Do It For The Vine

Summary

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The Friend Zone — "Do It For The Vine"

Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), Assanté
Date: September 17, 2025
Podcast Theme: Exploring mental health, mental wealth, and mental hygiene in Black culture, with candid conversation, pop culture analysis, and humor.

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the trio tackles the changing landscape of internet culture and content creation—especially the speed and style shifts since the Vine era ("Do It for the Vine"). The group kicks things off with a sharp critique of social media personality Jeffree Star, pivots into heartfelt updates about family and community, and wends its way through nostalgia for New York, the evolution of podcasting, Black pop culture (Love Island, JLo), and the pressures shaping online content today.

The discussion offers both hilarious throwbacks and earnest insight on grief, friendship, digital culture, and maintaining authentic creative paths in a rapid-fire attention economy.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Calling Out Jeffree Star and Online Bigotry

Timestamps: 01:09 – 11:42

• Francesca delivers a fierce condemnation of Jeffree Star's history of racism, appropriation of Black women’s aesthetics, and recent public transphobic, anti-nonbinary statements.
• She details Star’s long pattern of harmful behavior, specifically:
  • Racial slurs caught on video (“...all you have to do is go on YouTube and look up Jeffree Star N word. ...He’s in a restaurant asking some white man, can you beat this fucking nigger up for me? He called this woman an ape.” — Francesca, 03:16)
  • His mimicry of Black “ghetto fabulous” style and his relationships with Black men as props for his brand.
  • New rants denying trans and nonbinary identities while profiting from gender-nonconforming expression.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “You don’t get to be a man and wear a wig and do business and then say that those people who are that and who identify as that can’t exist. It don’t work both ways, Papa.” (Francesca, 08:37)
• Call to action: Listeners are encouraged to divest from and stop supporting creators like Star and other white influencers co-opting Black queer femininity.

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2. Heartfelt Life Updates & The Power of Showing Up for Loved Ones

Timestamps: 12:17 – 22:21

• Francesca shares a personal story about a longtime family friend (the matriarch of the “Lone” natural product company) battling illness. She describes the warmth and integrity of this family, who insisted on sharing profits after Fran boosted their business (“They sent me a check for $15,000...Who does that? ...It's capitalism.” — Francesca, 14:10).
• A reflection on grief, the frustration and beauty of hospitals, and the importance of leaning into discomfort to show up for community, even as an introvert.
  • “It just reminded me the importance, like the importance of just being there and showing up for the people that you love.” (Francesca, 15:53)
• The spirit of chosen family and friendship is celebrated—especially after a New York trip to support Jade’s birthday (“...to see her so happy that her friends jumped on planes just for her to feel loved and supported on her big 4-0.” — Francesca, 17:13).

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3. Nostalgia for Old New York & Podcasting Studio Culture

Timestamps: 22:21 – 32:35

• The hosts reminisce about their old recording studio days: celebrity run-ins (Cardi B, Dave East, Trey Songz), the joy of physical spaces, smoking rooms, and memorable listener interactions.
  • “I miss that smoking room. And you know what else I'm pissed about? Chaka Khan and Rufus have a song called Smoking Room. And I never got to smoke weed in the smoking room at the studio. Listening to the smoking room... That's just my book of regrets.” (Francesca, 24:21)
• Shout-outs to producers and podcast staff who helped build the Friend Zone community.
• Playful memories of listener gifts and podcaster camaraderie.

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4. Podcast Announcements & Community Q&A Call-Out

Timestamps: 32:35 – 34:14, 82:46 – 85:10

• They announce a forthcoming Q&A episode, inviting questions for all three hosts and encouraging thoughtful participation.
• Listeners are prompted to send emojis (“crying baby” and trophies) if they make it to certain points in the episode, fostering community engagement.

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5. Black Pop Culture: From JLo to Love Island & Reality TV Representation

Timestamps: 38:22 – 50:36

• The team unpacks the culture of Fashion Week/New York festivals, the desire for dual city-country lifestyles, and the vibrancy of Black women on “Love Island”.
  • “The black girls are in front of the line when it comes to that Love Island, you know, that's why I'm glad.” (Francesca, 43:13)
• They discuss changing TV host dynamics, future possibilities for more diverse casting and hosting on prominent reality shows, and specifically shout out Black female reality competitors.
• Hilarious dialog on JLo’s reputation and Hollywood shade.

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6. Fast Content: The ‘Vine’ Era vs. Slow Authenticity

Timestamps: 54:41 – 62:08

• Deep dive into "fast content" and the pressure to speed up everything for social media (e.g., TikTok, Instagram). Debate over whether fast-paced editing and playback speed-up are always better.
  • “It feels like everything is so fast...What is it that everyone wants everything so fast? It makes my brain hurt.” (Dustin, 55:18)
• Francesca and Dustin champion the value of slow, genuine, and present storytelling:
  • “Me personally, I'm not watching nothing in no high playback speed. Sorry. I don't talk like that in real life, you know what I'm saying?” (Francesca, 63:54)
• They contrast Vine’s heyday (quick, single-gag humor) with the newer pressured, hyper-edited formats—“If you can’t make it funny in six, seven seconds, you just not the funniest.”

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7. Advice for Content Creators: Authenticity Over Algorithms

Timestamps: 66:19 – 69:16

• Dustin encourages creatives to avoid chasing trends and to respect their process and speed.
• They push back against the expectation to always be visible or “on", noting the rudeness and privilege in demanding constant output from creators.
  • “You can only present when you feel like you are able to and when your cup is full.” (Francesca, 68:59)
  • “Some people's interests completely change.” (Dustin, 69:20)

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8. Beef and Blurriness in the Content Creator Era

Timestamps: 71:14 – 77:45

• Assanté recounts a story of minor drama in the Charlotte TikTok community to highlight the pettiness and opacity of online influencer beef.
• The hosts critique the modern “content-for-content’s-sake” approach and artificial viral drama.
  • “There's not like a plan. It's like I just see other people doing this thing.” (Dustin, 76:19)
• Reflections on the cycles of “it-girls” across YouTube (natural hair, beauty, lifestyle, fitness), and how many new creators emulate without substance or mission.

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9. AI, Skits & the Erosion of Trust Online

Timestamps: 77:45 – 79:52

• The cast laughs over the proliferation of fake “old lady” AI videos and wonders what’s real anymore.
  • “Is this a skit? Like, how many times have you said that after you watch someone arguing in a video?” (Dustin, 78:14)
• Discussion of the general skepticism that the AI/influencer era has sown among viewers.

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10. Pop Culture Catch-Up & Book Club Announcement

Timestamps: 52:13 – 54:41

• The group excitedly promotes their Patreon book club, reading Tina Knowles’ memoir “Matriarch,” and touches on the joy of audiobooks versus physical reading.
• Sabrina’s shout out for her “Mother Tree” family quilt, and giddy anticipation of the insights from a Black matriarch’s POV.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He [Jeffree Star] literally looks like a Halloween person all the time. Like all year long. He has a menacing face and it's because he has a menacing spirit.”
  — Francesca (09:47)
• “It just reminded me the importance, like the importance of just being there and showing up for the people that you love.”
  — Francesca (15:53)
• “You can only present when you feel like you are able to and when your cup is full.”
  — Francesca (68:59)
• “Me personally, I'm not watching nothing in no high playback speed. Sorry. I don't talk like that in real life, you know what I'm saying?”
  — Francesca (63:54)
• “There's always an era...the lifestyle girls, I feel, deaded all the other girls for real.”
  — Dustin (75:41)
• “Is this a skit? Like, how many times have you said that after you watch someone arguing in a video?”
  — Dustin (78:14)

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Important Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---|---| | Jeffree Star critique & callout | 01:09 – 11:42 | | Heartfelt life updates, community | 12:17 – 22:21 | | NYC/studio nostalgia | 22:21 – 32:35 | | Upcoming Q&A announcement | 32:35 – 34:14, 82:46 – 85:10 | | Fast content debate | 54:41 – 62:08 | | Creator authenticity discussion | 66:19 – 69:16 | | AI/fake-video confusion | 77:45 – 79:52 | | Book club intro (Tina Knowles’ memoir) | 52:13 – 54:41 | | Black pop culture (Love Island/JLo) | 38:22 – 50:36 |

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Closing

The episode offers a blend of sharp social commentary, warm community storytelling, and strategic advice for navigating both evolving internet culture and real-life relationships. The hosts’ signature wit, personal candor, and deep commitment to authenticity shine throughout, making this a rich listen (or read!) for anyone reflecting on life, loss, content, and the power of digital Black joy.

Next week:

• Listener Q&A special.
• Submit your questions via DM or email.
• Join the Patreon book club for “Matriarch” by Tina Knowles.

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“Stay black and protect your magic, a hoe.”
— Asante (85:20)

Transcript

[Francesca]

I don't mean to interrupt your meal, but I saw you from across a cafe and you're the Geico Gecko, right?

[Dustin]

In the flesh.

[Francesca]

Oh my goodness, this is huge. To finally meet you. I love Geico's fast and friendly claim service.

[Dustin]

Well, that's how Geico gets 97% customer satisfaction.

[Francesca]

Anyway, that's all. Enjoy the rest of your food.

[Dustin]

No worries. So are you just gonna watch me eat?

[Francesca]

Oh, sorry, just a little starstruck. I'll be on my way.

[Dustin]

If you're gonna stick around, just pull up a chair.

[Francesca]

You're the best.

[Asante]

Get more than just savings. Get more with Geico.

[Francesca]

I'm gonna put you on, Nephew.

[Dustin]

Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss?

[Francesca]

I've been hitting up McDonald's for years. Now it's back. We need snack wraps.

[Asante]

What's a snack wrap?

[Francesca]

It's the return of something great. Snack wrap is back. Welcome to the friend zone.

[Dustin]

Every time I'm in the zone.

[Francesca]

My name is Dustin.

[Dustin]

I'm Francesca, also known as. Hey friend. Hey.

[Asante]

My name is Asante.

[Francesca]

This is the friend zone. Let's start the show.

[Dustin]

I'm in a zone.

[Francesca]

Dirty.

[Dustin]

You're dirty. Everybody was right about you.

[Asante]

You're a piece of.

[Dustin]

I see you.

[Francesca]

I want you to know that this person is dirty and I want them to know that I see them or him, I should say. Let me be specific because his ass was very specific in his transphobic and non binary, anti non binary rant that he went on. Right?

[Dustin]

Uh oh.

[Francesca]

So you know, of course once Charlie Kirk got killed, there's been a large outpouring of support of people who are just expressing how they feel about it. We'll just say that one of the people that felt compelled to express their feelings passionately was Jeffree Star. Oh my God. Uh huh. Now if you don't know who Jeffree Star is, congratulations. Okay? And if you care to know for the purpose of this conversation before I start cussing, Jeffree Star is a weirdo. If you see him, you probably gonna be like, who is this weirdo? You know what I'm saying? But he's a, he's a makeup person, I guess he's a makeup artist or whatever that created, started a makeup line. He wears, he cosplays in like black female aesthetic, you know what I'm saying? That people associate with like ghetto fabulous. So lots of logos, lots of Gucci this, Louis that, Prada this, Fendi that. Colored hairstyles that are typically associated with black women. So Swoops Bangs, bobs, weaves, pink hair, purple hair, updos. Think like the COVID of WAP by Cardi B and Megan Thee stallion. He'd be wearing his hair like that in like colors and carries purses, wears long nails, nail art. Things that are, like I said, typically associated with the hood or ghetto fabulous aesthetic. People would. That's what they describe it. And he has co opted that and turned it into a lifestyle. Anything that you see the black it girls doing, traveling on private jets, going on vacations with secret bay, like that. His hand gesturing is done in a way that mimics the way that black women typically talk and act. He rolls his neck, he does all those things. Heavy makeup, look like that. Jeffree Star came across my radar years ago because he was chasing. There was a video that surfaced of him, and this is after he has co opted, like I said, that black girl aesthetic. There was a video that was posted of him chasing a black woman down the street, saying you and asking and asking. All you have to do is go on YouTube and look up Jeffree Star. N word. And that's J E F R E E star. N word. It'll come right up. He's in a restaurant asking some white man, can you beat this fucking nigger up for me? He called this woman an ape. Called a woman an ape back in 2018, I believe it was 2017 or 2018. I have to look it up. But Jackie Aina, we all know her black girl makeup guru, you know what I'm saying?

[Dustin]

Jackie Aina.

[Francesca]

M. Jackie Aina. Not a Jackie Aina. So she wrote an open letter, I believe it was on Twitter, where she referred to Jeffree Star's actions as being racist and how she wasn't going to overlook it anymore. Her claims were substantiated by his hairstylist, ex hairstylist or whatever, who shared some alleged text message screenshots of Jeffree Star saying nigger, calling black people niggers, and specifically calling Jackie Aina a gorilla. Okay? He also had posted a picture straddling a tall black man with a bunch of tattoos all over his body who was later revealed to be this guy, I believe his name is Andre Marhold or something like that. He ends up doing only fans and like, you know, social media porn and stuff. And he, you know, that's what he does now or whatever. But he wanted to have this hidden black, masculine, you know, urban looking man that he was on, you know, and.

[Dustin]

Trying to weaponize that as if he was some rapper, you know, just trying to play around with people Being curious who the body was.

[Francesca]

Yeah, exactly. Friend. Look. Friend. Yep. Clocky. And so. So, yeah, he stole that too. And so he's. So he goes on this rant. So that's who the person is. Right. He then goes on this rant after Charlie Kirk is killed where he's saying, you know what a lot of people were saying, which is he didn't deserve that. He was a. A person who f. For rights and he debated everyone no matter what their views were. He wanted people to have their views. And I'm not. And then he's just randomly switched to talking about how all these men and wigs who are going in these women's bathrooms need to be murdered and thrown in jail.

[Dustin]

What?

[Francesca]

Yep. Or jailed for life. Excuse me, not murdered. Jail for life. They need to go to jail for life. Just goes on this, this, this transphobic rant about how he is a male and facts are facts and you can't debate facts and science. And if you do, you're delusional. The fact is that he's a male. His name is Jeffrey. He said his middle name and he disclosed his very Jewish sounding last name. And he was saying how he is a son, a cousin, a friend, a farmer, and he does makeup and plays in makeup. And how is everyone so angry with him for thanking President Trump for saving TikTok when he has dedicated his. He canceled his YouTube and dedicated his life to tick tock. So he was thankful that President Trump. He was thankful that President Trump saved TikTok and everyone was mad about that. Take politics out of it. Because everybody's delusional and he's. And you're either A or B. Then he switched back to the transphobia and then the anti non binary rant, all while right, talking to the camera with a horrible pink bob wig, right? Like for us and pink bob wig and green, green Elphaba nails. You know what I'm saying? Green nails with. With rhinestones on them, right? And talking about how his business. I thank President Trump because my businesses would not be operating if he wouldn't have saved TikTok. And that's why that was important to me. Not even realizing that he's literally explaining to these people how his privilege and what only affects his life is what is a priority to him and his views on the. And who he engages with and he don't give a fuck about how it affects anybody else. Not realizing that bashing the same that are offering up this anti. This anti trans and anti non binary rhetoric is detrimental to the fact that he's been able to exist and operate and do business as a man in a wig with nails and straddling other men and shit. Your freedom to do that is completely attached to these other freedoms that are being attacked. And you're so fucking selfish and stupid and white, okay, that you don't even realize what the fuck you're saying. Because all you're concerned about again is your immediate need, which was to have to vent about this racist man who you agreed with and supported and are angry about his death. I hate Jeffree Star and this message. So him. This message is to everybody that follows him and Landon Romano and all these other white boys that cosplay as black women and are somehow entertained by this trope, which is tired. Jeffrey Star, Jeffree Star made it more than clear that he is a male and a man and that's how he wants to be referred to. So you don't get to be a man and wear a wig and do business and then say that those people who are that and who identify as that can exist. It don't work both ways, Papa. Okay, I forgot that he said nigger. And that's how I was introduced to him and found out who the fuck he was with his. What's that man? That make them Halloween and Christmas movies where the people look like stick figures with the black lines. Tim Burton with his Tim Burton looking ass. He looked like Jeffree Star looked like Tim Burton drew him. He's a horrible looking white man.

[Dustin]

Horrible, My gosh, horrible.

[Francesca]

He literally looks like a. Like a, like a Halloween person all the time. Like all year long. He has a menacing face and it's because he has a menacing spirit. But this message is for all you motherfuckers that are somehow entertained by that bullshit and support it, follow it like, oh yeah, they do be doing that. When Landon Romano is making his knees bow legged and acting like he has a baby named Liqueza and a baby daddy named Jaquan who ain't shit.

[Dustin]

Oh my gosh.

[Francesca]

And y' all like and think it's funny. Grow the up and squish supporting these racist ass that are making fun of you. And the minute that they have the opportunity to let their white privilege and white centered view show white men first do it. They do it every time you want to suck black dick and straddle black men and allow rumors that you with Kanye west to. To. To run rampant on the Internet, which I don't give a. My thing is both of y' all some hoes. So let them hoes fight you and Kanye west, but you don't get to be that kind of white on our time. You don't so him and how he feels, but just wake up and when you are laughing at somebody perpetuating a trope, okay, that is tired. Wake up and stop supporting these. Don't buy that nigga's makeup. You can get makeup anywhere else. Don't support that. That Jeffree star cosmetic. Stop buying his. Stop watching his videos and stop allowing him to step all over you and use your style and your aesthetic and then say it ain't to him. Because at the end of the day, he's Jeffrey whatever with the Jewish last name. And he's a male at the end of the day that likes makeup. You don't get to like makeup if you. You don't want men that really do wear makeup to exist. It don't work that way. So him. And I ain't forgot he said that. Yeah, I want to see him for.

[Dustin]

That out here like that still.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

It's been so much drama with him for so many years in the makeup community. I haven't seen him. I haven't. He's just not been a part of my reality.

[Francesca]

Thank God for that.

[Asante]

I think the last time his name came across my desk was because of that Kanye bs and I was just like, girl, why are you here? So you've been hearing his name today. It will not go any further than another fuck you.

[Dustin]

Yikes.

[Francesca]

Which are voodoo doll looking ass. I can't stand him. I cannot stand him. Anyway. What up, though? How y' all doing?

[Dustin]

How. How are y' all doing? How are your weekends?

[Francesca]

You know how mine was. It was so good to see you, friend.

[Dustin]

It was good to see you. I'll start this time. I flew into New York. I actually had a weird weekend, right? Because it started off pretty heavy and intense. I want to shout out those of you that have been listening for a long time and have heard me mention the loan family, which is the family that creates the loan products. It's the all natural deodorants and lip balms and just set of amazing family made farm, literally farm to table beauty products. They are a family that I have been close friends with for, I'd say, 15 years now. I met them through my best friend, actually, who had gotten their lip balm at a local, like, health store in San Francisco. And she got me one and was like, I feel like you would like this brand. I don't know, it just seems like a brand you'd create and I was like, oh, let me try it. And I loved it. And me being me. I went on the website, ordered a ton of stuff, ended up loving it so much. I talked about it on YouTube. As time passed, I mentioned it here. And the family ended up getting so much traffic that they had never experienced before, because, mind you, this is like a mom and pop shop. And they tracked me down and were like, we have to give you some of this money. And I remember thinking, oh, my God. What? No, this is yours. Like, that's the point. But they were. Were so adamant. They were like, that. That doesn't feel fair. Like, we've never seen this. We should give you some of this. And they sent me a check for $15,000.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin]

And I remember thinking, who does that? Like, no business person would ever. All the brands I've worked with, no shade to any of y', all, but nobody has ever said, hey, like, nothing. It's just not that type of thing. It's capitalism. And so the fact that they were so adamant, and then for months and years after that, they would just randomly send me checks, just randomly send me checks and be like, we feel like you should have this. We feel like you should have this. As I started touring, I mean, good people, when I started my tour, they were the first people to jump on as sponsors, making sure that the women on my wellness tour had product, but also sponsoring financially and physically. They came to some of the stops to help. Help me clean, put up. I mean, when I tell you these are like people sent from heaven, kind people. The mom, the matriarch of the family, was diagnosed with cancer. And that was a devastating blow, but she's been fighting it. And then this past weekend, she just had, you know, a moment where the pain was just too much, had to be sedated, and is not in the best shape, I'll put it that way. So I actually had gotten the call when I was at the gate about to fly into New York for Jade's weekend festivity. So, of course, I was like, oh, my God. She was only an hour away from me in the hospital, so I had to not get on the plane. I hit you guys to let you guys know that things were changing. And then my partner scooped me up and we drove an hour and some change, and we're basically there for the rest of the day into the next day. And then I came to New York to also. Because seeing her and how sad that made me. And the frustration of cancer, the frustration of hospitals, it not feeling like they have Your best interests at heart a lot of times. And how devastated her family was. It just reminded me the importance, like the importance of just being there and showing up for the people that you love. And we've been talking about this, right? This has been like a theme for the past year or so of just really being there even when it makes you uncomfortable. Because I am an introvert. I keep to myself. I am in my bubble. But sometimes I tell myself, you're going to have to be uncomfortable sometimes to be in community. Like that's the reality. It's just get up, get on that flight, go. And it's always. It's like going to the gym, right? You don't want to get up to go, but you're always so happy you did when you come back. And I went, got on that flight. Even being sad and devastated over having had to experience my second mom from loan in such a terrible state and obviously the sadness in her family. But I got on that flight, got to see Dustin. We missed you, Asante. Got to make Jade supremely happy, which was the whole point of it all. To see her so happy that her friends jumped on planes just for her to feel loved and supported on her big 4o. Got to see Crystal and Kia, Shari, Whitney, all of Nikki.

[Francesca]

Nikki, Mary. Yes.

[Dustin]

Mary. Our host, Jasmine.

[Francesca]

Jasmine, everybody.

[Dustin]

Deray.

[Francesca]

Yup. Siobhan. Antonio.

[Dustin]

Yup.

[Francesca]

Everybody.

[Dustin]

So great.

[Francesca]

Jay was so happy. Nakomi. Shout out to Nakomi, everybody.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

There's a video that has been circulating of them singing Happy Birthday to Jay. And when that was happening, I knew. And can you send me the videos you have of that?

[Dustin]

I will. I was gonna say that video's mine because I had to film them singing Happy Birthday.

[Francesca]

I knew that that was gonna be a moment when it was happening. I was like, this is a moment for real. And I don't know where my phone was. I think it was back there on the smoking table. But I was so. I seen you had your shit out and I was like, okay, I'm straigh. But that was just such a beautiful moment. And Jay was so happy and it was just good.

[Dustin]

Crystal was so happy.

[Francesca]

She just had a good time.

[Dustin]

I got to meet Antoinette's partner, which was awesome.

[Francesca]

Shout out to him. Yes.

[Dustin]

So happy for her. And so it was great. Like, so that's what I'm saying. My weekend was tricky, right, because it started off so heavy.

[Francesca]

Highs and lows.

[Dustin]

Please send so much love and prayers to the lone family as they journey through this. But then also being able to Be with all of you guys. And I got to spend time with Claude, which meant so much because that's my best friend. I haven't seen him in a minute. And we literally, all we did was just walk through all our old stomping grounds, which was so great of him. He always knows how to help me reorient. And he was like, let's go to all the places we used to chill, like down 14th Street. We just walked past all our favorite stores that are not there anymore, restaurants that are not there anymore. And just seeing how the city is changing and, you know, just talking and going down memory lane, which felt really nice, and I needed that, and it just was great, you know, it was a perfect weekend. Perfect weekend.

[Asante]

How about you got that recharge friend? It sucks that you got that news, but it was good that you were able to, like, be really lifted up higher then after that, so you can see that.

[Dustin]

And then to bring that back to her, right? Because I'm gonna go back. I'm literally gonna drive back tomorrow. So I feel like I'm bringing her good energy of love and, you know, everything that I kind of got able to recharge and absorb this weekend, which is also equally as important for her. So just life.

[Francesca]

Buy some products, y'. All. If anybody is interested in loan products, buy some shit right now, please.

[Dustin]

Lone is L O N E. Y' all know, those who've been listening know I'm not someone that uses a ton of shit and constantly trying to sell y' all shit. And I got all these different products. I've been sticking to the same shit for years. I've been talking about the same deodorant, my donkey milk. Funny, because I posted a picture of Claude and I, and everyone said, look at that donkey milk in the DMs. I'm a walking billboard of everything I tell y' all about. So it made me happy for y' all to see me even on the streets. People coming up to me like, oh, my God, it's so nice to see you in person, you know? So that just made me happy, getting to spend time with Claude. You know who I saw when I was coming out the elevator of my hotel, about to get in the Uber to go to the airport? The guy that played the really funny dude in Sinners? The tall one.

[Francesca]

The. The older guy. Oh, no, the tall guy.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Yeah, the tall one.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I know who you're talking about.

[Dustin]

Okay, first of all, the elevator opens. My sister.

[Francesca]

You should have did that dance.

[Dustin]

That would have been funny. Right. The elevator opens and my suitcase gets stuck on like this carpet thing. And he grabs it immediately and takes it and helps me get to the concierge. And I look up and I'm like, oh, my God. And we both bust out laughing. Cause it was like, what? I was like, thank you, number one. Number two, love your work.

[Asante]

That is crazy.

[Dustin]

Only in New York, right?

[Francesca]

Only in New York.

[Dustin]

Nowhere else would that happen. But it just made me laugh. Cause he was just. Just so kind and thoughtful and how he immediately grabbed my suitcases to help me take it to concierge. So I had to put that out there. I think it's nice when people are out here doing great things and then they seem like really kind, thoughtful people. So. Especially in the energy of this weekend, because, yeah, there's a lot going on. Even just with, you know, how ominous the city has been feeling a lot of divisive energy. So any little kindness you can get throughout the day, it just kind of feels more heightened. But yeah.

[Francesca]

I was on the phone with Damon, with my brother. Stupid ass. Anyway, I was on the phone with Damon yesterday. Not yesterday. What day was this? Saturday. And I was on the. I had just got off the train and so I was. We was going up the escalator, about to go up the escalator in Midtown, like 53rd or whatever that is off the sixth train. And these. You know how when you're getting on the escalator, leaving the train station, most people just kind of like you. You either form a line or you turn right there at the beginning of the escalator and cut. Everybody, it's not personal. It's New York today. That day I had time. So I went and got in the line or whatever and there was a lady. Anyway, so this guy cuts the line and gets on, but he cuts in front of a lady that had like a baby stroller, her friend.

[Dustin]

Oh, hell.

[Francesca]

He cuts the line and immediately turns around and picks up the front of her stroller.

[Dustin]

Oh, okay.

[Francesca]

And I was like, that is so New York. I'm like, this is so New York. This is such a New York moment. Cause we will cut in front of you, but we gonna help each other out. You know what I'm saying? Like at the end of the day, I was just like, damn, that was so New York. So much like your moment you just had.

[Dustin]

And you know, I took the train. That made me feel good too. I haven't taken the train in a minute.

[Francesca]

Years, I'm sure.

[Dustin]

Yeah, it's been a long ass time. And like, actually has somewhere to go. I left for my hotel and took the train to go up to Harlem to see my mom. And that felt so good. And then I took the train from Harlem and went to go see to Chill with Crystal and Jade and Nikki down in Brooklyn. So train, train, train. I was like, so happy.

[Asante]

You ain't bumping into Cardi B on the train promoting her project.

[Dustin]

No, but I did bump into a few listeners who were like, I know you lying.

[Asante]

Remember we used to be on the train coming back to the train. I believe. Like, wait, what?

[Francesca]

What are you doing?

[Dustin]

Oh, I know.

[Asante]

They used to be a time.

[Francesca]

Y' all know I miss the studio.

[Dustin]

I know.

[Francesca]

I know y' all know I do. Y' all know I do.

[Dustin]

So fun.

[Francesca]

I miss that smoking room. And you know what else I'm pissed about? Chaka Khan and Rufus have a song called Smoking Room. And I never got to smoke weed in the smoking room at the studio. Listening to the smoking room. Remember how when we was in Seattle, I told you I went to smoke and listen to Seattle by Mary Mary and I did it. I never got to do that in the smoking room at the studio. So that's just my book of regrets. I never got to listen to that song. I wanted to listen to Smoking Room. I never thought to do that. Never thought to do it. And it's too late, Ms. Star. I never thought to do it.

[Asante]

Yeah, you can always go.

[Francesca]

You can always stop in, shout out to Buddha. Just got the Buddha.

[Dustin]

I love Buddha. Each other. I'll be like, let's love you. He'd be like, love you.

[Francesca]

Buddha's killing it right now, too. He just got a certification for 25 million plays. I think it is on Apple Music. He just posted it. Yeah, Buddha ain't fucking around. You know who else ain't either?

[Dustin]

This dope ass producer that literally had studio next. Had the studio right next to where we would record. Sometimes his bass would be so goddamn loud, we had to tap on the door like, hey, we trying to record Friend Zone. He'd be like, bad, y'. All. My bad, y'. All. He was always so cool, though. It was so much love. So obviously we got really close to him and we love him.

[Francesca]

Buddha's doing good. And shout out to Avion. Avion is doing good too. She's a producer looking bomb.

[Asante]

You seen this Love Perfection?

[Francesca]

Yes. You can follow her at Love perfection on Instagram. She lives a beautiful life and she's a very, very talented producer. Remember, Timberland had gave her.

[Dustin]

Absolutely. And she Used to manage the hell out of that studio. Everything ran nice and clean.

[Francesca]

Love our people, man. I missed the studio.

[Dustin]

Right? Samir.

[Francesca]

Yo, shout out to Samir, man. Everybody.

[Dustin]

Like, I know this is a different time.

[Francesca]

Remember, we get our checks. They have our checks at the.

[Asante]

Do you have anything waiting for us?

[Dustin]

We will be like, hey, do you have any letters in the front?

[Asante]

Okay.

[Francesca]

What a time, man. What a time.

[Dustin]

Remember when someone sent me a book? An orchid? A book?

[Francesca]

I sure do. I remember everything about that. Yup.

[Dustin]

Oh, someone found the studio address and had a bouquet of orchids waiting for me in the front. And the car said, just because the of it's Tuesday, which was our recording day still. Because today is Tuesday.

[Asante]

You don't want to go down that road.

[Francesca]

No. So, you know, do your thing. The studio was fun. Remember, we would see, like, I like real talent. It would be, first of all, Shout out to the Lip, the Ladies of the Lip Service podcast. We would see all of them. Gigi Maguire. We see everybody in the studio getting.

[Dustin]

Their makeup done before they.

[Francesca]

Right before they record.

[Dustin]

That was so cute.

[Francesca]

We used to see them. We would see everybody. And then you would see, like, it was a full service recording studio. So not only would like ourselves and some other podcasters being there, but it'd be like rappers and singers and in.

[Dustin]

There too, all the time. Remember one day I was coming out the bathroom and Trey Songz was in there with a. With a little Yorkie walking down the hallway. Dave East. You just never.

[Francesca]

Cardi B. We saw everybody.

[Dustin]

Like, there's a video of Cardi B and Dustin that was from my phone. If you go on my TikTok, you'll see it up there.

[Asante]

You tiktoks.

[Dustin]

Yeah. She was like, you sound like you want to me or something.

[Francesca]

Yeah, yeah. So Mini Mae Baby got the juice. Yes. But it was like. It just used to be so much fun. And I, y' all know, in another. What is it? Quantum. Another whatever.

[Dustin]

In another life, in a parallel life.

[Francesca]

I was a rapper for sure. Like a rapper from. I came. I came out when I was like 17, you know what I'm saying? Like one of them situations. Because that lives in me.

[Dustin]

I can see it.

[Francesca]

It lives in me. So you know what I'm saying? I used to enjoy being in the recording studio amongst all of that going on. I love.

[Dustin]

I remember when artists would have. There was a room where people would rent it out to have listening sessions for their albums. And so they would. It would be full of industry people. But also there was one Time when Dave East, I think it was, he invited his fans and they had to.

[Francesca]

Shut that shit down.

[Dustin]

It was pandemonium. You saw people running in the hallways, coming in the element, and we didn't know what the fuck was going on. We coming out the room like, what is happening? It's like a stampede. Scary as fuck.

[Francesca]

That was. And we was like, what the hell? But I was excited.

[Dustin]

But it was.

[Francesca]

It'd be like you go in the smoking room. I would get to the studio early so that I could go and be in the smoking room.

[Dustin]

Right, right. And reset.

[Francesca]

You walk in there and it like. You just walk in and Dave east be sitting in there. And so now you smoking in there with Davies talking shit. It'd just be anybody. We would see Charlamagne in them. That used to just be so much fun. I miss the studio so much. Shout out to everybody. Shout out to Ty. Ty the Robot. Shout out to Just Chris. Just the stool. Chris's office in there. Remember we would have meetings and stuff. I missed the studio office.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Dustin]

Now, remember when Tax started his podcast and we had all kinds of other folks coming through.

[Francesca]

I was like, is that a great choir? Yeah.

[Asante]

Was the season.

[Francesca]

Shout out to Tax man. Free Tax. It was. It just used to be great. Remember the. The. The. Even like the building staff, the. The security staff?

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Everybody was so cool.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

It just was great, man. I miss those days. But at least we have the memories.

[Dustin]

Yep. Actually kind of tying into that. I've been mentioning this for a while, but now next week I want to do that Q and A episode. It's finally come around where I mentioned that we wanted to give our listeners the opportunity to ask us questions. You can ask us as a collective, the Friend Zone, or individually. I know a lot of questions have come in already because I've been mentioning this episode coming up. We have a lot of questions that have come in for Asante in regards to music and. And playlists and parties and all kinds of things people are curious about. That's my question.

[Francesca]

That's about his business, too. His business. They didn't have anything for me, but they had a bunch for a lot.

[Dustin]

Came to not know with Dustin, with asking him about his goals and the standup and your plans with that. Your late night. Just a lot of really interesting. Funny enough, my questions were all so personal. I was like, is it? Cause I'm the woman on the podcast. It was so personal. People asking me about it. Fertility.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

And like babies. I was like, what's happening? How did mine get into this neck of the woods? But I guess that what happens when you're the woman on the show, right? People kind of get comfortable in different ways. But, you know, I also got a couple business ones.

[Francesca]

Okay. Yeah. So we're casting the net again for friend questions with some sense this time. You know what I'm saying? Like, let's just, you know.

[Dustin]

Right. Let's be easy on me. But. But that episode will be going live next week, so you still have time to send in your questions for any of us so that we can read those on air and have a good time with that. Just wanted to put that out there.

[Francesca]

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[Francesca]

Speaking of fertility, remember when we was at that party, speaking of fertility, I told you, I was like, it's so hot. I feel like I'm in utero. Remember we fell out laughing.

[Dustin]

Can we talk about how I felt like I was just so hot all weekend? Oh, Lord, don't get me started on the train number one.

[Asante]

You needed one of them fans.

[Dustin]

Holy swell tail hell. And I was dressed completely inappropriately because what I fucked up was I had checked the weather app for New York the week prior when it was. So, you know, it changes. Yeah. I forgot to, like, update it to check the day before I left in case I had to make any adjustments. Forgot to do that. So week prior said it was 70. I'm thinking I'll take some hoodies, you know, little sweatsuits, little light jacket things. I'm cool. I get here 80s the whole fucking time. So I'm out here looking crazy. I had to get some T shirts and shit just to, like, be easy. But I was not dressed properly at all. And everything was just hot everywhere all day.

[Francesca]

Did y' all end up doing brunch?

[Dustin]

I couldn't go because I was with my mom.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin]

But Jade and the girls did brunch in Brooklyn.

[Francesca]

My schedule became compromised.

[Dustin]

That's a good one.

[Francesca]

So I couldn't.

[Dustin]

No. Because obviously my trip got cut short, so I had to do a kind.

[Francesca]

Of a condensed version everything.

[Dustin]

Yeah. And I was uptown. What's up? Harlem. Oh, I was so happy to be in Harlem.

[Francesca]

So good smelling that air. You felt good, didn't you, friend?

[Dustin]

When I got off on. I got off on the three.

[Francesca]

Yes, ma'. Am. I know exactly where you were, too.

[Dustin]

You Know where? I was just happy. Happy.

[Francesca]

You actually weren't. Well, let me. I'm talking too much, so never mind. I'll tell you later.

[Dustin]

But I was happy. I love New York. People ask me now like, oh, is when you go back, does it just feel like over stimulating? You ready to get the out? I'm like, no, not. Not anymore. I think at first it did feel that way because it was such a jump, jump to move here and then going back, very jarring. But now I'm so appreciative that I have these two completely opposite feelings that I can tap into when I need it. Like, I'm happy to be back home right now. The difference, stark difference. Okay. The silence. I can go on my little walks, you know, but it's so fun to go home and just be in the middle of all that shitty chaos. I love it. You need it.

[Francesca]

Lopez at the inauguration. Hell yeah.

[Asante]

Always catches the stray what we say.

[Francesca]

Why do they do that? I like her. Why they be doing that, though? I like Jennifer Lopez. Why is everybody mad at Jennifer Lopez? They be trying to say she ain't. What's that one girl? She is funny. That girl is so funny to me too. The little. She's like a tick tocker. And she makes those videos where she always includes. No matter. No matter what she's talking about, about. She always includes a JLO slight. It's a black girl. She said, you know who I'm talking about. It's a black girl. She talks about stuff. And then she busts out laughing at the end of her sentence and cuts to the next sentence. I can't think of her name, but she always includes the JLO slate. But why do people hate on her? And I actually think her new film, the. It's a movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman and it's directed by Bill Condon, who did Dream Girls and Chicago and all the other ones that win awards. And we may. She may get her.

[Dustin]

This might be her. Her pivot.

[Francesca]

Singing, dancing and acting. So we gonna see. Let's get loud. She really thought she was gonna win for Hustlers.

[Dustin]

What were you saying?

[Francesca]

Remember she wore that big dress to the Golden Globes? She looked beautiful, though. We hating on JLo, man. That's fucked up.

[Dustin]

I haven't said a word. Okay.

[Asante]

I actually brought it up, so. And that was as far as I can. I've always been attracted to the idea of being able to like, live like a dual life. Like, you know, that. That home. Home, like grassroots.

[Dustin]

That would be my dream.

[Asante]

And then that, like, city life, you know?

[Dustin]

Yeah. To me, that's. It's the best of both worlds, really. My ideal would be to have my crib here. Like a house here with land, an apartment in the middle of all the chaos in New York. And then my little house by a body of water in the Caribbean. Same those three. I would be fine.

[Asante]

Adopt me right now, friend.

[Dustin]

I wouldn't need anything else. That is just perfect for me. That way I can get a little bit of everything that I need because I love New York. And then it was Fashion Week, which just added a whole other element of chaos. It took Claude and I two hours and some change to walk three miles. Think about that. Three miles is usually less under an hour easily, if you're walking at a regular pace. It took us two hours, like two and a half hours. Because it was also San Gennaro.

[Francesca]

Oh, yeah.

[Dustin]

If you know, the San Geneiro festival is so amazing. The Italian. Some Italian food downtown. So we bumped into that. So that is a lot of people.

[Francesca]

A monster in a fashion week.

[Dustin]

And on top of that, there's so many people outside of it.

[Francesca]

Everybody was eating Italian food and weird.

[Dustin]

Clothes and wearing big black boots.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Wanting to be photographed. I'm so sick of people. Typically, that's a gay thing, right? Like you gay people look at each other and then one of y' all raised your eyebrows. But during Fashion Week, you know what I'm saying? During Fashion Week.

[Dustin]

God damn.

[Francesca]

Everybody wants to be seen. So everybody's looking at you like that. Because everybody wants to be photographed. You see that outfit? It's just a lot, man.

[Dustin]

I hate was just. It felt intense this year. I don't know what was different, but it felt very intense this year. A lot, A lot, a lot. A lot of people on the street.

[Francesca]

More than you. I saw Bevy at a party on Thursday. I love you, Bevy. I love Bevy Smith. She brings me joy way literally every time I see her. I got a black business for us next week too, by the way.

[Dustin]

Okay. Bet.

[Asante]

I kept seeing clips of all the Love island folks and I kept beefing.

[Dustin]

So we saw Brian, me and Claude. Brian that won with Amaya.

[Asante]

Oh.

[Dustin]

And it was funny because he walked past us. We didn't. I mean, no. No shade to him. But I wasn't paying attention. Only reason I knew it was him was because these three younger girls in front of Claude and I lost their fucking shit. Stop. In front of us. So we literally bump into them. Cause we're like, damn. So me being me I look back. Cause I'm like, well, who are they seeing that made them fucking crash into us? And I look and it's him. He turned back, waved at them and they're like screaming. And me and Claud was like, but.

[Asante]

Isn'T it good sometimes to see like the difference, like how you view people versus how other people view them? Cause that's.

[Dustin]

But they were also young, you know.

[Asante]

A little girl was like, love island is their.

[Dustin]

He was, yeah, he was much taller than he looks on tv.

[Francesca]

That's why I'm glad the black girls in the front of the line when it come to that Love island, you know, that's why I'm glad.

[Asante]

Of her walking.

[Dustin]

She is. I love this for her. She's so beautiful, her.

[Francesca]

Shelley. What's the other. What's the Dominican girl, the pretty girl that Amaya. I'm just glad all them girls are in a frame. I'm glad because this Love island shit is like number one. It's the number one trending shit. You know what I'm saying? It's like the most popular show right now and they putting them girls right in the front of like all the mainstream press. And I love to see it.

[Dustin]

And this is the second season that the black girls are the stars ran that shit. Yeah. Like, it's so interesting to me. Watch. Next year she's gonna be an all black cast. Mark my words. Because this year was already shocking. There like no white women. I feel in the beginning, as only one white man, we was like. And the host was the white woman. So I feel like this year they're going, which.

[Francesca]

We want her to win too. So keep her. We want her to win too, because then she go through some on Vanderpump rules.

[Dustin]

Yeah, she got cheated on publicly. It was messy, but I don't know if she's in a. Cuz I heard that there's like terms with the hosts, like they switch them out every couple of years. Obviously they can change that because it's not like it's government. But even though even government is looking tricky. But you know what I mean. They said that they're supposed to be switching her out soon, but I wonder if they won't do that because it has been supremely popular too since she's been on there.

[Asante]

If they do switch her out, whether it's next season or a season after, I wonder what direction would they go in?

[Dustin]

Would they be like black host?

[Asante]

Well, yes, for sure. But yeah, I wonder. And with that, I hope they would keep it in the Bravo family. Maybe, like. And maybe they won't. I have no idea what. How they even worked that out, because this was, like, the second season, I think a housewife.

[Dustin]

A black housewife.

[Asante]

Maybe not a housewife, but, like, just somebody black from, like. I'm trying to think of that girl's name.

[Francesca]

Candy Daughter.

[Asante]

I don't even watch her show on Bravo, but when I saw her on Traders, I was like, damn, she is.

[Francesca]

A beautiful black girl. I know exactly who you talking about. Charm.

[Asante]

Southern charm.

[Francesca]

What's her name? Sierra.

[Asante]

Sierra. She's just a beautiful black girl. And I feel like she'd be a great host, you know?

[Francesca]

Like, I could see that.

[Asante]

Cause Ariana, I feel like she was a white girl, that some shit got done to her. And then she was thrown as host on Love Island. Like, I didn't see her as, like, the girl that.

[Francesca]

I'd say we keep Ariana in the host position and keep the black girls on the. You know, in the front of the cast, because that's the new stars. You know what I'm saying? And Ariana keep her shit rolling. Feel like we are. We diverse.

[Dustin]

You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

That's good. I like that.

[Dustin]

And it's crazy because I was just giving Speedy his props, and then he damn near got canceled online.

[Francesca]

Y' all saw what did he do some. Some shit related to the interview?

[Dustin]

No, no, no. This was before that. He did an interview with Ace from Love island, and I guess people just felt he was being messy towards the black girl, towards Alandria. They felt like he was being kind of gossipy, Chatty Patty, weird energy for, like, what people felt for a man to have a black woman. And then it's Speedy, who normally be on his shit. So people felt the way about it.

[Francesca]

You can feel away, you know what I'm saying? Like, okay. It's okay to have a feeling. That don't mean Speedy ain't still a great host.

[Dustin]

I think I understood. I never understand how the Internet just gets so riled up, but I did understand the feeling of, like, dang, bro.

[Francesca]

Oh. As far as, like, his questioning style.

[Dustin]

Yeah. Like, let's. Let's hype this woman up. She's beautiful. She should be at the forefront. Like, let's keep that energy, you know, So I could understand people kind of feeling like, what's up with that? You know? Why would that be the angle that you are choosing? So. But yeah, I haven't heard from. I haven't seen a video since. I know he's like, fuck because people watch.

[Asante]

I didn't even watch their interview, but I find it. It's funny that the Love island people there, they're gonna have their run. I'm just curious to see, like, how long it goes. Alandria, she know run, though. No, that's what I'm saying. Like, it's still kind of going. So I'm like, all right, well, keep it going for the cuz. I'm seeing people that I want to see. Like, I'm seeing Alandria. I've seen clips of Shelly here and there a little bit, too. But that's why I was wondering about the beef. I heard that they all fell out, and I'm like, I hope that the.

[Francesca]

The girls.

[Asante]

Girls didn't fall out. Like, you know, now, hood and all that. I don't really care about.

[Dustin]

Right. No, but like, Shelly and Alandra, I.

[Asante]

Think people like them specifically, not y'.

[Dustin]

All. Y' all supposed to be out here. Like, like, just.

[Asante]

But, like, really, what can't. But, you know, Ace spoke out, or Ace had been saying stuff, so I don't know if that affected Philandra. I just don't know how it played out. And I hope that they did.

[Dustin]

That's the rumor, anyway. Only thing I will say is Love island next season, it's going to be all influencers, and y' all know it.

[Asante]

Yeah, they might as well lean into it.

[Dustin]

Or it's now that they see at Landre getting the fashion week treatment and all these brand deals and how it's piped up, up, you know, as far as, like, visibility, because the last season, girl, they just super popular. They just had mad interviews. But this season, it seemed like, financially, it seemed like it piped up in a completely different way. So I know the people that are going to join the cast, it's going to be our peers. Watch. We going to see Mouse up there. Could you imagine?

[Asante]

Yikes.

[Francesca]

That's what's up, though. Listen, even if it is, it let them through as long as they like. Because I think that, like, Serena and Cordell, they're still very, very visible, very valuable, very popular, very much still on the A list still. So I think that cycle lasts, you know, it's. It's lasting, I should say. And I love to see it. Let all them through. Let them all through it.

[Asante]

It can last as long as you want to. Because, remember I was telling you friend that I'd randomly seen because you reminded me his name was. Wait, was it Cinco? Was that his name? Yeah, I've seen Cinco. In somebody's video. And like, he had been on that season with Cachet, whatever season that was, because that was the one I was kind of in and out of. And I think when the whole thing happened with Cache and him, I was like, all right, well, I don't really want to be here no more. So that cycle of them, like, being seen invisible. Because even. Even mentioning Cachet, I had seen her.

[Dustin]

She was fine as hell too.

[Asante]

Yeah, I had seen her. She was another Love island contestant. Dustin. Just for somebody listening who doesn't know I'm talking about Cache Proud foot. I think she was on season four or five. She was like a few seasons ago and she had an incident where she had got left out kind of. Well, I was gonna compare it to Hood and how she just didn't have anybody, but it wasn't because she acted like Hooda.

[Dustin]

So I don't know.

[Asante]

Manner. Yeah. I feel like bringing up her name is.

[Francesca]

Either way, she got left off of Bad and Bougie.

[Asante]

Yes. But Cashe, she definitely is still around, like, doing her thing. And I think I still see people's faces that, you know, when they're working the right way, it helps them. When it's wrong, it's wrong. Like, I feel bad. That girl Julissa, somebody somewhere had just made a joke about her. Actually, nevermind. I just remembered it was a couple.

[Dustin]

Nah. One of the girls from this season that got kicked off the first night because she said the N word. A Cuban from Miami. Yeah. Not on air, but apparently she said it or what? No, it was like they found video, I think.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Of her saying it online. So some clips resurfaced and she got clip day one.

[Asante]

Fucking like immediately.

[Dustin]

I mean, like, we saw her the next day. They were like, the way they were.

[Asante]

Cutting them girls and you wouldn't see them or hearing their name or acknowledging that being missing. Missing like Sierra, they kind of had to acknowledge her being missing a little bit. But I was like, were they instructed not to say her name? I'm sure, like, it was like, this contestant has been asked to leave. Please do not mention them when bringing them up in conversation. Talk around it. Move away from it.

[Dustin]

I would be like, dang, what the fuck she do? She just. But it's always something racist.

[Francesca]

And then I would have looked at you just like Viola Davis and Obama Sting and been like. She said. That's what she did. She said, oh, my God. I just look up and see you doing it again.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I don't want to look up. If you want to Stay on the island.

[Dustin]

Don't say, oh, my God, Viola, we love you.

[Francesca]

Yes, we do. Violence.

[Dustin]

I saw her memoir when I was at Barnes and Nobles trying to find. We're reading the Tina Knowles matriarch, Dustin.

[Francesca]

If you want chapters one through five. Yes. So this week on the Situation, if you go to the friend. If you go to patreon.com, the friends own podcast, you can join our book club once a week. Yeah, mine is across the way. But once a week, we review you a selected group of chapters from the book. This week, we're starting things off with chapters one through five of Tina Knowles memoir matriarch. So get ready. We about to get in Beyonce's mama's business, and I can't wait. I'm already intrigued. I looked at that family tree, that. Which they called the mother tree, for hours.

[Asante]

That was dope. Super dope.

[Francesca]

Yeah. So get ready. Chapters one through five this week.

[Dustin]

I went to Barnes and Nobles yesterday in New York to pick it up. The Barnes and Nobles on Union Square, for those of you down there. And I was asked, the white girl, do you guys. A Tina Knowles memoir? She looked at me and said, huh. Tina knows, right? Ms. Tina, the is wrong with you.

[Francesca]

Beyonce Mama get you some. Act right up in this. We want Tina knows.

[Dustin]

I'm excited to read it, though. I heard it's really good.

[Francesca]

I love Tina Knowles.

[Asante]

So I got the audiobook and started it, and I was gonna ask, did.

[Dustin]

Y' all start already? I'm gonna get into it as soon as we finish recording. Read my first.

[Asante]

So I started listening to it, and it's so dope because at the beginning, you hear Solange, Beyonce, and Angie and them thanking Mama Tina and all that.

[Dustin]

So it's like, oh, cute.

[Asante]

Yeah. And then hearing mama Tina talk is so dope. So I like it.

[Dustin]

You know what? Maybe I'll do the audiobook for this one. I need to turn up narrating.

[Francesca]

Cause I want to lick my finger.

[Dustin]

I know. I got really into the. The rhythm of reading. It's also just really nice for the brain. But. But everyone just kept talking about the Mariah Carey book that we did being so fire and audio, and I kind of feel like I missed out.

[Asante]

But, yeah, I go back and forth because for me, it's like I like hearing them, but then sometimes I need to know what's happening a little bit faster. So it's like I'll listen for a time and then. And then, like, I'll read and then, like, I'll hear them in my head. Like, you know how. How on the Audible app, you can speed the voices up, but for me, you know, then it sounds weird. So it's like if I'm speeding up to the chipmunks.

[Francesca]

Right?

[Asante]

Right. So it's like if I'm reading and speeding up in my head, it's making more sense.

[Dustin]

So now that y' all say that it triggered a thought, why does it. And I feel like we touched on this before on the show. It feels like everything is so fast. Like people are talking so fast in their content. And I don't know if I'm just age, you know, I'm clearly, I'm aging. Content is geared towards a much younger audience for the most part. But I feel like even people making their voices speed up, like, even if they didn't speak in that speed, but they'll upload it at 1.5. And I'm just like, what is it that everyone wants everything so fast it makes my brain hurt? And there's YouTubers like this.

[Francesca]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dustin]

And even the editing style, I know they make fun of Millennial. They call it the millennial pause. Right? Where we have a PA pause between all of our thoughts. But I'm like, the fact that that's, like, frowned upon is kind of funny. Of course I'm gonna pause because I'm thinking and.

[Francesca]

Right. He's actually gay. Pause.

[Dustin]

But even the editing style, if you go on TikTok or most people's content, most people's content, it does that overlap narration, you know what I'm talking about? Where they'll be like today and then. And it just overlaps before the last word of the previous even fully out. The next word comes in, say, hey. Yeah. And it's this overlap. Voiceover edit. That is the style. You hear it a lot. And I'm like, this is so fascinating how fucking fast everyone wants everything to be.

[Asante]

We hate your fascinating.

[Dustin]

It's fascinating, funny.

[Asante]

But there has to be studies done on it. If not already, though, right? Because I feel like for some of it, there are people that have to say something super fast because. All right, I know I have a 6 second window on Vine.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

How am I gonna make this real funny? And for some people, they could just be, oh. And then it's like, all right. Oh, that was funny. The way that he did the run and dipped or some.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

But for some people, they're like, it's like, I don't know what the that was, but. So now people have tried to figure out ways of Just pushing a lot of. In a really short amount of time, they're like, all right, I got my 30 seconds. All right? They give me one minute. Back in the day with YouTube, remember before they were allowed you to make videos longer than in 5, 10, 20 minutes?

[Dustin]

Oh, I was part of that time when they was like, we've changed it. You can now do 15 minutes. We were like, 15 minutes. Like, that shit felt crazy.

[Asante]

Remember those days you were making videos and like, how am I going to edit this information down? And now the fact that you can, you know, social media for a time was just streaming little bits of thought, you know, maybe an ad here. Now we're going to figure out how to give you a whole lesson on what's been going on, on in the White House in this, this, this clip. I was about to say this episode, but it's really just a clip on somebody's page. And sometimes there's story time on Tik Toks where they're going to give you 50 pages, but they're still going to fill up those minutes in each page. So they'll take their time. But there are some people they know. All right, this might be my only shot to get somebody to follow my page. So I'm gonna do a whole bunch of stuff in this. I'm just gonna talk really fast. It's like, slow down.

[Francesca]

You, whatever you do do should be something that like 60 seconds of it is funny. You shouldn't have to shove more than 60 seconds worth of whatever into, you know what I'm saying? If you, if you got, if you approaching it that way, trying to be funny, honey, your goose is cooked. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Comedy for everything.

[Francesca]

Like, I know, I'm just talking about, you know what I'm saying?

[Dustin]

I felt made people. If you can't make it feel funniest, six, seven seconds, you just not the funniest vines.

[Francesca]

The funniest vines were something where it was just a six second clip of something. It wasn't somebody packing a bunch of. In the six seconds, right? Where it was like. It was just six seconds of something like, for example, them goth kids dancing under that bridge. You know what I'm saying? They didn't say, okay, in six seconds we gotta have 17 people here. And no, it was just six seconds.

[Asante]

Of the.

[Francesca]

You know, throwing themselves that. And it was funny. The girl, the little girl, do it for the vine. I ain't gonna do it. That just happened to be six seconds of her singing and dancing. You know what I'm Saying, let me.

[Dustin]

Tell you, shout out to those of you who, who made that platform work because I, I am too slow moving to be six seconds or nothing. And I found myself appreciating the slower moving content creators that are still out here. Like there's a YouTuber I really enjoy. Her name is like Alia Zeta A L I A. I think last name is like Z A I T A. I believe she's very slow moving and I appreciate her videos because she's just like slowly making her breakfast. She goes to the gym, she goes.

[Francesca]

She don't give a.

[Dustin]

She like puts on her, her clothes and then goes and meets with a friend and they go have some ice cream. Her videos are just a very realistic casual day and she doesn't try to do a ton of shit so that you'll watch her. She's like, this is what my life is like it or not. And it's just slow moving and realistic. And then I go on TikTok and everyone's like da da da da. And so today I would. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. It's just two different worlds. And I see how it has affected my brain because now even me that I like the slow moving content. Sometimes someone speaking, I find myself going to the playback speed and adjusting it and I'm like, oh my God, no girl, you're gonna sit and listen to how this person's telling the story. Like I have to tell myself, chill the fuck out. Do not adjust playback speed. But now I find myself doing that and I never did that before. I never even knew you could adjust playback speed. That this is a TikTok finding.

[Francesca]

You know, I ain't going through none of it.

[Dustin]

Or people will write, people will write on caption like adjust playback speed to 1.5 if it's too slow.

[Francesca]

And I will say shut the up. Talking too fast. Anyway, shut up.

[Asante]

I wonder how old we sound though.

[Dustin]

Because of course people do it to us. Well, this is me all the time. I play you on, on two better.

[Francesca]

Hope you make it. You call me old. I tell you in a minute, you better hope you make it.

[Asante]

It's funny that you bring this up because literally I was reading a reading I was on Tik Tok like a week ago and somebody's video had the little X2 in the corner because you know when you hold it down, that's when it speeds it up. Yeah, but I, I've done it before, I just don't actively do it. So when I'd seen it, I was like, oh, so this is how you speed videos?

[Dustin]

That's what I'm saying. I just learned how to do that. I never knew that was a thing.

[Asante]

When you were talking. In my mind, I was just thinking about all the young kids or somebody, like, listening and they got somebody in the car artist. But we've always done that on Tick Tock. Like, what are you talking? Like, I'm just imagining them having a fun time.

[Dustin]

In the podcast, I've had people be like, I play the friend zone on 1.5.

[Francesca]

Because I was just literally about to say that it's probably people listening to this right now on a higher playback speed because people have come up to me and told me they. They love our show because even though it's long, they just listen to it on, like, a higher playback speed to, like, cut down time. And I was. I turned right into Marseille Martin.

[Dustin]

Is that. Is that a compliment?

[Asante]

See, this is why I know this is so random, but because of the. I feel like this, the algorithm is your brain up and, you know, messing with all your systems and whatnot, and just swiping that instant gratification, your reward system, all that. That's why I will watch something and I will literally just sit down and, like, focus on and watch it. Like, I will. I mean, of course, plenty of things. I will watch TV and I will be on my phone, but sometimes I'll be like, all right, the challenge is, let's just watch every little detail. Like, not because I have to make myself interested, but because sometimes I will. I have terrible adhd. I will pick up my phone or go get something to eat. And then I'm in the kitchen now and I've cleaned this up, or I've reorganized some pots and pans, or now I'm over here and it's like, all right, well, I've missed more than half the story or missed more than a few key scenes, or they do a flashback that I'm like, I don't know what the that is. That's from a different episode or different movie. So I feel like phones and social media have kind of messed up some of that because you're able to kind of scroll past some with that, you're able to go back and rewind. And I feel like some of us kind of miss that, miss out on that when we're creating, because most people won't go back or rewind. But if something is beneficial enough, you will. If something is funny enough, you're going to appreciate it. No matter how long the video is you're going to appreciate something informational no matter how, how long it is you friend watching that person get up, make their breakfast, have a. A regular day. I feel like I'd watch something like that and I'd be into it, but I feel like some people would watch it and they'd be like, all right, well, where is this going? And they're gonna fast forward through it even though it looks nice or whatever. Like, okay, they'll appreciate that, how nice it looks or how cool it might be on fast forward. It's like, I would not appreciate that on fast forward. And I actually want you to put the remote down like. Like, yeah, you do that to me. But everybody's at their things now.

[Francesca]

Me personally, I'm not watching nothing in no high playback space speed. Sorry. I don't talk like that in real life. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Like, I'm just.

[Francesca]

It's not. That's not what's gonna happen. Ain't no. I'm not about to watch everything. Narrated by Dr. G from married to Medicine. Just not doing it now. But what you can fast forward to. Cause this was funny, y'. All, why Monday night, or last Wednesday rather, when me, Carlos and Claudia was going live shout out to Carlos King and Claudia Jordan, we were live discussing love and hip hop Atlanta and the argument that Yandy Smith and Yandy Smith and Rashida Frost had. And in the argument, they started talking about who ran Atlanta, who ran love and hip hop Atlanta, which turned into who's the Queen of Atlanta, Right? And so as we were on the show talking about it, discussing it, we started talking about, well, who is the Queen of Atlanta, if there was one, or whatever. So we asked the chat, Claudia and them read the comments. I never do because I'm. We start cussing people out better for everybody.

[Asante]

So I don't read them.

[Francesca]

So Claudia is reading the answers right? People are saying the typical names you would expect. Nene, Candy Burris, Tiny Monica, you know. Well, y', all, why somebody in the chat gonna say Stacey Abrams was the Queen of Atlanta?

[Dustin]

Because they knew it would make y' all laugh.

[Francesca]

I don't know why that was so funny to me. But I'm telling you, me and Claudia could not compose ourselves for like 10 minutes. Carlos was like, y', all, please. Like, we cannot. Me and Claudia couldn't stop laughing. And I don't know why that is so funny to me. But Stacey Abrams, they were saying, like, juicy different names. You know, somebody go say. Somebody go. So somebody go say Carlos King.

[Dustin]

Oh, no.

[Francesca]

But what took the cake was Stacy Abrams. I don't know why. And Claudia even said it. She was like, why is this so funny? We could not contain ourselves because somebody said, Stacey Abrams.

[Dustin]

The comments be the best part of the content.

[Francesca]

Oh my God in heaven. That was funny to me. Damon was laughing too when I told him.

[Asante]

Oh, why? Anyway, but that's why I'm saying I.

[Dustin]

Am grateful for people that are still chilling online. Don't feel pressured. Those of you who are content creators are trying to be content creators. Creators don't feel pressured to do it in a speed or a lifestyle that is just not.

[Francesca]

We don't want it. We only want authentic stuff. We don't want none of the fluff, fake shit we don't want.

[Dustin]

And I saw someone make a video. I actually saw someone, which I hate when people do that. Someone made a video about another content creator and saying that they miss when that person had more stuff going on. And I thought that that was so strange to say because it's so rude and. But the person has clearly matured, right? The content creator they're talking about and has just had a different, like a value shift, you know, I feel like.

[Francesca]

I know who it is.

[Dustin]

Maybe I'll tell you after. But they were like, it's a value shift that the person's going through where they just don't value a lot of the things they did before and they're getting older. You know, we are growing online, so you're not. Hopefully the ain't the same.

[Francesca]

We hope it isn't.

[Dustin]

You know what I'm saying? And so that's the hard part too. And it's funny because even with me, people, a lot of my peers, I'll hear them sometimes on their shows, which it's so funny when someone's talking about you and you're just listening to their show or something, you're like, oh, hey. And they're like, you know, they admire how I have pulled back and I'm still successful, but have completely removed myself in a lot of ways from a lot of the ways that you kind of have to be online line. And I just. But I'm still sustained, right? I'm still here, still working, can do what I need to do. And they appreciate that. But in the same. At the same time, a lot of my peers are also like, what's up? Like, yeah, where you at? What are you doing? And it's almost like while people appreciate it, I feel like they also fear that, like, because you want to be seen. You want to be known. You never want to pull back. You want to always be the center of the conversation in some capacity. But a lot of us just don't. Like, I'm like, as long as I'm making money and I can take care of myself and do the things that I enjoy, like being able to travel to New York for the weekend because it's Jade's birthday and then being able to pivot because something changed in the plans and go somewhere else, but then, then go to New York, you know, Like, I need my life to move, move in the ways it needs to move. That to me is I'm straight.

[Francesca]

It's all about just priorities.

[Dustin]

I'm super straight.

[Francesca]

Like what's important to you? Yeah. And that's subjective. Everybody has their own POV on that. And it's actually kind of rude to suggest that someone be more active or more visible. Like you can only present when you feel like you are able to and when your cup is full.

[Dustin]

Right.

[Francesca]

Some people need to recharge or if you do that.

[Dustin]

Yeah. Like some people's interest completely change.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

You know, children online, you know what I'm saying? Since it's so sweet to everything. Welcome to the friends.

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[Francesca]

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[Asante]

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[Dustin]

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[Asante]

I think about music artists, like watching those competition shows with sometimes the rappers, they come on and they just rap real fast because they feel like this is my only shot. Sometimes their style is they rap fast, right? But some, you can kind of tell, like they're just mashing a bunch of words and they're trying to get it out. Cuz then like it'll come up later in the challenge where they got to recite some something and then they just can't get them words out because it's like, all right, you know, maybe too much, but I feel like there's a pressure there or maybe it's part of the creative process for some people where they feel like they have to push as much information as, as quickly as possible. And I think that some people, they learn from that or some people, they just lean into it or keep doing it. And I think because we've seen so much of it, so much of it through social media, that's why it's a trend. But to your point point, like it's not attractive to everybody and one person here, but when you were talking about creators talking about each other, I just want to pivot here. There was beef in Charlotte. The creator, the content creator scene, and I ain't know about that. What the only reason I knew about this because I was on Tik Tok at like three in the morning yesterday and apparently somebody had made a Tik Tok about how I don't even know the beef because y' all know I don't even get involved in all this stuff. And they were taking it was beef. Well, I don't know their actual handles, but they're in Charlotte. If you're a Charlotte person listening, you can tell, you can tell the story better than I can in the comments down below, please and thank you. Because one person had basically been talking about somebody in one of their videos. They were like, oh, I had an experience with a content creator, right? Oh, they didn't say that. Right. They didn't say the name. So everybody in the comments got to investigating and said, and, you know, said some names which led to this person basically, basically getting talked about in a bunch of other videos. Now these other content creators, some of them felt like it, it was them that this person was talking about simply because the original poster, poster had these people blocked already. Now this content creator had made a video like, oh, the reason I had Certain people blocked is because I just didn't like their content. So it's not even anything personal. It's just like, you know, like, we don't. Like. I don't vibe with their content content.

[Francesca]

Nobody.

[Asante]

So them saying that I was talking about them, that's. That's not who I was talking about. And I'm just like, girl, just go ahead and just drop the name now. That's all I really wanted. It never happened. So that's why I was like, I don't have a full story for you. I just thought it was crazy that there was, like, Charlotte content creator Be Pat.

[Dustin]

And I was like, content creator beef is so crazy to me.

[Asante]

And that's what they kept saying, too.

[Dustin]

I was like, I've never had beef with a content creator. I've had. You know, y' all know that one thing that the person. It wasn't even beef. I just felt like they was trying to be up on me too. Too much, too soon. It made me uncomfortable. And when I told them to chill out, they felt the way that's probably the most. And you can't even call that beef. That's just boundaries not being honored. You know what I mean? So, like, I don't. Yeah, I don't really have. I just don't understand how y' all could be beefing, like, what the fuck we talking about? Talking about skin care.

[Asante]

The sad thing was, this is gonna sound terrible, but you know how, like, drama comes up on the Internet and then sometimes it gets exposed. Like, oh, damn, this was for album rollout, like, even through. Because I went through, like, four or five different content creators, pages of people that were talking about and could have been connected to said beef. But I didn't even get to what they actually do for their content, which is unfortunate. All that content was about the beef, right?

[Dustin]

But also, content creation has changed, right? Like, back in the day. Back in the day. I sound like such an OG back in my time. God forgive me, I'm really that person now. We had something, right? Like, it was like you was either one of the natural hair girls, and you was figuring out your natural hair, and it just happened to be public on forums or blogs or you was on YouTube. YouTube. Then there was the beauty girls, right? They was teaching you DIYs and skincare. There was the makeup girls. There was the fashion girls. There was the. Then the lifestyle kind of, I think, came and did it all that, right? Because people were like, well, I want to see your life as a whole, not just your goddamn Hair routine. What do you do in a day then the lifestyle girls.

[Asante]

Kitchen.

[Dustin]

Yeah. Like what do you eat in a day? The lifestyle girls. I feel deaded. All of the other girls from For Real then the fitness girls. I feel the past year or two have kind of been the girls. Like now everybody wants muscles. How much protein are you drinking? So the fitness girls are the new eight girls. You know what I'm saying? So there's always an era and a, and a content in a way. But then there's people that are like, I just want to make content. And it's like there's nothing. Not saying they have nothing to offer because that sounds terrible. But they don't have like, like nothing to offer. There's not like a plan. It's like I just see other people doing this thing.

[Asante]

I want life is the content. There's lifestyle and there's life content.

[Dustin]

And I, and a lot of people just. I don't know it. I got be. I be trying to support. It's so funny cuz my YouTube algorithm will. Because I watch so much. My YouTube algorithm supports newer content creators which I kind of love. There'll be people with like two views that'll pop up and I'm like, yo, that's kind of crazy. I'm like their third view, this video.

[Asante]

That's funny.

[Dustin]

That kind of makes me laugh though. I don't know how I aggregated that. But I love it because some people are so fire and will have like five views and then someone else, you know. So there's, there's. Because they're talking about something that's interesting. Like I bumped into a lady that was in jail for 12 years. Years. And was talking about it. Right. If something had to do with like a man. No.

[Asante]

So you're not hearing darling, but she.

[Dustin]

Got into a Hulk. Right into a combo about how many women are behind bars because of a man. You. You know what I'm saying? And that was interesting to me. I was like, she, she, I was enthralled. She completely pulled me in. Telling stories of women that were in the, in jail because of a man. Because of a man betraying. So that's what I'm saying. Like it's something. Something to it. But most people just want to do it because they think, they think it's going to be a quick buck. Which is absolutely.

[Francesca]

That's why we got all these dumbass skits. That's why.

[Dustin]

Don't get me started with the comedians.

[Francesca]

Oh my God. The worst. It'd be the worst. Dumbest shit in the world that is just literally not even funny.

[Dustin]

Or the fake ones, which is to me scary. Like people just making shit up. Like, and then you. And then now in an era of us not knowing what anything is no more. Is this AI? Is this real? Did this happen? Is this.

[Asante]

I will swipe so fast now because I don't know if be AI, but all right.

[Dustin]

I question everything now. Cuz you'll be like, is this a skit? Like, how many times have you said that after you watch someone arguing in a video?

[Asante]

Yep. And now you gotta ask if it's AI.

[Francesca]

Like, I just know them old ladies are AI that be cussing real hard. You know what I'm talking about?

[Asante]

Talking about, oh my God.

[Francesca]

It'Ll be.

[Dustin]

Like an old lady, right on my fyp.

[Francesca]

It'll be like an old lady, right? She. And she'll be looking at the camera or whatever old hell, right? And she'll just be like, the only way to get over a is to dog his ass out. I put any motherfucker out of my damn house. Like, why is this. Why is this robot lady talking?

[Dustin]

I know. Okay, now I. And they're always in like a nice ass car with like a scarf on and glasses. That's so creepy though, because. Why is that, Elaine? Old women giving advice.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Then just scratch your titty. Because if somebody's looking up, well tell them you just seen a titty getting scratched. Yes, that'll be it. You'd be like, what the hell was that? To even say to somebody, first of all, this has got to be AI.

[Dustin]

And what scares me is, you know, that's a white person.

[Francesca]

That's cuz the cussing is off. Is off.

[Dustin]

Playing O Scary.

[Francesca]

That's why none of the cussing makes sense. It all sounds like them text messages from unknown number. That's why. That's why right there.

[Asante]

Did you know Lisa Rena did a movie based on that last year? She played Mommy Meanest. Unknown Number. She was the mother, I think.

[Dustin]

Hold up, hold up, hold up. Like the actual Unknown Number story or.

[Francesca]

A story like that?

[Dustin]

A story like it, yeah. Oh, he's looking it up for the A teenage girl.

[Asante]

A teenage girl is relentlessly cyber bullied. But the worst part is when she finds out who actually is sending the horrific t mommy. Mean is starring Lisa Rinna. Lifetime.

[Dustin]

Of course it's Lifetime and we never.

[Asante]

Heard it last year.

[Dustin]

No, it's gonna. They gonna do it again on Netflix because that's too good of a story to let pass.

[Francesca]

Sharp Flip.

[Dustin]

Did y' all see the Murdochs? What? Everybody was like, people need to pay y', all, but Because I was gonna call her Nancy Grace. Lord. Natalia.

[Asante]

Oh, my God. Nothing beats a Jet two holiday Whoopty doo.

[Dustin]

No, I meant. Oh, my God. I was gonna say it again. Natalia. Great.

[Asante]

Not you doubling down on it.

[Dustin]

There's a TV show. There's a TV show about. Oh, no, it was a movie, right? It was a movie on Hulu or something about her three part series or something. And now the Murdoch have a whole show, which I'm absolutely going to watch, cuz that case. And we have the Crime Zone coming up in like, what, two weeks? Our Crime Zone month.

[Francesca]

Yep. We starting it October. Come on down.

[Asante]

Getting spooky.

[Dustin]

Yeah. Yeah. Anything else y' all want to touch on before we get up out of here? Here today?

[Francesca]

I just want to wish Crystal a happy birthday. Happy birthday. Yes, sister.

[Asante]

We love you so much, Crystal Jean.

[Dustin]

I love Crystal.

[Francesca]

We love you, Crystal.

[Dustin]

We love you, sister.

[Francesca]

We love you. Happy birthday to Crystal. Happy belated birthday to Jade.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin]

And big kisses for little Laney, one of the cutest dogs on the face of this earth.

[Francesca]

Absolutely. Yeah. That's it for this week, right?

[Dustin]

We give you a short one, but we've been giving y' all long ones, you know.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

So be with us. Be with us with our shorts and our longs.

[Francesca]

I appreciate it.

[Asante]

I mean, last week, you know what I'm saying?

[Dustin]

Really a bonus. It was still an episode that we needed to put out.

[Asante]

Oh, well, all right, well, you know, we'll make it up to y'.

[Dustin]

All.

[Asante]

We're gonna come juicy. We're gonna keep it, keep it juicy to the end of the year, you know what I'm saying? Still celebrating them 10 years.

[Francesca]

And this episode might be a little miss juicy, but, you know, we make up for it.

[Dustin]

Don't forget to send your questions in for the Q and A episode next week. The better the questions are, the better the episode will be. We really lean in on y' all for this one, so. So send them. Send them in. You could email them@franhey franhey.com you could DM them to us. DM them to me, please, so that I can put it together, aggregate it. A lot. Easier as not have to chase Dustin and Sante for questions.

[Asante]

If you're listening and you've made it to this part of the show and you know you care to participate. Cause I'm checking them Spotify comments and I'll be looking at the SoundCloud too. And you know, fram be at the gated community, please leave a crying baby emoji because I want to know that you read it. And if you're part of the gated community, please leave a bunch of crying baby emojis and trophies because next Wednesday, if you are part of the gated community is the Wednesday wind down. It's the last Wednesday.

[Dustin]

Next Wednesday.

[Asante]

Are you sure October 1st is on a Wednesday?

[Francesca]

Look.

[Dustin]

Oh my God.

[Asante]

So please leave a crying baby emoji if you made it this far. Please leave the crying baby emoji if.

[Francesca]

You made it this far. Oh my God.

[Asante]

Because you know, we was finna get out the gate but you know, I was like has it surely did, honey. So yes, we will. Look, you can hear our excitement so we will be excited to see you.

[Dustin]

We love y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Asante]

We just, we truly will. We're just shocked because of schedules which is why I had to make sure that this train ran on this thing. Okay. So if you made it to this point, please leave those emojis so I know that a bunch of y' all have made it to this point. With that said, anything else? Oh, don't Forget it'[e-mail] the Friend Zone podcast. That's what we are doing this Wednesday Wind down. It's going to be next Wednesday again, 8:00pm Eastern Standard Time. You want to check out our other content like you like we said, we're reading Matriarch for Situation and we are watching Damascus on Tubi which is free. So everybody's going to be able to have access to it. Well, I don't know, you know, everybody over the Caribbean or whatnot. Oh please don't. So yes, that is it. Check us out on patreon again. That's patreon.com friendzone podcast.

[Francesca]

Watch all that stuff.

[Dustin]

We really do for us. We're so grateful for you. Happy birthday to all of our beautiful friends and we'll catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Stay black and protect your magic a hoe.

[Francesca]

All right y'.

[Asante]

All.

[Francesca]

This is Friend doll.

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