Vault: He tans to get darker but he's black

Summary

The Bert Show

Episode Title: Vault: He tans to get darker but he's black
Date: August 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a candid and humorous discussion among The Bert Show cast about skin tone, tanning, and cultural perspectives within the Black community regarding getting "darker" during the summer. Sparked by Producer Carl's personal habit of consciously getting darker each summer, the conversation explores generational attitudes, cultural pride, misconceptions about melanin, and issues like skin cancer. The discussion features authentic listener call-ins and playful banter, highlighting both differences and commonalities in experience.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Producer Carl's Summertime Ritual

• Carl shares his routine: Each summer, despite already being dark-skinned, he purposely spends time in the sun to get even darker.
  • “During every summer I try to get darker. I'm a dark-skinned black man. But during every summer I like to go out.” (Carl, 02:14)
• Clarifies method: He emphasizes he doesn't use tanning beds or products but stays outside longer when occupied with activities like yard work.
  • “I don't go out tanning and tanning beds...but when I'm outside, I’m conscientious of that I’m getting darker.” (Carl, 02:21)

2. Misconceptions about Melanin & Melatonin

• Funny slip-up: The group confuses melanin (pigment) with melatonin (sleep aid), adding a dose of comic relief.
  • “Melatonin, exactly. Is a protectant. What I did was messed up, man.” (Carl, 03:01)
  • “Melatonin is the stuff that makes you sleep.” (Cast, 03:09)

3. Cultural & Generational Attitudes

• Contrasting upbringings: Listener Shauna calls in to share that her grandmother discouraged her from getting darker, associating it with negative stereotypes.
  • “My grandmother always told me, do not go outside and become a tar baby...So that’s kind of been in my mind.” (Shauna, 04:38)
  • This viewpoint reflects generational differences and internalized biases about skin tone.
• Differing experiences: Carl finds out from peers that he’s not alone—many Black people actively enjoy getting darker as a point of pride.
  • “I've asked a few other black people around, and they said, yeah, they do the same thing." (Carl, 03:51)
• Community Representation: The cast discusses the challenge of speaking for an entire race, acknowledging the diversity of experiences within the Black community.
  • “It’s tough trying to represent the whole race right here.” (Carl, 04:30)

4. Skin Cancer & Sunscreen

• Questions about melanin's protective effect: The cast and listeners discuss whether melanin in darker skin actually offers protection from skin cancer.
  • “Do black folks get skin cancer less than white folks? Does the melanin in your skin protect you from skin cancer?” (Cast, 05:47)
  • “From what I understand, yes...But it’s not a common thing in my type of conversation with people I hang around.” (Carl, 05:53)
• A listener clarifies: Jennifer calls in, mentioning a Black friend who died of skin cancer, highlighting that while melanin offers some protection, risk remains.
  • “A friend of mine...lost a friend to skin cancer and she was black.” (Jennifer, 08:28)
• Sunscreen habits vary: Shauna insists on wearing high-SPF sunscreen, while Carl and Natalie admit they generally avoid it.

5. Personal Pride and Aesthetics

• Listeners join in: Natalie and Sarah (both Black women) call to confirm their enjoyment of getting darker in summer—both for aesthetics and personal pride.
  • “I love getting just that nice crisp darkness.” (Natalie, 06:36)
  • “Every summer I make sure I go out and tan...I just think it’s beautiful.” (Sarah, 07:26)
• Healthier look: The group discusses the “healthy glow” associated with darker summer skin and avoiding “sunglasses tan lines.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community Representation:
  • “A listener...sent me an email saying, I don’t represent the whole black race. Well, listen, let me represent myself. Yes, yes.” (Carl, 04:09)
• On Playful Confusion:
  • “Melatonin is the stuff that makes you sleep.” (Cast, 03:09)
  • “You are looking black today. Right. Real nice and common round.” (Carl, 07:53)
• Generational Wisdom (and challenge):
  • “If I can get Sunblock 1000, I will put that all over my face, body, anything that exposed to the sun.” (Shauna, 05:00)
  • “That’s very, very, very derogatory, baby.” (Carl, 05:15)
• On Pride:
  • “I just like the golden darkness of it.” (Carl, 06:59)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 01:16 | Show kicks off—introducing Carl’s topic | | 01:55 | Carl discusses getting darker in summer | | 03:01 | Melanin vs. melatonin mix-up | | 04:38 | Shauna calls—grandparental advice, generational attitudes | | 05:47 | Skin cancer question and melanin discussion | | 06:36 | Natalie calls—her love of tanning | | 07:26 | Sarah calls—praising darker complexions | | 08:28 | Jennifer calls—skin cancer can happen |

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Tone & Character

The episode is candid, lively, and humorous, with the cast and callers sharing genuine personal anecdotes. The tone balances playful teasing (especially about science mix-ups) with respect for guests and deeper cultural topics, reflecting The Bert Show’s trademark blend of authenticity and comedy.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

This is the Bird Show. All right, so producer Carl with his music

[D]

look.

[C]

The Braves do this a little bit nowadays.

[D]

They wear on you.

[C]

When a player comes up at the Braves game, they've got their own mic music. And I want to give proper credit to. I think it's Troy Gloss. The new Atlanta Brave is using Tricky by Run dmc. Oh, yeah, this is Ike music, right? Much love.

[D]

Oh, that's real hot choice.

[E]

Good choice. I just want to hear the whole song. Right when they step up to the plate and they start playing it, I get all excited. I'm like, oh, could you just hold off on batting for a second? I want to hear some more of that.

[C]

So producer Carl here learned a little bit about his own blackness last week.

[D]

Yeah, I was sitting there talking to. Now this is normal to me. And actually I found since the conversation that I've had with intern Brandon and producer Natalie, I found out that's really not rare. But speaking with them, they made it seem that it was rare to me. This is something I've been doing my whole life.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

During every summer I try to get darker. I'm a dark skinned black man. But during every summer I like to go out.

[A]

I don't.

[D]

Like I said, I don't tan. Don't get me wrong. Don't get it twisted, everybody. I don't go out tanning and tanning beds with tanning solution and all that stuff, but one of those mirrored things with. Ain't that freaky grease up, But. But I do go out when I'm outside and maybe cutting the grass or outside with my kids, I'm. I'm conscientious of that I'm getting darker, that I'm out in the sun, so I'm not hiding, I'm not ducking from the shade, anything like that.

[C]

It's making you feel better, though. Yeah, definitely.

[D]

Definitely.

[E]

And you're not wearing sunscreen.

[D]

Not at all.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

Not at all. So what I'm really. When I found out that melanin was protecting, you know, when I was a kid, I found out that, you know, melanin, what makes your skin darker is a protectant and things like that.

[C]

Melatonin.

[D]

Melatonin, exactly. Is a protectant. What I did was messed up, man.

[E]

That's in your skin. Melatonin is the stuff that makes you sleep. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God.

[B]

What if that is your.

[D]

I know. I know myself.

[C]

Listen,

[D]

right? What if that's your sleeping problem?

[C]

Is that I'm taking too much?

[D]

Because you're taking so much. What have you been taking? Melatonin. So you get darker and you just can't stay awake. But yeah, so. So I go out and I conscientiously try to get darker during the summer. And, you know, it's not. It hasn't been like a big thing to me. We were just sitting around kicking the Willie Bobo, me and intern Brandon and Natalie, and they come to find out. They looked at me like, what? You get darker? You try to get darker? I'm like, yeah, you know, I want to darken up a little bit. The black of the berry, baby, Sweet of the juice.

[E]

I've seen that movie. But.

[D]

Yeah, but like I said, since then, they don't. They think it's off. But I've asked a few other black people around, and they said, yeah, they do the same thing. So I didn't know that.

[E]

I mean, I didn't know that you would purposely go out and try to get dark.

[C]

I know I did either.

[D]

Really?

[A]

Do most black. Black people want to get darker or

[D]

do they want to stay lighter? You know what? I had a call. I mean, a listener. She sent me an email saying, I don't represent the whole black race. Well, listen, let me. Let me represent myself. Yes, yes.

[C]

Yeah, Carl's in a tough spot when he comes in here. To do, like ask a race, and he's supposed to ask for an entire community of black people.

[D]

That's tough. It's tough trying to represent the whole race right here.

[C]

Shawna. Good morning, Shauna. You're on the Burke show. Hi.

[A]

Hey. I was just calling because I remember my grandmother always told me, do not go outside and become a tar baby. So that was kind of been in my mind. And I always put sunblock. If I can get Sunblock 1000, I will put that all over my face, body, anything that exposed to the sun. Because, yeah, I just grew up that it was not a really good idea to get extra black in the summer.

[C]

And she said, you'll become a what?

[A]

A tar baby.

[D]

What's that?

[A]

You know, that's old people. And that's. You know how they said it's.

[C]

It's not a good term.

[D]

Oh, boy. Yeah, that's. That's very, very, very derogatory, baby.

[A]

Well, I completely understand, but I mean, that's kind of the perception of just older caramel skin, black folks. And that what I grew up with. And so that just precipitates, even today, that I don't go outside in the sun without making sure I keep sunblock in my purse, in the car, everywhere.

[C]

Right.

[E]

Can I ask a somewhat maybe ignorant question?

[D]

Sure.

[E]

Do black folks get skin cancer less than white folks? Does the melanin in your skin protect you from skin cancer?

[D]

From what I understand, yes. I haven't heard of too many black people with skin. Of course they're out there, y', all, but I don't hear. It's not a common thing in my. My type of conversation with people I

[E]

hang around with, because it's. I mean, it's certainly common for lighter skinned people. I mean, for me, I go to the dermatologist once a year. I've had to have, like, you know, sunspots and stuff removed. Like, they're. I mean, they're like saying, Wear 70 every single day. All that kind of stuff. I just wondered if you're.

[C]

I just got one cut out.

[E]

If it protects your skin.

[D]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah, it definitely protects your skin. Melanin definitely protects your skin. Definitely. And actually, you know, the color of black, maybe some people's gum. That's the darkness of the gum. That's melanin. Also the gum, the lips, all that. That's all melanin.

[C]

Good morning, Natalie. You're on the Burke show, huh?

[A]

Yes, I tan.

[C]

You do?

[A]

I'm spending the money to go on a vacation. I'm gonna lay out in the sun, I'm going to enjoy where I am and I'm going to tan. I love getting just that nice crisp darkness.

[E]

Me too.

[D]

Exactly. And that's exactly what I'm looking for.

[C]

You feel like you look healthier when you're even darker than your black skin.

[A]

Yes. It's almost like my skin tone is more even and I don't know, I feel good when I'm darker.

[D]

Me too. I just like the golden darkness of it.

[C]

Are you Natalie? Are you a light skinned black woman? Are you? Cause Carl's pretty dark, dude.

[D]

Yeah, I'm dark. I wouldn't get dark skinned.

[A]

I'm a caramel black.

[D]

Okay. Caramel black. Okay.

[C]

Because I could see that. But with your skin color is dark. I would never have. Yeah, but I can see you've been wearing some sunglasses right now.

[D]

And you know, I don't wear the sunglasses because I don't want to have that, that, you know, that tan look.

[C]

Hey, Sarah, Good morning. You're on the bird show.

[A]

Good morning. Good morning. I just wanted to say I'm a light skinned black woman and I have darker brothers and sisters and I've always envied darker black skin, black people. So every summer I make sure I go out and tan. Well, not necessarily tan, but get that caramel color to my skin. I just think it's beautiful. That's what I love about summertime. And getting dark.

[D]

Exactly.

[E]

I don't know, I feel ignorant because I never thought about it.

[D]

And it's funny because it's like a pride of honor. Like I'll go outside one day and I, I'll tend, I tend real easy. I get dark just in the summertime. Just recognize me one day when I come in here because I'll go out. You are looking black today. Right. Real nice and common round. But I'll tan and I'll go inside the house and then I'll look at myself in the mirror like, okay, yeah, it's, it's nice now, but it's, it's like, it's good to hear other people out there doing that because I didn't realize that it was a, you know, I was the only one.

[A]

Carl thing.

[D]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

Jen, you asked the question about skin cancer. Good morning, Jennifer. You're on the Burt Show.

[A]

Hi, good morning. I was going to answer your question. A friend of mine, she lost a friend to skin cancer and she was black. So just to answer your question, yes.

[C]

So it can happen. I would wonder what the percentages are, but it certainly.

[E]

Well, I just wonder what the science behind it is. Does the melanin protect you from the sun or does it not? Or you have a higher tolerance for it. Or not. I don't know.

[C]

I can't speak to that. Because I still think it's melatonin.

[E]

Right. You still think it's what you need to take to go to sleep?

[C]

I've been saying melatonin.

[D]

Still striving to get to a pasty Carl? He works a real bright type of dark type of car, right?

[C]

All right. Thanks, dude.

[D]

All right, y'.

[B]

All, this is the bird show.