Podcast Summary: Selective Ignorance: Ep. 42 | 2025 Year End Wrap Up (Sort Of) Part 1

Podcast: Decisions, Decisions – Selective Ignorance
Hosts: Mandy B and WeezyWTF
Guests: Deante Kyle, JoJo Alonzo, Jason "Jah" Lee
Release Date: December 16, 2025
Network: The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This lively episode of "Selective Ignorance" serves as a 2025 year-in-review reflection. Mandy B, joined by JoJo Alonso, Jason "Jah" Lee, and special guest Deante Kyle, breaks down the social, cultural, and political upheavals that defined the year. Topics span from the tumultuous political landscape under the new presidential administration, the evolving role of Black leadership and celebrity influence, the AI revolution, and complex conversations about identity, labor, and survival in America.

The episode balances critique, humor, and vulnerability as each contributor unpacks both personal and collective experiences, always with a candid approach.

Key Discussion Topics and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Farewelling 2025

• The hosts and guests reflect on their personal highs and lows of the year, the sense of surviving and sometimes thriving despite societal chaos.
• Mandy mentions the “hot Cheeto” (clearly referencing Trump) returning to office, and Diddy being one of the most talked-about artists for all the wrong reasons (03:00–04:00).

Notable Quote

• JoJo Alonzo: "The best year of my life. Of my life! You hear me?" (05:51)

2. Politics as Pop Culture & Community Division

• Politics has become embedded in pop culture, with celebrities openly supporting political candidates and issues.
• The guests discuss the Trump administration’s first 100 days ("Project 2025"), policy impacts on communities of color, and divisive tactics—especially the creation and deepening of in-group/out-group identities among Black, Hispanic, and POC communities (10:32–13:00, 19:55–26:00).

Notable Moments/Quotes

• Mandy B: "I've never seen politics be so taken in and discussed amongst everybody...it's now literally a talking point that also makes things a little bit testy." (19:35)
• JoJo Alonso: "Don't try to lump all people of color in together when, like, everybody has individual struggle." (11:53)

3. Language, Labels, and Generational Shifts

• Spirited discussion of new terminology (e.g., neurodivergence, “bastard,” “POC”), their impact, and reactions to changes in language usage.
• The group explores changing family structures, ethnic stereotypes, and how the administration weaponized identity politics (06:24–10:31).

Quotes

• JoJo Alonso: "All these cultures have some semblance of anti-Blackness, like it's prevalent." (12:03)
• Mandy B: "Brown ain't POC, ain't brown Black. Like there's a separation there too." (11:46)

4. Corporate Performative Allyship & Regressive Backlash

• The pandemic period’s “corporate humanity” is critiqued as performative, followed by retrenchment on diversity, inclusion, and labor protections (13:42–16:00).
• Target and other brands’ financial woes exemplify consumer backlash and the power dynamics of “white flight” when Black customers gain visibility (17:10–18:20).

Quote

• JoJo Alonso: "You don't realize what that is. It's like everything else. It's white flight. When Black people start getting money and we stopped going to Walmart and we now in Target, that make white people pivot." (18:02)

5. Black Celebrity, Leadership, and Martyrs

• Are celebrities true community leaders or performative "tap dancers"? The group talks about the optics of star support for Trump, the manipulation of celebrity figures by both right and left, and the rise of figures like Charlie Kirk as conservative martyrs (24:00–28:00).
• Discussion on the lack of similarly "amplified" Black voices, obstacles to funding for independent Black media, and the risk-averse behavior of Black elites (31:14–33:44).

Quotes

• JoJo Alonso: "These niggas ain't our leaders. These niggas are tap dancers for all intents and purposes. They go against your people for the money." (24:47)
• Lynae: "For whatever reason there is this hesitancy to invest in Black media. People will invest a lot of things for the Black consumption, for Black demographics, but Black media is not one of them." (31:12)

6. Pop Culture: Diddy, Bad Bunny, and the Power of Perception

• The Diddy documentary leads to heavy debates over accountability, complicity, and the culture of silence/protection around power (40:11–48:14).
• Discussion on Bad Bunny headlining the 2026 Super Bowl reveals ignorance about Puerto Rico’s status and racism within “Trump’s America.” Guests analyze how alliance or outrage is both performative and often based on incomplete information (36:01–37:40).

Notable Quote

• Mandy B: "It was very hard for me to have empathy for everybody there. The idea of becoming a victim only when you’re done wrong again...as long as someone gives you what you think you deserve...you’re okay with all the bullshit." (42:54)

7. AI, Labor, and Technological Disruption

• Spirited discussion about AI’s impact—job loss, environmental costs, and the digital divide (57:11–61:06).
• Data centers’ heavy water usage sparks particular concern; the group riffs humorously on Mandy’s desire to get a sex robot while others bemoan resources being sacrificed for technological "progress." (57:59–62:39)

Quotes

• JoJo Alonso: "If it comes at the cost of our drinking water, I'm not with it." (58:18)
• Lynae: "These data centers are only in those places because they're getting a kickback from the local government to be there." (59:59)

8. Individualism vs. Community: Survival and Solidarity

• The hosts and guests repeatedly circle back to the tension between self-preservation and collective action—especially for marginalized people in a hostile or indifferent America (63:05–68:43).
• Discussion includes the normalization of "getting it however you can," the barriers to true entrepreneurship, and the importance of trades and skilled labor in the AI era.

Quotes

• Lynae: "At a certain point, you have to stop selling out for money...but some niggas ain't." (34:07)
• JoJo Alonso: "People care more about how they look than getting money...but it's a byproduct of us not being honest about the history of this country." (51:03)

9. Coping with Overwhelm & Picking Your Battles

• The exhaustion of caring about every societal problem is a recurring theme. The need to “work your spot”—advocate for the issue(s) closest to you—is presented as an antidote to burnout.
• Humor and camaraderie offer moments of levity amidst the bleakness of 2025 (63:00–72:00).

Quotes

• Mandy B: "It's hard to care about everything, right? And I think that that's what this year has done for me more than anything. Like, I have to pick and choose." (63:18)
• Lynae: "Don't feel like you have...it's not on you to solve every single ill." (71:59)

Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• 05:51 – JoJo Alonso on 2025: "The best year of my life!"
• 07:46 – Mandy B asks about the language/labels of neurodivergence.
• 14:27 – JoJo analyzes how the pandemic revealed class/commonality, only to be followed by division along gender, race, and orientation.
• 31:12 – Lynae on investment in Black media: "People will invest a lot of things for the Black consumption...but Black media is not one of them."
• 42:54 – Mandy B’s challenging take on the Diddy doc: "It was very hard for me to have empathy...the idea of becoming a victim only when you’re done wrong again."
• 58:18 – JoJo Alonso's key concern on AI: "If it comes at the cost of our drinking water, I'm not with it."

Closing Segment

The episode concludes with guests acknowledging both the difficulty of the current moment and the necessity of choosing where to put their energy. They prepare listeners for a lighter follow-up episode focused on music, film, and pop culture of 2025.

Key Takeaways

• 2025 was a year defined by deepening divides: racial, generational, political, and economic—much of which has been intensified by the policies, personalities, and amplification of digital culture.
• Celebrity endorsements and media narratives have become fundamental (and often manipulated) parts of the political machine—while true Black voices remain underfunded and often marginalized.
• The ongoing technological boom (AI, automation) is presented as a double-edged sword: increased convenience at steep social and environmental costs.
• Finding personal agency means choosing where to focus your advocacy, recognizing you can’t do it all, and refusing toxic individualism when collective action is possible.
• Humor, resilience, and frank dialogue remain central to surviving—and resisting—the chaos.

Listen for More

Look out for Part 2, where the crew shifts gears to dive into music, movies, and television, promising a mix of humor and critical takes on the year’s pop culture.

For ad-free, full-length content, check out their Patreon at patreon.com/selectiveignorance, or catch highlights on their YouTube channel.

Instagram: @SelectiveIgnorant
Host: @fullcourtpumps (Mandy B)