My Momma Told Me Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: iPhone Keyboards Rigged to Fail (with Olly Sholotan)
Date: November 25, 2025
Hosts: Langston Kerman & David Gborie
Guest: Olly Sholotan (actor, musician, “Bel Air”)

Episode Overview

In this lively, comedic episode, hosts Langston Kerman and David Gborie welcome actor and musician Olly Sholotan to dive into Black conspiracy theories—specifically, the suspicion that Apple regularly tweaks iPhone keyboards to make users more reliant on AI. The trio unpacks the tech theory, reflects on internet culture, explores Black social experiences, and detours into everything from strip club economics to Nollywood crossovers—all with their signature irreverent humor.

1. Key Discussion Points & Insights

The “iPhone Keyboard Conspiracy”

• Olly’s Claim:
  "My mama told me Apple changes the iPhone keyboard regularly, so you become reliant on AI." (12:12)

• Symptoms:

  • Every few months, Olly finds himself unable to type or spell properly—suspects keyboard keys are being subtly resized (13:09).
  • Conspiracy: Apple undermines users’ confidence in their own typing/spelling, nudging them toward autocorrect/AI reliance.

• Group Reactions:

  • “I pride myself in being...eloquent...but then when I'm on the phone, I'm like, ‘I talk good?’” (14:43, Olly)
  • Stickers compound the issue, with strange new symbols replacing language: “We're creating our own language now.” (15:33, David)

• Expansion into Tech Addiction:

  • “If we can’t write, you can’t even communicate without this thing—it becomes even more of a necessity than it already is.” (44:52, David)
  • Langston frames it as part of a “global AI arms race” where our input is used to train better predictive tech (45:06).
  • “We are guinea pigs for teaching the artificial intelligence to talk for us.” (44:25, Langston)

• Research Fallout:

  • Langston finds articles (Nov 1, 2025) confirming that Apple is using user failures at autocorrect to iteratively improve its AI, confirming the underlying dread in Olly’s theory (43:55–44:16).

Notable Quote

“Tim Cook has made us all just a little worse at typing and spelling.”
— Olly Sholotan (14:09)

The Language of the Internet & Social Media

• Discussion of the “dead internet theory” and the futility of online engagement:
  • “Everybody on the Internet to me is either a robot or not as cool as me.” (05:26, David)
• How low standards shape social spaces—writing, tweeting, drafts-that-never-get-posted due to future fears (06:41–07:32).
• Anxiety about a “mutually assured destruction” scenario if everyone’s embarrassing messages/drafts got leaked (07:45–08:26).

Bottle Service: A Conspiracy Against Black Men?

• New “Mama Told Me” Theory:
  "I think that bottle service was invented to keep black men down." (21:02, Olly)
• Evidence:
  • Ridiculous club upcharges ($600 for a $20 bottle), lack of pre-warning, and the exaggerated push for tables among Black club-goers.
  • Social “redlining”—exclusive, overpriced experience sold primarily to Black clientele, not white men (22:05).
• Contrast with Celebrity/White Privilege:
  • White stars get better rooms and service, often free: “Every restaurant apparently has a secret room, and it’s a better room than the restaurant.” (23:08, Langston)

Strip Club Economics & Peer Pressure

• Strip club vs. bottle service:
  • Strip clubs are (strangely) less exploitative, with better vibes and lower prices—especially outside LA (“LA is not the place.” 24:43).
  • Stories of peer pressure to overspend (“Spend less than $1,000, I’m telling everybody.” 26:21).
• Financial advice for first-timers:
  • “Go in knowing that if you exceed whatever number’s in your head, you are...” (27:59, Langston)
  • Cautionary tales of ATM trips with “a boner.” (28:26, David)

AI Bias & Black Identity

• AI & Black Stereotypes:
  • Concerns that “black” slang/conversations fed into phone AIs are being used to reinforce offensive stereotypes (47:40–48:41).
  • “They are doing so much work to reinsert narratives about the black identity back at us via AI.” (48:10, Langston)
  • Commodification and data-mining turn Black users into raw training material.

Cultural Detours

• White Saviors:
  • Group debates who their “white savior” would be (Jason Williams, Tom Hanks, Eminem, John Brown, Bernie Sanders).
• Nollywood Remakes:
  • Hilarious pitches for Nigerian versions of Black American classics: “Stomp the Village,” “Nigerian Belly,” “Nigerian Friday.” (67:49–68:12)
• Basketball as a Life Lesson:
  • Olly’s journey to learning basketball, aiming for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (70:17).
  • The horror of competitive adult leagues and “ball is life” culture.

School & Microaggressions

• “Why do they still read Huckleberry Finn out loud?” — Group talks about being othered in English class, discomfort when teachers insist on saying the N-word, and how these microaggressions are baked into public education (38:22–40:40).

2. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you can be that lame and...tweet the same tweets that I could tweet, but choose not to...I think I hold myself to too high a standard.” (06:11, Olly)
• “We are guinea pigs for teaching the artificial intelligence to talk for us.” (44:25, Langston)
• “Every place you spend time online now...anything that’s free, you’re the product.” (44:40, Olly)
• “Strippers are good to talk to... they’re nice.” (29:54, David)
• “It’s just like what they want you to feel about these places, man...same ones changing the size of the keyboards, man.” (33:10–33:21, David)
• On historic microaggressions in school:
  “The fact that’s engineered into the public schooling system is so disgusting.” (39:20, David)
• “I like regular aged women.” (49:05, Olly, after jokes about strip clubs for seniors)

3. Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Theme | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12:12 | Olly introduces the “iPhone keyboard is rigged” conspiracy | | 13:09 | Shared experience of tech sabotaging typing/spelling; AI dependence | | 14:43 | Olly's pride in speaking well vs. phone making him write poorly | | 21:02 | Olly’s “bottle service conspiracy” launched | | 23:08 | Celebrity/white privilege in club and restaurant scenes | | 28:26 | “ATM with a boner”—the shame and peer pressure of strip clubs | | 43:55 | Langston’s research confirms Apple’s use of user data to train autocorrect/AI | | 47:40 | AI bias and reinforcement of Black stereotypes | | 54:41 | Olly: “I’ve never seen Love & Basketball”—prompting classic black cinema talk | | 67:49 | Nollywood remake brainstorming (Stomp the Village, Nigerian Belly, etc.) | | 70:17 | Olly’s journey with basketball and “Disclaimer” nickname | | 73:39 | Host reflections: toxic competitiveness in adult extracurriculars | | 79:00 | Olly on the ending of “Bel Air” and personal growth |

4. Episode Flow & Tone

The hosts and guest riff with candid, sometimes wild energy, moving briskly from serious cultural critique to side-splitting banter. The tone is irreverent, crass, and insightful, mixing personal anecdotes with biting cultural observations. Olly fits right into the flow, jumping between his own theories, life stories, and comedic sparring.

5. For New Listeners

This episode exemplifies "My Momma Told Me" at its best:

• Thoughtful (and often silly) exploration of Black conspiracies and cultural anxieties
• Vulnerable conversation about Black experiences, micro/macroaggressions, community, and digital culture
• Riotous detours into social life, nostalgia, and pop culture, including “Love & Basketball,” strip club etiquette, and Nollywood
• Theories are playfully debunked or affirmed, but always prompt deeper dialogue

6. Additional Sections

“Love & Basketball” Conspiracy Voicemail [53:34–76:28]

• A caller tears down the film’s romantic reputation, arguing the final game is basically emotional (and physical) assault due to a dunk on an injured player. The hosts break down the plot, agree it’s "a horror movie," and connect back to gender dynamics and athletic culture.

7. Where to Find the Hosts & Guest

• Olly Sholotan:
  Instagram: @ollyollyshol | TikTok: @ollyshol | Music on Spotify | “Bel Air” Season 4 streaming

• David Gborie:
  Instagram: @coolguyjokes87 | December 12-13: Shows in New Orleans

• Langston Kerman:
  On Tour (December): Cleveland, Brooklyn, Rhode Island, Detroit

8. Closing Sentiments

The episode ties laffs to real anxieties about technology, self-image, and Black American life—making uncomfortable truths approachable through humor. Whether you’re worrying about Tim Cook shrinking your QWERTY or laughing over Nollywood remakes, you’ll leave amused, provoked, and probably, a bit more suspicious of your phone.

Listen for:

• Unfiltered takes
• Community camaraderie
• Blending of silliness with sincere critique

Essential Quote:

“We are guinea pigs for teaching the artificial intelligence to talk for us.”
— Langston Kerman (44:25)

For more conspiracies, community, and comedy, subscribe to “My Momma Told Me” and check out previous episodes!