Decisions, Decisions – "Selective Ignorance: Pulpit Wars, Tartare & Standards" | Bonus Episode

Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Mandii B (plus contributors Jason Rodriguez, Aaron A. King Howard, and producers)
Podcast Network: The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this candid and unfiltered bonus episode, Mandii B and her co-hosts tackle the complexities of modern relationships, societal standards, and the hilarity and ignorance that often surface in social and political conversations. With characteristic humor and openness, the group explores topics ranging from "ignorant" food ordering, shifting standards in dating and relationships, the influence of gambling and celebrity culture, to heated debates around women’s clothing—culminating in a discussion about changing social norms inside and outside the church.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ignorance in Food Orders: Tartar & Calamari Confusion

[10:13 – 24:28]

• Mandii B recounts a hilarious birthday dinner experience:

  • Guests at her table mistakenly think "tuna tartare" is supposed to be cooked. One friend laments, “I wish it was charred, not tartar!” (16:01)
  • Another guest confuses "calamari" with octopus (wrong, it's squid), and still another with jellyfish.
  • The ignorance leads Mandii to note: “Americans are in America ordering dishes they have no clue what it is...that’s how ignorant Americans are” (19:01).

• Group reflects on their own food blunders:

  • Jason shares an early-career mishap when he mistook calamari for onion rings, becoming the subject of a teachable moment at lunch (21:40).

• Key Insight:

  • The segment jokingly highlights cultural gaps in food literacy and the awkwardness (or fun) that unfolds when people order unfamiliar dishes just to try "something different."

“I love that I gave a lesson at the table. Let them know that you didn’t hide.” (Mandy B, 20:00)

2. Relationship Standards: Settling, Testing & Dating Dilemmas

[25:01 – 34:47]

• Clip Debate Recap:

  • Discussion centers on a viral podcast clip where a woman is upset her new boyfriend offers to pay her return flight from Turks and Caicos but not her outbound flight ($380), sparking debate about standards in relationships.

• Double Down or Take it Back?

  • Mandii B stands by her opinion that “accepting less” after experiencing more in previous relationships is settling:

    "If those are things that you like that you’ve already gotten, for you to be with a man who doesn’t exhibit those things, you are settling..." (28:28)

  • Still, she admits that waiting for a partner who checks every single box is unrealistic.

• Test or True Standard?

  • The group debates whether men "test" women in early relationship stages, with Aaron A. King Howard arguing:

    “You don’t get to find out what kind of person I am via manipulation... Life is going to present situations where you’ll find out what somebody is really, really on.” (31:28)

• Men’s Perspective:

  • The “test” of not buying a $380 flight is seen as weak or “not a real test" considering the overall cost of the trip.

3. Political Predictions & Economic Anxiety in 2026

[35:04 – 43:00]

• Republican Party Infighting:
  • Aaron predicts more Republican "infighting" as members seek a post-Trump identity:

    “I think as 2026 goes on... you’re going to see more of a decline within the party of the politicians themselves, of Trump support...” (36:53)

• Impeachment as Spectacle:
  • Trump wearing his possible impeachments "like 50 [Cent] wears getting shot"—as a badge of untouchability. (37:51)
• Healthcare and Class Division:
  • Mandii raises how stories of people dying from lack of healthcare are emotionally weaponized by Democrats (39:44), and draws parallels between the U.S. and places like Nigeria where the gulf between "haves" and "have-nots" is frightening.

4. Gambling, Rico Charges, & Cultural Impact

[43:00 – 57:05]

• Gambling Proliferation:

  • The group compares the explosion of legal gambling and platforms like "Stake" to the crack epidemic:

    "I literally am comparing this to the crack epidemic because it’s gonna f*** up these households..." (50:00)

  • Discussion includes Drake, Aiden Ross, and other celebrities named in a RICO lawsuit for allegedly using gambling and crypto to inflate streaming numbers.

• Casinos & Community Harm:

  • Producer highlights how casinos create jobs for a few, but mostly drain wealth from poor communities (50:36).

• Celebrity Decision-Making:

  • Mandii lampoons the hypocrisy of people cheering on Nas for a casino bid, but criticizing Jay-Z for other capitalist moves (54:25).

5. Standards, Hypocrisy, and Church Debates: The Pulpit Wars

[57:05 – 79:08]

• Dress Code Debates:

  • The internet debate over Dr. Cheyenne Bryant’s Vegas “black tie” outfit and Pastor Jamal Bryant’s wife’s flesh-colored gala dress.
  • Mandii:

    “I think a woman should be able to wear whatever, but... there’s certain things you put on that unfortunately... the congregation and society... will judge you on.” (61:53)

  • The pastors’ public back-and-forth about appropriateness sparks criticism:

    “Why are we having pulpit war? Why are you talking about me and my wife from your pulpit? Talk about God.” (74:00)

• "Standardless" Society?

  • The group discusses whether dress standards should still exist, especially for public and professional figures.

    "Are we just standardless now?" (67:59)

• Mega-church Capitalism:

  • Satirical look at the spectacle of modern mega-churches—production values akin to Las Vegas, "Passion City Church," and pastors’ luxury lifestyles.
  • Conversation circles back to hypocrisy in criticizing Black wealth in the church, yet desiring generational wealth for Black Americans:

    "Don’t we want generational wealth within our community? Don’t we want Black people to win? Like, is it Uchi Wally or is it..." (80:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ordering unfamiliar food:

  “People order food and don’t know what it is!” — Mandy B (17:28)

• On “tricking” and relationship standards:

  “If you are a woman who has experienced a man who shows up with flowers...book[s] dates...for you to be with a man who doesn’t, you are settling...” — Mandy B (28:28)

• On the new gambling landscape:

  “I literally am comparing this to the crack epidemic because it’s gonna f*** up these households...” — Mandy B (50:00)
  “People cheered for Nas getting his casino and people killed Jay-Z...” — Aaron A. King Howard (54:25)

• On church fashion scandals:

  “A two dollar whore... At least two.” — Jason Rodriguez, quoting church criticism of a pastor’s wife (61:27)

• On standards and hypocrisy:

  “Are we just standardless now?” — Jason Rodriguez (67:59)
  “Don’t we want generational wealth within our community?...Is it Uchi Wally or is it...” — Mandy B (80:24)

Key Timestamps

• Food ignorance and dinner party tales: [10:13 – 24:28]
• Relationship standards and dating debate: [25:01 – 34:47]
• Political predictions, healthcare crisis: [35:04 – 43:00]
• Gambling and RICO charges: [43:00 – 57:05]
• Celebrity, standards, and the pulpit wars: [57:05 – 79:08]
• Mega Church spectacle and Black church wealth debate: [75:04 – 80:24]

Tone and Style

• Language is humorous, direct, and sometimes irreverent—typical of Mandii B and her co-hosts.
• The episode freely moves between laughter and serious critique, blending vulnerability, personal stories, cultural critique, and moments of real activism.
• Memorable for its "reckless" approach to taboo or controversial topics, candid storytelling, and commitment to pushing boundaries around modern relationships and cultural standards.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This bonus episode playfully dissects the “ignorance” and standards that shape our decisions—be it at the dinner table, in dating, political engagement, or in church. Through personal anecdotes and panel banter, the hosts demonstrate how collective assumptions (about food, relationships, policy, money, or morality) both constrain and amuse us. The show’s charm lies in its refusal to take anything off-limits and in its willingness to challenge not only traditional patriarchal narratives, but also contemporary hypocrisies in celebrity, capitalism, and community life.