Follow The Fun with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Follow The Fun with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers"

Podcast Information:

• Title: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
• Host/Authors: Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
• Special Guests: Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers
• Episode Title: Follow The Fun with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers
• Release Date: July 30, 2025
• Description: Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson host a candid and humorous podcast addressing listeners' personal dilemmas with practical advice and relatable stories. This episode features guests Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, who delve into topics ranging from friendships and relationships to personal growth and cultural observations.

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1. Relationship Dynamics Between Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

The episode opens with Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson discussing the strength of their sibling relationship, highlighting how disagreements have ultimately made them stronger.

• Michelle Obama [00:00]: "And I think we're always stronger as a result of we've had some pretty large fights."
• Craig Robinson [00:26]: "We have one blow at every, like, two years, so that's fine."

Their banter underscores a deep familial bond characterized by both playful conflict and emotional reconciliation.

2. Introduction of Guests: Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers

Michelle and Craig welcome comedians Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers to the show, setting a lighthearted and engaging tone for the episode.

• Michelle Obama [00:26]: "Thank God for Kelly."
• Bowen Yang [05:03]: "We're gonna bow down. I mean, we are neophytes."

The guests share a brief introduction, expressing excitement about joining the conversation and contributing their humor and insights.

3. Discussions on Making Friends and Building Community

A significant portion of the episode focuses on navigating friendships and building a supportive community, especially in the context of personal growth and life transitions.

Listener Question: Navigating Friendships at 30

A listener named Alicia poses a heartfelt question about turning 30, feeling unfulfilled, and struggling with loneliness after a significant breakup.

• Alicia's Question [51:52]: "Dear Michelle and Craig, I'm about to turn 30, and I'm not handling it as gracefully as I'd hoped... How should I navigate these friendships? And how do I begin a new chapter in life, building identity and community without letting past failures and unhealthy beliefs get in the way?"

Advice from Hosts and Guests

Michelle, Craig, Bowen, and Matt offer comprehensive advice addressing Alicia's concerns:

• Michelle Obama [54:10]: "It's about framing it. Not like I haven't done it. It's just... gratitude in the present."
• Craig Robinson [56:00]: "Don't put your shields up. You can't pour so much of yourself into these specific people."
• Matt Rogers [56:32]: "Enjoy the process of your change... you are gonna be more attracted to you and feel good about yourself."
• Bowen Yang [74:38]: "Making friends requires you to take a risk... It's worth the risk."

They emphasize the importance of self-discovery, patience, and being open to new connections despite the inherent risks of forming new friendships.

4. Personal Stories: Coming Out and Family Dynamics

The hosts share personal anecdotes about coming out and the impact on their relationships with family members.

• Michelle Obama [24:19]: "Being closeted at that time was extremely hard... this was when the 'fag' slur was being used on the radio."
• Craig Robinson [35:32]: "I was 17 years old... trying to keep the family together by acquiescing."

These stories highlight the emotional challenges faced while reconciling personal identity with familial expectations, illustrating resilience and the evolving nature of family support.

5. The Culture Awards: Creating Their Own Award Show

Michelle and Craig discuss their creation of the "Culture Awards," a playful award show celebrating various cultural phenomena.

• Craig Robinson [15:20]: "We started throwing our own award show where the categories are like... the Eva Longoria Award for Tiny Woman, Biggest Impact..."
• Michelle Obama [16:03]: "It's all about what feels fun... just follow the fun."

The Culture Awards serve as a creative outlet and a way to engage their audience, showcasing their unique approach to celebrating culture with humor and authenticity.

6. Advice for Listeners: Navigating Friendships and Personal Growth

Throughout the episode, the hosts and guests provide actionable advice for listeners facing similar challenges to Alicia's:

• Michelle Obama [70:02]: "Decide what's worth fighting for."
• Bowen Yang [73:01]: "Making new friends is a risky proposition, so it's not comfortable. You have to become uncomfortable."
• Craig Robinson [76:07]: "The result will be good in the end... there's no one way to live a life."

They stress the importance of embracing vulnerability, learning from experiences, and maintaining an open mindset to foster meaningful relationships and personal development.

7. Closing Remarks: Recap and Upcoming Events

As the episode concludes, Michelle, Craig, Bowen, and Matt reflect on the discussions and hint at upcoming events like the Culture Awards airing on August 5th.

• Michelle Obama [78:51]: "This has been terrific, and thank you so much."
• Craig Robinson [78:51]: "Love you guys."
• Bowen Yang [78:58]: "I'm tuning in to the Culture Awards."

Their warm farewell reinforces the episode's themes of connection, community, and ongoing support among the hosts, guests, and listeners.

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Notable Quotes:

• Michelle Obama [62:00]: "Clock the way that people make you feel on an instinct level."
• Craig Robinson [77:06]: "The result will be good in the end... effort is part of a larger effort."
• Bowen Yang [73:50]: "Take a chance, be bold... it's worth the risk."

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Key Takeaways:

• Embrace Vulnerability: Forming new friendships and relationships requires taking emotional risks and being open to both joy and disappointment.
• Self-Discovery is Ongoing: Personal growth continues beyond age 30, and it's essential to remain patient and compassionate with oneself during transitions.
• Authentic Connections Matter: Building genuine relationships that make you feel valued and understood is crucial for a fulfilling life.
• Follow the Fun: Engaging in creative and enjoyable activities, like the Culture Awards, can strengthen community bonds and celebrate shared interests.

This episode of IMO provides heartfelt advice, personal insights, and uplifting discussions aimed at empowering listeners to navigate life's challenges with humor, resilience, and authenticity.

Transcript

[Michelle Obama]

And I think we're always stronger as a result of we've had some pretty large fights. And, like, I do think fun, fun.

[Craig Robinson]

Like, I've never shouted louder in a way that I'm terrible.

[Michelle Obama]

I can't believe my voice can do that. Can I say, yeah, I would.

[Craig Robinson]

There's no one better that I would shout out than you.

[Michelle Obama]

No, because I can go toe to toe. Like, it's bad. It's like a feral.

[Craig Robinson]

We have one blow at every, like, two years, so that's fine.

[Michelle Obama]

And, like, I don't look forward to them. No, me neither.

[Craig Robinson]

Me neither.

[Michelle Obama]

It's like I hate usually is within the same conversation that we're then crying. Like, why I love you with us.

[Bowen Yang]

This episode is brought to you by Indeed and Progressive Insurance. Hello. Craig Robinson. What's going on?

[Matt Rogers]

Michelle Obama. Not too much.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

It's great to see you.

[Bowen Yang]

It's good to see you, too. You're looking good. Your sharp shirt.

[Matt Rogers]

You like this shirt? I've gotten some compliments on this shirt. I'm very happy. Kelly will be very happy with us.

[Bowen Yang]

Doing right by you. Thank God for Kelly.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes, thank God for her.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank God for her.

[Matt Rogers]

I'd be in sweats if it was sweat.

[Bowen Yang]

So you're enjoying your time in dc?

[Matt Rogers]

I am. You know, the weather has been wonderful.

[Bowen Yang]

That's the thing about it.

[Matt Rogers]

And it's been walkable. And, you know, I.

[Bowen Yang]

Have you been walking?

[Matt Rogers]

I left my Airbnb the last couple of days and walked around. I'm in a nice residential neighborhood that's very close to a bunch of restaurants and coffee shops and.

[Bowen Yang]

Have you gone out to get coffee? Did you go to the library?

[Matt Rogers]

What are you doing when you're walking around?

[Bowen Yang]

Are you just walking around?

[Matt Rogers]

Just walking around? Just getting the.

[Bowen Yang]

Did you make any friends?

[Matt Rogers]

You know, my sister is being funny because I tend. People tend to talk to me when I walk around and they look at me and they look. And they say, boy, you look familiar. And I was like, oh, no, I get that all the time.

[Bowen Yang]

Did you get that on your walk?

[Matt Rogers]

I get that on my walk, but I'm in Washington, D.C. that's what I'm wondering.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm just wondering what it's like, like for you walking around your little airbnb community.

[Matt Rogers]

It's been a really neat neighborhood.

[Bowen Yang]

And did you make breakfast today for yourself?

[Matt Rogers]

I did. I made yogurt, and I have a bunch of fruit.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, you don't make yogurt. You open yogurt.

[Matt Rogers]

Well, I open yogurt and I put the fruit in the yogurt.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. From your stockpile.

[Matt Rogers]

From my stockpile of fruit. See, and this is something you couldn't do if you were staying at a hotel. You'd have to just go downstairs and buy it in the cup. And it's crunchy.

[Bowen Yang]

You couldn't make it on your own as you have done.

[Matt Rogers]

And I'm enjoying making my own breakfast. You know what I should have gotten was a little bit of granola to put in there to make it a little crunchy because you didn't order that.

[Bowen Yang]

I didn't put that on your airbnb list.

[Matt Rogers]

I didn't put that on my list.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, anyway, it's good to have you in our fair city.

[Matt Rogers]

It is good to be here.

[Bowen Yang]

We got a good show.

[Michelle Obama]

I am looking forward to this.

[Matt Rogers]

Listen, I'm so excited. I have goosebumps. And it's not because it's cold in here. And so you'll love this. So I'm coming in this morning and Kelly texts me. Austin, who's our 15 year old, says, please tell Bo and Yang that Aaron and I are fans of his. Now they're 15 and 13, and so they're just at the age.

[Bowen Yang]

Are you letting them watch Saturday Night Live? Okay. All right. Because they're strict parents.

[Matt Rogers]

We are strict parents. We are strict parents. There's bedtimes.

[Bowen Yang]

Malia had to convince them to start watching R rated movies because if it.

[Matt Rogers]

Wasn'T for Malia watching PG, you know, Toy Story 2.

[Bowen Yang]

And you know, Malia was just like, you can't go out like that, dude. You're in high school. You gotta get Chucky or something, you know, Friday the 13th.

[Matt Rogers]

So we have with us today, Owen, Matt Rogers.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

And, you know, podcast pros.

[Bowen Yang]

We're gonna bow down. I mean, we are neophytes.

[Matt Rogers]

We don't know what we're doing compared to these things.

[Bowen Yang]

We're gonna learn. We're gonna get schooled in how it's done. I'm so excited. I'm fans of both of them. They are hilarious. They are at the heart of culture, which you know nothing about.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't know. They're gonna have to help me out. Help become cool.

[Bowen Yang]

We're gonna help my brother out. Bowen and Matt, come on out so we can school my brother on.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my gosh. By the way, I have a cereal hack for you, brother. I'm gonna teach him about some cereal.

[Bowen Yang]

Cereal.

[Michelle Obama]

I have a cereal hack. You have one for me.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, great.

[Bowen Yang]

It's so good to see you guys.

[Michelle Obama]

Face to say it's an honor to be here is the understanding of the century.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Rogers]

We are honored.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, well, you're not.

[Craig Robinson]

You're not neophytes. That's.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, we are.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, it's. It hasn't even been a year.

[Michelle Obama]

You're good at this.

[Craig Robinson]

No, but it's already so established. And this is. This is the only thing you need to say to sound like you're a podcasting pro. Ready?

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Craig Robinson]

And you're gonna agree with me on this? Just if you talk to, like, someone, like, on, like, the sound crew, you just go, do you want me down the axis? Like, do you want me down the aisle?

[Michelle Obama]

Down the axis. By the way, you're all crushed. We're down the axis.

[Bowen Yang]

So what is that?

[Craig Robinson]

This is the axis of the microphone. And then you just want to direct the sound downward.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, wow.

[Michelle Obama]

This is also Bowen. Scient scientific background.

[Bowen Yang]

Why don't you all tell us about down the accent?

[Matt Rogers]

Nobody mentioned the axis to us.

[Bowen Yang]

It's like we're just talking.

[Craig Robinson]

Might be something that I made up.

[Michelle Obama]

Wait, so that's Bowen's advice? That's very Bowen. And here's my advice to you. Here's a cereal hack for your breakfast preparation. Raisin Bran. But you cut up strawberries and put it in the Raisin Bran or Cheerios. Strawberries, bananas, raisins. You're gonna love the way you look, I guarantee it.

[Bowen Yang]

It's just like, woo. That's din. Wouldn't have thought of that.

[Matt Rogers]

I'm already a Raisin Bran guy.

[Bowen Yang]

I was waiting for something deep.

[Craig Robinson]

Yep, that's deep.

[Bowen Yang]

Is that deep? Really? Putting extra fruit in a fruit based cereal?

[Michelle Obama]

I mean, but here's the thing.

[Bowen Yang]

More fruit.

[Craig Robinson]

More fruit. Imagine that.

[Michelle Obama]

But if he thinks there's a way to make yogurt.

[Bowen Yang]

I know, guess, right?

[Michelle Obama]

I was like, no, he's me.

[Bowen Yang]

He thinks like, I made breakfast, I made some yogurt. It's like, oh, did you really?

[Michelle Obama]

I thought you were gonna say. The only sentence you really need to know as a PO podcaster is listen. Wherever you get your podcast.

[Bowen Yang]

Wherever you get your podcast. Yeah, that we do. We do that. We do that. Sometimes I forget to do that when I'm on other people's shows, but I'm gonna get that down. So tell our listeners about las culturistas. How do you say it?

[Craig Robinson]

We say it las culturistas. And we sometimes will culturistas. Put some verve into it.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, it really was just like fashionistas or maxinistas. So that's really where it came from. Culturistas.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, why didn't I pick that up?

[Craig Robinson]

No, no, not apparent.

[Michelle Obama]

This is in 2016, when we started it. And I think that the one thing we were positive is that no one would listen to it when we started it. I mean, am I wrong?

[Craig Robinson]

No, you're not wrong.

[Michelle Obama]

Bowen said, you know, should we do a podcast? I was like, yeah, that's fun idea. We just started talking to each other. I remember we looked at the initial metrics, like in the, you know, first couple months we had been doing the podcast and we were blown away because 60 people were listening.

[Bowen Yang]

We were like, that's. We're on to something.

[Michelle Obama]

That's a couple people. And that was fine for us. And then, you know, nine and a half. I guess soon we're going to be saying 10 years later while.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Become the reason for everything else.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, but it's different talking to 60 people, right? I mean, because when it's just 60 people, then you're really. Yeah, you're really letting go.

[Michelle Obama]

If you really sat and thought about how many people are actually listening when you're doing a podcast, you might totally change the way you do it. You can't. Which is the death of any authenticity on the podcast. You know what I mean? Did I just get into how.

[Matt Rogers]

I just thought, here's something.

[Bowen Yang]

But here's something that I do to avoid that I don't listen to our podcast. Right. I count on. We have a team of people. He listens to it, but I. And I have never. I don't listen to my interviews, I don't listen to watch my speeches, I don't read my articles because I will start self filtering. I'll say, I'll think more about. Am I slouching? Did I say that? I said too much. And I don't wanna self edit in that way. And if I hear myself, I'll be. I don't even like my own voice. So.

[Craig Robinson]

Kelly.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't like it either.

[Bowen Yang]

Is there.

[Michelle Obama]

It's a funny thing with your own voice though, right? Because I've had a journey with it now. I guess I can understand what it can do. But you know what's funny? It was because of podcasting and even just being on a mic that I learned how to do voiceover acting. I released an album and it taught me how to become a better singer. All because of weirdly podcasting, really. Just actually learning how to talk on a mic, really. It was a weird thing but it was an education.

[Matt Rogers]

When you guys started, this wasn't a thing.

[Craig Robinson]

Thing.

[Michelle Obama]

No.

[Matt Rogers]

So how did you. No, let's do a pod.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, really?

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, let's, hey, let's do a podcast.

[Craig Robinson]

It was kind of just like offered to us in this very wonderful, scrappy way, this podcast network that's still thriving called Forever Dog. We started with and we're with for several years. But it was just like, hey, like we're just reaching out to a bunch of comedians in New York, because we're a bunch of comedians in New York starting this podcast network. Do you want to do something? And we're like, sure. We had all these different concepts and pitches for it. And then Matt was very smart and thinking, let's just do the low, lowest lift. And the lowest lift was the two of us being ourselves talking. Like, I had ideas of like fictional, like scripted things or choose your own adventure. It was like so convoluted. And then Matt was like, no, we're gonna keep it very lo fi. And that is kind of anytime anyone asks, it's like, how do you keep it going for so long? I'm just like, it's because we picked the lowest effort possible idea.

[Michelle Obama]

But I think because, because we put ourselves into it and we put identity into it and there was an authenticity to what we were doing. Maybe that's why people. It's a notable podcast segment when really it's being done a lot of times.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, and let's, you know, this is where I want to educate my brother and even my husband who will be listening. Culture is king. Yeah, culture is king. I mean, the truth is, is like they razz me about my love of reality TV and the Real Housewives. Let's go watch it all.

[Michelle Obama]

You watch it all.

[Bowen Yang]

All of it. You know, love. I mean, you know, the gin. The. The New York gin babies.

[Matt Rogers]

The.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, nyc.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes, Gen nyc.

[Bowen Yang]

I watched the first two episodes just like, oh, they're starting the babies off early.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh my God, are they actual babies?

[Craig Robinson]

They're children of housewives and like, of Bravo. Bravo liberties we call them.

[Michelle Obama]

They're really, they're really like the princes and princesses of Bravo now seeing if they're worth their salt. When the camera's fixed on them and.

[Bowen Yang]

They'Ve been on the screen, it's like Austin and Aaron at 7. You know, they were babies being shot and now they're in New York.

[Craig Robinson]

I think there's legislation that's being written about that. No, it is really trippy to watch.

[Bowen Yang]

Uh huh. It is, yeah. It is, but it's juice.

[Craig Robinson]

It's juice, it's cheese. But culture is king. And even though you're razzed for your reality tastes like, it's still. We like to think of it as, like, people are like, oh, you guys balance high, low so well, but it's all horizontal to us. It's all the same.

[Michelle Obama]

It's all.

[Bowen Yang]

A sociological study. I was a soc major and so were you.

[Craig Robinson]

I was, yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Now they think that sports is better. Reality tv. I was like, it's the same thing, pretty much.

[Craig Robinson]

This is what I've heard, though, about sports, and I would love to know more about athletics in general.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, my dad was a varsity football and baseball coach for 40 years and a phys ed teacher. So growing up, like, I was an athlete kind of by necessity in my own head at the time, because I, of course, you know, who doesn't want to impress their dad and stuff? But I credit a lot of the reason why I have a work ethic, why I know what it is to hit deadlines, why I know what it is to know how to rehearse, even as a performer, all to sports. So it's that in terms of sports culture, like, I was like a late 90s Mets, super, like super freak, super fan. Yeah, but those things, like that is.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, but there's drama in sports, storytelling.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, if I listen to ESPN for an hour, it's like watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you know, I mean, you know, it's the same drama and they're yelling at each other and they don't get along. You know, I mean, Stephen A. Smith.

[Matt Rogers]

He'S just like every other post Real Housewife.

[Michelle Obama]

He would be amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

So that's why I'm like, what's the difference? It's just, you know, it's just sociological drama. I mean, the fact that people over seasons of working together still can't get along. They still have the same arguments, you know, and it's not just women, but this happens in sports, too. I find it fascinating.

[Craig Robinson]

It is.

[Bowen Yang]

It's just like, why do you keep going to dinner together? It never ends well. And don't ever vacation with her ever again.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, she's gonna. It's gonna be an unfair reason why she deserves the best room and why.

[Bowen Yang]

Can'T we figure out this room thing?

[Craig Robinson]

You know, this is something that you just. You just figure out in your 20s and your 30s as you start traveling with your friends. But the thing that sports has that I think reality TV doesn't is like numbers. Like, what I find fascinating about sports and my unfamiliarity with it is that it is really, really something. And it's really cool that you get to, like, look at stats and you get to compare that way. That's storytelling, you know, And I wish Housewives had that.

[Bowen Yang]

What stats?

[Michelle Obama]

You know, what felt like the number of fights you notice. Like, they'll on Instagram, they'll release the seating chart for the reunions. So at the end of every Housewives season, there's a reunion.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And basically it is kind of a little bit of a cast system because if you're sitting next to Andy, that kind of means you won.

[Bowen Yang]

Andy Cohen.

[Craig Robinson]

Andy Cohen.

[Bowen Yang]

It's usually the most modern reunions when you have to.

[Michelle Obama]

And it kind of is interesting because.

[Bowen Yang]

It'S like a ranking.

[Michelle Obama]

You need people talking about it like, oh, she's in the one spot, she's in the two spot. Like, look at her all the way in no man's land at the end of the couch. So it does kind of have that.

[Matt Rogers]

You know, there is something in our.

[Michelle Obama]

Fandom that is wanting to quantify the way someone is doing well.

[Bowen Yang]

Tell us about the Culture Awards.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

You guys are growing up big time.

[Matt Rogers]

Congratulations, by the way.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, all on Bravo. Okay.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, great segue. We have been doing this fake award show is the best way to describe it for several years now, live in New York. And we did Lincoln center and then went to King's Theater in Brooklyn, which was beautiful last year. And yeah, we're on Bravo and we're on Peacock the next day on August 5th. And it started out as, again, like this low stakes bit on the podcast. We're like, we should throw our own award show where the categories are like, the Eva Long Gorey Award for Tiny Woman, Biggest impact, like these dumb categories.

[Michelle Obama]

Amazing impact in film. And the nominees are like, I don't know, one of them is Jeff Goldblum's chest in Jurassic Park.

[Craig Robinson]

So basically it's just.

[Michelle Obama]

But then we also have, like record of the year and sometimes it's a little earnest. So it is a really good example, I think, of what has made our podcast successful is that we just follow the fun.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And I really think that people could give themselves a gift by just saying that sentence a little bit more. Just even in the day to day things, just like, what feels good, what feels fun.

[Bowen Yang]

We need it now more than ever.

[Michelle Obama]

And I think that with the Culture Awards, it's like, what's fun about it is, you know, this probably won't happen. But Meryl Streep could walk out and so could Meredith Marks from Salt Lake City.

[Craig Robinson]

Housewives. You'll look that up later.

[Michelle Obama]

She's a good one to know.

[Bowen Yang]

I'll explain it over lunch.

[Michelle Obama]

There's a Salt Lake City.

[Craig Robinson]

She's from Salt Lake City. Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

I mean, Housewives.

[Michelle Obama]

That's the number one spot.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Housewives are really the best.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, because you're dealing with Mormonism and a whole lot of stuff. Yeah. One of them went to jail. There have been several imprisonments.

[Michelle Obama]

There was one. There have been several convictions. Yeah. This is the one we're thinking about.

[Craig Robinson]

She's in the same prison as Elizabeth Holmes.

[Bowen Yang]

No.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes. And they're best buds.

[Bowen Yang]

I miss that.

[Matt Rogers]

I know. I know who Elizabeth Holmes is.

[Craig Robinson]

And they're buds.

[Bowen Yang]

They're going to come out. It could be.

[Michelle Obama]

Damn.

[Matt Rogers]

And they're gonna.

[Michelle Obama]

They're gonna take over the world. Here's the truth of it. I'd watch that show. I would watch that show.

[Bowen Yang]

And you would, too.

[Matt Rogers]

I would watch that.

[Bowen Yang]

See, he just doesn't know what it is.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't. I really don't. I really don't. I. I have very little bandwidth for anything outside of what I'm doing with my kids.

[Michelle Obama]

Right.

[Craig Robinson]

This.

[Matt Rogers]

And so I pick my TV very carefully.

[Bowen Yang]

He also has a very limited cringe meter.

[Craig Robinson]

I do.

[Matt Rogers]

I do.

[Bowen Yang]

She's right about that. And you gotta be able to hang in the cringe. Cause most of the time you're watching.

[Michelle Obama]

And you're like, I can't believe it.

[Matt Rogers]

So to give you an example, everybody in our generation loved this show. Seinfeld.

[Michelle Obama]

Of course.

[Craig Robinson]

Of course.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, that was George. George was the greatest.

[Craig Robinson]

George.

[Bowen Yang]

And of course.

[Matt Rogers]

And I love the guy who wrote the show, Larry David. I love Larry David's show. It's just like, I can't stand this.

[Michelle Obama]

So you have to get through the Office. The office.

[Matt Rogers]

No, the Office is funny to me.

[Craig Robinson]

But that's so good.

[Bowen Yang]

There's cringe.

[Michelle Obama]

Michael cringe. He cringe.

[Matt Rogers]

See, he doesn't make me cringe. Like George made me cringe.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, that's good writing. That's just good character. That's the whole point.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, but she's right about the cringe thing. If it's too cringey, you know, I'm a Turner Classic Movie guy.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. Tcm.

[Matt Rogers]

I gotta have a good ending. It's gotta work out.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

We need catharsis.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes, positively. Yeah. I can't walk away being more anxious than I was growing in.

[Craig Robinson]

There's a Turner Classic Movies. Cruise. I heard.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. But I hate cruise.

[Bowen Yang]

You heard about the cruise?

[Michelle Obama]

I'm with you.

[Craig Robinson]

Cancels out.

[Matt Rogers]

I've heard about it. It sounds like it would be wonderful. And they have some of the stars and stuff on there. I would love it.

[Michelle Obama]

They just gotta get it off the.

[Matt Rogers]

Boat and do it at a. I.

[Craig Robinson]

Think there might be a Bravo Cruise.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, there should be. You know, there's Bravo Khan.

[Bowen Yang]

That I know.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

It is wild.

[Bowen Yang]

It must be madness.

[Michelle Obama]

The people. I mean, it's like the Beatles show up when anyone walks in the room.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, the franchises are huge. There are how many? I mean, now they're like.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, now there's new ones that. You're on Rhode Island.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

The Housewives of Rhode Island.

[Michelle Obama]

There's gotta be. I heard it's.

[Matt Rogers]

We used to live there. So I might. That might.

[Bowen Yang]

You might know. Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Honestly, we have a friend who does know a couple people on the cast because I guess it's that small. He was like, I went to high school with that girl. I was like, that's so funny. Is she gonna be good?

[Bowen Yang]

It's Rhode Island.

[Craig Robinson]

It's Rhode Island.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

This segment is brought to you by. Indeed. Hey, Mish, how has being organized through your career helped you get your work done?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my gosh. Organization for me has been everything. I think better when I have a clean desk, when I have a clear plate, when things are in order. Clutter doesn't help free my mind.

[Matt Rogers]

And when did you learn that? When did you realize that that was necessary?

[Bowen Yang]

Probably, if you think about it, I was kind of always like that.

[Matt Rogers]

I do. That's why I asked. Because I remember when we had our desks set up in our room, mine was always a mess with books and papers, and I would just set things down. And no matter what time of day it was, your desk was always organized. Your pencils were in the box, erasers were in something over here, papers were. You had your loose leaf paper over here. You had your spiral notebooks over there. And I just remember you always being organized.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And I think it perhaps was just a personal trait of mine, or it came out of the realization that disorganization slows you down. If I have to spend 30 minutes looking for the pad of paper before I can sit down and be creative, that messes with my process. What about you? Because you eventually learned how to become organized.

[Matt Rogers]

Even though I am still becoming organized. Because I really didn't need to be organized until I got to college. And when you have. And it was the Result of having so much free time, because you have way more free time in college than you did in high school, which a.

[Bowen Yang]

Lot of college students don't understand, they don't take advantage of.

[Matt Rogers]

And that's when you need to be organized. And it was at that point, after I had failed the first semester at being a decent student in college, that I had to get organized. And once I realized that and then started to execute that, my whole academic and intellectual experience just changed. And it made everything easier. And I just wish I had was able to do it as early as you did.

[Bowen Yang]

What I try to tell young people is that organizational skills are a muscle. Build that muscle early, practice it, and when you're our age, it becomes second nature.

[Matt Rogers]

It sure does. It sure does. But whether being organized is a skill you have or not, Indeed can help connect the skills you have to new opportunities. Indeed's mission is to empower everyone to leverage their skills for better work. When people feel confident in their skills and open to change, the world truly can work better.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, I want just to flip the script a little bit because I am. Given who you two are, I am curious to know what were little Bowen and Matt like? What were you guys like as kids? Because I don't know whether do we have a nerdy kid and a jockey kid? I don't know.

[Craig Robinson]

I think that's a pretty. That's a pretty decent sort of assessment refraction of us, like. But I just remember starting out pretty precocious. And then I think being a boy, like, you start to, like, rein it in a bit and you just try to, like, start to fit in. So I was. I was. I was. I was always a nerd. And I feel like I tried to hide it and mask it a couple years in middle school, and then I just kind of let it all out in high school.

[Bowen Yang]

It's just like, I can't hold it in any longer.

[Michelle Obama]

He did some theater in high school. And I remember when I was in high school, I was all sports all the time. I was a very serious track athlete. I played baseball for several years. I never really got into football. And it's actually interesting, my dad was such a football guy. And years later I asked him, why didn't you ever throw the football around with me? And he was like, I mean, if I'm honest with you, I didn't think kids really needed to be blind.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And it was good because. And then years later, now we hear so much about what goes.

[Bowen Yang]

Our dad was the same way with him. He always was we were both sporty kids. There just wasn't much for me with the beginning of Title ix.

[Matt Rogers]

But she did everything I did in our backyard.

[Bowen Yang]

But there was an organ at the park. That's so interesting.

[Michelle Obama]

I remember one of my formative memories was my dad and I, we didn't have a boys win or track team for whatever reason. And I was so serious about it that we actually got one going. And I just found out it's still going. And I think they even won like league championships. So that was one thing I can look back on and be like. That was like a positive impact. But in high school, all I wanted was to audition for the swing choir and be in the plays. I remember they have no idea what I would give as Conrad Birdie, But I was too closeted. And so I remember being a happy kid and I have amazing parents and I grew up on Long island and I. I had a very happy day to day in that I was given so much. But there was a pit, I believe, in probably both of our stomachs because being closeted at that time was extremely hard. I remember, like, this is when, you know, the fag slur was being used on the radio.

[Matt Rogers]

You know what I mean?

[Michelle Obama]

And so it kind of.

[Bowen Yang]

And talk about comedy. I mean, it was at the. That was just common homophobia at the time. That was comedy.

[Craig Robinson]

Absolutely.

[Michelle Obama]

And so it's kind of like, I think we both know a little bit of what it's like to feel like who I am is something that. It's a question of whether I'm gonna be embraced for it.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Michelle Obama]

And so anything that could reveal something about who you really are was. It felt dangerous. Yeah, yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

But I think about constantly, like, would we have been friends when we were little?

[Bowen Yang]

I was just thinking, I think we would have.

[Craig Robinson]

I think we would have.

[Matt Rogers]

Now you're getting into my area of inquiry because I heard that you guys were friends in college, but you weren't friends first. I mean, help us understand how you guys got to be close.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, college is interesting. I feel like you guys keep up with your college friends, right?

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, a couple of them don't, but.

[Matt Rogers]

I started out liking them, so.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, interesting.

[Craig Robinson]

You know what?

[Michelle Obama]

It wasn't dislike. I think what it was was it was a situation where I remember the first time I ever saw Bowen. I have this thing where it's bizarre, but the people that end up being meaningful in my life, I remember the first time I saw them. It's weird. And him. I remember coming around an elevator bank and we Were going to see a hotel.

[Craig Robinson]

I remember the elevator.

[Michelle Obama]

And I saw him and he looked back at me. And I just remember it was this moment of like, that's a person to me.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And I think maybe because of the self consciousness at that time, we were 18 years old in college and still both closeted. It's a little nerve wracking any social interaction at that time. And so we went to go see a comedy show at our school, which was our school's comedy show, our sketch comedy show. And I remember looking up on stage and being like, I think I'll try to do that. And it will make me take a. It will encourage me to take a step towards who I am. And he had already been in the improv group at the school. So there was danger Box improv. And Bowen was the one gay in that group. And then I got into high school.

[Craig Robinson]

So I was out in high school and then I was back in the closet right. Right before college through all this, like, mess. And then so then, yeah, at the time of meeting Matt, I think we were both synced up in our timeline.

[Michelle Obama]

We were both newly comfortable saying we were gay. And then we were in these comedy groups in which we were the only person that identified that way. And so their way of sort of, I think maybe breaking ice was like, well, be best friends, you know, do we like, perform for us? And we would often be put in situations where it almost felt like tokenized because we were like, sort of like, oh, these are our gay ones. And not with any mal intent on their part. But it just didn't feel like that would be the reason why we'd definitely be best friends.

[Craig Robinson]

Until there was this rationale on a collective level from everyone around us that was like, you guys would get along great. It's like when your parents set you up with someone, you're like, you're like leaving alone.

[Michelle Obama]

It's not gonna be just. Cause you think. But then quickly it was like, like they were.

[Bowen Yang]

You were right.

[Michelle Obama]

We both were off book on all the same pop music. Like it was. I remember we'd have like parties after the sketch comedy and improv shows and we would just tear it up to like Super Bass by Nicki Minaj. We would tear it up to like any Taylor Swift song still to this day.

[Craig Robinson]

I mean, we just.

[Michelle Obama]

We speak a very similar language. I feel like the bit that I always say is like, I feel like he's my twin that was born in a different part of the world on a different day.

[Bowen Yang]

And Bowen, you grew up In. In Brisbane.

[Craig Robinson]

I was born in Brisbane, six months. Basically, when I was clear to fly, we moved to Ontario, then Montreal, then Colorado, and then Colorado to New York. And I've been in New York since.

[Bowen Yang]

So high school was where Colorado was?

[Michelle Obama]

Colorado.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Aurora.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

But that was a very interesting place to grow up where, like, it felt like you were just informed by, like, a very. I don't know, like, again, I'm. I keep saying this word horizontal way of, like, being with people was like, great public schools in Colorado, where I'm from, at least. And just felt like I was given, like, the latitude to, like, figure stuff out about myself that then would, like, make way for, like, finding out who I really was. And then by the time I got to college, it was like the groundwork had been laid.

[Bowen Yang]

What were your parents like, each of you?

[Craig Robinson]

Mine are really hardworking immigrants who sacrificed everything. And I remember coming to the States for the first time in 1999, and we met with our immigration lawyer, and we went through the process of getting our green cards, and it was just back then, it felt like so much bureaucracy.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

And they were always people who reminded you in the gentlest way. They sacrificed a lot, but they were never like, this is us putting pressure on you. They, I think, again, laid it all out for us just in the way that we grew up in Colorado. It was like, here's like, an open horizon of what you can do in life. Cause they would vocalize things like, well, we know you like to perform, but, you know, it's really hard, and there's not a lot of stability, and especially if you're Asian and all these things. And I internalize that as a way of saying, oh, that that's off limits. Let me go and be pre med in college. And that's what I did. And so I think there were tacit ways in which they were, like, trying to encourage me to find myself, but hedging a little bit because they were just trying to be protective.

[Bowen Yang]

Right. Well, and also, you know, you love your kids. You want to make sure they can eat.

[Craig Robinson]

Exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

You know.

[Craig Robinson]

Exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

And the world is mean and ugly out there. So just in case, just have something in your back pocket.

[Craig Robinson]

Totally.

[Bowen Yang]

But it's, you know, it's fortunate to have parents. Was it the same way for you, Matt, that you had parents that were kind of encouraging, whatever you wanted to do, or did you feel like there was an expectation?

[Michelle Obama]

I think once I became more of an adult and I got to college, I'll never forget. So I started NYU And I actually was. I was full jock at that time. I was on the track team and I got through a week of it. And I remember realizing I was not. Cause I had done an amazing. I can. I'm a code switching icon. Like, I was prom king in high school, which was a fight because, like, I am, you know, pretty gay. And so, like, I was like, I was. You gotta watch the show. Overcompensating.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

He really taps into just how much drag you do to try to. And that was me.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And so I remember I. The phone. I remember I was in my dorm room and the phone was shaking in my hand because I was gonna call my dad and say I was quitting the track and. But don't worry because I'm gonna do something else. You know, I'm gonna try to.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna go punch a wall.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, yeah, right, right.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna eat fire. See?

[Michelle Obama]

And my parents are lovely. My dad is like the life of the party. My mom is truly the most joyful, effervescent person. She is a star. And they've never on that phone call were like, we're disappointed. My dad was like, you have to do what's gonna make you happy. Like you're 18 years old. You know what I mean? Like, you're living in New York City. And so from that point on, and really never did they ever say, well, did you ever think what to do.

[Matt Rogers]

If it didn't work out?

[Michelle Obama]

Even throughout my 20s when I was waiting tables six days a week, they never were like, hey, maybe this sketch comedy thing should be called into question to a 27 year old man, you know what I mean? Maybe they should have, but they never did. And that's not to say that I didn't have the strife that comes with. With any like, parental child relationship, especially when there's a lot of inner strife and everyone's figuring out how to relate to each other. But in terms of the way that they raised me, I'm the luckiest.

[Matt Rogers]

The luckiest.

[Bowen Yang]

It is amazing how kids put a lot on themselves because they think they know what their parents are thinking. You know, both Craig and I were kind of like that because we came from working class background and we made a lot of choices, assuming that our parents couldn't afford or would say no to something. I remember.

[Matt Rogers]

Or we didn't want to disappoint them because they're such wonderful people.

[Michelle Obama]

Of course.

[Matt Rogers]

And I don't, you know, I cut you off, but I wanted to get back to your parents when you came out to them. What was their reaction and how did they sort of help you through that or not help you through it? Because they sound like wonderful people.

[Craig Robinson]

No, it's.

[Michelle Obama]

We're sitting here and it's like a lot of this conversation is reminding me how different we are. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

Like, I feel like we have such a energetic connection and like peace in the pod, but we have such different.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Backgrounds. I love that.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

But anyway, sorry.

[Craig Robinson]

So I came out. Well, I didn't even come out in high school, but in high school, you know, there were revelations. And so then my parents sat me down. They were like, you know, where we come from in mainland China, like, this doesn't happen. And so this is a problem to us. And we are sort of oriented as problem solvers, so we're gonna figure out how to solve this. And then, you know, they found some therapists, basically, and so that we would drive down. There was this ultimatum that I could go to school at nyu, where my sister was, and then she would sort of watch over me, or I could stay in state and stay with them. And I was like, I'd rather go to nyu. And then little did they know, it's the gayest school in the country. But the ultimatum was like, I would, like, you know, I would go with my dad to these conversion therapy sessions over the summer before I started college. And you know what? Like, you're on this fault line in your life and you go, good a time as any.

[Bowen Yang]

Maybe they know something I don't.

[Craig Robinson]

Truly.

[Bowen Yang]

You trust your parents and you know that they're not trying to hurt you, they're trying to figure it out.

[Craig Robinson]

Of course. And I'm this like 17 year old kid who had never seen his dad cry before, but he was coming home every day from school to his parents sobbing over dinner every night. And I was like, I have to do something. I have to, like, acquiesce in this way in order to, like, keep the family together.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, to not disappoint or protect.

[Bowen Yang]

Them from their own emotions, truly. Right.

[Craig Robinson]

And by the way, like, we can just fast forward to now where, like, you know, there was just this moment back in the closet. And then it was meeting people like Matt that sort of brought me out of it. And then it was a lot of tumult in terms of, like, trying to come on, like, common ground with them. And it took many years, but like, now it's. I mean, I mean, it gives me a lot of hope and it gives me this model for how to like, really let things ferment over time. And not all hope is lost with these things. Like, I never expected to be in this place with them now where they're asking about my personal life. They're truly, genuinely curious. They're proud. Like last year at the Culture Awards, we, like, they came, we. We were dressed in like sequin chaps and like 2 Most Wanted by Beyonce.

[Michelle Obama]

And Miley, but, like, couldn't have been gay, couldn't be Gare.

[Craig Robinson]

And then I turn around and like full cheek showing. And then my. And then apparently my mom was like, cheering, clapping in the audience and I'm.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, I, I couldn't.

[Craig Robinson]

I. I still don't even totally believe that image. Cuz I'm like, that would have never. That does not square with the sort of internalized sort of thing that I have with them from childhood, from being a teenager. And now it's just like, look at all this.

[Bowen Yang]

This is what you want to tell young kids, you know, when they feel hopeless over any issue. Right. Life is long and the trajectory is unpredictable, you know, and sometimes you just want to, you know, allow it to breathe a little bit before you decide to. That life isn't worth living or that nothing will change. Because people, you know, people, if you give folks grace, you know, sometimes it comes back in return.

[Craig Robinson]

I think there was a mutual exchange of that grace between me and my parents.

[Bowen Yang]

That's beautiful. That really is.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you.

[Bowen Yang]

That's very. And you're going to visit extended family. You're taking.

[Craig Robinson]

I am.

[Bowen Yang]

A special trip?

[Craig Robinson]

Yes. I'm taking a special trip to the consulate first.

[Bowen Yang]

To the consul.

[Craig Robinson]

I had to go to the consulate first, but, yeah, we want to make.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure you get back.

[Michelle Obama]

I want to make sure I get back.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, yeah, I'm excited. I haven't been back in like nine years.

[Bowen Yang]

Wow, so this isn't your first trip to.

[Craig Robinson]

We would go all the time growing up.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Craig Robinson]

And then once college started, it was a little less frequent because everyone had busier lives as we were growing older. And it's important that I go back. And it's funny, like, a lot of my extended family, it's just my parents and my sister and I in the States. Everyone else is back in China.

[Matt Rogers]

Okay.

[Craig Robinson]

And. But I'll have aunts and uncles and cousins be like, oh, my gosh, we saw this thing that Bowen did and it made its way here, which is great, which is amazing. Then it makes me go, well, I never came out to them and clearly.

[Michelle Obama]

I've done enough things.

[Craig Robinson]

My hit right in terms of stuff that I put out is clearly telegraphs that I am who I am. And so I'm working with this tutor now to just refresh my Mandarin, but also to give me the literal vocabulary to have conversations with them where I'm like, so this is who I am. This is what my life is like. This is my job. This is my personal vocabulary. The actual vocabulary. Yeah, I am a gay man. SNL is a live show on Saturdays.

[Michelle Obama]

These are the things about me that.

[Craig Robinson]

I have to learn in terms of the vocabulary to communicate these things.

[Bowen Yang]

Have your parents had those conversations with their relatives back home? Or they, I think they want to.

[Craig Robinson]

Leave it up to me, which I totally. Which I appreciate, actually. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

When's the trip going to happen?

[Craig Robinson]

It's going to be about a month and a half.

[Bowen Yang]

All right. I am going to send. So we're going to send so much energy your way. It's going to be great.

[Craig Robinson]

Never see that.

[Bowen Yang]

And if it's not, just come on back.

[Michelle Obama]

Exactly.

[Matt Rogers]

This episode of IMO is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Financial security isn't just about the here and now. It's about the future. That's why we love what Progressive is doing to help people attain, maintain and build wealth through home ownership. For over 80 years, Progressive has led with the belief that insurance should do more than just protect. It should propel people forward their commitment to not only helping more first generation homeowners stay protected, but also support communities through Progressive's down payment assistance program, the UP Payment program, which will help drive real impact, making the dream of home ownership more attainable for everyone. You know, my wife Kelly and I are currently in the process of redoing our bathroom. We just started out and haven't done the demolition yet, but we know that this will add to the value of our house. So thank you Progressive for helping families plan ahead and for sponsoring our show. Visit progressive.com OpenTheHouse to learn more more this Back to School season. Spend less on your kids with Amazon. I remember when my wife Kelly and I would be running around to a million different stores chasing down spiral notebooks, lunchboxes, and that one specific calculator that somehow every math teacher requires. And look, I love my kids, but I do not love fighting over the last pack of highlighters in a crowded store at 7pm on a Tuesday. That's why I love Amazon. Amazon has everything for back to school. Backpacks, pencils, clothes, snacks, and even those dry erase markers the teachers secretly hoard. All delivered fast right to my doorstep. One click, no stress.

[Craig Robinson]

Boom.

[Matt Rogers]

And the best part? I can shop from my couch with my now 15 year old and 13 year old. I grab their school supply list and I'm all set. Now instead of running around town stressed out, I get to actually spend the last days of summer with my kids. We're doing movie nights, bike rides, and even, dare I say back to school fashion shows in the living room. Parents, do yourself a favor. Go to Amazon. Get your back to school checklist done in like five minutes while saving a few bucks. So remember, with Amazon's low back to school prices, just spend less on your kids because every dollar you don't spend on them is a dollar you haven't spent on them. This episode of IMO is brought to you by Cologuard, a non invasive Colon Cancer screening test. As it stands, colon cancer is on the rise in people under 50, which is why the American Cancer Society recommends that if you're at average risk, you begin screening at 45. Even if you live a healthy lifestyle and don't have symptoms, no one is at low risk for colon cancer. We want to make sure our listeners know that colon cancer can be treatable in nine out of 10 people, but the key here is that it has to be caught early. With the Cologuard test, you can take control of your colon cancer screening through a prescription based test with none of the prep that's required of a colonoscopy. Not only is the Cologuard test effective for colon cancer screening, but it can even detect pre cancer. And in addition to its convenience, the Cologuard test is also affordable. Most insured patients find they pay nothing out of pocket with zero downtime, no special preparation, and a screening test that's delivered right to your door. Don't let your health take a backseat. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the Cologuard test. You can also request a Cologuard prescription [e-mail] podcast. The Cologuard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a Cologuard test if you have adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The Cologuard test is not a replacement for colonoscopy in high risk patients. Cologuard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older, false positives and false negatives can occur. Cologuard is available by prescription only. So my sister has always, is always talking about, I need a sort of culture boost. Yeah, I'm not cool. Right? You were so cool, by the way. I would like to know, since you started your podcast, what are some of the changes in culture you've seen, both positive and negative?

[Craig Robinson]

Ooh, great question. I think there's this debate that keeps going on and I don't even know what the answer is or what the right side is, but, like, is there still a monoculture or is it completely, like, fragmented? Is no one watching the same thing? What does that do to us? I think people still are watching the same things. There's just a bajillion options and that's what makes it feel so disjointed.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, I mean, I think there's a few stories that you can really look at since we started the podcast in March of 2016, just to note that. And so in those years, since it's like you've really seen some wild narratives and it's kind of like, I always boil it down to like, they're streaming. The way that movies and TV have sort of collapsed has been really interesting. But, you know, so when people are like, why they split it up into two movies? It's like, cause they can and they should because it's gonna save the film industry.

[Bowen Yang]

Exactly.

[Michelle Obama]

You know what? I. If you have something like that, that's a unicorn, you gotta, you gotta chop up that unicorn.

[Matt Rogers]

Unicorn stamp.

[Bowen Yang]

Right, right.

[Craig Robinson]

Grill it.

[Michelle Obama]

Grill it.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

But I just wish that the effort was some of the. Some more of the trying was a bit more experimental.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, I mean, I just feel like the industry is a little bit too precious with IP 100%. And it's like, I think one thing that will get people out is just new concepts.

[Michelle Obama]

Sinners just popping off.

[Bowen Yang]

Ex. Exactly.

[Michelle Obama]

You do get those moments where we're proven right that we wanna see original.

[Bowen Yang]

Stuff, but the industry, the suits, have to kind of believe it. It's like, yes, you don't have to spend $150 million. People just wanna see some good new content. A different way of seeing the world, a different way of approaching film. And I sat next to a film executive at a dinner and had a full blown argument about this same thing. You know, it's like, you know, there is room. People will go see a wonderful $30 million film. We've seen it Honora, you know, this Oscars. We saw it all. But for some reason, they're risk averse to try this new thing. And it's like, don't be so risk averse, because this is a cheaper way. Totally. You know, it's like you have less to lose instead of putting all your eggs in this 100, $200 million film. That seems riskier. It seems riskier.

[Michelle Obama]

And also, you know, I was watching. Have you watched the studio?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

So great.

[Bowen Yang]

It's a great show with Seth Rogen on that. You've got to watch the studio.

[Michelle Obama]

So this is, this is a great show. And I remember like, one of the things that they were talking about is the fact that like a cut of a movie was coming in at 2 hours 45 minutes or something, and it was cutting down the show times. And I'm like, okay, so isn't this a no brainer? If you make shorter movies, which everyone is craving and you want the money, add the show times, just make the movies a little shorter.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right.

[Michelle Obama]

So that's one thing I can't, because it feels like all the superhero movies are also 2 hours and 45 minutes.

[Craig Robinson]

Right.

[Bowen Yang]

And I'm like, what's the logic here?

[Craig Robinson]

What's the appeal?

[Bowen Yang]

Well, we've got two best friends on this show and we've got a question about friendship and finding people. And before we get into it, one of the things I did want to. Because I find this in our friend groups. Do you guys have the same friend group? Do you have separate friend groups? And if so, do your groups merge?

[Craig Robinson]

I think the Venn diagram is a circle for our friend groups. And it makes me so happy when.

[Michelle Obama]

He makes a new friend. And then I. Cause it's kind of like when any good friend of yours is a good friend of mine.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You know what I mean?

[Michelle Obama]

And then likewise, I recently, like, I have two, like, very close friends. One of them is actually my ex boyfriend who's now my best friend, and Bowen takes him as his date to things now shout out to Jared. But yeah, that's, that's like a really nice, happy thing. And that's also how you know, like, they're your people.

[Craig Robinson]

They're your people. I'm glad that you guys debunked no new friends recently on this podcast because I never told, like, because like, that.

[Bowen Yang]

Came from this one.

[Craig Robinson]

And for the longest time, like, that was like a culture shifting. Craig, you have to like, take some credit for that. Cuz like, people are saying that song.

[Matt Rogers]

Really?

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, good.

[Craig Robinson]

Have you heard that Tinache song? No. Broke Boys.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes.

[Craig Robinson]

No broke boys, no new friends.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Anyway, she.

[Craig Robinson]

I can't believe I sing that in front of me.

[Matt Rogers]

You're on the verge. I'm just glad we know the same song.

[Craig Robinson]

We need a culture. Catch up.

[Michelle Obama]

You're good.

[Craig Robinson]

No way. But like, I don't think it's no new friends. I think it's like we just have to be a little bit more. I don't know, we just have to put our feelers out a little bit more selectively or not even selectively, it's just about time.

[Michelle Obama]

It's about how you choose to spend your time. It's like, it's that, like, I think you said something one time like that I tried to adopt, which is like, if I'm going on a date with you, it's a big deal.

[Bowen Yang]

You know what I mean?

[Craig Robinson]

Just in terms of my time, because.

[Michelle Obama]

You don't have a lot of time. And also time is precious. You realize even more and more, like, people get busy and stuff like that. So that is.

[Bowen Yang]

It's.

[Michelle Obama]

It's a. It's a kind of expression of love. Like, I'm giving this time to you. And so when you invite someone in to that like that, that's real care. And that's. That's what you know, that's intense.

[Craig Robinson]

That's an expenditure.

[Michelle Obama]

Time of. In your life with someone.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, in order to get there, where you even have the option of. Of defining your time, you've got to build your people. You got to find your people. And I think our listener this week has a question about how to do that. And I think this is a good group that can help break it down.

[Matt Rogers]

And we didn't plan this, but it's Alicia from Brisbane. Wow.

[Craig Robinson]

I love it.

[Michelle Obama]

Brisbane.

[Matt Rogers]

How about that?

[Craig Robinson]

Fellow Brisbane.

[Matt Rogers]

How about that?

[Bowen Yang]

It just shows we've got listeners all over the world.

[Craig Robinson]

Very cool.

[Matt Rogers]

Wow.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's hear the question.

[E]

Dear Michelle and Craig, I'm about to turn 30, and I'm not handling it as gracefully as I'd hoped. I'm not where I thought I'd be in life. And I feel like I'm starting this new chapter from scratch. I've been through a lot, reconciling with generational trauma and navigating hardships that, while painful, have shaped me into someone that I'm really proud of. These lessons have been meaningful, but most of them I've had to learn on my own and through a lot of trial and error for many years, my picker was off in both friendships and relationships, and I had to Learn the hard way about how I deserve to be treated and how to choose people who are healthy, safe, and real. I've picked up a few beautiful friendships along the way, but I've also made a lot of painful decisions in the process. Recently, I went through a big breakup with someone that I deeply loved and cared for. And now I find myself feeling lonely and without a strong sense of community. The friends that I had hoped would support me, people who I've poured a lot into, have been caught up in their own lives. Even though I've shared how much I've been struggling, this has left me doubting my own self worth and if I've actually found my tribe. So my question is, how should I navigate these friendships? And how do I begin a new chapter in life, Building identity and community without letting past failures and unhealthy beliefs get in the way?

[Matt Rogers]

Mm.

[Bowen Yang]

Alicia, 30. She's your age. You guys are babies. First of all, that's the one thing you have to remember. I had to, you know, just. It's like, you guys are so young.

[Craig Robinson]

We are squarely in our middle age.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, no, don't do that, please. I mean, you know, but we were talking about this question and I just remember approaching 30s is tough because it feels like, I guess Any, any 20, 30, 40, 50.

[Bowen Yang]

One of the milestones. Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And I.

[Bowen Yang]

60.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, yeah. But one thing is, I do feel like it does. And people say this, like it does get better as you get older because you. Because it's like we were saying, it's like when you're in high school, they're like, these four years are gonna be four years, you remember? And then you get to college and it's like, I don't remember high school. And then you're in college and you're like, these are the formative years. Cause when you're growing up, you think, oh, college, they're adults. Then you're in your 20s and you're like, colle, college wasn't shit.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, it's so right.

[Michelle Obama]

So what I would say to someone approaching 30 is it's like, it's like your book. It's like you're still becoming, like you're always going to. You know, it's not about thinking, oh, I've reached 30, because I was like this. I had. I was approaching 30 and I thought that I had failed. You know what I mean? Even as things were getting better. And I also think sometimes it's the compare to spare, you know what I mean?

[Bowen Yang]

That's right.

[Michelle Obama]

I happen to Be best friends with someone who, who is, you know, like, I think one of the defining comedy stars of my generation. And that can be hard even as someone who is successful, because it. Sometimes it's like you think to yourself, like, it's never gonna be enough. But then you take that checkpoint off and you realize everything's not so bad. Not to say that this person isn't experiencing what they're. It's about framing it. Not like I haven't done it. It's just I haven't done it yet. Or maybe I don't even know what it is that I am meant to do. It's just a. It's like a gratitude in the present, I think.

[Craig Robinson]

Also, I've had about seven personality transplants in my life. Something about like 30. It's like you're going through like the fourth version of yourself or something. I'm just throwing numbers out there. But like, it's. What I will say is Alicia seems to be hitting this wall with her friends that she seems to have confided in, and she doesn't seem to be feeling that in return or doesn't feel that support. And I would say that is probably a great sort of sign. It's like, well, then that's all the information you need. Right? It's like, well, then don't put your shields up.

[Bowen Yang]

Don't.

[Craig Robinson]

Don't pull back. But just know that you can't pour so much of yourself into these specific people.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

You know, that's interesting you guys came at it from that way. I've been thinking about this, and I'm thinking about it as a former athlete and a coach and a father. And as I've gotten older, the one thing that I wish I had done when I was younger was enjoy the process more than the results.

[Michelle Obama]

Absolutely.

[Matt Rogers]

And if I would say anything to Alicia, it would be, hey, enjoy your process of your change of what's going on. And it will make you a more fulfilled person and you are gonna be more attractive and you're gonna feel a self worth and you're gonna feel good about yourself, and that's gonna make people be drawn to you.

[Craig Robinson]

Totally.

[Matt Rogers]

And my mom would say, why do you. Why would you care if people wanna be drawn to you? But you do because you want some friends and you want to be in relationships. And I just think that I didn't start enjoying the process until I was well past my 30s. I was grown in with kids where I was like, like, this is what I'm supposed to be enjoying. Not What I'm aiming for. I'll get what I get.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure.

[Matt Rogers]

But this process, I gotta enjoy the birthday parties, and I gotta enjoy the. You have to enjoy the vacations and things like that. So that's how I came at it.

[Bowen Yang]

But one thing I always want young people, when I talk to them to avoid is being so afraid of failing and living life that they don't even try. And when I think about my girls in this no new friends concept and trying to contradict that, it's like, you can't live life afraid of making friends because something could go wrong that makes life not worth living. It's just. You can't live in the fear of somebody hurting you because you lose out on all the possibilities of wonderful people. You shut yourself off, and you don't let anybody in. I would want Alicia to understand that you have to practice making friends, which means you're gonna have to make some mistakes, because guess what? Having friends, having people, is worth the risk. Yes, it is. Way worth the risk. I would take a million. You hurt my feelings. You disappointed me. To find the one gem that you will find if you keep really building and knowing yourself. Those gems of friendships, to me, it's worth the hurt and disappointment. People will hurt and disappoint you. Your own family will hurt and disappoint you. There are times when you two hurt and disappointed each other. That's a part of the process. But isn't it worth it worth, you know, that risk? Whenever you guys had your riff, you know, whatever it was.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. I mean, there was a time we didn't speak for six months and still did the podcast.

[Craig Robinson]

And still did the podcast.

[Michelle Obama]

And it's like, it's. I mean, it's hard. And I'm like, there are things that.

[Bowen Yang]

But imagine if you walked away.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, from.

[Michelle Obama]

That's the thing is you have to decide what's worth fighting for. So it sounds like this person has also gone through a pretty brutal breakup. And I get that. I mean, like, I had something once that knocked me down for, like, a couple of years, and it wasn't. It didn't seem like it made sense in terms of, like, how long the relationship had been, how significant it was to other people in my life, but. And I think we're always stronger as a result of. We've had some pretty large fights. And, like, I do think fun, fun.

[Craig Robinson]

Like, I've never shouted louder in a way that I'm terrible.

[Michelle Obama]

I can't believe my voice can do that. Can I say ye.

[Bowen Yang]

I.

[Craig Robinson]

There's no one better that I would shout at than you.

[Michelle Obama]

No, because I can. I can go toe to toe. Like, it's bad. It's like a feral.

[Craig Robinson]

Like, we have one blow at every, like two years. I know.

[Michelle Obama]

It's not like, look forward to them.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, me neither.

[Craig Robinson]

Me neither.

[Bowen Yang]

It's like, I hate it.

[Michelle Obama]

In fact, it usually is within the same conversation that we're then crying, like, why do we do this? So it's just. But like, that is a part of dynamics between human.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, I think, I mean, something you two have talked about is like unlearning. And this is 30 is about that age where you unlearn, like this effort, result, dichotomy that like, either our parents have taught us or like society has internalized in us. Like, oh, if I do this thing, if I put in this amount of effort, then I should expect this result. And so maybe this. Maybe Alicia feels disappointed that she's put in effort in her relationships, in her friendships, and the result she's gotten back is not the one that she wanted. But maybe it's reframing it in terms of those results just being part of the larger, longer effort. The effort is just like, oh, I tried my hand at this loving relationship that did not end well. It not ending well is not the result necessarily.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right. It's couch and the effort.

[Michelle Obama]

Clock how people make you feel on an instinct level. Like, when I'm around Bowen, he makes me feel smart, he makes me feel funny. He makes me feel like a powerful part of something, like a valuable part of something. And it's always been like that. When I think about the way that, for example, one of my exes made me feel. It was anxious, it was, you know, et cetera. It's like. And then I think of some friends, you know, like, that go through seasons, you know, at this point.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, maybe there's someone in my life who's making me feel nervous.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Or who's making me feel. Maybe there's some upfront in your life is making you feel a little hard in your life.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You know what I mean?

[Bowen Yang]

It's like, clock the way that people.

[Michelle Obama]

Are making you feel.

[Bowen Yang]

I like that. You know, tell us more. Let's delve into that cringe.

[Michelle Obama]

We're so happy you guys are coming off.

[Bowen Yang]

But like.

[Michelle Obama]

But like, you tell yourself a lot.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And like, you know, like, you know, you. And so when you're around someone and they make you feel a certain way. Listen to that.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And that's also probably what Alicia is struggling with, because when you're turning 13, you're just beginning to know you.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, like you both have said, it's a long journey of self discovery. Right. And so she may feel a little more uncertain about making mistakes. And maybe it's me, and I don't trust my picking meter. And it's like, yeah, at 30, you're still learning your picking meter. There is no right or wrong way, and you don't develop wisdom in any faster. You know, you don't have wisdom at 30.

[Craig Robinson]

No.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, it's just like I try to tell I had a friend who's dating a younger person, and he claimed that she's wise and she's 30. And I'm like, she's not. You know, there's a certain amount of knowledge that you have. I'm not saying that people aren't smart, but wisdom is accumulated over time. There's no shortcut to it, because you have to have experiences and. And successes and failures. And you have to look over yourself over a period of time to say, what did I learn about me? And I don't want Alicia to start questioning herself. At 30, it's like, your picker's not off. You didn't have the result you wanted a couple of times. And those experiences are gonna help you define who you are. You'll know now what you like in friendships, what you. What's missing. You know, what do seasons look like for you? All of that comes with time. So by the time you're 40, you'll have more discernment because you'll know yourself a little bit more.

[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

I just want Alicia to be patient with herself, you know, stay in the game, you know, don't back away. Don't be afraid of people and friendships or hurt, because that's just part of it. And there's something really beautiful on the other side of that hurt if you just keep. Because you will heal from it.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, even the worst fights that you have. We've had bad fights. You get over it. You move on. You learn from it.

[Matt Rogers]

We've not had any bad fights.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, no, we don't. We don't. We don't fight.

[Michelle Obama]

Is her brother and sister. I mean, like, sometimes it's like maybe.

[Bowen Yang]

Because he doesn't fight, Right.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't fight. I don't fight.

[Michelle Obama]

But we.

[Craig Robinson]

We. We.

[Matt Rogers]

Our. Our biggest fight was a. I remember.

[Craig Robinson]

I remember the big fight. I. I read about the big fight.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes, you remember the big fight.

[Craig Robinson]

I remember the big fight.

[Matt Rogers]

Remember the big fight. Fight.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, the fight. The fight felt legitimate, by the way. It felt legitimized. It was. It was. I think it was right after your. Your father passed away.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

And I don't. I don't remember it. I don't remember.

[Craig Robinson]

You do.

[Matt Rogers]

I remember it. Yeah. But it was. It was a hurt fight. We were. We were just hurt.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm thinking about our big fights too. It was always interior, like he was feeling depressed from being, like, run down in many different ways. And Aya just been gone through a breakup and we collided in this. It was insane. It was so stupid. I had gone to a Chapel Roan concert. This is before Chapel Ron was huge. I was like, you gotta listen to Chapel Ron. And he was ignoring me and posted an Instagram story. And so I was like, you're ignoring me. And, like. And then he was like, I'm depressed. And I was.

[Craig Robinson]

And I shouted the words in my trailer while we were shooting Wicked Diego. I'm not.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't have to respond to you.

[Michelle Obama]

What do you tell me about. Came around. He didn't even know who she was.

[Craig Robinson]

I did not know.

[Michelle Obama]

He wouldn't respond.

[Bowen Yang]

He's like, maybe I'm wrong, and he.

[Michelle Obama]

Attempts taking it back.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

So you guys. You guys sound like my two Austin and you sound like how brothers fight.

[Craig Robinson]

And we're brothers. We're brotherly that way.

[Matt Rogers]

What it is. You guys are brothers. Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

We have our sensitivities. I'm really sensitive to being ignored. So, like, when I feel like. When I feel like I'm being ignored, that sets me off. And I'm sure you have a year.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, absolutely.

[Michelle Obama]

Like, it's just. But, you know, and it's like. Because it is like family. That's what I mean is it's like sometimes it's not. Like, it doesn't always feel like, oh, it was a big fight because this crazy thing happened.

[Bowen Yang]

It was.

[Michelle Obama]

You didn't text me back about Chapel Roan and posted a photo with Ariana Maddox at an event. Literally.

[Bowen Yang]

It's like.

[Michelle Obama]

I think I was a little jealous. Evil person.

[Craig Robinson]

Evil person.

[Bowen Yang]

No, it is like.

[Craig Robinson]

It's like. It's like how when you're with family, like, you can crap your pants and it's okay, you know, like, they'll take you home, they'll fix you up, and.

[Michelle Obama]

Now it's only fun.

[Bowen Yang]

And that's what Alicia has to learn, Right? Because the thing you learn about yourself at 35, 36, 37, is that you have that sensitivity. You know, it takes you a minute of practice to say, okay, that yelling wasn't about him, it was about me. And. And that's like a mid-30s to end of the 30s realization, right? I mean, it takes you a second to start really owning your own stuff, right? So maybe some of these fights that Alicia had were her fault. Maybe she does need to take a step back, and maybe she did something wrong.

[Michelle Obama]

Accountability.

[Bowen Yang]

We just talked about accountability. And the older I get, the more accountable I become, you know, because I. You know, I know when it's my fault now, really. And I can't pretend like it was. You hurt me. And it's like, no, I was. You know, I was feeling hurt. I'm depressed right now. I took that out. We had that argument. Because I took something out on you. And it takes years and years of practice of connecting with people that you love and care about before you understand who's in the right, who's in the wrong. What was your part? It takes time, you know, So I want young people to have the patience to hang in there with a bunch of things, with friendships, with relationships, with careers. You know, it is not the TikTok, instantaneous, you know, feedback that we're now.

[Michelle Obama]

Used to, because I do think that the way that intention spans, like, oh, this person isn't getting it right away. I'm gonna move on. Because I do think that bleeds in from the way the stimulus is so.

[Matt Rogers]

Because it makes me think about, you know, people get stuck in the way they made friends when they were a teenager. And my sister is good at making new. It's discerning her new friendships better than I am. And that's the. I want you to share some of your advice for Alicia. She's sort of coming out of her 20s and going into her 30s. How should she go about making new friends?

[Bowen Yang]

Now? Making new friends is a risky proposition. So it's not comfortable. Right. You have to become uncomfortable because sometimes you have to step out of yourself and go and meet somebody. Right. It's a risk, you know, you have to put yourself out. Right. And we're living in a culture where nobody has to put themselves out. Everybody's getting accustomed to living a life on a phone. Very internal, you know, Covid just exacerbated that. So what I would tell Alicia is that making friends requires you to take a risk, you know, and it requires you to be engaged in the world. So you are not gonna make new friends sitting on your phone, in your computer, in your house. No one's gonna knock on your door. Tinder isn't. We don't still don't have friendship Tinder now.

[Craig Robinson]

We don't.

[Michelle Obama]

And it's funny you bring that up, because I really do feel like. So we had had the podcast from Tinder 2016 on, and then 2020 happened, and it was Covid. And after that, something did change with our, like, listener community. They reached out, and they were saying how lonely they were and what a comfort it was. And then you start to see them connect because they have the same interest, which maybe is the podcast or things that we talk about. And I think that ultimately, that is what we are most proud of, is the fact that it is something that brings people together, that we created.

[Craig Robinson]

And that's what the awards are.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, we look out and, like, we've done the awards for a few years. And sometimes I do go online and I'll look at, like, our Reddit page, and they'll be making plans to meet up. Like, loneliness may be a unifier. There may be something from that that we can take power in. Just, like, expressing. I'm solo right now. I'm flying solo to this thing. Would anyone want to. Want to link up? You know what I mean?

[Bowen Yang]

And usually you will not be disappointed. You know, for Alicia, it's worth the risk. So, you know, I'd say, you know, take a chance, be bold. You know, don't. Don't lean back from this experience. Don't let these hurts make you small in terms of your desire to be a part of a group. But it will take work. It does take effort. It is not instantaneous.

[Craig Robinson]

Sure.

[Bowen Yang]

It requires a plan, and it requires you executing against the plan, and. And you're going to get hurt. And it's okay.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You will. You will heal from it, and you will grow from it, and it'll be all right.

[Craig Robinson]

And you're in Brisbane, so go to the koala sanctuary.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. All right. Going with some real.

[Michelle Obama]

Just don't touch them.

[Craig Robinson]

Just don't touch them.

[Bowen Yang]

I felt koalas. I have had the pleasure of what you've actually. No, I'm wrong. It wasn't koalas. It was pan pandas.

[Matt Rogers]

That's even.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Matt Rogers]

We should get some real takeaways for.

[Bowen Yang]

Alicia before we digress.

[Matt Rogers]

As we digress for a second.

[Bowen Yang]

Try a safari.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

It's a way to make friends. This would be huge for you.

[Matt Rogers]

I was gonna start with your. Just be open. It's hard, but be open and honest and vulnerable. Okay. And any takeaways. You guys wanna give summations?

[Craig Robinson]

I think Craig and I are on the same level, which. Which is like, the process, which is.

[Bowen Yang]

I like that.

[Craig Robinson]

As it ties to mind. It's like the result is part of the effort, and it's just being, like, put into this larger Russian nesting doll of effort, you know, the result will be good in the end.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You're not doing it wrong because there's no doing it right.

[Bowen Yang]

I like that as well. There's no one way to live a life, and it's, you know, you're not getting it wrong. You're not making mistakes. I like that.

[Matt Rogers]

And I. I would just say, Alicia, please cut yourself some slack. You're only 30, girl.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

You got a lot.

[Michelle Obama]

Sounds high.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Really.

[Matt Rogers]

Regroup and relax and enjoy being in Brisbane. So, yeah, you guys, this has been terrific, and thank you so much.

[Bowen Yang]

So much in love with you.

[Craig Robinson]

Love you guys.

[Bowen Yang]

Really.

[Michelle Obama]

Robinson.

[Bowen Yang]

And I'm tuning in to the Culture Awards.

[Michelle Obama]

What?

[Bowen Yang]

It's. It's. When. When does it air?

[Craig Robinson]

August 5th on Bravo. The next day on Peacock.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Yes. The Bravo Peacock dance.

[Craig Robinson]

A lion.

[Bowen Yang]

I know.

[Michelle Obama]

It's going to be wild. Every. We've been in the writers room every day and, like, actively putting it together.

[Bowen Yang]

And how long of a special. How long of a.

[Michelle Obama]

Two hours.

[Bowen Yang]

Two hours. And you've got musical guests. Any. Any surprise. Anything can we drop say yet?

[Michelle Obama]

We'll be there.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. All right. Yeah. Good enough.

[Matt Rogers]

That's enough. That's enough.

[Bowen Yang]

Good enough, Good enough. Where do you film? Where?

[Michelle Obama]

It's going to be in LA theater on July 17th. We're filming it and it's a blast. It's really the live event. Really fun.

[Bowen Yang]

Sounds like it. Well, I'll be tuning in maybe next year. I can, you know, sneak. Make a sneak appearance.

[Michelle Obama]

Listen, let's say open invitation for you both.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's just.

[Michelle Obama]

Let's just put that out there.

[Craig Robinson]

That's our extension. That's our sneaking friend.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, Bowen and Matt, it has been a pleasure. You guys are funny and smart and sweet. Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

So nice.

[Michelle Obama]

Likewise. Likewise.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for sharing all your wisdom with our IMO listeners and, you know, any tips you can give us, because we want to be where you are in a decade.

[Craig Robinson]

Down the axis.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, down the axis.

[Michelle Obama]

Down the axis.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right.

[Michelle Obama]

Put those strawberries in the raisin.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, yes, sir.

[Craig Robinson]

Let me tell you, I'm trying.

[Bowen Yang]

When you're making cereal.

[Michelle Obama]

There'S no right way to make breakfast. Alicia, either.

[Bowen Yang]

You guys, thanks so much. Are you single and ready to mingle? Do you need to DTR with your fwb? Whatever you're looking for, I can help you find. Find it. I'm Damona Hoffman, host of the Dates and Mates podcast. I'm also the official love expert of the Drew Barrymore show and Excess Daily with Mario Lopez. So join me each week as I cover topics from dating with anxiety to Google sleuthing to couples communication with guests like Dr. Drew Pinsky, Laverne Cox, and Rachel Lindsay. That's Dates and Mates with me, Damona Hoffman. Listen to season 12 wherever you get your podcasts.