My Momma Told Me — “Reality TV Ain’t Real! Pt. 1”

Podcast: My Momma Told Me
Hosts: Langston Kerman, David Gborie
Guest: Kevin Fredericks (KevOnStage)
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Theme: Black Conspiracy Theories—“Reality TV Ain’t Real!”

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Black conspiracy theory that reality TV is staged, with a focus on cooking competitions. Langston, David, and their guest, comedian Kevin Fredericks (KevOnStage), blend hilarious riffs, personal anecdotes, and sharp pop-culture critique. They explore the myth of unscripted television, its mechanics, and its broader cultural implications—while detouring through viral sports stories, wrestling, and even Air Bud’s unlikely reign as an American hero.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Banter

[02:23 - 04:30]

• Kevin immediately cracks jokes about David’s flag looking like “Steve Harvey’s teeth.”
• The trio riff about Black art and treating wealth humorously—"We just buy new Jordans, we’ll scuff them, we can buy new," says David [03:21].

2. Name Origins & Social Media Persona

[07:08 - 11:15]

• Kevin reveals he adopted the “KevOnStage” name on early Twitter to avoid getting fired at a day job:

  “I only called myself Kev on stage so I wouldn’t get fired...I was tweeting crazy. We was all tweeting crazy in the beginning.” — Kevin [07:13]

• Discussion about how online handles shape public perception.
• Joke about Black people always knowing the character, not the actor (“Winston Duke is just M’Baku”) [11:15].

3. Athletic Fat Guys & Zion Williamson

[12:12 - 16:01]

• A playful debate ensues about physically fit “big dudes” in sports, referencing players like Zion Williamson, Victor Wembenyama, and Glen Davis.
• Reflections on growing up and hearing legends about unusually athletic fat guys.

• “America doesn’t want to see an athletic fat man!” — Langston [12:12]

• Comedic account of Zion dunking on regular high schoolers, causing existential dread for his opponents [14:55].

4. Air Bud & Absurd Justice

[15:50 - 21:00]

• Extended riff: What if your son loses in basketball to a golden retriever (Air Bud)?

  “How do I explain to my son how the world works?...Life’s not fair, son. You actually need to learn that early. Fair is a place where pigs get judged!” — Kevin [17:24]

• Imagines Air Bud’s NIL deals, presidency, and and his suitability as an American icon.

  “There’s nothing in the Declaration of Independence that says he can’t be the president.” — Langston [19:13]

5. The Reality (or Not) of Reality TV

[23:37 - 29:15]

• Main Conspiracy: “Reality TV ain’t real,” especially cooking competitions.
• Kevin’s direct experience and doubts:

  “I was watching Barbecue Showdown…you mean to tell me these chefs are just coming in blind?...It’s a lie!” — Kevin [24:44] “First of all, I don’t think the clocks are real…I think it takes however long it takes and they just edit it!” — Kevin [26:25]

• Discussion of producer manipulation, staged “surprises,” and bad acting by real chefs.
• Parallels drawn to wrestling: We know it’s “fake,” but there’s supposed to be a baseline of believability [28:07].

6. Cooking, Leadership, and Kitchen Realism

[29:11 - 32:06]

• Jokey comparison between how chefs act on reality shows vs. real kitchen dynamics:

  “They talk like bad leaders. They never sound like a real leader…You would’ve said fuck!” — Langston [29:29]

• Food Network habits, skepticism about contestants’ range, and the “wheelhouse” of most real chefs and home cooks.

7. Inventing Black Sushi & Cultural Appropriation

[32:13 - 34:01]

• Spirited brainstorm for “Black Sushi”—e.g., fried catfish, collard greens, dirty rice—abandoning everything but the “roll” and outfit.

  “We vehemently deny all Japanese involvement.” — Kevin [33:37]

• They laugh about the perils and pitfalls of culinary creative fusion.

8. Wrestling, Persona, and the Art of Acting

[38:01 - 44:11]

• Using wrestling’s “kayfabe break” as a metaphor for TV honesty and persona performance.

• “I genuinely believed Undertaker and Kane were brothers...Now people say wrestlers should get acting awards!” — Kevin [38:12, 39:40]

• Parallels: The Rock, Drake, Rick Ross as masters of public character-creation.

• “Aubrey Graham’s greatest role is Drake.” — Kevin [42:16] “Rick Ross convinced us—a corrections officer!—to be the truth as a rapper.” — Kevin [43:57]

9. The Real History of Reality TV

[46:23 - 48:13]

• David’s research: reality TV’s origins predate TV, starting with “This is Your Life” on radio (1948).
• Jump from radio to early TV, then to shows like “Cops.”

• “Apparently the original reality [show]...I thought Cops was the beginning.” — Kevin [48:06]

10. Cops, Firemen, and Public Trust

[52:13 - 53:09]

• The difference in how society views police vs. firefighters.

• “Nobody has beef with firemen because firemen are the best, man. And they’re not planning fires!” — Kevin [52:47]

• Jokes on baby drop-offs at firehouses, the lack of sexy “policeman calendars,” and cultural mythology.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t like Kev on stage...This is my year of relief.” — Kevin [07:33]
• “That’s the only reason I was using Twitter at the time. Early Twitter, when people was going crazy and getting fired.” — Kevin [07:19]
• “They brought out cool...special flame things...This is crazy, y’all. There’s no way these chefs are just coming in blind.” — Kevin [24:26]
• “The only motherfuckers I trust are firemen.” — David [57:21]
• “Aubrey Graham's greatest role is Drake. If you watch old videos of Drake when he was, like, Jewish and Canadian...that is an entirely different person.” — Kevin [42:16]
• “Rick Ross...he beat a corrections officer be truth, as a rapper...that's Oscar worthy.” — Kevin [43:57]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Name Talk & Internet Persona: 07:08 – 11:15
• Athletic Fat Guys & Zion Discussion: 12:12 – 16:01
• Air Bud as Cultural Figure: 15:50 – 21:00
• Reality TV Conspiracy Begins: 23:37 – 29:15
• Riffing on Chefs & Cooking Shows: 29:11 – 32:06
• Black Sushi Bit: 32:13 – 34:01
• Wrestling/Persona as Acting: 38:01 – 44:11
• History of Reality TV: 46:23 – 48:13
• Cops, Firemen, and Public Trust: 52:13 – 54:40

Tone & Style

The tone is conversational, irreverent, and proudly Black. The hosts and guest freely mix pop culture, real talk, and hilarious tangents, rarely staying on-topic through their comedic chemistry.

Who This Episode Is For

Anyone curious about Black folk conspiracies, the mechanics of “reality” TV, or just looking for rapid-fire hilarity with insightful digs at culture, media, and identity. And if you’ve ever doubted what you see on Food Network, this is your vindication.

Listen Next:

This episode is labeled “Pt. 1,” and ends with the promise of a follow-up in next week’s episode.

Social:
Follow @mymamatoldmepod on Instagram and TikTok; watch on YouTube.