Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Do We Believe President Obama's Story About Punching a Classmate?

Episode Date: February 26, 2021

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss the story former President Obama told on the ‘Renegades’ podcast about punching a former classmate of his (15:00), New York’s ban on sales and display of th...e Confederate flag (22:00), Draya Michele’s latest antics (38:00), sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo (42:00), the latest episode of 'The Bachelor' (1:02:00), and answer some mailbag questions (1:10:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? It is I, Van Lathen. And it's me, Rachel Lindsay. Higher learning is on. Let's get right to it. Rachel. No, no, no, no, no.
Starting point is 00:00:13 You know, ask me how I am. Stick to the rundown. Don't be bringing private conversations to the top of the show. I just think it's actually not private. It's really not that big of a deal. It was just like a movie conversation, right? When Van comes in, this geeked up,
Starting point is 00:00:29 top of the show, he's ready to be just a little petty. I'm not being petty. I'm not being petty. You ready to get your Charlemagne on? This is not petty. By the way, you have a problem. You have an issue with my friend. It's okay.
Starting point is 00:00:43 I just know it's going to get a reaction to you. You have an issue. But look, here's the deal. Well, let's talk about the Last Dragon real quick. Before we started recording the podcast, I don't know if you guys have ever heard of this movie. Some of you probably haven't. But it is a classic film.
Starting point is 00:00:58 Barry Gordy's the Last Dragon. Shout out to everybody over there at Motown. Shout out to Ty Mack. Shout out to Vanity. You know. Vanity passed away. Yes. Rest and peace, vanity.
Starting point is 00:01:10 Yes. Beautiful lady. Beautiful talented lady. So yes. And we talked about the Last Dragon. And Rachel, we talked about whether or not Bruce Leroy and the Last Dragon was culturally appropriating Asian culture. Because, you know, that probably wouldn't fly today.
Starting point is 00:01:29 It would not. And Rachel says, you don't like the last dragon. Okay. I saw it later in life. And I mean really late in life. Can't be that late,
Starting point is 00:01:44 Rach. You're only, you're, you're, I saw it. I would see less than two years ago for the first time. This is the type of shit
Starting point is 00:01:51 that I'm talking about. Like, in a real way, what were your parents doing? Did you guys watch, did you just watch the, did you just watch the, I don't watch certain movies.
Starting point is 00:02:00 So you just, what you tell me is you guys just watch the greatest story ever told every day until you were 30 years old. I told you when I was, we've had this conversation. When I was, when I was less than 13, I could only watch G and PG movies. 13, PG 13, R17, like what they were actually, the ages that were placed on the movies. And I was a really, like, goody two shoes. And I followed those rules. So what you're telling me right now is. If I call Judge Lindsay right now and ask him who his favorite actor is, he's going to say Kurt Cameron.
Starting point is 00:02:36 No. We couldn't watch that stuff. Definitely not. Don't put, don't bring, don't make you bring my daddy back on here. I love, hey, it's me, Judge Lindsay, and I want to tell you to run out and see left behind. Left Behind. Tribulation Force. Remember, they had a whole left behind franchise.
Starting point is 00:02:54 This was the thing about Left Behind. As if the rapture could have. a sequel. The one thing that you can't really have a sequel to is the rapture. It's a one time event. They didn't get through it. They didn't get through it. It's a one time event. It's like, but all the people who were left behind. Left behind. Left Behind. We had to life after that. Left Behind. Left Behind. The Left Behind Tribulation force with Mr. T in there. The crazy thing is. I saw the left behind. I saw Left Behind. There's a couple of Left Behind movies. And then I also watched the, um, the something code. Da Vinci? No, not the Da Vinci Code. It's something else. It's the Omega Code. Oh, no.
Starting point is 00:03:35 It was the Omega Code. Biblical End Times movies. Yeah, so that's what you watch, is what you're saying. We watched PG movies. So, you know, that doesn't necessarily mean they were a religious fan. Right.
Starting point is 00:03:48 So calm down. You sound like the real Kirk Cameron fan over here seeing Part 2's. I look. Some of those movies are off the champ, I'm like a lot. You've been left by. I'm not going to lie. I'm not a lie.
Starting point is 00:03:59 You know who introduced me to The Last Dragon? Who did? Brian. Brian. It's one of Brian's favorite movies. And he was like, so we did this thing. Gosh, it might have even been quarantine when I watched it. Because it was a, I get to pick the movie this time.
Starting point is 00:04:17 You pick the movie next time. So I had to say, I was like, man, I don't want to see this. He was like, you got to see it. I fell asleep. I just feel like it's one of those movies. you have to appreciate back when it was coming out. It's hard to watch that, like Rocky, right? I saw Rockies later in line.
Starting point is 00:04:35 It's hard for me to watch Carl Weathers dancing around like that in this day and age. I get it. I'm telling you something. What? We talked a little bit about Van Jones and maybe him potentially. I'm letting you know that this last drag and slander is getting dangerously close to William O'Neillan. agent status right here. I'm starting to have...
Starting point is 00:05:02 You really do want to be Charlemagne today on this podcast, don't you? What a movie? No, no, no, no, no, no. You didn't say that you hadn't seen the movie. Said I couldn't appreciate it like you did back in the day.
Starting point is 00:05:16 First of all, the disrespect. You didn't say you hadn't seen the movie. You said you hadn't seen the last dragon. And that's not all you said. You said that when you saw the last dragon, you didn't even much like it.
Starting point is 00:05:31 I couldn't appreciate it for what it meant to you guys back in the day to watch it. Inside you. That's how I don't want to. The dragon. The last dragon. You're the dragon. That's the movie is great. He gets the glow at the end. I don't know if you know that. A glow? He gets the golden glow. I just couldn't get over him walking around in the neighborhood. Dress like that. It's so wrong. It was Bruce Leroy. That's the thing. I saw it in, I saw it in 22.
Starting point is 00:06:01 winning. It's just so inappropriate now. It's such a... You're like show enough? You're like show enough? I mean, I'm just not a fan of the movie. Have we seen the lead character and anything else? I know him. Like, so he's been...
Starting point is 00:06:18 Of course you know him, Van. He hasn't been another... Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I didn't ask you that. I asked you, has he been? But here's the thing, though. I, look, seriously, when I got to TMZ there were certain people who I wanted to know
Starting point is 00:06:33 I wanted like, yo, I want to be this person's friend. I want to know them. I wouldn't say they were friends, but I wanted to say, yo, where's this person at?
Starting point is 00:06:41 He was one of them, was one of childhood heroes. He didn't do too much after the last year. But he's a martial artist. Because you romanticized it because you saw it in childhood. I get that.
Starting point is 00:06:50 I get that. See, if you saw it for the first time as an adult, I don't think you'd have the same appreciation for it. Well, it just all depends on
Starting point is 00:06:57 how connected you are to the culture as well. So Brian's more connected to the culture than me? Yeah, it seems that way. And by the way, this is not, and this is not the first time that I've suspected this. Because you told me that Brian, you told me that Brian, you thought Brian was going to put on Minuto. Your words, not mine. No, I have never said.
Starting point is 00:07:23 And you said that Brian put on some, what was it, boys to men or something like that? It was H-Town. eight eight oh what h town man brian lice game black dude Brian lying a Brian Brian probably passing nah hell no H town H town is a deep cut even for It shocked me
Starting point is 00:07:43 It shocked me I'll be honest It shocked me But you ain't about to take away my card And give it to Brian Just because I don't like the last dragon I think you gave you card to me I think you did it You these all these
Starting point is 00:07:57 Which card are we talking about now whatever. All of these things that we're talking about here, these are, this is your stuff, right? You are trying to make it something that it does not. Continue. All I'm saying is this. The Last Dragon is one of those movies. There are certain movies, certain pieces of music that you play.
Starting point is 00:08:22 And if the person can't, if the person can't appreciate it, you start to ask questions. I'm trying to think of what movie that was for me at that age. We left behind Tribulation Force. No, maybe Moonwalker. Maybe Moonwalker. Oh, Moonwalkers are a good one. But see, here's the only problem with Moonwalker. Moonwalkers are good one.
Starting point is 00:08:41 The only problem with Moonwalker is, at the time that Moonwalker was popping, it wasn't really, that was like a measure of whether or not you are a human being. Because everybody's house you went to, if you put, if you hit play on there, I remember I went to my boy, Grace Spiller. Shout out to Grace Spiller,
Starting point is 00:09:01 wherever you are in the world right now. Why God? And I was putting in WrestleMania. And there was a tape in the VCR, hit play. It was Moonwalker. And then as soon as I hit Moonwalker, the Bunny was dancing, the Bunny, you know, the Bunny. Oh, man, of course.
Starting point is 00:09:15 What was the Bunny's name again? Did the Bunny have a name? Oh, he definitely had a name. The Bunny, the Dancing Claimation Bunny. I just remember when he was evil. When he turned evil, he used to scare me. Yeah. The Bunny, the Bunny, um,
Starting point is 00:09:27 Sure. I think the bunny had a name. Let me see. Michael Jackson versus dancing bunny. Let's see. Michael Jackson. Moon Walker. Michael Jackson Bunny.
Starting point is 00:09:35 Oh, Joe Pesci sure was in it. Yeah. Have you seen Moonwalker? Yes. No, it's just like things are coming back to me. Brandon Adams, I had such a crush on. Damn, maybe the bunny didn't have a name. Yeah, he didn't have a name.
Starting point is 00:09:53 Have you seen Moonwalker? I thought the bunny had a name, man. I thought the music video. Jackson tries to annoyed let's see hold on for a second damn
Starting point is 00:10:06 no I thought the bunny had it's spear demon see just loud and wrong did you ever watch Polly Polly?
Starting point is 00:10:13 No what's Polly about oh my God okay what's Polly I don't want to talk about it anymore what is it what's Polly it was the black
Starting point is 00:10:23 version of Pollyanna so like Pollyanna is all I've never seen Pollyanna but it's all white. Then they did a black version of Polly. Rudy, Rudy, Felita, oh my gosh, what's her real name? Rudy from the Cosby's.
Starting point is 00:10:37 Keisha Nye Pullum. Kishinae Pullen played Polly. The lady who adopted her, who she was living with, was Felicia Rashad. Vanessa Bell Callow. The rabbit's name is Spike. I knew it. The rabbit's name is Spike. I knew it.
Starting point is 00:10:55 Look, as the video begins, Jackson tries to evade Overzella's fan. including Noid from the Domino's piece of commercials, disguising himself as a rabbit named Spike. And then he remember he takes the rabbit stuff, he puts it down, and all of a sudden the rabbit comes to life. I knew the rabbit had a name. I knew he had a name.
Starting point is 00:11:17 I couldn't remember the rabbit's name. But did he call him Spike? Or is that just something that you? I think his license plate was like said Spike or something like that. I'm like, I don't remember those words being spoken, but okay, fine. So then what's Polly though? Tell me what Polly. So it's this girl, she comes and she moves to this town, which is Felicia Nipulam.
Starting point is 00:11:35 She's living with this meeting. Keisha Nite Pullum. You are losing points by the minute. That was racist right there. No, Felicia Rishad is the woman. I know, but Keisha Knight Pullum. Felicia Rashad. Oh, so they cause me show they're back together.
Starting point is 00:11:57 Yeah, she like owns the town. She's rich. Keisha's living with her, and she's trying to, like, bring joy to this town that Felicia's kind of sucked it out of. The black people live on one side of the bridge. The white people live on the other. And it's just all following these adventures of Polly, which is Keisha. It's very, very good. It's like a musical.
Starting point is 00:12:15 Brian Adams is in it. Brandon Adams, I mean, Brandon. Shoot. Rachel, are you? Brandon Adams is in it. That's what made me think of it. Anyways, it was like, it's like a black, I feel like it was like a black film that, Everybody watched as a kid.
Starting point is 00:12:31 I never saw it. Like with the Whiz? No, hell no. There's nobody. No. Look, I'm not dissing Polly. I'll give it a go. I love films.
Starting point is 00:12:39 I'll watch Polly, but don't put Polly up there with the Wizz. No, I'm just saying like the Wiz is something like, there was the white version, that was the black version. Same with Polly, Polly, Pollyanna. It could have been something that I just missed. I'm not going to lie. It could have been something that I just miss. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:12:54 What I won't do is shame you for missing Polly. Polly movie is. Yep, it is right here. 1989. You know what the thing is? I might have been out of my... I think by 1989, I had moved on like Harlem Knights.
Starting point is 00:13:11 I was in that phase. At nine? Weren't you like nine around that age? Oh, don't make me get my grandmother on the phone right now. Not only did we used to watch trading places, but my grandmother, there's a part in trading places. There's a part in trading places
Starting point is 00:13:25 literally at that age where they're dancing in Eddie Murphy's living room. they're dancing in his living room because he's having a party and there's this guy and he's humping. Like he's doing some sort of hump dance. And my grandmother, when we were kids, used to rewind that over and over and over again. Was this Mommo?
Starting point is 00:13:43 This is Momo. And Momo would be like, let's watch that man drop the bucket again. He's going to drop his bucket. I love it. I'd be like, what? And me and Ebony would get so upset. My sister's listening to this right now. And we get so upset.
Starting point is 00:13:56 It's like, look at that man, dropping that bucket. like some fierce. All right. Let's take a break. Did you know about one and three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you?
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Starting point is 00:14:56 Imagine being a million miles away. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Trimphaya. Tap this ad to learn more about Trimfaya, including important safety information. This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and making 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.
Starting point is 00:15:19 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. All right, I call it a little heat on the old internet for this one. And I want to see what you think here. President Barack Obama is now a co-worker of ours.
Starting point is 00:15:51 He has his own podcast over there on the L. Spotify's Renegades with Bruce Springsteen. So random, right? I don't know how they paired up. I mean. They're renegades. Former president of the United States or renegades. And Bruce Springsteen. Renegades, right, renegades.
Starting point is 00:16:09 So I guess because of the renegade sort of theme, President Obama told a story on the podcast itself. He says, actually, let's play the audio from President Obama. When I was in school, I had a friend. We played basketball together. And one time we got in a fight, and he called me a coon. And I remember, I popped him in the face and broke his nose. So there you have it.
Starting point is 00:16:34 President Obama would have us believe that he got to fight because a kid called him a racial slur when he was a kid and he popped him one in the mouth. With a speech. Popped him with a speech. Popped him like, look. I, uh, with a fist, he punched him in his face. Right. I'm saying, and then gave him a speech
Starting point is 00:16:54 as well as to why it popped him. Okay, so here's the thing. I said this on Instagram. I don't think this ever happened. I saw that and I need you to understand. I need to understand why he would say that. Why? He's lying.
Starting point is 00:17:10 Why? I'm sorry, bro. You guys can say whatever you want. I love President Obama. I don't worship him as a walking caramel deity like some of the other people in this world do. But I just don't see this in him. Come on.
Starting point is 00:17:26 Give me some receipts. Give me some evidence as to why you're just going to flat out say that man's story is a lie. Like, I just knew that you knew something that we don't know. Well, first of all, I don't. Well, people say lie, and that's too strong over time. Lies too strong over time. Because I think the older we get, the more we have the tendency to remember things
Starting point is 00:17:50 the way we would have wanted them to have gone. Okay, I don't do that. So, okay. If you haven't yet, you will in the future. I'm not fantasizing certain things and playing them back in my mind how I wish they would have gone how I wanted them to go. Childhood memories. So all these stories that you've been telling us
Starting point is 00:18:09 that people love to hear on higher learning, they're not true. Well, I'm not that old yet. So did he drop the bucket or no? That guy was dropping the bucket. You guys can go watch that scene. The dude had on like a gray, he's got a little, watch this scene and posted.
Starting point is 00:18:28 The dude had on like a gray vest and some gray pants with a white shirt and he had a hat on. and he was just dropping the bucket in the living room and he kept doing it and my grandmother would rewind it over and over again me and Ebony would get very upset. I don't know why, because we didn't like to see our grandmother.
Starting point is 00:18:43 Because you want to watch the movie, yeah. But no, I don't, I think that this is cap. Of all the things to lie about, I mean, here's my thing. If it was a lie, I feel like he could have told a better story. Like, that was it. You just popped them one time. I don't know. It just seems to be so.
Starting point is 00:19:00 Why have we never heard this story before? of all the race relations things that we've talked about of all the different situations we've been in, how come Obama has never, why is this story only coming out? Tell me. Because he's no longer the president of the United States. He's a renegade.
Starting point is 00:19:18 And as you're a renegade. I mean, you can hear the M and JZ song playing in your head. Is that their theme music? No, it's got to be some Bruce Springsteak thing. That'd be something from the screen thing. Born around or something like that. I don't know. Now he's stepping in.
Starting point is 00:19:48 It's a different Barack Obama that we're getting here. So now I guess he feels free enough to tell these childhood stories of being a renegade. Let's say that it didn't happen. Okay. Oh, seriously. Okay, it didn't happen. Let's say that it didn't happen. And Obama told the littlest of smallest fibs.
Starting point is 00:20:13 as people tend to do when they get older. They tend to remember things and they say, hey, I was in the 10th grade and I scored 62 points against such and such. Really, you scored 17 points. It's just you weren't used to score 17 points, so it felt like 62. Okay.
Starting point is 00:20:30 All right. So let's say that he did. Would that change the way you look at President Obama? No, not the way you told the story. Because as we get older, apparently we just see things how we wish they would have happened back in the day. No, so he's an exaggerator, okay?
Starting point is 00:20:50 Everybody's got that one person in their family, maybe more than that, that loves to just tell the story. Spin a yarn. Is that what y'all say? Spin a yarn. Spin a yarn. We all, like my grandfather,
Starting point is 00:21:05 my granddaddy could tell a story. And my grandmother would be like, June, June. That's not how that happened. It didn't happen like that. My dad would say my granddad would tell a story, and every single time the story changed, every single time he'd tell that story, it didn't happen.
Starting point is 00:21:21 It would get bigger and bigger and bigger. Okay, maybe that's Barack. I'm not going to look at him any different. He's a storyteller. So let me ask you this. Do you think that Barack Obama was president for eight years and never told the American people to lie? Of course he did.
Starting point is 00:21:34 I didn't say he's not a liar. I just think it's weird that this is what you're like, actually he's lying. What do you think? happened, Van? What do you think actually happened? Since you believe that it happened, he's just telling a different version, what do you think happened? Something less dramatic than that.
Starting point is 00:21:55 He walked, he turned the other cheek? I think it's probably less on all sides. I think the guy, the kid probably said some Obama didn't like. And maybe Obama threw the ball down at the ground. The ball hit the ground, bounced up, hit the kid in the nose, and then the kid ran inside. you know what I mean oh Barry hit me with the ball or maybe Obama gave him a hard shoulder check the kid fell hit the poll
Starting point is 00:22:19 oh Barry you hit check me into the poll but as far as Obama going full fucking Bobby Seal on this kid and like standing up he went Bobby Seal just popped him real quick that's just not I don't see that in him that's not how Obama is
Starting point is 00:22:35 do you see me popping somebody real quick yeah of course but you like to torture white people Uh, yeah. Where did white come from? Where did white get from in there? I just said somebody. It's right now, it's a white guy flipping through the one ads. Stop.
Starting point is 00:22:52 Looking for a new job because of you. Like, no, right now, right now. Man, stop. It's too soon. It's too soon. They're making calls. And it's all, you know, he probably has like your face on a dartboard. every day Chris Harrison is throwing
Starting point is 00:23:10 darts at a thing this goddamn Rachel Lindsay she doesn't even know all right enough so interesting development in New York back in December
Starting point is 00:23:27 it's interesting to see what you think about this as an attorney back in December the New York people passed a bill that bans the sale
Starting point is 00:23:45 or display of the competitive flag on state property very important Andrew Cuomo who's got some of his own problems right now signed the bill until law this past Tuesday
Starting point is 00:24:01 on state on property or at state events such as state affairs you cannot display or sell the Confederate flag. Okay. So I posted this again on the Instagram. You did. You've been on a roll.
Starting point is 00:24:16 Been posing a lot of stuff, you know? And there were people on there that were saying they had a problem with this because they feel like this is the beginning of the end of freedom and the start of fascism, even if you do not agree with the Confederate flag, that you should not want the state to get involved in stopping the display and sell of it. They're only banning it on state property. So what's the big deal? Shout out, Benny Sue.
Starting point is 00:24:44 You can literally, when I first read the headline, so I'm assuming most people probably just read the headline. When I first saw your post, I was like, wow, how are they going to be able to do that and stop people on their own personal property, private property, from being able to express themselves the way that they want to with the Confederate flag? And I read it. And I'm like, okay, on state property, you can't use it.
Starting point is 00:25:07 Yeah. Yeah, you can't use it. So what are people upset about? If you want to slap a sticker on the back of your car and drive around, you can. If you want to wear a t-shirt, you can. You just can't wear it on state grounds. Yeah, look, to me, I don't give a fuck. Like, I, be honest with you, the way I tend to look at this is this.
Starting point is 00:25:30 Obviously, there are things that can be I once at school had to take off a Malcolm X hat because they said that it was a hate simple. This was back in the day when the traditional sort of thinking of Malcolm X wasn't as evolved and people really, really equated Malcolm X to being some sort of violent hate speech monger or whatever. There was a time when that whole thing happened. Malcolm X, Black Panthers, this is a time when in American consciousness they were looked at as these sort of white hating, super violent, whatever. And so they told me to take it off. And that was because there was a misunderstanding of the meaning of that.
Starting point is 00:26:11 Now, to me, there is area there to have a conversation about what people really were. You ask somebody something and they say, hey, I'm not for violence, I'm for self-defense. It's a very clear definition. Not for violence, I'm for self-defense. Very clear definition. Both the Panthers and Malcolm Man. I don't know why we tiptoe around what the Confederacy means. I don't either.
Starting point is 00:26:41 But do we, do we any more, though? Do we tiptoe around what the Confederacy means? Sure. Who's tiptoeing? People who want to wear the flag? Roughly half the country. Even people who don't wear the flag. They're not tiptoeing.
Starting point is 00:26:53 They know exactly what it means. That's what they're holding, and they're holding on to that. They're not tiptoeing around them. No. Who do you think at this point does not understand what the Confederate flag represents? I think a lot of people.
Starting point is 00:27:07 And what do you think they think it means? We're just celebrating the old South? Antebellum. Antebellum since that's on? Well, look, I think that privilege is the hardest language in the world to translate. Mm-hmm. You can't. Asking people to check their privilege is actually asking them to translate their privilege.
Starting point is 00:27:27 Which is asking them to sort of be like, hey, this is why I feel like I'm better than you. Okay. And when people have to articulate that, it feels weird coming out of your mouth because it's not a natural state of humanity. Really, the tale of humanity and the achievement of humanity is that we've managed to live with some sort of cooperation. That is really the most important thing that man is done. It hasn't been all of these weapons that we've made to kill each other. It hasn't been any of those things. It's been the sacrifices that have been made for cooperation.
Starting point is 00:28:04 And I think that those things come from their innate within us. Like they're pro-evolutionary traits that we learned how to speak the same language. And we've learned how to build communities together and things like that. So I think privilege is hard. And it separates people naturally because you can't really speak it. You privilege is tough, right? It's tough for you to say, hey, fuck your feelings. I'm just better than you.
Starting point is 00:28:29 All of this is mine. It gets very difficult. And when you ask people to speak that language, their brains fried because they don't know how to do it, number one, and it's unpleasant for anyone. So I think that having people to, in a real way, confront the Confederate flag and the images, and we've talked about this, you know, with the whole Bachelor thing, to confront what those images mean and what those images are,
Starting point is 00:28:56 I think that's asking them to translate their privilege. that's asking them to be, I guess, a little too introspective about what it means for them to live here in this country and sort of reconcile that with the history of America. Like, yeah, there are things right now that benefit you that kill me. Yeah. It's a very basic sort of understanding that we have, but asking somebody else, asking somebody white to understand that, is asking them to sort of translate that and it's hard to do. and it's something they don't want to do. I think they totally... See, I think
Starting point is 00:29:32 I think they choose to be ignorant. I don't think that they're completely blind to what the Confederate flag represents. I think that's giving them too much, to be honest. So you think that they're evil then? Yes. I think they want
Starting point is 00:29:49 to do what they want to do and they don't want you to tell them. I think a person who still wears the, you know, whether on some type of clothing hat, whatever, maybe wears a confeder flag, puts a bumper sticker on their car, flies the flag from their house or whatever it may be. They are fully aware that it represents a time. Go ahead.
Starting point is 00:30:08 Well, I'm not talking about them. I know that they know. I'm talking about the other people. So look, the people that wear it and proudly embrace it and do all of that stuff, they know what they're saying. I'm talking about the people that don't, but that would still argue in favor of people being able to do it. And I guess I'm like, what kind of person is that?
Starting point is 00:30:27 Like Will Kane. Whoa. Will? I once heard him do it. Yeah. Like Will Kane. What it will do? We should have Will on the podcast.
Starting point is 00:30:36 We should. Like Will Kane was on ESPN. Some years ago, I think it was, and it's all out there. And by the way, I don't mean to step on your point, but you were making a point. No, no. I want to hear this. So Will Kane was on ESPN. I want to say this is 2015, 2014, maybe a little earlier.
Starting point is 00:30:57 It's pretty recent. maybe a little later. And it was in response to NASCAR having banned the Confederate flag or thinking about banning the Confederate flag in its infields. Or maybe there was one particular race that was banning there. Maybe it was a football game. Oh, this was last year. No, no, no, not last year.
Starting point is 00:31:14 This was way before. Okay. It was 2017. 2017 is when this happened. Okay. 2017. And Will Kane was on first take debating this with Matt. Max Kellerman and with Stephen A. Smith.
Starting point is 00:31:32 And Stephen A. Smith was doing what he always does, which is give latitude to that type of shit. And Max Kellerman was saying, no, they were arguing the meaning of the flag. Max Kellerman was like, no, there's a specific meaning to it. Well, Kay was like, look, I would never fly it, but people that live in Texas where I'm from or whatever, whatever. These are the reasons that they tell me that they're fine, we have to respect them. So the people that are flying the flag are one thing, but the other people that make space for it, I think that there's some genuine, like genuine old-fashioned white privilege stubbornness that doesn't let them see this issue in the mathematics that it really should be in,
Starting point is 00:32:14 like just in the equation that it is. And I guess I feel like we're saying the same thing as in those people that you're describing still understand why it's offensive, but then they argue on the other side that it represents something different for them. I get what you're saying. I get that it flew at this time and what was happening in the country
Starting point is 00:32:36 and who are the people that were flying it and what their beliefs are. But when I do it, it means this. That's what I'm gathering. That's what a will is saying. So you're not ignorant to it. You're just choosing to ignore it so you can do whatever you want to do
Starting point is 00:32:50 or you cannot condemn those people for doing it. Right. I guess what I'm saying is that guys like Will came more than anything, forget about the flag, they're so, they've been indoctrinated with white American privilege to such a degree that they just aren't used to being told that they can't do something.
Starting point is 00:33:10 Yeah. They're really not. And so that part of it, the part when you, yeah, that part of it is like even it's hard to get people to that to translate their experience and say, hey, this is like, hey, I just don't want you, America's mine. Everything that I see reinforces to me that America's mine. So why would I listen to you?
Starting point is 00:33:32 It's like a bratty child. When you've been told yes, yes, yes, and you can do whatever you want, and the first time you're told no, you don't know how to react to it because you've always been told yes. You've always been able to do whatever it is that you want to do. I hate a bratty child. Well, me too. You all raise these children because I'll whip them. Y'all better raise these kids.
Starting point is 00:33:50 came on the show to talk about the Confederate. My former co-worker. You like Will, huh? I don't have a problem with Will, but I didn't know about this. See? You cherry-picking. You want to send Chris Harrison to the soup kitchens of Texas,
Starting point is 00:34:08 but you cool a Will. Y'all listen to Van. Listen, Van. Go ahead. You know what it's sad, though? There are real people who believe this. Somebody's going to take this clip. of what she said and be like, even her co-host is disappointed. Speaking of that,
Starting point is 00:34:28 speaking of that, hold on. I just, what did I do? It's wild out there. I think it's E online real quick. Hold on. Oh, man. Did you see what they said about me and Juliet? Juliet, I did.
Starting point is 00:34:41 Shout out to Juliet. Our coworker did Bachelor Party. Talked about the hometown episode. We have this conversation. as if I'm e-news, Us Weekly, let me keep going. Life and style, act like I sit in my room and have conversations with myself about The Bachelor. They act like I'm not doing it in a professional setting on a Bachelor podcast,
Starting point is 00:35:03 said I criticized the other Rachel's anti-racist post. First of all, she didn't do an anti-racist post. Let's just stop there. Did she do one? She didn't have, she didn't do that? No, she didn't have an anti-racist post. This is what they do. They manipulate.
Starting point is 00:35:18 things for headlines and clickbait just to like allow people to spew out racism. I got to find it because I... What was it? It was E-News? It was on their page? It was e-news and it was on
Starting point is 00:35:32 Instagram and I went under the Instagram somebody was like, yo, look uh, they were like,
Starting point is 00:35:44 yo, look how badly they're getting on Rachel. And I went on there and the comments were just terrible. I'm telling you. And I was like, you guys are all a bunch of weenies. That's what you wrote? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:35:58 Let me see. My co-ho's always having my back. I'm like, if you guys are a bunch of weenies, weenesses, because they were like, yo, van, this is the bad part. Somebody hit me up. I can't remember who this person was. Somebody hit me up was like, man, this is the part of Bachelor Nation that is like mean that Rachel was telling you about or whatever, whatever.
Starting point is 00:36:18 And I went under there and it was really, really bad. I'm telling you, it's bad. And Facebook is even worse. They create these groups. Oh, wait, I can't look because I blocked E-News. I forgot about that. I can't find it. I blog.
Starting point is 00:36:36 Is it this one where it says following Chris Harrison's temporary departure from The Bachelor, who will host the After the Rose special, Rachel Lindsay Ways in? That's it. Yes. There's a comment with 1,568 likes that there's a period after each word. No one cares what she thinks stopped making her irrelevant. Jackson, send that, yeah, like people were just going ham. Oh, they do all the time. They do this for clickbait.
Starting point is 00:36:59 I increase their engagement because people just love to hate on me on these magazine Instagram pages. They love it. She's terrible. She just wants to be relevant. Shut up. Your 15 minutes is up. You know, it's wild.
Starting point is 00:37:16 That I'm used to. But, you know, it's been that way since I've been a part of the franchise. Yep. I'm not new to it. So Van, Van is a, somebody will now say, Rachel, Chris Harrison to a soup kitchen. Somebody's going to, that's going to be the new headline. Look, we out here, man.
Starting point is 00:37:37 We're out here, Rachel. Just got to be aware of your power. I would love to have somebody on from one of these sites to come on the podcast and talk about the way that they, word these articles or how they use, come on, you know about this, maybe from TMZ days, how they use an angry picture of me, scowling, and then the white lady is smiling, looking super innocent, dressed up. Like, please explain your reasoning behind it.
Starting point is 00:38:03 Find whoever wrote that article. Let's bring them on this podcast and let's have a conversation and talk it out. No, they don't want to do that. No, come on. Don't be scared. Your name's on the article. Don't be scared. All right, let's take a break.
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Starting point is 00:39:43 Tap this ad to learn more about Trimfaya, including important safety information. Okay, Rachel. Do you like the movie's Players Club? Do you like that movie? Ryan and Trixie. We've talked about this before. Ryan and Trissy. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:58 Just real quick. We're not going to say it's been too long, spent too much time on this. But it's something I thought was funny on the Internet's happening yesterday. Drey and Michelle, we had talked about her before. If you guys don't know Jay and Michelle, you should just be on basketball with our wives.
Starting point is 00:40:09 Jay Michelle has a very love-hate relationship with the Internet. Sometimes they love her. Sometimes they hate her. She went on her Instagram stories. I don't know if you guys have ever seen Players Club. It's actually in AFI's top 100 movies of all time. Really? Yeah, it was voted, I think, Best Film of, what did come out?
Starting point is 00:40:29 1998 or 1997. Damn. Nominated two Golden Globes, one Academy Award nomination. No, stop. I'm serious. You lost me now. Tell them what the movie's about. Players Club, this is all it happens.
Starting point is 00:40:46 Players Club, like, it's a true story. And the movie is about a girl who is in college. played by Lisa Ray. A girl who was in college and she also strips on the side back when that was taboo. Because there was a whole thing in the 90s between this movie, between striptees,
Starting point is 00:41:03 where it was about real women who were actually strippers. Oh my God. It was taboo. And the whole thing was about, is it about this life? It's about her club life. But she worked at the Players Club.
Starting point is 00:41:13 So Drey Michelle posted on her Instagram stories that they should reboot players Club with her as Diamond, which is the character that Lisa Ray played. They lit her the fuck
Starting point is 00:41:30 up on Instagram. It was really what Shayroom posted. Shayroom, shout out to Juju and them. Y'all know what y'all be doing. So does it. Shairoom posted it and they lit her up. It was like, girl, you can't act.
Starting point is 00:41:47 Girl, no. Girl, don't reboot a classic. If they do reboot it, we would rather see Lisa Ray come back and play Diamond than to see you play Diamond. Lisa Ray is like in her 50s now probably. So still looks great. Still looks amazing. Do you think they were fan of Dreya? You think, I mean, look, it was like they were mean. They were mean. I don't know to say why people are so hot and bothered by this, to be honest. If Drea wants to dress up and play this role and put it, put it out there, audition for it, get some buzz. Good for her. There's no role. I'm not even the biggest fan. There's no movie.
Starting point is 00:42:20 There's nothing. I know, I know, but she's trying to create buzz for it. So, like, smart on her part, trying to brand herself through this role. I'm not, like I said, I'm not even the biggest fan, but I don't understand why people are so hot and bothered. But if the shade room knows what they're doing by posting it, so does Dreya. That's a calculated move. Whether people are talking good or bad, they're talking about her, and that's all that she cares about. Can't be honest with you. We're talking about her right now on this podcast. I'll be honest with you. Not my choice, by the way. What's... See? I have a question. Seriously, I want to ask you, you as a person who obviously doesn't like Trey and Michelle. No, I just think that she says reckless things. She says it does reckless things for attention. What's the big deal?
Starting point is 00:43:05 I love Trey on Basketball Wives. Loved her. She was in her bag in basketball on the TV show. Loved it. Loved her every season on there. She might have been one of my favorites. I just don't like people who do stuff try too hard. I shouldn't say I don't like.
Starting point is 00:43:20 That's a strong word. I'm not amused. I don't care for people who try so hard. That's a calculated move. So I don't feel bad for her that people are coming at her because she knew what she was doing. She wanted the attention from it. And she got it.
Starting point is 00:43:34 She got it. But you do generally, I mean, I'm not going to. No, I don't dis. I just, she says things like, listen, we talked about her before. She made a reckless comment about Meg the Staliant. Wasn't for it. I can't think of another example. She just says, she says and does things I feel like for the attention without realizing the weight of what it is that she's saying.
Starting point is 00:43:58 But isn't it really just about how much we like these people at the end of the day? Sure. Because. Sure. Fuck. You know what? Fuck it. I was about to make a whole thing about other people who have said stuff that went on.
Starting point is 00:44:16 She's like, no, I get it. Cool. You're right. And cool. Yeah. Yeah, yes, it's fine. It's fine. You're right.
Starting point is 00:44:23 It's right. It's about how much we like people. All right. Look, I've never seen this sort of thing happen in American politics that I can remember quite this fast. Somebody go from the darling of the political world to being in as much trouble as anybody can be right now. I'm talking about Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York. Now, Andrew Cuomo was lauded during. in the beginning of the pandemic for the strength and the resolve that he showed as
Starting point is 00:44:53 New York caught the worst of it. New York suffered the brunt of the pandemic at first. It was the sort of unrivaled hot spot of the COVID-19 crisis here in America. Cuomo will come on, even for me, who didn't even live in New York.
Starting point is 00:45:14 Cuomo would come on television and his cool, calm demeanor he seemed like a wartime general like keeping his troops calm. It really was something to be held. Since then, everything from his handling to that crisis to his personal life
Starting point is 00:45:34 as governor of New York has come into question under fire, shall I say. We're going to talk about eventually the whole nursing home crisis and the nursing home scandal that he is a part of. but more facts on that continue to come out. But just recently, an ex-aid
Starting point is 00:45:52 detailed sexual harassment claims against Cuomo. Cuomo, whose brothers, of course, Chris Cuomo, who is a very popular personality over there on CNN. This lady's name is Lindsay Boylan, and she described years of uncomfortable interactions with Mr. Cuomo, including an invitation to play strip poker
Starting point is 00:46:15 on a government airplane, and an email from another top aide suggesting that the woman that the governor thought she was a better-looking sister of another woman. So Ms. Boylan, who worked for the state's economic development agency at the time, she published that email from December 2016, said that the governor began calling her the other woman's name in professional settings and experience she described as degraded. She is currently running from Manhattan Borough,
Starting point is 00:46:46 president, and she is accusing him publicly of sexual harassment. Your thoughts? I mean, you pretty much said it. I, too, like you, enjoyed watching Governor Cuomo every day getting an update. I loved the way that he took charge of a situation that we knew nothing about. He seemed at the time to be very open about what was going on, which is why he was having those press conferences. Every day, you know, news was stopping to see what was happening in New York.
Starting point is 00:47:21 They were the epicenter when we knew nothing about this virus. And people were talking president. Were they not? Yeah. This is presidential. This is how the country should be what. We should throw him in there and let him go against Trump. And yeah, for sure.
Starting point is 00:47:37 Yeah. That's the way we looked at him. It's very presidential. If you didn't know who he was before, you definitely knew once the pandemic hit in March. Now all this stuff is starting to come out. I just, it's, I, I don't know. I mean, it's where there's smoke, there's fire. I cannot, I don't not know what I was listening to,
Starting point is 00:47:58 but somebody was describing the things that they've heard about Cuomo and about him being almost gangster with it. Like the way that he handles things. Who's, dude, who's at that? I don't remember. Did you see that? No, I didn't say that. Who was that?
Starting point is 00:48:11 No, I said, did you see that? I can't remember what I was watching. I mean, Morning Joe or something. But it's disheartening because we already feel a certain way about politics. It's very hard to trust a politician and to believe the things that they say and who they are. And you find yourself saying, oh, maybe this one is different. This one is really running things the way we feel like is helping the people. Then all this stuff starts to come out.
Starting point is 00:48:39 And you're like, can we really trust any of you? Are you not all the same? I just, I, it's troubling. That's just, I mean, more information needs to come out. I get that. But the fact that this woman is coming out with her story, very detailed story, it's upsetting. Yeah. So you can't trust any politician, but you can't trust policy.
Starting point is 00:49:01 You can't trust ideas. So I don't vote for people. I vote for ideas, right? Yeah, I know. I know. So people represent the ideas themselves, but, you know, you're fucking around on your wife or anything like that. I can care less about that. I can care whether or not black kids get.
Starting point is 00:49:13 health care in Baton Rouge. That's what I care about. What did you just do? You just hurt yourself? Ouch. Wow. You fuck around on your wife. I don't care.
Starting point is 00:49:20 You know, I don't give a fuck about that. I don't. Like, you fuck around on your wife. You fuck around your husband. I couldn't care less. Yeah, it's not going to change how I vote for you. Can you get it?
Starting point is 00:49:28 Can you get the health care package? I don't give a fuck about it. Okay? I don't give a fuck. Okay. So, but here's the thing. I will,
Starting point is 00:49:36 I call upon the left to do something here. Keep the same energy. Because here's the thing. If there are sexual, harassment claims made against politicians on the right, all of a sudden it becomes these guys are the poor, worst people in the world, they don't respect women's bodies, they don't respect women's agency, they don't respect what women say and they don't respect consent, right? I have very, very, very bad news for you guys, is that misogyny is the most bipartisan thing in the end. entire world. Misogyny, rape culture, all of that stuff. That's bipartisan, my friends.
Starting point is 00:50:24 Yep. It might not be bipartisan in policy, meaning there might be one party that gives women more control of their bodies. There might be one party that doesn't want to defund pan-planarhood. But what I'm telling you is this, is that when those doors closed, the way men treat women and the way men provide empowerment and safe spaces for women, the women respect women, that doesn't exist.
Starting point is 00:50:47 There's not one more skis balls on one side than the other. That's a thing. That's a thing that we have to address as a society. I'm not saying that Andrew Cuomo is guilty of any of this stuff. What I am saying is that I'm saying if this story would be enough for you to jump out the window on somebody on the right, and it's enough to jump out the window with him. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:51:11 It's certainly because look, if the standard is that we're believing, in accusers, we're providing space for accusers, and when an accuser says something, we're taking it as gospel, if that is what people are saying, then you have to do that here. I agree. And so for me,
Starting point is 00:51:28 what, like, I think the way I look at that situation is there was an entire time when a woman will come forth and she would say that she had been raped or sexually assaulted, and she would be shut down. Just shut down.
Starting point is 00:51:42 You're lying. You wanted it. you're trying to take down a powerful man, you shut down. I think the way I view the situation is, now I believe you. You come to me, you talk this, I believe you.
Starting point is 00:51:53 This happened to you. The studies show that less than 2% of the time or right at 2% of the time are false accusations. They're 98% of the time. Women are telling the truth. Like it's some number like that. So being out of the same,
Starting point is 00:52:13 I don't have any problem believe in a woman until there's a reason not to believe. You know, if there's a reason not to believe then I'm not just going to be like,
Starting point is 00:52:20 oh, she said it happened so it happened. But if there's a reason not to believe, just like with anything. You know, I believed OJ at first. Then I was like,
Starting point is 00:52:27 wait a minute. Yeah, we all do. I was like, wait. They didn't get together and plan all of that shit. You kill two people. You know what I mean? But having said all of that,
Starting point is 00:52:40 don't protect Andrew Cuomo. don't protect him. I mean, if we're being real... Who's protecting him? There are some people that are like, this is just happening because this woman is a Republican and he, Andrew Cuomo has pissed off the wrong people.
Starting point is 00:52:54 And all of that stuff. Because she's a Republican. Come on y'all. No, no. No. No, hell no. Hell no. Keep that exact same energy. Agreed.
Starting point is 00:53:09 Keep that exact same energy not because, keep that exact same energy because in any of these situations if it's about the women, it's about the women. It can't be about the politics. It just can't. So the reality is that
Starting point is 00:53:24 this seems to be, at least to this point right now, a credible accusation. And until it's not a credible accusation, then it is what it is. I'm not saying I throw him away. I'm not saying that, but what I'm saying is at this point, right now, sure, I look at them differently.
Starting point is 00:53:44 Yeah. Yeah. I look at it. I absolutely do. But at the same time, if more stuff comes out, minds can be changed. What I'm saying, there are no sacrificial lambs in this. So if there's a lot of people that are saying, hey, they're just doing
Starting point is 00:53:59 this, they're trying to get back at him, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No. No. It's a woman that says she was mistreated. She was working for him. You must go with the same zeal and with the same energy and find the truth. And if it turns out that he was in any way a dickhead in this, run his ass just like you ran everybody else.
Starting point is 00:54:22 Party be damned. God damn it. All of this shit. Oh, do you see what they did? Oh, you know what? No, I'm not talking about this real quick. I want to read you this while we're on this subject. Okay.
Starting point is 00:54:34 Because I was about to go to Mr. Potato Head, but I got to be honest with you. I could give a fuck less about how Mr. Potato Head I didn't. identifies. I think that's very important. You know, it's fine. You know, it's cool. But what I'm saying is that who could give, like, look, who could be mad about that? If you're mad
Starting point is 00:54:55 There are people. It's just so stupid. You know how these people are. It's like when things happen on Sesame Street stuff, they want to be. People will get really hot and bothered by this. Normalize it all. Agreed. Is what I say. Oh, I do want to ask you about this
Starting point is 00:55:13 tweet that I saw. I'm not going to say who it's from just because the lady has sent some of her tweets private, which tells me that she's getting a little of hate. The tweet says, stop calling your female colleagues, smart, clever, or brilliant. It's sexist. You would never, ever stress how truly bright Brandon is when recommending a spirit of trust. It shouldn't be surprising to you in 2021 that women are capable of thought. So, this tweet has gone viral. woman has made, she's laid down the gauntlet. She says that you should not call your female colleagues smart, clever, or brilliant.
Starting point is 00:55:52 It's sexist when I'm in a conversation with someone and I tell them how amazing Rachel Lindsay is. Your thoughts? You can call me smart, clever, or brilliant all day, every day. I'm not taking any kind of offense to it. I saw this. I'm trying to understand why this is a problem. It's not the same, it's not a microaggression like saying a black person is well spoken or they're so articulate when you
Starting point is 00:56:27 wouldn't say that about their white counterpart. If I did something smart, call me smart. If I'm, if I'm doing something that's brilliant in a brilliant way, I don't think that that's sexist in any way. I guess maybe I haven't come across. where it's only used towards a woman and not used to my same male co-worker. Is that what it is? It's the setting of a coworker, right? Yeah, colleagues, colleagues.
Starting point is 00:56:50 Yeah, colleagues. I think this is when people are like, well, then we're taking things too far. What is it that I can say? What do you want people to say? She doesn't give an example. It shouldn't be surprising to you. It's not surprising to me.
Starting point is 00:57:06 I just feel like this is taking it too far. I don't understand the logic behind this. What do you want people to say if you do bring a lot to the table and you did have a brilliant idea. I don't think that that's gender specific. I don't think that that's sexist in any way if you said something that's brilliant. I don't think you're saying that women can't have brilliant or smart or clever ideas. Maybe that's happening in her workplace or what's going on.
Starting point is 00:57:31 Maybe her boss has some type of issue and maybe that's specific to that incident. But in general, I have never been offended by a male saying, those words to me, or using those adjectives to describe me. I'm going to receive all of that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you, it never has even crossed my mind.
Starting point is 00:57:53 It's taking it too far. And this is when people are like, what can we say? There's nothing that we can do. To me, this crosses the line. Well, see, here's the thing is as a man, you know, you've got to walk the line here, right? Because. Okay, you can't say anything. So I say it.
Starting point is 00:58:10 Well, not really. You know, because here's the thing for when Obama, the articulate thing, right? The articular thing was an insult as directed towards President Obama because he was running for president. What's funny? Your comment section on this post. Why? What are people saying? What in the entire fuck?
Starting point is 00:58:31 Shut up, lady. Girl, shut up. There are real issues out here. Right. It's like, it's what do you want people to say? say. I feel like this is specific to one issue with her. I don't mind being called articulate, right?
Starting point is 00:58:47 I don't. I don't mind being called articulate in the proper setting. Meaning that if I, when they call President Obama articulate, well yeah, no fucking shit he's articulate. He's running for president. 95%
Starting point is 00:59:04 with the occasional dumbass of people running for president are going to be able articulate themselves. And I haven't heard the rest of those guys called articulate. You called the black guy articulate, which tells me that maybe you have some preconceived notion about how articulate black people are. That's one thing, right? For me, if I'm in a situation and we're sitting talking to band as a very smart, articulate, thoughtful young man, I don't have any problem with that.
Starting point is 00:59:29 Most of the time I'm not looking to have an issue with people over things. This question is, it's different because as a man, you don't know when you're fucking up. It's hard. Really, the only... This ain't it. Well, okay, I'm just asking because the only clues that you have of when you're fucking up is when people tell you. Because everything else, like I said, it's hard for white people to translate their privilege. It's hard for men that translate their privilege, too.
Starting point is 00:59:53 So I don't know. Do you find yourself in a conversation and when like you're, like, you hang out in circles that, like, I would think that everybody is like very thoughtful, smart, clever, brilliant. Let me use these words here. Sure. Do you only subject the women to those adjectives or are you just talking in general? when you talk about your friends, because you know you love to talk about who you know and your friends,
Starting point is 01:00:15 do you only use certain adjectives towards the women and reserve other ones for the men? Or do you just talk? Be honest with you. Chris Harrison's side of things is feeling real good right now because all the digs that you take. When will this stop? All the digs that you take.
Starting point is 01:00:33 It's getting over and over again. You're digging, you're digging, dig in, dig, dug. Well, you were digging at the beginning of this podcast, so I'm going to finish it on the end. I was, I had reasons. But no, so here's my thing. It's like, I think there are things that are more obvious that I try to avoid when, you know, talking about women. Because I watch, I watch guys talk or even people on television stuff talk about women.
Starting point is 01:00:58 They go, hey, they're very lovely, smart and talented, something, something, something. And lovely comes before smart and talented all the time. When I see my little nieces or see little girls, I go, hey, pretty. Hey, how are you? You know what I mean? And I think I catch myself more on that. I catch myself stop equating to catch myself trying to stop equating a woman's worth to her physical appearance. Don't stop calling little girls pretty.
Starting point is 01:01:32 Don't stop calling little girls pretty? Why? Because, and maybe this is like a black thing. But I'm always. I always tell young black women, girls, little girls, that they're beautiful. Always. Because you grow up in a society,
Starting point is 01:01:50 you grow up in a society where it's not all, where your beauty isn't celebrated as others are. So I always, I'm like, hey, pretty girl, hey beautiful. I say it all the time to young girls because I want them to appreciate their beauty, their natural beauty. I'm laughing as I sit here with a wig on my head,
Starting point is 01:02:09 but you know what I'm saying. It's on your head. It's part of you naturally. You pay money naturally for the week. But no, truly. Do you might not get that reinforcement? Do you tell little white girls that they're beautiful? I feel like I'm not really around for any young white girls.
Starting point is 01:02:25 Right. So I don't really know. I'm sure I do. I'm sure I do. But I specifically reminded of it for young black girls because their beauty isn't always reinforced. That's true. I've stopped. Like when I, I, I've really stopped.
Starting point is 01:02:43 I've stopped because I just want these ladies to know that they're more than pretty, man. Say both then. It's like, I guess. But I'm telling you from a female perspective, when you're growing up and you're young and you're looking at magazines and things are a little bit different now, but you're looking at dolls, you're looking at magazines, you're looking at TV shows, and you don't see yourself represented, you start to want to be like, oh, that's what pretty is. So when somebody reinforces it, especially coming from a man to say,
Starting point is 01:03:16 oh, hey, pretty, you feel that as a child. Like, I can remember that as a young girl when someone would say that to me. And so don't stop. Just add to it. Can I ask you something? Wouldn't it be awesome, though? And this is just me asking,
Starting point is 01:03:32 I don't want anyone to be like bands on the podcast, mansplaining to Rachel. I'm asking. No, you're asking. Couldn't it be a situation to where if we prioritize things other than pretty, then the beauty standard might not affect our younger sisters so much. If they thought that maybe they were going to be judged by more than somebody else's
Starting point is 01:03:58 opinion of their physical form. Sure. Might we change that? That's a beautiful thought. But society is what it is. And I'm not saying that, like, may guess, if we all. all did it, it could change up. So I'm just saying use both. Fine, don't just stop it
Starting point is 01:04:13 pretty. Tell them they're beautiful and they're smart. Despite what this woman says. Tell them they're both. And then tell them why they're both. You know what I mean? Maybe that's the difference of why it needs to come after it. Yeah, I mean, you know, by the way, not all kids are smart.
Starting point is 01:04:29 That's the best stuff. I see it all the time. Or pretty. I see it all the time. Wow. Rage. All right, Let's take a 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.
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Starting point is 01:05:13 And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice. Off campus, L, every year after, the love hypothesis, Sterling Point, and more. Slow burns, second chances, chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting.
Starting point is 01:05:35 Watch only on Prime. Oh, batch! Look, let me tell you something about Matt James real quick. All this stuff with Bree. All this stuff with Bree. It's not all this stuff with Bree, but I just, it's like, let me tell you something. Let me say about Matt James real quick.
Starting point is 01:05:58 Okay. So I'm not going to lie. Matt James is getting emotional affirmative action for me right now. It's harder for me. to be honest with myself about the wienessness of Matt James. Because. Because of everything that's going on. I love black people.
Starting point is 01:06:22 At first, it was easy for me to see Matt James as being the true weanus that he is. And don't get me wrong, you guys, he's still a weenie. But the reality is that I'm pulling for Matt now. I'm pulling. I'm glad you turned a corner. I'm pulling for Matt right now. Good. Okay.
Starting point is 01:06:40 having said that, he still gets three winningies for this episode. That's a, it's better than five. That's better than five. He's been off the charts. That's better than five. Let me ask you, what was your favorite part of this last episode of The Bachelor? Because I'm being honest with you. The show is kind of fucking boring.
Starting point is 01:07:01 I told you this episode was boring. It was, it was a little bit to get through this one. I'm not going to lie. I had to go back and forth. What did you like? Tell me, to help me appreciate. I will tell you that this was incredibly boring. Like more, it starts to get a little bit more,
Starting point is 01:07:19 it starts a plateau at this point because the drama's taken out of it. But this, I told you this last episode, this is more boring than ever. My favorite part, Serena Pete leaving. Yeah. I thought that was kind of, that was the drama of it. I mean, she flat out said, you're not my person. I thought that was kind of ruthless.
Starting point is 01:07:39 Yeah. Does that put her because, like, who do you think of this show will be The Bachelorette? Well, it's rumored that it's Katie. Oh, Vibrator Girl. Vibrator Girl. People really like her. She's a fan favorite. Out of this top four, I will tell you, when I saw Serena go on a date, she's got a spunk about her.
Starting point is 01:08:02 That's what I'm saying. A personality and energy. She's Indian descent. So I think that's never We've never seen that representation In a lead role I think that that would be fantastic Right
Starting point is 01:08:16 So I I could see her I think she could carry a show She'd have a lot of personality She's clearly matter of fact I'm actually going to leave Because The same for me You're not my person
Starting point is 01:08:27 I'm not even going to pretend I liked that about her Do you know who should have been The Bachelor Mike Johnson Matt James's brother. That's what the fuck I'm talking about. Have you guys know about this guy? Have you guys seen this guy?
Starting point is 01:08:45 What's his name? John the Scorpio. John the fucking Scorpio. And I'm going to be real with you. Rachel sent over, because Rachel is kind of a low-key hater sometimes. Rachel sent over. Are you kidding me? I said they had higher learning group text has to see this.
Starting point is 01:09:04 I loved it. And so this guy, John the Scorpio has a song called Gotta Do Better. This is Matt James' brother. Why I'll tell you, this shit is jamming? That shit is really, I'll be honest with you. With the Kaepernick representation in the video, there's a full music video, y'all.
Starting point is 01:09:21 I'll be real with you. I'm not joking. That shit is really hard. That John of Scorpio is hard as fuck. I thought it was going to be a joke. And when I saw it, I had to verify. I had to verify this is Matt's brother. Matt has never mentioned him.
Starting point is 01:09:34 I'm a little disappointed. I don't know why you're keeping him from us. He better be, okay, man, you don't know this. But usually, second to last episode, we meet the Leeds family. If we don't meet John, y'all need to be like, this needs to go viral on Twitter.
Starting point is 01:09:50 Let me tell you something. Let me tell you why Matt James, I'm revising Matt James' weenie rating to give him five weenies. Okay, five out of five. See, you could never catch a break. I knew you went sticking. to three. You do this every time. Go ahead.
Starting point is 01:10:07 Five out of five. Okay. You want me to tell you why? Do I have latitude? Okay. Yes. Gotta do better by John of Scorpio came out five months ago. That's 1.8,000 views. So not even 2,000 views. Let's be honest. That's trash. Okay. Let's be honest. That's trash. He should, he, yes. With a brother. Yes. The reality is that. The reality is that this is a decent song. Is Lisa's good?
Starting point is 01:10:39 The video is high quality. My question is, it's got 12 comments. John of Scorpio, John Scorpio has 20 fucking subscribers on YouTube. I'm not even joking. That is fucking pathetic. Your brother has nearly a million followers on Instagram. Your brother is one of the most famous people on television. right now.
Starting point is 01:11:05 You mean to tell me that you can't throw this video up in your story. You can't help John the Scorpio who says in this song that he went to jail
Starting point is 01:11:14 for thieving. You can't, like John of Scorpio, you can tell he's Matt's brother because this nigga looks like he's like six or nine
Starting point is 01:11:21 out here riding a skateboard. You mean to tell me that like you, like that you, you can't help John the Scorpio get his shit off. You know what?
Starting point is 01:11:31 How many people from back home who shit that I post on my gram. These are guys I don't even know like that. These dudes I haven't seen since ninth grade, we played one week of freshman football together than they went to prison.
Starting point is 01:11:47 Hey, Van, do you remember me? Yeah, I remember you, bro. How are you? Guess what? I've been down 13 years. I just got out. Throw this video up on the story. I got you.
Starting point is 01:11:58 Shit, it's terrible. It's not even John the Scorpio level. And the reality is that Matt Jane, is not passing the plug right now. I don't give a fuck what happened between him and John the Scorpio. Yeah, I wonder if they're close or not. Maybe John the Scorpio went to jail for thieving
Starting point is 01:12:17 from Matt James. Who knows? But the reality is, you can't help your brother. They look just alike. They look alike. They look alike. You can't help your brother? Let me look at the comments.
Starting point is 01:12:31 He should have posted the music video because I'm telling you, we have to see this man on the season. Matt James, you're a weenie dog. You're a wiener dog. But I will say I'm pulling it for you. Y'all need to go check out. Go follow John the Scorpio on Instagram.
Starting point is 01:12:49 John the Scorpio on YouTube. Go show this man some love. Because the song really does go hard. It knocks. Mailbag! Mailback time. Time to read your letter. and then we'll reply to them.
Starting point is 01:13:08 Oh, it's mailback time. Write us with your queries and we'll chime in. Okay, let's cut that. Let's cut that in for each Thursday. He's so proud of that, y'all. That was off the top of the dog. That's our song.
Starting point is 01:13:31 That's it. That was crazy. Okay, let's do mailbag, I guess. From Kyle Fochay. Grabbing the mic. Who was the first person that Van and Rachel were starstruck by in real life? Ooh. Didn't you say yours was Bow Wow?
Starting point is 01:13:53 No, I never said that. What? Bowell was on the show. I never fucking said that. You just making shit up. I think this is the memory that comes to mine is Randy Moss. Oh, that's a good one. I loved.
Starting point is 01:14:08 I mean, I said, still do, but I feel like when I really got into football, Randy Moss had just been drafted, thought he was coming to the Cowboys, he wasn't. There was a guy that I liked that kind of looked like Randy Moss. I was so into him. I loved his attitude. I loved his game. I love the way he would wear his hair.
Starting point is 01:14:25 Oh, everything about Randy. Then I went to ESPN. Randy does Sunday football. I used to do a radio show on Sundays. I saw him. So the way ESPN works is everybody. is the war room. And everybody watches all the games on all these screens.
Starting point is 01:14:43 So everybody who has a show, whether it's on TV or radio, is in this room. So, like, as a sports fan, I'm fanning out all these people in here. Randy Mock Moss walks in. I walk out the room. I couldn't even be in the room with him in there. I was, like, panicking. I was 12 years old again. I shared this with a co-worker, Ryan Clark.
Starting point is 01:15:06 one day we're walking down the hall together and Randy and Charles Woodson come wouldn't even start struck by Charles come walking down the hall I take off running because I'm nervous that Randy's there Ryan's like hey Rachel didn't you always say you wanted to meet Randy
Starting point is 01:15:21 I had to come back meet him said hello he couldn't have been more nice so lovely said we were family because we're all co-workers but he still makes me nervous still makes me nervous if I was Ryan Clark I would have took it to HR why you're talking about your co-work
Starting point is 01:15:34 if I was Ryan Clark would it took it to HR Why are you talking about your closest environment? For what? Creating an unsafe environment. I run away every single... I run away every single time he's around. Not run to, run from. No, can't do it.
Starting point is 01:15:47 Called HR. Call HR. For me, I first got to L.A. I was at Venice Beach and I saw Diana DeVoe. Let me look this up. Hold on. Don't describe. I need to see. Diana DeVo.
Starting point is 01:16:10 D.E. E-O-E. Just Google it. Okay, I was wondering why you had not shamed me for not knowing, and now I see why. Go ahead. Legend. I saw her at Venice Beach.
Starting point is 01:16:29 She had a little backpack on where those little backpacks of girls used to wear where they had these little straps and had a little pack on. And I was like, hello, I'm a big fan. And then she just kind of looked at me, and then we took, we took, picture. Diana DeVoe floored me. Next question. Do you still have that picture? That's my question. No. See, I didn't even ask for a picture. I was too scared. He still makes me nervous. Diana DeVos. I was like, did I'm missing something here? Who is that? Okay, next question. From Risa Bass, if you could have any living performer perform a private show for you at your
Starting point is 01:17:08 birthday party, who would it be? Diana Devo No Good question Um Because it's like What kind of mood do I want
Starting point is 01:17:19 Yeah it's crazy Any living performer At a birthday party Um It's not Beyonce Not Beyonce No It wasn't going to be Beyonce
Starting point is 01:17:28 If I If I was like If it was more chill I know who it is Who? Go Bruno Mars Oh that's that's the type of party you want
Starting point is 01:17:39 See, I was going to say if mine was more chill, I would say Lauren Hill, right? We don't see enough of her. She's not coming to the party. Like, you look like, the food going to be cold. Like, the cake going to be stale. Don't make a new rules to the question. Like, she's not coming to the party. Who would you want?
Starting point is 01:17:54 Who would you want? Okay, I would want Lauren Hill. Man, Bruno Mars, that was a good one. Yeah, Bruno will be getting it. That was good. I kind of want to steal that. Like Bruno Mars be getting it. That's a fun party.
Starting point is 01:18:05 And he could slow it down. And he could slow it down for you. See, that's, that was a good one. I'm still in that. And he'll bring the cocaine? All of that. Last one. Okay.
Starting point is 01:18:16 From Jana Jackson, I want to know of Van and Rachel has any wild Mardi Gras stories. Oh, that's all Van. Van. Van has it. I've actually never been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. I can't tell them because they all involve illicit sexual action. You or somebody else. Don't name people.
Starting point is 01:18:38 Not with me. Like there's things that like... Why don't you just Barack Obama the story and tell it to us? No, it's... No, it's... No, I can't Barack Obama the story. They're all involved... Like, it's all freak shit.
Starting point is 01:18:49 Like, you're there. Like, you're there in New Orleans. Especially if it's a warmer Mardi Gras is going down. So 100,000 people down there. You can't move. Like, they're ladies there. You see them. One time we met these girls from Tucson, man.
Starting point is 01:19:05 Shout out to Tucson. I'm not going to lie, bro. Like, if Tucson... If Tucson is listening right now, Tucson girls like to have a good time, bro. I'm not going to lie. Because there's nothing to do in Tucson. Tucson girls like to have a good time.
Starting point is 01:19:20 I remember this was, because this is the South, right? So me and the homies are down there, and I'll tell you how drunk I was. I was so drunk that it didn't, it didn't even bother me that we would be seen wide open in New Orleans with some white girls,
Starting point is 01:19:36 which could have, you know, Because, you know what's like? Because like, when you were a white chick in public, it's cool until like you see black women. And then. That's true. And then you're like, damn, I'm fucking up. Do you know what I mean? But we was down there like, I mean, we had really adapted to their ways, my whole crew.
Starting point is 01:19:59 Like, we were dancing off beat. You know what I'm saying? Wait, stop. We were. Like, my whole crew, like, we had adapted to their thing. I remember, yo, this is so funny. Remember that song, Who Let the Dogs Out? Yeah, of course.
Starting point is 01:20:14 We had never heard that, okay? So, check this out. Seriously, this is a true story. I wish Ryan was here. Like, we had never heard that song. I had no fucking clue what that song was. Never heard it. But we're at, I want to say Razzuz or someplace like that,
Starting point is 01:20:34 we are so fucking drunk, right? we are so drunk. And all of the sudden... Wait, you were at Razu's? I think so. The restaurant or the club on Bourbon Street. The club on Burbank Street. That's one of my favorite clubs on Burbank Street.
Starting point is 01:20:47 It's a very touristy place to go. It is. I'm a tourist. That's where people go. That's where you find the Su-Tan-South girls. Right, exactly. So we in that bitch and like, I actually got scared
Starting point is 01:20:59 because all of a sudden the song comes on, and these girls start going, oh! And they start, like, like really, really getting into it. And I'm like, and then it comes out and like, and the who let us dogs out part comes on. And they are going apes shit. But the whole crowd full of white people was going ape shit too.
Starting point is 01:21:24 They were who, who, who, who, who. And we're like, and like, and I'm looking around, I'm starting to think that this is some weird racist shit. I really don't know what to think. Like, I'm looking around like, yo, it almost felt like, get out where you realize that the white people are out to kill you. It seemed like some kind of idea and fucking, like, agreement that they had between each other. Like, you're like, who killing niggas? Who, who, who, who, who killing niggas? And I'm like, because I never heard the song and they were when I said you were drunk.
Starting point is 01:22:05 And I was drunk. These chicks were losing their shit. They were so happy about this. Who let the dogs out joint? Because there's not a black club in life where you've ever been to. Oh, God. No. Wait.
Starting point is 01:22:21 What they put on who let the dogs out? You said get out. Did you see that that was trending this week during The Bachelor? No, I didn't. Okay. I can't show it on Twitter that you didn't. Trending big time during the Bachelor. Like it was like Bachelor.
Starting point is 01:22:36 It was like, get out. Bachelor. No, I didn't see. It makes sense though. Makes sense. Yeah, well. But all, what I'm saying is, what I'm saying is, just real quick, I'll put a button on this story.
Starting point is 01:22:45 These girls were staying in the W, but not the W over off Poitras or like further in the quarter, the really super nice W that's in the quarter. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They had, they, like, had bread. And it went, it was, they were, you know, it was. It was down to W. Ah, fun lady. Fun ladies. Fun ladies. They remember who they are. Fun ladies. Fun ladies. Fun ladies. Okay. Glad, glad everything worked out safely. Tucson. That's all I'm gonna say. All right. Do you have an unexpected ally, boy?
Starting point is 01:23:26 Yeah, real quick. I'm not sure who did it, but whoever sent a mariachi band to Ted Cruz's house because he couldn't. B in Cancun. That is so funny. I don't know who did it. I don't know what you look like, but you were my unexpected ally of the week. People are so creative. Set a band,
Starting point is 01:23:44 so he didn't miss out on the Cancun experience. It's funny. Yeah. You have one? No. No, I don't. We're angry this week. No, I don't.
Starting point is 01:23:57 I don't have an unexpected ally of the week. I was going to do Frank Biden and Joe Biden's little brother. I'll tell you why. He didn't do anything good. But this guy's going to be a problem. How have not heard the story? Frank Biden, Joe Biden's little brother,
Starting point is 01:24:16 this guy is going to be a problem. He was down in Florida, hanging out with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. No mask on. He was getting it. How old is Joe Biden's brother? He's younger brother. This guy's going to be a problem.
Starting point is 01:24:34 I love, I'm telling you already, I love Frank Biden. I love Frank Biden. You gotta be honest with you. I love Frank Biden. Hmm. There you go. All right. You guys, that's it. Who let the dogs out?
Starting point is 01:24:51 Tell you the thing, caps off. Do not stop learning. I am Van Laker. I'm Rachel Lindsay. We out.

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