Podcast Summary: My Momma Told Me – "The DeBarge Effect" (with Kevin Avery) RE-RELEASE

Podcast: My Momma Told Me
Host(s): Langston Kerman, David Gborie
Guest: Kevin Avery
Release Date: April 9, 2026
Network: Big Money Players Network & iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this engaging and often hilarious episode, Langston Kerman and David Gborie are joined by comedian and writer Kevin Avery for a deep-dive into the playful yet contentious Black conspiracy theory: "Are light-skinned people naturally better at R&B?" The trio unpacks issues of colorism, Black musical history, representation, and personal anecdotes from inside and outside the industry, all filtered through their sharp comedic sensibilities. What starts as a joke about R&B group dynamics evolves into a thoughtful discussion on how colorism shapes Black identity and pop culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Setup of the Conspiracy Theory

• The hosts banter about R&B tropes and old TV trivia, leading into the main topic: David's proposal that "light-skinned people are good at R&B."
• Kevin reveals he initially entertained this stereotype, but soon found it questionable after scrutiny.
• The conversation is playful, with jokes about Flex Alexander, Kyla Pratt, and the "Black Illuminati" (03:24), establishing the episode’s playful, irreverent tone.

2. Colorism in R&B and Group Dynamics

• David and Kevin recall a perception of light-skinned singers as "sexier" or more likely to be frontmen, versus dark-skinned singers (09:08), drawing parallels to their own experiences growing up.
• Kevin shares his time in a 90s R&B group named "Four Now" that ironically had six members—split equally between light and dark-skinned men. The lead singers tended to be the dark-skinned members.
• They dissect the roles within popular groups like New Edition and Boyz II Men, emphasizing how lead spotlights and backup roles often defy color-based stereotypes.

3. Personal Anecdotes & The Power of Representation

• Kevin recounts moments of being assumed to have singing talent due to his skin color, particularly by white women (12:15).
• The guys reflect on the lack of positive, varied representation for dark-skinned men on TV and in music. David describes how this affected his childhood self-image and understanding of desirability (43:21).
• Langston uses humor to point out the arbitrariness of many of these distinctions, tasking: "It's only like three of us [light-skinned R&B singers], and one of them is Al B. Sure. ... John B. was a white man. He scammed y’all." (49:46)

4. Musical History: What Do the Data & Trends Actually Show?

• Kevin references research showing a colorism bias in representation, both in music and in medical/educational imagery; e.g., "1.1% of anatomical diagrams represented dark skin tones, 83.5% represented light skin tones" (40:54).
• The discussion turns to classic Motown and soul groups. Most, like The Temptations and The Four Tops, were composed of mostly dark-skinned men—a trend that challenges the conspiracy theory.

5. The Role of Industry Gatekeepers & Changing Visibility

• The trio discusses how historic music industry practices (e.g., the Cotton Club, A&Rs, MTV, and crossover boy bands) shaped which artists became visible and marketable.
• Comment on the comparison to the “white rapper” phenomenon, noting that while white rappers are rare, those who make it (e.g., Eminem) are elevated above their peers disproportionately (54:27).

6. Complexity, Humor, and Takeaways

• Rather than a simple answer, the hosts and guest explore the nuanced, shifting ways color, talent, sex appeal, and visibility interact in Black music and pop culture, always looping back to personal experience and humor.
• The episode wraps with reflections on the value of representation and the importance of breaking free from preordained boxes—plus a running joke about launching an R&B group of "ugly light-skinned dudes" to shatter the narrative (56:30).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On TV Representation:
  "Seeing a super dark dude get a girl on TV is like seeing an Asian dude get a girl on TV. It doesn't happen very often."
  — David Gborie (43:21)

• On Industry Bias:
  "The whole reason I’m in a singing group is because when I was a kid, my mom saw New Edition on TV and was like, look at these little kids singing. And I was like, oh, so little kids can do this shit?"
  — Kevin Avery (48:53)

• On Colorism and Stereotypes:
  "There's a weird association—even as a light-skinned person—of people being like, 'light-skinned R&B singing motherfucker.' And it’s like, dawg, it’s only like three of us!”
  — Langston Kerman (49:46)

• Self-Awareness & Regret:
  "I try not to regret the trajectory, even though I overthink it a lot. ... I’m glad I got to live a dream for a minute, and now I’m on to ... living other dreams."
  — Kevin Avery (62:11)

• Running Gag:
  — Jokes about Kevin’s boy band group, "Four Now" (with six members), various song titles like "It’s a Black Thing" and "Mushing In" (23:32, 37:36), and the proposed group of "four ugly-ass light-skinned dudes" (56:30).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [09:08] – Conspiracy revealed: “Light-skinned people are good at R&B”
• [13:16] – Kevin’s experience in a 90s R&B group and group composition
• [23:00] – Amusing song titles: “The Experiment”, “It’s a Black Thing”
• [25:03] – Kevin’s shift in belief after researching colorism in R&B
• [31:46] – Discussion of “light-skinned era” in Motown, e.g., Smokey Robinson
• [40:54] – Research stat: bias in medical/educational imagery toward light skin
• [43:21] – David on the impact of poor representation on confidence and desirability
• [48:53] – The importance of seeing one's self in media, especially as a kid
• [54:26] – Comparing colorism in R&B to the "white rapper" phenomenon
• [56:46] – Consensus: “What we need is an R&B group of ugly-ass light-skinned dudes”
• [62:11] – Reflections on growth, regret, and moving on from old dreams

Tone & Language

• The episode is lively, self-aware, and loaded with jokes, but doesn’t shy away from discussing serious implications of colorism and representation. The guests and hosts often self-deprecate and playfully challenge one another’s POVs, maintaining camaraderie throughout.

Sample Exchange: "Let us not linger any longer. The conspiracy theory is: 'My momma told me light-skinned people are good at R&B.'"
– Langston Kerman (09:08)
"I just felt like my whole life there’s always been this light-skinned predisposition to sexy stuff."
– David Gborie (11:04)_

Conclusion

Resolution:
After much laughter and reflection, the group acknowledges that while colorism undeniably shapes visibility and expectations in Black music, the actual statistics tilt toward dark-skinned R&B excellence. Ultimately, the episode is a reminder of the complex intersections of identity, commerce, and culture—delivered with the wit and rapport that define My Momma Told Me.

Guest/Host Plugs:

• Kevin Avery: @KevanAveryComedy on Instagram; Fox’s The Great North (Sundays at 8:30pm)
• David Gborie: @coolguyjokes87 on Instagram; live stand-up dates (e.g., DC Improv July 21–23)
• Langston Kerman: @langstonkerman on all platforms