The One About Influencers

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sibling Rivalry – "The One About Influencers" (Released November 11, 2024)

Hosted by Monet X Change and Kim Chi, Sibling Rivalry delves into the dynamic world of influencers, unpacking the complexities of modern influencer culture, the challenges faced by drag and trans influencers, and the evolving relationship between brands and content creators.

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1. Introduction to Influencer Culture

In this episode, Monet X Change and Kim Chi explore the multifaceted realm of influencers, particularly focusing on their experiences in Los Angeles and New York. The conversation kicks off with an acknowledgment of the vast and often overwhelming nature of the influencer landscape.

[03:22] Unnamed Guest: "We talk all about influencers, and we."

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2. Navigating Gifting Events and PR Packages

Monet and Kim share their personal encounters with influencer gifting events and PR packages. They highlight the perks of receiving high-value items from brands in exchange for social media promotion but also critique the often inequitable distribution of these gifts based on tiered access.

[27:36] Unnamed Guest: "Every single booth had, like, tiers like that. So then I felt like, okay, like, this is really, like, gross."

Kim Chi echoes these sentiments, emphasizing the unfairness of tier-based gifting systems that leave some affiliates feeling undervalued.

[28:45] Kim Chi: "That's wild."

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3. The Power and Responsibility of Influencers

The hosts discuss the significant influence that top-tier influencers like Keith Lee wield over businesses. While acknowledging the positive impact of favorable reviews, they also caution against the potential for destructive "mob mentality" when influencers deliver negative feedback.

[31:08] Kim Chi: "Keith Lee is probably the biggest food content creator influencer that I know of. And, like, Keith Lee had, like, throughout his career so far, like, he has literally reinvigorated businesses."

[32:15] Unnamed Guest: "But he's at the point where he just needs to be a little more careful about like what he says about each places, you know?"

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4. Challenges Faced by Drag and Trans Influencers

Monet and Kim delve into the specific hurdles that drag queens and trans content creators encounter in the influencer industry. They discuss disparities in compensation compared to cisgender influencers and the broader impact of the current political climate on their opportunities.

[49:06] Kim Chi: "Especially like this political climate. I think the turning point was like the whole like Bud Light drama since then."

[50:14] Unnamed Guest: "I guess it is the political climate and it's interesting getting more Work from going forward is going to be even harder."

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5. Negative Trends in Influencer Content

The conversation shifts to critiquing certain trends within influencer content, such as "stunt food" and "mukbang" videos. Monet and Kim express their disdain for content that prioritizes shock value over authenticity and quality.

[51:08] Unnamed Guest: "I hate stunt food content where when you watch it, you think it's going to be, like, an actual recipe video, but then, like, they make something completely disgusting."

[52:08] Kim Chi: "Mukbang. Well, I remember when. Well, mukbangs were, like, something that I would watch sometimes by some of my favorite influencers, right? It just got crazy."

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6. Influencer Ethics and Authenticity

Monet shares experiences where brands sent her high-value items not directly related to their products, leading to ethical concerns about the true intentions behind such requests. This segment underscores the importance of authenticity and transparency in influencer-brand partnerships.

[33:00] Unnamed Guest: "So, you know, the money. The amount of money it costs to make this promo box, I think some of the biggest ones I got was Lizzo Giddy sent me a promo box. And it was literally like a fucking chest."

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7. Controversies and Political Impact

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the impact of political affiliations on influencers' reputations and opportunities. The hosts recount the controversy surrounding Nicole Scherzinger and her perceived alignment with MAGA sentiments, illustrating how political stances can lead to backlash within the community.

[62:17] Unnamed Guest: "She was like, let me just grift for no reason."

[63:25] Unnamed Guest: "If you're saying you want to make America a great again hat, using deductive reasoning, we're thinking, oh, you're doing it because you want to."

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8. Personal Anecdotes and Community Support

Throughout the episode, Monet and Kim share personal stories that highlight both the perks and pitfalls of being influencers. They emphasize the importance of community support and staying true to one's values amidst external pressures.

[67:14] Unnamed Guest: "Now I can't even listen to Jai Ho without singing mega."

[68:20] Unnamed Guest: "There's two shows that I'm, like, excited to go see that's coming up."

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9. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Monet and Kim reflect on the evolving nature of influencer culture, the need for more equitable practices, and the importance of maintaining authenticity. They encourage new influencers to navigate the industry with integrity and caution against compromising their values for fleeting gains.

[70:06] Kim Chi: "Alright, dear."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Monet X Change: "[10:50] I want to go back and do drugs."

• Kim Chi: "[12:05] So, yeah, if you want to go Sunset Boulevard, get your ticket on a Tuesday because Nicole's not in it."

• Unnamed Guest: "[30:46] I'm like, I'm someone who, like, loves food, and I do not want to see that."

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Key Takeaways

• Influencer Influence: Top influencers have significant sway over businesses, both positively and negatively.

• Equity in Gifting: The tiered system in gifting events creates disparities among influencers.

• Political Climate Impact: Political affiliations can drastically affect an influencer's reputation and opportunities.

• Content Authenticity: There is a growing concern over the authenticity of influencer content amidst trends that prioritize spectacle over substance.

• Community and Support: Building and maintaining a supportive community is crucial for influencers navigating challenges.

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For those interested in the intricate dynamics of influencer culture, Sibling Rivalry's "The One About Influencers" offers an insightful and candid exploration, enriched by the personal experiences and perspectives of Monet X Change and Kim Chi.

Transcript

[Bob the Drag Queen]

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[Monet X Change]

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[Kim Chi]

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[Bob the Drag Queen]

My name is Bob the Drag Queen.

[Kim Chi]

And I'm Money Exchange. And this is Sibling Rivalry. On this week's episode, we find out who has the best empanadas.

[Unnamed Guest]

We talk all about influencers, and we.

[Kim Chi]

Find out what made Kim say this yesterday.

[Unnamed Guest]

You're kind of, like, taking advantage of them. And we find out what made Monet say this.

[Kim Chi]

It's a fucking waste, girl. All right, Sibling Rivalry, listeners. Y'all in for a treat today because Bob is off doing well. I know where Bob is at. We got to talk about it, because I'm very jealous. But fuck him, because we have my good sister Kim Chi on the pot. Hi, Kim.

[Unnamed Guest]

How are you, love? So good to see you.

[Kim Chi]

Good to see you, too. What is this sweater you have on? Or sweater or jacket or coat, whatever it is, it's cute.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's just like a fuzzy little teddy bear coat. And then I'm wearing a Naomi merchandise.

[Kim Chi]

Wow, you never wear a Monet merchandise. Hmm.

[Unnamed Guest]

Telling you never gave me one. You never gave me one. Naomi makes sure to give me all of her merch, which you have yet to do.

[Kim Chi]

Okay. I don't know if that's true. I've definitely give you merch before.

[Unnamed Guest]

Even Bob gives me all of his merch, so. Very interesting. Very interesting. Do you want me to buy your merch?

[Kim Chi]

Are you having coffee at this time in the afternoon?

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, it's decaf, but my house is really cold right now, and I don't have heat because, you know, la. So this coffee, I'm not even drinking it. I'm, like, holding it for warmth.

[Kim Chi]

The other day, so Kim and I were in a. We're in a bunch of group chats. But one, we're in a Facebook group chat, and then she commented something in there. Oh, no, no, no. It wasn't in there. You commented on your Instagram. You was like, oh, my God, it's so cold here in LA. I was like, Kim, it's fucking 60 degrees. Please.

[Unnamed Guest]

For some reason, my building is one of those, like, old buildings where when it gets cold, it just stays cold and it doesn't get warm.

[Kim Chi]

Gotcha.

[Unnamed Guest]

Which is great for summer. Cause I don't need ac. But then, like, during the colder days, it gets really cold in my apartment.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, I'm very jealous because all the girlies are going to the wicked Premiere tonight and I'm.

[Unnamed Guest]

Were you invited to the Wicked premiere?

[Kim Chi]

I was invited, but I am performing with the Colorado Opera and tonight is opening night of our show, so I couldn't come back to LA to go.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, I see. I was invited. I was invited to the early screening of Wicked yesterday. So I saw it. I saw that Sir Goldhouse who, you know, elevates, you know, Asian media and always in like, media things. But I was not invited to the regular Wicked premiere.

[Kim Chi]

Really?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

Ooh, the shade. Yeah. What's also why. So all on my Instagram, I'm seeing all like, Rob flew in. I had some other friends from New York that flew in in for the thing. I'm like, oh, my God, I'm so jealous. Everyone has seen the movie before me. I'm so jealous.

[Unnamed Guest]

Must be nice. But I will say this. I'm going to see Asuko tonight. Our friend Atsuko, that too. So that is a treat on its own. And as someone who's seen Wicked last night before anybody else, I'm gonna say this without spoiling. And can I. Can I be honest here? Can I be completely honest?

[Kim Chi]

Girl, be honest. Tell us, Kim. You see it? Tell us.

[Unnamed Guest]

It was good. Oh, it was good. Cause what's so good about. And again, I'm not going to spoil anything, but what's good about it is it stays true to original material, but they do a little subtle touches here and there that makes it feel modern.

[Kim Chi]

Okay.

[Unnamed Guest]

And you're gonna go have to. You're going to go see for yourself, obviously, because, you know, but it's great. It's worth watching in the magic of, like, cinema, you know, you can create like, visuals that you can't on a stage play.

[Kim Chi]

Right?

[Unnamed Guest]

And I'm sure there's going to be people because, like, these like, musical theater Broadway, like fans are like, so snobby. So I'm sure there's going to be aspect of it. They're going to be like, well, in the Broadway, they do this. And I'm like, well, it's not Broadway.

[Kim Chi]

This is a fucking movie, girl. It is. It is a movie. It's the movie adaptation slash reimagining of the, of the Broadway show. Like, that's what people don't understand. Like, to your point, I think that's a good point. When you see these fucking movies come from Broadway to the movie, you can just add so much more, so much more depth and so much more stuff to the story because you have movie magic. That's what I'm excited for. To see how they do it.

[Unnamed Guest]

And the chemistry between Cynthia Rebo and Ariana. Chef's kiss.

[Kim Chi]

I know, but even, like, offline, when you see them on socials, all the things they're doing everything together, they really seem to have really become sisters during the filming of this fucking movie.

[Unnamed Guest]

And Jonathan Bailey is so sexy. I will say that he does not look like he should be enrolled in school. He looks like a teacher. But with that being said, he is very sexy and hot.

[Kim Chi]

Is he playing Fiero?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

Jonathan Bailey. Let me see. I don't know who that is. What? Like what? What has he been in that? I would know him from Bridgerton.

[Unnamed Guest]

You don't wish the Bridgerton love.

[Kim Chi]

No, I've never. I've never seen Bridgerton. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Why do you hate Shonda Rhimes? Let's talk about it. That's some cactus.

[Kim Chi]

I will watch. I just. You know what I don't like? I don't.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, you don't like diverse casting. I see.

[Kim Chi]

I see.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's crazy.

[Kim Chi]

I don't like period things. Like, I don't. I don't like things that, like, set, like, super old. I don't like black and white movies. I don't like westerns. I don't like that period shit.

[Unnamed Guest]

But that's why Bridgerton is different, because they modernize it and it's not a true period piece. So all the music are pop songs that you recognize, done, like, in, like a. Like, reinterpreted. So, like, when they're, like, dancing at the balls and things you see, like, you hear, like, Miley Cyrus, like, Wrecking Ball, done in, like, an orchestra like version.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, really? Oh, that's interesting. Actually super modern.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then the whole cast is cast, like. What's the term? Like, colorblind casting.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Or.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, colorblind. Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

So, yeah, colorblind casting. So it's great.

[Kim Chi]

Very, very much like Brandi Cinderella, how she had. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How the prince had a white daddy, a black mom, and he was Asian. Brandi. It was. Yeah. Interesting.

[Unnamed Guest]

So. But also, I think you should give it a try.

[Kim Chi]

I will. But when everyone talks about Bridgerton, they just talk about. There's just so much sex. Everyone is like. They're just fucking all the time. Everyone is having sex and coming inside each other, the whole thing. I'm like, if I want to watch just fucking, I watch porn.

[Unnamed Guest]

But that's not the main focus of the story. It's about the romantic tension. And also, these are, like rich nobles with nothing else to do. What else are they going to do except gossip and have sex.

[Kim Chi]

That's what I'm thinking. I'm like, yo, imagine being alive in those times when I have to say, I am so happy to be born in the time that I was. The only time I would like to be born are the two other times Currently being born today is obviously great because we have so much. We have the Internet, we have games, we have electronic shit. I love that. I would have also liked to be born in the 70s because of the drugs and like the partying and that. I would love to be born in like. Like, I can imagine what the future's gonna be like 50 being born 50 years from now with like holograms and shit. But also the world is like kind of like getting fucked up. So maybe I don't want that. So I think now or the 70s are the two times I would like to be born.

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, honestly, like, if I could take a time machine, I wanna go four years ahead, you know, like that part, that part let me, like, can I just skip, like Trump's presidency and then, like, see like, where we're at and then see, decide if I want to, like, stay there or not? Maybe, maybe I want to go back or maybe, like. But anyways, let's not spiral into like.

[Kim Chi]

Yes, yes, we're not gonna spiral. We're not gonna spiral. That Adam Sandler movie, a while ago, I think it was called Click and he had a remote and he could like, fast forward through his life. And like, I was like, bitch, I wish I could do that right now. Fast forward four years.

[Unnamed Guest]

Just four years. That's all I ask for for next four years. And if I could go back in time, there's one thing that I want to experience, obviously, like, you know, with the problem with like racism and, you know.

[Kim Chi]

Right, right, right.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't want to experience any of it, but I would like to take bunch of prep and bring it to 80s.

[Kim Chi]

Ooh, work. That would be fair.

[Unnamed Guest]

AIDS epidemic.

[Kim Chi]

You'd have to bring a fucking boatload. How the fuck. Okay, because let's say we do have this time machine, right? In theory, the time machine.

[Unnamed Guest]

You give it to the scientists and the doctors.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, right.

[Unnamed Guest]

No, you get the formula to the doctors and scientists.

[Kim Chi]

I'm so in my stupid mind.

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm like, I'm not personally giving every gay prep. No. But like, you bring that technology and science to that time and imagine, like, how many more gays would have lived.

[Kim Chi]

I know. And imagine, like the prolific, like, artists and dancers and like artists, like queer like gay artists. We would like that we could. We would have been able to save from the late 80s, early 90s and what that would have meant for queerness now. Like, shit would be completely different, girl. Like, shit would be so. My God, it's such a good point. You see, I'm so. I'm so selfish. I'm like, I want to go back and do drugs. Kim is like, I want to heal people.

[Unnamed Guest]

And also I would travel back to September 10, 2001 to possibly stop the 911 flight. I don't know what I could do, but I feel like I'll go back in time and I would, like call the FBI or something, you know, like.

[Kim Chi]

Everything in my life. Yeah, but girl, we gotta be careful because that's. Then you start making time variances, Kim. So, yes, you stop that from happening. But what other catastrophic timelines are you creating that are gonna fuck us up now? Maybe you and I would be dead right now.

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, at least maybe tell people to like, hey, don't go into work. If you work at like Twin Tower.

[Kim Chi]

You know, and then you end up out of yourself as like a time traveler, then, then, then Kim is now evading. You have to commit espionage to hide from the government because they want to know how you found out. Girl, no, I'm keeping my mouth shut.

[Unnamed Guest]

Okay, so there's one more thing that I want to go back in time for, and that is I quit smoking a long time ago. Like, I don't smoke anymore, but like the Pan Am times when people were smoking on a plane, like I was born after that time, so I can't imagine what that would be like, where people were like, getting on these planes and getting these like nice meals and they're just like smoking non stop while drinking martinis.

[Kim Chi]

That is crazy. I cannot believe.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, that sounds crazy.

[Kim Chi]

That sounds insane. Imagine being trapped in a fucking plane and the people just smoking. Oh my God, you probably came off that plane stanking of. Oh, God, that sounds.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I'm sure people are like chain smoking too, because they're bored on a plane, right?

[Kim Chi]

I wonder what, like, yeah, that. I mean, I've never been a smoker, so it doesn't appeal to me. But I mean, maybe even. Even weed. I smoke weed here and there, but I wouldn't even want to be lost on a plane with weed. Like, that just sounds. That doesn't sound fun to me at all.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, but I just want to go back and see for one day. Like, let me just see what it's like.

[Kim Chi]

Let me.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, and do you remember when. When they had a Concord flight from New York.

[Kim Chi]

I was just about to bring that up. Yes. Three hour flight, girl, that would change everything.

[Unnamed Guest]

Everything.

[Kim Chi]

And I mean, so Ty and I, who travels with me, we were talking about this the other day and I looked it up. They stopped the. So for y'all young, young Gen Zers and maybe Gen Alpha's listening to this. They used to have the Concorde flight that could fly from New York to la, LA to New York in three hours. Right now it's about five and a half, six hours. That flight was three hours. Also New York to London was three hours. So like you could making that a three hour flight. That sounds insane. I wish they could bring it back. I want them to bring it back.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's like, why wasn't that a thing? Like after we got on Drag Race, you know?

[Kim Chi]

I know. Well, apparently they stopped it because across the country A, they were so loud and they would often break the sound barrier. So like, when you're just sitting in your home, in whatever city you're in, you can hear the plane going by because it's constantly shattering the sound barrier. And like, there were like a few accidents, but I'm like, whatever, more people are dying. Fucking car crashes a year. Who cares if one or two Concorde flights crash a year, crash a year.

[Unnamed Guest]

But also like, most of that flight is over the water, so why does it matter?

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, well, not, not the one from New York to la though. Oh, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And always complain about the flight. Excuse me, this flight too loud. I live in New York and, you know, I need a little peace and quiet.

[Kim Chi]

I know. Yeah. Well, Bob and I were talking about this the other day. He was like, oh. And people in the comments try to get at me. I'm curious about this. What do you think about this? I feel like, yes, now that I live in North Hollywood, I feel like I'm more conscious of like airplanes, like hearing airplanes. But like when I was in East Hollywood or when I lived in New York, like, I don't have this constant, like, Bob is like, everyone, wherever you live, you're always hearing planes. Like in New York and in la, I was like, I don't think so. Do you hear airplanes all the time?

[Unnamed Guest]

Not in Mid City, no.

[Kim Chi]

Never. Right.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't even hear helicopters.

[Kim Chi]

Well, in la you hit them periodically because they always searching for somebody. Fucking la. There's always a copter searching for some fugitive in LA all the time. That's weird. But I was like, in New York, I don't Remember hearing airplanes all the time? He's like, everyone in New York hears airplanes all the time. I'm like, I don't think that's true, but whatever.

[Unnamed Guest]

But also, where you live right now, it's close to the Burbank Airport, right?

[Kim Chi]

Yeah. Yes. You can hear. I hear airplanes there because I live literally super close to. Well, not that close, guys. I don't live that close to it.

[Unnamed Guest]

So I guess being a homeowner is not all that is cracked out to be.

[Kim Chi]

I want to do so my publicist can get me an AD feature. Kim. And Bob is like, don't do it. Do you think I should do an Architecture Digest?

[Unnamed Guest]

So. No, absolutely not. Because all the celebrities. All the celebrities that show their home on Architecture Digest are trying to sell their home.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, really?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes. So that way, like, people see these videos, and they're like, okay, like, this is, like, the relay of the home, so then people don't actually have to come into tour.

[Kim Chi]

But you.

[Unnamed Guest]

Your home is freshly made. You have a lot of, like, nice things and nice furniture. And I know for a fact that you don't have, like, a personal security or anything.

[Kim Chi]

You don't know what you think. I don't. Honey, they're watching y'all.

[Unnamed Guest]

No, you don't. You're basically, like, telling, like, robbers, like, all right, when you rob me, these are the places where you're gonna go to, like, get these things.

[Kim Chi]

That's what Bob said. Okay, I guess I'm not gonna do it, then.

[Unnamed Guest]

You don't have, like, the means to protect yourself. And there's nothing for you to gain out of, like, showing your house on ad, except to flex on. Except to flex on people, and you're better than that.

[Kim Chi]

Damn, Kim. All right, you just got me together. I guess I'm not doing ad feature.

[Unnamed Guest]

I mean, when you're trying to sell your house, then do it, you know?

[Kim Chi]

But, like, Alyssa Edwards did one.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, well, Alyssa's also egomaniac. I love her, though.

[Kim Chi]

Do love her. I do love her. I do. Listen, let's take a break, and we'll talk more about these influences in their houses.

[Bob the Drag Queen]

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[Monet X Change]

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[Kim Chi]

Okay. And we're back. Okay, so we're talking influencers today. Now I have been, I have been to a few since moving to Los Angeles. I've been to a few, I guess influencers and celebrity homes and it's always super gaggy to me. I think the first celebrity or influencer home I went to was. Have you ever been there?

[Unnamed Guest]

No, I'm not really friends with celebrities like you.

[Kim Chi]

Bitch, please. Bitch please. Kim, please don't act for these cameras. Kim is so full of it. So it's when I first moved to LA and it was a birthday party and I got invited and I was like, oh wow. And apparently it's old house. So I guess it was my first time being like a big mansion like that. I was like, this is wild. This is such a. It was so cool. It's so big and it's like a pool and all the things. I was like, wow. This is because in Los Angeles people do house parties here a lot, whereas in New York people go out a lot because no one's bringing people to their small ass fucking apartments. So when you have some parties. I've been to la. They normally are house parties, and New York people are going out to the clubs. So that's why. That's how I get to see a lot of people's houses.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I've been to some, like, ridiculous houses here. I'm like. And they're very, like, unsuspecting because, like, they're, like, in a regular neighborhood. And you go in and like, this is like a $20,000 couch. Oh, my God.

[Kim Chi]

It's $20,000 house. You mean $20,000,000.

[Unnamed Guest]

The $20,000, couch.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, couch, yes. Yeah. Well, and then you realize oftentimes that they're get. Sometimes they're getting these from these couches and shit for free. Like, I can speak for myself. Like, I got some furniture in my house for free. Just because I had a publicist when I was renovating, my. Reached out to people and they were like, you know, would you give Monet. Monet is doing a renovation? Blah, blah, blah. Oh, my God, we love Monet. Can. We'll give her a blah, blah, blah for free if we can. If she can do like a video or post about it later on. And I was like, sure. And so I got some really nice things from my home.

[Unnamed Guest]

Where are they?

[Kim Chi]

Locked away in the safe.

[Unnamed Guest]

I was going to say, I haven't.

[Kim Chi]

Seen these, you fucking bitch. But sometimes you hear that. And I will say, like. And that's what I don't think people realize. Like, influencers and celebrities, they've been getting a lot of shit for free. Like, I've gone to the Oscar gifting suite, which is the. I've been to the Emmys on the Oscars gifting suite, which is what you get invited to. Even though I've never been nominated for an Emmy or an Oscar, I get invited to it. And, like, you get, like, nice fucking shit, y'all. Trips to go places, lots of free things. And the barter is that. So it's normally at a really nice hotel in New York City, in la, and they take you around to all the. Like, each brand is posted somewhere up, like three floors full of brands. And then you go to a thing, you have someone walking with you, collecting all your items for you, and then the brand gets to take a picture with you holding the item and, like, posing with the item. And then you get to take it for free. So the first time I went, I got so much nice shit. They even, you know, you know those big massage chairs you see at the airport, they were giving one of those away. But at that time, I was at my old apartment, my. My old townhouse here in la. I didn't have anywhere to fit it. And it was. They were. They was like, giving it to you for a year. You can have it in your home for a year. They would pay to deliver it, pick it up. You get to keep it in your home for a year. And I. But I just didn't do that. That was probably one of the most expensive ones.

[Unnamed Guest]

I went to one gifting event, and that event gave me such an ick that I. I just say, like, no to, like, gifting events. Now.

[Kim Chi]

Wait, why the ick?

[Unnamed Guest]

So they're like. They invited me and I'm like, I've never been to one of these before. Let me just go check it out. Let's see, like, what it's all about. They're like, you can bring a plus one. And I was like, sure. So I got there, and then I checked in. They gave me a little bracelet and then, like, a bag to, like, guess, like, put stuff in when I get it. And then my friend, like, you know, reached out too, and then they're like, oh, you just get a bracelet. You don't get a bag. And I'm like, can she just have a bag? I mean, it's just like a. Whatever bag, plastic bag. And you're like, no, she's in this third tier. It's a plus one. I'm like, tears. So then I realized, like, our bracelet had different colors. So then there's like, tier one, tier two, and tier three.

[Kim Chi]

So then when we.

[Unnamed Guest]

And when we go in, there's all these, like, vendors, right? Just, like, giving stuff away. And if you're like. If you're just, like, a clothing one. If you're, like, in the top tier, you can take nine clothing items for free. But then if you're in second tier, you can only get, like, four. And then if you're. Last year, you can only take one.

[Kim Chi]

That's wild.

[Unnamed Guest]

Every single booth had, like, tears like that. So then I felt like, okay, like, this is really, like, gross. Kind of like, if you're gonna do a gifting event and have people bring them, like, why not treat everybody equally? So then now it feels like my friend is, like, less than me.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I mean. And again. And I guess the purpose of this is that they think that you post about it and tell more people about it and shit and, like, about the brands. But, like, I'm just so also curious. Like, I just. I guess since I've been on Drag race. That's when I've been aware of influencer culture. But I feel like influencing is, like, I would say influencing. I mean, again, obviously influencing has been around for a long time, right? Celebrities have always been given things and using them to influence the public to purchase them. But I feel like the big business of influencing because of social media has gotten like, crazy. Like, influencing is such an interesting concept to me. And I. I guess just because since I've had public awareness and I've been a public figure, I've realized how fucking big influencing is.

[Unnamed Guest]

And also, I feel like a lot of the content creators, when they start out, they're very, like, genuine about their content initially, right? They're like, when they review product, they, like, pay with their money and then they review it, and then they eventually, like, gain followers. And a lot of times, like, after they gain followers, then they won't post anything unless they're getting paid, right? Even, like, you know, like, for briefly, I was doing, like, restaurant reviews just for fun, just to make it big star content, just, you know, like, out of, like, hobby. And then from then I was like, hanging out with, like, I just randomly started crossing pathways. Like, a lot of these, like, food influencers and hanging out with them. And a lot of times, like, it was kind of almost like predatory. Like, how they're treating the restaurants. Like, when they go in, they, like, order all this food, don't leave a tip. And then, like, maybe they'll post like, one Instagram story, but then, like, if they're getting paid, then they'll do, like, slide on.

[Kim Chi]

Slide on slides. Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I'm just like. And then they're always like, you know, we love, like, lifting up, like, you know, like, mom shop businesses. And I'm like, you actually, you're kind of, like, taking advantage of them. You know, you're going to these struggling businesses and getting, like, whatever you can for free and then see, like, what you can get. I don't know. It just give me the whole culture, like, gave me the X. And I was like, I'm going to stop doing this because I don't want to be associated with any of this.

[Kim Chi]

Well, Keith Lee is a big one. Keith Lee is probably the biggest food content creator influencer that I know of. And, like, Keith Lee had, like, throughout his career so far, like, he has literally reinvigorated businesses. Like, and I'm like, how did he get. How did he become so fucking influential? Like, it's crazy when restaurants hit a. Keith Lee is coming to Atlanta. Like, they're on, like their P's and Q's, hoping he'll come to the restaurant. Because if Keith Lee comes and gives you a restaurant a good review, people are going to start lining down the block for your restaurant. I'm like, that is fucking influence. That is power.

[Unnamed Guest]

But I've also, I've seen like the opposite side of it where first of all, I love Keith Lee. I think his reviews are phenomenal. I think he's a very important person in the industry. But then also we have to recognize like the power that he has where if he gets the restaurant, like a not favorable review, as honest it is, it also creates like a mob mentality of people trying to like cancel this restaurant. Like, you're done, you're done. Like you're over. And I've seen it happen to like, other businesses where they get bombed with bad reviews from people that haven't tried the restaurant. After Keith Lee says something like unfavorable about them.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah. But also he'd always make it a business. So when he does go to these places, he will like leave. Like, even when he does bad service, when he gets bad service and or he doesn't speak super favorably of the business, he will still leave like a thousand dollar tip and like all these things to like, hopefully help the waiters, the waits app out or whatever to make it a little better, you know.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yo, for sure. I mean, he's definitely important, like person in the industry and I appreciate like what he does. I just, you know, just. But he's at the point where he just needs to be a little more careful about like what he says about each places, you know?

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

I feel that because people are messy.

[Kim Chi]

100%. 100%. What is the craziest PR package you've ever gotten?

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, my God, there's so many. There's one that I got recently and I felt really weird about it that I didn't even post it. So it's a product from this influencer who actually is in some, like, big controversy right now. I'm not gonna say his name because I'm not trying to start drama. And he sent me, they or this brand has sent me a package before. So they had my address, but this time I just got another package from them. Like, you know, because normally, like, sometimes brand would be like, I'll be on the lookout. We sent you another one, you know, but this one just like right at my door. Without, like any warning, I opened it up. Inside was a product and hundred dollars in cash.

[Kim Chi]

A hundred dollars in Cash.

[Unnamed Guest]

Hundred dollars in cash. Just like. And it wasn't like the product had nothing to do with cash. There was $100 in cash in the package.

[Kim Chi]

Is that supposed to be, like, an incentive to you to post about it?

[Unnamed Guest]

It doesn't say anything like that. There was literally just $100 in the package. And I'm like, so if you're sending $100 to all these people, why don't you at least say, like, hey, there's an important package coming. Like, be on the lookout. Something, you know.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Not just, like, randomly sending me $100 in cash.

[Kim Chi]

Interesting. And then.

[Unnamed Guest]

And you know, like, a lot of drag fans know, like, my saga with Chipotle.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, God, I'm so jealous. Does Chipotle still take care of you?

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, they took care of Mary and then some. And also. But then one time they sent me a PR package that was, you know, their poulet chip bags.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, yeah, the chip bags. Yeah, like. Like the one that you get chips. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

They sent me a life size of that one, but it was eight foot tall to the point where I couldn't even get it in my door. And I couldn't move it by myself.

[Kim Chi]

And I'm like, what was inside of it?

[Unnamed Guest]

Inside of it were, like, hoodies and, like, clothing, like, they were releasing. So it was very cute. But I'm like, I can't even, like, throw this out myself because it's so big and heavy.

[Kim Chi]

Eight feet tall. That's insane. Well, here's the thing. When brands and these crazy PR boxes, I would like, girl, the money. The amount of money it costs to make this promo box, I think some of the biggest ones I got was Lizzo Giddy sent me a promo box. And it was literally like a fucking chest. Like, it was a big purple chest. I would say, like, maybe.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, I got the same one. It was like the. Yes.

[Kim Chi]

The purple one.

[Unnamed Guest]

The purple one. Yeah, I got the same one. It's huge.

[Kim Chi]

Huge. A huge ass chest. And then you open it up and it has, like, all these compartments and drawers and shit. I was like, this is crazy. And then another one, I got Doritos. The. It was like a pyramid. Did you get this one from Doritos?

[Unnamed Guest]

Doritos?

[Kim Chi]

No, they were doing, like, they were debuting a new dip or new sauce or something like that. So they sent a big ass pyramid that's maybe like. It was maybe like 4ft tall and like a pyramid. So it was fucking wide. And I was like, oh, my God. I want like, in my mind, I'm like, oh, there's like three or like four or five bags of Doritos in here, y'all. That big ass thing for two dips, a cool ranch one, and a nacho cheese one and like a golden spoon. And I was like, the waste. Like, no shade. I love Doritos. Thank you so much for the PR box. And I was like, this. A big ass pyramid for just these two dips and a golden little spoon. I was like, that's a little wild.

[Unnamed Guest]

This one time, this ice cream company that I never gave my address to sent me a giant PR package when I was traveling. I don't, I'm assuming, like, do some of these companies, like, share the address with other brands or something? I don't know. Yeah, I come home after, like, being away for the weekend, working, and I see this, like, giant ice cream box and I'm like, oh, my God, when did this get here? And I opened it up and there was literally like hundreds of bars of ice cream all melted.

[Kim Chi]

Shut up.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I'm like, this is so insane. It's such a waste.

[Kim Chi]

It's a waste, girl. Well, you know, I have a really weird thing with ice cream bars because when I. When I found out. Did you know the Nestle drumsticks? You know, the classic drumstick with the.

[Unnamed Guest]

But they don't melt.

[Kim Chi]

They don't melt. Why don't they melt, Kim?

[Unnamed Guest]

Because it's not ice cream.

[Kim Chi]

I'm not eating that.

[Unnamed Guest]

But you eat Doritos.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, well, Doritos, they. They don't melt. And they're not supposed to.

[Bob the Drag Queen]

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[Kim Chi]

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[Unnamed Guest]

You drink Mountain Dew Baja Blast. You think that's real liquid?

[Kim Chi]

Kim had a game night at her house one day and I was gonna be late, bitch. And then I come over, the game started, bitch. I walk in with my fucking bag of Taco Bell and my juice, and I didn't offer anyone any of.

[Unnamed Guest]

No. We also had a lot of food there, so everybody was already full.

[Kim Chi]

There was so much food. Well, you got us. You got us empanadas from that fucking place. That was so good.

[Unnamed Guest]

Hermano's empanadas, they're like handmade empanadas. Like made to order. They're phenomenal. If you're in la, look them up. Their empanadas are so good.

[Kim Chi]

Okay, now here's a million dollar question, Kim. Who's taking it? Hermanos empanadas or Empanada Mama? What's good?

[Unnamed Guest]

They're completely different. You can't compare apples to oranges.

[Kim Chi]

You know her fucking pageant answer, Kim, please.

[Unnamed Guest]

Then, okay. Hermano's empanadas.

[Kim Chi]

Really? No. Empanada Mama is top tier. They're superior. Remember when I brought you, I first brought you to Empanada Mama?

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, no, no. Yeah, you. So Bob was the first person to tell me about it, but he's like, oh, Empanada Mama is my favorite restaurant, but it burnt down. And I was like, oh. And then I was on New York for like a tour during work the world. And you're like, like, you gotta go to Empanada Mama. I'm like, they're open again. It's like, girl, go there, get the Viagra empanada. Trust me on this. And I did. And now I get the Viagra empanada from Empanada Mamba every time I'm in New York.

[Kim Chi]

So you still say Hermanos over mama.

[Unnamed Guest]

But see, it's completely different because hermano's like, classic, simple empanada, where, like, beef and chicken and then empanada Mama's, like, different seafood. The cheeseburger, like, you know, it's just completely different. Like, the outside shell might be same, but the inside feeling is like a whole new world.

[Kim Chi]

There's also Nonna's empanada. It's on third. It's right by the Beverly Center. Yes.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't like nonnas.

[Kim Chi]

Really?

[Unnamed Guest]

The shell, maybe, like, just every time I've had it, the shell has been, like, cold and stale.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, yeah. Cause they do like, that platting around the rim of it, and it's like. Yeah, I agree. I agree. I don't love the shell, and I. A lot of their flavors, and there's only. They have, like, 20 different flavors, but I only like, like, two of them, which I'm like, that's not a good. What's the word? Ratio? But, you know, like.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, you know what's better than empanadas?

[Kim Chi]

What?

[Unnamed Guest]

Jamaican beef patties.

[Kim Chi]

Well, I mean, I will. Okay, I have to take you to the best Jamaican beef patty I found here in la, because, you know, one thing I will say about the West Coast, I love living in Los Angeles. I love living here. But there is. There is not a lot of West Indian Caribbean food. Like, they're on a lot of places. But I. Bitch. I found one that has, literally, Kim, the most perfect flaky crust, great seasoned beef inside, and it's on Santa Monica. I'm gonna take it to get beef patties there.

[Unnamed Guest]

You know, if you go to, like, Pico Robertson, there are so many Caribbean, like, Jamaican restaurants, all industrial.

[Kim Chi]

Robinson. I need to write that down. Pico Robertson, like, in Miss City area.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, there's a lot of, like, Caribbean Jamaican restaurants, and they're really.

[Kim Chi]

I'm always on the hunt. Cause I love Caribbean food. And it just. I've never. I've been to, like, four places here in la, and I'm like, this is not good. So I'm gonna try.

[Unnamed Guest]

Let me take you to my spot. You know, you take me to your spot, and I'll take you to my spot. How about that? With no Caribbean Day.

[Kim Chi]

Deal. Well, here's the thing. So beef or meat inside a flaky crust is clearly something that goes, like, through different cultures, right? Like, Puerto Ricans have their own color dumpling, you know? Okay. I'm about to say, so what is the Korean version of, like, a beef patty?

[Unnamed Guest]

Beef patty, probably.

[Kim Chi]

Or like an empanada.

[Unnamed Guest]

Jim Bang.

[Kim Chi]

Jim Bang.

[Unnamed Guest]

Jimpang. Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

Okay. And it's like a flaky thing with meat inside of it. Yeah, got it.

[Unnamed Guest]

And there's also Hotteok. There's also mandu.

[Kim Chi]

Mandu. Okay. I want to do like a. I want to do a YouTube video about that. Like, trying every different culture is like, empanada thing. Because I find it so interesting. Like, the world and culture and food, like, obviously there's so much that separate. And this sounds so fucking pageant, whatever, but there's so much that separates us. But throughout food, like, every ver. Every culture has their version of a thing that we all do, which I find it very interesting.

[Unnamed Guest]

I feel like it's like a very cheesy thing to say, like, in the food space. But, you know, food tells a history.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Do you know food tells you about, like, how people live? Food tells you about how people, like, nourish, you know?

[Kim Chi]

Mm. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Just like, there's so much, like, history that you can tell just from, like, the food culture.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, I agree. What do you think is the difference between New York City and LA influencers? I have my thoughts about LA influencers versus New York influencers. I find it to be very. I find it to be very stark. I feel like LA influencers are so, like, young. Young and bright and cheesy, whereas New York influencers, I feel they seem to be a little more, like, reserved and kind of, like, cool. The word is not cool. Because I think LA influencers are cool too. Especially, like, their brand of influencing. But I just feel like New York influencers, a little more laid back and chill as opposed to LA influencers. Like, young and bright and chipper and sunny and like, yeah, look, look like, look at a day in life and me going to the da. Like, it's very that.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. I guess I've never met too many New York influencers, so I can't really speak on that. But at least just once, I see social media. But also, like, you never gauge an influencer by, like, their online Persona because so many of them are just so different off camera. Like, a lot of them, from my personal experience, a lot of them are very, very shy and awkward in person.

[Kim Chi]

100%.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, and then they turn to the camera and they're like, hi, you guys. You know, and then they're like, they can't even say hi to you.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, well. And like, I look at. Maybe it's just my algorithm and I talk about this. I do on my show. Monet talks, like, when I talk to, like, Bowman and some other influencers on there, and I find it so interesting how very different all of our for your pages are. Cause I was talking to him about, like, my. For your page. I'm like, well, these are the people we talked about, the top five people on our. On our for your pages. And I was like, I have this, this, this, this. And on my for you page, these are people with, like, huge tens of millions of followers. But on his, they're completely different, and they also have tens and millions of followers. So it's like the fucking social media scape is so fucking big. It honestly feels like the galaxy, like. Like. Like. Like the universe. Like, there's just an. It's just unending influences. There's just so many people out there with so many. So many fans, and we don't even know them.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's true. And that's how I kind of feel like. I feel about, like, how this election went down. I feel like, have I been living in this, like, liberal bubble? Because everything I say in social media, it's like, anti Trump. Like, Kamala's gonna win. And then obviously that's not how it went down.

[Kim Chi]

I know.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then, like, from everywhere, anywhere, just, like, not in, like, the progressive circle, it's like, oh, we all totally saw the coming. Like, this race is not even close. And Kamala's, like, made so many bad moves. I'm like, to me, Trump is making, like, nothing but bad moves, girl. You know?

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, I agree. I was talking to our producer Jay about this. Like, I was, like, on my Twitter, which is obviously a very. I am a super. I'm a super liberal. I am a fucking black drag queen, bitch. And, like, on my Twitter, on my. For your page, I was getting nothing but Trump ads. And I'm like, there's no way that shit is for me. Like, there's nothing I am liking slash posting that would warrant Trump ads. I can count on maybe two fingers. So that means two. The amount of Kamala ads I saw during this whole past year versus the, like, daily. A different Trump one I would see on my. On my. On my. On my Twitter for you page. It was kind of crazy.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. So. But maybe I just need to, like, log off online and just not. You know, I thought. I thought we had this election in the back, and I was completely wrong.

[Kim Chi]

I know. But so. So to the New York influencers, I feel like the New York influences I see online, they're like. They're like, they'll do, like, a day in the Life thing. But it's more like the day in the life of like a sugar baby and like how I like fashion. Whereas LA influencers seem to be like more lifestyle and like shit like that. I feel like that's the again, maybe that's just my. For your experience.

[Unnamed Guest]

No, no, because also in LA there's so many different like pop up events or like brand event that happens here all the time that some of these influencers, their content just all going to these like different events. Like oh, I'm going to like this like sample sale for this and the line was like four hours long and blah, blah, the skin bearer and his like launching event for this and this and all of their content is just about like basically being a socialite.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah. I do get jealous of those like influencers who get like invited on these like trips. Like I feel like Jackie Aina, like she like went to like Cannes, they like invited her to go to Cannes for a thing. All these influence goods go on these like brand trips somewhere. I'm like, that seems so. I've never been offered a brand trip by a brand for any influencing.

[Unnamed Guest]

But you know what? And we probably won't going forward because no one is like, no one. No brands wants drag queens as.

[Kim Chi]

Right. Why is that? Can we talk about it? Why is that?

[Unnamed Guest]

It's just people would hire a CIS influencer with less followers than like a famous drag queen.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, right.

[Unnamed Guest]

Especially like this political climate. I think the turning point was like the whole like Bud Light drama since then.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, with Dylan. Dylan Mulvaney.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. And we're not blaming Dylan.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, no, not at all. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

No, but just like that was like the point where a lot of friends are like, instead of giving our money to trans and drag creators, it's just better for us just to hire a random CIS straight celebrity.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah. But even like because we have friends and influencing and sometimes again you don't have to discuss your numbers, but when people hang out you're like, oh yeah, like a brand gave me like these are just random numbers. Yeah, this brand gave me like $10 to do these things. And then you're a drag queen or a trans person and another person being like, really girl, they gave me like $50 to do this thing and that person's like a cis person. Like cis, you know, not drag. I'm like that like even the numbers be so crazy how different they're willing to pay drag queens and trans folk as opposed to.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yep.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

I guess it is the political climate and it's interesting getting more Work from going forward is going to be even harder.

[Kim Chi]

I know, I know.

[Unnamed Guest]

So.

[Kim Chi]

So kill me.

[Unnamed Guest]

To the new Drag Race queens going on newer seasons. Good luck.

[Kim Chi]

Is there any kind of content you find cringy?

[Unnamed Guest]

So many.

[Kim Chi]

Well, I used to. I would. I would make some things, and I would like to. Bob. I'm like, bob, this is so cringey. Like Monet. Part of being a millennial, making content is being cringy. So just be cringey and post it.

[Unnamed Guest]

No, see, when people do, like, skits and things, I don't mind those. I think they're like, whatever. Like, you know, you do you. You know, I hate stunt food content where when you watch it, you think it's going to be, like, an actual recipe video, but then, like, they make something completely disgusting where it's like, it's always like, a sheet pan, like, aluminum sheet pan with, like, pasta, and then they pour, like, blocks of cheese and they just make so much food. Making these, like, non recipes.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, I hate those. Or they're like, oh, we're gonna make, like, fruit punch in a toilet bowl. And I'm like, why? Why? It's not entertaining.

[Kim Chi]

Okay. I didn't know the name of it. Stunt food. Yeah. That is. I feel like there was a. There was a wave of that when it was crazy. It would be like they were like a sheet pan. They put, like, uncooked pasta and put cheese on it, then roll it up in dough, then fry the dough, then put it in a thing, and we're like, no one's fucking eating that, yo.

[Unnamed Guest]

Or. Or like mukbang content where they, like, pour sauce over everything and they're, like, eating it like, all dripping down. And I'm like, oh. Like, I'm someone who, like, loves food, and I do not want to see that.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah. Mukbang. Well, I remember when. Well, mukbangs were, like, something that I would watch sometimes by some of my favorite influencers, right? It just got crazy, and everyone just started doing mukbangs. And I'm like, girl, no one wants to see no fucking mukbang with no goddamn chick fil A. Like, what are you doing? Who wants to watch that?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, no, like, give me, like, an interesting mukbang, right? But then, oh, my God, you know? Did you hear about the Korean mukbang?

[Kim Chi]

JM no.

[Unnamed Guest]

This is, like, insane. So she's probably the biggest mukbanger, like, in the world, right? The biggest. Like, she has.

[Kim Chi]

What's her name?

[Unnamed Guest]

Jeyoung. T Z U Y A N G. Oh, yeah. But it turns out.

[Kim Chi]

Oh.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, my God. I don't. This is like such a long talk. I don't even know where to begin. Basically, her ex boyfriend took, like, videos of, like, her, like, secretly and have been blackmailing her. So every earning that she's made from, like, her, like, videos of millions of followers, like, millions of dollars, he basically, like, took it all. And then he's been beating her every day.

[Kim Chi]

Beating her, like, physically beating her, like, physically beating her.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then people saw, like, bruises and stuff, like, you know, like in our videos. And it's like, oh, I'm clumsy. But anyways, so she collected enough evidence, tried to sue him, but then he ended up killing himself.

[Kim Chi]

Jesus.

[Unnamed Guest]

But. But then these other YouTubers, these Korean YouTubers found out about this from his lawyer, and then they've been blackmailing her all this time about her, like, getting beaten and all that. So then she finally had to come out with all of this information because she didn't want to be blackmailed anymore and paid them these crazy amounts of money. And then she had to play all these clips of her that she recorded where her getting beaten by this guy every day. It's so sad.

[Kim Chi]

Okay, so I'm on her thing and she posts on her YouTube page. She posts a video pretty much every two days, it looks like.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

How? There's no. When people do these mukbangs, you're not really eating all that food, are you?

[Unnamed Guest]

She does. She does. She's like, proven, like, many times that she actually eats all that food.

[Kim Chi]

And how does she say, so skinny.

[Unnamed Guest]

She's just built differently. She's not. Some people are just built differently, you know, like, for me, I smell food and I get bloated.

[Kim Chi]

Girls, like, how do you maintain such a physique and eat so much? Like you're eating tens of thousands of calories.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I know. It's a mystery. We all wanna know. Please tell me the secret.

[Kim Chi]

Well, it's also when I meet these people who have like, oh, I forgot to eat today. Never.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, never. That has never happened to me, girl. Or if people are like, oh, I didn't have time to eat, I'm like, I'm sorry. No matter how busy we are, you.

[Kim Chi]

Can find time to eat. Like, it blows my mind when people are like, oh, I forgot to eat today, or I didn't eat. Like, I'm like, girl, no shade, bitch. The night. When I go to bed at night to going to sleep, I'm thinking about, ooh, bitch for lunch. I'm gonna get this Already the next day. Like, that shit is how my brain is wired.

[Unnamed Guest]

Food noise, girl.

[Kim Chi]

I'm like, oh, yeah, okay, bitch. Today I had. I had a Formosa cafe for lunch, but bitch, tomorrow for lunch, bitch, I'm gonna get me to like. I'm already planning on my meals for the next day.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, you like Formosa Cafe?

[Kim Chi]

I love Formosa Cafe. You don't like it?

[Unnamed Guest]

I've never been.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, I got it. It's such good Chinese food. It's good. Before my favorite LA Chinese food used to be, which I still like. Hoy's Walk. They used to have a location on Sunset and La Brea, but it burned down. So then they moved to a place on third, kind of by known as Thing. So it's a little far, but for most all the time, you know, if.

[Unnamed Guest]

You'Re willing to, like, go to SGB one day, I want to take you to Hang Hang food court where they make this best, like, juiciest dumplings. Ooh.

[Kim Chi]

Well, you know, I tell people all the time, those fucking dumplings that used to be outside. Well, not used to be. I feel like that place is gone. But when we went to South Korea, outside, shrunk that dumpling place.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, my God, So good, bro.

[Kim Chi]

We went to South Korea. We were there for a week. I went there every day, and they were 24 hours. So I would, like, leave my hotel like 2:00 in the morning and go get those dumplings.

[Unnamed Guest]

Those dumplings are so good.

[Kim Chi]

So fucking good, bitch. Zero good.

[Unnamed Guest]

I found a place in LA that makes dumplings very much like those.

[Kim Chi]

Kim, why you holding out, though?

[Unnamed Guest]

You won't return my tax.

[Kim Chi]

That is a lie. That is a lie. Yeah, I want to go there also. I always tell people about also when we went to South Korea and Minnie took us to that crazy sushi experience.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, yeah, the omakase.

[Kim Chi]

Omakase. Omakase is like.

[Unnamed Guest]

Omakase is so popular, like, everywhere now, so you can get omakase anywhere. Except. So, you know, like, omakase means, like, chef choice, right? So then, like, you know, the chef serves you, like, each course. Now they're trying to, like, colonize it.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, God.

[Unnamed Guest]

The other day I saw a pizza omakase, no, and coffee omakase. And I'm like, yo, you can't just, like, take a random thing, put the word omakase in it, charge, like, $150 and start pizza. Like, slice of pizza. Like, that is bullshit. Like, I will not stand for this. Stop putting the word omakase word doesn't belong.

[Kim Chi]

This is a PSA from Kim. Stop that shit. Stop it, girl. You know, you know, if the. If there's anything they will do, people will. People will fucking colonize an experienced girl and try to make money off of it. That shit is crazy.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

It's also. When I see people, I don't. Again, I'm not a coffee drinker like we talked about at the top of this. And which also. Which I don't understand decaf coffee, because if you're not drinking it to get caffeinated and why drink coffee?

[Unnamed Guest]

Because we like the flavor and the scent.

[Kim Chi]

Got it. Okay.

[Unnamed Guest]

You know, some people don't like Mountain Dew, but some people drink it.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, that's fair. That's fair, that's fair.

[Unnamed Guest]

Some people, you know, don't like Sprite.

[Kim Chi]

I don't. I don't. I don't understand Starbucks reserve. I'm like, if y'all think that's different coffee, bitch, I have a. I have a Fortune 500 company that I need to sell you.

[Unnamed Guest]

Is it not different coffee?

[Kim Chi]

No, I mean, I don't have the proof that it's not.

[Unnamed Guest]

I mean, I haven't gone to Starbucks in, like, years.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, really? You don't drink Starbucks?

[Unnamed Guest]

Well. Cause I brew coffee at home.

[Kim Chi]

Got it, got it, got it, got it. Yeah. Starbucks reserve is like. And I've only seen one. I've seen two locations before. There's one, like, in. No, in New York on, like 14th street by the Google thing. There's a big Starbucks reserve there. And I'm like. And the coffee's like $5 more than regular Starbucks. And I'm like, like, just for some coffee, girl, that is wild.

[Unnamed Guest]

But yeah, yeah, Teach, do you remember when Starbucks was doing like this, like, olive oil coffee, like, few months ago, and everyone was like, up and roar because they said it was like the nastiest thing ever.

[Kim Chi]

Olive oil coffee. That didn't even sound good. That. That just sounds nasty.

[Unnamed Guest]

Apparently. It was just literally like coffee with, like, olive oil in it. But then sometimes, like, they'll put too much olive oil on. So just like a. You're drinking, like, straight up olive oil.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then also, like, coffee, you know, like, makes me shit like crazy. So I can imagine, like, adding pure oil on top of all that.

[Kim Chi]

God, is there. Do you. Do you stay up on Influencer Beef? I feel like Influencer Beef was really big on YouTube. Then it chill for a little bit, and now there's always some influence of beef on fucking TikTok.

[Unnamed Guest]

Now it's like, if you did not live through the 2018 influencer, like, drama era.

[Kim Chi]

That was.

[Unnamed Guest]

I feel like I was like, someone in the makeup company was always being, like, ousted. Like, someone was always getting a fight with someone. It was. There was a wild time.

[Kim Chi]

Well, now the new one is apparently, I saw this last night. Doom scrolling on Tick tock. Michaela, the makeup girls like this. And she had the crazy face. Her. She's in trouble with this. Or there's this brand called Pimby with this African.

[Unnamed Guest]

I saw that where she, like, swatches it, but then she doesn't, like, swatches properly.

[Kim Chi]

Yes. So this brand, Pimby, this woman, she makes this makeup palette and she swatches it and it has this, like, the pigment and the payoff is apparently really good. It can go like, up her entire arm and you can see the color. Right? So the Mikaela got it. The thing. She's like, I got this thing. I'm going to try it out. And then she swatches it and then it goes like this far. And she was like. And she was like, I heard that they used Vaseline or something. I don't know. And then so the person clapped back. She, like, individually, she takes a makeup wipe, she cleans her fingers, her arms to prove there's nothing on her fingers, and she does it. And now everyone is accusing Mikayla of trying to, like, you know, be shady to this un black owned makeup business.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, my God.

[Kim Chi]

I know. It's always a thing, girl.

[Unnamed Guest]

At least, like when I was, like, making like, those kind of, like, reviews. Unless, like, they deserve it. You generally, like, don't post, like, any content if it's going to be, like, negative, you know?

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, but I mean, unless you're Jeffree Star. That's how people go to Jeffree Star, because they feel like they're going to get the real tea regardless.

[Unnamed Guest]

He's also maga and.

[Kim Chi]

Oh, is he? Well, of course that should. Why am I shocked by that?

[Unnamed Guest]

Actually not a shock that I wasn't before. Nicole Scherzinger, girl.

[Kim Chi]

Okay, so before we end this podcast, let's give Ms. Scherzinger a little. A little screen time.

[Unnamed Guest]

Okay, first of all, 95% of her.

[Kim Chi]

Audience is gay, right?

[Unnamed Guest]

And woman.

[Kim Chi]

Right?

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, ain't no straight men seeking out Nicole Scherzinger for music. You know, she had like, 60 fans. And then she just like, you know what? I don't need those 60 fans. Let me just, like, grift for no reason.

[Kim Chi]

Well, allegedly, she supported Obama when he ran, so she might not be maga, but she is, like, super religious. So her religious views around abortion and things have pushed her to. So what happened, the whole thing that made this all boil over was that Russell Brand, who was a notorious maga, the fucking British comedian, dude, he is maga. Maga.

[Unnamed Guest]

He's also, like, accused of, like, SA and sexual violence.

[Kim Chi]

He sure has. He who was formerly. He used to be with Katy Perry, right? They used to date.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kim Chi]

Former Katy Perry. He posted a thing with a hat and Nicole Scherzinger commented, like, oh, that's an awesome hat. Where can I get it? Some comment like that.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's like, first of all, she had no business going on, like, Russell Brand's Instagram, like, why?

[Kim Chi]

Like, why girl? Why post that? And like, again, if you're saying you want to make America a great again hat, using deductive reasoning, we're thinking, oh, you're doing it because you want to. You want. Cause the red make America great hat signifies that you believe that you are a mega supporter, that you support Trump and you believe in their ideals, right? When you. Like, that is what that. That is what that signal is to people, to other people. When you see that, when I see people with it at the airport, when I see people walking in the street, when I see people with it in videos, like, that's what you're saying that you're aligning yourself with, right? So we're not crazy because she put out a statement on her Instagram, in her Instagram story saying, you know, citing, like, religious beliefs, she's always supported the community, blah, blah, blah, blah. But when you. When you're. When you post something that you like this hat and you want this hat, that's what we're believing, that you want, that you are. You stand for those ideals and those virtues. So if she's MAGA or not, bitch, people are very upset and also bitch, you know what I'm saying? In this day and age. Just come say with your chest, I do not support Trump. I did not vote for Trump. Let's say that she didn't. So she did. She didn't. Yeah. So apparently last night, because she's currently in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway right now, and she was, like, poised for a Tony because I went to go see the show now I went to go see the show on a Tuesday. I bought tickets not knowing anything. Apparently, Nicole does not perform. She said she has every Tuesday off. And I was like, I really bought these tickets to come see Nicole Shirs and the show. The show is a brilliant show. The woman, I forget her name, her cover. I forget her name, but she is incredible.

[Unnamed Guest]

Was it a retro or something?

[Kim Chi]

No, I don't know. A lady with curly hair. She was really good though. And the show was a really great show. But apparently now people get asking for her to be ousted from the role, to not nominate her for the Tony and put Heather Headley in the show instead. So it's like a whole, whole, whole drama girl.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then like the Instagram for the show also like turned their comments off.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

So, well, like with Nicole, you didn't have to say anything and you did. And now you're paying the consequences 100%.

[Kim Chi]

And we're in a very sensitive time. Right, like, and again, we tried our best to not talk about politics and everything, but like this part of what the world is for the next couple days, people are upset, people are grieving. Like it is what it is and like we're in a really tricky time. Whereas, you know, and I've been trying to do my due diligence and listen to all the things and. Cause I do think there is some validity in people saying like they feel like the Democrats have kind of lost the working class. Like, I'm not saying those things are not valid. I just in my life, in my experience, could never see myself prioritizing my pocketbook or how I felt four years ago versus people's versus the denigration of people and making people second class citizens and not having people have equal rights and protection that I do. Like, I just will never prioritize my money or my wallet over that kind of stuff. So, you know, so it's just really tough and people are going to be upset and people are going to express that and say how they feel. And so it just is what it is. And she got to pay the piper in some way or some way, shape or form.

[Unnamed Guest]

It was like a worth timing to do this, Nicole. And you know what? Personally, me as someone from the gay community, I'm done with you. And I was rooting for you all this time. I've always hoped better things for you. I was like, she's so talented. She deserves to be. Now I don't care. You could rot.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, I've been supporting Nicole Scherzinger since Eden's crush. Okay? Get over yourself. Goodbye. I was a worse and now I ain't no mo.

[Unnamed Guest]

Now I can't even listen to Jai Ho without singing mega.

[Kim Chi]

Wait, that's her song?

[Unnamed Guest]

Jai Ho? Yeah.

[Kim Chi]

I did not know that.

[Unnamed Guest]

Wait, let me just make sure that it's her Song.

[Kim Chi]

I did not know that.

[Unnamed Guest]

I think so. Jai Ho. Well, you're making me doubt things.

[Kim Chi]

I just didn't know. I just asked. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Jai Ho. Pussycat Dolls.

[Kim Chi]

Why did I not. Pussycat Dolls. Interesting. But you know what, people, if. Listen, if you. So if you want to go Sunset Boulevard, get your ticket on a Tuesday because Nicole's not in it. And I think if people got tickets and they only went on Tuesdays, we could send such a powerful message, like, we want to see the show, but not on the other nights. On the night that we know she's not in it. And if you want another show to go see. I went to go see. Death Becomes Her. So fucking good. The show was brilliant. So funny. Megan Hilty. I'm sorry, I forget the woman who plays the other role. Ah, sorry. But they were both so good. So funny. The show was brilliant. I loved every minute of it.

[Unnamed Guest]

There's two shows that I'm, like, excited to go see that's coming up.

[Kim Chi]

What?

[Unnamed Guest]

The first is the Jinx Monsoon and Mandela Crimson Holiday Show. I go every year. It is phenomenal. It is so good.

[Kim Chi]

I want to go with you this year.

[Unnamed Guest]

Let's go.

[Kim Chi]

Yeah, let's go.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, I love them so much because every year they manage to, like, bring up fresh materials about the holidays and they make it so funny. The second show I'm excited to go see is this show called Life Be Life Thing.

[Kim Chi]

Thank you, Kim. Yes. I have my one show, Life Be Life in touring. The last dates. Yo, these are the last days of the show. I'm doing New York City. I'm going to be at Joe's pub on the 19th and 20th of this. Of no November, and I'm going to be the 20 dates in the States in January, and then I'm filming it in Los Angeles later on in February, so. And then the show is done. I've been. I've been doing this show for fucking two years now. It's a wrap on her. And so if you want to go to my website to come see the show live, it's a show I'm really proud of, even from Kim. Saw, like, the very first iteration of it before I took it to Edinburgh before all these other shows. So the show is literally, Kim, kind of completely different from what you even saw, but I'm really proud of this.

[Unnamed Guest]

It was great back then, so I'm sure it's even more phenomenal now.

[Kim Chi]

So thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Kim. Thank you so much for coming and chatting with me. We just I love talking have Kim and Naomi Nippon because we just, you know, we're obviously we're good friends. Not only when y'all see we hang out here with them all the time and it's always nice to have them on the podcast. I just love you so much. Kimberly.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes. Am I going to see you at the next block in the clock power night?

[Kim Chi]

Yes, I'm going to come. I, I literally come back to LA on the 21st.

[Unnamed Guest]

Okay.

[Kim Chi]

And then I'm so I'm going to be there on, on, on the next one.

[Unnamed Guest]

Okay.

[Kim Chi]

Sounds good. All right, dear.

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