🌟 How TikTok Changed Retirees' Lives Forever! 🌟 On this exciting episode of Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly, dive into a heartwarming and humorous conversation with the viral sensations from the Retirement House! 🎉 You'll be amazed at how Tik
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Host
Movies aren't the same, man. It's a shame to see where it's gone.
Speaker 1
One person does something and you make a lot of money at it. Everybody just jumps on the band. Yeah, it's that way in everything. Why can't we be individuals?
Host
All right, ladies and gentlemen, viral sensation here today, Retirement House. How's it going, guys?
Speaker 2
Great. Good, great.
Host
Very excited. I feel like I could learn a lot from you guys. You know, I'm 27 years old. You guys have been through a lot. It's gonna be exciting.
Speaker 3
Men in my life are 27. Really. Our producer. And then we have new people that come in. We have new assistants. They're all 27 year old.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
Men.
Host
How does that feel being surrounded by all that young energy?
Speaker 3
I like it. My grandchildren are about that age, though, so my grandson's 27, maybe 26.
Speaker 1
Wow.
Speaker 3
So I like that energy.
Host
So you're about to be a great grandparent.
Speaker 3
No.
Speaker 1
You'Re not gonna own that.
Speaker 3
My granddaughter just got married. She's 20. She'll be 30 next month.
Host
Okay.
Speaker 3
But she's really busy preparing for doing her. Her thing. She. She's a producer for Red Bull.
Host
Wow. Yeah, it's a big deal.
Speaker 1
The one that gives you wings.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 3
Well, Red Bull has separate companies that just do production. They do a lot of document documentaries and they do shows and movies and things. And. And they. Production companies at every one of their plants around the world. And as a matter of fact, right now she's on her way to Austria for a meeting of all the producers from Red Bull.
Host
Wow, That's Big Tom, I think.
Speaker 2
I'm sorry, go on. I was gonna say, I think we, as older than our young counterparts, also have a lot of energy.
Host
Okay.
Speaker 2
And we shoot on Thursdays at the house. Us and the other. And the rest of the retirement house we're going to see. Do a scene. Okay. I need you over here. Bing, Bing. We're keeping up with them. We went to New York City in the cold and walked right alongside him. One moderator's got a watch that says how many miles we walked.
Host
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2
4.8 miles. In the cold, in the wind.
Host
That's impressive, guys.
Speaker 2
And we kept up with him five.
Host
Miles in the cold. Yeah. New York City gets cold, man.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Host
I'm from Jersey. Where are you guys all from? I'd love to hear where you grew up and stuff.
Speaker 2
Originally from a small town called Marble, Massachusetts, birthplace of the American Navy, which is why I love history. American history.
Host
Nice.
Speaker 3
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and I loved it there and still have my old Cleveland friends. And I've been in California now for over 55 years.
Host
Dang. So you like Cali more then?
Speaker 3
Oh, I'm a California girl.
Speaker 1
California girl.
Speaker 3
I was raised in Cleveland, but California girl all the way.
Host
Can't beat that weather, man. What about you?
Speaker 1
Alabama.
Host
Oh, what was that like?
Speaker 1
Well, I don't want to talk about being the third child to a family of sharecroppers.
Speaker 2
Okay, here we go. I was gone. Okay.
Speaker 1
No, it. You know, I wouldn't. When all is said and done, I wouldn't trade it.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 1
I went through some hardships, but, you know, it made me who I am.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 1
And for that, it's a keeper.
Host
Nice. What a great outlook. Because you could have been resentful and you could have talked bad about it, but.
Speaker 1
Yeah, a lot to be resentful for. But, you know, my mother kept. Kept a sharp eye on us and kept us balanced and used Bible and scripture and. Son, you know, you're not supposed to do to them as they do to you. And she explained it in a way that, you know.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Helped us.
Host
Yeah. Religion was big back when you guys were growing up. Right Now, I feel like the younger generations kind of. Not as many people go to church. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's. It's just. It's. It's almost passing.
Speaker 2
Yes. And just even family values.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Back in those days in the family. And. Which is why I try to go back every couple years to see the. My other family. Not my retirement house. I'm real family.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Because I've been out here, like, probably almost 55 years.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 2
It gets like that. Yeah. I've been out 50 years. Oh, my God, I'm old. Came out after graduating. Graduated high school, graduated from Leland Power school of radio, TV, and theater. 2 years in the army, another year at home, and then out to California and.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 2
I wouldn't go back. I love back east, but I wouldn't go back to. In the winter. Unless we're going to go.
Host
Unless you're interviewing Gary Vee, Right.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. Gary V. And all these. I think Jazzy and. Oh, Doug, you said not Jay Z. What was a girl's name? Wasn't it Jazzy?
Speaker 1
Oh, J. Easy.
Speaker 2
Jay Easy. I can't think of all these.
Host
J Easy. Not G. Eazy. J. Eazy.
Speaker 2
J easy. She's a 13 year old phenomenon.
Host
Got it.
Speaker 2
He was great. And Dr. Mike.
Host
Nice.
Speaker 1
Oh, I'm sorry, I gave you the wrong name. You remember the father that brought his daughter?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Ah, that's the thing. I thought it was Jazzy.
Speaker 1
You're close.
Speaker 2
Okay.
Speaker 3
I was right.
Speaker 2
Okay. Jazz is her name.
Host
Okay.
Speaker 1
She's a reporter.
Speaker 2
She goes around the way. Fifteen years old, her father takes good. Takes care of her father, makes sure she gets the education, doesn't get big headed about it.
Host
Nice.
Speaker 2
And no, she was wonderful. And it's wonderful working with the young people when they talk about, oh, we're going to go see so and so, big on social media. And I'm like, yeah, who is that? And then we'll say someone from our past. Oh, the great Barbra Streisand or someone. Who's that?
Speaker 3
I bet we could give you a name and you wouldn't know who you are.
Host
I've heard of Barbra Streisand.
Speaker 2
Okay, how about when I put the.
Speaker 3
Do you know who Clark Gable is?
Host
Clark Gable? No.
Speaker 1
Well, give him something easy. Clark Gable is.
Speaker 3
Clark Gable. Was the man of the century.
Host
Man of the century, Whoa. That's quite a statement.
Speaker 3
Yes.
Speaker 1
This is a man of a lifetime for us.
Speaker 2
Gone with the Wind movies and a TV show.
Speaker 3
The wind.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 3
And it amazes, and I don't think any of us realized it before we went into retirement house that our producers didn't know who our heroes were.
Speaker 1
Yeah. We kind of assumed that everybody would know who Tom Selleck is and people like that.
Host
I haven't heard of that one.
Speaker 1
You haven't?
Host
No. Tom Selleck.
Speaker 1
Yeah. No, he's still on the air.
Host
Really?
Speaker 3
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Blue blood. Yeah. No, it's amazing how we say something. Oh, okay. And last night we went to Cirque du Soleil.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Their celebration of the Beatles.
Host
Okay. I've heard of the Beatles.
Speaker 2
You heard the Beatles. Okay, thank you. But I would. I said to the. Brandon, to our creative. That's music.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
For real.
Host
The new music. These days I can't even listen to it, honestly.
Speaker 2
Thank you.
Host
I don't like it.
Speaker 2
But there's a few words.
Host
Yeah. The rap and the hip hop. Yeah. I listened to like 1990s, 2000 stuff. Yeah. Stuff I grew up on.
Speaker 2
Okay.
Speaker 3
Now some of the singers or artists are going to country music.
Host
Yeah. Country seems like it's coming up. Taylor Swift and stuff. Luke Bryan. I don't listen to country. I actually don't like country music. Do you?
Speaker 1
Well, no, you know what? No, I have to take that back because you're born in Alabama. Yeah. You have no artist on the radio that look like you. I mean, they would throw in a Fats Domino or. Or a Chuck Berry, you know, but most of the music was country.
Host
Yeah. Alabama. Yeah. That's where it's born, right?
Speaker 1
Yeah. And so I, I. Yeah.
Host
Did you like it?
Speaker 1
Yeah. You'd start humming it. You know, you're in the cotton fields and whatever that work you're doing. You didn't have no car radios. You didn't have any. But, you know, you'd be humming it in the wagon or humming it when you're picking up corn or whatever you're doing, feeding the animals. You'd be humming, you know, country music.
Host
Interesting.
Speaker 2
Oh, well, out here in Vegas, you get to know Elvis Presley.
Host
I have heard of him.
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah, that's me. Have heard him.
Host
I'm sorry I couldn't name a song, but.
Speaker 2
No, no, he's. Yeah. Viva Las Vegas.
Host
Viva Las Vegas.
Speaker 2
Okay. But it's like. Yeah, that's when I think the best music was in the 50s, in the 60s, in the 70s, disco came in. Okay. 80s and 90s, but they're still. They showed their great songs because they're still being sung sometimes.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And the Beatles.
Host
That's true.
Speaker 2
Being.
Host
I still bump some Beatles stuff.
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.
Host
Those are classics. What about movies? What era do you think were the best for movies.
Speaker 3
From our day?
Speaker 2
Yeah, I love film noir, which is like black and white.
Speaker 1
Really?
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah. Detective stories in black and white.
Speaker 1
Well, I watch a lot of it, but I don't know that that's my favorite.
Host
I've seen one of those 12 angry men or whatever.
Speaker 2
Okay, yeah, that was one. But that not in black and white. Yes, it was really film noir. Film noir is more the suspenseful detectives and stuff. Today you've got superheroes.
Host
I don't like.
Speaker 2
This was like. This was fake. Thank you. This was like. No fake, no. No graphics, no computer stuff. Just real life people and what they go through. The detectives, the bad guys.
Host
Yeah. When it's too unrelatable, I just. I don't like it. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1
Well, speaking.
Speaker 3
You don't like Superman?
Host
Not really.
Speaker 3
My cousin invented him.
Host
Oh, then I do. Yeah. Sign me up.
Speaker 1
Front row. Well, speaking of relatable, I think one of the most touching movies for Me. And a lot of people laugh at me. They say it's so simple and so trite. Was guess who's coming to dinner?
Speaker 2
Yeah, I haven't seen that one.
Speaker 1
That was. Yeah. Sidney Poitier. I don't know her.
Speaker 2
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1
Yeah, there were a lot of moments in there with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn and Katharine Hepburn and, and, and Sidney Poitier and. And Bea Richards.
Speaker 3
Wait, you do know what it's about?
Host
No, I never heard of this.
Speaker 3
It's. She brings home a man to introduced to her family who is black and she is white.
Host
Okay.
Speaker 1
And this guy, the family owns the newspaper in San Francisco. Right. So they give me the letting, you know that these are big time people.
Host
Right.
Speaker 1
And they raised their daughter that. See, this is the thing that. That really is relatable to me. I was telling you about how my mother raised me. Yeah, well, the way they raised their daughter. And when she brought it home to them and said, you know, as much as I'm paraphrasing, but you taught me not to hate anyone. And now you're telling me, Boy, when those moments conflicted, oh, there was so much tension in the air. And Bea Richards as much as called Spencer Tracy an old, worn out nothing who couldn't feel his emotions anymore. Because, man, you'll get me. I better stop. I'll get to crying over that.
Host
I gotta check that out, man.
Speaker 1
Yeah, I was watch it. You may not be able to relate to it. Like Going with the Wind for me. I was asleep, I think about 13 minutes in. I was sound asleep.
Speaker 2
Gone with the Wind. I was.
Speaker 1
I was sound asleep.
Speaker 2
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1
But luckily I had my thing. I could rewind it. I didn't go to the movie.
Speaker 3
You didn't go to the movie?
Speaker 1
No, I didn't go to the movie.
Speaker 3
My day, we went to the movie.
Speaker 1
Oh, God.
Host
Yeah. I was just talking with my fiance about this. I used to love going to the movies, but now I feel like it's not the same, you know?
Speaker 1
Oh, it does. Yeah. It's not, you know, I mean, I hate to bring up a sore subject, but you go in there, you're half scared somebody's gonna start shooting.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 1
You know, I don't want to go in there. It's just stupid.
Speaker 2
You're not going to see a story. You're just going to see a bunch of special effects.
Host
Yeah. You're going to have a seizure with all the lighting.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
Crazy.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Host
So much editing. Yeah. Movies aren't the same, man. It's a shame to see where it's gone. I think people are just into the superhero stuff right now, right?
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's like one person does something and you make a lot of money at it. Everybody just jumps on the band. Yeah. This is. I mean, that's that way in sports. It's that way in everything. And it's. Why can't we be individuals?
Host
Yeah. There's no personality anymore in the movies. You could predict almost any movie these days. Yeah.
Speaker 2
The lines are from years back that, you know, been done, been done better back then. And remaking, remaking, remaking the same movie and it's still not as good as the original.
Host
Yeah. Anytime they remake it. Yeah. It's never as good.
Speaker 1
They're doing a lot of that too, huh?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
A lot of television shows coming, turning to movies. A lot of movies turn to television. Television, yeah.
Host
When the TV was invented, was that a big moment for you guys?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 3
I'm older than they are, so I went for.
Speaker 1
First time. You admitted that.
Speaker 3
The first eight. We got a TV when I was eight and we were the first ones on the block to have a television.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
So it was very exciting. But they only had two shows.
Speaker 1
What were they?
Speaker 3
Howdy Duty.
Speaker 1
Oh, God.
Speaker 3
And what's his name? Sullivan.
Speaker 2
Ed Sullivan.
Speaker 3
Sullivan. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Those were the only two.
Speaker 3
Well, the others, I don't know what they were. But, you know, you'd get a test pattern on TV for most of the day and it's just when something like Howdy Doody came out.
Speaker 2
Well.
Speaker 1
Yeah. You couldn't play it all day long. No.
Speaker 3
No.
Host
Wow. Now it's all day, 100 channels.
Speaker 2
That's why I don't get cable.
Host
Yeah. I don't have.
Speaker 3
I think that's part of the problem today with all the violence, that the news takes it and makes a big deal and spreads the word and then somebody copies the same crime someplace else.
Host
True.
Speaker 3
And it's not like the News is at 5:00 in the afternoon and 8:00 in the morning. It's all day long on multiple channels and you can't escape it.
Host
Yeah. This puts you in a really negative mindset. Right. I used to watch it growing up.
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah? Yeah. Only news is bad news that they put on. Yeah. And so much with so many channels now, it's. It's more about quantity than quality.
Host
Right.
Speaker 2
Very few really good shows. The ones that were great. I say we're back in our time, too. I saw we had three channels, which was abc, NBC and cbs.
Speaker 3
We probably did, too.
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah. You probably had the Same.
Speaker 2
Sullivan, how was your screen?
Speaker 1
Round.
Speaker 3
Yes, my screen was round.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Like in a big cabinet box.
Speaker 1
The first one.
Speaker 2
Then. Then we went naturally. A color tv. Oh, mom and dad. Great. And it was still square, but it was a small one.
Host
Wow. I was spoiled. I had a flat screen. Colored.
Speaker 2
Oh, wow.
Host
That was my first one.
Speaker 2
Really?
Speaker 1
A flat screen?
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Oh, my God.
Speaker 3
We went without a color TV for years. We didn't have any money.
Host
Wow. So they were way more expensive, the colored ones.
Speaker 3
Well, at first there were no colored, but by the time the colored ones came out, we were just getting married, and my husband and I had no money, so we didn't get a color tv.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 1
Wow. I mean, first, back to your original question. The first one I saw was through the Western. Well, Western Auto Store. This was. This was what, the best buy of yesteryear?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1
And I'm standing outside in Alabama because the black kids couldn't go in the store unless you were gonna give the man some money and get something and go out.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 1
Couldn't go in.
Host
That's crazy.
Speaker 1
And look around and stuff like that. No way. So I was watching it through the window of the store. And the Cisco Kid.
Speaker 3
Oh, they.
Speaker 1
Yeah. And Pancho. I. I'm looking at him like he's gonna remember.
Speaker 3
It was a cowboy movie.
Speaker 2
Okay.
Speaker 3
Weekly kind of thing.
Host
Oh, like a show. Okay.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 1
Oh, boy. So that was my first introduction to television. And I would sneak back there on Saturday and try to watch. And the guy would see you. He'd run you off, you know, go. You just wave and you scattered. Like today. I think that was even better than today. You can almost shoot in the middle of a bunch of guys and they won't move Today. Back then, the guy just waved his arm and we were gone.
Host
Yeah. That's crazy.
Speaker 2
Yeah. They had more respect for the law, too.
Speaker 1
Yeah. He spent.
Speaker 2
Comes out. Okay. Go get.
Host
Yeah. There's not much respect these days.
Speaker 2
No.
Host
For the law.
Speaker 1
Oh, man.
Host
Must be scary being a police officer these days.
Speaker 2
Oh, I wouldn't know. Some of these people, you want to club them.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
But you can't touch them.
Host
Yeah. Yeah. Lots change with you guys growing up. Not before you could get in fights in school. And now you can't.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Oh, now. Yeah. Fights. Who did it? But it was like. Yeah. More respect for the police. And they weren't going to. Even the police weren't going around shooting people. And it was a safer neighborhood. And it was. The important thing to me was how you were brought up.
Host
Right.
Speaker 2
And again, I say go back to the way we were brought up, family wise. You know, you respect people, but nowadays I think the parents just don't care.
Speaker 3
I don't think that's true.
Speaker 2
Well, maybe don't care, but aren't as.
Speaker 1
Who do you think is true.
Speaker 2
Strong as us.
Speaker 3
I don't think the parents just don't care. I think the parents are just as involved and devoted. It depends what kind of family you come from.
Speaker 2
Okay. That's what I mean, how you were brought up. If the way we were brought up and oh, our kids.
Speaker 1
But so you, you said. Yeah. The two involved did other things like trying to make a living.
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah. Make a living. Single moms with kids and.
Speaker 3
Well, they should never. Right. I know it sounds dumb to say they should never have gotten married.
Speaker 2
Right.
Speaker 3
Or they should never have had children.
Speaker 2
Exactly.
Speaker 3
Without getting married. And that I think is a big problem to grow up in a one parent home.
Host
Right.
Speaker 3
It makes a huge difference.
Host
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. It happened to me. My parents got divorced when I was 10 and I was an only child. But my grandparents, you know, had tens of siblings. You know, it was common back then and I saw the household environment they grew up in.
Speaker 3
So you, so you had a part of that. But there's. Yeah, there are so many kids I think today that don't.
Host
No, no. The divorce rate is over 50% now, I believe.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Host
A lot of single parents, you know.
Speaker 1
Yeah. If I could. I don't know if anybody's listening that needs this. I was a runaway at 12. And the things that happened to me as a child, it goes all the way back to that, son, you're not supposed to do to people as they do to you. Because I got through a lot of stuff. I processed it and I went through my. Some of the little drug phases, alcohol phases, and I kept looking for the brighter side of all of it. And I'll never forget, I was down in Oxnard, California, just got back from Vietnam and the sun was rising. And it was there that I was able to forgive my mother for committing adultery because her husband was not my father. And that's why I was a runaway, because when I started to look like my biological father, he started to beat me. You know, not. He would never beat me badly, but he slapped me around unnecessarily, I'll put it that way. And so. But I, I wound up loving him and understanding, you know, at an early age, I was still a teenager when I understood that, wow, what's the man supposed to do? He leaves Home to go fight for the country. Country, don't love him. Country. He's. To the country. He's just another black or whatever you want to him. And he's in this. And then he comes back. He leaves with one kid, he comes back with three. And I could identify with that as a teen.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 1
I was going, wow, I can understand why he hurts.
Host
That is so traumatic, man. I'm sorry you went through that. That's crazy.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
But I don't want the empathy for me. I want people to see that no matter what you're going through, if you keep working at it, you can get to the other side of it and you don't have to turn out bad, you can turn out good.
Host
Love that.
Speaker 3
He has a wonderful outlook on life.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 3
Very up and he's very accomplished and I give him a lot of credit.
Host
Absolutely.
Speaker 1
She loves to do that.
Host
I could see that, man.
Speaker 3
No, but that's the truth.
Host
So do you, though. I love your outlook, too. And you, you guys are all really positive again.
Speaker 2
I think the way we were brought up, I had my dad pushed. Well, mom too. Honesty and integrity and. Which I learned he didn't slap around so much. But I went to buy some. I wanted to get mom and dad a little gift. They like Jordan almonds. Go to the store, she gave me some money for bread. Didn't have enough of the almond. So what we call the five finger discount, where you take it in jacket and I go up to the counter and I see, oh, football cards. Okay.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
As soon as I walk out the door. And that's how the times were in the 50s. He said, oh, did you pay for those almonds? No, sir. Go back in, pay for him good. Now you go home and you tell your parents what you did. And stupid. Go home and tell them what I did. And my father said, yeah, you're grounded for a week. I said, but I told you. He goes, yeah, if you didn't tell me it had been a month and you just don't do that. It was like, that's why I have the honesty and integrity that I have today. One of the good things they left me.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And I was like, yeah. So I'm glad. I was. At the time, I might not have liked. I kept my football cards.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
At the time, I might not have liked being that happening. But I mean, other kids, even my neighbor, we play cowboys and Indians. And you made your own little arrows and bow and arrows. And the bicycle was the horse. And we shot spokes. My best friend and My sister into their spokes head first. My sister comes in with a big lump. My father said, you do that break again, you're in for a week. Kid next door, he's right back out.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 2
So I was jealous. But again, I'm glad I brought it the way we were.
Host
Discipline, right?
Speaker 2
Discipline, yes. Not spank. He didn't have to spank me. All he had to do was say, I'm disappointed.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
That was like a gut.
Host
That was worse than a spanking.
Speaker 2
Yeah. That was like.
Speaker 1
How did that. How did that kid turn out?
Speaker 2
He became an eye doctor, but wow. Never seen him. He's like, no, I. I turned out okay. But, yeah, no, that was tough. Ever since then, like, don't disappoint them.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Am I doing the right thing? Keep in mind, am I being honest and stuff?
Host
They don't do that anymore now they take away your phone for an hour.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2
Take away your computer. That's the other thing.
Speaker 1
Does that do anything?
Speaker 2
Nah.
Host
I mean, I don't have kids yet, but just. It's a different generation now. All these kids are on their phone. They live on their phone. So.
Speaker 2
No. Did you then.
Host
Did I live on my phone?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
No. I didn't have a phone till high school.
Speaker 1
What was the punishment when you would come to.
Host
When I got grounded? Just go to my room to lock me in there.
Speaker 1
Did it work?
Host
I don't know.
Speaker 2
Did you have your phone in your room?
Host
No. No.
Speaker 2
Okay.
Host
I don't know if it worked, honestly, because solitary confinement, I mean, you could go crazy, man.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
You know what I mean? It can make it worse if. Depending on your mindset. So I don't know if it works on everyone. You see people in prison that go to solitary, maybe that.
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah, they come up.
Speaker 3
You're an introvert.
Host
I could be. So. My dad was bipolar, so I. I think I'm an introvert because if I said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, I would get yelled at. So as a kid, I was very shy because I didn't want to say the wrong thing.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Oh, really?
Speaker 2
Yeah, I. I was. I was shy as a kid only because I also studied a lot. You had to start in front of me. Yeah, I would. The mouth went before the brain.
Host
I didn't. Well, I was shy and I. I honestly barely spoke growing up in school.
Speaker 1
Really?
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yes.
Speaker 1
Because he would hit you if you.
Host
Never physical. So that's what I thank him for, because he was physically abused. So he grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania. His dad Beat the shit out of him every day, but he never laid a hand on me. But he was just so damaged from it that it caused bipolar.
Speaker 1
It can damage you. That's what I was trying to convey before. It can damage you. You got to be strong. Gotta be strong. I'll never forget when I used to have to go to the store for my family, because the three. It was four of us at the time, and the other three were girls. And when they'd go to the store, this guy would try to pick them up in his car. And so my mother started sending me to the store, and I used to go to the store, and they would. I had to ask for the female things and all of that. And they would razz me in the store about what I was going to do with it and all that. And so. And then they'd go the part that really hurt. I'd cry every time until this one day, they would call me over. Come here, boy. And they'd all rub my head because they were playing distances on the Coke bottles underneath. And so they'd rub my head, and one of them said, home, what the hell are we doing this for? And he said, well, don't you know it's good luck to rub a nigga's hair? And so.
Host
Jeez.
Speaker 1
So. And I'm crying by this time, you know, and they all rubbing my head, and then couldn't. But one win. And it was like about 10 of them, the other nine would kick me almost out. Get out of here, nigga. You ain't bad luck. And I'd go. And on my way home, this one day, this one last day, I stopped by the side of the road and I sat down. I was crying, and all of a sudden, it just lit up like it was daylight. And I just felt like, oh, you're the better for having gone through that, dude. I just felt good. That was just one of the strengthening moments in my life that made everything work for me.
Host
Powerful.
Speaker 1
You just, you know, just couldn't. I just couldn't be, you know, I'm not going that route. And I'm not going to hate you. And I'm not going to hate you. I'm not going to hate you. I'm gonna love you.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
You know, love's a strong word.
Host
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Host
Yeah. These days they just bully you online. They don't even do it to your face anymore. They do it on social media.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
You know what is that?
Speaker 2
Kids got to get out. Seriously, Too much time. I mean, it's not good supposedly to look at a computer anyways for the brain. And they spending all that get a life. I don't mean like we did go out, maybe play outside, but do exercises, do something.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And it's like, okay, they're going to be brainiacs. They're going to know how to do all the computer stuff. But what are you going to do for a living?
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Live a life. Live a life.
Speaker 3
A lot of these kids are accomplished.
Speaker 2
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3
Because they do know that they're doing a lot. Look at you, you're 20.
Host
Yeah. There's a good side to it, but.
Speaker 1
You'Re seeing all the good products.
Speaker 3
I am saying because people say kids today aren't going to do this, they're not going to do that. Most of them do do that and do accomplish things.
Speaker 1
I think that's one thing that followed each generation, isn't it? Because they had me in jail at 22, said I'd go to jail.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
So what does that mean?
Speaker 1
I'm trying to say the same thing you're saying. I'm trying to say the same thing you're saying. But sometimes I complicated the way I say it. But yeah, that's what I was trying to say. You said they say kids ain't gonna do this.
Speaker 2
Ain't gonna do this. I did, yeah.
Speaker 3
Accomplished.
Host
There's a fine line.
Speaker 3
They wanna be successful. They want to make money too.
Host
They want it fast though. So the average attention span is three seconds now.
Speaker 2
Yeah. That's why TikTok is so.
Host
Yeah, that's why TikTok's killing it. And you guys are blowing up.
Speaker 2
Because first three seconds are great but you know, you're right. Yeah. A lot of you don't hear about them though. You hear about the kids who are out shooting.
Host
Yeah. The people you're working with and collabing with are my age, are doing well. But all the people watching it, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2
I'm super impressed that people can do that and get on social media. Know about the regular. That's. That's phenomenal.
Host
Yeah. And you guys probably thought you would have never got on social media. Right?
Speaker 2
Right. No, I didn't know it was.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
You.
Speaker 3
When they said tick tock, I said, what's that?
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Really? Yeah. You're gonna do a tick tock show. I just care the fact that, oh, the character I'm playing is going to be an ex porn star.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Oh, that's a comedy. Okay. I love comedy. Make people laugh. That's what I love about our Comments? I was having a bad day. You made me laugh. Thank you.
Host
Laughter's medicine, right?
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah. That is the best medicine. And I still don't. I'm not on Tick Tock. It's like I'm not on TikTok physically. I'm in a show that's on TikTok and I'm still blown away by numbers. 5.6 million followers there. A million point five on Instagram. And it's the numbers getting recognized.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Last night at Cirque du Soleil, they recognized these two.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
Well, they really recognized him. I mentioned her to me and she said right after she said, your retirement house.
Speaker 2
Right.
Speaker 3
And then she looked at me secondly.
Speaker 1
Wow.
Speaker 3
She was really interested in Jerry.
Speaker 2
We had the rest of us to come in. We're on it too.
Host
It's so funny because you guys were all actors, right? And now you're getting retired for this.
Speaker 2
No, she's just a natural. Oh, God. I learned at the audition, you know, she's not an actor, but when you see her, it's just her being her. And she's great.
Host
Nice.
Speaker 3
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2
No, it's like done. She did not an actress. And she's doing better than some actresses. But we won't go. Yeah, it's. It's amazing. The numbers and keep getting bigger. We got recognized twice in New York.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 2
At the Empire State Building.
Speaker 3
Oh, right.
Speaker 2
And somewhere else because we had work.
Speaker 3
Hotel.
Speaker 2
In the Hotel Kai.
Host
Kai Sana. I saw that.
Speaker 2
Yeah, we some, you know, people saw that. Oh, you're on Kai show. Okay. Yeah. He knows us.
Host
He's the most viral live streamer in the world right now.
Speaker 2
Okay.
Speaker 1
Yeah, they said he just did. What did he just do?
Speaker 2
Nike. He just signed a contract with Nike.
Host
Yeah. He's signing an eight or nine figure deal right now.
Speaker 1
Yeah. With Nike.
Speaker 2
Nike.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
That's.
Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. I just was trying to remember the deal he. He made.
Speaker 2
Every once in a while we'll go out and get recognized and it feels nice. Yeah, it's crazy.
Host
Yeah. Kids my age and their twenties are making millions. I feel like with your generation, that wasn't possible, right?
Speaker 1
No, no. I sure wish they would make it possible before I go, though.
Speaker 2
No, it's fun to do. The people are wonderful. Other people coming in, it's like a family. So it's not work nice. It's just fun. And I've kind of like. I was a virgin, never been to New York City, wanted to go. And one of my bucket list was Broadway. My friend goes hey, you gotta see a show on Broadway. And we get to see a show. Sweeney Todd. That was like, wow. And now the Vegas Strip.
Host
Yeah. Everyone should experience Vegas in New York City, man.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And they're talking about, you know, other cities. We're going back to New York City.
Host
Love it.
Speaker 2
Good morning America wants us.
Host
Oh, let's go.
Speaker 2
It was like April 5th.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 2
We do local shows. We just did last night's Inside Edition. We were on.
Host
Nice.
Speaker 2
It was like, wow, we are really doing well.
Host
Love it, man. Where were you guys at mentally before Retirement House. Were you in a good place?
Speaker 2
Good place. Not my acting career. Had a day job, was happy. Always had regular family and loved ones. Putting myself out there to work, but this came along again. Fun shoot. Okay. We're only supposed to be two weeks.
Host
Yeah.
Speaker 2
One within one week, 5 million followers.
Host
And rest is history.
Speaker 2
The rest is history. But no, I was in a good place, but this is a better place.
Host
So you're still working?
Speaker 2
I still. I'm keep. My friend goes, you don't need the day job. You get all this money in this. And I keep it for, like, well, if my car needs some repairs, some extra money to have and give me something to do. But yeah, if we start shooting two or three days a week and goodbye, it'll be just this. And hopefully book things because they're very good with us if we have to book something. And I'm like, I say with integrity, if I commit to them, I can commit to this week. Oh, I got an audition for you. I can't take the audition because I'm going with my family, Diamond House.
Host
What about you guys?
Speaker 3
My husband had passed away, and I was very involved in community events after that and building new things in our little city that I lived in. And I was happy, but I'm usually happy.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
And then I heard about this, and I was led. Led to it.
Host
Wow. That's the universe telling you you're on the right path. Right. I believe in that.
Speaker 1
Well, for me, I, you know, I've never thought about it this way, but maybe I was saying, you know, I got to do this before I make my transition, but I went on a bucket list of countries. I started in Saudi Arabia, I went to Nice, France, then back to Frankfurt, and then I went to Seoul, and then I went to the Philippines, and then I went to Japan. Then I went to Vietnam, Then I went to Singapore and almost got locked down over there during the pandemic. It just started up. Couldn't get a flight out. Oh, man, because in Singapore, see, I was gonna. My last stop on that bucket list was gonna be Peking. How do you say it? Peking. Peking. Peking, yeah. The capital of China, right?
Speaker 2
I think so, yeah.
Speaker 1
Yeah, that's where I was going. And so I was going to get my ticket back to America there. And so I was just going on these little in country flights to these different countries. And man, the people from Singapore, in whispered tones, they were talking about the pandemic. And all of a sudden, what was it, 10 or 11 days later before I could get a flight. And on the 12th day, I think they shut Singapore down.
Speaker 3
Oh, you couldn't get out?
Speaker 1
Oh, I wouldn't have been able to get out. And my hotel was right behind the prison.
Speaker 2
Oh, shit.
Speaker 1
It was crazy. But anyway, that was. But I was in a good frame of mind because I was getting things done.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
Traveling the world, that's important, right? Traveling is really enlightening. You learn a lot.
Speaker 3
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1
And I guess to conclude that is to say, I guess I was. Now that I got this, I have something to live for.
Host
Yes, that's. That's important. They've done studies on retirement and when you retire from work, your brain health, they're doing mapping.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
And they say you age super fast because you no longer have that purpose.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Who's Brian Johnson? Yeah, his name. He did he put the helmet on his. Oh, yeah. It's funny.
Speaker 1
Are you familiar with him?
Host
Yeah, I love him.
Speaker 2
I'm the youngest in the group, but I had the oldest brain, really, at 56. Galen coming in.
Speaker 3
She is.
Speaker 1
She was first the oldest.
Speaker 2
She was first the youngest brain.
Host
I wonder what caused yours to be older.
Speaker 2
I. I think it's my fault from stress. Stressing myself. It's not so much taking it on people. I take it out on myself over stupid things. Oh, you dropped and broke it. You.
Host
You had anger.
Speaker 2
Myself. Anger at myself. Then I could sit back. Why, what's wrong?
Host
Stress is a killer, man.
Speaker 2
That age, that's what aged me was the stress, especially upon myself.
Host
I had some stressful moments when I was 21. I had a gray hair at 21.
Speaker 2
Whoa. I wasn't that too.
Host
Yeah. So then I was like, I was dealing with my first lawsuit at the time. So then I was like, wow, I have to take a step back. This is not normal. I literally had multiple gray hairs at 21 years old.
Speaker 3
Someone was suing you.
Host
Someone was suing me. I thought the world was ending.
Speaker 1
And they stopped when you stepped back?
Host
Stopped when I stepped back. Settled the lawsuit. Started doing more stuff in nature. Just getting outside. Because I was so focused on making money, and my whole narratives on that has changed, actually. But at the time, it was all about money. So when I thought I was losing it all, I thought the world was ending. Yeah. But life's more than just money.
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely be too much pressure on yourself.
Speaker 3
You were into crypto, right?
Host
Yeah. Yeah. Had some tough losses there. Cryptocurrency. So volatile.
Speaker 1
You know, my.
Speaker 3
My daughter is a senior vice president and wealth management at a huge firm.
Host
Wow.
Speaker 3
And that's something she never let anyone in the family get.
Host
I don't blame her.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Host
Goes up 80% in a day and down 90% the next day. It's nuts.
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's crazy.
Host
Whole nother world. Guys, any closing messages for the audience? It's been a really fun episode.
Speaker 2
Live your life one day at a time and enjoy it. Do what you want to do.
Host
Love it.
Speaker 3
I would say to you and to them, don't act your age.
Speaker 1
Don't act your age.
Speaker 3
Don't act your age.
Speaker 2
And then we come to.
Speaker 1
You're just gonna leave it like that? I don't know if I. I don't know.
Speaker 2
You can see how much fun we have.
Speaker 3
They can do a lot. Some broad advice, or they can sit back and wait a little while, and then don't act their age.
Host
It's just a number.
Speaker 2
Exactly.
Speaker 3
Absolutely.
Speaker 1
Well, I guess to paraphrase scripture, hold on to your dreams. To paraphrase or to quote, I think Jesse Jackson wellis he paraphrased the scripture. Also to hold on to that dream. I had mine, and I was cheated out of it because they laughed at me. My peer group. They laughed at me, made fun of me, and I cried. And I just didn't hold on to my dream and pursue it with passion. But it came back around after Vietnam and, you know, pursuing it at a later age. Hold on to it, pursue it. Don't let nobody deter you. Just stay on track and keep that dream and focus and go for it.
Host
Mother.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
No matter what your age.
Host
Yeah. I love that.
Speaker 2
And always keep laughing.
Host
Yeah. Laughter's important.
Speaker 2
Keep the smile on your face and, yeah, less stress, and you won't have.
Host
All the good guys. It's been fun. Thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 2
Thank you for having us. Thank you.
Host
Thanks for watching, guys, as always. See you tomorrow.
Announcer
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Speaker 2
Com.
Digital Social Hour - Episode Summary: "How TikTok Changed Retirees' Lives Forever | Retirement House DSH #802"
Release Date: October 13, 2024
Host: Sean Kelly
Guests: Retirement House (Speaker 1, Speaker 2, Speaker 3)
[00:46]
Sean Kelly kicks off the episode by introducing Retirement House, a viral sensation comprising a dynamic group of retirees. Expressing enthusiasm, he remarks, “I feel like I could learn a lot from you guys” (00:53). The guests greet the host warmly, setting an engaging and friendly tone for the conversation.
[00:59]
Speaker 3 highlights the youthful atmosphere within the group: “Men in my life are 27” (00:59), pointing out that many members and assistants are around that age. This blend of youth and experience fosters a vibrant energy that Speaker 3 appreciates, mentioning her grandson’s age aligning with the group's members (01:16).
[03:04]
The conversation shifts to the guests' origins:
[04:10]
Speaker 1 delves deeper into her upbringing, crediting her mother for instilling honesty and integrity through biblical teachings: “Son, you know, you're not supposed to do to them as they do to you” (04:36). This foundation helped her navigate personal challenges without resentment.
[05:00]
Speaker 2 echoes the importance of family values, emphasizing regular family visits and maintaining strong familial bonds despite long years away from home (04:52).
[15:06]
The guests discuss the evolution of television and its impact on family life:
[00:30]
Sean opens a critical discussion on the state of modern cinema: “Movies aren’t the same, man. It’s a shame to see where it’s gone” (00:30).
[09:38]
The group criticizes contemporary films for over-reliance on special effects and predictable storylines, contrasting them with the depth and suspense of classic film noir (09:38). Speaker 2 laments, “You’re not going to see a story. You’re just going to see a bunch of special effects” (12:53).
[13:20]
Speaker 1 echoes concerns about the lack of individuality in modern productions: “Why can’t we be individuals?” (13:20). The conversation highlights the repetitive nature of remakes and the diminishing originality in today's media landscape.
[23:02]
Speaker 2 recounts a childhood incident involving honesty and discipline: attempting a "five finger discount" to steal football cards and facing grounded consequences for not confessing (23:02). This reinforced her commitment to honesty and integrity.
[24:12]
The group discusses modern parenting techniques versus traditional discipline. Speaker 2 contrasts past methods with current practices like taking away phones and computers, questioning their effectiveness (24:36).
[21:52]
Speaker 1 shares a harrowing childhood experience of racial bullying and physical abuse, leading to profound personal growth:
“I was a runaway at 12... I was able to forgive my mother for committing adultery” (25:07). Her story underscores the importance of resilience and maintaining a positive outlook despite traumatic experiences.
[28:01]
The guests reflect on personal struggles:
[29:43]
The conversation shifts to the influence of technology, particularly social media platforms like TikTok. Speaker 2 marvels at their popularity and the ability of retirees to gain significant followings:
“We got 5.6 million followers there. A million point five on Instagram” (30:00).
[30:12]
Guests discuss their experiences being recognized and celebrated on social media, highlighting the positive aspects of digital engagement:
“It was like April 5th” (33:10). Speaker 2 shares excitement about appearances on "Good Morning America" and increased visibility (31:06).
[37:01]
Sean touches on the psychological effects of retirement, referencing studies on brain health and the loss of purpose, to which the guests respond with insights on maintaining mental well-being through active engagement and social media involvement.
[29:46]
Sean attributes the success of Retirement House to TikTok's engaging format: “That’s why TikTok’s killing it” (29:46). The guests discuss how the platform has revitalized their lives, providing purpose and a sense of community in retirement.
[30:15]
Speaker 2 details their viral success on TikTok, expressing amazement at their rapid follower growth and recognition:
“We were on it too... Keep getting bigger” (31:17). They acknowledge the platform's role in connecting them with a global audience and fostering a supportive online family.
[18:03]
The group reflects on societal changes, particularly the erosion of respect for law enforcement and communal safety:
“There’s not much respect these days” (17:58). They contrast past and present attitudes, emphasizing the loss of neighborhood safety and increased disrespect towards authority (17:54).
[24:50]
Guests critique the current generation's dependency on technology and social media:
“They live on their phone... What are you going to do for a living?” (28:25). They express concerns about attention spans and the potential drawbacks of excessive screen time, despite acknowledging some positive achievements among younger individuals.
[39:05]
As the episode concludes, the guests share uplifting messages for the audience:
[40:25]
They reiterate the value of maintaining a positive outlook and the therapeutic power of laughter:
“Keep the smile on your face and, yeah, less stress” (40:44).
Sean wraps up the episode by thanking the guests and highlighting their inspiring journey, leaving listeners with motivational insights on embracing technology like TikTok to enrich retirement and maintain mental well-being.
The episode of Digital Social Hour delves into how retirees are leveraging platforms like TikTok to redefine their post-retirement lives. Through candid discussions, the guests highlight the importance of maintaining youthful energy, embracing technology, and upholding strong family values. They critique modern media's lack of originality while celebrating the empowering role of social media in fostering community and purpose among retirees. Personal anecdotes of resilience underscore the overarching message: regardless of age or past hardships, individuals can reinvent themselves and find fulfillment through new ventures and digital engagement.
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key themes, discussions, and inspirational takeaways from the episode, providing valuable insights for listeners and those interested in the intersection of retirement, technology, and personal growth.