My Momma Told Me

Podcast: My Momma Told Me (Big Money Players Network / iHeartPodcasts)
Episode: New Year, New Black-Eyed Peas with Monét X Change (RE-RELEASE)
Date: January 1, 2026
Host(s): Langston Kerman, David Gborie
Guest: Monét X Change

Episode Overview

This re-released New Year's Day episode of My Momma Told Me features comedian, drag superstar, and podcaster Monét X Change joining Langston Kerman and David Gborie for a deep, hilarious exploration of the Black American tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. The crew dissects the superstition, riffs on Black culture, debunks some food myths, and meanders through beauty standards, food conspiracies, and the relentless march of white culinary appropriation. As always, the conversation is loaded with signature humor, sidebars, and a touch of irreverent reflection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Black-Eyed Peas on New Year's: Origins and Skepticism (15:13, 40:06)

• Tradition Laid Out: Monét shares her upbringing around the black-eyed pea tradition for New Year's, meant for prosperity and good luck (15:32).
  • "My mama told me you eat black eyed peas on New Year’s...I think it's tied into bringing you good fortune and wealth and riches." (Monét, 15:32)
• Skepticism & Personal Experience: Monét admits years of making black-eyed peas, only to conclude nothing changed in her fortunes—she suspects it's more marketing than magic (15:49, 32:09).
  • "It ain't shit change and I think that...I just think it's just something we have been duped into doing to make us buy more Black Eyed Peas..." (Monét, 15:49, 17:33)
• Origins Uncovered: Langston reveals the tradition is deeply rooted in the transatlantic slave trade—black-eyed peas came from West Africa, symbolizing survival and perseverance post-slavery (40:21).
  • "This is da da, da. Born in slavery...Black Eyed Peas...is not native to America...comes from West Africa." (Langston, 40:21)
• False Promise of Prosperity: The crew concludes that while the tradition is meaningful, it likely began as a symbolic act rather than a surefire magical solution for wealth (42:12).

2. Black Culture, Celebrity, and Conspiracies (02:19, 04:23, 06:11)

• Tyrese Gibson Is a Simulation?: Langston floats a tongue-in-cheek conspiracy that Tyrese isn’t real, but a recurring simulation created by powers-that-be to keep society in stasis (04:23).
  • "I don't think Tyrese Gibson is a real person...there is a power that be that is probably bigger than the US Government to maintain the illusion of Tyrese Gibson." (Langston, 04:23-05:24)
• Tyson Beckford’s Unbelievability: Monét and the hosts joke that someone as handsome as Tyson Beckford can't be real. If he is, he's proof that sometimes "God gives with both hands" (07:27, 08:28).
• Sidebars on Fame & Black Icons: Fast-paced riffs touch on celebrity randomness, the odd trajectories of Black stars, and whether media images are fabricated or simply reflect reality.

3. Food, Race, and Cultural Appropriation (19:21, 21:09, 53:13)

• Vegetable, Fruit, or Legume?: Playful confusion about what counts as a veggie; education on tomatoes as berries, bananas as genetically-engineered berries, and Gen-Z’s attempt to breed the black out of bananas (19:21-20:33).
• Food Preferences & Class: Disdain for certain fruit (Monét hates watermelon), appreciation of mangoes in the Caribbean, and the sadness of Midwestern "beaches" vs. real island life (21:00-24:23).
• Why Haven't White Folks Appropriated Black-Eyed Peas?: The hosts wonder why some soul food, like black-eyed peas on New Year’s, seem immune to white mainstreaming, speculating it may be a mix of taste, tradition, and culinary complexity (53:13).
  • "Why have white people not tried to steal it yet?" (Langston, 53:38)
• Warning About Mac & Cheese: The group warns that while white folks have fumbled soul food classics, their relentless "innovation" (adding breadcrumbs, dates, etc.) could eventually create a new classic (55:13).
  • "They are investing in Mac and cheese technology in a way that we are not...at some point I worry that that investment is going to pay." (David, 55:13)

4. Fun Tangents: Pop Music, Sex, Dating & More

• Britney Spears as a Reggae Artist? (12:09, 13:53)
  • Monét defends a teenage memory of Britney dropping a reggae banger – "the hookup" – and after a YouTube listen, the crew agrees it’s kind of a bop.
• Cheesecake Factory & Chili’s Discourse (36:12, 37:12)
  • They defend The Cheesecake Factory as a perfectly respectable date spot—"something for every taste bud."
• Sex, Intimacy, and Dick-Sniffing (49:32, 50:58)
  • Monét confesses to having tried “Can I smell your dick?” on partners; it never works and only embarrasses her. The group concludes sex should max out at 15 minutes: "I'm about to. I got two in the morning." (Langston, 50:59)
• Slave Dances, Drag Balls, and Black LGBTQ History (60:40)
  • Monét shares that William Dorsey Swann, an enslaved man, is one of the earliest-known drag queens who held drag balls for his community—subtly highlighting the roots of Black LGBTQ culture.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Black-Eyed Peas:
  • "I just think it’s something we have been duped into doing – big Black-Eyed Peas making us buy all these black IPs." (Monét, 17:33)
  • "Turns out this is...born in slavery. The black-eyed pea...comes from West Africa." (Langston, 40:21)
• On Tyrese Gibson:
  • "I don't think Tyrese...is a real person...I think we’re all experiencing a collective hallucination." (Langston, 04:23)
• On White Culinary Innovation:
  • "They are investing in future technologies that at some point I worry that that investment is going to pay...They’re hip hopping macaroni and cheese." (Langston & David, 55:13-55:54)
• On Sex:
  • "I think sex should not be longer than 15 minutes." (Monét, 50:50)
• On Black Culture Online:
  • "The Internet is a black neighborhood." (David, 57:02)

Detailed Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:19] – Introduction & Superman as a Black Man Conspiracy
• [04:23] – Langston’s “Tyrese Isn’t Real” Theory
• [06:11] – Debate on Tyson Beckford’s Existence
• [15:11] – Monét Introduces Black-Eyed Peas New Year's Theory
• [17:33] – Skepticism: "Big Black-Eyed Peas" Pushing the Tradition
• [32:09] – Monét Details When She Lost Faith in the Tradition
• [36:12-39:02] – Cheesecake Factory and Chili’s Dating Debate
• [40:06-42:12] – Actual Origins: Enslavement, Survival, and Symbolism
• [49:32-51:24] – “Can I Smell Your Dick?” & Sex Length Riff
• [53:13] – Why Black-Eyed Peas Haven't Been Appropriated
• [55:13-56:06] – White Innovation in Mac and Cheese Technology
• [60:40] – Early Black Drag Queens in History (William Dorsey Swann)
• [67:05] – Where to Find Monét X Change

Tone and Style

The episode is high-energy, playful, and deeply irreverent—riffs bounce between wild tangents and heartfelt discussions, loaded with explicit language and comedic roasting. The hosts and guest are quick to joke at their own and each other’s expense, deeply invested in both the traditions of Black culture and satirizing their quirks.

Conclusion

The episode expertly weaves together humor, skepticism, genuine cultural insight, and Black history under the pretense of debunking a classic New Year's folk belief. Monét X Change brings Caribbean flavor and perspective, while Langston and David keep the conversation both grounded in cultural history and unmoored in comic possibility. By the end, the tradition of black-eyed peas on New Year’s is honored, roasted, and placed in its proper context: a symbol of survival, not just a magical bean for prosperity—a tradition worth keeping, but only with the right seasoning.

Where to Find the Guests

• Monét X Change: monetxchange.com / @MonetXChange on social media (except TikTok: @themonetxchange)
• Langston Kerman: @LangstonKerman / Netflix Special Bad Poetry
• David Gborie: @CoolGuyJokes87 / Patreon / Self-produced special Birth of a Nation (with the G)

For more wild Black conspiracy theories and real talk, subscribe and follow My Momma Told Me wherever you listen to podcasts.