Podcast Summary: My Momma Told Me
Episode: "Uncle Ruckus' Favorite Conspiracy Theories"
Guest: Gary Anthony Williams
Date: February 3, 2026
Episode Overview
In this lively and irreverent episode of My Momma Told Me, hosts Langston Kerman and David Gborie are joined by the multitalented Gary Anthony Williams. Renowned for his voice work as Uncle Ruckus on The Boondocks and as a prolific actor and comedian, Williams dives into the world of Black conspiracy theories, both silly and sinister. Despite being cast as a legendary conspiracy theorist on TV, Williams himself is a skeptic, bringing a science-rooted viewpoint to the show. The trio unpacks Hollywood legends, cultural truisms, and the absurdities (and truths) behind common Black conspiracies—while keeping the room full of laughter.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Opening Banter, Childhood Folklore, and Peer Pressure
(03:51–05:22)
- Ouija Boards & Candyman: The trio reminisces on childhood dares involving Ouija boards, Candyman rituals, and the power of groupthink among kids.
- Langston: “We’ve been playing N64 all day… Then somebody goes, ‘Hey, we should play Candyman.’ And who am I to be like, no, fellas, we can’t introduce this curse into our lives.” (04:23)
- Rails & Pennies: Discussing dangerously putting pennies on railroad tracks — another piece of urban folklore.
2. Gary’s Relationship with Conspiracy Theories
(09:00–10:07)
- Skepticism and Science: Gary openly declares a lack of belief in most conspiracy theories, preferring science-based explanations.
- Hollywood Rumors: Langston brings up the infamous “Pink Mafia” rumor—the idea that Black men in Hollywood must “associate with queerness or put on a dress” to succeed.
- Langston: “There were constantly conspiracy theories…like, becoming successful in Hollywood… you have to associate yourself with queerness or put on a dress in order to achieve greatness?” (09:45)
- Gary: “I didn’t have to. There are choices you can make… but this is not conspiracy, this is a rapper thing about gayness.” (10:07)
- Behind the Scenes in Entertainment: Gary recounts Erykah Badu hiring him and Cedric Yarbrough to write comedy bits, leading to an eye-opening experience meeting industry insiders. He points out the hypocrisy of rappers performing heteronormative identities despite much of their team (e.g., stylists) being openly gay.
- Gary: “They all have a gay team. And then I hear them rapping the opposite of that…It’s like, shut…” (11:49)
3. Sexual Dynamics & the Casting Couch in Hollywood
(14:41–16:22)
- Billy Dee Williams Anecdote: Gary shares a tongue-in-cheek, yet telling, story about working with Billy Dee Williams, who joked about the realness of having had to sleep with women on the casting couch for roles.
- Billy Dee (via Gary): “I can’t tell you how many times I had to sleep with someone for a job…all these women, all these female casting directors.” (15:15)
- The group discusses the contrast between an “abundance mindset” and a “scarcity mindset” regarding sex, riffing self-deprecatingly about their own lack of “casting couch” energy.
4. Comedy Styles: Improv vs. Stand-Up
(19:27–21:42)
- Comedic Timing: They agree shutting off the comedian’s “faucet” is crucial for good comedy; you can’t always be “on.”
- Improv People Have Real Lives: David notes that improv comedians tend to have actual families and supportive communities, while stand-ups are more often chaotic and, as Langston jokes, “aspiring deadbeat dads.”
- Parental Relationships: The group explores how their kids see (or ignore) their creative careers, with Gary sharing his son’s late-in-life realization of his father’s fame as Uncle Ruckus.
5. Uncle Ruckus’ Pop Culture Surge
(22:41–23:13)
- Modern Memes: Gary reveals Uncle Ruckus is more popular than ever among younger generations thanks to TikTok/Instagram.
- Gary: “Now with TikTok and Instagram… that character of Uncle Ruckus is hotter than it was when I was originally doing it. That’s nuts.” (23:09)
6. Conspiracies: Hip-Hop, the Music Industry, and Social Engineering
(27:50–31:15)
- “The Industry is Out to Get Us” Theory: Langston summarizes a conspiracy that the music industry intentionally shifted hip-hop towards violence to benefit private prisons and stoke Black community destruction.
- Langston: “By introducing violence into a community… we can increase policing and then use that policing to feed violence.” (30:08)
- Gary’s Response:
- “Where I came from, man, in the Deep South, it was a sundown kind of town... So you didn’t have to put rap music into a community. You just did it.” (30:19)
- The group agrees that the means of oppression don’t require subtlety—just action.
7. Riff: White Women, Heckling, and Social Taboos
(32:12–34:43)
- Hecklers at Shows: The hosts and guest roast “white women who heckle,” relating it to never having experienced social consequences. Gary shares a secret theory from a white friend: the boldness comes from “never being hit in the face.”
- Gary (quoting his friend): “She doesn’t understand because she has never been hit in the face before for saying stuff. That... the lack of threat of violence 100% is what keeps that strong.” (33:56)
- Langston ties this to the “motherfuckers running the country who've never been hit in the face.” (34:16)
- Imagining 'White Fight Club': They riff on the idea of starting a fight club for white women.
8. Chemtrails & Old Wives’ Tales
(39:00–40:10)
- Chemtrails Skepticism: Gary recalls friends blaming chemtrails (called “danger dust”) for COVID and wildfires, but remains unmoved.
- Southern Sayings: He shares the folk tale that “when it rains and the sun is shining, the devil is beating his wife,” and recounts as a child literally trying to dig to hell to stop the beating.
- Gary: “You’re supposed to take a pin, stick it in the ground, put your ear to it, and you can hear the devil beating his wife.” (40:36)
9. Listener Voicemail: "U-Pick" Farms Are a Scam
(47:25–49:48)
- A listener complains about being charged for picking their own apples at a farm, saying the apples were worse than supermarket ones.
- Gary strongly disagrees: “Any apple, a fresh apple off a tree is going to taste better…They have to put wax and junk on them [store apples].” (49:03)
- Gary, who grew up “raising [his] own food,” shares stories of slaughtering animals for sustenance, not sport. This leads to a tangent about knowing how to process meat and the ethics of consuming animals.
10. Eating Horse, Cannibalism, and Survival Scenarios
(53:59–57:55)
- Horse Meat Stories: Langston describes being tricked into eating raw horse in Japan, much to the delight of onlooking Japanese businessmen.
- Survival Cannibalism: A darkly comic discussion about what body parts they’d eat first if forced to consume their spouses in a survival situation.
- Langston: “I think I’m going titty, but that’s just because I’m a fan.” (57:04)
- Gary: “A booty. Oh, totally… I’ve eaten the booty first, like who? That’s in the Bible.” (57:27)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“We dive deep, deep into the pockets of Black conspiracy theories and we don’t prove a motherfucking thing.”
— Langston Kerman (05:55) -
“I never had to sleep with anybody—for a job. But I do remember…I was doing a movie with Billy Dee [Williams], and I was like, ‘Man, I’m sick of the casting couch.’ He was like, ‘I can’t tell you how many times I had to sleep with someone for a job—All these women! All these female casting directors.’”
— Gary Anthony Williams (15:15) -
“They all have a gay team. And then I hear them rapping the opposite of that…who's making your money for you right now?”
— Gary Anthony Williams (11:49) -
“There is a section of society who’s never told to shut up. Maybe white women need to start their own fight club.”
— Gary Anthony Williams (35:06, paraphrased) -
“Where I came from…in the Deep South, it was a sundown kind of town…So you didn’t have to put rap music into a community. You just did it.”
— Gary Anthony Williams (30:19) -
“You’re supposed to take a pin, stick it in the ground, put your ear to it, and you can hear the devil beating his wife.”
— Gary Anthony Williams (40:36) -
“Any apple, a fresh apple off the tree, is going to taste better than that [store] apple.”
— Gary Anthony Williams (49:03) -
“I've eaten the booty first, like who? That's…That's in the Bible.”
— Gary Anthony Williams (57:32)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 03:51 — Bar stories, Ouija boards, and urban legends
- 09:00 — Gary's skepticism and science vs. conspiracy
- 10:07 — Hollywood’s “Pink Mafia” rumors discussed
- 11:31 — Gary’s Erykah Badu story
- 14:41 — Sex, casting couch, and Billy Dee Williams
- 19:27 — Comedy improv vs. stand-up lifestyles
- 22:41 — Uncle Ruckus' meme resurgence
- 27:50 — Hip-hop, private prisons, and social engineering conspiracies
- 32:12 — White women, heckling, and social discipline
- 39:00 — Chemtrails “danger dust” and folk sayings
- 47:25 — Listener voicemail: "U-Pick" apple farm conspiracy
- 53:59 — Eating horse, cannibalism, and survival humor
Tone and Style
The episode is hilarious, brash, and laced with the hosts’ signature raw, unfiltered wit. Gary seamlessly matches Langston and David’s irreverence, but grounds their wild conversation with real-life observations and thoughtful, sometimes sentimental (and often gut-busting) stories. The chemistry is undeniable, with plenty of playful roast exchanges and comedic tangents steeped in Black Southern culture and showbiz lore.
Conclusion
This My Momma Told Me episode is a raucous celebration of skepticism in the face of conspiracy, Black cultural folklore, and the unvarnished truths of entertainment. Gary Anthony Williams—part beloved Uncle Ruckus, part practical dad, part wild storyteller—takes the hosts (and listeners) on a journey through absurd myths, real social dynamics, and the eternal struggle between “stuff you heard” and what’s actually real.
Highly recommended for listeners who love:
- Laughter-infused social commentary
- Behind-the-scenes entertainment stories
- Honest and wild explorations of “what Black folks really believe”
Guest Plugs
-
Gary Anthony Williams:
- “The Gary Anthony Williams” on TikTok
- @garyanthonywilliams on Instagram
- Not on X (Twitter): “Screw Elon Musk.” (61:23)
-
Hosts Langston Kerman & David Gborie:
- LangstonKerman.com for tour info
- Coolguyjokes87 on IG (David)
- Call in your own conspiracies to 844-LIL-MOMS
- Merch and drops: MyMamaPodMail.com
Essential lesson from the episode:
“You gotta try being independently wealthy. A lot of you are choosing not to do it, and that’s odd.” – Langston Kerman (46:36)
(Summary by My Momma Told Me Podcast Summarizer.)
