My Momma Told Me — "Dinosaurs Are Probably Fake" (with Cedric Yarbrough)

Podcast: My Momma Told Me (Big Money Players Network and iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: February 27, 2026
Hosts: Langston Kerman & David Gborie
Guest: Cedric Yarbrough

Episode Overview

This episode of "My Momma Told Me" welcomes the hilarious Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911, Black Dynamite) to explore one of the Black conspiracy theories closest to his upbringing: "Dinosaurs are probably fake." In their classic irreverent, insightful style, Langston and David dig into how conspiratorial beliefs about dinosaurs intersect with religious teachings, cultural identity, and the weirdly shifting world of paleontology. Expect nostalgia, wild facts, real talk about religion, and jokes that land somewhere between social commentary and absurdity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Roots of a Dinosaur Conspiracy: Cedric’s Childhood

• Cedric’s family background: Grew up as a "bootleg" Jehovah's Witness in Minneapolis—“We definitely were taught the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but also in a skewed mom weird way.” (14:31)
• How the conspiracy starts: "'Dinosaurs are worldly. Those bones, I don't really trust those bones. Those are fake bones,'" Cedric recalls his mom telling him. (17:24)
  • Cedric explains the tightrope of being Black, Jehovah's Witness, and named "Cedric" in a white neighborhood: “So some things I already knew not to just reveal just because of my otherness.” (17:59)
• “You can't be that and then screaming about not real animals.” —David (18:28)

2. Navigating “Worldly” Teachings and Tradition

• Jehovah’s Witnesses and Celebrations: They skipped standard holidays but sometimes got creative—“It's not your birthday. We just... like the day before, let's celebrate Thanksgiving with a chicken dinner.” (15:21)
• Lasting internal conflict: Cedric on holiday ambiguity—“Am I celebrating it because of what I didn't do, or because… Do we celebrate God and Jesus on this day? Really? Is it really actually commercial, or do I just wanna have fucking fun?” (16:09)
• Tracy Thoms’s Jehovah’s Witness detector: “That's what it is about you… That's why you this.” (17:07)

3. Belief, Science, and Black Identity

• Langston’s childhood: Socialist household, instructed not to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, leading to awkward moments at NBA games: “We would sit and boy, were people mad at us… Michael Jordan in the 90s, that's the best America.” (20:10)
• America, Black Identity, and Company Men: “So many American institutions are shit that Black people champion to the fullest.” (21:13) —Langston

4. Where Do They Fall on Dinosaurs Now?

• Cedric today: Fully Team Dinosaur—“One of my favorite things is to have a gummy and then turn on… these AI dinosaurs… That's my shit. I laugh at that and… it's dope.” (22:45)
• But questions remain: “Do you feel like any of the questions that your mom introduced as it relates to dinosaurs have ever come into play in your adulthood?” —Langston (44:24)
  • Cedric: “Comedically, no… Realistically, probably, yeah.” (25:22)
• On community and group identity: Langston draws a parallel between religion, conspiracy theories, and the search for belonging—“[You] find some people who look like you and are kind of on the same wave as you, and it’s easier to just kind of roll with the punches.” (27:11)

5. Dinosaurs: Science, Skepticism, and the Real/Fake Divide

• Replica bones: Langston shares that most museum dinosaur bones are replicas—“They are models of actual dinosaur bones” because originals are too fragile or valuable. (41:07)
  • Cedric: “Replicas.” (42:23)
  • David: “I think I always kind of assumed they would be fake.” (42:44)
• Piecing it together: The hosts voice skepticism about whether paleontologists are “arranging the dinosaurs exactly as they should be.” (45:12)
  • “How do we know you're not filling it in with Asian bone?” jokes Cedric, referencing dark historical context from a previous bit. (46:00)

6. Recent Dinosaur Science Shocks Their Childhoods

• Brontosaurus wasn’t real: Langston drops the bomb—“The brontosaurus is made up… it is a mixture of some of those bones that they then thought was an original dinosaur and later realized, oh, that was just a fucked up apatosaurus.” (52:07)
  • David: “That really unravels everything.” (52:15)
• Dinosaurs with feathers: Recent findings show many dinosaurs—yes, including T. Rex and raptors—had feathers for warmth and display. (56:53)
  • “If you see the renderings, it is very unsexy.” —David (57:11)

7. What About Modern Dinosaurs?

• Modern birds as descendants—“Birds are descendants of dinosaurs. They're like the closest descendants we have—feathers.” (58:48)
• Scale and time: Extinction events mean it takes millions of years for creatures to get as big as dinosaurs. Human activity prevents "the next big thing" from evolving. (59:46)
• “Do you believe in like residual dinosaurs left over…?” —David references cryptid tales from the DRC (60:07)

8. Rules, Religion, and the Need for Structure

• David’s realization: “The point isn’t… if it’s real or not… The point is a commitment. The point is having rules to live by.” (47:55)
• Cedric: "It's about structure, you know, cause like you said, you don't want to be a loose loosey goosey out here…" (48:33)

9. Lingering Skepticism and Government Control

• Dinosaur bones are everywhere… but: “You're not legally allowed to keep the dinosaur bones… It is illegal.” (67:33)
  • “Who gon' check me, boo?” —David (67:37)
  • Langston muses about government manipulation, lamenting: “If I dig up some bones, I should be able to keep these until I can assemble my own dinosaur…” (68:29)
• Cedric: “Just get the yellow flag with the snake and don't tread on me, dog. Sounds like you really maga it, dog.” (68:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Langston (about almond milk house): “It wasn't until after we had committed that I realized this was a big mistake... almond milk is actually harmful to the environment.” (05:39)
• David: “There's no ethical consumption under capitalism. We give it up to the military. Drink the almond milk.” (05:45)
• Cedric (on Jehovah's Witness childhood): “We were bootleg Jehovah’s Witnesses… mom didn’t want to get up, you know, on a Saturday.” (14:57)
• Cedric (about revealing otherness): “So some things I already knew not to just reveal just because of my otherness.” (17:59)
• Langston (on being anti-pledge): "Michael Jordan in the 90s, that's the best America. That's the one to stand up for." (20:06)
• Langston (on brontosaurus): “The brontosaurus ain’t a real dinosaur... it is a mixture of some other dinosaurs.” (52:07)
• Cedric (on learning the truth): “My mom’s not a Jehovah’s Witness anymore... she was like, you know what? I’m sorry I fucked up your childhood, man." (54:50)
• David (on government and bones): "Who gon' check me, boo?" (67:37)
• Langston (on government conspiracy): "If I dig up some bones, I should be able to keep these until I can assemble my own dinosaur." (68:29)
• Cedric (on alt-history): "Joe's witnesses are the black Scientology." (27:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & tour plug: [02:10]
• Dairy, almond milk, and Blackness: [05:01–07:32]
• Cedric’s intro and his favorite Black Dynamite line: [08:01–08:59]
• Jehovah’s Witness upbringing & conspiracy origins: [13:49–18:19]
• Navigating holiday traditions: [15:21]
• Pledge of Allegiance/Black American patriotism: [19:38–21:39]
• Cedric today on dinosaurs: [22:45]
• On community & conspiracy: [27:11]
• Museum dinosaur bones are mostly replicas: [41:07]
• Piecing fossils together and skepticism: [45:12]
• Brontosaurus revelation: [52:07]
• Dinosaurs with feathers: [56:53]
• Modern birds as dino descendants & extinction time scales: [58:48–59:46]
• Residual dinosaurs & cryptids: [60:07]
• Religion, rules, and societal structure: [47:55–49:35]
• You can't keep dino bones (government control): [67:33–68:29]

Tone and Style

The episode is laidback, relentlessly funny, and candid. The hosts riff and roast while still probing seriously how family, upbringing, and community shape our beliefs—about science, history, and what gets called “the truth.” Cedric matches the tone perfectly, swinging between wisdom, lived experience, and perfectly timed punchlines.

Conclusion

By the end, all are (mostly) pro-dinosaur, but with a healthy dose of skepticism about authority, museums, and official histories. The conversation is about more than dinosaurs—it’s about who gets to tell us what's real and why we believe it.

You can find Cedric Yarbrough wherever he wants to be found (or not found)—he prefers to keep a low profile until his next project drops. Check Langston and David's tour dates and specials for more.