Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Mental Health, Mo’Nique’s Critiques, & Ellie Kemper Won What?

Episode Date: June 2, 2021

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay reflect on the massacre in Tulsa 100 years later, and why it’s just now becoming common historical knowledge (10:49). Then, Naomi Osaka has dropped out of the French Open (41:26), Mo’Nique’s got advise for appropriate queen travel attire (1:00:29), and Ellie Kemper’s trending for all the wrong reasons (1:09:27). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? How to learning is on. It is I, Van Lathen. And it's me, Rachel Lindsay. Let me tell you something. Are we struggling today? We struggling this morning.

This is coming after the Memorial Day weekend. And we're doing this on a Tuesday morning. We're like we're, we're, we're, we're, we're playing hurt. You know? I mean, you know, we just, this is a bounce back language right here. It's what this podcast is. It's a bounce back. We're bouncing back.

Had some fun this weekend. I saw you, Rach. You were down with the people. I had a good time. And as I come here this Tuesday morning, I've lost my voice. It's coming back. I've lost my wig. I've lost my lashes.

You see this? I'm like, I'm in. So you lost your voice? I don't found, I don't found, you know, I'm back to how I used to be. Yeah. Back to my roots down here. So that's what happens when you go home. You lose all of that stuff

and you become the inner rage that you used to be one more time. You lost your voice, your wig, and your lashes. In my lashes. Let me tell you some, when you go back home, especially now that you're out in L.A., what do your people say to you?

Because every time my uncle walks through my grandmother's door, they're like, what's up, Hollywood? Yeah. Hey, Hollywood. How's it going? Your people do you like that? Yeah, and by the way, I don't like it.

I don't like it because I feel like, I feel like it's low-key dissing and I come back with What's up? Still sitting by the 7-Eleven? Like, what's popping? I would never disrespect my uncle's life. Nah, don't do me like that.

Hey, Hollywood, how you doing? You still got room for the little people? No, nigger. That's exactly what they say. Like, no, I don't. Like, are you planning to go back to jail anytime soon? Like, I don't like people doing that to me.

Like, oh, are you the same? I don't like it either. I strike back because you know what I like? This is one of my favorite things in life. These uncles and all of these people, like I'm an adult now. Like I don't hold them in the same reverence that I do. My mom and my grandmother and my grandfather and all of them.

I can clap back on them now. See, all of that shit, my mother's brothers and all of that, that's over. Yeah. Like that's done. Like you come from me now? It ain't 89 no more. I'm a getting your ass. All right.

I still have the respect. No. I do what I don't. But yeah, I don't know. I feel you on that. But it's good to be home. I was,

I was wondering if you was going to recognize me. To be honest with you, you know what I mean? And I come back. To be honest with you, I don't. The years have been unkind. Get like trying to make me feel bad for,

having life success. I love you. We can talk about great things, but if you come from me, I ain't backing down. You know? It's to be expected. It's family.

That's how we do each other here. That's why I'm not going back to Louisiana until I lose some weight. Because if I go back down there. No, where's that big talk? Where's that big talk? No, no. Don't worry about that.

Don't worry about it. No, I'm not going back there until I lose some weight because this is going to be like, Oh shit, he's back. I know you were going to be able to keep it. They told me I was too skinny. I know.

Like, what are we supposed to do? Like, we're people. You know, sometimes you get a little. So first thing they say. Boy, watch yourself now. All right, now, then. That's your second plate. Watch yourself now.

Okay. I love family. I love them too. Did you have a good holiday weekend, though? I did. We went and we saw a quiet place, too. It's out? Mm-hmm.

Went to the theater. Okay, so you went to the movie theater. What was that like? It was dope. It was dope. You weren't nervous? Is that okay? Was it crowded?

It was people in there. The movie made $60 million in the first week. The theater's back. It's a big deal. It's a big triumph Than the first one No But it's good

You know It's good They The movie is so stressful I don't know If I should have seen the movie Quite so stressful At this particular time

You know It's very stressful You're in the movie And you want to jump But the thing about the film That's interesting Is that just like the first one It's like you get afraid

To make noise too Like you don't want to make no noise Because you're like Like, you don't want those things to come get you, those crazy, terrible things. But it was good. They had Jiamun Honsu in it. So at least we know that the black people survived this quiet place as well. Because...

Did you just give away the movie? No. I mean, there's people. Oh, him. There are new characters in it. Yeah, they show him in the trailer. So... Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, but I noticed that in the first Quiet Place movie, there were no black people. And if I can remember, and I was wondering if that was a criticism that they were making. Like, we can't be quiet. So the aliens killed all of us. Maybe. Could be.

Like, the aliens could just really go to, like, a black movie theater, a place that's supposed to be quiet. That's probably, they probably went right to the Magic Johnson 12 over there in South that like in cringe shots. I was like probably right to the Magic Johnson 12. Like we hear, we can hear these motherfuckers. We hear them. They're all right there.

You know? Like they get them. They're yelling at the screen. Stop, stops. That's probably, we probably got all of us. And then, you know, the white people, they being quiet and using sign language and shit like that. But it was dope.

The movie was dope though. The movie was dope. And you went to a, uh, a bachelor's party went to a bachelor's party my college friends just getting married

this summer it was fun it was fun I was just telling Trudy and Donnie that I said I was going to chill I told Brian I was like you know I'm just going to chill

you know I'm just going to do my thing I don't have it like I used to as soon as the beat dropped it's like it was scratching an itch and I was right back to Big Rache

UT days. I had a good time. You were there with your friends? I had a fantastic time. I saw you guys on the boat. Yeah, you know what? I saw we're on the boat. Some of us didn't make it.

A lot of girls got sick. Really? Because we partied the night before. And then we went on the boat that next morning. But it was great. I saw people in Austin. You know, some people are still doing the same thing that they wore 15, 16, 17 years ago.

That's okay. It was so good to see old faces. Right. I love it. I missed it. Like, that's always cool. Like, when you see people and they're that and they're the same. But at the same time, it's always like, damn, you really are.

This is like your shit. You fucking, this is the shit you fucking with. It's cool. I love it. So you, um, you are, you were on the boat. Who got sick on the boat? Name names. The bride to be.

Mm-hmm. Go for it. Her niece. I love how I'm in here. Jade. Jay. Delaney. Yeah.

And Haley. Jay Delaney. And they got sick. So when they got sick, what, did anybody fall off the boat into the water? No, we got in the water. Y'all got in the water.

Because this was Lake Travis. This was one of those spots where you can like tie your boats up together. And it's like you can go from boat to boat. We didn't do that. But you get in the water. float around. I've never, I've never experienced

a boat, boat to boat party. I've never gone boat to boat. I've never. I did not this time. You've done it before though? Like have a suit? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Like you tie your boats together and it's like you can just go and it's different music,

different vibes, different people, different alcohol, different, yeah. It's an experience because everybody, celebrating something different. It's just like bacheloretts, bachelors, you know, friends just celebrating the holiday weekend. Right. It's just like people who call every week.

It's just fun. So it's like Havasu is like Bachelorette. It's like spring break. It's like celebrating Trump is president. It's like all of those things back to back. Well, there was one boat that was not linked to anybody. Yeah, of course. And that boat had a blue lives matter flag.

Yeah. In a Trump line. Yeah. And a Texas. And a Texas flag. And a Texas flag. Yeah. That boat stood alone.

Right. You didn't go over there? Why would you let political differences stop you from hanging out with somebody? Whatever they were super nice. They didn't look like they were having a good time. They didn't look like they were celebrating in the same way. They might have been nice. Who knows?

But I wasn't the only one. There might have been 50 plus boats on that water. Right. Nobody linked up with them. Right, because they don't want to be implicated. They don't want to be implicated in the next capital insurrection. So you go on that boat and then the next time the capital gets, overrun, they go, oh, you are hanging out with that person.

Boom, FBI background check. Nobody wants those kinds of troubles in life. I don't even know where some of the people get this type of stuff. The flag was like Trump's face with eagles and like an American flag and like this, like this, like a super world background, like atmosphere. I'm like, who's making this kind of stuff? Where are you purchasing this? It wasn't like he was like, make America great again. I don't know.

They won't. Listen. We weren't worried about them. because we were having our own time. Having a good time. That's amazing. That is amazing. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tramphia offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tramphia is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks.

If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tramphia, proper training is required. Tramphia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramfaya today.

Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Tramphiatoradio.com. The playoffs are here and you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul predict the spread, total points, and even the game winner. Sign up and get a $25 bonus. Offered by Fandul prediction markets LLC, a registered futures commission merchant, 18 plus. Bonus is non-withdrawable and expires seven days after receipt. Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors.

Manage your activity with our consumer protection tool. Restrictions apply. See terms at fanduil.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash terms. All right. Look, a lot of stuff has been happening. Really not. It's actually not true. It's like there's not a whole ton of shit to talk about.

We should be real. Okay. But there is something that we do want to, uh, to, to discuss with you guys. It is the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now, that anniversary has already passed, okay? As this podcast will go up, that anniversary has passed, but it was a couple of days ago that marks the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now, I'm sure that most of the people listening to this podcast are aware of what happened in Tulsa those 100 years ago.

you had black people which had their thriving economically independent community burned looted destroyed by a marauding group of white supremacists who used a false accusation to justify going in and killing black people for simply being successful it was something that really robbed that state, that area of a lot of the economic stability that might have last generations because they destroyed this amazing community. Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Monday morning that said the federal government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it is played in stripping wealth and opportunity from black communities. The Biden Harris administration is committed to acknowledging the role the federal government played in Greenwood and other black communities and addressing the longstanding racial inequalities through history, through historic investments in the economic security of children and families, shall I say. So I think what you're having now is more than ever people are recognizing some of the ways that I put to you like, this. The situation in Tulsa, the situation in Rosewood, places, it also happened in places like North Carolina, they cut directly against a narrative that black people didn't start their own communities, didn't start their own economies, didn't start their own American identities. And what

we did was we fought to wait for handouts, is that we in some way fought to wait for the white man to come in and give us anything. The reality is that, uh, in many places, we had started to build our own. We had not started to build. We built our own. And we kept running up into a very, very familiar problem of white supremacists

who were violent to us, both economically, physically, and environmentally. So I'm glad to see the Tulsa massacre finally started to become, finally start to become a mainstream talking point. But once again, I wonder why an event in American history so sinister and so tragic has taken this long to be understood

and this long to be discussed. So this is the 100-year anniversary, and we've seen it play out in pop culture. It was a big part of the Watchman story art. We've seen different people there, Hollywood's got on it and now Hollywood is of course turning it into something that they can package and they can sell. But it's important to know

what has been like historically for black people in this country. And this is just one example of that. No, I mean, I think it brings up a good point of what it is that we're teaching kids in school. I did not learn about the Tulsa massacre until years later in life, which is embarrassing. to even admit, you know, whether it was that I wasn't taught in school or seeking it out myself, whatever the reason may be, I didn't know about it. And I know I'm not alone. A lot of people

didn't. And when you hear these stories of Black Wall Street and Black wealth and how we were self-sufficient and what we were able to do when things weren't being taken away from us, and then just even the aftermath, like I was listening to the story of the oldest survivor. I don't know if you, or I was reading the story about the oldest survivor. And just to hear her story of her childhood memories of what it was like to grow up in that type of community, then to have it all stripped away. They went from owning their own businesses to being sharecroppers. Yeah.

To, to, they're trying to file insurance claims and trying to file lawsuits to what happened. And they're constantly denied. They were forced out. And then you hear about how they, for generations and generations, how this has affected them. So when they're fighting for, when I hear like the mayor of Tulsa talk about, that was 100 years ago. and we shouldn't be held, you know, accountable for what happened a hundred years ago for people

who aren't even alive anymore. It's just ridiculous when you see what has happened over generations of generations of how they haven't been able to overcome economically what happened to them, what was taken from them. It's really interesting. So for people who might have that perspective of the mayor in Tulsa, I suggest that you listen to some of these stories of what people have gone through, what their kids, their grandkids, their great-grandkids are currently going through because of what happened and was taken away from them 100 years ago. It's really interesting. And just educate yourself on what's happening.

Because although it happened yesterday, it was today 100 years ago that they woke up and they saw the aftermath, the bodies in the street, the business is still burning the next day, having to run out of town and go to the next place, trying to look for work and reestablish what they lost, which most of them never did. So, well said. So I'm reading something by Professor Alicia O'Dell, who has estimated that the losses were at between $50 and $100 million. And most of the insurance claims, like you said, were never paid out.

Insurance companies weren't held responsible. The insurance wasn't responsible for, the riots, what they said. It was a slated them by Harvard. So nobody really knows how many people were killed, but a lot of people who earn wages for their family were killed. A lot of the economic bedrocks of families were killed. Before this, there were 20 black doctors,

68 teachers, and eight black attorneys living in Tulsa. There were four girls. grocery stores, Baker's Grocery, the North Greenwood grocery store, the tip-top grocery store, so that tells you right there. Four grocery stores to serve one area tells you that the area is economically bustling, right, especially if it's a relatively small area. There was a drug store, Ferguson's drug store, the color insurance associations, they had their own insurance, the pig bond taxi line, tent tailor shops, five restaurants and furniture store, a chiropractor's offices. All right, so I want you to look at how well-rounded a community that is.

and I want you to think to some of the narratives that we deal with in terms of why there aren't any thriving black communities, why black people don't have communities that look. And by the way, this wasn't a one-off in Tulsa. Like, to be honest with you, some of these places were killed by outright violence. And then there were other slower deaths that some of these places died, you know. some of this has to do with capitalism and globalization in places like Detroit when Americans up there lost jobs a lot of those jobs that were lost were to working black Americans who were trying that we are as affected or more affected by hypercapitalism at the top of the American economic food chain and things of that nature so I just want

people to know that you hear narratives in America about what we're incapable of and those same narratives refuse to point out like what it was and what it is that we're up against. Now we're going to have to figure this out for ourselves and it doesn't make any sense to sit back and complain about it day in and day out. It doesn't.

But I think it's very important to contextualize what black American life has had to face here in this country and who we've had to face. And the reality is that whether, whoever you listen to, white supremacy has been not just a passive

and invisible enemy. It's been a gigantic hulking demon. Uh-huh. And at a certain point, that demon kind of weighs into a room and you can't see it. And at a certain point, it grabs a

fucking torch and burns down everything right before your very eyes. And we're talking about people who lost their lives and their businesses. And, you know, and that community in that way that it existed never recovered. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the town was already divided by a railroad.

Blacks on one side, whites on one side. It's still that same way. But when I think about the Tulsa massacre, and I just think about how we didn't, a lot of people didn't know about it. We weren't taught about it. We weren't. It's this mentality that has existed

since we've been in this country to think of, for us to think of ourselves, certain way. Just like when we talk about slavery, it's like you think you're taught about how you came to this country as slaves, black people, we came as slaves. We're not taught that we were kings and queens and chiefs and doctors and all of this that were turned into slaves. We're just taught to start thinking from slavery. Same thing when it comes. And it's this mentality to keep us down. We're not taught about how we were politicians and business owners and all these things. We're not

taught about a massacre that stripped all that away from us. We're just more so taught about how, like, in a way to keep us down. And I think that's what's so troubling. So when I think about Tulsa, I think about also how we were taught about how we first came to this country. It's really troubling. And I'm glad it is

coming to light because of this narrative that has been created about how black people are in this country in a negative way. 1,256 homes were raised in the terrorist event Intolshund. Another 215 were looted.

215, what? Another 215 homes were looted. 1,200, 1256 homes were destroyed. At least 191 black owned businesses. 1091. At least were destroyed. Telling you guys. I'm telling you, it's not the only place that happened.

There were race, there were racial situations like this and places like Atlanta, places like Rosewood, North Carolina. New York City. New York, it's, you guys, it's not, it's not crybaby stuff, it's history, and it's symptoms of the larger problem. And when we look at these things and when you're talking to black people, or you're talking to people in general who want to see a different America,

they're asking for systemic change. The reason why they're asking for systemic change is because the only way to close some of these gaps and write some of these wrongs is on purpose because these problems were created on purpose. And even when we American our way out of them, because that's what this is, right? This is an example of people

American their way out of the fact, that their ancestors were slaves. Okay? That's what they did. They Americaed their way out of it. The dream. The dream.

They said, hey, you know what we can do? We can do it on our own. America. We'll come together. We'll build our own little. There was only a five point difference in homeownership between white Tulsa's and black Tulsa's. Five point difference.

Five points. They were right there with them. They were right there competing, right there doing their thing. And they got their community. destroyed and secondly America didn't even remember them for a long time acted like it was all

our fault America has been gaslighting black people to a degree that I can't even begin to make you guys understand it's so exhausting it's so exhausting trying to like trying to do this to have somebody with like a

gun to your head telling you you ain't shit unless you move, right? Right. Like you got, it's just, it's just weird. It's like weird. It's kind of, it's, it's an interesting thing. So.

People need to think about why are they hiding it? Why aren't we talking about it? Why don't you want us to know what happened? Why don't you want us to know about black wealth, black Wall Street, black politicians? Why? Why are you keeping that from us? Well, now,

unremarkably right like on the obviously to be expected earning steadily decline for black households heads in Tulsa from 1920 to 1930 to 1940 all right so you move the economic base of a group of people they are going to struggle to find their way now in rebuilding uh it in other places there's a great article about it that shows how specifically the events Vincent Tulsa affected the black community there. And I want you to think about that because you're saying, hey, this is one place, this is one group, this is one event. But think about what happens when people stop becoming economically self-sufficient in America, right? Number one, there's something that people don't get is the city of Tulsa itself suffered. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. And that's what that's what, that's what wife supremacy can't see, is that Tulsa, itself would have been a better economic city had a huge portion of the city's economic base been left to prosper white supremacy costs America but like hate as a lot of times is bigger than being pragmatic about things right is bigger than than being smart about them but in all of these areas where black Americans are redlined out of homeownership

or or or have a suffer economic or environmental terrorism that means that you're making less productive members of society systemically you're doing that which means we're not getting the capitalization off American individuals that we should be getting so

and then you know if you had that viable part of Tulsa, who knows how big of a place Tulsa is, who knows how that affects the economy of Oklahoma, then you have people that with that base go to different schools, they move away. Who knows how many lives, how many lives were affected by the people that were killed and the businesses that were destroyed 100 years ago? Well, I read that other black people were watching what was happening in Tulsa, and Tulsa was becoming an example of what black

people can do and how they can prosper and how they can succeed and that's what they shut down so what do you think them getting what happened with Tulsa and then get that neighborhood getting wiped out businesses being taken away and people had to flee what kind of message if prosperous Tulsa was sending a message to black people then them getting completely eliminated what do you think that sent a message to black people to do talk your shit that's definitely true that's definitely true don't be loud around white people, don't be opinionated about white people, and definitely don't be prosperous around them.

Don't let them know what you got. So right now I want to think about those people. I want to think about the individual human lives that were lost because beyond anything economically or systemically that would have benefited all of us, benefited me, benefited you, benefited America itself,

the top priority has to be the fact that for no reason and people were killed. Yeah. And those lives are lies that you can never get back. And we have to always remember them first. But I will say that America history exists as it stands. And sugarcoating it and talking quietly around it, none of those things are going to change what it is that we have to deal with now.

So to the mayor of Tulsa, to everyone that wants to kill the 1619 project, to everyone who wants to exist, that everyone who wants to pretend like we were dropped into the existence and chose to be poor and chose to live in food, deserts and that we're blindless savages with no set of skills

and no aspirations to be anything better. It's bullshit. Right. That's just it. Exactly. It's bullshit. And the next total, Tulsa, the next Rosewood, whatever it is, and however it looks, you come for us the next time,

we're going to take a chunk out of your ass. And that's that. We've learned those lessons. It doesn't matter how it goes. When I say that, no matter how it goes, the way that it's going to go. So that means if we have to take a chunk out of your ass economically, politically, whatever it is, we're here now, we're allowed, we're sitting, and not just us, a diverse coalition of allies is with us. So we're not going to let the police off the hook.

We're not going to let the American government out of the hook. Nobody's being allowed off the hook. We are going to become free in America. Equal citizenship will occur. Or else the dysfunction will go through. through the roof. So, that's not what anybody wants. Come on, let's have some fun.

You know what we want? Woo! That's not what we want, Rach. Woo! Woo! I mean, that's not what we want. We're going to figure it out together. I was getting a little bit,

I was getting a little somber right then. I was thinking about all those people who died for no reason, other than the fact they were black and it was making me sad. Somebody asked you because this country didn't. So did you, did you hear me get? more militant, I just threatened America. But you know what?

I just threatened America, but now I'm here. I'm back. I'm ready to go. You know what I mean? Let's have some fun. We can do it together. I just heard you say you're going to stand up for yourself. That's all I heard. Yeah. I'm standing up for myself. I'm going to do it. I was mad and I'm still mad. But it's me, Van. You know? Come on, guys. Let's have a good time.

Woo! Rachel, we're exactly. That's us. Don't fuck with us, though. Don't fuck with us. I'm glad we are bringing recognition, though, to what happened 100 years ago. So, you know, we like to have fun. But we need to talk about it.

We don't, don't stop fucking with us. All right. Everybody is listening? We love you now. We'll get together. We'll all go on the boat together. Stop fucking with us. All right?

Our answers just went through that. We're not going through it again. I just, did you know, have you ever noticed that my nose is crooked? No, man, it doesn't look crooked to me. My nose points to the right. It doesn't look crooked to me. I'll tell you something about people, and it's like, you know, people talk about your parents

and all of the good stuff that your parents gave you, right? I didn't ask for a crooked nose. Who has a crooked nose? I have a crooked nose. Did you get it from someone? It would have had to have been from either. my parents like you know it's their fault it was it an old injury you've been hitting the nose before yeah but that it's not what happened first of all i don't even know i'm entertaining this

because i don't see a crooked nose it's definitely crooked so i guess my thing is turn turn see crooked yeah i see nothing i see so here's the thing can you can't you blame your parents for stuff like this too well dna the blood it doesn't mean that it directly came from your You could have gotten it from a grandparent, a great-grandparent. Don't just put that on them. Aren't those still my parents technically, though? I mean, I guess, but it's not like directly from them. Like, it's not their fault that their parent gave it to you.

Let me ask you a question. Once again, there is no crooked. I'm not doing this. It's crooked. Let's just say that there was a way that you could fix aspects about your DNA, that you could manipulate. Let's say that you and Brandon. Brandon.

I love me. What about? Who's Brandon? Brand didn't. Brand. Stop, cut. Take that. Don't get me in trouble.

Right. Let's say that you and Brian, you and Brian could like, because they have, they're talking about this whole thing with designer kids, right? You can sit down and let's say that you weren't. Why, you wouldn't? No. I would. I don't want to play God in that way.

But how is it, but how is it playing? Is that playing God, though? So I'm designing my kid in a pantry dish? Yeah, how's that playing God? It's one thing if you have fertility issues and you're trying to conceive and you need assistance. It's a whole other thing

that you're like, I want this and I want this and I just, I don't know. I just let it happen the way. Is it plain God to take your diabetes medication? No. What's the difference? You're just trying to monitor your health. You're using the science

that is available at the time Okay, so science to prolong your life. Fine. You do that. You pick out your child. I would. I don't want to take away from my natural features. You know what I mean?

If my baby has a gap, let that gap shine. If it's got big lips and a big nose and big eyes and a big head because that's all me. What the matter? I wouldn't be concerned with beauty. That's not what I would be concerned with. You want to control their personality? Yeah. That's what I would be.

And what would you do? I would make the baby into hashtag cool baby. Because I'm not cool, you know? You don't think you're cool? I'm very emotional. I'm neurotic. Okay? I have an anxiety disorder.

You mean chill. But my baby would be hashtag cool baby. You know. Chill. I get what you're saying. Like not like you're like not cool, but like, I'm not really cool. Like I'm like I'm the guy that comes to the party and it's like, Everybody up. Time to dance.

Woo! You know what I mean? I actually am that person as well. Right. Like I'm the dude that walks by people who he doesn't know, slaps him on the knee and goes, yo, you look like you're not having a good time. What the fuck is wrong?

You need to drink. So I'm not, and then I give all that energy to a situation. And then after the energy has dissipated, I'm like, well, I'm out. And then I just leave. And people go, they didn't even say goodbye. I just go as hard as I can for as long as I can, then I'm out. But hashtag cool baby would be different.

Hashtag cool baby. My son or daughter, my daughter or son, walk into a place and play the background and be mysterious. Okay. It'd be mysterious sitting in the background drinking a cool drink like a, like a martini. I never could drink like a martini because it's too cool of a drink for me. You know? Like I taste a martini. I taste some martini and I'm like, ew, how could you drink this?

Think about these things to yourself and then you're like, you know what I'm going to have these discussions on the podcast? Even though I don't want to. I don't want to talk about hashtag cool baby. You do. Think about it. Let me ask you question. You can die and to talk about hashtag cool baby. For some reason you think the podcast is where you can unleash all these thoughts and have these conversations.

Have you ever drank a martini before? Yes. Do you like them? No. See? See nothing, man. Like, we are the same. Like, we are definitely the same.

You don't like a martini because it doesn't taste right. And I tell you straight up, but people drink a martini and they look cool. And like, for me, I'm sitting back there and I got and they're like, what are you drinking? And I'm like, this is a lemon drop. And it's just not a- Wow, you are not cool. See? But it tastes good to me.

It tastes good to me. I like a lemon drop. It tastes good to me. But hashtag cool baby would be different. Ripped jeans. You know, ripped jeans and a martini. Like, you know what I mean? Your coolest subjective.

Like, this is that. These are, you're thinking this is what makes you cool. But that's okay, man. Let me tell you what. You have your hashtag cool baby. Let me tell you, the last thing I say about hashtag cool baby.

Let me tell you who hashtag cool baby will be modeled after. Except taller because I can't have no short people. Hashtack cool baby. Shout out to the short people. Shout out to the short people. They have their place, but not in my family. Like hashtag, like, hashtag cool baby will be modeled after Lenny Kravitz.

Say no more. Say no more. That's the cool. Somebody this weekend asked me was the best interview I've had on Extra, and I was like, Lenny Kravitz, hands down. He was so cool. We're in a leather jacket in the Bahamas.

So cool. Only Lynn. Cravice could do that. Man, can't ask you a question? How come you always got to make shit about extra, man? Nigger don't care about no motherfucking extra around here. This is higher learning. Like people, people, every time you keep bringing up extra, extra, extra, we all about it.

I do not bring up extra. Okay. You keep bringing up extra. It's like, niggas, like, hey, you know what I had on extra? I had to do this for extra. I had to do that for extra. Niggas around here listening. Okay, first of all, that is my day job.

I do it every day. So it naturally comes up in conversation. Nobody asked you to talk about hashtag cool baby. Nobody asked you to talk about aliens like you do. Nobody asked you to name drop all your friends like you do. Nobody asked you to keep bringing up Joe Budden, Rory and Maul. Nobody asked you to keep doing these things. Yeah, we talk about them on the podcast.

Don't do me, Van Lathan. Don't do me. Like on a redirect, I lost objection to staying, Your Honor. Rachel Lindsay, that was attorney Rach right there. They just came in on the redirect and blew that whole argument up. These terms that you're using came in on the redirect. Is that what that means? Is that the redirect?

Like, I love lawyer shit. I love it. Because it's like, because it plays out great on TV, but in court is boring. Court is not that interesting. It's long. It's tedious. It's not that fun. Sorry, folks.

So is that what a redirect is? Is that what it is? Like, what is a redirect? A redirect is when, like, one side presents their case. Let's just say the prosecution does a case. The defense comes up and does a cross-examine and then the prosecution comes back and they redirect. Like they ask them a question.

All right, real quick. Did you ever go in court? Did you ever do a trial? I was in trial when they announced me as the Bachelorette. You just fucking left the trial. I left. I had done a directive of an expert witness. It was a crazy trial too.

This was actually interesting. Civil litigation normally is not. This was. I did a redirect, I'm not redirect, got me talking like this, a direct examination of an expert left to go announce on Jimmy Kimmel that I was the Bachelorette. Then flew to New York to do GMA. Crazy.

To have that conversation flew back to meet with the jury to hear their verdict. Just sold out the justice system to be on the Bachelorette and the Bachelorette. It's crazy. Like you probably got a text right in the middle of the witness taking down a corporation going, this is like my environmental rights have been and you're like, oh shit, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm not going to hold you.

I'm not going to hold you. I know you got a story of how you got fucked over by the Israel's company and they put lead in the water. I'm not going to hold you, but I got to go do Jimmy Kimmel. Like, seriously, I'm not going to hold you, but I'm out. All right. I will say that the judge was mad because all the jury saw me on GMA and they were like, wait, isn't that our attorney?

What's up? She's like, why didn't you say anything? I was like, we asked the jury and Boy Dyer if they know Rachel Lindsay. They said no. Right. What else are we supposed to do? Well, I'm not going to hold you, Judge. Get the fuck out of my face.

I'm about to go make millions. You know what I'm saying? Get out of it. Care about you. Peace. Justice system. I'm out. You know, you can sue this insurance company later.

Man, you need to, hey, probably, you probably was like, when you was walking out out the court, you probably was like, you need to settle. Okay. Because you're not going to. Actually, they ain't. I don't even know if I could talk about that case, but that's a very interesting case. It was. I'm sure it was.

All right, let's take a break. This episode is brought to by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and making a mess. You don't need Weather Tech floor liners in the summer, unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner. Or a road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors.

So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need WeatherTech, unless you plan on doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Trimfaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Trimfaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks,

followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject trumphia, training is required. Tremfaya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramfaya today.

Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit trimfair radio.com. So big things happening in the world of tennis. Naomi Osaka has withdrew from the French Open. Now, she's citing her well-being for this. So some time ago, Naomi said that she would not speak to the media. during the French Open. Didn't want to talk to the media. And after this, I guess the other

Grand Slam organizations had sort of started to collude to find her and maybe suspend her, maybe stop her from playing in these other Grand Slams because she was refusing to speak to the media. They were making a big deal about this. So to combat this, Naomi Osaka

has completely dropped out of the French Open. She's now not going to play. Pierce Morgan always very, you know, it's always got a lot of compassion. He's always thought that Pierce Morgan has said that she is an arrogant, spoiled brat. Okay. So they were fining her for not speaking to the media.

Then it started to be like they were going to say, suspend her and stop her from playing in Grand Slams. Talking to the media is normally in any of these sports a part of your job. People think that talking to the media when you're an NBA player or you're in some of these sports is elective. It's actually normally a part of your job. It's normally you're contractually obligated to talk to the media. So there is a school of thought here to say that Naomi Osaka is not doing part of her job by not talking to the media. Um, where do you stand on this?

She's obviously doing something she feels like she has to do for her well-being and her mental health. Uh, she doesn't want to be chewed up and spit out by the medium machine in this, to this degree anymore. So I guess I'd ask you, what, what do you think about this in its totality as far as what you, what you, what you know. Well, I, I stand on the side of Naomi because I, the, when I hear a Pierce Morgan say things like she's a spoiled brat, you're, obviously not taking into consideration the deeper meaning behind it. She's not saying that she's tired of talking to the media and she just doesn't feel like it today. She's saying it's a deep-rooted issue with her mental health, which she has spoken out on before about the extreme anxiety that she suffers and depression. She talked about it from 2018, that historic win and how it affected

her when people booed her for one of the biggest moments in her life. She has been, I don't want to say she's talking about a great lens, but she talked about it enough where we know that this is an issue with her. She has even had to come out and apologize for the way that she has handled a situation when it is in regards to her mental health. This is ridiculous. I understand that that might be a part of the sport where you are required to talk to the media, but there has to be some sort of common ground that we can take into consideration when it comes to dealing with mental health. Mental health is, there's a huge push behind mental health as right now in country and now that we are more aware of what it means and how it affects and impacts people,

we should be taking that into consideration when it comes to athletes. I feel like a lot of times people look at athletes as superhuman and invincible. And Naomi is here telling people she is vulnerable. She suffers from this and she's going through it right now and she would not like to subject herself to the media. I'm part of the media and I'm against what's happening right now. I am for Naomi and I'm against it. And on the entertainment side, I don't understand why that is not the same rule.

Entertainers are not required to speak to the media. People ignore us on red carpets. Big stars don't attend press junkets when they're promoting their film or whatever it may be, a new TV series. So I don't understand why athletes are subjected to a different rule. There has to be some sort of common ground we can take into consideration. someone's mental well-being. I mean, how, and just, I'm losing my train of thought, but there has to be some sort of common ground

where we can take into consideration what somebody is going through personally to honor their mental health instead of honoring a question in a media conference. Well, I will say that sometimes actors are contractually obligated to do media as part of promotions to movies and film. I know that they're a lot of times they're not not right now I mean sometimes they are though like a lot of times if you're if you're promoting if you're working for Disney right and you're in

the Avengers movie you're not going to be able to tell Disney that you're not going to do Jimmy Fallon you're going to have to do it okay so it's part of the job so a lot of times okay but but selected media right they're selecting the media she has to attend go and and get asked questions in a press conference right right they're selected electing the type of media that they want to choose. She's not, she doesn't get to do that. Right. I don't think that that's fair.

Well, how is it not fair? It depends the reason why she's saying she doesn't want to speak to the media. Right. If she's just like, I'm in a mood, no. But if it's a mental health issue, then yes. Yeah, but so here's my thing. You always prioritize your mental health. Number one.

You can't do it, you can't do it. And we should say that Grand Slam Tournament has just like literally just put out a statement. This is the statement. On behalf of Grand Slam's, we wish to offer Naomi Lusaka our support and assistance in any way possible. She takes time away from the court. She's an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate. Mental health is a very challenging issue which deserves our utmost attention. It is both complex and personal as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another.

We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she's feeling. We empathize with the unique pressures tennis players may face. While players' well-being has always been a priority to the Grand Slams, our intention, together with the WTA, the ATP, and the ITF, is to advance mental health and well-being through further actions. Together as a community, we will continue to improve the player experience at our tournaments, including as it relates to the meeting. Change should come through the lens of maintaining a fair playing field,

regardless of ranking their status. Sport requires and rules and regulations to ensure that no player has an unfair advantage over the other. We intend to work alongside the players, the tours, the medium, and the broader tennis community to create meaningful improvements. So Grand Slams, we aim to create the stage for the players to achieve the highest accolades in our sport.

Okay. So here's the thing. For me, what I've learned is when I can't do it, I can't do it. Naomi Osaka has She by right of human birth Has earned the right of self-care When you're born into the world On to the planet you have earned the right of self-care

There's nothing else that you need to do There's not you don't have to work specifically hard By being human you you've earned the right of self-care Okay um So but there is a component of this to where this is a requirement of her job. And the reason why it makes sense for her to take time away is because she needs to be able to decide for herself

whether or not there's one portion of her job that makes it too hard for her to do it. Right? Like she needs to decide whether or not she can do that, whether or not, because speaking to the media is too big of a part of all of these sports for athletes to not do it. Like you, if you, even like with Kyrie Irvin, right, or anybody else, I support anybody who decides that they have to not do something for their mental health.

But it is a part of their job. It's like it, it's a, it's a, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, I'm not going, hey, I'm not going to be on camera. today. Like, okay, if I can't be on camera today, then that's a decision I'm making for myself and my mental health. But the company is looking at that like, hey, you signed a contract. It's part of your job to be on camera. If being on camera is too stressful for you, then there might be a point to where you have to do something else. And so, and so to me, that's a, that's a thing. You prioritize your mental health first beyond anything. But sometimes, times prioritizing your mental health means that there are sacrifices that you have to make and things that you have to decide you can't do. She can't play tennis because she can't talk to the

media. Is that the other, is that the option, the other option? What I'm telling you is, unless they change things, yeah. That would be insane that arguably the greatest female tennis player right now can't do her craft because she can't talk to the media. There has to be some sort of she gets to talk to select media. Maybe she doesn't sit on stage in a press conference. Maybe it's in a private room. Maybe it's audio instead of a camera. There's got to be something. And maybe she has to talk to five, she has to do it a certain way five times out of the year, a five, whatever it may be big tournaments. I'm not sure. There has to be something else rather than it's either this or it's this and nothing in between.

Well, if it is something else, it would have to be something else for everyone, right? Because everyone has the option. Sure, why not? Right. So if you're asking me, why do players have to talk to the media? I don't understand it as much in tennis,

but in the other sports, I get it. The fan experience is a part of the game. And talking to the media about the game or about whatever happening, about whatever happened is the players communicating directly to people who want to cover and write about the game because there's a whole economy that exists outside of what's actually happening between the lines. So the economy that exists outside, it helps to make the game bigger.

Storylines make the game bigger. Like all of these things, they make the game bigger, right? And so players talking to the media and engaging with the media is a part of that. experience. And it's like something you have to do on your job. If you can't do it, it would be almost like if Naomi Osaka said, and there was a guy, there was a guy named Royce White. You guys might remember him. I want to make sure I'm getting his brother's name right. Royce White, he was one of the highest draft picks out of Iowa State that came into the league some time ago, right?

he had a severe, yeah, Royce White, he had a severe anxiety disorder. He had a severe anxiety disorder, right? And this was before mental health was something to be discussed. This was before everybody was talking about mental health, right? And the league, the NBA, you know, there was some talk that Roy said he didn't want to fly. There was some talk that Roy said all kinds of things He says none of that I'm actually going to bring him on a podcast So he can tell his story on his own

Because he's a very interesting guy to talk to he said that none of that stuff was true But that a lot of the mental health things that he had They The NBA just couldn't make enough Sort of concessions for him to be able to play in the sport Like the question would be what if Naomi Osaka was too nervous to play in front of fans Like what it? Like it, the question then becomes it,

and I know that's different because that's definitely, that definitely has to do with performance. But what I'm saying is she deserves all the support in the world. She deserves all the support that I would want in that same situation, knowing how much I'd struggle, right? But the reality is that at a certain point, that's a part of the job. And if that part of the job is something,

and so if she can't do that. that part of the job, then something has to give. But she's not saying she's never going to talk to the media. And that's why I say there's got to be a common ground. We have to be able to take that into consideration and not feel like you have to present them always in front of a mic or a camera. There's got to be another way to reduce it, to limit it, to be able to say, hey, I'm going through this right now.

It can't be all the time. She's not saying I never want to talk to the media again. she just said in this particular moment I can't handle it right now and I think that that's fair it'll be interesting to see where this goes and I will comment too that that statement that was made is after the fact

after the media attention after people criticized they definitely got pressure into that yeah that should have happened before and I do understand that there was some they claimed that they were trying to reach out to Naomi they weren't getting a response from her but that statement is great

we'll see how they follow up with it but that's after the fact that they've been heavily criticized for the way that this situation has been handled on their part and the fact that she had to withdraw from this tournament. Well, what they said was that her not speaking to the media gave her an unfair advantage because the rest of the players have to do that. And because the rest of the players have to do that. They have to talk to the media about their play. Look, if you don't think that talking to the media really adds anything, I'm not going to argue with you. I don't really care what the players have to say after the game. Only in the biggest games in the world do I tune in to see what the players say after,

after the Super Bowl, after the NBA finals game. Or if there's a big event that happened in the game. If there's a big event that happens in the game, I want to know what it is if they're thinking. I can watch analysts drum up the game and talk about the game without the player's participation in it. But it's a part of your job. And one thing that I try to do is in order to prioritize my mental health,

I try to work with people so that like what I'm going through doesn't infringe upon them. Like there was definitely a time last year where I hit Bill and I hit the people at the ringer and I was like, I can't record next week. Like there was definitely a time when I was like, I can't record next week. I need to take a week, a couple of weeks. This was when me and Jamel were doing way down in the hole. And they said, sure, we were way up. We were way up.

We had recorded a bunch of podcasts. I was like, yo, we were way ahead. I was like, yo, I can't record next week. We had already done it. So they were like, yeah, sure, take some time. Take the time that you need. At a certain point, I have to record the podcast again. Yeah.

At a certain point, I have to come back. I have to record the podcast. I have to talk about it. I have to do the same things. I have to promote it on Twitter. A certain point, I have to get back to work. And if I can't do that, then I can't do that. So I guess if there is an outcry, she's not spoiled.

She's doing what she has to do. And also she decided that maybe she can't play tennis right now. And that's the thing. Maybe you can't right now do the job. But when the job is being done, when you're out there, you have to make a decision about like whether or not you can do

all of the parts of it. That's just the way I look at that. And it's tough to say. And maybe she's taking the time to figure that out. I mean, she withdrew which she wasn't, it wasn't like she was like, no, I'm going to play. And this is how it's going to be and I'm not going to do me. She withdrew. She didn't want the attention that came with it. And maybe she's taking the time

right now to figure out how she can, they can come to a middle ground or how she can do both. Maybe that's it. But sadly, this is bringing so much more media attention to her. And that's exactly what she didn't want in all of this. Right. And I'll be honest with you guys. Sometimes prioritizing your mental health involves sacrifice.

Sometimes there are things that would be beneficial to you, things that would like help you and be dope for you. And you can't do them because you're sacrifice, you're prioritizing your mental health. It doesn't always work out in your favor. But you have to mean more than whatever is on the other side of it, right? You have to mean more. You have to put yourself first.

And for Naomi, if putting herself first means that she can't be a tennis player or can't do, then that might be something that she has to look at. or that that means that she has to lockstep and really go at the, the organization, Grand Slams, the WTP, whatever, or WTA, should I say, whatever, and really force them to make changes that will benefit all the players or have something worked out, then she has to kind of figure that out too. But it doesn't, it's not always a situation to where people,

where you're going to get exactly what you need from outside entities to prioritize your mental health. You know, it just doesn't, it sometimes that's not the way, you know, that it works. People need me places and I can't be like, I'm nervous, I don't like to fly. So can we do, can we record this on Zoom? They go, no, man, you got to come out here.

You got to come out here. Like, I can do it on Zoom because I'm afraid to fly it. We're going to get the next guy. You know, so it's the way that it works. But I wish her nothing, but she's doing the right thing. Yeah. Brain first. Brain first.

She's doing the right thing. Brain first. Brain first. Okay. Ooh. Oh, what? I'm looking at you right now. I'm wondering if you're,

if you're dressed appropriately enough. What I see? For? For Monique. For Monique. I wonder if you're presentable enough for Monique. Let me see. What are you wearing?

I don't know. I got basketball shorts on sweatshirt. I got basketball shorts on sweatshirt. Let me see. But I got a cap. You got a cap. Now I'm a scar. Yeah, but the cap, I don't see.

I don't think. Let me see. I don't know. Let's play Monique sound right now. Let's play Monique sound. Okay, everybody that's watching. You just got a, you guys just got a shot of Rachel. Let's play Monique sound right now.

Monique. Do we need a screenshot? Like, put up a screenshot. We want to make sure the racial's dress appropriately. Let's see. Like, boom. That's what the fuck I'm talking about, Big Rache. Get in there.

Play, Hey, hey, Donnie, play Monique Sound right now. Play Monique Sound. I saw so many of our young sisters in head bonnets, scarves, slippers, pajamas, blankets wrapped around them, and this is how they're showing up to the airport. And I've been seeing it, not just at the airport, I've been seeing it at the store, at the mall. I've been seeing sisters showing up with these. bonnets and headscarves and these slippers.

And the question that I'm having to you, my sweet babies, when did we lose pride in representing ourselves? Thank you, Donnie, for nothing. Okay, so there was, Monique is talking about her sweet babies, her sweet queens, and saying that in order to be a queen, you got to look the part, meaning you can't wear your bonnet out in public.

You can't be out here looking all crazy, You feel insane? You know what I'm saying? Monique's saying like, you know, you can't have your shit on the scene, you know what I'm saying? You got to have your shit on par. You feel what I'm saying? You can't just come through looking all crazy and whatnot. You know, you got your basketball shorts on, you know what I'm saying?

You got your cap on, whatever like that. Monique's saying if you're going to be a queen, man. You got to step out. I've got to kind of be a queen out. You know what I'm saying? Talk about all that. Talking that gang's shit. I feel you, Monique.

I feel what you're talking about. Rache, no, she ain't talking to me. I'm a man, so it don't matter what I wear. I'm a king. I pull out. I got a white beer on. I got whatever. No cologne.

Lips crusty, nasty dog. I look like a fucking dog. But I'm a king no matter what. You know what I'm saying? But, but you, but you. You know what I'm saying?

You got, you got to look like a queen. She ain't talking to me. So I ain't got nothing. What say you? What say you? What say you? What happened to Monique?

That's what I, what happened to Monique? She has just steadily done stuff that it's just, I used to love Monique, man. We need Monique to come on the podcast because I have questions for her. As you would say, my sister, what happened? What bothers me the most about this is she's not just talking about the appearance of women. She's talking about black women. Why are you going to criticize black women?

Why are you going to come at us like that with headscarves and bonnets when you got our counterparts out here with half ponytails out their head or baseball caps wearing the Nike windbreaker shorts, oversized t-shirts. That's the white girl uniform. I know I went to Texas. They were wearing it all the time. You're not coming at them for being dressed sloppy like that, wearing pajamas out in public. But you want to come at black women for wearing scarves and hair bonnets. Isn't the purpose of wearing a scarf and a hair bonnet to maintain your hair? So whenever you were getting to your next location that you can be on point? What is the problem with that? I wear a headscarf in public all the time. Matter of fact, when I landed in the airport in Austin,

due to the humidity, I had a head scarf on my head then. What is the problem like that if I am walking around with confidence? Why is a headscarf got to be messed up? Why is a bonnet? The whole point is to preserve your image and your look. I don't like the way that she came after particularly black women for the way that they want to dress. I think whatever, however you want to dress and you want to do it with confidence that is your prerogative to do so. And you shouldn't be criticized

by the very woman, woman who looks like you, about what you're doing because you want to do it. I can't believe she came out hard like this after black women. She did. She's talking about black women.

So what you're trying to say is you ain't no queen. This is what you're saying. Oh, according to Monique, I'm not. But. But I feel very much so like a queen when I wear a scarf on my head. You do? I'm cute when I got them a scarf no matter how I'm wearing it.

Yeah, but I guess my thing is, so this is my thing. Like, I have no, there's nothing for me to say. Because one thing that I don't do is I don't get involved in black women's conversations. Okay. I don't get involved. I don't, I think, I think to me, anytime a black woman asks me, do I look like a queen today? answer yes. Yeah, you look like a queen.

You're the queen of all Nubia. You are the empress of Mali. Like, it's just, it just, it just reiterates those ideas of like, well, you have to wake up looking perfect all the time. Or, you know, like you're all, as a woman, you always have to look a certain way to be considered put together or looking beautiful. Then you can be beautiful with a woman.

bonnet on your head. What is the problem with that? Now maybe if it was a shower cap, like a plastic shower cap, you know, like sometimes you used to wear back in the day or the shower, maybe that's a little different. That's not what the case is. Bonnets can be beautiful. They got patterns, multi-color. Can I ask you question? What's the problem? Why do we have to care about what other people wearing? I just don't understand. Ask Monique. Don't ask me. But I'm not, oh, no, look, I'm not, this black lady. We're talking to her like that. You ask her.

I'm talking to her. You too. I don't know why she, I just, I just, I can only. I mean, spicy. I don't know if she was just on one. I don't know if she needed some attention this, this weekend. You coming hard at Monique. You about to get, you, she don't see this.

Monique came hard at me. She came hard at me. Why? Rachel had her scarf on in the airport. Rachel wears her scarf in public. Like she came hard at a whole. group, she offended a whole group of entire women and basically told us we don't have self-worth because we don't come out every single time we step out the house with our hair done and put

together. Why are you placing those stereotypes on us like that? Yes, I'm coming in Monique. She shot first. I'm just shooting back. So you want to talk to Monique about this? You want to talk to Monique about what has quote-unquote happened to me. And when she comes on, I'm going to have straight, I'm a scarf around my head. You know, I'm wearing a scarf on a podcast. You made me pull it off. You remember that? Let me see your natural hair. I just wanted to see if your hair was going to come off with the scarf.

If the scarf was attached to your hair. I don't have extensions in now. I wanted to see if you pulled the scarf off if the hair was going to come with it. Oh, my God. To me, I'm so used to the scarf look that it doesn't, it's like not a thing. To me, the- I love the people normalize it. To me, the woman only loves you when you see her in the scarf.

We know that. Thank you. We know that, man. We know, you know, y'all saved a good match and set for when it's about to go down. But when you see that mismatch set, that's when you know that you win good with the lady. She loves you. She trusts you. Yeah.

You know? Yeah. And so I think it's, me personally, I think it's a queen is in the spirit and the soul of who you are, right? If you're a queen can't know. Say it, ma'am. Can't know accessory take it away from you. But once again, Monique. We should have asked Kat about that.

We should have asked Kat about it. We should have. Shout out to Kat Williams will be on a podcast and we just did a great interview with him. We should have asked Kat about that. So I guess my thing is with Monique. Yo, man, Solisalazza is out here mad at Monique. Rachel, you call her Monique out.

You want her on the podcast. I can't wait. Come on. Like, we should try to get Monique and see if Monique has something to say to Rachel and have a queen off. That's what they'll be called. The higher learning

Queen off. Monique And Monique was in her road when she did the video too. Get out of here with that. But come on the podcast though, Monique. Come on the podcast, Monique. Come on. Let's talk it out.

People want to talk about it. People want to talk about it. Let me break you from these stereotypical chains that you got. You go free Monique. They're holding you. I'm a free Monique. hashtag.

Hashtag free Monique. Hashtag free Monique. Put that out. out there, guys. All the Thought Warriors, hashtag Free Monique. Rachel's trying to free Monique from these shackles. These shackles of patriarchy. All right. Let's

take a break real quick. This episode is brought to by the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game and grabbing a coffee,

it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Say it with me. active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2%ter. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com forward slash active cash terms of play. Want your kids to learn and play every Sunday for free? Pliny Kids is using sports and evidence-based wellness coaching to help kids build confidence,

resilience, and the tools they need for life's challenges and opportunities. Every Sunday from April 12th to May 10th, we're running free sessions at the Boys and Girls Club New Rochelle for all children. Tap the banner or visit. it clinic kids.com to learn more. That's clinic with a K. Clinic Kids is a registered 501c3 nonprofit.

Lo, yo look, this is one of the most interesting stories I have seen on the old twinnosphere recently. Do you know who Ellie Kemper is? I do. Ellie Kemper was on the office and then she was on that show that I kept

trying to watch but couldn't get into the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She is 41 years. years old. Okay? It's 41 years old. Apparently, she was 19. She was involved in something. Now, there's

a Twitter account that put this out. Twitter user, here is my spot posted a thread, and this was the sentence of the thread, the leading sentence. Ellie Kemper, the actress who played Aaron Hannon on the office and starred in the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has

been outed as a KKK princess. a KKK princess. Okay. Now, this is apparently, what's going on? Apparently there are clan balls.

All right. In St. Louis, Missouri, where she's from. The name of this ball is the veiled profit ball. And there are... Just pause there. The veiled profit ball. Everybody just let that soak in for a second.

Right. Okay. Continue. So they're historically exclusive to elite white people. Now, I will say that in 1979, they start letting people, black people become a part of the Vail Profit Ball. Okay. But these almost secret societies, not almost secret societies, that are that have these pageants. And it means that you are old white money from St. Louis.

Okay. So this is what Newsweek reports. The ball continues to be held. December of each year, while the Associated Parade now takes place over the 4th July weekend. Far removed from its beginning, sets have included flows featuring racist caricatures of

different ethnic groups. The fair now looks like any other celebration of all things American, Americana, including fireworks, abundant food, and music. Apparently, this is supposed to be some sort of answer to the Mardi Gras situation that goes on in my home estate and also

in places like Alabama and Mississippi. But critics of this Vail Prophet's ball will say that it is steeped deeply in American racism and that a lot of the leading members of the area's clan are involved in this. Elite of the elite, the races of the races is what we're talking about. High class schisms. High class racism. In 1999, Ellie Kemper, who plays Kimber was also in the office, was the Queen of Love and Beauty. at this Vail Profits ball.

Okay? People have been reaching out to me on the old Twittersphere telling me about the Vail Profits Ball. This is what one guy said to me. He says, then I was born and raised in St. Louis, and although the Vail Prophet is not directly related

to the KKK, it is an organization deeply rooted in racism and white supremacy. Traditionally, the organization had a parade hosted in what used to be the second largest Fourth of July celebration in the country. as a child my mother would not let us participate in either because of the racism associated with the organization even today how much has changed i have direct knowledge of two current members of the veiled profits organization that are in my industry and referred to as p o c as a token honestly they thought i was some lowly negro and felt speaking comfortably around me i confronted one of the gentlemen later as he is a position of power and could actually change the culture

My one regret is that I did not follow through on my end to make this, to make him accountable enough. So apparently, this is the deal. Like, people around there know that it's racist. Ellie Kemper was the queen of love and beauty. Rachel, what do you think? I mean, it should be noted that they changed the name from, it's not called the Vell Profit Ball. It's like, I don't know, St. Louis Fairball or Fairball. I don't know, something like that.

So I changed the name because it's gotten a lot of criticism over the years, which is why in the 70s, they started in allowing non-white black people to come in. They changed the name of it in 1992. So it did not have the Vail profit name when Ellie Kemper was a part of it. However, she grew up in St. Louis. Her family is very wealthy and very renowned in the St. Louis area. Her great-great-grandfather was a banker there. She comes from like the Kemper family.

And a lot of the people who are involved come from these big families and bankers of different executives. And they're all a part of this. It also should be known that the Vell Prophet wore something very similar to a white hood. And they hid their identity. And out of all the years, this started back in the 1800s, two Velled prophets, their identity has been revealed. One, I think it was the first one, and the second one, an organization who was against this group bombarded a ball and they snatched the veil off and it revealed the idea. So the second person wasn't even willing to reveal it. So they keep their identity a secret for a reason

because of the institution is known to be racist and also because of the economic power and weight that they hold within the community of giving people certain opportunities because they run St. Louis with banking and railroads and other executive businesses. The biggest problem with this with Ellie, I don't care how you try to slice it.

she was 19 years old. She is born and raised in this city. There is no way that she did not know about the history of this ball in this organization. We have yet to hear a statement from her. We don't know. But I find it hard to believe she was a Princeton student that at 19, she was unaware of the history of this. Now, they're trying to talk about it like it's a Debbie Top Ball. Almost is it.

Why are you looking at me like that? Go ahead. They're trying to talk about it like it's a debutante and it's like part of like a society that she came from. But I'm sorry. It's just a bad look. I'm not calling her a KKK princess. That's a, that's extreme. But there's no way that you were unaware of the history of the veiled prophet.

If nothing else was your curiosity not sparked by the name veiled prophet? It's just all very. Very interesting. Are we expecting Ellie Kemper to have been a social justice warrior when she was 19 years old doing something like the people.

I didn't say that. But why does she have to be a social justice warrior? Because the reality is this. This is the reality. So she's a victim of the environment that she grew up in. That's what you're saying.

Number one, people often are. But number two, should Ellie Kemper come out and say, hey, yo, we have to do something. about this, these balls or this, this one, sure, she should. But at that time, at that time, though, like you, we say she was 19, she was old enough

she should have known. She's 19 years old. It's like, the guy that just, the guy that just sent me that message. It was obvious that he knew how bad things were because his mother was informing him about it. And I'm not saying that Ellie Kemper or other people didn't know that people had these. We don't know. We don't know.

So she should definitely address it now. But. Thank you. But we have to be honest with ourselves here. She was a kid, man. She's 19. I'm not asking her to be a social justice war. Her sister didn't do it.

Right. Her sister didn't do it because of what? Maybe her sister didn't win. Maybe her sister didn't win. Let me just say that. Maybe her sister didn't win. Because what I'm saying is that I'm sure there were people, but she's 19. I find it distasteful when we go back.

I'm going to be real with you. The ball. Yeah. I think the best thing about this is that she did do it. Because now I'm aware of these balls, right? And people are aware of these balls. Get these balls. People should get these balls out of their system.

I'm not. I think it's extreme for people to say she's a KKK princess. That's wild to me. I would not say, I'm not saying that. And I'm not saying she should have been a social justice warrior. What I am saying is it sounds like the people of St. Louis, Missouri, were very aware. If you lived there, you understood what this was.

That's what it sounds like. We on the outside had no idea. So we don't know. We're assuming that she knew a lot or maybe she knew very little because she hasn't spoken out about it. But it seems like, it seems like if you were aware of this,

if this was deeply rooted, especially with her family, who seems like she had fathers and grandfathers and great-brances. fathers who were all a part of this, that she was aware that this was something. Look, is there a chance that Ellie Kemper is from some secret society or white supremacist that want to take over the world? I'm not saying all that.

And, you know, commune with the sun. Yeah. It's definitely possible, right? It's probably unlikely. I'm sure there's some, I'm sure there's some racism in her family. but maybe it is shit i don't know if it's unlikely maybe it is but the reality is this is the same situation with rachel kirkinnell right come out be like hey look my bad like look like look this is bad i know it's bad i should have i shouldn't have done it i was a kid child and this

in no way reflects the person that i am today there's all of this history behind stuff and a lot of times we're just victims of American history and more so we're victims of things that are culture and tradition where we're from and they're wrong and bad and I'll make sure to be better and educate people on all of these bad balls but for us I think that's a great statement to make and and bad nobody likes to set of bad balls you know what I mean so and nobody likes that when Rachel made her statement the same thing we said it was a fantastic apology good like great be better now you know better do better so now you know better but what I'm saying is like oh man when I was 19

it's just is this what it's about when I was 19 there are things that I did that I wouldn't do today when I was like when I was 19 there were stuff that I

and even things there were there was stuff that my father thought that I agreed with when I was 19 that was wrong they just they just this just taught me so now it's interesting

It's interesting to me because we get to see how white supremacy exists in all of these forms and how we talk to white people and we say, hey, you have to be cognizant of the white supremacy that you're engaging with. And sometimes it's passive, you know, like we talked about earlier. And so I think this is an indication of that, that, hey, sometimes you're in league with it and you might not even know. or maybe she did know. But even if she did know and she was 19 years old, as long as this is a dress,

I'm good with it. I don't need a bloodletting. She used to say something. Yeah. No, absolutely. And nobody should be calling her a KKK princess. That's what things get blown out of.

When I saw that, when you sit that to the group, I was like, what? And then I read it and I was like, okay, this is extreme. Yeah. It's like,

but I do ask white people, like, where does it stop? because you out somebody as a KKK princess but you don't want to hear about other things that are directly a result of white supremacy right if you met somebody right now from Georgetown University like do I get to call them out it's like

it's so this is what I mean it's like we we as Americans have to understand that it all comes from white supremacy. It all comes from there. Georgetown's school. A lot of people go to Georgetown every time. Georgetown sold some of my ancestors. The Jesuits had slaves. So like all of these things that we're talking about, like don't stop at Ellie Kemper and the white supremacist's balls. Why does St. Louis exist? Like what like how do these towns like what was funding all of this? What was the deal with all of this. So I'm saying is, it's easy

to pinpoint one person and go, hey, this is like a function of white supremacy. And she should come out and talk about this. Because more than anything, she should be willing to be a part of this conversation since she was... Agreed. She should be willing to be a part of this conversation. I know I certainly would.

You know, back in the day, was that your grandmother? That's my auntie. Hey! She goes, no, no, she doesn't know if she's Monique approved. But, you know, we should just, anything that you were a part of that was pointed south away from advancement and, you know, decency, just say, hey, this was a part of the culture where I was from. Yeah, just address it.

Acknowledge it. But like, she's getting beat up a lot. And it's like, I don't know, man. Because she's not, right, unnecessarily because of their original headline. But also because she's not saying anything. It's the same thing. You already brought up Rachel. The same thing we talked about with Rachel.

For seven weeks, there was nothing that was said. It's like, just say people want to hear from you instead of you letting everybody else run away with this narrative. Just say something. Put out some kind of PR statement. Don't let it just boil, like wait until there's another news story. that's taking over. Yeah, I'm going to be honest with you. Yeah, it's, uh, it's, no, I'm just saying it's like,

just everybody have the nuts to have the bit conversations. And Ellie Kemper just come out. She, I'm still looking around. I don't see nothing from you. Ellie Kemper, Ellie Kemper, get out here. And yes, she's still trending and she's still trending. They on your ass, Ellie. Ellie, they own your ass.

You got to say something, but you know it's crazy. What if Ellie comes out and goes to, complete other way. You know? And says what? Like, yeah, I didn't. Be like, this is a part of my family history. Be like, fuck it.

Make America great again. You know what I mean? That would be so crazy. So much shit. Man, like, some of this shit is just so much shit. Now there's so many fans of of Kimmy Schmidt,

which I don't know, you know, I don't fuck with the show, but there's so many fans of Kimmy Schmidt that now she's a KKK princess. Well, isn't the premise of Kimmy Smith that she came from, escaped from a racist cult? Yeah, that's what it was, a racist cult. It might have been the thing.

It might have been true. It might have been autobiographical. You know. She is a writer. Is she a writer on this show? I don't know. I don't know. I know she needs to say something real quick.

And I don't want to see no notes app. I want to see like she's like rap. You want to see a video? I want to see her put her face on wax. Like rapping for it. What if she came out with the veil on And did the whole speech with the veil? That would be crazy if she just doubled down

But see if she came out with the veil on, Monique would like that Because she would be looking like a corner Is that what I'm saying? And now people, look, I'm looking at my mentions Makes sense. The office started to suck when she was on the show. It's like, People are cruel, man.

People are awful. This is what, come on. Say something, Ellie. Say something, please. Van is like, Van, do you think she should get canceled for this? No. No. I think she should be canceled for the way that she handles it.

Not canceled or reprimanded. I don't believe in that cancel shit. Or not called out for having done it. Called out for the way that she handles it. You got to handle it, Ellie. All right. So let me ask you a question here. It's Van's very serious question of the week time.

Okay. Okay. It's, it's Vans, very serious question of the week. All right. It was very true. You listening?

Can't help it. Your voice changing everything. Let's go. You ready for this? Yes. Okay. You're listening? The suspense is killing me.

Please. No. It's not killing you. Don't say that. That's negative. Suspense is giving you life. That's what people should say. Suspense is giving me life.

It's not killing you. It's getting you ready. This better be a good question. The suspense. What do people think of my songs? Have you... They love them, unfortunately. This is my new song called The Suspense.

You ready? No. Oh, the suspense. The suspense. Let me ask you this. Ooh, the suspense. Parantheses is killing me. Okay, we are not creating a Vans very serious question song.

This will not play. That's the song. One is enough. That's the song. Do you go around the house doing this, or do you just save this for the podcast? Let me tell you something. I've created so many different songs over the course of my relationship.

And you think they go hard. It's not that they don't. Of course, it's like, it's not that they don't go hard. Of course they go hard. Every single song goes hard. Every single song goes hard. Okay? Every single song that I do goes hard.

If you all are looking at the video of this, make sure you check the seriousness of his face on this. He actually is like slightly offended that I said it didn't go hard. He's a really, I also know why you're not more uplifting and like why you know, like let a nigger kind of sound. Because I'm waiting for the question. Because I'm still.

waiting for the question. All right. This is the question. You saw the woman with the bear video. Okay. You saw the woman with the bear video. Yeah. Now, let's say that you're being attacked by a bear.

All right. Okay. A bear is attacking you. And you're like, okay. And you're with Brian. Okay. You're with Brian and the bear. Please don't ask me this question.

And the bear is attacking you, right? And you and Brian both run from the bear. You fall, but the bear, but you fall, Brian keeps running, right? The bear chases Brian, and he, the bear chases Brian, and you, you know, climb up a tree. You're safe from the bear. All right. do you give Brian credit for saving your life or are you mad at Brian?

Would you expect Brian? When did Brian save my life? Because in the scenario you just drew up, I fell and he kept running and left me. Would you expect Brian to jump in front of the bear for you? I would expect him to come help me get up. Yes, I would. Okay.

What I'm asking you is very simply, would you expect Brian, your mate, to jump in front of a bear attack for you? Yes. You would? I would expect him to want to save my life to protect me. I think he would, you know, people are like,

I jump in front of a car for you. You know what I mean? I take a bullet for you. Right. I jump in front of a bear for you. Yes, I do expect that. You expect him to jump in front of the bear to save your life? I do.

I do. Okay, so like, let me give you some stats on the bear real quick. Okay, we're talking about a grizzly bear here. I've never had to, what could the stats be? Let me just give you some. Let me give you some stats on the bear. All right. So this is the grizzly bear stats.

The grizzly bear, right here, the American brown bear, this is the bear. All right. It's, it's fucking huge. All right. I just want to stat number one I just want you to know that the grizzly bear itself the male grizzly bear

can weigh up to 800 pounds 800 fucking pounds for the bear okay the largest bear ever recorded is 1,500 pounds a large coastal bear a large coastal bear

a large coastal bear a large one. When standing up, how tall do you think the bear is when standing up? 15 feet. It's fucking 10 feet tall. Okay?

It's 10 feet tall. So if... Is that supposed to change my answer? If a bear is attacking you, you would want your significant other, not to save their own life, to continue to live, but to put their life on the line for you

and get mangled by the bears, what you're saying? I don't think Brian would be able to live with himself knowing he just left me out there. He'd get over it. I don't think he could live with that. Yes, eventually he would. But if he, but it would be honorable of him to throw himself in the ring of fire to save me. And as sad as I would be as I would be like my husband sacrificed his life for me.

Okay. Can I ask you a question? What if Brian's sacrifice of his life meant that both of you would die? We tried. What? At least he tried. He tried. That's my answer.

I'm sticking to it. Brian, if you're listening, you better save me. Okay. If we get in attack by a bear, I want Kalika to run. Of course I'm going to run. I'm going to stand there. No, what I'm saying is I don't want her to come back and help me if the bear is on me. Don't help me.

Like, run to safety. I think Brian would say the same thing. But ask Kalika if she fell, would she want to. Is this a gender thing? Maybe. Wow. Monique is looking right. I'm hearing myself.

Is this a gender thing? I'm hearing myself talk. And I'm like, but honestly, I'm going to be honest with you. If I, if Brian fell, I would absolutely, I would never keep running. I would never. And so I think it's not a gender thing. I would just know what I would do

and I would expect him to do the same thing. If Brian fell, there is no way I would not run back and try to help him up. No way. I would never. He would tell me to keep going. There's no way I would let him. And so that's what I'm expecting.

It's reciprocity here. This is my thing. I think before the fitness assessment that we did, I would have expected Kalika to, You know, but now it's like, nah, nigga, you so fast, nigga, run. You jump so high, nigga. Before the fitness assessment, I'd have been like, yo, we worked.

Nah, but it's like, nah, nigga, you straight. You don't need me, nigga. You're strong, you could jump. Just run away from the bear. So funny. Yeah. So funny. All right.

Well, Rachel wants Brian to die in a bear attack or. I would come back for him, just like I'd expect him to come back for me. Okay. Well, shout out to the lady that saved her, that pushed the bear. for her dogs. Woo! Pushed a bear. It was a smaller bear,

but if that bear falls on the other side of that thing, that lady got problems. No, I think that was the mama bear. They weren't there little bears beside? I don't know. It doesn't matter. She didn't think about it.

She thought about saving her babies, and I respect that. I would push a bear for copper in two seconds. Nah, man. So if I'm willing to do that for copper, I'm definitely willing to do that for Brian. Bozeman got to work that out for himself, man. Okay.

Two kinds of people in this world. All right. Take the thing, Kassoff, but do not stop learning. I am Van Lathan. I'm Rachel Lazy. We out. Help that bear.