Kiss & Tell (After 50) featuring Cree Summer

Summary

Podcast Summary: ReLiving Single – "Kiss & Tell (After 50)" featuring Cree Summer

Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Erika Alexander & Kim Coles
Guest: Cree Summer

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Episode Overview

This episode of ReLiving Single centers around sex, dating, and authenticity after 50, using a rewatch of Living Single Season 1, Episode 18 ("Love Thy Neighbor") as a springboard. Joining hosts and sitcom legends Erika Alexander and Kim Coles is iconic actress and voiceover superstar Cree Summer. Together, they dive deep into the sitcom’s pivotal “will they, won’t they” romance, navigating representation on TV, slow-burn love, evolving sexuality, menopause, and the joys (and occasional absurdities) of aging, both on-screen and in real life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Behind-the-Scenes of "Love Thy Neighbor" ([02:12]–[14:25])

• Sinclair & Overton’s Slow Burn: The episode focuses on Sinclair’s struggle to admit her feelings for Overton, who is dangling between Sinclair and Cree Summer’s guest character, Summer.
• “Will They, Won’t They” Mechanics: The hosts discuss how slow-burn relationships keep sitcom audiences hooked, and how patience, chemistry, and character quirks shape these storylines.
• Authenticity vs. ‘Awkwardness’: Cree reflects on her earlier roles—especially as Freddie from A Different World—and the importance of showing multidimensional Black women on TV. "God bless the freaks, for the freak shall inherit the earth." ([04:45], Cree Summer)
• Chemistry On-Screen: Cree recalls instant chemistry with John Henton (Overton) and shares the story of being cast at a transitional time in her career—showing how industry nepotism and genuine friendships shaped opportunities ([13:31], Cree Summer).

2. The Evolution of TV & Iconic Characters ([11:59]–[18:02])

• Casting and Friendship: Cree and the hosts reminisce about the familial casting process in 90s television.
• Sitcom’s Unique Energy: The hosts mourn the loss of live audience tapings in sitcoms, agreeing it added energy and responsiveness to a show ([32:09], Cree Summer & Kim Coles).
• Individuality in Sitcoms: Cree emphasizes how well-drawn characters let viewers see themselves on screen: "You have to be smart to play dumb." ([17:51], Cree Summer)

3. Sex, Aging & Menopause: Real Talk ([22:29]–[55:58])

• Sex After 50: All three women discuss how sexuality can become richer and less performative later in life:
  • "I'm having better sex now than I ever had in my life. When I was younger, it was performative... At this age, everything is where it is... it feels better." ([43:43], Cree Summer)
  • The group laughs about noise, referencing the episode’s raucous “neighbor” plot, and agree many older people surprise themselves—and others—by getting “louder” with age.
• Menopause & Transitions: The conversation ventures into myths and truths about menopause, hormone therapy, and the lack of cultural and medical knowledge about women’s aging.
  • “When your body starts behaving in a way that you have no control… Now it's just delighting in how present I am. I feel like I wanna try all kinds of things. And I'm becoming less shy. I used to be quite shy.” ([44:02], Cree Summer)
• Body Image & Grief: Each host shares experiences of grief as fertility ends, the physical changes of menopause, and the need to "reintroduce yourself to your tribe" as you evolve ([53:32], Cree Summer & Erica Alexander).
• Advice for Navigating Transition:
  • Stay curious and present; don’t abandon yourself
  • Seek community or ceremony for life’s big changes
  • Explore your body and identity without comparison
  • Recognize that everyone’s experience is different, especially with menopause
• Practical Tips: From herbal remedies to hormone therapy (hybrid bioidentical pellets, acupuncture, supplements, vibrators like “the rose”), the hosts are candid about coping strategies and encourage listeners to seek what’s right for them.
  • “I've been raw dogging this” (menopause with no meds)—([50:13], Cree Summer)

4. Representation & Sex in Media Today ([57:44]–[60:49])

• Older Female Sexuality: The group highlights the dearth of TV and films about sexual, complex women over 50, shouting out Better Things and “Baby Girl” as rare standouts ([57:44], Cree Summer).
  • "I'd love to see a movie about a woman who comes alive in her 50s... but really, I want to see women taking care of each other and being good to each other as we get older. Less mothering, more sistering." ([59:19], Cree Summer)
• The Evolution of Womanhood: They debate what the next era looks like for women who are no longer wives or mothers, but still vibrant and evolving ("Who do we evolve to?" [60:50]).
• Society’s Youth Obsession: The hosts critique pop culture’s fixation on youth, calling for more stories about the joy, companionship, and sexuality of mature women.

5. Community & Character Growth: "Living Single" Legacy ([64:02]–[69:07])

• Connecting Fiction to Reality: A listener asks how Sinclair and Max would show up for their communities in 2025—and the hosts reflect on how friendship, advocacy, and mutual support are at the core of both the show and their real lives.
  • "We were always involved in each other's lives...the ripple in the pond. So whatever change you're making in the world, I'm gonna be there with you, along with you, and bringing my own energy, my own force." ([65:46], Kim Coles)
  • Erica imagines Max becoming an even bigger advocate and community leader, using her legal skills and life experience to help others, while still wrestling with her own boundaries and needs ([67:39], Erica Alexander).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Quirkiness and Authenticity:
  "I don't know if the term awkward is my favorite because I think it's more she was an authentic girl...we're so many different people, Black people, Black women. Wasn't it a revolution to see all those characters being themselves?"
  — Cree Summer ([04:45])

• On Late-Life Sexual Freedom:
  "The older I get, the more free I'm getting in my body, in my ability to try things."
  — Cree Summer ([08:17])

• On Sex Positivity After 50:
  "I'm having better sex now than I ever had in my life...At this age, everything is where it is...but it feels better. Because I don't have the ability to put on a performance... just delighting in how present I am."
  — Cree Summer ([43:43])

• On Sisterhood Post-Menopause:
  "I want to see movies with women taking care of each other and being good to each other as we get older. A little less mothering and a little more sistering."
  — Cree Summer ([59:44])

• On Self-Discovery:
  "There should be a celebration...that's why I always talk about ceremony. Modern man has no ceremony for these important things. We have to make them."
  — Cree Summer ([52:35])

• On Community:
  "Whatever change you're making in the world, I'm gonna be there with you, along with you, and bringing my own energy, my own force. So that's how I would say it. I don't know what specifics, but all of the ways."
  — Kim Coles ([65:46])

• On Agency After Rejection:
  "She shot her shot...But she leads with her integrity, and...he leaves with a sense of himself. They're all intact. But that's because she's intact."
  — Erica Alexander ([30:13-30:15])

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Episode Recap & Set up: [02:12]–[03:49]
• Freddie, Authenticity, and Revolution for Black Women on TV: [04:31]–[05:44]
• Cree Joins—Career and Role Talk: [06:09]–[13:52]
• Sitcom Chemistry, Writing, and Live Audience: [11:59]–[34:09]
• Sex, Aging, and Menopause—Honest Discussion: [42:35]–[55:58]
• Pop Culture, Representation, and Aging: [57:44]–[60:49]
• Listener Q&A: 2025 Community Impact: [64:02]–[69:07]
• Advice for the Next Generation & Final Reflections: [61:06]–[63:14]

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Tone and Style

The episode is equal parts heartfelt, hilarious, and unfiltered, with the hosts and Cree riffing off each other’s wisdom and wit. The conversation flows naturally from sitcom analysis to candid discussions of sex, aging, and identity—always rooting their laughs in authentic, lived experiences. The trio maintain a supportive, empowering, and self-deprecating vibe, never shying away from breaking taboos but always circling back to joy, sisterhood, and growth.

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For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

Even if you’ve never seen Living Single, this episode is a masterclass in embracing personal evolution, building community, and challenging stereotypes about aging—especially for Black women. Whether sharing behind-the-scenes sitcom secrets, dissecting sexuality after 50, or naming the grief and triumph of menopause, Erika, Kim, and Cree offer real talk, relatable stories, and hard-won wisdom with warmth and humor.

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[End Summary]

Transcript

[Kim Coles]

Coming up on Reliving single sex after 50. I was getting ready to tell him how much I liked him and then he's gone.

[Erica Alexander]

Just the other night, our producer Amber tells me about a rose.

[Kim Coles]

Things that had moved. You take estrogen. Guess what?

[Erica Alexander]

It's like Superman.

[Kim Coles]

They put them at the top of your butt.

[Erica Alexander]

At the top of your butt. You're supposed to hold that in all day.

[Kim Coles]

It's a revolution. Boom chicka Chris Summer.

[Cree Summer]

Ladies and gentlemen, the hot Flashes.

[Erica Alexander]

Welcome back to Reliving Single, the official unofficial Living Single rewatch podcast.

[Kim Coles]

Yes. Yes. Today's episode is one of my absolute favorites because we finally get that answer that we have all been waiting for. Yes, our Sinclair and Overton finally gonna go steady, get it on, or they just gonna keep dancing around each other?

[Erica Alexander]

Come on. They are sort of in something like a will they or won't they? And they're two of the most innocent characters to ever grace television.

[Kim Coles]

Well, they liked each other and they must have been as horny as hell.

[Cree Summer]

Those who lead deserve a car that leads with them because a car that doesn't move you is a car that.

[Kim Coles]

Falls short of amazing.

[Cree Summer]

That's the let standard.

[Kim Coles]

The standard of amazing.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

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[Kim Coles]

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[Guest/Producer/Caller]

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[Kim Coles]

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[Guest/Producer/Caller]

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[Kim Coles]

It's time for the rewind where we watch and relive Living Single with you. Today we are rewatching Living Single Season 1, Episode 18, Love Thy Neighbor, where Sinclair starts to feel the heat when Overton spends time with another woman and she's forced to figure out if she's ready to speak up or let him go.

[Erica Alexander]

Meanwhile, there's a new couple next door and the ladies. The ladies are losing sleep all over the very loud lovemaking that's going on. Spoiler alert, y'. All. Now this is an episode that is part one of a two parter and it sets up one of our most fan favorite episodes. It's written by Nastran Dubai and Jeffrey B. Hodes. It's directed by Rob Schuller. Episode guest stars are Jack Christian is Mort, great character actor. And we also have Yeta as Esther, another character actor that's a killer.

[Kim Coles]

And we have Come on, Cree Summer.

[Erica Alexander]

Say that again. Cree Summer.

[Kim Coles]

And her character on the show is named Summer. Come on now. Come on now. And you all know her from a different world. And recently Abbotta elementary, which she's gorgeous on that show and it's just so. Even more iconic than all of her on screen roles is her voice. She has brought to life over 100 animated characters and TV show and movies and video games. She's a what? Susie Carmichael in Rugrats and Princess Kita on Atlantis, the Lost Empire. She's earned multiple awards including.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes, she's a director too.

[Kim Coles]

Whether she is on screen or behind the mic, Cree has been shaping the pop culture for years and years and years and she is still going strong.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes.

[Kim Coles]

Woo.

[Erica Alexander]

Pre summer.

[Cree Summer]

Hey sisters. Did somebody order a hat?

[Kim Coles]

I think Kimoyo. Oh, Chris. That's right, baby.

[Cree Summer]

You guys look like you were in a hat deficit.

[Kim Coles]

Whoa, you're here. What you been up to? What you doing?

[Cree Summer]

Hey, just hanging out. You know, I am so happy to be here. This is someone that I love on purpose and hang out with on purpose.

[Erica Alexander]

It's true.

[Cree Summer]

We love you too. So it's a delight to be beside you.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you, my darling.

[Cree Summer]

Congratulations on your show.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you so much.

[Erica Alexander]

I mean, so this is a really great pleasure for you to be. We need your help on this.

[Cree Summer]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay. So you played one of the first awkward black girls.

[Kim Coles]

Uh huh.

[Erica Alexander]

Winifred. Freddie. You did that at a time when black women weren't necessarily allowed to be weird or free spirited and that type of thing. So what was that like?

[Cree Summer]

I love that you brought that up because we are not a monolith and we have to be seen in all of our facets and aspects. And what Freddie did was, was open up all the beautiful. I call them freaks. You know, I'm a freak. God bless the freaks, for the freak shall inherit the earth. And I feel like all of a sudden young girls were saying, oh, I can just wear my hair out. I can just tell the truth. I can love rock and roll music. I can read comic books. She just was free to be exactly who she was. I don't know if the term awkward is my favorite because I think it's more she was an authentic girl. And we're so many different people, black people, black women. Wasn't it a revolution to see all those characters being themselves? Because at home everybody had somebody to go, that's me.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Cree Summer]

I'm Freddie. I'm Kim. Yes, I'm Whitley.

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Cree Summer]

Some old man was saying, I'm Mr. Gaines, you know. Right. That was the best.

[Kim Coles]

I love it. Well, I'll just say welcome and from not awkward, but very authentic. Girl to another. Let's get the show started. Oh. Oh, wait. Oh, okay, wait. Oh, sorry.

[Cree Summer]

Okay, that was definitely awkward. That was definitely awkward.

[Erica Alexander]

That's authentically awkward.

[Cree Summer]

Authentically awkward.

[Kim Coles]

Okay, in five, four, three, two.

[Erica Alexander]

Like anybody's been able to sleep since that couple moved in upstairs.

[Kim Coles]

No kidding.

[Cree Summer]

I mean, really, how many times can.

[Erica Alexander]

Two people do it in one night?

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Overton, man, I got a favor to ask you. Um, you remember my old girlfriend Dion? Dion? Oh, the one always bragging about her fancy car and how much money she was pulling in? She's in town to visit her cousin. I want to take her out tonight, but she doesn't want to leave her cousin alone, so I was hoping that, you know, you come along. Sorry, no can do. Sinclair's got a broken tape deck that requires my intensive care.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, Overton. It's okay.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

It can wait.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

There you have it. You're coming with me, Sinclair.

[Kim Coles]

Well, I didn't know what was gonna happen. I just thought, they're gonna go hang out. I want them to go have some fun.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, sometimes. Sinclair was not a Mensa member.

[Erica Alexander]

No, no, right.

[Kim Coles]

Not necessarily a member of Mensa.

[Erica Alexander]

Finally, she was doing it.

[Kim Coles]

I didn't know that was, you know, sending him off to my peril.

[Erica Alexander]

We see Overton in the girl's apartment.

[Cree Summer]

That's right.

[Erica Alexander]

Cooking breakfast.

[Cree Summer]

But he was already cooking for you, and you weren't even. The two of you weren't cooking.

[Kim Coles]

We weren't even cooking yet, but we.

[Cree Summer]

Were simmering, so Sinclair had game. Cause if you got this man cooking.

[Kim Coles]

And you ain't cooking, cooking for all my girls, too.

[Cree Summer]

Come on.

[Erica Alexander]

He's trying real hard.

[Kim Coles]

He's trying real hard.

[Erica Alexander]

By the way, have we had any, like, horror stories of people having sex next door? Or were you that couple? That loud sex, arguing, you know?

[Cree Summer]

I've never been a loud sex couple, but the older I get, the louder I'm getting.

[Kim Coles]

Really?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Why? Why do you think?

[Cree Summer]

Because I think it's. I know that I'm in the middle. I know I'll take the train all the way. Sooner than later.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

When you say take the train, though, what does that mean?

[Cree Summer]

Take the train means split the planet to die. So, you know, so when I think about where I am in life, that I will take the train sooner than later. I want to get it in before I take the train.

[Erica Alexander]

Get it in. I call it the upper room. The upper room.

[Kim Coles]

The upper room.

[Erica Alexander]

The upper room.

[Kim Coles]

Nice.

[Cree Summer]

Take the train to the upper room.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on. That's the truth.

[Cree Summer]

That's the combination.

[Erica Alexander]

And we all got a ticket.

[Cree Summer]

And so I just figure I just want to fucking try everything. I mean, not everything, but almost everything.

[Kim Coles]

Almost everything?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Because I feel like the older I get, the more free I'm getting in my body, in my ability to try things.

[Kim Coles]

Nice. Nice.

[Cree Summer]

Yes.

[Kim Coles]

I've been many a hotel room with loud people.

[Erica Alexander]

But you're not the bad.

[Kim Coles]

I'm not the bad nerd.

[Erica Alexander]

You're not the bad neighbor?

[Cree Summer]

No, I'm now, maybe.

[Kim Coles]

Now. Are you loud?

[Erica Alexander]

No, but I think like you, I get freer as I get older. Yeah. Look at y' all beaming at me.

[Cree Summer]

I feel weird, but, you know, in a carnival they call it a barker, right?

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Right, right.

[Cree Summer]

The one that, you know, is so smooth with the way they talk that they bring the people to get the tickets.

[Kim Coles]

Uh huh.

[Cree Summer]

I'm becoming a barker.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. Is Sinclair, like low key? Playing hard to get? I think she's out of her mind a bit for encouraging him to go on a date with someone else.

[Kim Coles]

Let's be real, right? You're right. But I think we've had so many episodes where she is in it and she is interested and there's obviously a. They've written this episode for the crescendo that's about to happen. But I just think she was oblivious and like, go have a fun time.

[Erica Alexander]

Why? Does she have a fear of intimacy?

[Kim Coles]

No, I don't think so. I just think she was sort of new and I don't know if this is. I don't know, just a little this, a little bit of that.

[Cree Summer]

How sweet.

[Kim Coles]

No.

[Cree Summer]

Do you think all that timidity and everything, do you think she was like, wild? Like eventually a wildcat? She's definitely a freak.

[Kim Coles]

We've established that in later episodes. She's actually a freak.

[Cree Summer]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

A wild cat, wild girl.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kim Coles]

It's always the ones who are like. No, no, really.

[Cree Summer]

It's always the ones who are like, I've never seen something like this before. And then they.

[Kim Coles]

I think she's just sort of taking it in and shy about it. She probably really. She likes him a lot.

[Erica Alexander]

But is that really realistic? Like, I mean, I don't see dudes being that patient. So is that.

[Cree Summer]

That's a TV thing.

[Kim Coles]

The man I'm with now was patient because he wanted to protect the friendship we were building. Something realist.

[Erica Alexander]

He had his eye on the prize.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you. Yeah, Welcome.

[Cree Summer]

I just drive an old dependable American made car. It's not very fancy, but it works.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Hey, I Like that Summer. Nothing fancy, but it works. Might make that my new handyman's credo.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, Jim, what's the hardest part about being a handyman?

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Being handy. I guess I was born into the man part.

[Cree Summer]

He's so clever.

[Erica Alexander]

So what do you think?

[Cree Summer]

After dinner, maybe we could all go to a movie? If you feel like it.

[Kim Coles]

Looks Overton.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Live a little, man. Summer is good looking, interested in you. And my personal favorite, mildly aggressive. You know what?

[Kim Coles]

What?

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

You right. Maybe I should give Summer a change. My son, today you are a man. Yes.

[Kim Coles]

Hmm. So let's talk about a lot of things going on.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk about him.

[Erica Alexander]

Cause Summer looks like she's ready to jump over the spot. She's ready.

[Cree Summer]

She does. She wasn't very bright, God bless her. And she just had those kind of big eyes. And I think you're right. I think she had one objective, and that was Overton.

[Erica Alexander]

Overton. And he's kind of cute.

[Kim Coles]

She wanted to get over Overton.

[Erica Alexander]

Overton under Underton. It's also a wonderful characteristic to see someone who would look like she was. Be a little bit more withholding and that. Be aggressive. Like, no, that I want it. Which is juxtaposed against your character. Feels like she has plenty of time to play the coy and all of that, but the truth is, he's out there.

[Cree Summer]

Time was up.

[Erica Alexander]

Dangling man.

[Cree Summer]

Time is up.

[Kim Coles]

Time has ARR. Summer is here.

[Cree Summer]

I also love that she was sweet, that Overton was, like, between two ferns. Right. He was bookended by two really lovely ladies. You won, baby.

[Kim Coles]

But she was similar enough. She wasn't like this out of his wheelhouse of something that he obviously is attracted to.

[Erica Alexander]

He also has his friend Kyle, who looks like he's trying to sabotage this whole thing because he's sort of like, look, man, she hasn't done what she needed to do, and now you need to decide to move on or forward in your life. Here's this beautiful woman. And plus, by the way, we need to mention Stacey Evans is the woman Kyle is on a date with. And she was a writer's assistant on Living Single and eventually became a writer. Yeah. So he's got his own agenda. And he's like, yo, dude, by the way, you're not getting what you want out of their relationship. And I actually think that that's really solid advice.

[Cree Summer]

I love that he did that. That's what a real brother, a good friend, would do.

[Kim Coles]

I don't think he's purposely sabotaging him. He's just encouraging him to move forward. Like you have someone who's right there who's saying, yeah, come get this, daddy. Come get this.

[Erica Alexander]

Go get this. And that's a good, healthy boundary. But I gotta say, Cree, Instant, instant chemistry with John Hinton.

[Cree Summer]

I thought so.

[Erica Alexander]

I thought so too. Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Did you feel it? I know you're remembering.

[Erica Alexander]

We were talking about you saying, well, that's not hard because you are instant chemistry.

[Cree Summer]

Well, he was so cute. I mean, let's call it. He was so handsome and that character was so lovable. And he just played it with that, you know, wide eyed, you know, thousand mile stare. And I. I don't know, he was. He was easy to be attracted to.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, you did well, I mean, because it's easy for him to fall in love with you.

[Kim Coles]

You're part of the family. Right?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Because Yvette Lee Bowser was at a different world.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk about it here.

[Kim Coles]

I'm sure that she just said, come on, girl, what you doing on Thursday? Come shoot this.

[Cree Summer]

That's exactly what happened. I love Yvette. She's just been so kind to me when there's no cameras rolling. I mean, I remember when the show was just popping and then when she said to come, I was excited. Plus, I think I needed the gig. I think I had just been dropped from my record label and it was perfect timing.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, wow.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Sometimes you need a gig and I get by with a little help from my friends. And that was one of those beautiful moments where someone just said, hey, and she didn't even know. It was hard times, you know, you.

[Kim Coles]

Talk about not working. I knew that I had to shift cause I wasn't getting a job. I better go. What can I do with my comedy that it can shift over here? And I became a speaker or became an author or all these other things. Like, then you get a chance to explore all of your gifts, but in an authentic way. Not going. Let me pick which one I'm gonna be today. I get to. We all get to have it all now.

[Cree Summer]

Now. Thank God. Even though it was a. Even back in the day, I remember I would leave the set of Different World to go do cartoons and they would act like I was going to fold close at the Gap.

[Erica Alexander]

Wow.

[Cree Summer]

Just. It had no reverence. It's like, oh, she's going to go do her shitty day job that paid.

[Kim Coles]

For all the houses, all the kids, all the things.

[Cree Summer]

Now everyone's like, I want to do crazy.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, I want to do.

[Cree Summer]

All of a sudden it's hip yeah, you know, but it used to be almost not considered an art form.

[Kim Coles]

Good for you for sticking with it and doing it anyway, not caring what they think. Let me go.

[Cree Summer]

Well, it was a family business. I mean, I didn't start doing cartoons because I was good at it. That was pure nepotism. My old man, my father was a huge voiceover artist in Canada.

[Kim Coles]

So what we love so much, like this is the family business.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

You're going to make a withdrawal from their bank.

[Cree Summer]

I was lucky I got ushered in. Yeah, I was. I think I was 10 or 11 when I did Inspector Gadget when I played Penny and Inspector Gadget.

[Erica Alexander]

Inspector Gadget.

[Cree Summer]

We're not gonna have to pay for that, right?

[Kim Coles]

Podcast. That's part of this clip.

[Erica Alexander]

Hey.

[Kim Coles]

Hey, ladies. Hey. Who's your friend?

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

This is Summer. Summer, that's Max, Khadijah, Sinclair, and Rayjean.

[Cree Summer]

Hi. He's telling me so much about you guys. I feel like I know you. And here he hasn't mentioned diddly about you.

[Erica Alexander]

Sinclair, you are jealous.

[Kim Coles]

It's pretty obvious you really like Overton.

[Erica Alexander]

Is that why I've been plunged into.

[Kim Coles]

This swirling eddy of despair and degradation? Come on, girl.

[Cree Summer]

Maybe you should fight for him.

[Kim Coles]

No, that's not my style. I'll get by without him. There's lots of ways to handle being nasty. I could do nothing but pamper myself and shop constantly.

[Erica Alexander]

Or I could develop a cold, hard shell and lash out at my friends.

[Kim Coles]

With my icy wit. I could just get so involved with my work, I just eliminate my social life altogether. You know.

[Erica Alexander]

I have to say, you read in this scene, the ladies for filth. You kind of come out, oof. Yeah. Is that your real Persona? I mean, Sinclair's real Persona? Do you disarm people with that? And in the meantime, you're a mean girl?

[Kim Coles]

No, I don't think she was mean at all. I just think that she was coming up with examples of what people could do. I don't think she was even connected. Cause she didn't go, well. I could just shop all the time. And I could always just be cold and mean. And I could always just be all into my career. I think she was just looking for examples. See, I could shop and she was, you know, she was obviously pulling, pulling, pulling from her environment, but not even realizing it was connected to that.

[Cree Summer]

Okay, well, that's how I was being so innocent.

[Kim Coles]

It was innocent.

[Cree Summer]

That's why the read was so hard.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, I don't think it was a real read.

[Cree Summer]

An innocent read. Nothing knocks your knees out like an innocent read. Yeah, but not.

[Kim Coles]

There was a little twinkle in my eye like. Like you bitches. She didn't say that. It was. It was really innocent.

[Cree Summer]

I look like a child from the Dead Eyed army. When I saw Summer at one point, I'm just like, there's nothing up here.

[Kim Coles]

Under this disgusting hat except the possibility of boom chicka.

[Erica Alexander]

What I find interesting is that you have two extremely intelligent people in real life playing people who are sort of not unaware of their surroundings and. Or their effect on people.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

What is Overton's type? Because in a way, they have been casting very well.

[Cree Summer]

Well, yeah. You have to be smart to play dumb.

[Kim Coles]

Mm.

[Cree Summer]

You really do. You really do. Thank you. On camera and off.

[Kim Coles]

You ain't never lied.

[Erica Alexander]

That's real. I mean, but. So he likes quirky, though.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Cree Summer]

Overton likes quirk.

[Kim Coles]

That's what I said. She is in his wheelhouse. Summer's in his wheelhouse.

[Erica Alexander]

By the way, it's not interesting if it's good against bad. If he wasn't, we wouldn't understand it. But it's good against good. You talk about two ferns. So then we said, God, what's the choice? Because part of me wanted him to go with her. I'm not gonna lie.

[Kim Coles]

Why would you want Summer to get Overton?

[Erica Alexander]

Because.

[Kim Coles]

Over Sinclair?

[Erica Alexander]

Because I believe, Stretch, that your bearded clam has been dangling in front of him for so long that he needs now to know what it's like to feel good. Word reciprocated.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

And move in progress. And you need that for progress to know that he's not gonna wait forever. So to me, she is a harbinger or a herald of the future that he couldn't. I love it.

[Kim Coles]

She's a harbinger heraldinger and a horrible herald. But wait, do you really think that Sinclair has been teasing him and toying with him, or do you think that she's just been there?

[Erica Alexander]

You can play games all you want. Men can sniff it out. And I think you've done that enough. Now you get to let him feel it.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Give him something.

[Erica Alexander]

Don't you think?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I do. And I think they should have let him hang with Summer a little bit, because then it makes the tension even more.

[Erica Alexander]

Even more. We should have had some sort of.

[Cree Summer]

And then by the time Sinclair comes for it, you would have paid my.

[Kim Coles]

Bills three or four episodes.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right. Did you ever wonder what it would be like if your characters went toe to toe? Like each wrote Overton a letter to actually express Their feelings.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, my gosh, they're so. I mean, I just think they weren't the sharpest tools on his belt. Right. So. No, it'd probably be a haiku. Mine would be a haiku.

[Erica Alexander]

I think we should have your characters write Overton a love letter.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

Hello.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, first I'm gonna get dead eyed. Okay. Hello, Overton. I know we've only had one date, but I think you're really cute. Hot, actually. And I'd like to see you more. You know, maybe we could even go steady.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, that's kind of forward. This girl is fast.

[Cree Summer]

Or just go to the movies. You buy the popcorn and I'll provide the extra butter. That sounds unhealthy. That sounds like a tetanus shot. Oh, my. Okay, go ahead.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, my. Oh, what is this? A letter from Sinclair.

[Kim Coles]

Hi, Obi. Or is it Overton now? I don't know anymore. Well, I saw you with that other girl, Hefa Kasunta.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

Anyway, I just want to let you know I like you. Do you still like me? So check the box and send it back to me. Oh, okay. And take care, Overton. I mean, Obi. I mean, okay, sir. Okay. Love, Sinclair.

[Erica Alexander]

Wow. So many choices. So little Obie to go around. Listen, I just thought that would be colorful.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Just came by to fix your tape.

[Kim Coles]

D. Well, I know you're very busy, so I took it to the doctor Fix It. Down the street.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

An outside contractor handyman is always the last to know.

[Erica Alexander]

I thought it was best for me.

[Kim Coles]

Just to step aside and let you start fixing other people's things.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

I see.

[Kim Coles]

Hello. Well, I hope you're happy. Because of you, I've lost the only man I've ever really cared about. Was that summer? No. Dr. Fix it. He says my tape deck is ready.

[Erica Alexander]

Was that the breakup, though?

[Cree Summer]

That was the breakup. That was the breakup.

[Kim Coles]

That was the breakup.

[Erica Alexander]

That was the break. Oh, my God.

[Kim Coles]

Off you go. Enjoy your life. You found someone else, but you ask.

[Erica Alexander]

Another man to fix something. That's cold.

[Cree Summer]

That is cold.

[Erica Alexander]

A professional.

[Kim Coles]

A professional Mr. Fix It Man. He's got a shop down the way.

[Erica Alexander]

Why is Sinclair struggling so much to tell Overton her feelings?

[Kim Coles]

I wish I knew.

[Cree Summer]

Maybe scared because she's so overwhelmed by them.

[Kim Coles]

Ding, ding, ding. That's it.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Cause she's so sweet. Maybe it's just a lot to process.

[Kim Coles]

A lot to take it. And because he's now moved on, it's like, oh, wow. I didn't even. I was getting ready to tell him how much I liked him. And Then he's gone. Yeah, yeah. The one that got away.

[Erica Alexander]

So have you ever had, like, a slow burn relationship die out? Because y' all never had a slow burn?

[Cree Summer]

I know. I am a slow burn. I am a slow burn.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm a slow burn.

[Cree Summer]

Well, you have to be, because if it's up here, you gotta talk me into it.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right.

[Cree Summer]

That's sapio sexual.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right.

[Cree Summer]

And so that is a slow burn because we gotta talk about it to even get there.

[Erica Alexander]

So let's talk about the famous will they or won't they relationships that kind of the ones that took a while to heat up. Dwayne and Whitley, my favorite. William, one of the most.

[Cree Summer]

Please, baby, baby, please. He breaks up the wedding. I mean, talk about Will there, won't they? She was at the altar. That's how long they stretched that fucking shit.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on. Oh, come on.

[Cree Summer]

She was almost married.

[Erica Alexander]

Can we just also give a bow down to the great different world? Because it is. It's the reason why I'm dressed this way. Come on, come on.

[Kim Coles]

Giving us collegiate realness.

[Erica Alexander]

I didn't go to college, but I went to girls high school. And I'm giving love. But also the fact that so many people who were educated were inspired by these beautiful young women and men.

[Cree Summer]

It made so many people go to college.

[Erica Alexander]

Unreal.

[Kim Coles]

You hear that? All the time.

[Cree Summer]

Everywhere I go, I went to college because of you.

[Erica Alexander]

Janine and Gregory, Abbott Elementary.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, come on.

[Cree Summer]

We love Abbott Elementary. We love those two together like the perfect little nerd.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah. I'm Mort. This is my wife, Esther. We your neighbors.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Upst.

[Kim Coles]

You're the couple from upstairs. Yes. We got your lovely note asking us to stop by. We were passing by, so we stopped.

[Erica Alexander]

You're the couple from upstairs.

[Kim Coles]

What do we look like, a stripper? Gram? Yeah, we're from upstairs.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, Maude.

[Kim Coles]

Always something smart to say. You can't stop him.

[Erica Alexander]

So I hear.

[Kim Coles]

Can you believe it?

[Erica Alexander]

Sex after 60. Go ahead.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, it is. Yes. I love it.

[Kim Coles]

Well, what I love about them, first of all, say, is growing up in New York, I know who they are, you know, Morton and Morton and Esther. They're Right. Hi, how are you? We stopped, boy. So I love that we, you know. Or Queens. It could be anywhere. You know, it could be. So. I know who they are. And I love that we have that realness right there. Right there in the building.

[Erica Alexander]

They're actually saying that regional accents are dying.

[Cree Summer]

I believe it. I believe it.

[Erica Alexander]

That we're all sort of morphing into the same persons.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Why? Do you think we're losing our access?

[Erica Alexander]

No, I actually don't have that in my mind. But I do think that there are more people who are trying to be alike now. So maybe that's true.

[Cree Summer]

Do you think it's that we're so connected now because of the technology?

[Kim Coles]

I think so. I think you hear so much things, you don't hear. Availability. Right.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. And what does AI sound like now?

[Cree Summer]

An asshole.

[Erica Alexander]

Yep.

[Cree Summer]

That's what the A stands for.

[Kim Coles]

That's what the A stands for. Asshole.

[Erica Alexander]

Asshole. Intelligence.

[Kim Coles]

That's right. Right.

[Erica Alexander]

This is pre Viagra. So what? That was the old man.

[Cree Summer]

That's right.

[Erica Alexander]

Using to get himself going, do you think?

[Kim Coles]

His beautiful wife.

[Cree Summer]

His beautiful wife.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on.

[Cree Summer]

I love it.

[Erica Alexander]

There's nothing more sexy than.

[Cree Summer]

I love it.

[Erica Alexander]

Just the thought of you.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And I forget to do either that or. Okay. Rhinoceros horn and horny goat weed. You can get that.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, right. You can get that at a 7:11.

[Kim Coles]

What do you mean you can get that at a 7:11?

[Cree Summer]

You can? Yeah, it's right at the checkout.

[Kim Coles]

Is it authentic? I don't know how.

[Cree Summer]

Well, I mean, it's a 7 11. Horny goat.

[Erica Alexander]

Exactly.

[Kim Coles]

I need to go to an herbalist. Back in a corner.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, by the way, let me get some horny goat weed.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And I'll take a pack of marbles.

[Kim Coles]

And a pack of condoms. Please.

[Erica Alexander]

Take a pack of this as I'm horning over. Yeah.

[Cree Summer]

I think there are people. People getting older that decide their sex life is dead. And then there's some in those homes that are going, getting it in. They're not playing. They're getting sexually transmitted.

[Kim Coles]

I was about to say STDs. STDs are going up.

[Cree Summer]

Yes. But with older people in those homes.

[Kim Coles]

Maybe they're getting it from outside. And they're bringing her on to. And the guys are sleeping. Whatever.

[Cree Summer]

I think everybody's sleeping with everybody.

[Kim Coles]

The statistics are way up. So they survived World War II to.

[Erica Alexander]

Come in and get gonorrhea?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. That's amazing.

[Erica Alexander]

That's freaking crazy.

[Cree Summer]

That is crazy.

[Kim Coles]

And because people think that they aren't doing it, they're not giving them the protection. Like, they're old folks. They ain't having. No.

[Erica Alexander]

They also think a protection is no babies and all that. But the truth is, like, I can't get pregnant. Let's do this.

[Cree Summer]

Right. But they're not getting other things.

[Erica Alexander]

You can.

[Kim Coles]

I'm a boomer, so we used condoms mostly to prevent pregnancy, not necessarily STDs. And so those folks that are in those homes are full on boomer. Boomer, boomers. And so they didn't think about. They weren't using condoms then.

[Erica Alexander]

We have to give a little props to Yvette Lee Bowser, who is using this to put a twist on the whole thing, that older people don't have.

[Cree Summer]

To give it up to Yvette. Yeah, it was a great idea.

[Kim Coles]

Add the fact that they're healthy, they're going to tai chi, so they're keeping it limber so that they can do leisure wear.

[Cree Summer]

They're in their athleisure wear.

[Kim Coles]

Athleisure wear on their way to tai chi class.

[Cree Summer]

Love it, love it, love it. You know, still early. Do you want to go upstairs and look at a movie or not look at a movie?

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Um, that's a tempting offer, but I gotta get up real early in the morning.

[Cree Summer]

I hear you, man.

[Kim Coles]

How do you all feel about Overton rejecting her? Was he rejecting her?

[Cree Summer]

He was rejecting her.

[Kim Coles]

No, not now.

[Cree Summer]

No. That was a straight up. That was a cold, cold, cold, cold, cruel ending.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, it was a cold, cruel ending.

[Cree Summer]

It was.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Cree Summer]

I mean, she was just. That was such a sweet.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on.

[Kim Coles]

Like, putting it out there.

[Cree Summer]

And that's not easy to be. Especially our generation, for women to be vulnerable and put themselves out there. That was probably very hard for her.

[Erica Alexander]

Absolutely.

[Kim Coles]

She was like, here, you, man. Okay.

[Cree Summer]

Well, yeah. Cause it's like, fuck, now I look like an asshole. I'm out.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. But I do think it was a healthy way that she sort of just said, got it.

[Cree Summer]

Got it.

[Erica Alexander]

See you.

[Cree Summer]

That I did. Like, I think about that.

[Erica Alexander]

I thought that.

[Cree Summer]

You're right. It was.

[Erica Alexander]

No, no.

[Kim Coles]

Like, you don't want this.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

You don't want me.

[Cree Summer]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

It's sort of just like. Got it.

[Cree Summer]

Got it.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay. Healthy.

[Cree Summer]

Healthy.

[Erica Alexander]

How many people are that healthy? With a rejection. With a rejection and played so well by you, who is so loved. We felt it just sort of just like, got it and looked out classy.

[Cree Summer]

And so they did let me go out classy right now.

[Kim Coles]

You could have put it on them. You could have. What do you mean you don't want none of this?

[Cree Summer]

I was just like, she had it in.

[Kim Coles]

No, she didn't. But, you know, there are some women who would have been like, what are you talking about? I'm throwing it at you, man. Come get this.

[Cree Summer]

None of us have ever been that.

[Kim Coles]

No, none of us. But we can't.

[Cree Summer]

I can't even imagine.

[Erica Alexander]

No, me Neither.

[Cree Summer]

That just sounds like hard work.

[Kim Coles]

But, you know, there's some people who would have.

[Cree Summer]

Who's like, there's a lot of people.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm always in shock to see those things.

[Cree Summer]

Me too. I think the confidence, but I also think the delusion. That's what I think.

[Kim Coles]

Or also understanding. I'm willing to throw it all away, because once you do that, most guys aren't going to be like, wow, I'm going to wife you up. Yay. It's like, oh, some free poontang. Let's go.

[Erica Alexander]

Your reactions are your credit score. Come on, come on, come on.

[Kim Coles]

Write that down. Write that down. Drop that down.

[Cree Summer]

That's beautiful.

[Kim Coles]

Write that down. It's real, though.

[Cree Summer]

No, that's so true.

[Erica Alexander]

And so you don't wanna lose points on something where you go, what did I just do there? Because I think you're also attracting that more into your life. She goes out and finds something healthy. She shot her shot. They had a date. A few dates. But she leads with her integrity, and more importantly, he leaves with a sense of. Of himself. They're all intact.

[Cree Summer]

Everything's intact.

[Erica Alexander]

But that's because she's intact.

[Kim Coles]

Mm. You took her to the hardware store.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

That don't mean I'm dating her. Hell, I took you to the hardware store. You not my girlfriend. Are you?

[Kim Coles]

Well, no, but that's what I wanted to talk to you. I mean, when a man and a woman. I mean, when two people. Oh, nuts.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, now you is all the way.

[Kim Coles]

So since you all are saying that she waited till she was pushing, till she was teasing him too much. I don't think she was. I just think she just decided, I'm gonna take this risk. But it's a calculated risk because he likes her, but she's also, I think, trying to get him back from you. Like, she. She doesn't know.

[Cree Summer]

How are you all.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, yeah. She's like, what? Wait a minute, Wait a minute. This little hesitation, he's been. Cause this is two dates they've gone on now.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim Coles]

And, you know, he. She went upstairs. She's been inside the apartment. She's been in.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, one date was in the apartment.

[Kim Coles]

Right. She was watching a movie. Now she's back watching a movie, and she's listening like, oh, here she comes.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, she's left. This is my chance, Overton. Would you like to come and talk to me for some other. This is my chance. Because that hussy is out the door. Let me. Let me seal the deal.

[Cree Summer]

It was so sweet. I just Love how discombobulated she is.

[Kim Coles]

Of course. Of course.

[Cree Summer]

And then that first sweet kiss. And you can hear the audience go, woo.

[Kim Coles]

Cause they've been waiting for it. And that's the other thing, you know, we always talk about, especially we all did sitcoms in which we have audience, had an audience. And not all shows are even done that way anymore. And I mourn that because you form a relationship with the. The audience becomes another character on the show. Right.

[Cree Summer]

In its energy. You can tell Ken's laughter, and you can, oh, my God.

[Kim Coles]

Realize Kan drives me crazy. Have you done shows? And you go, like, what's gonna happen? Oh, don't worry. We'll put it in.

[Cree Summer]

We'll fix it in post.

[Kim Coles]

I'm like, don't do that. And so that audience, they've been watching and waiting, so they're there on the journey with us.

[Cree Summer]

And also, when you have a live audience, they're laughing at things that aren't jokes. They're laughing at these characters that are beloved. They know them. And they'll say, oh, there's. There's Max being Max.

[Erica Alexander]

Max being Max.

[Cree Summer]

And it's not even a punchline.

[Erica Alexander]

No.

[Cree Summer]

Which you're not gonna get with canned laughter.

[Erica Alexander]

No, you're not.

[Kim Coles]

That scene where we cut to you and you're picking your tooth or something, you knew the camera was gonna come to you, and you chose something that the audience could go, that's Max. That's what Matt's. Matt do.

[Erica Alexander]

What does sitcom do so well that other formats don't do?

[Cree Summer]

I mean, I think the real formula for a sitcom is characters, right? And they have to be so individuated. They have to be so distinct so that the audience can say, that's what Max is gonna do. I know what Sinclair is gonna do. I know what Khadijah's gonna do. Because you're looking for yourself.

[Kim Coles]

Ooh, I see.

[Cree Summer]

And another thing I think that sitcoms must have is impeccable timing.

[Erica Alexander]

That part.

[Cree Summer]

You have to know the beat. Like you've just pointed out, she knows the camera's gonna pan to her. Camera four is coming for her. She's fucking ready.

[Kim Coles]

And taking the writing and making it.

[Cree Summer]

Your own, you gotta elevate. Cause sometimes you look at it and go, what is this shit?

[Kim Coles]

No, we've done that a lot of times.

[Cree Summer]

Right. And how do I make this funny? I'll throw myself down the stairs now. It's hilarious.

[Kim Coles]

Right? Right.

[Cree Summer]

And comedy is serious work.

[Kim Coles]

Ooh, please. Thank you.

[Cree Summer]

It needs beats. It needs timing. You need to Know exactly what the fuck you're doing. And that's not funny.

[Kim Coles]

And then I think once you have that structure in place, then there's room to now play. Cause we've talked a lot about how we would throw the ball or expect, you know, you be to trust each other. Yes. And so once you know that we're doing the work and then you can sort of let it breathe and then let it become and see what happens.

[Erica Alexander]

And when I was on the Cosby show, he didn't do any of the rehearsals that much. Like we rehearsed the first day.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. Like just your marks.

[Erica Alexander]

Marks.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Because the whole point was let's not blow the funny.

[Cree Summer]

Let's keep it fresh.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's keep it fresh. Just go with the flow.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. The surprises.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. Fall into it. Yes. Yes. You are an inspiration to us all.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Five minutes after we moved about, you.

[Kim Coles]

Forget all about us. We just met your new neighbor.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

He's a good looking guy.

[Erica Alexander]

I didn't have much time to investigate, but I can tell you this.

[Kim Coles]

He's in sports medicine.

[Erica Alexander]

His favorite color is green. He likes Italian food. He likes girls. You know what I mean? And I did not see a rain.

[Kim Coles]

Hello. Hi.

[Erica Alexander]

Bonjour. Cliffhanger. Hanger.

[Kim Coles]

Morris.

[Cree Summer]

Morris Chest Chestnut. Oh, there's no. There's no s on that, huh?

[Erica Alexander]

No Chestnut.

[Kim Coles]

Only if you want that to be.

[Cree Summer]

Yes, please.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah. Well, listen, may the best woman win. I'm telling you, it's our first two parter, right?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, it's a two part.

[Kim Coles]

First time doing a part.

[Erica Alexander]

It's heating up because, you know, Morris Chestnuts. Let's talk about sex. Are you ready for this?

[Cree Summer]

Yes, of course I bring it on. I'm always ready.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's get to Reverb.

[Kim Coles]

Come on.

[Cree Summer]

Come on, Reverb.

[Kim Coles]

You know what's hit me? Rewatching these episodes, every single character raised the bar and set their own standard of excellence.

[Cree Summer]

Mm.

[Erica Alexander]

Max, she went from legal powerhouse to community advocate. Khadijah built a media empire for the culture before the Internet.

[Kim Coles]

That's right. And Sinclair, who went from assistant to actress with heart and hustle and regime, from boutique bombshell to event planner. Boss.

[Erica Alexander]

Boss. And just like our girls on Living Single, our friends, you at home are making moves like launching your side hustle and landing your dream jobs. And Lexus is right there with you, helping you reset the bar.

[Kim Coles]

You understand something. This is not just a point A to point B journey. It's about riding in a car that meets your vision. Sleek, powerful, luxurious. Comfort's so good. It feels like a spa day in traffic. Woo.

[Erica Alexander]

Because that's how Lexus makes me feel. Amazing.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Yes.

[Kim Coles]

You know what happens when that weather starts dipping and the days get shorter? I become the queen of cozy. Yes. Candles get lit, socks get fuzzy, and Wayfair is my go to for turning my space into a cozy cocoon of joy. They've got everything. Comfy recliners, warm bedding, festive fall decor. And let me tell you, I even found a fabulous little espresso maker on Wayfair that lets me make my own latte at home. It's like having a personal cafe where I could just wear my robe. Now why do I love Wayfair? Well, because they make it so easy. I don't have to hop from store to store. They've got everything in one place, from cookware to couches, lighting to linens. Their styles are curated. They've got options for every budget and the shipping.

[Cree Summer]

Free.

[Kim Coles]

Free. Even the big stuff. My delivery came fast. No drama. No. We'll call you sometime between Tuesday and never. And let's be honest, fall doesn't last forever. This is the moment to get your home ready so you can actually enjoy the season with your people. Whether you're hosting a friendsgiving or just binge watching your faves on your new couch, Wayfair's got what you need to set the vibe right. Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates. From comfy recliners to cozy bedding and autumn decor. Find it all for [e-mail] that's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every home fall is here. And with it comes cooler nights, heartier meals and the craving for something warm and satisfying. That's where HelloFresh comes in, bringing you comforting, chef designed recipes and fresh seasonal ingredients delivered right to your door. This season they've taken things to the next level with their biggest menu refresh yet. Say hello to a whole new way to do dinner. Bigger. HelloFresh has doubled its menu. Now you can choose from 100 options each week, including new seasonal dishes and recipes from around the world. Dig into bigger portions that will keep everybody satisfied. Healthier. Feel great with high protein and veggie packed recipes. HelloFresh now helps you eat greener with new recipes that have two or more veggies and tastier. Get steak and seafood recipes delivered every week at no extra cost. There's three times more seafood on the menu now discover new seasonal produce each week, from snap peas to stone fruit to con on the cob and more. What I love most about HelloFresh is the variety. One night I'm in the mood for Italian, and the next I'm craving something with little Old Spice.

[Erica Alexander]

Boom.

[Kim Coles]

They've got it. Everything's fresh, the recipes are easy to follow and the flavors delicious. I use HelloFresh all the time. And honestly, you should, too. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you. The best way to cook just got better. Go to hellofresh.com Single10FM now to get 10 free meals and a free item for life. One per box with active subscription free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's hellofresh.com Singleton FM to get 10 free meals and a free item for life. You know that feeling when you open your closet, stare at it for five whole minutes and say, ugh, I've got nothing to wear while standing in front of a mountain full of clothes? Now imagine this. You want to try something bold, something new, something that says, look at me in a cute way? Well, that's why I'm living for Nuuly. Nuuly is a subscription clothing rental service that lets you explore your style without buying the whole store. For just $98 a month, you can get any six styles you want. That's right. You pick them for whatever you got going on. A wedding, girls night out, date with destiny. They've got you covered. And let me tell you, the selection is everything. We're talking thousands of styles from brands like favorite daughter, Lisa Says, Ga Reformation, Free People for Love and Lemons and and O. Nuuly gets it right with inclusive sizing, too. Up to 5x tall, petite, even maternity. Can we talk about the joy of no laundry? Yes, they clean everything professionally, so when you're done, you toss it in the return bag and keep it moving fast. Free shipping both ways. And if you fall in love with something, and believe me, you will, you can buy it at a discount. That's a win, win, win. And here's what really sealed it for me. No late fees, no damage fees, no plastic packaging, just reusable totes. And no guilt over buying something that you only wear once. It's fun, it's flexible, and it's way less wasteful. Nuuly lets you express yourself without overcrowding, your closet or your budget. So why don't we make it official now? Nuuly is a great value at $98 a month for any six styles. But right now, you can get $28 off your first month of Nu. When you sign up with the code single. Just go to N U U L Y dot com, that's nuuly with two U's and enter the code single and sign up to get $28 off your first month. That's n u u l y dot com. Nuuly with two u's with the code single. Nuuly subscription clothing rental. Change your clothes.

[Erica Alexander]

The reverb brought to you by Lexus. This is where we reflect, connect and talk about how the episode' still echo in the culture. Because just like our stories, Lexis keeps raising the bar. That's the standard of amazing sex after 50.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, please. Yes, please.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on, come on now. How is sex now? Let's talk about it. Let's talk all about it.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk all about it.

[Kim Coles]

But there was a time when you didn't talk about it, that after a certain age, it's assumed that you're all dried up, that you're not wanted anymore. Nobody wants you.

[Cree Summer]

And when you're younger, you're saying, oh, that's gross. Yeah, there's a lot of. That's gross.

[Kim Coles]

Well, because you're thinking of your older relatives and people and like, oh, they're still doing it, so. But now it's a revolution. Boom, chicken.

[Cree Summer]

Boom, chicken.

[Kim Coles]

Wah, wah. Where do we begin? Where do we insert it in?

[Erica Alexander]

Well, let's talk about the freedom. Because one of the things.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk about freedom. Do you want to know the truth? I'm having better sex now than I ever had in my life. I think I enjoyed sex when I was younger, but it was performative. Many times something had to get me loose or to set me free. And at this age, everything is where it is. I breastfed two babies and I've been through some shit and nothing. It doesn't look like it used to, but it feels better. Because I don't have the ability to put on a performance. I don't have the ability to pretend you get the honor to be alive for this long. Who the fuck wants to do all that?

[Kim Coles]

What was the switch for you that you switched that all off?

[Cree Summer]

Honestly, it's so gonna sound crazy. I think it was when I went into menopause because my body became out of my control. Yes, you can't control it. Right. Our new band, the Hot. Ladies and gentlemen, the Hot Flashes. When your body starts behaving in a way that you have no control, then you don't have that 20 year old control. Where it's like, oh, I'm gonna pose like this and I'm gonna moan like this. And it's all just a Hollywood hand job in the end. But now it's. Now I think it's just delighting in how present I am. And like I said, I feel like I wanna try all kinds of things. And I'm becoming less shy. I used to be quite shy.

[Erica Alexander]

The rose is at its best bloom. And that's when we're the most shy.

[Cree Summer]

And that's when we're the most shy. What a great way to put it.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. And then when it starts to sort of devolve or fall apart, that's when we're like open. Yes. And it just feels bad. What kind of psychopaths are we?

[Cree Summer]

I don't know. Well, let's just talk. Being a woman is a hard gig in the.

[Erica Alexander]

Right. In the first fucking place that you had kids. I don't have kids.

[Kim Coles]

I don't have children.

[Erica Alexander]

Sometime you're also looking to breed.

[Cree Summer]

Yes. Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

You're not doing that anymore.

[Cree Summer]

No.

[Erica Alexander]

I think menopause is the remover.

[Cree Summer]

I think menopause is the remover.

[Erica Alexander]

It could be.

[Cree Summer]

It set me free.

[Kim Coles]

It used to be a place of sadness. That means you're done. That means it's over. And we have reclaimed it. Women have begun to claim it. And I actually give.

[Cree Summer]

Just recently, by the way, just recently.

[Kim Coles]

I give Suzanne Somers a lot of credit for reclaiming it. And a lot of people thought that she was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Cause she was, you know, rubbing creams on herself.

[Cree Summer]

I love Susanna.

[Kim Coles]

I loved it. I immediately was like, let me explore. So I can either lay down and die and be done, or I can just do some homework around this thing. And there's more and more information now. There's no reason not to remain moist or find a way to add some moisture and all the things.

[Cree Summer]

And I'm still a myth. That's not always true.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's talk about that.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk about men.

[Erica Alexander]

People get scared. Like you get drier and you don't have periods anymore. There's a lack of physical fitness. Some people are not. Not working out as much. So they don't. It's not just their body falls apart, their motivation falls apart.

[Cree Summer]

Your motivation and your hormones, no one is the same. Your menopause is not my menopause. It's not Erica's menopause.

[Kim Coles]

And that's the first thing.

[Cree Summer]

That's the first thing. And in 2025, we finally have a documentary about fucking menopause.

[Erica Alexander]

Can you believe that?

[Cree Summer]

Are you talk about the patriarchy? These motherfuckers don't want us to know anything about ourselves.

[Erica Alexander]

Nothing.

[Cree Summer]

They would love us to be completely.

[Erica Alexander]

Ignorant about this, this powerful machine.

[Cree Summer]

Listen, there's only one way to come onto this earth and that's through us.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on.

[Cree Summer]

And they don't want us to know.

[Erica Alexander]

This is the trans Am earth.

[Cree Summer]

It's the only way to get here. I think about my daughters and I think, you know, they're 12 and 14. By the time they go through menopause, God is willing, doctors will start knowing about menopause. I didn't even know you could get cold flashes. I didn't know all kinds of shit. Well, they don't even study.

[Kim Coles]

They don't study it in medical school. Three years.

[Erica Alexander]

Are you kidding me? I moved my shoulder for a year and a half. I kept going, what's going on my shoulder? And then I read about it and actually, maybe. Was it psychosomatic that I read about it? Suddenly it went away.

[Cree Summer]

But I mean, it does just go away. But I went to see an orthopedic doctor and guess what he said? He said, well, it's not considered an actual medical condition, but I notice it in a lot of menopausal women. And I wanted to say, fuck you.

[Kim Coles]

You study this man.

[Cree Summer]

All of a sudden wake up and this motherfucker won't move.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, it's like, what's going on?

[Cree Summer]

And it hurts.

[Kim Coles]

I had such horrendous periods. And I was having fibroids and fibroids removed and then more fibroids and then fibroids removed. And I was 48 years old and went to the doctor. I kept my ovaries, but we removed the uterus. This one walked me through the. She came to take care of me.

[Erica Alexander]

While I was there.

[Kim Coles]

She said, we can save the uterus, but your uterus actually wouldn't be a hospitable place for a baby to live because I'd had all these fibroids and all these surgeries. And so I made the decision to get rid of the uterus but keep the ovary. So I didn't go into menopause right away because I was still, you know, making. Making hormones. Right.

[Erica Alexander]

How long ago? When did you get to menopause?

[Kim Coles]

I would say mid-50s is when it began to go like. I've been waking up in a cold sweat every night. What is this?

[Cree Summer]

Oh, and I'm raging all the fucking time for me.

[Kim Coles]

Rain brain Fog.

[Cree Summer]

Brain fog.

[Kim Coles]

Just like, am I adhd?

[Erica Alexander]

What is that?

[Kim Coles]

So for me, for me, it was, you know, I'm. I think I'm smart. I think I'm smart. Oh, you are, right. But, you know. But you go, like, I'm not smart today. Like, I can't remember what I'm supposed to do. And I would start something and go, okay, I'm gonna go to do this. What was I doing five minutes ago? Just. Just like. And literally, you would feel like a fa. Like, just, what. What am I doing today? I don't know.

[Erica Alexander]

What?

[Kim Coles]

I. I can't remember. I just. I don't want. Would just get, like. And then there's, you know, herbal formulas you can take. And I. I like to go natural before I go. So I always say I go east before going west. So acupuncture helped, herbal formulas helped. And you have to find the. You're right. No one woman goes through it the same way. So you have to find what works for you. And eventually I decided to get hormone replacement therapy. And then there's many versions of that. There's, you know, the pellets they can put at the top of your. Your butt, or they. Oh, they insert them.

[Erica Alexander]

I know.

[Kim Coles]

Bioidentical. They put them at the top of your butt.

[Erica Alexander]

At the top of your butt. You're supposed to hold that in all day?

[Kim Coles]

No.

[Erica Alexander]

Does it melt? What kind of butt you got? You have a high ass.

[Kim Coles]

I do have a high ass. They inserted in surgically insult.

[Cree Summer]

Under the skin.

[Kim Coles]

Under the skin.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, God.

[Kim Coles]

Like on your hip. And then I had it for. I tried that for a while. It's time release. So over the course of three or four months, the. The measurement that they decide for you, a little bit of estrogen, a little bit of testosterone. Sometimes you need progesterone. Just get your. Get. Do your test.

[Cree Summer]

Do you know I've done nothing.

[Kim Coles]

You've done nothing? Not even herbal formulas? Not even rubbing yam on your nothing.

[Cree Summer]

I've been raw dogging this.

[Kim Coles]

Raw dogging.

[Erica Alexander]

I think I'm kind of in her thing that I'm not doing much.

[Kim Coles]

Why would you.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, because you know what? I'm 55. And also I didn't have. So my mother. My mother, who has six kids, I asked her when she went into menopause, she said it didn't come soon enough. So I knew it came late because she couldn't remember. And so, like, at 53, when I still had my period, 54, I still had my period. And I was like, this is Ridiculous. Like, I was getting a myomectomy again. And then finally, after this surgery, which to me, you know, he did the best he could. I was. The blood was pouring.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And I said, I can't take this anymore. I was miserable. And I said this. I'm getting my uterus out now. I was gonna. And then it sor. Started to go away, and there was this sort of thing. And I said, I think this is happening. But I was so relieved. But then I didn't know that there would be this grief. Like, I'd been with you since 12, and now I'm going away. Who are you now? And up until that point, then I started thinking, well, what is menopause? And it wasn't anything that people told me. I had no hot flashes. I just had a sense that it was going away.

[Cree Summer]

Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

And in your space, I thought, I have been raw dogging, because I haven't had. Had hot flashes in that way. Every now and then, I'll get warm, but not to the point where it's like in my.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, I flash.

[Erica Alexander]

It's a flash. Five minutes, ten.

[Cree Summer]

They're all different.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Cree Summer]

Sometimes I'll have one that is so heavy, it feels like I'm getting vertigo. And sometimes I have. Where I just like, ooh, I'm on fire. They really differ, but I love it. Interesting that you said something that I want to talk about. You said you had some grief.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, yeah.

[Cree Summer]

I did, too.

[Kim Coles]

So do we all?

[Cree Summer]

Yeah. I had a moment where it was official that.

[Kim Coles]

But.

[Cree Summer]

You'Re really on the next. No one's on the next side. We're on the other side now. And it is a grieving to no longer be fertile. And I think it's been shoved down our throats that then you're no longer viable because we're just breeders. May the Lord open. Right. And so, yeah, I don't know how much of that mourning has been programmed or if it's real, because if we were women were just allowed to evolve and change, maybe we wouldn't grieve. Maybe we'd be like, okay, on to the next.

[Erica Alexander]

There should be a celebration.

[Cree Summer]

It should be. That's why I think I always talk about ceremony. Modern man has no ceremony for these important things. We have to make them.

[Erica Alexander]

And you told the story about how when you have a baby, there's a first drop of blood, and then they go. And the ceremony is too.

[Cree Summer]

Well, the ceremony is that the sisters are surrounding the birthing mother, and the first drop of blood that hits the cloth, her Friends and sisters take that cloth and they bury it and they have a ceremony. Like a ritual ceremony. Well, it's like they bury her and they mourn their friend and they cry for her and they say, God, we're gonna miss her. And then they go back to her as she's birthing and they interdict. She gets to introduce herself to the tribe as a mama. She's a new person.

[Erica Alexander]

She's a new person.

[Cree Summer]

And that's the same way I feel about menopause. That's how I feel. We are new people. Yes. And we like who we are.

[Erica Alexander]

We like who we are.

[Cree Summer]

We like who we.

[Erica Alexander]

I need to reintroduce myself to myself and your tribe and my tribe. To my man.

[Cree Summer]

Yes, to my man.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm different.

[Cree Summer]

I'm different.

[Erica Alexander]

You gotta come at me here and you gotta learn me now.

[Kim Coles]

And you gotta learn you now. You gotta learn you.

[Erica Alexander]

Right, but I gotta learn you.

[Cree Summer]

But that to your point? You gotta learn you now. Isn't it easier if your tribe is holding that space?

[Erica Alexander]

Sure.

[Cree Summer]

Saying she's learning herself.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's talk about looks really quickly.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, yeah, let's talk about looks.

[Erica Alexander]

My skin got looser, like, almost overnight, and I was like, what the fuck's that looser like on me?

[Cree Summer]

I also had a really dramatic weight loss when I went into menopause, which.

[Erica Alexander]

Is because people usually gain difference.

[Cree Summer]

Let's talk about misinformation.

[Erica Alexander]

You're right.

[Cree Summer]

Right. There she is telling us all it ain't true.

[Erica Alexander]

Got it.

[Kim Coles]

And that's not true for everybody.

[Cree Summer]

It's not true for everybody.

[Kim Coles]

Do your homework.

[Cree Summer]

Everybody has a different menopause. But I love that you brought up that saggy skin. It is a hard fucking thing, a mountain to climb, because you keep trying.

[Erica Alexander]

To get back to something that you know and going, wait a minute, that's not gonna happen.

[Cree Summer]

Not coming. But, yeah, I mean, I'm exercising my ass off. I don't know, you know, but.

[Kim Coles]

So this is hard.

[Erica Alexander]

It's hard.

[Kim Coles]

So what I would say to both of you because you both are raw dogging it. Is it right? Right. You said that because you said it.

[Erica Alexander]

And I said it because I'm influenced by it.

[Kim Coles]

Right. So you're both raw dogging it. I'm saying, is it possible that you. There are supplements that you can take. There are things that you can supplement so that it wouldn't. Like if you're having loose skin, is there something that you could take that would change that? Is there a tea that you could.

[Erica Alexander]

Drink, like your hormones?

[Kim Coles]

Yeah. Like, my life changed. I tell you, the brain fog went away. The juiciness that had gone away is now back. Like I did the homework for me, it is now back.

[Cree Summer]

That's sign language for it.

[Erica Alexander]

It's back.

[Kim Coles]

But wait, listen. Things that had moved. You take estrogen. Guess what?

[Erica Alexander]

It's like Superman.

[Cree Summer]

I did not know that.

[Kim Coles]

Find yourself a great doctor. Somebody who will listen to you. Somebody.

[Erica Alexander]

Place AD here plays for whom that.

[Kim Coles]

Will listen to you. Somebody who. For whom this is their specialty. And then you get to decide.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Because you're both so smart and because you're both, you know, informed and. What? I'm just saying there might be something that would then alleviate some of that. Brain fog was a mama jammer for me.

[Erica Alexander]

I do think that I'm much hornier.

[Cree Summer]

Than I thought, much hornier than I've ever been.

[Kim Coles]

I don't know, what, 50 times, guess what? And then there's menopause.

[Cree Summer]

But does menopause make every woman horny? I don't think so.

[Kim Coles]

No. No. Again, you said it's individual.

[Cree Summer]

Yeah, me too.

[Erica Alexander]

Horny. This might become something different. Yes, yes.

[Cree Summer]

It's very funny.

[Erica Alexander]

You know, I don't want it. Get out of here. Get out of here. I'll call you later.

[Kim Coles]

I'll call you later. So I'm going to ask you both a question. Are you raw dogging the pain of not having what you want, too? Are you denying what you really want by not exploring what you could have possibly.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, no, I'm getting.

[Kim Coles]

Okay, well, you're getting here.

[Cree Summer]

I'm taking care of it.

[Kim Coles]

Okay. Oh, good.

[Erica Alexander]

What do you mean?

[Kim Coles]

In other words, like, so you're both like, I'm in menopause. I'm not taking anything for it. I'm having these things, but I'm not having these things. I'm doing this. I'm horny. Do something about it. Do something about it.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, no, no, no.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, no, we're doing something about that.

[Kim Coles]

Don't be complaining. Like, get it in. Get it in somehow.

[Erica Alexander]

Just the other night, our producer Amber tells me about a rose that she says is interesting to get.

[Cree Summer]

I do.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay, so first of all, the rose is a vi.

[Kim Coles]

And you guys.

[Erica Alexander]

Are you guys not familiar? No, I'm not the only ignoramus.

[Kim Coles]

I'm going to show you guys.

[Erica Alexander]

So we were talking about this episode, and we were talking about sex, and we were talking about vibrators, and you were saying, erica, like, vibrators look so different now.

[Cree Summer]

And I'm like, yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And nowadays they have Something where it's a clitoral sucking and it's a rose.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, oh, oh. Oh, shit.

[Erica Alexander]

So vibrators have evolved. Evolved over time. No, they're gorgeous.

[Cree Summer]

They look like fucking Lamborghinis now.

[Erica Alexander]

They're for sure. I'm sure it floats.

[Kim Coles]

Yes, it floats your boat. So to speak.

[Erica Alexander]

So listen, we have. How do media and pop culture in 2025 handle mature people in sexuality? Because you have Baby Girl.

[Cree Summer]

Oh, baby girl. I watched it six times.

[Kim Coles]

I haven't seen it.

[Cree Summer]

I haven't seen it. I fucking love this movie. I. I don't wanna spoil anything. Just watch it alone.

[Kim Coles]

Okay. With a rose. With a rose.

[Cree Summer]

Watch it with a rose.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes.

[Cree Summer]

But, you know, I worked on a television show. I did three seasons of a show called Better Things that Pam Adlon created. And I was a staff writer in the last season. And I have to tell you that that show was one of the first times I've seen all the women are over 50 and it's not what we're always talking about. And it's. They're sexual and they're smart and they're deep. And there's not a lot of shows about women over 50 or even in their 40s.

[Kim Coles]

So we know that the audience is aging and there's an audience for it. So give it to us.

[Cree Summer]

We've always worshiped youth.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, so Cree, you are a creator, actor, writer, director, all of those things. What movie would you make around sex?

[Cree Summer]

Well, I think, honestly, it would be. I would want to talk about the next phase of discovering your sexuality. I'd love to see a movie about a woman who comes alive in her 50s and, you know, Diane Keaton. Diane Keaton.

[Kim Coles]

What movie was that? That Diane Keaton. And she actually was naked in the movie?

[Cree Summer]

Yes. Oh, I'm glad I could remember.

[Kim Coles]

Is that the plot?

[Cree Summer]

But no, honestly, it's such a weird reaction. I know you're talking about sex, but I think it would have something to with do with friendships. I wanna see movies with women taking care of each other and being good to each other as we get older, because I think that's what we really do. A little less mothering and a little more sistering. I think I would like to see.

[Kim Coles]

Nice.

[Erica Alexander]

I think that I'd like to see. Well, you know, they've got these human robots and they talk a lot about what it's gonna do for dudes, but what if I had my own.

[Cree Summer]

Like a walking, talking rose?

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. I walk into work, I'm home to greet me. Is this robot Thing that knows what to do.

[Cree Summer]

Oh my God.

[Erica Alexander]

Puts me to bed at night, you.

[Cree Summer]

Know, and can I be in that movie?

[Erica Alexander]

Absolutely.

[Cree Summer]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

Would that person become a recluse? What does it say about that person where they.

[Cree Summer]

Does that make you a shut in by the way?

[Erica Alexander]

There is this movement and we talked about it because women are starting to live with each other.

[Cree Summer]

I noticed, right.

[Erica Alexander]

They're saying I'm not breeders, young women. And they're literally saying I don't need this jive stuff. And I'm saying, but what do those women become? And I'm not saying it has to be bad.

[Cree Summer]

No.

[Erica Alexander]

But who do we advance? What is the evolution of women?

[Cree Summer]

We all say, well, what is the.

[Erica Alexander]

Relatedness when we say we don't need you anymore. You're not protecting us, you're not actually giving. So we take care of ourselves. But do we? Who do we evolve to?

[Cree Summer]

Who do we evolve to?

[Erica Alexander]

It's about evolution.

[Cree Summer]

I'm so interested in where this is going in the real world.

[Erica Alexander]

Listen, the advice for generations coming. We are the ghost of Christmas Future. That's what I always say we are. What can we get? What can we say to people?

[Kim Coles]

I remember the day that I noticed that I was invisible. At a certain age you become just invisible and it's just to be curious about finding something within yourself that's worthy of continuing on the way that you want to continue on. So self reflective work first. So before we figure out all the pills and all the things and what's it's like self reflective work, I would.

[Cree Summer]

Tell them to stay present and don't abandon yourself, stay in your own body. Because I remember when I was young I was always leaving myself. Learn to be uncomfortable and don't abandon yourself when you are.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

That's what I would say. I think we're all on the same vibe. Because I think that it's what you saying that would sort of mix and I'd say the same thing. Cause I was thinking what would I tell them? Well, I'd like to try to tell them to maybe take acting classes, performance classes. Oh yes. Because I think.

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

What makes me this way now is that somewhere when I was very young I took a six week course and yes, that's where I was discovered. But in that course we had to wear clothes that were tight fitting. We had to look in the mirror. They told us to take mirrors home. To your point about curiosity. And look at our vaginas. Look to see what it looked like. Look at our. For the young men. Look at Your bits, you know, know what it looks like, know what your body, the mold, all of that. And what they were asking you to do was explore yourself. But I do think that in performance, by masking and being other people, you can try on things that are scary in real life, but you can be that vamp. If you don't feel comfortable, then go somewhere where you can do that and enact these masks, these great women here, show you each time, I believe, how you can perform a version of yourself and become more of that if you'd like, and invite yourself into a realm that maybe is within you, but you may not see. So.

[Cree Summer]

And you don't have to be like all your fucking friends.

[Kim Coles]

You have permission to put the phone down. Your permission to explore. There you go. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

Cree, someone.

[Kim Coles]

One of one. You are one. You are one of one.

[Erica Alexander]

And the one.

[Cree Summer]

Stop it. You're gonna make me cry.

[Kim Coles]

I love you.

[Cree Summer]

I love you so much. Thank you. I love you guys.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you. We did it.

[Cree Summer]

We did it. Anyway.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay, so this is True Blue, the segment where we hear from our friends. What do you got for us, Amber? All right, so we actually have a friend here today in the flesh. Well, via Zoom.

[Kim Coles]

Via Zoom. This is live one. We got a live one. Reliving single.

[Erica Alexander]

Our first real live.

[Kim Coles]

Hello. Hello, love.

[Erica Alexander]

Who are you?

[Kim Coles]

Tell us all about you and your question.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

See, I am the self appointed head Flavor Digital correspondent and I just wanted to say thank you to the both of you and to the entire cast for honestly raising me. There's not an era of my life that does not include this show. And you all taught me how. You taught me that it was possible to be black and quirky and cool and driven and all of those things. So I'm so, so, so happy to be here, to be able to thank you face to face.

[Erica Alexander]

We're thrilled and thank you so much. This is a first. So you are breaking our cherry here.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

And I'm so glad to be the first. So my question, My question is this. I know Sinclair had a stint with the actors helping actors line where Khadijah famously told her, don't play with a loaded phone in the house. Do you remember that? The hotline that she worked on?

[Kim Coles]

Okay, okay. Huh? Yes. Okay.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Yes. And then Max had her stint where she ran for alderman. Right. It was Alton Alderman.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right. There are no Alder people in New York. But yes, I ran for alderman.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Yes. Where she famously said, crime. Not on my street.

[Erica Alexander]

Not on my street.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

But to me, honestly, it showed me that these characters were being fearlessly involved in their community. And so I was wondering, in these trying times, how do you think your characters would show up for their community in 2025?

[Kim Coles]

Ooh, that's a good question, Scott.

[Erica Alexander]

Great question.

[Kim Coles]

I don't have a specific answer except that, first of all, I loved how involved we were in each other's lives, whether we wanted to be or not. You know, we were close. We were physically close. Right. You were always over at our house. So we were always involved in each other's lives. And I would like to believe that that would still continue in that any interest that someone had, you know, we would be invited. So let's say, for example, Kyle had an event at his office and said, you know, we were collecting, you know, food or cans or clothing for the, you know, for the less fortunate. I believe that all of us would come and rally together to support him and rallied together to support each other. So I think that our friendships would have grown and we would have supported each other in our interests in that way and thereby touching further in the community. Like, I always call it the ripple in the pond. So whatever change you're making in the world, I'm gonna be there with you, along with you, and bringing my own energy, my own force. So that's how I would say it. I don't know what specifics, but all of the ways.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. You know what, Rob? It's a great question. I actually think, because let me just take the trajectory that Yvette Lee Bowser had sort of set forward or set the path for the character, that she was looking for something. She had gotten fired from her job. She didn't know what to do. She became, I think, an advocate for clients. After she ran for Alder Woman. She actually, remember, she had a good conversation with JC character like Jesus Christ that was played by Harold Perrineau. She was at an ashram. She'd gotten pregnant, meaning she was doing things very fast. I thought the character Maxine Shaw lived very quickly like she wanted to. She experienced things like in a time.

[Kim Coles]

Warp, like almost impulsively.

[Erica Alexander]

Impulsively, yeah. And I think that if she on that trajectory had had a child and then was also, you know, divinely, you know, tethered to the Kyle character, that she probably used some of that knowledge that she was gaining about self. Self exploration, but also then through the child to be and still be an advocate, but also now to use entrepreneurship and weaponize her knowledge about the law and about the least of these, which was what the JC character was all about to do something in the world to create a mission. Not to have her own mission, but to create a mission. So I think she's somewhere with having raised a ton of money through Kyle's, you know, skill sets, doing something that's bigger than life. And I mean, not just larger than life, bigger than her own life, and probably being overwhelmed by it and pissed off by it, but it's of her own making. That's what I'd like to think, that she grew in a way exponentially that might have gotten her into a little bit of deep water and that she's probably trying to figure out. I've got all this stuff going now. How can I get away from it? Because I do think that that's what happens. You can create things and then figure, too many people are depending on me. I'm no longer myself. Who am I? I'd like to think that that's what she's doing still for the community, but maybe a little bit confused about how she finds herself again.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for having me. The first and best.

[Erica Alexander]

Very clearly the first. He claimed it.

[Kim Coles]

He claimed it. The first.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Absolutely. I love you all so much, and I. I really can't wait to continue to watch the show with you. I watch it on my own every day, but getting to watch it with you guys has been really, really special. And, yeah, I love you.

[Erica Alexander]

We love you.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

We are nothing without. Thank you.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

And woo, woo, woo, woo. Ride the maverick and yes. Ride the maverick.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you. That's awesome.

[Kim Coles]

Nice, Nice.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on, Kim.

[Kim Coles]

And the flavor and the flavor background.

[Erica Alexander]

Flavor background is off the chain. That's our show, y'.

[Cree Summer]

All.

[Erica Alexander]

That's our show.

[Kim Coles]

What a great show it was.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes.

[Kim Coles]

We had a great time today and a treat having cree summer in the building.

[Erica Alexander]

In the building. Thank you, Cree, for joining us. Thank you so much and taking this trip down memory lane. Fran, if you are loving this ride, and we know you are, and thank you so much, Rob, for being there. Keep it going. Subscribe and tell all of your friends.

[Kim Coles]

Right. Follow us at Reliving single podcast on all. You can catch us on YouTube and Spotify and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And all the places.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, all the places. And we'll see you next week.

[Kim Coles]

We'll be here.

[Erica Alexander]

Reliving single is hosted by me, Eric Alexander, and me, Kim Coles. Reliving single is a production of heartbeat in association with color farm media executive.

[Kim Coles]

Produced by Kevin hart, Jeff clanagan, Eric eddings, Leslie Guam, Erica Alexander and Ben Arnott.

[Erica Alexander]

The show is produced by Kim Coles.

[Kim Coles]

Amber Watson is our senior producer.

[Erica Alexander]

Our associate producer is Kenny Jackson.

[Kim Coles]

Our other associate producer is Electra Telesford. Our video editor is Nee Kirschman.

[Erica Alexander]

Our sound engineers are Eric Hicks and Cedric Wilson.

[Kim Coles]

Production supervision by Razak Boykin and Brett Calkins.

[Erica Alexander]

Additional production support from Alex Atkins and Z. Taylor.

[Kim Coles]

Special thanks to BK Augustine and Dr. E.J. johnson.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

Olivia loves a challenge. It's why she lifts heavy weights and likes complicated recipes. But for booking her trip to Paris.

[Kim Coles]

Olivia chose the easy way.

[Guest/Producer/Caller]

With Expedia, she bundled her flight with a hotel to save more. Of course, she still climbed all 674 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. You were made to take the easy route. We were made to easily package your trip. Expedia Made to travel Flight inclusive packages are atoll protected.