay guys. And

there's a barrier. So when we're talking about the things that we're talking about now and we're talking about the difference between black men and black women, what we're essentially talking about is a conversation that's being had, if we're being honest, with two groups of people who aren't exactly, how can I say this, who aren't exactly like analyzing the world in the same way right now? That's for sure. And so what I'm saying is that like,

I'm not saying that if somebody knows more about politics, that they will, the more that you know about politics, because there are a lot of people who know a lot about politics and they still look down Trump for whatever it is. I'm saying that there is a portion of people who don't really know shit about the fucking president, except the former president, except for the fact that he is for destroying the taxes

and lowering your taxes. and that nobody can fuck with him. And I'm saying that's a choice to only know that. Well, it probably is, but everything is a choice, right? Like, everything is a choice. But what I mean by that is, of course, it's a choice to only know that, but the fact that they feel that way about him is real.

And that comes from, that, that's, see, and this is where we talk about, that's my job. my job is not to get mad about who supports Donald Trump or who's a Trump supporter or whatever. I am mad about it. That's not my job. My job is to continue to disseminate the information to my brothers as I see it

based upon what their political and social choices in America be. And for that reason, like, I'm not talking about specifically act or anybody else like that. For that reason, I got to take those phone calls. I don't knock you for it. Yeah.

I appreciate you for doing the heavy lifting. And, you know, for me, I've got to take those phone calls. But remember now, this is something I've been fighting for a long time. This is, Van was out stumping for fucking Kerry back when I was a Democratic chill. Van was a part of the whole Obama thing back when I really gave a fuck about the Democrats. What I give a fuck about now is black people and how they look at their world and what they wanted to be. And I guarantee you, I guarantee you that the. version of the world that Donald Trump sees is not a version that black Americans want to be a part of.

Of course. He is beholden to a group of people that will niggerize you in perpetuity. But if you can't see that because there are too many things that you prioritize over the actual political realities of this country and the historical context of where you live, I mean, that's a thing. That's it. Okay. Oh, what did you say? You said something else I was going to come back to it.

Andrew Tate. Or you said the political side. Oh, Andrew Tate. So Andrew Tate, real quick. Real quick thing about Andrew Tate. Andrew Tate represents something else to me. And I think it's interesting about him. Like, Andrew Tate didn't have his dad around.

Right? So Andrew Tate's, in my opinion, and I've dug into it. I watched an interview, I actually talked to Ack about this, I watched an interview where Andrew Tate said, he doesn't, he was talking about, like, how he views his women and what he thinks is valuable in the woman. What he said was this, he said, you know, I don't look at sex as something that's valuable in a woman

because they were talking about this poll that they had done where they were talking about the fact that they asked a bunch of different men whether or not they cared about if a woman could cut the stake whether or not they care when she was good at give him blow jobs or something like that. The results were

that they care more about the state or whatever. It's like men care about women that make them look better. Right? That was his point.

His point was that he doesn't really care what a woman can do sexually or anything like that. What he cares about is a woman that enhances him. So he said to me

my ideal woman would do something like this and this was the scenario that he put out. The scenario was that Andrew Tate and his boys have been partying all night long. They've been partying.

They come home at like 2 o'clock in the morning. The type of woman Andrew Tate likes is the woman that would wake up and make stakes for all of his homeways. Like, that makes him look good to all of his friends. That makes him look good to all of his friends. And I was watching that. And I was thinking to myself, I was raised by a man, like an actual man whose life didn't mean anything unless my life meant something. And I'll say that again.

I was raised by an actual man whose life didn't mean anything unless my life met something. So his concern wasn't how everybody else looked at him. It just wasn't. Now, you weren't going to fucking play with him. He was a gun owner.

His concern wasn't that. His concern was his fucking family and what was going on inside of his house. There would never be a time where he would think it was dope that my mom got up and cooked for all of his brothers or all of his friends.

An Andrew Tate, a guy like Andrew Tate is basically parenting a whole generation of men who don't really have anybody that explains to them what manhood, in my opinion, and some of these opinions are antiquated,

really is. And it really doesn't have anything to do with how anybody else looks at you as a name. It has to do with how the people who rely on you and who you rely on you, who you rely on look at you. That's what it has to do. So when I saw that, I was able to, I don't know what we're going along here, I saw a tremendous amount of weakness in him, a tremendous amount of weakness in him in the spot where he should be most secure,

which is around his friends and his woman. he needs her to make him look good in front of them. I don't have one friend who would even want their girl. None of my boys would want their girl to wake up and cook for all of us in the middle of the night. Sure. And if she did wake up and start cooking for all of us in the middle of the night,

all of us together would say, girl, go to sleep. We got this real balsome eggs and do all of that. So to me, guys who don't have a real sense of who they are. That's it. Who don't really understand or put their confidence in a chain or put their confidence in a car, put their confidence in anything like that because nobody ever cared enough about them to really invest into them. And to be honest with you, that's what happened to Andrew Tate.

Andrew Tate was in a situation estranged from positive, strong male role models. and he developed a system and a set of rules that make him look like a man to a bunch of people who don't really matter. For his definition of what a man is, to be clear. All right, on the other side of this, sorry we went long. On the other side of this, Clarence Thomas. Did you know about one in three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop

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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 Fandual 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 vanduil.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash herms. All right. Clarence Thomas has finally reacted to the bullshit.

This is the story, guys. A major GOP donor took justice Clarence Thomas on a bunch of trips. And Clarence Thomas did not disclose these trips. All right. you might have heard this news last week. ProPublica reported that Harlan Crow, who is a billionaire business out of Dallas. Dallas, you know him.

Like that, yeah, they have a big building with their name on it. Crow family, what do they do? I think it's an investment. Like, why can I think of the name? Not investments. Come on, not wealth management. Give it too many. Hedge fund.

Like a holding company. Like, yeah, hedge fund. What's the name? Warren Buffett. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Burchard Hathel.

That's the propeer. Buckley. Okay. They took Claire Stomis and his wife, Jeannie Thomas, on vacations and cruises, private flights that could cost millions and millions of dollars. Here's the thing.

Claire Stomis didn't report these as part of his annual financial disclosure. He talked about this a little bit. He claims that when he first got into the Supreme Court, he asked about the types of things that he can disclose. And he was advised that this sort of personal hospital fatality from a close person and friend who did not have business before the court, was it reportable? So Thomas flew on Crow's private jet to Indonesia for nine days, an island hop on his

yacht every summer. They went to Camp Top Ridge, getting some Toppage, Top Ridge. And there were a bunch of people, corporate leaders, conservative activists, and Florida, and all that kind of stuff. This guy also, Harlan Crow loves Hitler. He collects Hitler artifacts. This is the whole thing about Rachel, your thoughts when you're on this. This is straight up on that. Well, my first thought was Judge Sam Lindsay would never.

Okay, he would never be caught up in anything like this. Stop laughing. He would not. But I want to say about Clarence Thomas is this isn't the first time that this has been in the news. This isn't the first time

that he's been under investigation. In 2004, the Los Angeles Times did an investigative report on this. And at the time, he was disclosing this information. And after that report came out in 2004 is when he stopped. And then there was another report in 2011. Like this isn't the first time that this is brought to the public's attention and the reason being because of how it looks. And if you've been following Clarence Thomas and his family,

his wife, you know that they have blurred the lines. And that's being polite quite a bit when it comes to being political when we know that the court is supposed to be by. bipartisan. And in light of how the court is designed right now and the decisions that they're making, this is extremely important and it's a bigger issue when I thought about this. The rules that govern the judges, the judges, period, but specifically the Supreme Court are really, really loose. And I think they just changed them in March. Yeah. But they pretty much, it's up to their own discretion of what they want to disclose or not, they don't really have to do that, which it's wild to think that that's the case when this is a court that sets the law of the land, yet they can do things that

almost seem like bribery in a sense, because what you have to know, well, yeah, like, it's definitely bribe. Well, bribe, yes, but like, because if you guys don't understand who Harlan Crow is, in addition to the fact that he collects Hitler artifacts and has statues of Stalin and linen and all, of that. He's a leading donor to Republican and conservative causes. He is with, he donated $500,000 to Liberty Central, which was established by Clarence Thomas's wife, and it's an organization that was promoted at the 2010 conservative political action conference. I mean, Harle Crow is someone who has deep ties and contributes a lot of money to conservative causes. And if you don't think that he's doing that on the basis of, or his

friendship isn't, and the things he's doing with Clarence Thomas doesn't impact the decisions that Clarence Thomas makes, we all have to be idiots. And so I think that this is bringing attention to it, like politicians are speaking out in the sense that something has to be done to manage this court. Because what we've seen with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this court is on a mission. And the more cases that are going to be brought in front of them, they're going to continue to change the law of the land to fit their political desires. And what's happening right now, out with Clarence Thomas and Trammell, or not Trammell, that's the son. Harlan Crow shows that this has to be nipped in the bud immediately.

In terms of the rules that governs political justice. You know what I thought about when I thought about this, the deeper I looked into it? Harlan Crow has a signed copy of mine comp. Who signed? A signed copy. of mine company. Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler signed the copy of mine.

God damn, that's crazy, bro. I'm not going to lie. A signed, you got a signed copy like it's a fucking baseball card. You got a Hitler signature. But he just loves history. He just loves history. That's all.

Okay. So, you know what I thought about this? When I thought about this, I thought, I never voted for Clarenstombs. That's all I thought. My first thought literally was, I never voted for Clarenstowns. And everybody's listening to this and they go, well, we don't vote for Supreme Court justices.

I know. We don't vote for them, yet they will, they willed in an ordinary amount of power over our lives. Yes. So it's almost like we don't vote for anybody anymore because of the way the pocket works and, you know, sort of the other roadblocks in American democracy. but this doesn't really make me think about Clarence Thomas as much as it makes me think about much-needed reform in the entire court. I'm going to suggest a book for people to read.

Supreme Inequality by Adam Cohen is a book that you shall read, and the book goes in depth about the Supreme Court what the Supreme Court has upheld, what the Supreme Court has meant, and whether or not the Supreme Court has acted in the interests of bath swaths of the majority of American people. Remember, this Supreme Court that gave us the Dobbs decision, this Supreme Court that struck down when ledbedders fight to get equal pay for equal work, this is the Supreme Court that gave us citizens united.

the Supreme Court that has fucked over voting rights and the vote is the Supreme Court. Supreme Court is an unelected body of people who with a five-person vote can wield over a hundred times more power than democratically elected legislators. And they're there forever. They are appointed kings and queens

of American law. and they reinforce a document, the Constitution that, depending on their interpretation of it, lives in this sort of perpetual American romantic tale to where we don't actually interrogate the fact that the Constitution was written then and does now reinforce the rights for the most part of exactly the people who were it was written.

for which are rich white landowners. So you're saying they have a history of doing that? I'm telling you that beyond a couple of cases that we know about, beyond cases like Brown versus the Board of Education, beyond Roe versus Wade, that the Supreme Court has more often than not, way more often than not. Well, of course, because of where we stand right now when it comes to history. I'm upheld the American status quo in a very direct way. The Supreme Court more often than not, as a body, more often than not, has refused.

And remember now, we're talking about a specific power that the court has. Because the court, right? Like, for example, right now, and anybody who knows more about this can, like, factual hearings. We want to codify row. Right? We want to vote to codify row. What if we codify a row, right? What if it's some way it got through the house, which wouldn't happen, and it got through the Senate that wouldn't happen? What if the law gets codified?

And the Supreme Court deems the law unconstitutional. This is what I will say. I'm not, by no means I'm taking up for the Supreme Court. But as someone who studied law, there was this coming up, there was this And even when I was a kid and I wanted to be a lawyer and then to see my dad become a judge, there's this admiration that you had for the Supreme Court. You know, judges, whether they're on my dad's level or they're on the appellate level, they desire to get to that level. What I will say, you're correct in that more often than not, it's about keeping the status quo,

but I think that's just because of how slow this country has been to progress. But the reason that Roe v. Wade, the overturning of that with the Dobbs decision was so jarring, and that's just putting it lightly, is because normally when a rule is made, it's towards progression, right? Even if it's slow. It's not overturning some, it's not going backwards. It's either we're going to maintain the rule as it is, or it's going to move it forward, even if it's just an inch. Roe v. Wade went backwards when it comes to progress. That has never been done before. So I don't want to say like I'm not again, I'm not defending them because they've been so slow to just look at the way that the Supreme Court looks now versus how it even looked 10 years ago. I'm not saying that, but I don't want to make it seem like every single thing that they've done has been to keep, you know, for whatever, what did you say, white landowners or something like that? So the Lulie Ledbetter led better decision and there are these are anecdotes.

The Lully-Libbert decision was in 2009. The decision on Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was June 25th, 2013. Citizens United, which essentially gave the rights and powers of a person to corporations in order to make political contributions and to construct political. media and all of that stuff, forever, ever, ever damaging. That's definitely backwards to me. Forever damaging our elections by not stimming the amount of money that can be poured into a candidate when you're telling me that a corporation is a person, right?

So what I'm saying is that I'm not, number one, so sure that the court always acts in a progressive way, but I'll tell you this. Not always. Okay. But I'll tell you this. This is what I'll say. I'll say that there's no way to, that's almost a non-starter for me

because you have nine people looking at the Constitution, right? And you have people that are looking at the exact same documents and their interpretation of those documents are the things that are the things that are making rules for 350 million people,

400 million people. their interpretation of that. And I think it's time, past time, that we start to ask some real serious questions about reform of the court. Biden has done this. He commissioned the study, I think it was last year, the year before last,

to look at reforming the courts and what it looks like to reform the courts. And part of that is term limits. Part of that is ethics and rules. But, you know, when I think about Clarence Thomas, who is essentially untouchable, because think about what it would take to impeach him. He's absolutely untouchable. Think about what it would take to impeach him. It would take, you'd have to get through the house, and then you'd have to have two-thirds of the city to do as well.

Just like impeaching anybody else, it's not going to happen. Yeah. And so he can just do whatever he wants. He does. He can do whatever he wants. And the fact now, I mean, in 30 years, of court, because when we look, liberal and they could all be on the other side. But the question is, is the system that we have right now with the Supreme Court being

sort of the last and last and best best of American constitutionality? Is that working? No, because when it was created, this country looked totally different. People had different roles, places. People weren't even considered full human beings according to this country. So that was put in place at a different time. Now that the world looks different, it's like the Supreme Court,

it's not the Supreme Court, all the elected, not elected, appointed officials, whether you're on the federal level, the appellate level, because it all feeds to it or the Supreme Court. You're trusting that a human being is not going to put their feelings, emotions, or political beliefs in their decision. even on a lower level.

And because we're seeing it right now in Texas, which is what's happening with the decision in regards to the FDA drug with abortion, people are putting their own beliefs there. But you're supposed to, when you're sworn in, the oath that you take, you're supposed to not do any of that. That's the standard that you're held to,

yet that's almost impossible. How do you not have a feeling? That's why I always be like, oh, I would never be a judge because I could not be, I'll be biased. And I'm honest about that, but most people aren't. So if that's just how we are as human beings, how can we expect the Supreme Court to be that way, as if they're godlike?

I'm going to read you something here. Mm-hmm. Let me move off this. If the policy of the government upon vital questions affecting the whole people is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court, the instant they are made, the people will have ceased to be their own rules. having to that extent practically resigned

their government into the hands of that imminent tribunal. True. Who do you think said that? I have no idea. That's Abraham Lincoln.

Wow. One point for Abe Lincoln. That's Abraham Lincoln. That's coming on the back of the Dred Scott decision. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So that's Abraham Lincoln.

I'm saying that it really doesn't make sense now and if we look at it closely, it really never did. But now that we have like open, like flaunting, flagrant, flagrant abuses. And the fact that at least some of this, the transportation parts of it,

are clear rules of even the clear violations of even the old ethics rules. I think we have to really take a strong look at, you know, at how laws are made, interpreted, and upheld them there. The thing is, if this is supposed to be a whole checks and balance, who's checking the Supreme Court? It should be Congress, right? Congress can make them have more strict rules. But this Congress isn't going to do that to them.

Yeah. We should remark that it's happening. people killed in the shooting downtown Louisville. Tommy Elliott, Jim Tut, Josh Barrett, Gianna Farmer. The shooter has been identified. The weapon of choice was a rightful.

In Kentucky, what this happened. Any person over the age of 21 who is legally able to buy a gun can buy and carry a concealed weapon by a license or a back on the chip according to Kentucky State Police. Anyone convicted of a felony while those people subject to domestic violence restraining orders are prohibited

the law of the state. Kentucky does not have so-called red flag law. We do not know what a red flag law is. A red-flat-law is a sort of risk protection that allows a judge to make a decision about whether or not someone can have a gun based upon things that they might have said, things that might have done,

or whether or not they represent enhanced risk or concern to the community. They're very controversial. It doesn't have extreme risk protection orders either, which allow law enforcement to remove guns from people think to be a threat to themselves because they also

does not require background checks in order to purchase a gun according to the Giffords Center. The fight isn't against anyone person. It's against the gun. We know this. We're aware of this. There's nothing else we can do.

I want to quickly mention that Justin Jones has got his job back. That's pretty awesome. 23 members of the Metropolitan the Metropolitan Council voted a vow to send Jones back but they voted for it

the Nashville Metropolitan Council 36-0 in favor of reinstating Justin Jones but that doesn't look like it's the end of the story. Tennessee Speaker Colin Sexton, who is one of the assholes and villains of this entire story, has told people

that he and Jones will not that Pearson and Jones shall say will not be seated until 2025. That's even if the county commission voted to send them back. That is updated as of today. Tell me. A spokesperson for the House Speaker, Cameron Sexton, said that if they were voted back in

by the county commissions, then they would be able to. I say incorrect. One of House of Tennessee lawmakers headed back to the House. You know what I saw? What? I saw an interview with a guy, a representative on CNN, the camera member of his name, who said that Justin Jones had asked him to, vote for expulsion.

Was that guy a Republican or Democrat? He was a Republican. And he said his office was right next to Justin Jones. And even though he thought what he did was, was out of bounds that he wasn't going to vote to expel him. But that Justin Jones asked him to vote for expulsion because the hubbub was increasing his political standing. that his political career, his political sort of whatever, was being increased.

How does that make you feel? Does it undercut what they did to you that it's politically motivated? I love it. Okay. Okay. I love it. If true,

that shows me that this guy has what it takes to be a savvy operator for years to come a lot of people would hear that and go yo if that's true no this motherfucker is a politician

I don't expect him to be pristine I expect him to be effective and if he can read the room like that and read the cultural tea leaves like that I'm fucking with him for the long haul I'm fucking with him with his ponytail ass

I'm fucking with you I'm fucking with him for the long haul what about you how do you feel like what do you feel like if that's true No, I could see how somebody could try to twist it and say, oh, it was just a political sun. They didn't really mean anything. They were just using it to advance their political platform so they can move on to do bigger and better things. I could totally see somebody trying to say that.

I personally don't see it that way because when they decided to go down into the well and to stand there together as the Tennessee three with other protesters, they didn't know that they were going to be up for, to be expelled in that moment. that decision for him to tell his fellow colleague that came after it was already an option on the table. So I think if anybody who tries to make the other argument, you're not looking at it. Once he read the room, as you said, he realized the opportunity that was there and his voice could be even bigger on a national platform. And it brings awareness to certain laws that are on the book in state legislatures and what we need to pay attention to. Now, that can be a bad thing because other states will use this as a playbook to disenfranchise more black voters. but because of what's the two communities

that the Justin sit in are heavily black. But at the same time, it could be a wake-up call to pay attention to the laws that are on your state books and maybe make a difference in that way. Absolutely. Okay, guys, a really delightful interview coming

with Cassandra Freeman. All right. Cassandra Freeman, who's one of Rachel's friends, she plays undiv on Peacock Show, Bel-A. Yeah. So much fun talking about. She's amazing.

Beautiful inside and out. She's a force. On the other side of this break. 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. They 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 WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and make it a mess. You don't need WeatherTech 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. Special guests in the building. That's not like we're on the breakfast club or something like that. Yeah, so do that overview.

We are not them. They are not us. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's all you want some beef. Oh, geez. You do this every single time. I say this. No.

They say the same thing. We have Cassandra Freeman joining us from the, how can I this show I don't want to it's a hit show but it also is like a culture defining changing show

in a lot of ways it's facts it's facts she's an actress and writer she plays Aunt Vivian Banks on Peacott's Belair

which is one of the most novel shows ever created and really made everybody reassess the first of Bel Air is like change everything. How are you doing today? I'm doing great.

Y'all I'm so excited to be here. Okay, I'm such a fan of this show. Okay. So thank you. Thank you for having me on. Such kind words. What a great way to introduce me. Yeah, no, you know, I like to say and the kids steal this for me and I like constantly add to it, but I'm always like, you know,

if you love Fresh Prince, then you should really love Bel Air because it's like the diary entries into these people's lives. Like, like, what's a deepening into the conversation of the original show. And I don't know if another show is really thought to do such an idea like that for a reboot. But I hate to think

of it as reboot. It's just a deepening. You know, I have a history with this show. All right. That's what a name? Okay. So check this out. Obviously, people might not know now, but this actually, this idea came about because there was a viral video four or five years ago. Do you remember this? So about four or five years ago,

there was a viral video of this premise. Of course. Yes, of course. I remember that. I thought you meant you. I was like, well, we should go on fire. No, no, no. Wasn't me. Was it me? Okay, go ahead. And I remember being blown away. I can see. You know this? No.

It's the original video that the creator of the Shermorgan Cooper put together with his own money in Kansas City. Right. It went viral. Went viral. The first day it dropped. It's crazy. And I remember I sent it to Avery Duvone. No. A too. And what happened? Nothing?

But like, I sent it to Edward Duvernail. I was, I watched it, I was like, God, damn, this is crazy. Yes, crazy, right. When I, it took me so long to see it. And I think I finally saw it because Shadow and Act reposted it on their blog. And I was like, let me watch what everyone's talking about. This is the worst idea I've ever heard. And then when I saw it, I was like, oh, I guess I missed out on that.

because I thought that was the thing. Like even that version, as gritty as it was, it was even darker in a way than our show was. But a lot of that same energy, the same music and that is in this too. The Bel Air theme song was already in there as well. But yeah, same. When I saw that, I was like, whoa,

it was like a kick in the stomach because it didn't even occur to me. Yeah. Which is why I understood when the fans heard that this version of the show was coming out and they were so upset. I'm like, I got it. Because, like, I felt the same way.

Just wait for it. and give it a chance. That's what I was going to ask you because I was never upset. I was intrigued by it, having grown up on fresh prints, and I felt like I related to it in a lot of different ways. I was like, what is this going to look like? What is this going to be? And so for you stepping into not, I know it's not the same,

but still, Bel Air, this iconic TV show, this franchise, I should maybe say, and then also stepping into the role of Aunt Vib, was there any hesitation? on your part of, should I do this? Should I not? Is this? You know, when the audition first came to me,

I passed on it. I was like, no. Really? And then my manager called and he was like, why don't you put yourself on tape for this thing? And I was like, listen, I ain't obviv. I don't know who I'm div is, but that is sweet. And it's so funny because so many

my friends in my life when I kept telling him, like, yeah, you heard fresh prince. They want me to audition for Aunt Vip. Every friend was like, what you are. Like, even Adrian's wife, she's an actress, Adrian who plays Uncle Phil, even his wife and we're like,

you know who this? This is Cassandra Freeman. I was like, what? So my agent called, my manager calls me up and he's like, but you told me you were looking for. So before this, I did another role on a TV show

and it was just a black pain. And after that, I told my reps, I'm like, don't submit me for anything about black thing. I don't want to be the black mom in the street crying over the kid. I don't want to do that anymore. I said, I just want to do something like,

can I just be a rich, woman who has dreams and passions. Like, can't that be enough of the black experience? And my manager was like, and so here it is. So I threw myself on tape. And when those people reached out, it didn't occur to me that it was like Aunt Viv. You know, it took the night before the show dropped that I was like, oh, wait a minute, people are going to think I'm Aunt Viv.

But really what I was looking at it is is like, oh, something new to add to the conversation what it means to be a black woman or that's what you want to call me, African-American or whatever, you know, that's what I was looking at. the night before, I was like, oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. No, no. They think this is Janet Hubert slash Daphne Maxwell. And the first day before I even hit set,

that's all I did was watch, you know, Daphne and Janet and Diane Carroll Dynasty, you know, Felicia Rashad. Like, I literally sat there of like, what is that energy? Dear God, give me that energy. Yeah. So you watched

both portrayals of Aunt Viv. Is your Aunt Viv an amalgam of those two Aunt Vives or did you say I have to be totally different in my unvibbiveness? Where does your viviness come from? Like how do you play a character in a show where the character, one character is famous and then another version of Vib is infamous almost in a way now? You know, two things.

One is that I think if you're an early actor, you think playing a character means to have a hump back and put on false teeth and like do this thing. and I'm the character. But that's not it. It's an essence that you're really trying to bring across. And so because I'm from the theater,

I really understood like the assignment is never to try to duplicate. You're trying to bring like your own special flavor to it. And if you can find some nuances that you can keep, then that's what you should do.

You know, if you do Shakespeare, if you do August Wilson, so many people have done these roles, you know, and Morgan Cooper said from the beginning, he's like, yes, he don't feel like you have to replicate, feel like you get to create your own.

So I felt like for me, I wanted, I'd love how Janet Huber is just grace and poise and intellect. And she's very specific about what she's going to say. I'm not that controlling with my energy. Or at least I didn't want Aunt Viv to be like that. I thought, wouldn't it my vision of the perfect auntie is someone who can go high and low. So I want people to feel like, oh, she's rich, but she feels like, warmth, you know? And I think Daphne Maxwell does a really great job in her

portray of really bringing warmth and being like, come here, baby. And I think Janet brings in that thing of like, you know, I will knock you out and I'll knock you out with my PhD. You know what I'm saying? And so I thought I wanted to bring those two things. And I think you see that in the very first episode. The way the writers wrote it is, you know, Will comes in. I hug him. I'm like, welcome. And then I stop and I say, you're okay. And then he

says something that's very Westfield. And I'm like, ah, there's that Westfielding thing. nobody's taught like that. That's why I want you to be here. Like, be that version. Don't erase yourself. And I think that's really important for us to know, like, that Southern thing, that Philadelphia thing, it is welcome. And it actually adds to your crown. It doesn't have to take away. When Bill Clinton ran for president, he didn't take away his Arkansas accent. You know, that became the thing that you enjoyed about him. I feel like that's how we should be, too, as African-American people, especially with this role. Did you talk to any either one of them in preparation for this role? And if not, have you heard from them since? Well, of course, Daphne Maxwell is in the show, and she was in the show last season.

So preparation, I didn't speak to anybody. It was also COVID. It was like, you know, and also, again, I mean, I don't know how Daphne felt before the show started, but nobody, you know, I don't remember anyone from the original cast being like, oh, my God, I'd love to talk to you about how you're about to redo something. I put my heart and soul in decades ago. I don't remember that happening.

But when Daphne Maxwell showed up on set, it was like a gang. Like I think the show run was like Cassie, Daphne's here. And I was like, oh, everybody. Daphne's here. Like a gang of us. And when I saw Daphne, I started crying.

It's on my Instagram and I was just like, oh. And she is so kind. And she was like, she's like, you have, there is nothing for me to give me. She's like, who you are. And then she's the one who crowned me as Aunt Viv 3.0. She's like, you're on 53.

point on. She's like, I couldn't ask or hope for you to be anything other than who you are. And I was just like, you are a gift. But also that energy is who I think Aunt Viv is. She's like, and come as you are. And then she might say something to all of us, you know, that's just about what it means to be in something that's in the zeitgeist, you know. But in general, she just really embraced this version. I really hope I get to meet Janet Hubert. I mean, she is, she is who we think of when we think of Aunt Viv, right? And what she did then was so important to my self-esteem as younger. You know, they called these things programs for a reason

because content does program people. And I think the program that she put out was just so wonderful for my spirit as a young person. So I would love to just see her and say that in person, but I've done enough interviews that hopefully someone has sent her a bite of something of me telling what she meant to me. Now, did I pick up that maybe you, said that the original cast ain't really fucking with y'all like that?

I think, no. Tatiana's on it. What, Tatiana's on it, right? I also know Coco, who plays Hillary. She's spoken to Karen Parsons many times and Karen's been so supportive and loves the direction that Coco is.

I mean, Coco's Hillary are very different. Very. And yet, it's exactly what you would think a Hillary sort of probably be like at this time. So, and actually, And the original Jeffrey came to the premiere, and he was so loving. And actually, that Jeffrey worked as the father to our Jeffrey in a movie in the past. So they already had.

Yeah. Let me tell you something. It's more like two degrees of separation of all these people. So there's only a handful of people I don't think have had direct contact with us. So for sure, that's me. And I don't think Alfonso has reached out to Ali, but I'm sure that means a lot to Ali. But also I could see how that could be hard for maybe Alfonso because it's so different this character as well.

You know, I think, you know, Tantanayana said something, and I just know it's the truth. And it didn't occur to me until she was on set. And she said, you know, being here on set, and then I'm talking to someone named Ashley who's wearing a uniform that she spent six, seven years of her life as a kid, she's like, it's a very cathartic, overwhelming experience. So you don't know what people's past

is coming up in the present. So I honor everyone's choice. I don't know what I would do if I was them. You just wouldn't know. Yeah, yeah. Alfonso, Carlton, look, let's be honest. Some of these characters on the show

have caused a lot of uproar on the old social media. When the show first came out, I never read more mad-ass-ass. I know. I mean, hey man, what they got Ashley doing? What? How come they take Asht? How come they got to do this

with Ashen and Carlton, man? But this shit is violent, man. This is not what we see. When are they going to do the dance? So, you know what I mean? Like, people were mad. People were mad. No, it's true.

Do you think that Alfonso Ribeiro himself because this is a wholesome America's funniest home videos brother? Yeah. Do you think that he's offended in any way? way by the portrayal of Carlton on the show. You look, the most PC answer you ever going to get is how I know I didn't

what I know? I mean, I would, I don't know. You know, like I said, everyone's evolution is very different. However, I could, I'm a Libra and maybe that means something to somebody. I don't know. I'm so diplomatic. I see things on both sides. And so I could, I have no idea what's going on in his head.

But let's say if there happens to be somehow aversion that was like, how dare you? I'd be like, he valid. You know, he put his life's work into that, you know, and he will forever be known as that. And so for someone to sort of try to change the narrative, but what I offer is no one can ever change the stamp that you created. So he can stand firmly in the pedestal that he created for himself. At the same time, to me, what the writers and what the actor, Ali Sholitan has done, has created depth on why was it okay? and it's okay because it was a 90s show and it's a sitcom.

But if you really look at it, the man who is constantly ridiculed for being too white, for not being black enough, cool enough, and then who gets demoted in his own house and school from being the fresh prince of Bel Air to like the fresh popper of Bel Air basically.

I mean, he gets relegated down to a lower level. So I think the show really humanizes like, what does it mean when you beat someone down constantly for not being black enough? And that was done to me, so much in my life. And so I feel like doing this show, any black

person who's lucky enough to work on Bel Air, I feel like it's a baptism of just feeling like you're accepted. Because when you walk through our doors, no matter how big your part is, we're so appreciative to have people there. And like, no matter how weird or quirky I am, Jabari loves me.

You know, Ali affirms it. Coco says like she looks up to me. You know what I'm saying? Like, we all love each other. We're all very different kind of black people off the screen. So I feel like Carlton really shows like what is the deepening of that conversation. And maybe we should be nice of people. And then we wouldn't have these crazy black people out here who want to kill us because of whatever.

You know what I'm saying? Because there's a lot of self-hate in our community. And I just wonder if I got on a plane now and went back to Jacksonville, which is where I grew up. I'm from Florida. I'm from West Palm Beach, but grew up mainly in Jacksonville. And all those people, I just know as soon as I get off the planet, I'd be like, oh, she's still talk white guys. in that. But that

kills a part of you. When your own people tell you that you are something else, you're like, what? Yes. So I think it's great. And it makes people. I hate you. He loved to, I mean, I was feeling you. I know that that touches Rachel D.C.

Someone must don't wake up. I'm not to look at us. It touches Rachel. He touches Rachel. Who woke up into the car. He woke up. He probably came out of his mom and say, Hey, Mama, what's happening? No, they did the same thing.

Yeah, he was a private school. They did the same thing to me. I just never gave a fuck. But yeah, but, but, but it happens. You know, it happens. You know, it happens. Yeah, yeah, it happens. And then hopefully it doesn't sting too.

But Carlton is someone where it hurts. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, we talked about one of the episodes on here before. I, what I love too about the show is that, and I want to know how you feel about being a part of the show that does this. You talk about, and tackle some of the. bigger issues that are going on in our country today. Can you speak to that?

Do we? No, okay. Yeah. Okay. I mean, yeah. And at the same time, the show tackles with just like, what does forgiveness look like? Like, what does it look like to have a challenging time with one spouse? Like, one of those popular episodes was just

the episode between me and Adrian who plays Uncle Phil, us just having radical honesty. And people, like, like, grow, it's so, it was so good to see grown folks having issues and how do they overcome. And yeah, and then, of course, we do the whole Black teachers matters. And we know it's daunting that that's even a real conversation in the lexicon. And that episode, you know, it's a buildup from episode one to three to really dive into like, what does it mean to teach, you know, certain type of authors in the classroom. And I say Tonehisi Coates and James Baldwin and other authors is like, what does it mean? How does that challenge the other kids in the class? And who says that you have to even get approval about just brilliant authors, you know, that Black Lives Matter, but Black Teachers Matter episode made me cry. And I've seen it like two or three times when the

screen just goes black and that's all you hear, black teachers matter. But I'm sure we dealt with a lot of other things too that I don't, but I think that's probably like the big thing that most people look at, right? And what does it like to even see that episode? I mean, the reason I brought it up is because you don't see that often, you know, especially with no, Bel Air is a drama, but just in particular, like, just to see black people, I think you even talked about, not even talk about, but she specifically talked about the conversation between you and Uncle Phil. We talk a lot about how there's this, there's a difference between generations and how

we were taught not to talk about certain things or address certain things. I think that's a relevant issue in society there, at least within our community, that now we think, you know, it's okay, whether it's mental health, whether it's that there were certain issues in our families that we didn't talk about. And you talk about it now. So I think some of those conversations that y'all tackle on the show are relevant to our community in particular. And you don't always see that. And there aren't that many black shows.

You know what I mean? More than ever before. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I like about the show is that they actually rich. You could make an argument on the old Fresh Principleaer that them being rich didn't really factor in to very many of the storylines. They were, we all knew that they were rich. What do you mean?

I just got to be honest, would you? They had Jeffrey, they had a butler. They had a butler. Trump came over. I know. Reagan came over. But see, here's the thing. All of that stuff is you do anticipate Donald Trump making a cameo on this show?

No. But all of that stuff was kind of secondary into what I'm talking about is like the problems. The problems were still like, oh, we got to get girls. At one point, Carlton had a gun. You know what I mean? It's like it was a lot of stuff that was kind of still. And in this show, in this show, they actually seem like, you know, you know, Carlton on that dope.

You know what I mean? Like, it's like, it's like, that happened too. Yeah, something about it's different. But also, like, you're actually, you know what else? Because it's not a sitcom, you get to leave the studio. So then because that you get to see the cars and see them, like, there's an episode where you see, you know, Will in a crazy car. And the boys are like, yeah, Bel Air.

And he's like, I'm from Philly. It's my aunt's car. But you're like, to see the car or to see the yacht that they own. You're like, these people own a yacht. That's the thing. You know what? You're making. the great point. The scope of the show is larger. And so you get to see all of the toys that they

have a little bit. They really balling. And I like it. Yeah. Even like the episode of just think about how you never even got to see the Banks' actual backyard. And our backyard is like magnificent. Like we have, we've had like gala's in the backyard. And you're just like what? So it's more cinematic. The scope is just bigger. So then you get to really dial in of like what does it mean? Because really in the sitcom, all you can see in the sitcom is the exterior. and the interior. But this is like, no, now we're going on location. Now we're going to go here and that, you know.

So that is different. They seem richer when you watch the show. And inflation wise, we're so much richer. Yeah. At the time in 92, it felt rich. Yeah, you can't compare that to 2023. Well, also, but again, in a sitcom, you don't leave a studio. Like, you never leave these walls.

So you'll only hear about, can you please go get my BMW? For sure, they talked about it. But to see it, and then they're, them inhabit it, like it's just nothing, and be like, oh, yeah, we hired Suidi to come in to do this. Like, that's very different. Yeah. Black actresses.

Yes. What about? Okay. So, there was a time, a whole time, in the history of Hollywood, where black actresses, actresses, period, but particularly black actresses. I don't know why I said actresses, period. I only care about the black ones. Black actresses got to a certain age, and then they were just strong.

discarder. And the only roles that they could really get were as matriarchs or as people in the hood, my baby, my baby don't take my baby, all of this stuff. I think now you're seeing a little flexibility here where there are a lot of dynamic roles out there for black actresses to represent different parts of the experience of our systems. And we're seeing longer careers. And we're seeing people that have the opportunity to show more of themselves. However, it's still not on par with what we see the white ladies get. Like the Francis McDormons that's always popping up all of these different roles.

Well, the content, look, you know, the best example is to look at what is the next thing an African-American actress gets to do if they get nominated for an Oscar? And it's very different. Like you look at, I think, Taraji Henson, as soon as she did, she got there. Benjamin Button. I think her next movie was still Tyler Perry. It's not like there. So what's, so I think God is so good that he allows us to age at a slower rate. So our runway is a little bit longer so we can get takeoff. And so some of the best actresses right now, including to Raji, they all happen to be like people in their 40s and their 50s. I mean, and some of these people in their 60s, I would think at this point. So, but these people are probably having to create the content because I think that's the biggest struggle at this point. It's like, like all these little girls who are like me were like, oh, when I grow up, I want to do this thing. And then you get there and you're like, I'm here. And then you realize there's no role to actually suit your type.

And so I've been saying for a while, like, you know, Michelle Obama, what she did to the consciousness of America is that it opened up actually more opportunities for storytelling. Because then people who don't look like me was like, oh, I guess this character could be a black woman because Michelle, so many roles when she stepped out started to be like, we're looking for Michelle Obama. Like before that, that would probably just been like a white role. And they'd be like, no, there's no black people in this. And now they're like, oh, it's Michelle Obama. So something about Michelle Obama, I think, helped the entertainment industry. You know, but also I think it's about, you know, I have a company called Creatatricity. And Creatatricity is, you know, one part of it's sort of like, you know, if you're in Atlanta, you need someone to do your hair, like, who are you going to call up?

Like, how do you find this person? Or if you're looking for a cameraman and you're in Philadelphia, how are you going to find that person, right? So Creaturacy is sort of like a mixture of IMD having a baby with LinkedIn. But the real purpose of it is that it's cool that you have people that you can collaborate with. But my thing is what happens when you want to expand that collaboration group? And for white people, even the best of them would love to collaborate with us. But there's no authentic, easy way to actually create a relationship and then build work. And so one part of my way of trying to fix it, because black women always out here trying to fix a problem is I was like,

like, okay, I'm going to start this company and we'll have parties. But at these parties, you know it's the best of entertainment media. You never have to wonder, like, why is she here? You'll know. And so the energy is so great. And out of that, you might find your next entertainment lawyer. You might find your next sponsor for your event. Or you might find that next director, writer.

Because I just feel like so many of us have great ideas, but trying to find the writers and the producers to create that part. It's still an issue. And it's because we're all still just texting and emailing. super inefficient. And the other problem is that, like, between that and just working with the same people over and over again, this is why there's not enough work out here. So I created this thing called Creatristic to sort of help fix this problem. And in hopes, like, there's a couple of things that are like around me that I'm trying to create. And it's like, okay, we're going in. Who's

in this app? Who can I work with? But also, like, black people love to work with some of these white people. And let me tell you, the money is so different. And so, and it's different for both of us. It's like to be African-American in this industry, as soon as you walk on a set that is mainly white, the money is different, how they take care of everybody, a different. Okay, now, for white people, it's great if they bring black people into their movies because we actually help it make it be relevant. And it has been proven over and over again, the more people of color you put into your movie, the more people will come see it. The McKinza Report did a whole thing about billions of dollars being left on the table when you do not have black faces in front and behind of the camera. It is statistically true. So all I'm looking for is integration.

I feel like I'm in the 60s, being like, babe, I'm just looking for integration. I'm not even saying I just want to work with black people. I just want to work with dope people. What is the difference between, like, what are the differences you see on sets for black movies and white movies? Like, where does the differences go? So, I mean, it's hard to say about my show,

because my show is elite. I mean, what we get to do and how we get to do it, but it's also because it's Peacock, we got Westbrook. And it's also an IP that people want to keep intact, right? But on other shows, you can just feel that people are trying to take things together. It's you can do, but a lot of that has to do with the money. Also, you could do something that's great. But if you don't have marketing dollars, baby, it's all about the marketing.

Okay, nobody can see you if they can't find you. And they don't know you exist out here. Okay. You look at Swarm. Swarm, I'm assuming is doing a good job, but they did a great marketing push. I don't know anyone who has not heard about Swarm. And it's good. I'm sure there's other content.

Here's the other thing, too. If you're black and you're doing amazing work on a black show and no one white sees it, does it count? Yes, but it won't count for the awards. And awards really help bring in more money and better backers. And it helps move you onto that list that says this is a person we can trust. Even in media, it may, like, oh, their award winning, it's like maybe we didn't get you the first season, but in the second season, it's like, oh, well, now,

because they won this award, they won that award. Can I just say, you mentioned Atlanta, and then it just made me think one of my favorite performances for you is in that Juneteenth episode. Oh, thank you. Did you love doing that episode? Or was it hard in any kind of way? No, I thought you were hilarious in that episode.

The hardest thing was me not singing sober in front of childhood thing. Like, all I wanted to do is sing all his songs in front of. I'm like, okay, focus. I don't care about that. That was the hardest thing. That's one of my favorite roles. I think Stephanie Glover is her name. I think Stephanie Robinson wrote that episode.

Janixo Bravo. You know what so amazing is that that is the only episode that's someone outside of hero. That hero is usually the director for every episode. In this episode, directed by a black woman named Janica Bravo. And look, that episode, I feel it will live on. Yes, yes, of course. It's like a classic.

I loved it. It's one of my favorite roles because I don't get to play comedy very often. And that woman, we all know that auntie. Yes, sweet. I was like, Rob, we all have losers in our family. I have no idea what that's about it. I love that woman so much. I wanted them to do a spinoff.

I was like, I just want to see what this black woman and this white man is like at any of streets. What is the day in the life like? Do you blame Belair for Will Smith smacking the shit out of Chris Rock at the Oscars? Of course. Because I think an argument. could be made that he saw his darkness from watching Bel Air. And then he was dark. Dang.

Because he was, if you watch the old will, it was. And this one is the deepening. Yeah. And he saw all the darkness that was happening. And he was like, fuck this, man. I'm not taking this. And then he got dark, the darkness came. Because really, think about it.

Belair premieres February. Keep it going. Yes. In March. Right. Chris Rock was left. Was it March? It was March.

No, the, it was March. No, it was last April. Yes. And you know how I know she was right? No, no, no. It was exactly last April. Because we only had one more episode left in the season when it happened. It was March 27th, 22.

Right. Exactly. And our last episode was April, that last Thursday. Belair. So. Delere premiered February 13th. That's right. Nine episodes later is when this incident happened. The darkness built up and it jumped out of Will.

Do you ever think about like maybe you guys had something to do with it? Yeah, every day. What was your thoughts when you saw that? Did you think this is going to affect our show? Seriously, when you saw that, did you go, why now, Will? I'm on a hit. Like, what were you thinking? I didn't have to think much because my phone rings.

People call me up. Like, I had him on Speed Town. It was, it was, I, yeah, I'm no different to anyone. You know, the main thing I remember about that night is that I just put my son in the bathtub. You know, it was a late night. Okay, so I put my son in the tub, and then I hear Chris Rocks coming out. Me and my husband were like, oh, let's sit down and watch this. My son stayed in the tub for so long.

I mean, he was having the best time. I'm just like looking in the corner, we're watching on my laptop. And so my son was very clean after that night. The ancestors told them. The ancestors say, stay here for a little while, young man. And give mom and dad something to do because they're about to be shocked. The ancestors told them they're about to be shocked. I think it helped.

Y'all just got told y'all got a season three. We did get a season early. But you know, it's so funny, the fans were so, the fans are so committed to the show that all people tweeted about that next day was a, please God, don't let this hurt this show. See? See? The fans were so all over it. I thought that was so interesting. And now, yeah, we got picked up on season three.

And again, it's because of the fans. It's crazy. Like the 10 episodes go by so quick. Yeah, they do. They go back. But I'm telling you, we put so much time. I mean, it takes us almost a half a year to shoot those 10 episodes. And people always like, can't you get to 20?

I was like, whew. I mean, we could if we just never want to have a break. I don't even know what that would look like. No, you keep them wanting more. Yeah, right. Right. It's like, you know, I went to a concert recently, and it's nice with someone hits a note.

But then if they hold a note and then they start doing it, ay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And they do that for 10 minutes. You're like, it was cute for 30 seconds. When I made that fun out. Who was it? I don't know. I ain't going to put nobody under this bus.

But I did go to the new edition concert this past week. Did y'all? I did not. I didn't even know it was in town. It's their 40th. Anniversary. Which lineup of New Edition was it? Thank you.

Yeah, it was the one with Actually, Tank, it didn't even say it on the thing, but Tank was like a surprise opener. And then it was Guy and then Keith Sweat. Tank, Guy, hold on, wait a minute. Tank, Guy, Guy, Keith Sweat, New Edition. Yeah, and this.

God, damn, that's a murderous road. Listen, and Arsenio Hall opened up before New Edition. Basically, he presented them. And Arsenio Hall got up there. First of all, I'm like, is that I sitting here? Next thing you knew here, woof, woo, woo, first of all, just to be in the audience to do the woof, woo, woo, yeah. Made me feel just all the feels.

And then he says, oh, but he's like, you know, I had these mother freaks on my show like a hundred times. I love these guys. I love them. And if loving them is wrong, I don't want to be right. The whole audience knew. And I was just like, this is amazing. It was amazing to see them all the person.

I'm mad. I didn't know about it. Where was it? Hollywood Bowl? Forum. It was at the forum. And when I tell you, when they were singing, I was like this, Ralph Transvan! So who was in New Edition?

It was Ralph Transvan? Was it all of them? Was Bobby out there? Bobby, Johnny, Johnny Dill was there too. Like, all of Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike, that would be Ralph and then Johnny. Because sometimes they mix a match. No, no.

They were all there. And Johnny Goe got to sing his, my, my, my, my, my. Oh, they did their individual songs, too? And Belle Biv DeVoe. they all sort of did poison together, but we know. And then Bobby would come out and do his like, you know, my prerogative and just all the hits. And even for a minute, Bobby sort of like did a few moves. But then they would have him sit out to do like the heavier dance stuff.

And you could just feel the audience lifting Bobby up to be like, whatever you give us is a nut. Yes, I love it. You know. Like, Bellevift, Bonn needs to come back to Bel Air. They need to come back to Bel Air. Can they come back? Yeah. This woman, you're going to fuck. But I do like this idea.

Look, I bumped into boys to men when I did family matters. I'm not family few. And I was just like, I was so excited to see them, but just from my part, I was like, I'm not going to mess with these people. And I was just like, and then all something, they're like, oh, Viv. And I was like, wait a minute, what, they're like, because we're feeling. I was like, oh, my God. Cassie stand up. That's right.

Hello. Boyce to men. We have to ask you the question now because we did on this podcast. You said boys to men. Yeah. Who's better? Boys to Man or Drew Hill? What?

I know what she's going to say based on that look. This is a disrespectful question. The question is disrespectful? I'm sorry. Both of y'all, give me one song each from each group. Just give me one song. Go, pick your song. Well, Boyst to me, that's a lot of songs.

Yeah, I don't have that. Drew Hill is a lot of songs. What's your favorite from both? Oh, God. I mean, my favorite song is the In My Bear Remix from Drew Hill. That's my favorite Jew Hill joint With the Brat and Germain DeVille's That's my favorite Jew Hill song

That's my favorite Jew Hill song Because we can throw Josie in there We take them out though We take Jodicy out to be nice So you're saying there's no There's no comparison between voice to men in Trudeville I'm just interested to see what the comps are

because these comps I mean y'all are sleeping on Trujillo I picked Drew Hill and you're sleeping on Trudeau So I just want to anybody know, I came here. Big fan of this Rachel Curling. It's Boise to Me. Nah.

If you throw Jonesty in there, if you throw Josie in there, it changed the conversation. Yeah, if you throw Josie in there, I was listening to Jagged Edge this whole weekend. Jagged Edge is underrated. But if you throw Jodicy in there, it's a different situation. But between Boise to Me and Drew Hill, it's voice to me. Y'all is sleeping on Drew Hill. Go back and go back. You can press play.

Let me take my problem with this whole set up a quick. I don't need to go back. Okay. The facts should already be. living in this soul. And in this soul, it says, Boys the Men, ABC, B, B, B, B, D. ain't nobody over here talking about no, Drew Hill.

Yes. And I don't mean I don't like Drew Hill. Everyone's got to be. I do, too. I think great. Look, I like a lot of people. Okay. But if you're going to compare, now,

if you said Jodacy, then I'd be like, that's tough. We've talked about that. That's why we took out Jodicy. That's tough. That's rough. Also, Boys and Men is probably, like,

the outside of, like, new edition, I remember having that out. But I think, I won't forget, like, crying when I got it for Christmas. That boys the men with the two. That's right, the two. I cried. Couldn't afford it.

And there was under the Christmas train. I thought, God. God, do that. If someone gave me Drew out, I'd have been like, oh, that's crack and hold this thing up. God, damn. It's not that bad. I'm Joshy. I love Drew Hill.

Drew Hill's great. Drew Hill is solid. True Hill is solid. Solid. You hate to get it. Drew Hill is, like, Drew Hill is amazing. That's on. It's the experience.

They just, they're not on the level of the boys. Even the computer's like, ding, a window stop. What, what would you like to see? Oh, before I get to this, before I get to my last question, I will tell you that my brother has a big bone to pick with me. Here we go. I'm ready. He says y'all look too good.

You can see how racist that sounds. He said y'all look too good. How does he want them to look? This is what he said. He just talked about the richness of it all. This is what he said. He was like, he was like, he's like,

bro, Berlin is dope. And I was like, yeah, okay, cool. So yeah, it's dope. Because we went to the,

Glick and I, we went to the premiere event outside. Yeah, the thing, we saw the painting, we were at a fantastic event. It's crazy.

And so we went to the premiere, but he's like, bro, I can't really get into the show like that. He's like, why? He's like, they're too sexy.

I was like, what? He was like, the old, they had somebody who was fat, like jazz was funny looking. Shout out to, sign out to DJ,

younger. He was like, he's like, they had all kinds of different looking people. He's like, all of these. And then I looked at the castle is, I'm not going to lie, man. Y'all are some good-looking black people. You are, though. This is why it feels good. You know what, can I tell you a little secret?

Look at this. Jeffrey. Look at Uncle Phil. Look at this, look at this castle. Y'all's some, look at Uncle Phil, man. I mean, shout. A rest of the peace, Philip. But, like, look at Uncle Phil.

I know. Man, look at jazz! I know. Look at traffic. I know, right. That's not going to be nobody's buggler. You know, isn't it great to just see some beautiful looking people? You know, so much my career has been about, she's too pretty for this role.

You know, she's too pretty, she's too poor, she's too classy. And so much of my life in Hollywood and it feels like, man, if I was just a step down, what would this thing? It's like crazy. So that's why I'm like, I'm so happy that there's some, because wife, folks have that on tap. Every show is filled with the best. Like looking,

unrealistically good looking. So he needs to manage his expectations. On top of, they won't have special effects to even out what don't look. We don't even get that kind of. I mean, we might have a little bit of that budget because some of these scenes, y'all, even, I'm like, great.

But they got, I'm like, listen. But it's so nice to have a show because I'm like, there's reality TV. Everyone can be fine. It's so nice to have like a scripted drama. And you're like, everybody look pretty in here? Beautiful. Beautiful.

Okay, here's my last question. I hope I'm not still yours because we love to do a top five on Highland. Top five TV, black TV moms. Why y'all keep doing this to me? Okay, I don't know, but let me tell you this. Okay, we just going to skip to the end, okay? And we just, we already know, you can put them out of order. No, out of border.

Yeah, number one is always going to be Felicia Rashad, okay, because it's like just weird to think, who is going to be in this person? I don't even know. Okay, great. now we can go back. It would be like a mixture of Florida Evans. Okay? She's got to be a part of it.

I think she's number one. Listen. I think Felicia Rashad. There is a world where you could have a competition between those two because technically who those women were very different economic statuses. So it comes off. But for me and for just for me, you know, also, you know, the Cosmish show was such a great vacation from the world that I was in.

And it was a reflection because there are people in my family who are just as successful as that. And I always say, you know, Aunt Vib, Uncle Phil, my Uncle Bernard and Aunt Shirley are those people. They have a huge thing here called the Kinsey Collection. Is that the SoFi Center for like even another year of like all of their art? That's all they do is collect art. These people all over the world.

Okay. So I'm like, so anyway, back to me. Feliz Resad. Number two, I kind of feel like number two would actually be Van. Janet Hubert. Now going back, number three, I think, would be Florida Evans. And then four and five, I mean, what's coming to me right now is, because, I mean, if that show's on right now, I can't help but watch it when I see Marla Gibbs in 227.

Wow, Jesus, that's great. Right? Underrated. They only have like 227 didn't exist. 227 was the lick. Jack K. Harris. Woo! At everybody.

That's right. Recipes of my dad. my dad would just, my mom would go out of the room. He's like Jack Hague. Put 227. All about it. I get it. Yeah, 227.

That's like ingrained in me. Oh, the final place one, I have a thought and I just met this woman recently. So I think it might have to be her at the back of my mind, I think. And we'll see if I take it back later. I think the last one would be from Family Matters, the mom on that show. And I met her just recently. she looked exactly the same.

Exactly the same. And her Harriet, what's her name? Harriet Winslow. But wonderful, sweet woman. But I'm like, but those are also, I feel like the shows that I always watch. The only show I wish that I could talk about more that was so influential to me is amen. And it's so funny because this past week, the mom to Uncle Phil is, of course, Anna Marie Horstford. And I've worked with her before we did the last OG.

And she played Tracy Morgan's mom on that. But I'm such thing. Legend. Anna Marie Horstworthy. Legend. Legend. Let me tell you. She's a genius. Okay.

And on set, there's this scene when he's like, oh, Mama, Mama, I love you so much. She's like, oh, you love your mama so much that you couldn't pick her from the airport. And then he says, now there you go again. And she does this thing. She says, oh. And I'm like, this woman, I mean, amen.

Yeah. I told her, I was like, what you were able to do in amen? It's like the dream of every actress to get that type of wrong. She said she knew every day she was living the dream. I'm like, yes, you did. I'm a for real. I love it. That is Cassandra Freeman.

Wait, one other thing I want to say here before I go is Rachel. I meant to say this before, but when I saw Rachel at Essence brunch, it was like, I knew that was a God. Anyway, you know what? I had a huge epiphany after seeing you that day because I went up to you and I was like, because like it made me understand something about how people must feel about me, which is I saw you on the car, who you were on the. The Bachelorette meant so much to me.

Oh, thank you. Because you personified all the great things. I was like, can we please put one of us up here on this stage, please? Thank you. And you checked off every box of grace, poised, with good taste, okay? And the way I felt about you, I thought, and that's how people, people always are like, oh, what you represent. And I'm like, oh, that's nice. And then I thought about it that night after meeting.

You know, I was like, oh, that's how people feel about me. And that was just you living in your truth, just being who you are. Which is what you do. So thank you for that. That's beautiful. Yeah, I just wanted to reflect that back to you. Oh, thank you. That's so nice.

Okay, now you can end your show. I was excited to see you too on the carpet. We had a moment. We did have a moment. We had a moment. That is enough. And then when I met you, I was like, Cassandra, what a fantastic delight for time talking to you.

Thank you for joining us so much in Ireland. Listen, thank you for thinking I was black enough to be here. I feel you. I feel you, Cassidy. Thank you for coming on the show. Did you know about one in three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis? which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling?

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Dot sweetgreen.com. Dalai Lama got a chill, man. Dalai Lama disgusting. I'll be honest with you. Dalai Lama disgusted. I don't know what to say. I don't know. I love to.

I don't know if it was, Dollar Lama disgusted me. He's not enlightened. I don't know if it's, look, he apologized after a video emerged showing him kissing a child on the lip and asking a young boy to suck my tongue.

And he stuck his tongue out. The kid jerked back. What, what do you think, he knew he was in public? What do you think happened there? Do you,

like, you knew you were being filmed. You knew there were other people around. I don't know. know much about the Dalai Lama, but I'm not one to think that he makes jokes and he's a funny guy? If that's his defense. Sometimes they come out of a, you know, which is not funny, by the way, what happened. It's gross. Sometimes the Dalai Lama, they come out of their, they come out of their show a little bit. They make jokes. They might crack jokes or whatever. Sometimes, you know,

a bunch of different Dalai Lamas, different personalities. Sometimes they might be a little funny. Might, you know. Oh, I didn't know they were known for their humor. Even though I don't think this is funny, I'm just saying if that was a defense. I mean, I know he's come out and apologized, but like, what can you say? You stuck your tongue out. I just suck your tongue? This is disgusting. And the

abuse survivors network has blasted the Dalai Lama. And they should. The Dalai Lama apologized and a video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asks his holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug.

His holiness wishes to apologize to the boy, his family, as well as many friends across the world for the hurt his words to be caused. His holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way. Even in public and before

cameras, who regressed the end. Dali Lama has 19 million followers on Twitter. Hey, Dolly, man. That ain't good enough, G. Dolly, I'm not,

look, I don't want to step on nobody's toes in terms of what the hell. I don't know the rules. And I'm not sure who looks up to the Dalai Lama and I'm not that though. Nah, nah, no, no, no, bro. Nah, man.

Nah, no, dolly. No, hell no, dolly. No. That's not. Nope. Dali, you got to relax. And by the way, this this apology is back. Rachel, give me an apology rating here.

I didn't even read it because there's nothing that you could say. I saw the headline he apologized. I was like, what could you possibly say to the fact that you did that? You got to, you ask for a kiss on the cheek, then a kiss on the mouth, and then a suck of the tongue. I don't want to hear it. Suck of the tongue. Dolly, what the fuck, bro? Is Dolly losing it?

Well, that's why I ask what you think was happening. What the fuck is going on with that? What kind of shit is going on, man? Is there one religious dude we could trust? Like, is that we fucking losing it? I like to think I could trust Pastor Carter. Concord Church. Concord Church.

Dallas, Texas. Dallas, Texas. I bet I could find someone. Don't do that. I bet I could have a pastor Carter. What's the name? Don't know. Stop.

No, gosh, we're moving on. Absolutely not. Here I am being forthcoming about somebody. I feel like I can trust it. Here you are trying to take them down. Why don't you? You know, in this moment, you just became a soulless jackal. Why?

How? That is something they would do. The soulless jackals? But here's the thing, though. What I'm saying is, this is my thing. This is why it's important. You're right. This is my thing.

Uh-oh. Garland police officer charged with prostitution related. Okay, that's different. I know it's so much. Okay. So look, this is my thing, though. The Dolly did is too. far. All right. The Dolly, that's all

fucked up. All right. The Dolly can't oh wait, website, unusual greetings from across the world. What is Ashley, are you trying to, hold on, Ashley, jump in. Are you trying to shoot some bell to the dolly? Well, you know, I read that it's like a greeting, but he took it far by saying suck my tongue.

Like that part's weird, but the sticking out your tongue is like a greeting in Tibet. But the sucking your tongue part is when it got like, oh. Okay. So, I want to help you here because the sticking out of the tongue could be a greeting, but the asking of the sucking of the tongue. That's what she said. I know.

I get it, but that's the whole thing, Ashley. You know what I'm saying? Well, yeah, I just want to make sure you guys aren't going to, like, offend any people from Tibet to be like, yo. We're talking about the suck. The suck part's weird. Donnie, oh my God. That's a major one, Donnie. Clip that.

Donnie, go, Donnie, that's a major. By the way, I want to hear that. I want that clip and I want that clip with no motherfucking context. And we're going to put that bitch out. We're talking about the suck, nigga. Oh my God.

I'm going to find someone this preacher, by the way. Stop. What is wrong with you? Why do you want to do that to me? That's like a Santa Claus isn't a real type of situation. Don't do that.

All right. Well, I'm going to find someone. By the way, it's like, you know, we shouldn't look up to these people and act like they're perfect. The Dalai Lama is waiting. No, we should. Dali, bro.

Fuck that. They got to change Dalai Lamas, man. I think that's a, that's an immediate call for removal. You got to, you probably got to impeach the Dalai Lama. I don't know what the process is.

All right. Take things off off, but do not. Don't stop learning. I am Van Lathen, Jr. And I'm Rachel Lynn Lenton. Bye.