The Crooked Singing Competition with Eugene Cordero

Summary

Scam Goddess: “The Crooked Singing Competition with Eugene Cordero” (March 24, 2020)

Host: Laci Mosley
Guest: Eugene Cordero

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Episode Overview

In this lively, laughter-filled episode of Scam Goddess, host Laci Mosley and comedian/actor Eugene Cordero (Tacoma FD, The Dumbbells) dive deep into one of reality TV’s wildest cons: WB’s Superstar USA, the notorious singing competition where the clueless worst singer wins. The duo dish on classic reality show scams, audience manipulation, personal scam stories, and more, always with the show’s irreverent, comedic tone. They also discuss the “scammer of the week”—Chad Focus, the rapper who spent $4.1 million of stolen company funds trying to buy his own fame.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Relationships with Scams

[02:01-03:28]

• Laci and Eugene trade stories about being “marks” and “scammers,” joking that “there’s only marks and scammers.”
• Laci admits falling for a magazine write-up scam, even submitting her friends’ emails for data mining:

  "They got me and I gave away 10 of my good friend’s email addresses to a data mining system. I don’t regret it. I wrote it." — Laci Mosley (03:06)

• Eugene confesses to feeling like both a scammer and a mark at different times.

2. Listener Letter: Scamming Free Theater Tickets

[04:37-07:15]

• Listener "Ol Otis" details a clever scam to get into sold-out theater for free by appearing frantic and convincing staff to hand over a ticket just before showtime.

• Laci and Eugene break down the acting required, noting it only works on empathetic staff and “is deserving of a ticket.”

  “The performance that has to go along with this is deserving of a ticket.” — Eugene (06:14)

• The conversation segues into customer service workers immune to empathy scams—cue a hilarious Spirit Airlines rant.

3. Spirit Airlines as a Metaphor for Indifference

[07:13-11:20]

• Laci and Eugene riff on the “trauma-trained” employees of Spirit Airlines and share personal horror stories, with Laci relating her own tale of a delayed, then “un-delayed” Spirit flight that she missed.

4. Small-Time Cons & Fake ID Stories

[11:20-13:55]

• The duo share stories of using fake IDs and scammy airport upgrades.
• Eugene’s technique: playing nonchalant with bouncers by “accidentally” presenting a fake ID and pretending to have just turned 21.

  “I’d hand him the fake ID and go, ‘Oh, fuck, this is my fake… I just turned 21 last week. I forgot, I put the other one in my pants.” — Eugene (12:10)

• Laci adds, “the more nonchalant you act about having a fake ID, the better chances.”

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Main Segment: Historic Hoodwinks – WB Superstar USA

[14:17-47:35]

The Premise

• Superstar USA (2004): A parody of American Idol where producers secretly seek America’s worst, not best, singer.

  “Superstar USA told contestants that they were looking for the best singer and that they were actually looking for the worst.” — Laci (15:11)

• Judges included Christopher Briggs, rapper Tone Lōc, and Vitamin C.

• Auditions: Good singers are rejected; terrible singers advance.

Notable Contestants & Results

[17:46-19:48]

• Contest winner Jamie Foss: "could barely carry a tune" (15:46).

• Jamie’s audition includes singing while reading lyrics from her hand:

  “She is looking at her hand throughout the singing.” — Laci (18:49)
  “Maybe she, like, took a breath, looked at her hand, and then was, like, in the right register…” — Eugene (19:13)

• Judges continually mock Jamie and reference her physical appearance (20:00).

Production Scams & Audience Deceit

[20:54-24:25]

• Producers feared the audience would laugh at bad singers, so they told them contestants were terminally ill Make-A-Wish recipients:

  “They falsely informed them that the singers were all terminally ill young people…having a wish fulfilled by a charitable organization.” — Laci (20:54)

• Executive producer Mike Fleiss later claims he told them it was the (fictional) “One Wish Foundation,” not Make-A-Wish.

  “First of all, it was me…But I did not say make a Wish. I said, who’s heard of One Wish Foundation?” — Mike Fleiss, quoted by Laci (24:05)

Morality of Reality TV Scams

[31:00-32:32]

• Former crew and audience members describe the show as “morally reprehensible,” but admit sticking around for the paycheck.
• The hosts debate if working for a bad show makes you complicit:

  “If you say that it’s reprehensible. And then you cash your check every week…” — Laci (32:11)

The Big Reveal

[41:00-43:13]

• Jamie, the winner, is finally told the reality:

  “We weren’t really looking for America’s best singer. We were looking for someone who thought they were America’s best singer. Jamie, we lied to you when we said you were a great singer.” — Host (42:16)

• She receives $50k, a “recording deal,” and then a $50k bonus for being a sport.
• Runner-up Mario received $10k.
• Jamie’s post-show interview:

  “I really would like to be taken seriously. So that’s why I’d like to get some training. And…recording studios can make anybody sound really good.” — Jamie (45:18)

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Sidebar Highlights & Quotables

• [21:10] Eugene: “That scam [lying to audience about Make-A-Wish] is probably the best one of the whole production.”
• [29:46] Laci: On producers sabotaging singers: “They would lower volume or suddenly shift tempos…so now they're fucking with these people.”
• [32:11] Laci: “If you work for a bad organization, and obviously this is not as bad as Nazis…I’m not saying that at all. But if you say that it’s reprehensible and then you cash your check every week...”
• [45:29] Laci: “You hear some of your faves live and you be like, who did it and how? Yeah, where did the throat go?”

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Scammer of the Week: Chad Focus

[48:29-59:35]

The Scheme

• Baltimore rapper Chad Focus (real name Chad Arrington) spent $4.1 million in stolen company funds on billboards, fake Spotify streams, and buying his own concert tickets to look like a star.

  “He used the company American Express card to spend $4.1 million to maintain the illusion that Chad Focus was the number one recording artist in the world.” — Laci (51:05)

• Methods included:
  • Billboard ads
  • Buying followers & sponsored Instagram posts
  • Purchasing fake streams/bundles (52:26-53:16)
• Facing 20 years in prison.

Chad Focus’s Music

• The hosts listen to Chad’s song “Cents” and roast the production “talent.”

  “You can buy streams. Streams, yeah…But buying streams is so…But here’s the issue: If you’re buying streams, who’s listening?” — Laci (52:54, 53:16)

• Song verdict: “The talent jumped out…That was like Travis Scott.” — Laci (58:20); “He didn’t have time, though. He starts off by saying, I don’t have time…” — Eugene (58:25)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [06:14] Eugene: “The performance that has to go along with this [theater scam] is deserving of a ticket.”
• [20:54] Laci: “They falsely informed them the singers were all terminally ill young people having a wish fulfilled…”
• [29:46] Laci: “They would…lower the volume of the pre recorded accompanying music or suddenly shift tempos…”
• [32:11] Laci: “If you say that it’s reprehensible, and then you cash your check every week…”
• [45:18] Jamie (winner of Superstar USA): “I really would like to be taken seriously. That’s why I’d like to get some training. And, you know, recording studios can make anybody sound really good.”

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Welcome and Guest Intro | 00:00 – 01:20 | | Scam Stories (marks vs. scammers, personal stories) | 02:01 – 03:28 | | Listener Scam Letter (Theater Ticket Hack) | 04:37 – 07:15 | | Spirit Airlines Rant/Analogies | 07:13 – 11:20 | | Fake ID / Small-Time Scammer Stories | 11:20 – 13:55 | | Historic Hoodwinks — WB Superstar USA Deep Dive | 14:17 – 47:35 | | Production & Audience Scams | 20:54 – 24:25 | | Morality of Reality TV | 31:00 – 32:32 | | The Big Reveal to Jamie | 41:00 – 43:13 | | Commentary on Reality TV Exploitation | 43:13 – 47:35 | | Scammer of the Week: Chad Focus | 48:29 – 59:35 | | Ending/Plugs | 60:32 – 62:11 |

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Takeaways

• Reality TV can literally be built on scams, sometimes manipulating not just contestants but also live audiences and staff.
• Superstar USA is perhaps the wildest example—humiliating hopefuls while lying to everyone involved.
• Scamming isn't always criminal; sometimes it's as small as getting past TSA or using a cousin’s fake ID, but there’s always performance (and sometimes, a little guilt) involved.
• In the music world, manufactured fame through bots, paid streams, and social media deception can only get you so far—eventually, you’ll run out of Focus (and out of cash).
• As always: “Stay schemin’!”

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Stay schemin’, Con-gregation!

Transcript

[Lacey Mosley]

Scams C, Robbery and Frauds. Scams C, Robbery and Fraud. Scam Goddess. What's poppin, Congregation? It's YA Girl, Scam Goddess. AKA Lacey Mosley. Yes. I named the show after me. We are back with another installment of, you guessed it, Scam Goddess. And I know y' all get annoyed with me caus I say I'm super excited for a guest, but I am super duper excited for this guest. Wait, I'm gonna have to have you list your credits, Eugene, because I was about to say the fire show wrong. This is Eugene Cordero.

[Eugene Cordero]

Hi.

[Lacey Mosley]

What is the name of the fire show?

[Eugene Cordero]

Tacoma fd. I almost said it wrong. Just because you said it, you weren't gonna say it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Tacoma fd. But also, like, the Good Place. Also, like, I keep watching TV shows, and then there you are. It happens to me quite often.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's pretty cool. I love it. I love you.

[Lacey Mosley]

Happy? Yes.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And also, you have your own podcast, the Dumbbell. Do you have any other podcasts? Cause I feel like y' all never just have one.

[Eugene Cordero]

No, I don't. That feels like too much already. But, yeah, I like being on podcasts, so here I am.

[Lacey Mosley]

Same. Yeah, I only have one, too. I'm gonna keep it at one.

[Eugene Cordero]

It's hard. You think of a bunch of different ideas, and you're like, oh, maybe this could be a podcast. And then you show up and you're like, wait, this is a lot of work.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. I like the ones where you can kind of come in and just shoot the shit about, like, whatever you want to talk. Unfortunately, the show is scripted. Thank you. Shout out to Cherilyn Barra for doing the research on the show and all of you guys for emailing in your scams. So I'm like, oh, we have to have things.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah, we have things to do today.

[Lacey Mosley]

And the people don't like when I don't have things.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, good.

[Lacey Mosley]

I started this out of my own volition, and now I work for them. I work for the congregation.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's everybody, though. You'll always end up working for the

[Lacey Mosley]

people, and I love it.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Truly. Well, we'll get into our. Wait first.

[Guest or Producer]

Eugene.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yes?

[Lacey Mosley]

What is your relationship with scams? Have you ever been scammed? Have you ever had a friend get scammed? Do you like scams? Do you mean anything?

[Eugene Cordero]

My relationship with scams is that I am. It's not like I'm overly paranoid, but I do. I'm scared that they're gonna happen to me.

[Lacey Mosley]

Do you feel like you might be

[Eugene Cordero]

a mark Then I don't know. No, I think, I think it's. I don't think.

[Lacey Mosley]

I mean there's only marks and scammers.

[Eugene Cordero]

Is there only marks and scammers? I mean, I feel like at times

[Lacey Mosley]

you getting dead or you're doing it.

[Eugene Cordero]

I feel like a scammer.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's where I would put you. I would put you more on the scammer.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sometimes I'm like, I feel like a scammer. So then I feel like because of that I feel like I'm gonna get scammed. Like eventually I'm gonna have to be a mark based on my past.

[Lacey Mosley]

Well, you. We oscillate. So sometimes we're marks, sometimes we're scammers. I have definitely been a mark. I leave all the shit up on my Instagram of times I've been a mark and people go back and find it and shit. One was, I did this magazine called Voyage La. Have you heard of that?

[Eugene Cordero]

No, but it sound very familiar.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, because you've probably seen it on all your friends Instagrams when they're doing like their flex brags of like got written up in a little magazine. Oh, yes, yes, yes. And they got me and I gave away 10 of my good friends email addresses to a data mining system.

[Guest or Producer]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

I don't regret it. I don't regret it.

[Eugene Cordero]

No. Hey, it was still probably a pretty good write up.

[Lacey Mosley]

I wrote it.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, you wrote.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's. They had you answer questions and then they just piece together what you wrote into an article and they don't even edit it grammatically. They don't. They literally copy paste all the boxes out and then make an article of it.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh my God.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, it's a real scam. So shout out to them.

[Eugene Cordero]

I love it. Yeah. Well done, truly.

[Lacey Mosley]

So, guys, we have a letter today. And who, what am I gonna name this person? I wish someone would write me a letter.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, I'd love somebody. I'd love for you to roll out with the wax on it. I'm like, whoa.

[Lacey Mosley]

I am never more insecure. I'm not insecure about a lot of stuff, but I'm very insecure about my handwriting. And so whenever it's time to write a birthday card, I'm just like, they're going to know. Like, they're going to think I'm a murderer. Like, I have the handwriting that says like, I've definitely chopped somebody up before. Put them in a freezer.

[Eugene Cordero]

You have the chicken scratch handwriting.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, it's so bad. It's like you read it and you think less of me immediately. Like, this bitch was dumb the whole time.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, you, the person if you hit my car would write like, sorry, I hit your car. But then the way that it was written, I'd be like, oh, she's in the back. She's going to kill me.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Yes.

[Eugene Cordero]

This is a sad for like while

[Lacey Mosley]

you're reading that, being distracted, I'm like getting the rope out in the bag.

[Eugene Cordero]

Exactly.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

Dead.

[Lacey Mosley]

Probably dead. I can't lie about it. But this scam comes from. What do I want to name you? Ol Otis. And if you know that reference, good for you. It's not going to make any sense because this is a woman. So Ol Otis says, last night I accidentally discovered the perfect scam for the broke artsy bitches out there trying to see theater for free. We're in the artsy. So, okay, rush in one minute before the show starts looking a mess, like you're running late. Hurry up to will call and say you have a ticket under so and so's name. The name isn't important. They won't find it. They'll say something like, no, we don't have any tickets under that name. Are they already here? They probably picked up all the tickets at once. Then start looking frantically at your phone and. And the time. Cuss a little. She says you can pretend to call the person. Call a friend who will let it go to voicemail. They probably already put their phone on silent because the dang theater. It's there in the dang theater. And it's 8:02 in the is already starting. At this point, the ticket person should be feeling your stress and feel bad for you and just give you a ticket. This only works if they're literally about to start the show and close the doors. This exact thing just happened to me last night, except for I really did have a ticket. And in my case, I told my girlfriend that I was in the show and that she had a comp for me. Whatever. And then she says, I don't know if the woman felt bad for me or if she was annoyed I was holding up the doors from being closed. Either way, she handed me a ticket and this was a sold out show.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then she does a P.S. and she says, if you can afford a ticket, you really should support the theater. But broke folks deserve to see art too.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, I'll be honest. The performance that has to go along with this is deserving of a ticket.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's work.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, that's a lot of work.

[Lacey Mosley]

You gotta cuss you gotta call, you gotta cuss.

[Eugene Cordero]

You gotta sweat.

[Lacey Mosley]

You gotta be frantic.

[Eugene Cordero]

You gotta be frantic. You have to remember, like, oh, maybe everybody else has their phones off. You have to look around a bunch. You also have to time it. Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, you have to. Because you can't be waiting around the corner and somebody see you.

[Eugene Cordero]

Right, Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

Somebody see you at 7:59. Waiting around the corner, like.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah. You start seeing them doing the. The dimming of the lights or the flashing of the lights.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right?

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. You can't be. There's a lot of work.

[Lacey Mosley]

She's like, gotta cuss a little.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Maybe you gotta call somebody. I think this only works if the person working at the box office is empathetic. You know what I mean? Because, like, I know that empathy scams don't work on certain customer people, customer service people. And I'm talking about the black Air Force community works at Spirit Airlines. Those people are trained for trauma.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

They give them all a Xanax at the beginning of their shift.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, you work at Spirit Airlines.

[Lacey Mosley]

So everyone's having their worst day.

[Eugene Cordero]

Everybody's already, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I mean, that's flying Spirit. You are inevitably having the worst day of your life.

[Eugene Cordero]

To be honest, that. That airline, I think, is based out of Detroit.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, makes sense.

[Eugene Cordero]

So there you go. Like, they're like, I've dealt with it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, I've seen it all.

[Eugene Cordero]

We've dealt with it. Our city doesn't even know it's a city.

[Lacey Mosley]

Come on. We all know Detroit's national anthem is. So how the fuck do we supposed to get pee? So if y' all know, sing along. But yeah, so Detroit, like, that's thug life. I feel like everybody who works for Spirit Airlines could also be a 911 operator.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yes, absolutely.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, Spirit Airlines. What's your emergency? You got hit by the plane. We can't do nothing about that, Miss. We don't cover getting hit by the plane.

[Eugene Cordero]

Like, that is exactly what Spirit Airlines will always be.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's traumatic.

[Eugene Cordero]

I, I, It's a bus.

[Lacey Mosley]

I did. It literally is a bus.

[Eugene Cordero]

It's a bus.

[Lacey Mosley]

I did it one time because I had to go to an event in Texas, and I'd flown to Texas maybe, like, four times in that month because there were funerals and other events that there's, like, family. Like, I had to be there. So I was like, fuck it. I gotta go to this. Like, I'm just gonna buy the cheapest ticket. I don't care who. Did I regret that I bought a Spirit Airlines ticket? The Night before, they delayed the flight.

[Eugene Cordero]

The night before, they knew. There you go, there's it.

[Lacey Mosley]

So that happens. That happens sometimes on airlines. Like there's weather and cold weather. So guys, this is actually a scam warning for if you are brave enough to fly. Spirit Airlines, they delayed the flight the night before. So I was like, oh, great. I hate going to the airport. It's a nasty ass place. Everybody's doing open mouth coughs and I just hate it. So I go there like Michelle Obama style. Like right before I gotta just get on the steps to the plane.

[Eugene Cordero]

There you go.

[Lacey Mosley]

And you know, I should stop doing that, but I won't. So I go to the airport and I'm like, I'll go a little bit later because my flight's delayed. Why? I get there, Eugene, they undelayed the flight.

[Eugene Cordero]

What?

[Lacey Mosley]

They undelayed it. I have never heard of that.

[Eugene Cordero]

I have never heard of that either.

[Lacey Mosley]

They. They said, nevermind, sight. And then I'm rushing through security. I'm running, right? I'm still in time to make the undelayed version of the flight, but I'm gonna be sprinting on. Yeah, why get there? And they were like, yeah, the plane is gone. And I was like, wait, why? Why is the plane gone? I. It's not time. You know, there's a time here.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And they're like, well, we called your name. And I said, on what, bitch? I was in the terminal. Y' all was just calling on. They like, lacy, Lacy. Spirit finna leave.

[Eugene Cordero]

Spirit doesn't have a mic system. It's just like, tell your friends and

[Lacey Mosley]

y' all pass it along.

[Eugene Cordero]

Does anybody know Lacey? No. Okay, let's go.

[Lacey Mosley]

They pulled off like a bus like you said, you do. So sometimes customer service people won't appeal to you. But if you have a free evening and you want to try this, like, write us in, let me know if

[Eugene Cordero]

it worked for you. Yeah, I mean, I guess it depends on like, how big of a show are you talking about? Like a Broadway show? Are you talking about this ain't working for Hamilton. Yeah, yeah. No, no. Everybody at Hamilton probably. We've seen this, right?

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, they've seen everything.

[Eugene Cordero]

Everything.

[Lacey Mosley]

They're like, my baby's inside my baby.

[Eugene Cordero]

Great.

[Lacey Mosley]

They're like, well, your baby will enjoy the show.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. And intermission is in an hour and 15 minutes.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. And then you can go get it.

[Eugene Cordero]

And then you can go get him. Yeah, but the baby will be fine, right?

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

I. I don't know. I don't know if that one would Work?

[Guest or Producer]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I feel like it's smaller theaters, maybe regional theaters. We live in a major city, so it could work here.

[Eugene Cordero]

I would. I would love to see it happen. I would be there for the performance of the Running Light and then hand you a ticket if it doesn't work.

[Lacey Mosley]

I feel like it probably does. I know I do do the scam in the airport where I say I have. If I'm not flying first class, I say I have priority boarding that. I just, like, bought it. Because you can do that now. It's like a fast pass at Disney World at the fucking airport.

[Eugene Cordero]

Really?

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. So I'll go and I'll be like, hey, I have priority boarding when I get up to the TSA people, and, you know, they don't give. No, but they're also petty. So I'll be like, no, no, I have it. Wait one second. I'm looking it up in my email. No, no, no, don't walk anywhere. Hold on. I'm looking it up. And I'll, like, make them stand there while I look for nothing for a long period of time. They're like, just go. And I'm like, yeah, okay.

[Eugene Cordero]

My. My old fake ID scam, I think, was my favorite one.

[Lacey Mosley]

What was that?

[Eugene Cordero]

Was. I had a fake. I had my cousin's id who was like, you know, five or six years older than me. Doesn't. Didn't look anything like me.

[Lacey Mosley]

But you're, like, a Philippine descent, right?

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, Filipino dude.

[Lacey Mosley]

See how classy?

[Eugene Cordero]

I said, thank you.

[Lacey Mosley]

I have so many. Like, my cousin is Filipino.

[Eugene Cordero]

Really?

[Lacey Mosley]

Half. Yeah. So Lumpia was, like, popping through my house. Yeah, all the time, honey. Yes.

[Eugene Cordero]

So good.

[Lacey Mosley]

So. So racism probably played in here.

[Eugene Cordero]

Like, not really.

[Lacey Mosley]

No.

[Eugene Cordero]

I played the card of. So I had my cousin's ID because it was his old id.

[Lacey Mosley]

Okay.

[Eugene Cordero]

And I would use. In New York, and I would walk up to a bar, if it was a bar that I haven't been to. And they know, like, fake IDs are tough. I'd walk up to the bouncer, I'd about to hand him the fake ID and go, oh, fuck, this is my fake. I just turned 21 last week. So I ju. I forgot I put him in my other pants. So all I have is my fucking fake id. I can run back home and get my real id. Or I could just show you my fake, I guess.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God.

[Eugene Cordero]

And. And 90% of the bouncers are just like, show me your fucking fake. This worked for a while. I go, yeah, isn't that crazy?

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my. Wow.

[Eugene Cordero]

And Then that'd be my buddy. And then I'd walk in and I'd be like, that shit is crazy. Right? And then they would never ID me. I'd go into that bar.

[Lacey Mosley]

So you just charmed people.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. And just was just like, can you believe it? Like, I turned 21 last week. I don't even need this shit anymore. Do you want it?

[Lacey Mosley]

Do you want it?

[Eugene Cordero]

Like, offer it, like. Cause who cares?

[Lacey Mosley]

You're right, though. Cause the more nonchalant you act about having a fake id, the better chances. Because if you over there, like, please say yes. Please say yes. They know it's real.

[Eugene Cordero]

They know.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Or real.

[Eugene Cordero]

Absolutely fake.

[Lacey Mosley]

Fuck.

[Eugene Cordero]

So I went in there with as though, like, oh, I've. You know. Can you believe this is happening to me after I'm already 21, you guys.

[Lacey Mosley]

That is a good one. Yeah, I like that. I would just. I had a fake ID that looked nothing like me. And the girl had, like, bigger nostrils than I did. So I would just flex my nostrils every time I walked out and let racism do the rest.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. Because I can't be like, those not. Go ahead. Hold.

[Guest or Producer]

Right.

[Eugene Cordero]

And it was always a dude, too, who was just like, I can't deal with that right now.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. I love. I love the story, and I also love how relatable you made it and be like, ah, Pa, my man.

[Eugene Cordero]

I know you. I get it.

[Lacey Mosley]

We've all been there.

[Eugene Cordero]

You used to do this. Right. Anyway, let me head inside.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. Anyway, my friends are in there. See you, pal. Zap them up. I love that. So you are a bit of a scammer. Look at that.

[Eugene Cordero]

That was. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes.

[Eugene Cordero]

I'm gonna get caught. Well, now.

[Lacey Mosley]

Now.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right, guys, we're gonna take a break, and we'll be back after some none scam advertisements, Scams, cons. And we are back. And it's time for my favorite segment. Historic Hoodwings. This is where I'm going to regale Eugene with a famous con. And we're just gonna get all of his opinions.

[Eugene Cordero]

Ooh.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. So this con is called Superstar usa. The wbs Superstar USA is a television show that spoofed the popular show American Idol. The show could be seen on the WB and was. And remember wb, Warner Brothers.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

If you see the cops coming, Warner Brother. Remember that joke? So it was produced by the same people who made who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

And because that wasn't a scam off of who Wants to who Wants to Be a Millionaire or the Bachelor The Bachelor. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. And I think on the Multimillionaire, when they were, like, broke secretly.

[Guest or Producer]

Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

If I'm not mistaken, it was like they was trying to trick. That was terrible. So one of the main judges, Christopher Briggs, was also a producer, but the show was essentially a polar opposite of American Idol. Superstar USA told contestants that they were looking for the best singer and that they were actually looking for the worst.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, man.

[Lacey Mosley]

So the show was hosted by Brian McFadden. Do you know who that is? He's a TV and radio personality known from MTV.

[Eugene Cordero]

No.

[Lacey Mosley]

Unless you said, yeah, I only know Carson Daly.

[Eugene Cordero]

I only know Brian and Free and

[Lacey Mosley]

AJ for the Blacks. And what was that? I can't remember.

[Eugene Cordero]

I know Brian McKnight. Was Brian McKnight the host?

[Lacey Mosley]

No, he's not. I only know Brian McKnight from his hit single, Show Me, I'll show youw how youw Pussy Works, which I want everyone to know was not a joke originally. Please Google it on YouTube. Have you seen it?

[Eugene Cordero]

No.

[Lacey Mosley]

You never saw that? I have so much to show you.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Brian McKnight's singing, like, Let me show you how your pussy works.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

What?

[Eugene Cordero]

Yes.

[Lacey Mosley]

And he's completely serious the first time it came out. And then Funny or Die, like, helped him, like, do some PR and, like, make a fake video and pretend that he wasn't serious.

[Eugene Cordero]

Hey, man, let's pretend that you weren't serious about this.

[Lacey Mosley]

His phone was like, we're gonna make this interview. Don't worry.

[Eugene Cordero]

How did you record this? With who?

[Lacey Mosley]

In his studio. It's crazy. I think he was trying to rebrand Lort. So finalists are chosen based on the lie that they were the most likely to be able to parlay their win into a successful recording contract based on talent. And the people would first audition before these judges. Christopher Briggs. I don't know who that is. Rapper Tone Locke. Also, again, no clue.

[Eugene Cordero]

You don't know who. Tone Loke. Tone Loke.

[Lacey Mosley]

Tone Loke. Then there is an accent mark over the O. I think it's Tone. Tone Loke. What he sing?

[Eugene Cordero]

He's saying. He's saying wild thing.

[Lacey Mosley]

Wild thing.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

That.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. You have to audition for him.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And the singer, Vitamin C. Now I know Vitamin C. As we go on, we remember.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah. Yes, yes.

[Lacey Mosley]

But listen. She will make a coin off that damn song till she die, honey.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's a graduation song. Funeral song, like you hitting all the life moments.

[Eugene Cordero]

And her hair is still colored horribly.

[Lacey Mosley]

Is it still orange?

[Eugene Cordero]

I bet. Vitamin C. She's got I mean, that's the only way she owns it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, that's true.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's the only way people know who she is.

[Lacey Mosley]

Probably the only way she's recognizable.

[Eugene Cordero]

She's absolutely. Vitamin C. Vitamin C. Like, the orange

[Lacey Mosley]

poor thing can never touch her hair. However. So they were. These were the people that they had auditioned for.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, boy.

[Lacey Mosley]

However, the audition process was the opposite of American Idol, as the good singers were mocked and rejected while battling singers were given gushing praises and passed to the next round.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, no.

[Lacey Mosley]

Eventually, the contest was won in quotes by Jamie Foss, who could barely carry a tune. And let's get some of Jamie's audition up here.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, boy. This is rough.

[Lacey Mosley]

I know, because I feel like if you can sing and you're, like, really trying to pursue it successfully for the first time, and then you get, like, torn apart.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Strangers.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh. So especially when, like, American Idol was such a big thing. And this is probably right after, like, that

[Lacey Mosley]

William Hung. Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

William Hung stuff. So they were like, oh, how funny is this? We can make a whole show of it. Oh, God, gross.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right, let's see.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Jamie stood out from the rest.

[Guest or Producer]

I'm a superstar because I am a star in itself. I have charisma.

[Eugene Cordero]

And you guys have to see.

[Guest or Producer]

I am a star when I sing.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

And what's the key to being a superstar in Jamie's book? Apparently writing your lyrics on your hand.

[Guest or Producer]

Okay. Okay. I was be incomplete I've been held

[Lacey Mosley]

I was sad in blue but you made me feel yeah, you made me feel okay. She is looking at her hand throughout the singing.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right, that's enough to look at her.

[Eugene Cordero]

To look at the lyrics.

[Lacey Mosley]

I. I don't know if she. Okay, I like this now a little more because I think they're picking people who are on the borderline of terrible because she. A lot of the notes are on the floor for sure.

[Eugene Cordero]

Right. But then there's a lot. I mean, she could kind of carry it. She could carry it enough where when she first started, I was like, yeesh. Okay, here we go. That's gonna be all. But she found it.

[Lacey Mosley]

She found it a little bit.

[Eugene Cordero]

Maybe she, like, took a breath, looked at her hand, and then was, like, in the right register to, like, continue the song.

[Lacey Mosley]

But she was making her hand a part of the performance, too. Like, passing it across her face while

[Eugene Cordero]

she's read, pretending she's sweating a little bit.

[Lacey Mosley]

She's giving me Jessica Simpson vibes.

[Eugene Cordero]

She is.

[Lacey Mosley]

And I mean, honestly, this. This is about Jessica Simpson.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

This is the time talent range. Yes. Like, I'm gonna get my ass beat for that. But if she has some vocal coaches, she could sing about as well as Jessica Simpsons.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Absolutely.

[Lacey Mosley]

Or at least Fergie.

[Eugene Cordero]

Absolutely. And if you put a full track. There's no track here.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right.

[Eugene Cordero]

You put a track there. Backing vocals. She'll be fine.

[Lacey Mosley]

So throughout the competition, she was constantly mocked by the judges with thinly veiled references to the largeness of her breasts.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

What?

[Lacey Mosley]

2004.

[Eugene Cordero]

Clearly. Yikes.

[Lacey Mosley]

The show's motto was Only the bad survive. So here's some live audience mishaps that happened during the show. I do want to say, though, like, if you Google Fergie's national anthem at the All Star Game, this girl is about at the same level.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. What did she blame her head? Her earpiece. Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

Did she?

[Eugene Cordero]

I think so.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, she couldn't hear. No.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Even if your ears were plugged, baby.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. All you needed was a to get started.

[Lacey Mosley]

Also, it's the national anthem. I think we all pretty much know the key.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Everyone sang it a lot.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, boy.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, Lord. So, audience mishaps during the production. One of the producers worried that the live audience members would be unable to respectfully compose themselves during the final performances. So he falsely informed them that the singers were all terminally ill young people who were having a wish fulfilled by a charitable organization.

[Eugene Cordero]

See, that scam is probably the best one of the whole. Of the whole performance and the production by far. That you had to tell audiences that sad of a story so that they could keep it together. That's insane.

[Lacey Mosley]

Who came up with this? No, we'll do. They're in a production meeting. Tommy, Tommy. I got it. We tell everyone these are Make a Wish adults.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Hot young Make a Wish adult.

[Eugene Cordero]

Okay.

[Guest or Producer]

Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, if. If there's a chance they're gonna die, everybody's gonna be so polite.

[Lacey Mosley]

But they're right. This is just like singing in church. Like, church was the only place where. And I used to get pissed off about this. Cause I can sing. And I would have to take turns as a child. Cause they wouldn't let me sing Bubbling in my soul every week like they should have.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sure.

[Lacey Mosley]

Because all the other kids had to share. And I was like, but God gives everyone special gifts. And he did not give Anthony this gift, so he should pass out programs.

[Eugene Cordero]

It is tough.

[Lacey Mosley]

So I just listened to terrible performances.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's church. And then everyone in church is like, let him use you, baby. And I'm like, he don't want to use him. That's clear. This is not his instrument.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, just in general, I feel like they continue to let kids be terrible, be terrible for too long. And that's what this show is. They're letting these adults feel like they're still children and be terrible for too long. That's like, that's like having an A, B and C team of sports and having.

[Lacey Mosley]

There should just be a.

[Eugene Cordero]

There should just be one team. There should just be. You know, you should. By the time you're in eighth grade, done, done with like you're doing any of this.

[Lacey Mosley]

Well, you know what, there's the Michael Jordan story. Wasn't he on like a second string team at some point in high school or some shit?

[Eugene Cordero]

Or second string is okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, we have one string, but we don't need a third.

[Eugene Cordero]

We don't need more. We don't need more.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, that feels like a scam for money or something. Like, why do you need these kids to be involved?

[Eugene Cordero]

You just, you want people. I mean, that might be the scam of the parents going, like, we just need them an extracurricular so we can live our lives.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's very true.

[Guest or Producer]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then keep them off the street. Streets.

[Eugene Cordero]

Keep them off the streets.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. You know what? Keep, keep all the string of mediocrity teams.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, we'll take it.

[Lacey Mosley]

We need to save the children. So it was said that the organization was the Make A Wish foundation, which later received an apology from the wb. So they said it directly was the Make a Wish Foundation.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, they did.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

To the audience members. Which means, I feel like, what if, what happened to tip the Make A Wish foundation off about this? Like, did the people in the audience, like, start calling in like, hey, yeah,

[Eugene Cordero]

like, I already helped. Yeah, like when they, they would get, they would get the phone calls from Make a Wish of like, hey, would you like to make a donation? Like, you know what? I was actually an audience member of this show, so I did my contribution.

[Lacey Mosley]

They're like, that's not what.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, what show was it? WB's worst human.

[Lacey Mosley]

Worst human. Worst Human Alive. So in an interview with USA Today, executive producer Mike Fleiss straightened out the details. So Mike says, first of all, it was me. But I did not say make a Wish. I said, who's heard of One Wish Foundation? And people raised their hands. Oh, my God, there is no One Wish Foundation. It was a prank on top of a prank. It was the only way to get it to work.

[Guest or Producer]

Wow.

[Eugene Cordero]

He can say that Now, Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

You know, you went in there and you was like, so who's heard of Make a Wish?

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah. No, he didn't say so who's heard? He said, this is Make a Wish. He didn't say heard of anything. He didn't say one wish. He said, okay, so you guys know the Make a Wish foundation, right? That's what this is.

[Lacey Mosley]

Unequivocally.

[Eugene Cordero]

This is that. You look at my T shirt. It has it on it. I am from there.

[Lacey Mosley]

I am from there. I'm actually a representative.

[Eugene Cordero]

I'm a representative of Make a Wish, and we need you to do this.

[Lacey Mosley]

You're absolutely right. And you know what this is? Back in the time, nobody was recording this on their cell phone. Like, who gonna check me, boo?

[Eugene Cordero]

Nobody had a cell phone.

[Lacey Mosley]

Exactly. So the producers were apparently worried that the audience members would otherwise. We get that. So an anonymous audience member said that one day, one of the producers ad libbed something to the audience that may have offended someone in the audience. The remark never came to light, and it's not in the show or ever intended to be in the show. But when executives were asked about the statement, they said they sincerely apologized. What was the statement? I want to know what the T was. Yeah, so they said, it was an unfortunate incident, but we stand by the show and the producers. What was the statement? We just whisper out like niggers.

[Eugene Cordero]

What? What? Did they just say that?

[Lacey Mosley]

No. I don't know. Because they don't tell us. They're not gonna tell us.

[Eugene Cordero]

No, that was it.

[Lacey Mosley]

I'm gonna guess. That's what I'm gonna guess. He just said it for fun. He's like, no one will catch me here.

[Eugene Cordero]

It was vitamin C that said it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Don't you put that on vitamin C. She's our hero. She is our hero. So. So Shelly Ginsburg, a spokeswoman for the make no Wish foundation of Greater Los Angeles, confirmed that the group had no connection to Superstar, adding, obviously, we would not want our name used in any matter that would be misleading or deceiving to anyone. Then again, there may be no need for an apology. Viewers have proved that they are not necessarily bothered by deceit on reality TV shows. And that's true.

[Eugene Cordero]

That is true.

[Lacey Mosley]

All they do on reality TV shows is, like, con people.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, there's an SNL joke not too long ago that was like, on the Bachelor, she was like, I'm just feeling really weird right now because the producers took away my medicine and gave. Gave me a name. That's really what they do really?

[Eugene Cordero]

What?

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, like they make you crazy. There's a show called Unreal which the first season, so fun after that. But it's. It's a really fun insight into like, oh, right. TV and producing it and how crazy they make those people. So last season was top rated entertainment. I can't. People really like this. So this is around the time too of like Joe Millionaire, right?

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, so it was all scammy. Yeah, Reality shows.

[Lacey Mosley]

Me reality era in which a group of attractive women socialized with an eligible bachelor who they believed would inherit millions of dollars.

[Eugene Cordero]

I remember Joe Millie.

[Lacey Mosley]

In fact, he was a low paid equipment operator. Other shows that depended on practical jokes included like Punks and wbs. The Jamie Kennedy Experience.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, the WB Zone. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, Jamie Kennedy.

[Eugene Cordero]

So they're on top of it. Yeah. What happened?

[Lacey Mosley]

But also I felt like Joe Millionaires was so sexist because they. It's basically like they were goading these women into being gold diggers.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, this sucks.

[Eugene Cordero]

It was gross.

[Lacey Mosley]

And like one time I think they had Joe Millionaire and it was like a plumber. And I was like, plumbers actually make good money.

[Eugene Cordero]

What if he keeps working? Yeah, people always got issues with the pipes and shit.

[Lacey Mosley]

You always got with the pipes and shit. So the singers. The series featured 12 contestants. Clearly superstar was inspired in part by the high ratings Fox had earned for the preliminary rounds of American Idol, which featured. Featured a succession of inept singers. Because, you know, those first rounds.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, right.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's the William.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I didn't like to watch American Idol where it was like the kid. They would have the singer come out and before then they would have the sob story of like, you know, I had a hard life.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my dad can't read. And you know, I mean, I'm just like, I don't want to see.

[Eugene Cordero]

And this box is my house. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

The producers set up a cardboard box and they like filmed them like walking in and out of it and they're

[Eugene Cordero]

like, yeah, I was already in line because that's where my box is.

[Lacey Mosley]

They're like, this corner. This is where I keep my shoe. I only have one. Like they, they really hype it up and they film their family in the nastiest way. Like, go all. It's so invasive and trauma porny and I hate it.

[Eugene Cordero]

And everybody's sitting on like, like a, a stack of four people and two people in front and then two people on stools in the. Behind the couch. It's like nobody has stools there.

[Lacey Mosley]

Nobody had stools.

[Eugene Cordero]

There, that's not how it works.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then there's always like a mom who's dresses like, you know, she's like a walking sponsor for Dress Barn and she's crying a lot with her hands on her face and she's just like, I can't believe this. My baby's gonna be a star.

[Eugene Cordero]

And then they're either great or shitty.

[Lacey Mosley]

See, they stopped making him shitty after a while because they wanted it to be a tear jerking moment. Because then if you kick them out, then you're basically being like, get out of here, pores.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

To your box. And that's terrible.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, except for Fantasia Barrino. I did love her story about not being able to read.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, right.

[Lacey Mosley]

Fantasia could not read.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, fantastic.

[Lacey Mosley]

And I thought that that was just Chef's Kiss. I think she can read now a little bit.

[Guest or Producer]

Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

Or probably after winning.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. Look, she's a fantastic singer.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, nobody's singing down like Fantasia or kicking their shoes off and I love it. So in addition to tricking the studio audience, the producers have evidently worked hard to make sure the singer sounded as awful as possible. One former show sa who asked not to be identified. Duh.

[Eugene Cordero]

Okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Said that when some of the talent challenged contestants when they actually, they would actually like improve their performances over time. And the crew tried to confuse them by lowering the volume of the pre recorded accompanying music or suddenly shifting tempos.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh my God.

[Lacey Mosley]

So now they're fucking with these people.

[Eugene Cordero]

So they're just. Yeah, but also like, what about the other contestants? Aren't they going like, hey man, I'm going to win this? I mean, maybe that's the mentality.

[Lacey Mosley]

I feel like it's somewhat. You have to catch on that they want you to be back bad.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

But people are like improving and they're like, ah, okay, just change the key.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Them up, speed it up. Add some drums.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. The whole time. Yeah. Backy track.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like you're singing like every night in my dreams I see you happy. Like, what's happening?

[Eugene Cordero]

And there's got to be like somebody else in the earpiece too. Like just going like, stop singing. Go ahead and stop.

[Lacey Mosley]

I hope there's someone in the earpiece. Just like,

[Eugene Cordero]

look at me, look at me. Huh? What? Where is that?

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, this is so terrible. So someone said, from the day I walked in there, I pretty much knew the show was morally reprehensible. Said an ex employee.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

And from the day I walked in, I knew the show was morally reprehensible. And then I got some coffee and

[Eugene Cordero]

I got to work and then I looked at my chest and realized this is a job is Gonna last me 16 weeks and I continue to work.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. And then I said, I am just a henchman.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. I am just here to work. You know, if they can't figure it out, then I can't be the person responsible.

[Lacey Mosley]

So you can't do that. I got into an argument with a friend about this about like police and like other organizations where it's like, there's so many people doing like really bad. If you're someone who's doing good, but you're still under the same regime, like, are you bad too?

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh.

[Lacey Mosley]

And I say yes, Sure. I say, like, if you're a Nazi and you just like work at a desk and like make sure that the Nazis got paper. Paper towels. And you remember everybody birthday, you still a Nazi.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

So I don't know.

[Eugene Cordero]

Because you're still celebrating other Nazis birthdays. If you're celebrating anybody's any Nazi's birthday, you're a Nazi.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right? So I'm like, if you work for a bad organization, you're. And obviously this is not as bad as like Nazis. I'm not saying that at all.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's about the same.

[Lacey Mosley]

I'm not saying that at all. Don't y' all come for me. I already got in trouble.

[Eugene Cordero]

I already got in superstar Nazis.

[Lacey Mosley]

So I don't know. If you say that it's reprehensible. And then you cash your check every week. Oh yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

And you don't wanna know. And you wanna be anonymous. Anonymous, yeah. You're still collecting a check on a different show that you hate now.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. You put on a ski mask and then got on a phone call to tell em your story.

[Eugene Cordero]

I think that it was a good show.

[Lacey Mosley]

You modulate your own voice. So not everyone fell for the ruse. Even with the Make a Wish tale, one audience member who requested anonymity. Everybody want to be anonymous.

[Eugene Cordero]

Nobody wants to speak up and be them.

[Lacey Mosley]

Said the singers were so consistently horrible that he gradually realized that the show was a put on. I said to myself, self, there should be some cancer patients who can actually hold a note.

[Eugene Cordero]

He said, oh, here we go.

[Lacey Mosley]

This is. I understand why you state when you say this statement. What does the statement even mean?

[Eugene Cordero]

People with cancer. There's gotta be people out there that are still talented and have cancer, right?

[Lacey Mosley]

Come on. So Flyce is no stranger to controversy. He was also the producer of who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire? A Fox reality show Clouded by in notoriety. In 2000, Rick Rockwell, the program's prospective bridegroom, was revealed to have been under a restraining order for threatening his fiance.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yikes.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yo, I think I remember that.

[Eugene Cordero]

I do not know that.

[Lacey Mosley]

Well, I love trash TV in the 2000s. I was in high school. No, I was in high school. I was in middle school, so I had a lot of free time.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sure.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

Watching some dirty shit.

[Lacey Mosley]

Flavor of love. My shit. My shit. And then there was one show that never came out that was about falling in love with plies. And I highly encourage you guys to find it on YouTube, but it was called Bus It, Baby.

[Guest or Producer]

What?

[Lacey Mosley]

It's the most ratchet people you could ever imagine. And they're being interviewed for a dating show where they're gonna fall in love with plies. Do you know who plies is?

[Eugene Cordero]

No.

[Lacey Mosley]

You know who plies is? No, wait, I'm trying to think of a song that plies has that would.

[Eugene Cordero]

What was it supposed to be on VH1MT.

[Lacey Mosley]

Who knows, child? Now they put all that stuff on Zeus, which I really need to get because it looks amazing. There's a show with Tokyo Tony, who is Blac. Chyna's mom.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yes.

[Lacey Mosley]

Who is. Is in a mansion doing a dating contest where she just curses out men and tells them to eat her vagina. Ooh, the flavor. But yeah. So trashy. Reality tv guys.

[Eugene Cordero]

Zeus.

[Lacey Mosley]

Zeus. I don't even know how to find it, but I just see clips on Twitter. But I want it. So obviously that show was problematic because he was under a restraining or currently for threatening his ex fiance. So the network hoped that Superstar would connect with the same young viewers who turned Idol into a cultural pop sensation and be less problematic.

[Eugene Cordero]

Okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

But it was a cringe fest that people couldn't stop watching. Well, that's what they wanted. The final moments of the show were full of extremely long, awkward pauses with a lingering dramatic key in the background. And we're gonna show a video of announcing the winner. Do we have that video?

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the WB Superstar usa. The suspense is building because we're just second.

[Lacey Mosley]

I've never seen this guy in my life.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Which one of these two incredible entertainers.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, man.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Has earned the title?

[Eugene Cordero]

Who's the other guy?

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Superstar usa.

[Lacey Mosley]

He looks crazy.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

He's so nervous.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

He got cast of the first ever WB Superstar usa.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, the blind girl made it to the end.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Is literally.

[Lacey Mosley]

He looks like he's going to pass out.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. That's like Weird Al with his shaved head.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Mario. Jamie.

[Eugene Cordero]

Mario. Oh, right. That's Mario. He's pretty good now.

[Lacey Mosley]

And also black.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I can't look at him.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

This pause is very long.

[Eugene Cordero]

Nobody in the audience cared when they pants.

[Lacey Mosley]

No one cares.

[Eugene Cordero]

Nobody cares except for this guy. What are you doing that for? Oh, look at how long that those fingers were. Oh, Mario's pants.

[Lacey Mosley]

Mario left. Oh, my God.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, Mario's out.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wait.

[Lacey Mosley]

The confetti started flying, and Mario left the stage.

[Eugene Cordero]

Mario's like, why? Why am I here?

[Lacey Mosley]

Wait. I love Mario. The energy.

[Eugene Cordero]

Mario legit wanted to win. Mario legit is pissed.

[Lacey Mosley]

We can stop it. Oh, my God. I've never seen someone on a contest show, the judges look so unenthused. I've never seen someone on a contest show lose and then immediately dip.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yes, he left.

[Lacey Mosley]

And they're like, mario, where are you going?

[Eugene Cordero]

He's like, I'm over it. Did you see how long my middle fingers are? I'm out of here.

[Lacey Mosley]

Mario terrifies me.

[Eugene Cordero]

What happened to Mario? That's what I'm wondering. Where's Mario now? Because he's pissed.

[Lacey Mosley]

I don't wanna know where he is. I hope not. In somebody's basement. On the dark Web.

[Eugene Cordero]

I think after this, that was in 2004. I think after this, he started going by his real name of Edward James Olmos. And then he came back.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, God. So the judgment came down to the two worst singers we just saw. Jamie Floss and Mario.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sweet Mario.

[Lacey Mosley]

And Jaime won. And she said, I wanted this my entire life.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, no, this is rough.

[Lacey Mosley]

Then the host starts his monologue where he breaks the news in front of everyone, including her. Well, Jamie, we believe there's much more than being a superstar than just magical talent. Singing is only a small part of the superstar package. There is charisma, showmanship, stage presence, sex appeal. Gross. And at least a dozen other factors to take into consideration.

[Eugene Cordero]

One dozen.

[Lacey Mosley]

And that's why you are our superstar. Superstar usa, let's take one last look at your long journey to stardom. So they make her and the audience watch a recap video that starts with her cringy audition to final performance to get here.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

But before we officially crown you, let's take one last look at your long journey.

[Eugene Cordero]

She's so proud of herself.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. God, she's so emotional. This is real 90s clothing for the

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Superstar USA began with thousands of auditioners. As we comb the country in search of the perfect voice,

[Lacey Mosley]

Then these people look angry.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

We found you, Jamie.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. You made me feel shiny.

[Guest or Producer]

I knew my performance was really Good. I. I nailed it. All the notes.

[Lacey Mosley]

And she nailed all the notes.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, wow.

[Guest or Producer]

I just think I did a great job, and I hope I can continue to stay in this competition.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

We plug you out of obscurity and flew you to Hollywood to fight for a chance at fame and fortune.

[Lacey Mosley]

The level of mediocrity here, yeah, it's

[Guest or Producer]

definitely now becoming reality because, I mean, I'm here in Hollywood just feeling like a star, and when I get up on the.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. They had a dance class. One of those white people dance classes where you just move your arms a lot.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sure, sure, sure, sure. No mirrors.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. These people.

[Guest or Producer]

And I'm sure of myself. So everybody else in the competition better

[Lacey Mosley]

say, why she have on those sunglasses?

[Guest or Producer]

Jamie's here.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Jamie, you obliterated your adversary.

[Lacey Mosley]

This is her Kelly Clarkson moment.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

My heart will go on.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. I was joking. Places between.

[Eugene Cordero]

Did you see her reaction to herself of going like, I didn't hit that?

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Competition was fierce.

[Guest or Producer]

Really excited to get up on stage and perform for million.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, no.

[Guest or Producer]

It's always been my dream to do that.

[Eugene Cordero]

See, this feels right.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Of all by myself? You unstoppable

[Lacey Mosley]

myself

[Eugene Cordero]

oh, she's about to cry now. She's watching it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, the snow. No, she's on her knees. No.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. Turn this off. Turn this off.

[Eugene Cordero]

My powerful notes.

[Guest or Producer]

The audience.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wait.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wait a minute. This is. She let in on this.

[Lacey Mosley]

No, no. She thinks this is real, but at

[Eugene Cordero]

the very end of this show, they don't tell her that it's not real.

[Guest or Producer]

And I'm going to win this definitely.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Tonight. You faced off against Mario and Rosa and sealed the deal, demonstrating without a doubt that nobody is more deserving of the wbc.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right, we can stop this. Jesus. She say who sings all by myself originally?

[Eugene Cordero]

I don't know.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, I know Christina Aguile has a version.

[Eugene Cordero]

She sure.

[Lacey Mosley]

But I'm like, whoever is the original singer should have showed up to this performance and whooped her ass.

[Eugene Cordero]

She didn't know that she was hitting a bad note at the time because I'm sure she had a head like an earpiece. And she was on her knees. That changes. It's like smoke rises.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, my God. And they were also giving her hard songs. She sang two Celine Dion songs.

[Eugene Cordero]

No.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's like giving somebody like that. Whitney Houston. What are you doing?

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

I cannot believe this.

[Eugene Cordero]

Unbelievable. I'm so they did not tell so

[Lacey Mosley]

they did not tell her, so. Yeah, they do tell her that it's fake.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, great.

[Lacey Mosley]

So Jamie says. They say, jamie, there's a twist to the show. We really weren't looking for America's best singer. We were looking for someone who we thought. Who thought. Bleh. Here we go. So they say, jamie, there's a twist to the show. We weren't really looking for America's best single singer. We were looking for someone who thought they were America's best singer. Jamie, we lied to you when we said you were a great singer, but we didn't lie to you about how the audience loves you right now. I have one question for you, Jamie. Are you willing to put in the effort and do whatever it takes to become a true superstar? So Jamie, trying to stay positive and keep the situation from getting more awkward, responds with an exciting. Yeah, wow. The host responds with. Watching you has been an experiment. Will never forget.

[Eugene Cordero]

They're trying to.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then they presented Jamie with $50,000.

[Eugene Cordero]

Okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

A talent and recording deal.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's weird.

[Lacey Mosley]

But for being her, for being a good sport, they also gave her another $50,000.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow. $100,000.

[Lacey Mosley]

Then they broke the news to Mario. So I guess $50,000 in a record deal, just not a lot. But then $50,000 in cash.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, got it.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then they. They found Mario.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was already on the train. He was at a spirit airline. He was at a spirit air.

[Lacey Mosley]

Him on the tarmac as the. As the police. As a plane already left.

[Eugene Cordero]

And he was like, well, how did it leave? It's a half hour early.

[Lacey Mosley]

And they gave Mario $10,000.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, good for him.

[Lacey Mosley]

I'm glad they gave Mario money because he was about to shoot up something.

[Eugene Cordero]

He was. Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Can't send a man like that.

[Eugene Cordero]

We know he broke his own sunglasses after that. Oh, fuck. I broke my own sunglasses.

[Lacey Mosley]

He was.

[Eugene Cordero]

Snapped him in half, guys.

[Lacey Mosley]

He's wearing one of those leather jackets you get got from the swap meet in the early 2000s. Definitely, like, plastic. It's really thin. It just. He just was the most terrifying.

[Eugene Cordero]

He used the, like, paint thinner to take the. The Tasmanian devil off the back of it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. It was all of those things. My God, this is such a horrible thing to do to someone. Why, like, to humiliate someone? Just, like, it's different if you're on a reality show like Joe Millionaire or something. Like, okay, yes, they lied to you about the premise. How, however, you don't have to behave any way that you don't want to behave. But this is like, she's. You're telling her to sing. You're messing with her vocals, you're having her excited.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And reinforcing how horrible.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Like.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah. They're living in the lie of it too long.

[Lacey Mosley]

So in an interview with TV Guide, they asked her if she was still going to do an album. She responded with, yeah, I don't really know what's going on with that. I'd like to get some training and get out and, you know, maybe get a really good album idea. But I don't want people to laugh at me. You know, kind of like William Hung thing. When you hear the song on the radio, you sort of laugh at it. I really would like to be taken seriously. So that's why I'd like to get some training. And, you know, recording studios can make anybody sound really good.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow, way to sell out recording studios.

[Lacey Mosley]

She ain't lying though.

[Eugene Cordero]

No, no, she ain't. She ain't.

[Lacey Mosley]

Because you hear some of your faves live and you be like, who did it? And how? Yeah, where did the throat go?

[Eugene Cordero]

Where.

[Lacey Mosley]

Where's the vocals?

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, that's when they turn up the backing track and you're like, ah, okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, we're just hearing beats.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

It's shocking to me that that also happens with rappers. Cause I always thought if you were talking then you were gonna sound the same way you talk live. But so many rappers get out here

[Eugene Cordero]

and they get tired.

[Lacey Mosley]

Real ass bitch gave a fuck about a nigga.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Woo.

[Lacey Mosley]

You don't sound anything like what you did on the track. Yeah, Jay Z's good about sounding like what he does on a track.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, he's pretty relaxed and he's a pro. He's like, he's been doing it for a while. Y a strong throat watching Dababy after he's performed with the Jabberwockies. He's tired.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh yeah, he was tired. Let's go home. Yeah, I'm tired.

[Eugene Cordero]

I couldn't even take the mask off.

[Lacey Mosley]

But listen, I love Dababy. I stand for Dababy. There was an article on some hip hop website, complex, I think that was saying Dababy denies rumors of cheating. And then two lines down it says, dababy also confirms baby with another woman. And I said Dababy wasn. Because Dababy is the truth.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

He is the only short man who is tall.

[Eugene Cordero]

He really is.

[Lacey Mosley]

He's tall to me. I love him. So you know Dababy, I don't care if you get tired.

[Eugene Cordero]

I loved his. His SNL performance.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, I love, like, so fun. Cause for so long they've been so boring. Did you see the Coldplay one where he had all these people come out and dance in the audience?

[Eugene Cordero]

No.

[Lacey Mosley]

I don't know when I started hating Coldplay, but I definitely.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, when they started.

[Lacey Mosley]

I don't know why I hate them so much. I. I listen to their music sometimes. Not by choice, but when it comes on, I'm like, well, fine enough.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

But I do hate them. I don't know why.

[Eugene Cordero]

You liked. You like the Gwyneth Paltrow years?

[Lacey Mosley]

I think so.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I think so. Chris Martin, when you went, didn't they thirstily do the super bowl, like, afterwards? I was like, coldplay. No, I wasn't hearing your music at the Super Bowl. Sorry. I don't know how we started bashing Coldplay. If you're. If you're Coldplay fans, you probably don't listen to this. Yeah, damn skippy. You ain't listening to no black woman talk for an hour. And we know that for a fact,

[Eugene Cordero]

by the time you're at this point and we're bashing Coldplay, they would have

[Lacey Mosley]

been like, yeah, they stopped way long ago. Maybe when I first called the listener. Oh, Otis. So they were like, I'm gonna turn this off.

[Eugene Cordero]

Or they're like, jamie's not good. She sounds good to me.

[Lacey Mosley]

We love Jamie. All right, guys, we'll be back after this break. Robbery and fraud. And we're back. And the. This is the saddest part of the episode. Cause I'm gonna have to let Eugene go, and I don't wanna do that.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, wait, what? I can go.

[Lacey Mosley]

Not yet.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[Lacey Mosley]

The door is still locked.

[Eugene Cordero]

I was gonna say. There's, like, a piano in front of it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. And there's a bouncer outside.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

And he woke it violent.

[Eugene Cordero]

Really? Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I will.

[Eugene Cordero]

Even with my fake id.

[Lacey Mosley]

You try to present him with your fake id. He's like, this is not what this is about.

[Eugene Cordero]

There's no reason for it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. But this is the last segment of the show. Scammer of the week.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, boy.

[Lacey Mosley]

So this is when we. We pick a charlatan who we really feel is just worthy of our praise.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. And this week, it's a Baltimore rapper named Chad Focus.

[Eugene Cordero]

I already love him. Mm.

[Lacey Mosley]

What? A rapper name?

[Eugene Cordero]

Chad Focus.

[Lacey Mosley]

Chad Focus.

[Eugene Cordero]

Okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Sounds like a. It's terrible.

[Eugene Cordero]

His rap better be all over the place, right?

[Lacey Mosley]

It needs to be, like, ironic.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Like, I don't understand. Chad. Chad. Also, you know, I'm looking at what the little rappers are doing. Rapper names are sentences right now. Young boy, never be broke again.

[Eugene Cordero]

Right?

[Lacey Mosley]

That is a rapper's name, you know, just a bunch of letters. The skb. Ybn.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. Make it harder. Make it harder for us to find you.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right. Like, honestly, little rapper boys are now like. It's almost just like how in ballroom culture, like, they have houses. So they'll be like the house of Evangelista. And then the rapper boys are like, I'm in the ASAP house. Or I'm in the YBN house.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, my gosh. It's the same thing.

[Lacey Mosley]

Cause it's like A$AP Rocky. A$AP Ferg. You know, the girls. The girls are in houses, and I love it. But Chad Focus sounds like he is not in a house.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, he needs to find a house.

[Lacey Mosley]

He does need to find a house, Chad. I don't know if you can stand on your own. So Chad Focus is accused of spending millions to fraudulently boost his music career.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes.

[Eugene Cordero]

Millions.

[Lacey Mosley]

Millions. And I was like, bruh, you know, who comes to mind is a young king. Or not a young king anymore. An old king. Oh, my God. Why is his name evading me right now? You know? Okay, he is from Louisiana. He's on all of Solange's albums. Talk Master P. Oh, so Master P used to slang mixtapes out of his car. Okay, that didn't cost a million dollars. No, definitely didn't cost 4.

[Eugene Cordero]

So $4 million.

[Lacey Mosley]

$4.1 million. So a Baltimore area rapper has plenty of time.

[Eugene Cordero]

Why not just enjoy $4.1 million?

[Lacey Mosley]

That's what I'm saying. Like, just steal it. But. So he was charging millions of dollars for products and services meant to boost his music career onto a company credit card.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

And I'm like, hell. So I blame the company as well. In addition to. So Chad Arrington, who goes by the stage name Chad Focus, as we said before, you should have gone by Chad Arrington.

[Eugene Cordero]

Chad Arrington sounds dope compared to Chad Focus. Focus. Sir.

[Lacey Mosley]

Arrington, Right? Something like that.

[Eugene Cordero]

4.1 million. Harrington.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. You should have worked with Chad. He needed you. He needed your consultation. So he used the company American Express card to spend $4.1 million to maintain the illusion that Chad Focus was the number one recording artist in the world.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Now for $4.1 million. Chad, I've never heard. Heard of you.

[Eugene Cordero]

Me neither.

[Lacey Mosley]

How is that? How is that?

[Eugene Cordero]

That's so much money spent as a

[Lacey Mosley]

part of a plea. Prosecutors are dropping six other related charges, including wire fraud.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sure.

[Lacey Mosley]

And aggravated identity theft. Chad.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow. Chad.

[Lacey Mosley]

So I'm gonna Read some of the things that Chad did to get this money.

[Eugene Cordero]

4.1 million. $4.1 million.

[Lacey Mosley]

Which I was just so impressed by.

[Eugene Cordero]

So much work.

[Lacey Mosley]

So he's facing more than 20 years in prison for allegedly spending $4.1 million. So what he was doing was, like, he would exaggerate his music's popularity, including multiple billboards throughout the country. Fake streams of his song on Spotify, which you can do. You can buy fake streams and bundles of tickets to his own concerts. So he would buy tickets to his own concerts, and they were focused. So he was focused on becoming famous and.

[Eugene Cordero]

Sure.

[Lacey Mosley]

And then becoming successful. He goes, somehow I became. Became both. What did you. Oh, this is an Instagram caption that he made. He was like, I was focused on becoming successful and. And not famous, but somehow I became both. Like, this is an Instagram caption when he's flexing on the gram. So he was doing sponsored posts. He was buying Instagram followers. I cannot believe.

[Eugene Cordero]

So first of all, you can buy streams on.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, yeah, you can buy streams. Streams, yeah. And then I have friends in the recording industry, and they're like, sometimes they'll, like, have their friends, like, stream their song and just put it on repeat and go to bed with the phone on silent so that you get more streams. Like, which I'm like, that's an earnest way. Then I'm still listening to it. But buying streams is so. But here's the issue is if you're buying your streams, then who's listening to them?

[Eugene Cordero]

Right. Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

No one. So you're not actually getting the fame that you want. You're just buying numbers. And that's, like, not how it works. And if you're buying Instagram followers, we can always tell, because we can look at, like, ratio. If you have 100,000 followers and you get four likes, a picture, something.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. And the math is wrong.

[Lacey Mosley]

You're supposed to get at least 10%.

[Eugene Cordero]

10% of your.

[Lacey Mosley]

Of your following on every picture in optimal times. Yeah.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. And then if you post pictures with other people in them, you get less likes. Unless they're, like, really, really hot or famous.

[Eugene Cordero]

Got it.

[Lacey Mosley]

And if they're the opposite sex, you get even less likes.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Really?

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. And you can, like, look at your follower ratio. You can see how many of them are men, how many of them women. And then I'll also tell you, like, how much they want to see you posting with the opposite.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. There's, like, so much science to this. Pictures are closer to your face. Get more likes. But a full body shot where the body popping gets even more like. I am like a Instagram.

[Eugene Cordero]

I love. I love all of this information.

[Lacey Mosley]

Right now I'm trying to go on MSNBC and be a consultant.

[Eugene Cordero]

Good.

[Lacey Mosley]

I talked about this on the Daily Zeitgeist, because I can always tell when a celebrity wants to take a photo with someone. So if you post a picture and you're like, kicking it with, you know, my people, you know, like, always love seeing Jay Z and he's like, holding up a piece and. Or he's like, far away from you, or he's leaning into the camera. I'm like, he don't like you. He don't know you.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, man.

[Lacey Mosley]

I can tell when they're in passing and they're just about to walk away from you and you grabbed it. Shit.

[Eugene Cordero]

That's every picture I'm in. Even when I take it myself, I'm like, halfway out. I'm like, I gotta do this again. Oh, boy.

[Lacey Mosley]

Is that when they're asking for pictures of you?

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. No, just me taking pictures of myself are even.

[Lacey Mosley]

You're halfway in the door that you're taking.

[Eugene Cordero]

I'm like, nah, I'm outta here.

[Lacey Mosley]

Well, that sounds like you're on par. Yeah, you're fully on brand, but. Chad, focus, Chad, focus.

[Eugene Cordero]

4.1 million.

[Lacey Mosley]

And he's facing up to 20 years in jail, which will give him some

[Eugene Cordero]

more street cred, to be honest.

[Lacey Mosley]

And he also, like, there's other people who got indicted at the same time because they're accused of helping him falsify statements so that he could keep this theft on the low. So I'm like, is he giving them a cut of this American Express while they help him falsify? Like, I doubt that. There's like, some Taraji P. Henson, hustle and flow ass girl at his job who's like, yeah, I'm gonna kill them fans. Chad. What you need me to do some fraud? I believe in you. Like, ain't nobody believing in this.

[Eugene Cordero]

I think somebody's collecting the points. The American Express points afterwards, I get miles. I can buy a pair of beads with this.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's his deal is like, he steals the money and they get the miles.

[Eugene Cordero]

They get the miles? Yeah, they get transferred the miles also.

[Lacey Mosley]

What kind of company do you work for that you haven't an Amex that has access to $4.1 million?

[Eugene Cordero]

Hey, man, those Amex is like, you can. You can get a bunch of shit on there.

[Lacey Mosley]

Let's. I know the black one doesn't have A limit, right? That's sexy.

[Eugene Cordero]

Pretty dope.

[Lacey Mosley]

I've held only a few black cards in my hands, but just because when I was working in restaurants, and whenever I would get one, it's so heavy. And I was like, there's money on each.

[Eugene Cordero]

It is a heavy card.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. They put it on, like, a weighted material.

[Eugene Cordero]

What a bunch of assholes.

[Lacey Mosley]

I love it, though.

[Eugene Cordero]

What a waste.

[Lacey Mosley]

That's how Billy McFarland got people with those magnesis cards. He, like, made weighted.

[Eugene Cordero]

Right.

[Lacey Mosley]

And I talk about on the fyre fest with Yasser Lester, we talk about the weighted card and how I've held magnesis card.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I love being so near fraud.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, God. I mean, that is. You're walking on fraud right there.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes. Sunshine and fraud. Now, Chad, we're gonna give you one last opportunity because we want you to be scammer of the week. So we're gonna listen to some of yo music. Guys hear it here first. Probably the first time you've ever heard it. Cause he bought all of his drinks.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he bought. He bought this episode, didn't he?

[Lacey Mosley]

This episode is sponsored by Chad, Focus.

[Eugene Cordero]

I mean, that's a drone shot.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, yeah. I mean, he's got $4.1 million.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Ooh, we got sound effects.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, I think I'm in this, Eugene, if you're in this. Oh, wait, I got paid for this.

[Lacey Mosley]

He's like, I saw this on backstage.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

Okay. I love the sound effects.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

There's a lot of suspense building. Where is the. The music, Chad? We're 27 seconds in, Chad.

[Eugene Cordero]

Hell, yeah, Chad.

[Lacey Mosley]

Here we go. Hey, hey. Oh, whoa. That was.

[Eugene Cordero]

I was hoping the helicopters were part of that.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah. Where's the drop, Chad? Okay, we're just in a mansion right now.

[Eugene Cordero]

Just ain't focused enough.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, okay, Chad, focus on brand.

[Eugene Cordero]

Heard it.

[Lacey Mosley]

Okay. Ain't no focus. They not focus. Okay?

[Producer or Additional Voice]

O women.

[Eugene Cordero]

Whoops.

[Lacey Mosley]

Ass.

[Eugene Cordero]

I don't got none of that.

[Lacey Mosley]

Wait. Wait a minute. Hey, wait.

[Eugene Cordero]

Am I talking.

[Lacey Mosley]

Am I talking about that chance?

[Guest or Producer]

Oh,

[Lacey Mosley]

all right. Turn it off.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

Chad, focus, Chad. I'm about to focus on you. Focus on Chad. Oh, my God.

[Eugene Cordero]

Wow.

[Lacey Mosley]

The talent jumped out. That was like Travis Scott.

[Eugene Cordero]

He didn't have time, though. He starts off by saying, I don't have time. It's like, you can't start a song by not having time for your song. Especially if your name is Focus. Like, if you're focused, then you know how to budget your day.

[Lacey Mosley]

You know what? Don't poke holes in my man's story. Come on, man. Song.

[Eugene Cordero]

He should be cool. Called Chad out of time.

[Lacey Mosley]

Chad doing time. That's what's about to happen. Damn, Chad, why you gotta go to jail? You got talent.

[Eugene Cordero]

He's pretty good.

[Lacey Mosley]

That was like I would hear. Okay, My producer Brody is shaking his head.

[Eugene Cordero]

He's okay. He was okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Come on now. You would think if you heard that on the radio. Come here. You can turn your mic on, Brody. Why?

[Eugene Cordero]

You know how many 17 year olds can make beats like that? Oh, okay, okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

But how many of those? We gonna keep listening to those beats too? Okay? Literally, Roddy Ricch got some Windex and a wipe and. And I'm gonna listen to that forever. Okay. I love the box. Make even more simple beats.

[Eugene Cordero]

I love that beat.

[Lacey Mosley]

I want somebody to ball up a piece of paper in a mic and I will listen to that.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, yeah.

[Lacey Mosley]

I love it. You know what, Chad? You're a king. Woo hoo.

[Eugene Cordero]

What a leap. What up, Chad?

[Lacey Mosley]

Write it to the show so I can be your prison wife.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

Wow.

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, that was called Sa Sense, by the way.

[Lacey Mosley]

Oh, that song was called Sense C E N T S. Yeah, yeah, yeah. By Chad Focus. If y' all want to listen to that online. How many views does my man's have? He has a 19, 183 views. He has over 12, 000 subscribers. I don't know if they bought him them himself. Yeah, Chad got 52 likes on this video, but he did get 122 dislikes. Dislikes, but it's a lot of haters in the world.

[Guest or Producer]

Okay.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yeah, hating on my man's Chad.

[Eugene Cordero]

I wonder if the first comment is, you are disrespectful.

[Lacey Mosley]

Our producer just added a dislike to. Why you hating on my king like that, Brody? I didn't raise you to be a hater.

[Eugene Cordero]

Hey.

[Lacey Mosley]

All right, guys, that brings us to the end of the episode.

[Eugene Cordero]

No time. We don't have none of it.

[Lacey Mosley]

See, you already quoting it.

[Eugene Cordero]

I am already quoting it by your bars. It was pretty good.

[Lacey Mosley]

We don't got none of that. My ears are small. Like there's smoke coming out of my headphones.

[Eugene Cordero]

Chad, focus.

[Lacey Mosley]

We love him. So where do you want to be found, Eugene?

[Eugene Cordero]

Oh, you can find me on social media somewhere at Huge Cordero and then also the Dumbbells podcast.

[Lacey Mosley]

Yes, and also on his television show.

[Eugene Cordero]

Yeah. Tacoma. FD starts in March.

[Lacey Mosley]

And yeah, and he's a talented king. You'll hear and see him everywhere. And you'll be so pleasantly surprised. Yeah, guys, as always, you can find us at Scam Goddess Pod if you want to email us your scams or your friend scams. Y' all been riding out y' all friends and family lately a lot, and I'm living for it. Keep snitching on them just to me at Scam. Got his [e-mail]. as always, we're on all platforms at Scam Goddess Pod and me if you want to follow my antics because I am always running scams, including today D I V A L A C I Diva Lacy on all platform platforms. Hanny all right, guys, congregation time. We ain't got none of that, so stay scheming. We have God.

[Producer or Additional Voice]

It.