Grits and Eggs Podcast

Host: Deante’ Kyle
Guest: FD Signifier
Episode: 124
Date: February 24, 2026

Episode Overview

In this memorable, free-ranging conversation, Deante’ Kyle sits down with renowned YouTube essayist and cultural critic FD Signifier. The duo dig into pop culture, radical politics, Black internet discourse, parenting in a digital age, and the ever-evolving relationship between Black communities and current events. They blend sharp analysis with humor and personal anecdotes, resulting in a vivid reflection on Black radicalism, media, YouTube success, class, masculinity, and more.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. Growing Up Black: Sports, Gaming, and Family Dynamics

• Deante’ and FD swap stories about their families' athletic (and non-athletic) backgrounds.
  • FD on his family: “My older brother was an all world running back... My sister literally is a head coach for a top tier track team in college right now... and then, you know, I was really good at video games.” – FD, [03:00]
• Fatherhood and fostering creativity vs. tradition:
  • Deante’: “My home was very like old school, traditional. Go get a job, go get it. Be out the house by 18, all that type of shit. Whereas like, I tell my kids all the time, like, bro, if y' all wanted to stay here, y' all could. You can't just not do shit.” – [12:05]
• The generational shift in Black parenting mentality: Making room for diagnoses like ADHD and autism, and shifting away from past narratives of “lazy” or “bad” kids to more nuanced understanding.

2. Video Game Culture, Streaming & Black Masculinity

• Differences between old-school gaming for self-enjoyment and contemporary streaming performance.
  • FD: “I tried doing game streaming last year... But the kids and the people that consume video game content, they want like a show... I actually like playing video games.” – [04:14]
• The rise of “pro gaming” and generational differences in skill.
• Lighthearted discussion: trash talk between fathers and sons over games.
• Reflections on the role of video games as bonding and competition in Black homes.

3. Black Autism, Neurodiversity, and Cultural Perceptions

• FD makes a powerful point on undiagnosed autism and ADHD in Black families:
  • “I come from a long line of undiagnosed autistic men. Because, like, autism didn’t exist until essentially 20, 25 years ago... in the black community, you know that shit. You was weird, you was lazy, you was bad. All them things were euphemisms for autistic adhd.” – FD, [13:11]
• Discussion of how different talents (collectibles, tinkering, blueprints) in older Black men may have reflected undiagnosed neurodiversity.
• The effects of the crack epidemic wiping out skilled Black trade workers.

4. Neo-Fame, Internet Culture, and Anti-Fandom

• The perils and weirdness of internet (non-celebrity) "fame" and constant public feedback.
  • FD: "And it's a weird thing cause we're not actually famous. Like you ain't coming here with a bunch of security, you know what I'm saying? I came here by myself." – [17:45]
• The mechanics of cancellation, call-out culture, and managing public scrutiny without industry buffers like publicists.
• Coping strategies: “Just let them cook. It'll go away in three days. Don't worry.” – Deante’, [18:43]
• On "clip fame": how short clips without context skew public perception, create misreadings, and breed drama.

5. Black Radicalism, Pop Culture, and Online Discourse

• The challenge of pushing anti-capitalist and radical Black ideas through mainstream platforms like YouTube—where the algorithm promotes certain content and suppresses others.
  • FD: “Knowledge and like perspective on anti capitalism and radical thought has been systematically taken out of black pop culture.” – [21:44]
• The tension between internet virality and radical authenticity; the trade-offs of pursuing viewership.
  • “You scare away black moderates. You scare away black, like hardcore liberals. The black excellence. You especially probably scare the black excellence brunch crowd with this tattoo on your hand and shit.” – FD, [26:31]

6. YouTube, Black Political Commentary, and Algorithms

• FD and Deante’ analyze Black representation on YouTube:
  • Black men are underrepresented in intellectual or radical commentary; Black feminists are more established.
  • The economics of YouTube: the hate-watchers, the limits of the algorithm, and why radical or nuanced Black content often struggles to find a wide audience.

7. Internet Beef, Black Manosphere, and Gender Politics

• Both criticize the toxic dynamics of the Black manosphere and the negative discourse around Black women online.
• Notable analogy: If you call out your son’s behavior, and he deflects by blaming his sibling, it’s the same as men’s “what about Black women” evasion online.
  • "When I'm talking to men... but what about women? Are there women present? Nigga, I'm talking to you." – Deante', [31:22]
• On content beef: Fighting with other creators as a trap set by the algorithm to manufacture drama.

8. Class, Black Excellence, and the “Brunch Crowd”

• Honest discussion on class divides among Black professionals.
• “Black Excellence Brunch Crew” as a term for the insular, status-obsessed segment of Black success; skepticism towards non-traditional backgrounds.
• On higher education: Mixed feelings about the value and cultural weight of college; the divergence between “educated” Black voices and those from other walks of life.

9. Radicalism, Compromise, and Media

• The reality that even prominent Black creatives (e.g. Tyler Perry, Jay Z) often make moves that ultimately reproduce the system.
  • "He does drug dealer giveaways to hide the freaky shit. Right? That's what Cosby did." – FD, [91:31]
  • "[Tyler Perry] does the easy thing for him that allows the structure to be maintained. It's easy... He does drug dealer giveaways, essentially." – FD, [91:04]
• On the limits of protest, and how organizing still accumulates small victories, even if systemic change feels impossible.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On fatherhood and change:
  • "What is it within me that I don't want you to exhibit to the world?... What are the things I wish I had growing up that I can provide for you? Not just monetarily... but like emotionally, psychologically." – FD, [10:29]
• On the pipeline from “protest” to “product”:
  • “That's the cycle of consumerism, too. And when we go from people to product, it is a jarring thing for us.” – Deante’, [77:37]
• On white involvement in political protest:
  • "Now, it took a white man getting shot like a nigga in the street on cam to do it ... but there's a steady growth in momentum happening of ... liberation minded people in this country of all walks of life." – FD, [81:54]
• On the church’s latent organizing power:
  • "If y’all can organize people to boycott Target for a year now, can you send ... church aunties to the distribution center ... use a trucker, sit down in them runways for an hour while they lose tens of thousands of dollars on logistics and see how quickly Target comes to the table." – FD, [122:45]
• On Black skepticism about the system:
  • "The average street nigga is already anti system. Cause he's anti cop. ... The empire is what has tortured you most of your life." – Deante', [115:21]
• On radical ideas and history:
  • "Radicalism is just some shit that happened to pop up ... my experiences in the system... the radical position is the only moral position that exists right now in society... to be against empire." – FD, [73:53]

Notable Segments (Timestamps)

• 00:35–04:14 | Parenting, sports, family backstories, generational shifts
• 04:14–07:58 | Video games, streaming culture, father-son competition
• 12:04–13:37 | Neurodiversity, undiagnosed autism & ADHD in Black families
• 16:21–21:56 | Black musicians' legacy, pop culture, cancel culture, online critique
• 24:19–26:06 | YouTube, algorithms, limits for radical Black creators
• 31:22–32:46 | Gender politics: “What about Black women?” and the Black manosphere
• 39:38–45:14 | FD’s teaching experience, America's juvenile systems, structural barriers
• 50:00–54:14 | Black excellence, higher education, class politics in Black America
• 62:25–63:33 | Corporate-controlled activism, performance politics at the Super Bowl
• 73:53–76:45 | What it means to be a “radical” today, and the limits of Black radical public figures
• 80:07–84:32 | The social impact of viral videos, organizing movements, and new platforms for Black radicalism
• 105:13–107:00 | Race and fetishization in cinema, cultural representation
• 119:03–123:38 | The transformation of Black religious institutions, liberation theology, and political organizing via the church

Tone and Style

• Unfiltered, humorous, and intellectually dense—mixing real talk with academic insights.
• Both hosts are candid about their backgrounds and personal journeys alongside big-picture political theory and cultural critique.
• Occasional use of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) and hip hop-influenced slang, reflecting the pod’s authenticity and target audience.

Further Resources Mentioned

• FD Signifier’s forthcoming Tyler Perry video (“It'll be on FD signifier, the main channel. It'll be on Nebula, the streaming service...” – [133:07])
• Recommendations of other Black YouTube creators (e.g., Khadijah, Jouelzy, T Noir, Kim Foster, Deja Sade, Anansi Library, Andrewism)
• Discussion of Black History Month figures: Tina Bell, Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a wide-ranging, absorbing meditation on Blackness, masculinity, radicalism, and the pitfalls and potential of both digital fame and digital activism. Deante' and FD invite listeners to scrutinize their loves, their politics, and their place in the system—and to imagine how Black people might, one day, do more than simply create and destroy, but actually control their art, narratives, and futures.

For More

• Watch FD Signifier on YouTube and Nebula
• Subscribe to Grits and Eggs Podcast for deep dives into pop culture, current events, and radical critique

(End of summary. Ad reads and outros omitted for clarity.)