Don't Be A Bridget

Summary

The Friend Zone – "Don't Be A Bridget" (September 3, 2025)

Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), Assanté
Podcast Theme: Exploring mental health, mental wealth, and mental hygiene

---

Episode Overview

This lively installment of The Friend Zone dives into a whirlwind of topics: viral customer service fails, the fading ideal of professionalism in the age of AI, and urgent public health concerns under current US leadership. The hosts blend their signature humor with pointed social commentary, pulling current events, personal anecdotes, and their audience’s feedback into a free-flowing, engaging conversation. (As always, ads, intro, and outro have been omitted.)

---

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Bravo News: Karen Huger's Release (01:39–12:26)

• Dustin leads with “breaking news”: Karen Huger, Real Housewives of Potomac star, has been released from prison after serving six months for drunk driving.
  • The group jokes about her “street cred” and theorizes about reality TV scripting her return.
  • Quote: “She did her big one. Karen is officially not only an OG of the Real Housewives of Potomac, but she’s an OG in real life. She’s an original gangster, baby.”
    —Dustin (03:53)
  • Discussion about the fanfare at Karen’s release, her potential transformation, and the spectacle of reality TV reunions.
  • Brief aside into other reality stars’ legal issues, esp. Jen Shah of RHOSLC.

2. Weekend Catch Up (14:15–26:00)

• The hosts share personal updates:
  • Asanté: One-year anniversary in Charlotte, adjustments to the city, following local “hood” news accounts, and navigating community safety.
  • Dustin: Travel to Houston for a friend’s birthday, DJing social events, returning to nesting mode at home.
  • Francesca: Power outage survival, new bike adventures, investing in bike seat comfort, and the unexpected joys of disconnected downtime.
  • Quote: “Not having access to any WiFi…our TVs are really, like, connected to WiFi. That’s so goofy. Why did we allow them to do that to us?”
    —Francesca (23:54)

3. Listener Feedback Roundup (26:06–41:59)

• The team reads and reacts to Spotify and SoundCloud comments from previous episodes:
  • Humorous reactions to Bible study stories.
  • Deepening discussion about food sensitivities, rising health concerns due to questionable food quality, and rising audience anxiety.
  • Shoutouts to fans for their input and for helping surface issues like food spoilage and sensitivities across regions.
  • The richness of Black cultural food traditions and the importance of regional differences.
  • Hot take: Professionalism and systemic racism often get conflated in workplace expectations.

4. Main Topic: Professionalism vs. The Age of AI ("Don’t Be a Bridget") (45:04–107:32)

• Lead: Asanté introduces the viral “Ashley Furniture saga”:

  • A content creator, Smooth Jasmine, recounts her mother’s ordeal after being sold the wrong couch by an associate named Bridget. Company support failed to resolve the issue; TikTok virality ensues.
  • Customers in the comments rally, airing similar complaints about Ashley Furniture and broader customer service grievances.
  • Professionalism breakdown: The employee, Bridget, texts Jasmine’s mother privately instead of resolving it through official channels—triggering ethical alarms.
  • Quote: "What happened to professionalism?"
    —Smooth Jasmine (via Asanté) (66:34)

• The Panel Explores...

  • When and how to weaponize social media platforms for consumer justice.
  • The difference between seeking solutions and venting for content.
  • The unhealthy rise of parasocial relationships and the obsession with internet “righteousness.”
  • How AI chatbots, replacing real people in service roles, worsen the customer experience for nuanced problems (affirm refunds, Expedia/American Airlines story as an example).
  • Quote: "If your purpose and your interest in a circumstance or an opportunity is the efficiency of something, professionalism would be a priority. And I don't understand why some people have attached a negative connotation to that."
    —Dustin (88:41)
  • The roots of anti-professional sentiment (connection to white supremacy, policing appearance, and “respectability politics”) vs. true competence.
  • The fear that automation/AI is preferred by companies precisely because the human touch—and accountability—is fading (“Don’t be a Bridget” = don’t be the reason robots take over your job).

5. Wellness Segment: U.S. Food Safety in Crisis (109:11–129:05)

• Fran’s deep dive into alarming CDC/FDA changes under RFK Jr.:

  • Drastic agency restructuring, cuts to surveillance of foodborne pathogens (only tracking salmonella and E. coli now), massive healthcare workforce firings.
  • Discussion of the immediate, practical impact: increased health anxiety, food spoilage, and the real threat to U.S. food safety.
  • Quote: “There’s no plausible reasoning that can make a person arrive at that sort of decision. There's no reason to eliminate protections that are research-based over years and years…”
    —Dustin (116:28)

• Host Solutions:

  • Support and seek out CSA boxes, local butchers, and farmers’ markets.
  • Build relationships with food producers for better control over what you eat.
  • Encourage listeners to share local solutions.

6. Music & TV Land (131:08–158:56)

• Music: Shout outs and playlist additions; Fifth Harmony’s reunion at a Jonas Brothers show; lifting up Black women artists (Jalen Josie, Dustin Conrad, etc.).
• TV:
  • Reality TV highlights:
    • Real Housewives of Orange County, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, Love & Marriage Huntsville.
  • Baddies Africa: The “horse manure fight” incident is dissected with horror and humor.
  • Documentary pick: Netflix’s Katrina docuseries, Come Hell or High Water.
    • Panel reflects on the importance of documenting Black trauma and government accountability.
  • Quote: "People missing. That’s a reality for a lot of families. People don’t know where their family is. And that’s so frightening to imagine."
    —Dustin (161:16)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She did her big one. Karen is officially not only an OG of the Real Housewives of Potomac, but she’s an OG in real life.” —Dustin (03:53)
• “We’re supporting the Grand D in her hello phase of life. Okay? I just want y’all to know we don’t believe in the goodbye...” —Dustin (13:00)
• “What happened to professionalism?” —Asanté (66:34)
• “This is some normal…bad customer service, whatever. She didn’t—nobody called her a [slur]…Yes, there was a text made after hours, which was ridiculous…” —Dustin (70:01)
• “Have your opinions. But just because you feel like that, that doesn’t mean that that feeling is now valuable or deserving of some sort of reckoning.” —Dustin (78:33)
• “If your purpose…is the efficiency of something, professionalism would be a priority. And I don’t understand why some people have attached a negative connotation to that.” —Dustin (88:41)
• “There’s no plausible reasoning that can make a person arrive at that sort of decision. There’s no reason to eliminate protections that are research-based over years and years…” —Dustin (116:28)

---

Timestamps for Significant Sections

• Karen Huger Release & Reality TV: 01:39–12:26
• Weekend Recaps: 14:15–26:00
• Listener Feedback & Food Anxiety: 26:06–41:59
• Tweets & Social Media Reflections: 37:26–41:59
• Main Topic – Professionalism in Decay / Don’t Be a Bridget / Customer Service Fails: 45:04–107:32
• Wellness – Food Safety, CDC Cuts, Survival Tactics: 109:11–129:05
• Music & TV Land: 131:08–158:56

---

Closing Thoughts

With their mix of pop culture critique, social commentary, and genuine concern for community and wellness, The Friend Zone team gives listeners both laughs and critical food for thought. “Don’t Be a Bridget” urges everyone not to be the weak link in the chain—whether it’s in customer service, community health, or internet discourse. Instead: show up, do the work, don’t let humans be replaced by robots, and always protect your magic.

---

End of summary.

Transcript

[Gecko]

So I was just parking my car and then I saw you.

[Francesca]

The Gecko.

[Gecko]

Huge fan.

[Francesca]

I'm always honored to meet fans out in the wild.

[Gecko]

The honor is mine. I just love being able to file a claim in under two minutes with the Geico app.

[Francesca]

Well, the Geico app is top notch.

[Gecko]

I know you get asked this all the time, but could you sign it?

[Asante]

Sign what?

[Francesca]

The app. Yeah, sure. Oh, that means so much.

[Gecko]

Oh, it rubbed off the screen when I touched it. Could you sign it again?

[Francesca]

Anything to help, I suppose.

[Gecko]

You're the best.

[Asante]

Get more than just savings. Get more with Geico.

[Gecko]

Are your ulcerative colitis symptoms proving difficult to manage? Tremphya Guselcamab can help you manage the cycle of UC symptoms. At one year, many patients taking Tremphya achieved clinical remission and some patients also achieved endoscopic remission. Individual results may vary. Tremphya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. Ask your doctor if Tremphya can help you manage the cycle of UC symptoms. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit tremphyaradio.com.

[Dustin]

Welcome to the friends every time I'm in the zone. My name is Dustin.

[Francesca]

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

[Dustin]

Hey.

[Asante]

My name is Asante. This is the Friendz.

[Dustin]

Today is real breaking news. Because today as this is literally breaking news. As of today, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger has been released from prison after serving six months behind bars for drunk driving. She reported to prison in February, served six months of her year long sentence for drunk driving in March 2024. So she home. Give it up for Karen, y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Dustin]

The granddaughter came a real one. Came home. God damn it. Give it up for a real one. Free Karen. Till it's backwards and it is. You know what I'm saying? She home. She did her bid. She paid her debt to society. It's time to turn up. She did her big one. That's what she did.

[Asante]

It's time to turn up.

[Dustin]

Hell yeah. She did talk about Hell yeah. Bravo cameras were spotted today at her release.

[Francesca]

Oh, yes. Okay.

[Dustin]

She's definitely gonna talk about it private. And you know she can't be no more, honey, because she didn't been in the slammer. And so now you know what I'm saying? This is a different grand dominant. I do appreciate her sharing this release moment with the world and having the cameras there. I appreciate the paparazzi all being out there. She was seen exiting in a Ford Expedition suv, waving at the crowd. They were saying, hi, Karen. Hi, Karen. And she waved from the back seat and went on about her business. So I'm looking forward to seeing this. I want to see her talking to Ray in that kitchen with them old cabinets. I want to see that. I want to see her children. I want to see her hugging Raven. You know, Karen's children are like in their 20s, late 20s and 30s. And Karen acts like her kids are 7 and 9. She has her children. You know, my children. My children were hurt. You know, she be acting like that. So I want to see her with them children. I want to see her outfit. I want her hair to be done. I just want to see Karen. I'm so happy. And my girl got the fuck out. She did her big. Karen is officially not only an OG of the Real Housewives of Potomac, but she's an OG in real life. She's an original gangster, baby. She has street cred now. I said when she came out, you know, this is like York Fashion Week time. I said we shouldn't have seen her until New York Fashion Week. Put her front row at all the shows dipped in head to toe looks. That's how she need to pop back out from jail. Hell yeah. That's some grand dumb flex on her. She is a jailbird.

[Francesca]

She needs to go to Joshua Tree and and meditate. Get some good cooked foodstyle. I do.

[Dustin]

I do. I hope she got a tattoo. You think she's got a tattoo in.

[Francesca]

Jail and a girlfriend?

[Asante]

She's been in there doing whippets. I remember we was watching what show was that? 60 days in.

[Dustin]

Oh, I hated that damn show. I hate. She did six months in, right?

[Asante]

Karen can give you the real.

[Dustin]

But I can't wait to see her. I think she's such an icon, a legend. She's the moment. Now she has done a bit that elevates things.

[Francesca]

You know, what's she gonna say and how has it changed her if it has?

[Dustin]

Somebody, my friend, shout out to my friend Rodney. He gonna send me this tweet today. I'm gonna tell y' all what it said. Rodney sent me this tweet that@justlike Mike911 tweeted. He said, I can hear Karen now acting like she spent 10 years in the pen. Giselle, unlike you I have paid my debt to society. That's what you.

[Francesca]

You know, you can hear.

[Dustin]

Oh, Lord, she is back. That's right. She's home. So everybody that thought they was sweet, she's back. And you got to answer now. Y' all thought y' all had Karen. Y' all thought she was a drunk locked up somewhere, rotting away in the depths of hell. And the dregs of the world. She is not caring. Home. And it's a reckoning day. So I, like, try.

[Francesca]

Is she still in jail?

[Asante]

Yeah. Jen Shaw, I think she's set up for weeks for next year maybe. But I saw pictures of her and Coach Shaw, and she looked good. I was like, oh, that's Jen Shaw now in jail. Like, wow, she looks healthy.

[Dustin]

Some people need to be in, you know.

[Francesca]

You know what?

[Asante]

I'm not saying she doesn't. I'm not saying she need to be free or anything. I'm not saying.

[Dustin]

I'm not saying nothing. Cause I understand. How long she been in there. Jen's been in, like, two years, three years now.

[Asante]

Two, three years, wow.

[Dustin]

Something like that, yeah. Cause how many seasons of Salt Lake City have we had? She was gone with the season for Monica. She was gone last season. They about to release a whole new season now, so, you know, and it's crazy because she was the show.

[Francesca]

Right. Is it doing okay without her?

[Dustin]

Hell, yeah. It's thriving.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

The show is performing well. It's, like, thriving. But, you know, she's still Jenshon. I can't wait to see her come back. I saw her dancing at a Bravo Con party one time. She danced with my best friend, Frank. Rest in peace. But I saw the way she was dancing with him and dropping. And her personality, it was so funny. Like, she was so happy to be a celebrity. She was. She was very happy to be a celebrity.

[Francesca]

I think that's what got all this rolling.

[Dustin]

But the point is, the real OG of them all is home. So nice try, ladies. Y' all thought shit was sweet. She coming back to hold that Champlain food. Although it'll be full of water, she'll be holding it and she'll be back. So shout out to Karen. Welcome home, mama. You did your thing. You a OG gangster. You know what I'm saying? And we welcome it.

[Francesca]

They want the carpooling.

[Dustin]

She could get a driver, guns and stuff. I want her to just lean into it, you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Like, all the way to a motorcycle jacket.

[Dustin]

Hell, yeah. Start standing like a lesbian. You know what I'm saying? Legs Apart, holding, hand at the wrist. Hold one wrist with the other hand. You know what I'm saying? I want to see her doing that.

[Francesca]

Kind of shots fired.

[Dustin]

I want to see her doing all that. So anyway, with that being said, hell not no more. Karen is the mama, okay? And she's back to preside over the mother heifers at the Real Housewives of Potomac. And I'm so happy. I can't wait to see her come back and just reign supreme. They really thought they had. They really thought they had my girl. They really thought they had her. She is out. And you should have seen the fanfare she was met with when she came out and the way she was insane to be backseat. Mm.

[Francesca]

Like, imagine. Imagine leaving your house and saying, we gotta go meet Karen outside the jail. That's crazy. Like, Dustin, you would not have the.

[Dustin]

Only reason on everything I love. And I'll tell you more details later offline. The only reason I was not there today is because we had to do this.

[Asante]

Oh, my.

[Dustin]

I can verify that with some sources.

[Francesca]

For you because you would have stood there waving.

[Dustin]

I was invited to go.

[Francesca]

What you mean, invited?

[Dustin]

I'll tell you later. But I was invited to go. And the only reason I had to turn it down was because we had to do this today at 1:00'. Clock. And I was not gonna hit y'. All, like, you know what I'm saying? Hey, I just wasn't gonna do that.

[Asante]

I would have laughed so hard. I would have laughed so fucking.

[Dustin]

I was like, you know what? Let me not even. But.

[Francesca]

But you could have done a recording live.

[Dustin]

I would have been on Instagram so fast. Like, I'd have been yelling at Karen, trying to get her to wave back to me. All of that.

[Francesca]

That's insane.

[Dustin]

I'm happy to hear. And Karen deserves. She deserves that warm embrace from the people who she means something to.

[Francesca]

Why she drove drunk and could have killed someone.

[Dustin]

And she was in the backseat going.

[Francesca]

Home to go to the job.

[Dustin]

We need to do that against her. Yup. She need to go to Karen Need. Where she need to go. Karen needs to go stk. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

She needs.

[Dustin]

She needs, like, a good dinner. That is. That'll make her feel like she's stepping outside. So stk. You know what I'm saying? A virgin, you know, a mocktail, because she still like to have the experience, but just put grapefruit juice and ginger ale in it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I just. I want Karen to be right back on. I Hope she got her hair done. I hope she got, you know, full glam, all of that. Yep.

[Asante]

Ooh.

[Francesca]

What if she came out different? What if she came out different and I no longer care. I no longer care about those worldly things. Did she go back in here no more?

[Dustin]

Because we don't want that. We want the grand down. Okay.

[Francesca]

She move out to the PNW and buy some.

[Asante]

She can be.

[Francesca]

Fly out there.

[Dustin]

You fly out there. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Oh, this is funny. I'm actually curious to see what the change.

[Dustin]

Aren't you happy? So you very happy she's home? I know. Me too. Yeah, we are very happy. She is here on the Friend Zone. And I'm speaking for all three of us and loudspeakers network as well. This is on behalf of us all, we welcome you home. Karen's. We are very happy to have you here. Yeah, that's what we're called. We need to burn her candles. Her three wick candle. We need to burn that. We need to use our home fragrance line, go to Bloomingdale's where it's retailing, purchase that support the grand.

[Francesca]

Oh, I didn't know she had something at the stores.

[Dustin]

Yeah, Karen has a whole home fragrance line. Candles and home spray and a perfume as well.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Dustin]

Bloomingdale's.

[Francesca]

I really legit did not know that. Remember, it was like an ongoing joke with the whole, like, what'd she say? It's in the discovery phase.

[Dustin]

Yeah. And she was the only one who saw it through. Yeah. She has a perfume. La Dame. She has a perfume. And she has a candle and a home fragrance for bottom line. Buy her. Because we're happy that the Grandom is back where she belongs. On top. On top. And I heard she was running in that detention center she was at. I heard she was very well received by the population. I heard she had a. You know, she was respected. Gave it up for the Grand Dom, you know?

[Francesca]

I mean, I'm sure they loved her just because she's funny as hell, too. Like, if they watch the show, which I'm sure they.

[Dustin]

If Karen was in jail with me, I'd have whooped somebody ass over. Hey, hey, hey. She ain't fighting. Come on. I'd have been on that type of shit had her back, okay? Like I do now. We love you, Grandom. I'm drinking tonight. Cause you got released, but you not. You know what I'm saying? But I. But I'm finna pop a bop, okay? Hell yeah. So anyway.

[Francesca]

Wow.

[Dustin]

That being said, and welcomed and understood to be the opinion of all three of us. I would like to welcome you to the Friend Zone. You're weekly looking at all things mental health, mental wellness.

[Francesca]

It feels like bmf, okay.

[Dustin]

Yes, it does. Being my friend. It does. It does feel like bmf being my friend, which is why you love that show too. And with that being said, thank you. Hello. Who in the helmet's a musty brain Or a locked up brand down.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

You know, something changed in me when I watched Dream Girls years ago at this point, 20 years ago. It came out in 2005, right when I watched it the first time. Something changed in me in that final scene. When they arrived to the final performance, when they brought Effie back out, there were four. Remember, Effie came out in that scene. When they were on the red carpet walking in, Jamie Foxx's character, Curtis Taylor Jr. Was like. They were interviewing him on the red carpet. He had a new artist and they were asking him how he felt about the dreams final performance. And he was like, I don't believe in goodbyes, only hellos. And he TR to usher in a new girl. But they moved on because they didn't care. But that stuck with me. I don't believe in goodbyes, only hellos. We supporting the grand d in her hello phase of life. Okay? I just want y' all to know we don't believe in the goodbye of her jail s We support her in the hello of her waves. Thought we were as she rolled past and it was a caravan. There was a car in front of her, so she had to. If there's a car in front of you, that's a caravan.

[Asante]

What do they call it?

[Dustin]

A caravan? A motorcade. It wasn't the police. It was. It was a civilian vehicle. So this was. This is a. Yeah, it was a.

[Asante]

So then the caravan.

[Dustin]

A caravan crossing.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

Okay.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin]

Shout out to Alita Adams. Is she still with us?

[Francesca]

I don't know.

[Dustin]

We hope so. We hope. We say.

[Francesca]

How are your weekends? What y' all get into?

[Dustin]

Sante.

[Francesca]

Mm. Asante looks bright and sunny today.

[Asante]

Oh, thank you. I got into nothing. What did you guys get into? Oh, my God. I have a homebody. I don't understand why this question is even ever asked to me. You guys do your thing. I will smoke, and then we can go on like nothing has happened. I am still alive. I want to leave this place. Not because this place sucks, but because.

[Francesca]

You ready?

[Asante]

I'm ready. I came here for peace. Peace is. Has been achieved. I don't you know what I'm saying? Like, this, this was a stepping stone. So I'm just worried about stepping outside of that. Nothing's going on. Ain't nothing going on but the rent.

[Dustin]

I feel like I just got really. How long have you been there?

[Asante]

It's literally been a year. It's been one full year.

[Francesca]

That's also kind of trippy that it's been a year.

[Asante]

It's been one full. It's been a year Now.

[Francesca]

October.

[Dustin]

So fast.

[Francesca]

Is October gonna be a year for you?

[Asante]

Yep. But I did buy the, I did get the, the lease a month before. Like a month and a half before.

[Francesca]

Right. But when you actually, like, moved in.

[Dustin]

Yep.

[Asante]

October.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I remember. Wow. Damn, that was fast. Oh, you know, but ain't it it ain't it. That's like sesame. She left.

[Asante]

There's nothing wrong with it. I, I, I hate people that are like, oh, this place sucks. There's nothing wrong with this place. I did not explore it.

[Francesca]

Charlotte is great. Yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

Charlotte is beautiful. Now when I do go out, I do have a wang dang doodle. You know, I went to concert out here. The blacks out here are lovely. The police ain't with me. I did not know that it was called char lit, you know, lit, but there's a, an account that I follow. You know, whenever you move to a city, you always got to follow some of the hood. So, like in Atlanta, there's to know the, like the GA followers or some. And so out here, there's like the Charlotte Litt. And I was like, okay, let me see what's happening. Be shooting. They busting windows out. Like, it's Atlanta out here. I'm like, this is crazy. So nothing wrong with the city. It's cool. But I have to be shooting.

[Dustin]

They busting people's windows out. It's crazy. Nothing wrong with the city.

[Asante]

Normal carrying carries on, like, you know, unfortunately, just, just the way the goes when being involved in certain situations.

[Dustin]

That's the way goes.

[Asante]

That's the way goes. That's the way she goes.

[Francesca]

That's the nwynchy.

[Asante]

That's the shit moves.

[Dustin]

I was actually in Houston this weekend. I celebrated one of my dear friends, Dr. Zach Brown. He lives in Houston now. Him and my friend Keenan. And so I went down for his birthday. We surprised him myself.

[Francesca]

Oh, that's the best friend.

[Dustin]

Yeah, we surprised him. They surprised me at my show in Atlanta, and so I just surprised them. This ain't transactional, you know what I'm saying? But I just had an opportunity. Yeah. Did that, though. Real quick turnaround. About 24 hours down there. So I didn't really do a whole lot, but went down there and then I actually went to Everyday People here in New York City. Had a great time.

[Francesca]

How was that?

[Dustin]

It was great. Great, great, great. Very mixy. It's like, okay, what's going on? You like me or her? It's very mixy. But then we went to the after party club called the House of Yes in Brooklyn.

[Asante]

Oh, yes. House of yes.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Asante]

I love that spot.

[Dustin]

That was cool. Got a lot of work done, you know what I'm saying? Handled some shit inside my apartment. Now that I am on a brief pause from touring, I have a little bit more time to, like, do some nesting. So just taking care of some things that I hadn't had a chance to really handle, you know what I'm saying? With my crib just doing that and deep in the throes of writing something special.

[Asante]

Just.

[Dustin]

Just. I'm just in work mode, that's all. No, that's it. I'm just in work.

[Francesca]

Well, amen.

[Asante]

Yes. What about you, friend?

[Francesca]

I had a good weekend. It was just a really active weekend. I ended up getting a new bike. Oh, sorry. So, pretty little blue bird just flew to the window.

[Dustin]

Hey, pretty. She had. She had.

[Francesca]

Now put that on this bird.

[Dustin]

She had a. She had a project called Bluebird of Happiness. Remember?

[Francesca]

It wasn't this one. So I had a very active weekend. I got a second bike because my first bike was really just me trying to have a cute bike, but it's not like a mountain bike, you know, it's not rugged enough or. You can't be too rugged with it. I'll say. You have to be kind of precious. So I finally got, like, a nice little. This bird is having a ball right here.

[Dustin]

Tame our bird.

[Asante]

Please. I'm still not recovered. I'm trying to stay with y', all, but I'm stuck on friends.

[Dustin]

Apparently, she is, too. She. Apparently she ain't recovered either.

[Francesca]

This is a.

[Dustin]

She ain't recovered either, apparently. You know, they said she had some. Something happened.

[Asante]

I'm glad I didn't make that part of my.

[Francesca]

Yeah, so I heard.

[Dustin]

Y' all know I was in V12 that night.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Bared. Yeah.

[Asante]

If you were at the Wind down.

[Dustin]

Patreon, that's the only place I was at, though. I don't know shit about her teeth and nose and none of that shit. I don't know nothing about nobody knocking her. I don't know none of that. All I know is what y' all know that she's outside a friend's window.

[Francesca]

Hell, no. So it was a good thing.

[Dustin]

The woman who always. The woman who won't even step on a bug has refuted the idea.

[Asante]

In fact, apparently, she would step on that bug if it was 10 more.

[Dustin]

Hell, no.

[Francesca]

I don't do agents of chaos, but.

[Dustin]

Exactly.

[Francesca]

So I got a new bike, and I'm very excited about it because we have been on our biking thing, we went, like, 20 miles just to kind of switch up our cardio. So back on that seat, I actually needed to for my butt.

[Dustin]

I got to. I'm scared that shit. My ass gonna start hurting. Ain't never seen your ass hurting from sitting on something.

[Francesca]

It absolutely hurts. I had to get the little seat cushion from Amazon that is like, a bigger cushion when you have.

[Dustin]

You know, I modified it. I put a chair on it. On my.

[Asante]

I wonder. I've wondered why the seat is for.

[Dustin]

It, but I want a bike because.

[Francesca]

It'S based on a different body type as this.

[Asante]

I mean. Yes. But, like, is there, like, a reason why it has to go up right in there?

[Francesca]

Like, the shape itself?

[Dustin]

Because typically cyclists.

[Asante]

And like, Frank said, like, has to be a one size fits all, so you can't, like, make a stretchy something for every ass. So like, just put it right there, and they can. Every ass can sit on top of it. It's just like.

[Dustin]

That's why. That's why they fell off. Remember, they fell off their bike.

[Francesca]

That's why you got to get the modified seats on Amazon or whatever. But our mind is much. It's. And it's crazy because even with the modified seat, it's still not. But then I'm like, I don't know what seat I would need. But, you know, for now, it's better than nothing. So. Yeah, just on that. And then I had the dang power outage that y' all were aware of. It went out at, like, 4 in the morning. And then it didn't come back to, like, 8, 8:30. I went to the gym. Yeah, I stayed in the gym for hours. I was like, I might as well just get a workout in. We went and ran, then we went and walked. That would have been funny.

[Dustin]

Make some coffee.

[Francesca]

But we just stayed. By the time my partner came back from work, we just stayed out because it was like, you didn't want to stress it and be too worried about it because you see in your groceries that you paid a million dollars for in a fridge that's Off. And as. As it was getting darker outside, we were just like, let's not stress, just.

[Dustin]

And it's hot outside.

[Francesca]

And it's hot outside. All the neighbors were kind of peeping out, like, did you get electricity? Did you? Did you? And all the. All the restaurants shut down, obviously, because they didn't want their food to spoil. So it was just strange.

[Dustin]

I was like, my generator on and went outside with a rifle on some. What was that book? What was that book we read?

[Francesca]

Octavia.

[Dustin]

Yeah, the Pirouette. Everything was fucked up. And Earth Seed and all that. Yeah, I'd have been outside on that shit.

[Francesca]

Yeah, man. It felt like straight out of that book, just that feeling of, like, preparedness. Like, I was like, ooh, you was.

[Dustin]

About to get your kid.

[Francesca]

I was like, do I need to go grab the bag?

[Dustin]

I'm glad that shit came back on, though.

[Francesca]

Solar powered flashlights and shit. Yeah, no, me too. And we were so grateful. We literally, like, prayed when it came on. We did a little prayer like, thank you, God. Because this could have been a whole different experience.

[Dustin]

I might have spoken in a tongue. I'd have been so excited.

[Francesca]

But that was a long time. 4 in the morning till 8.30pm to not have any. What? I couldn't do any work, but I was. But the only. You know, I'm always going to try to find.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

A benefit of it was like, not having access to any WI fi.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

And no TV, which is crazy. Our TVs are really, like, connected to WI fi. That's so goofy. Why did we allow them to do that to us T. No tv. I read a lot during the day and then like I said, I just ended up being out. I was like, let me get on my bike. Let me go for a walk. We went to the gym. Just stayed out and active to kind of get that stress feeling off, you know, off my body. But yeah, it is what it is. We're fine now. The weird thing is they didn't tell us what happened. That's the weird part.

[Asante]

Tell you anything?

[Francesca]

Nothing. It just an email came in saying, powers restored. Sorry for the inconvenience. Okay, but what happened? And you know, and should we be worried? Like, is. Was it an issue? Like, what is Nothing. I hate that they can do that.

[Asante]

Did you reach out to. To be like, hey, my power is back on? Sure. But, like, what the happened?

[Francesca]

I didn't email them. No. I'd called especially because the WI fi never didn't come back till today. So I was just making phone calls, trying to see, but they literally had no response.

[Dustin]

Cardamon go off. Now that it's back on. Cuss they ass out. But do it.

[Francesca]

They can just do that. They can do that. I gotta do AI.

[Dustin]

This is ridiculous.

[Francesca]

But it's crazy that they could do that and never.

[Dustin]

I'm flabbergasted.

[Francesca]

But anyways, that was my eventful weekend.

[Dustin]

That I had you back in action, you know.

[Francesca]

But do you guys have any announcements? No, you didn't. That you want to let folks know before we jump in. Jump in.

[Dustin]

I don't.

[Francesca]

That was the hand motion.

[Asante]

We don't.

[Francesca]

Last week's episode titled Solomon Springer Povich. Thank you so much, Dustin Ross. We had Bible study, which a lot of you so excited to hear again. And we did the story of Solomon and the baby Asante who stood out to you in those streets.

[Asante]

Well, you know, I wanted to continue the tradition of pulling comments from Spotify, as you should. The first person I want to shout out is Quanda. Just because that sounds like such a cute name.

[Dustin]

Help me qua. Help. Help me Quand. Quando Rondo.

[Asante]

This was a comment that made me laugh just because it was one of the first ones that caught my eye. Cause y' all see I just opened these. But there are a lot of comments here. Yeah, you said what?

[Dustin]

You just opened your eyes or you just opened the comments?

[Asante]

I just opened the comments.

[Dustin]

I'm just trying to follow along.

[Asante]

You know what? Both. So for this comment, it says. Ooh, the way I had to pause this episode to gather my drink and something to noshon when the prostitute put a dead baby under a tig Old bitty. What I needed to.

[Dustin]

That's horrible.

[Asante]

I needed to lock in for this story. Love a Dustin Bible study session. That was a very Dustin coded comment. Something about a Tig Obedi is always going to catch my eye. And then I'd also like to shout out. I can't tell if this is Alden. I believe this is a L, D, E, N. It might be Aiden if the I is capital. You know, the letters get funky but it says Asante. The Capri Suns are definitely different. They have three types. The original, the reduced sugared, and the flavored water. I only found out because my 6 year old had a fit swearing I bought the wrong ones. Imagine my surprise finding out there are three. There's three with the same packaging. Lol.

[Francesca]

Wait, wait. Not the six year old.

[Asante]

What is this like? Girl, this is not the Capri sun I asked you for Ks.

[Dustin]

Okay?

[Francesca]

That's so funny.

[Asante]

To me, original reduced sugar. Why would I want to reduce water?

[Francesca]

Flavored water.

[Asante]

That's. I. I don't even scam Propel.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Literally.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Y' all remember Propel? No, I do.

[Asante]

It was that water.

[Dustin]

It was the flavored water.

[Asante]

And then because they started doing it. Well, I don't know if they had been doing it already, but then Dasani was doing flavored water, too. And I was like, dasani, you already nasty. You want to put some flavor in?

[Dustin]

I'll take a flavored seltzer, but I don't want a flavored water. Let's get some juice.

[Asante]

Right?

[Dustin]

You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't want no flavor. Damn water that's watered down. What I'm gonna do, Let my ice melt. No, thank you.

[Asante]

That's it. Here over in the Spotify streets, there are plenty more comments which y' all were coming on so many different parts of the episode. Like, just the last one I'll read and then I'll pass to your friend. There's veil underscore MP3. This comment says, my family went to Ruby Tuesday after church. Felt bougie as. As a child. My daddy coming back with the salad. That's 90 bacon bits. Just because we were talking about go to and remember I brought up Golden Corral. But before that, we mentioned.

[Dustin]

Oh, Shout out to Ruby Tuesday. First of all, them brown breadsticks used to be delicious with that honey butter. Second of all, that salad bar did go crazy. And yes, I got three spoonfuls of bacon bits on my salad. I sure did. Of course, I piled on the cubed ham that was available for me to do so with. Yes. That's the point of the salad bar, which is one of the highlights of attending Ruby Tuesday. Shout out to Ruby Tuesday.

[Asante]

Shout out to Ruby Tuesday.

[Dustin]

Ruby Tuesday.

[Asante]

Oh, wow. On a Tuesday. You know what's crazy? I was.

[Francesca]

I was talking to Chris in front of Makonnen, y'.

[Dustin]

All.

[Asante]

Yeah, that's lame.

[Dustin]

That's lame. That man is making an honest living and you a lame ass bitch. Cause he did. He went jumped out on a limb and pursued his dreams, and they took them where they took him. He's making an honest living. To me, that is so tired and lame to make fun of that. I hope you.

[Asante]

Whenever stuff like that happens, like when they showed the actor, the older actor who was working at the grocery store.

[Francesca]

Right?

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

And they were making fun of him and stuff. Like, I think that is super real. When you see people that have gone have done something but you don't see them around and it's like, yeah, like, you know, life goes on and they're doing other stuff.

[Dustin]

That's real life.

[Asante]

Yeah. We all have to literally live and support ourselves and the music industry. You know, we see the glitz and the glam. We don't see those records that go up. How sometimes people will take them and run with them and not give you credit or they'll blow up with your shit and you just get left behind.

[Dustin]

So he looks like Dream Doll.

[Asante]

That's it here in the Spotify streets. Fran, what did you find out there?

[Francesca]

So on SoundCloud XLTRS said Fran yes, I've noticed I've become really sensitive to foods that never to bother me. My age might play a role. I'm a bit skeptical. Since I'm only in my mid-20s, I've had to pay attention to what I eat and avoid certain things just to feel comfortable and not bloat. I think a lot of it has to has more to do with the quality of food in the US and even the region you're in. I grew up in the Midwest surrounded by farmland and local produce. Literally never had these issues. But since moving to nyc, I've struggled with many of the same foods I used to tolerate. To manage. I've had to lean on fermented foods, prebiotics and probiotics to get through the day. Which is interesting. They said that because I was mentioning how my body has been craving a lot more fermented foods and I could sense that it was my body's way of like healing whatever's happening up against the food quality. And we're going to talk more about this on the during the Wellness segment because so many of you wrote in saying what the hell. My stomach has been in shambles. Like what the hell's going on in the gated community? Yeah, Emmy Hale said, I feel y' all so much on the food quality being suspect now. Even with the organic things I buy, I usually grocery shop on Sundays and last week by Tuesday so much of my produce was rotten and some free range organic chicken that I'd purchased on that same day was rancid and smelled bad before the freeze by date. Not you laughing on the package. Not even that.

[Dustin]

What store did you go to? You need to change your grocery store. That's a. That's a store. A grocer issue, she said.

[Francesca]

Even though I'm pissed that it went bad so fast, I'm glad we didn't end up eating it. Who knows what could have happened. And for real, for real. I have noticed the shift in quality getting worse since this current administration is taking over. Something is not right. I'm trying to get back on getting the majority of what we need from the farmer's market and local stores that we trust. It's just sad because not everyone has that available to them. And these people are clearly tampering with something as vital as our food system.

[Dustin]

Yeah, you're right. Fuck them. Weird ass shit for brains motherfuckers that got in Washington D.C. that are ruining every. Did you see all the people?

[Francesca]

CBC directors. Yep, that's part of my wellness segment. Cause it was a hotbed.

[Dustin]

We'll go there.

[Francesca]

So a king said this food sense.

[Dustin]

A king.

[Asante]

What's up?

[Dustin]

A king.

[Francesca]

Not that one.

[Dustin]

Oh, damn. Well, what's up?

[Francesca]

You know, regardless, right? Hey, a king. This food sensitivity thing hit home. This cracked me up though. She said growing up I could eat a pork chop wrapped in bacon, fried and lard. Woo. I was, I sat there and tried to picture that levels of pork chop, chop, wrapped in bacon, fried, in lard.

[Dustin]

She has strong teeth because that bacon is tough. Getting through that bacon into the pork chop, cutting through the bread into the bacon because the lard hardens as it falls. So cutting through that into the bacon, you've got strong dental.

[Francesca]

It bonds it.

[Dustin]

Yeah, she might have bonded teeth together.

[Francesca]

Now I get physically ill if I eat it. Growing up my dad had this issue. So there is that connection. But after 30 years of pork consumption, I am now she said a pollo pescatarian. Now am I reading that wrong? And isn't my Spanish coming in? Is it boyo or. Or I'm assuming she's saying pollo as in chicken.

[Dustin]

Yeah. I was thinking she only eats chicken and fish. I didn't know it was a pesco, but that's cute.

[Francesca]

Yeah, boyo pescatarian. The country.

[Dustin]

You know who we need to ask.

[Francesca]

Oh, this is a man. Forgive me. The country boy in me wants some pork crackling. Sometimes I feel you aju.

[Dustin]

You're right. Me too.

[Asante]

I fuck with the cracklings now.

[Dustin]

Delicious.

[Francesca]

As a kid I used to call pork rinds.

[Asante]

Yeah, I was about to say the rinds. Now give me the pork.

[Francesca]

And my friends would be so disgusted. They'd be like, ew. You eat pork rinds? Yes.

[Dustin]

Hell yeah.

[Francesca]

And they're good. Grow up.

[Asante]

Yes, you would too if you knew it. But you know what, let's just go ahead and be real though. Everybody in every region don't eat the same Thing. Now let's just go ahead and make that we are not monolith because I'm from the south and sometimes be real quick to try to put a chitlin on me. I have never eaten a chitlin. I do not partake.

[Francesca]

I've never had chitlins. The smell kind of.

[Asante]

I just.

[Dustin]

I tried the chitlin before, but it just didn't taste like.

[Asante]

I just. Yeah, I think I tried one time and I was like, no.

[Francesca]

Good one.

[Asante]

That one. I don't want to think about it. Look after baddies this weekend, too. Oh, exactly. Exactly. I watched the episode. I had to watch it twice. And I was like, what the fuck is going on? Were you Put a pen in it.

[Dustin]

And don't let me forget to talk about it during TV land right now. Don't let me forget now.

[Asante]

This I can do for you.

[Francesca]

And this is my last one.

[Dustin]

Let me go on vocal rest and tell you.

[Francesca]

Go ahead, friend. Remember the why I said this wellness segment is timely. I just went to my primary doctor to get a referral to a gastroenterologist. She told me to try the elimination diet using the low fodmap diet. The low fodmap fodmap diet chart shows you things to avoid and things to enjoy, things to eliminate and the ins and out of reflux symptoms. Gonna try it for two months and see how it goes. I like that. I'm gonna look into that. Thank you. Remember the Y2 cuz I know they do say that the elimination diet is the best way to kind of get a sense of what is irritating you. So I'll look into that and see if it'll help. Oh, lastly, Olivia Nopulp said Miguel recently released a track from his upcoming project for fans. Subscribed to his website and Instagram chat room. And he's singing in Spanish again.

[Dustin]

Yes.

[Francesca]

A lot of you were tagging me to him. I guess he had just put out shout out to the Mystic Zone for. He did it again mentioning Miguel and then he literally put something out like the next.

[Dustin]

Are you listening? You know what I want to say. Miguel.

[Francesca]

I'm excited. You know I love him. We need him. He's definitely missing. So we'll see what happens with that. Right, that's it for this week's intro. I feel so lost.

[Dustin]

I got tweets.

[Francesca]

Oh, Dustin Ross, what did you find in the tweets?

[Dustin]

I often forgot. See how y' all forget about me.

[Asante]

It ain't y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Asante]

A friend ran that over there.

[Dustin]

Y' all Forgot together.

[Asante]

I did not forget. I was about to be like, okay, go ahead.

[Dustin]

One time, me and Ebony K. Williams was talking to her mother outside of the studio. She had visited us, and she's outside the studio teasing me and Ebony and I had defended Ebony for something that she was talking about. And her mama gonna say, y' all lying.

[Francesca]

Look at me. Like something's missing. Go ahead.

[Dustin]

Anywho, so you gotta stand up for yourself around here.

[Asante]

Dustin Ross, please share your tweets.

[Dustin]

Shout out to Jay's reality blog, J A Y S reality blog on Twitter. Who said boots from Flavor of Love is gonna be on Love and Hip Hop Miami Season seven. So she's been spotted filming. Yup. Boots. Larissa. Boots.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin]

I would like to know that Boots. Her boots is gonna be on there. Guess she didn't pick the wall. And it's a green screen for her confessionals, but she's going to be on there. Now. What'll be interesting is that we all know that Shay, AKA Bucky, is on there and they both come from the same season, the Flavor of Love and they fell out. So it'll be interesting to see that. Sit down. Yeah, I hope the fire burning.

[Francesca]

Right?

[Dustin]

So shout out to her. And the last tweet I want to highlight comes from Eternalsalana, who the account says Anthony. So I don't know if that's the person's name, but they said. What do you mean? Cyndi Lauper brought out SZA for her final show singing True Colors. I love her so much.

[Francesca]

Her final show?

[Dustin]

Yeah. Cyndi Lauper was on a farewell tour and so for her final show, she brought out Sza and they sang True Colors. Now, me personally, Cyndi Lauper is, like, deeply entrenched in and what I love the most about the melodic nature of like 80, the melodic nature of like, 80s music and like, sure, just. Just her voice, everything. I love styling music. I think. I think her songs are, like, timeless in a way where, like, they can be interpreted by many different, like, styles of singing and still sound good. Like True Colors and like Time after Time. That's why black girls be throwing down on Time after Time all the time. I didn't mean to say time that time. But anyway, she brought SZA out and they sang True Colors and it was so good. SZA had on a bunch of layers. So I knew, you know, whenever sizzle with some with a bunch of layers, like a skirt with a bunch of different plaid parts, you know what I'm saying? Look like a bunch of shirts tied around that's when you know Sza ain't fitting to play. Okay, now she got on a sweatsuit or some cargoes. It's a dice roll. She wearing them layers and she had it on. She had on like a layered skirt. And she got up there and. And I'm not playing either. Like you could. Oh, never mind.

[Francesca]

Ex said just scrolled up.

[Dustin]

But she had on like a layered skirt. Here we go. You can see she's wearing like a layered skirt. And that's how you know she wouldn't like play with the vocals. I told you, that's what she don't play. And she wasn't lying. She wasn't lying. Cause you know, sizzling, but she wasn't lying. In this case, she got on that stage and sang the hell out of true color. So look up that tweet. You can find it on Twitter. Look it up. It's got a video attached. I'm sure there's other, you know, text. I haven't searched for it myself because I found that tweet. But if you search for Sza and Cyndi Lauper, I'm sure it'll come up. It was beautiful. And her true colors shine through.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Dustin]

Sza show up for. She knows she ain't gonna do everything. So the fact that she showed up. Sza, you know, she kind of funny acting like that. She ain't gonna just do stuff just cause you asked her to.

[Asante]

But Cindy Lauper is taking me out.

[Dustin]

I love scissors. Scissor coming. SC Cyndi Lauper calling. Sza. SZA got up for that. Okay. She got on that stage and she delivered so that I just. I love that. And Cyndi Lauper always bringing out the black women. For years, it's videos of her and Patti LaBelle mangling time after time back in the 80s, you know what I'm saying? Like, she always played fair with the black women in music and entertainment. And I fucking. We roll. Cindy Lawford mean a lot to black people. She does. We protect Cindy Lauper. So that's it.

[Asante]

That's all my tweets.

[Francesca]

That means that that's it for this week's intro.

[Dustin]

The first few weeks of school are in the books. And now is the perfect time to keep that momentum going. IXL helps kids stay confident and ahead of the curve. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning. Whether they're br. Brushing up on the math or if they're diving into social studies. It covers math, it covers language arts, it covers Science and social studies too, all the way from Pre K through 12th grade with content that's engaging, personalized. And yeah, it's actually fun too. And in case you didn't know, IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the U.S. i know how well IXL works, as in an aid and a supplement to what your kids are already learning because my family members have used it. I have some bad kids in my family, okay? And they needed a little help to sit down somewhere and focus. And IXL aided them greatly in that way. Now you can make an impact on your child's learning and get IXL now. And the Friend Zone listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com friendzone visit ixl.com friendzone to get the most effective learning program out at the best price. All right y', all, look, the weather is cooling down, the days are getting shorter and I want to be at home. And I know I'm not alone. Although I'm alone in my own home. But that's another conversation. Listen. As your trusted destination for all things home, Wayfair has everything that you need to cozify your space this fall. And that's everything from comfy recliners to warm bedding and autumn decor. There's something for every style and every home home, no matter your space or your budget. Wayfair's even got espresso makers y', all, so you can make that latte or that espresso martini right there at the crib. You know the one. Wayfair makes it easy to achieve your home goals with curated collections and room ideas plus free hassle free delivery even on large furniture. And listen, I just copped a beautiful all modern like three tier table that I've had my eye on for a minute. It I got it from Wayfair. It came. You know I'm headstrong and stubborn so I put it together myself and I looking at it, I could just be so proud of my blood, sweat and tears. But even if I didn't want to do that, they have so many options for home assembly delivery straight to your door. It's incredible. I love my table. In fact, you may be seeing it soon around these parts. You can coify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy affordable fall updates. From comfy recliners to cozy bedding and autumn decor. Find all for way [e-mail] that's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every home.

[Francesca]

This week's episode is an Asante production. I'm scared.

[Asante]

Why are you scared? Because we home alone. Oh, my God.

[Francesca]

What are we going to discuss this week? Asante AI.

[Asante]

I figure I should just do AI all the time because I feel like that's all you guys think I'm ever gonna do. So I just figure I'm always gonna throw AI somewhere in the conversation. Right. But before we get to the AI portion of this conversation, I want to start somewhere. I want to start a place that we've been many a time. This is a theme that comes up a lot, and it was just so funny watching it come up on Tick Tock. And they're seeing the Tick Tocks come up on the YouTube because, you know, part of the content creation hole now is the investigative that reporting that happens on Tick Tock becomes used as content on YouTube. So.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Asante]

I inadvertently watch Tick Tock when I'm watching YouTube. Anyway, one of the stories that I saw was a story from a creator that I love. But this all stemmed to, or this all rolled back to one thing for me, and that was professionalism. Okay, now let me tell you how I got here.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

We've all dealt with issues with professionalism, maybe, right? Not me.

[Dustin]

Certainly not. I. I have never. But I've been, you know, in proximity to it.

[Francesca]

You mean like with other people being professional to us?

[Dustin]

Right?

[Asante]

Most clearly.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Asante]

You know what? Both ways. Because sometimes you need to understand and know professionalism to realize or see professionalism. You know what I'm saying? So either way, right. This conversation is gonna go two ways. It's really gonna talk about scams.

[Francesca]

Oh.

[Asante]

And then we're gonna get into, like, a deeper conversation on the erosion of said professionals. Right.

[Dustin]

Let's do it.

[Asante]

Now, look, you're gonna be with me for a time, and I can't wait for the tide. I can't wait for the tide turn.

[Dustin]

Let's do it.

[Asante]

Come on. Oh, look, be careful with that fist now. You might be threatening somebody. There's a creator.

[Dustin]

That's fine with me.

[Asante]

You, There's a Tik Tok creator. Actually, let me get the YouTube first because I want to make sure everybody gets their credit for their things. Because initially there's a YouTuber named Marky, Marky's YouTube channel. Basically, he calls out things on Tik Tok. So anything from calls out out he'll like. You know, when people do the long TikTok stories like Fran the one you were just talking about recently about the.

[Francesca]

Kendra and the psychiatrist. Yeah.

[Asante]

I don't know if he covered that specifically, but he covers something along those lines. His YouTube page came up on my YouTube app and I seen one of my favorite content creators, Smooth Jasmine. Now Jasmine, she's a tiktoker. She normally does like the viral dances, the Tracy Chapman fast car. She. She does this dance to fast car. Like that's her, like, big one. And she does it in random places and does the stupid ass, like high kick at the end of it. It's really dumb, but it's so funny. She makes me laugh and she's okay. So the reason he posted this YouTube video and her TikTok was in it was because Jasmine was going off about the Ashley Furniture store.

[Dustin]

Okay.

[Asante]

Are y' all familiar with the Ashley Furniture store?

[Dustin]

Very.

[Francesca]

Yeah, of course.

[Asante]

Okay, so for those of you unfamiliar, because this gentleman, and I believe this gentleman was maybe from the UK or something. So they weren't familiar with the Ashley franchise. So for our international listener out there listening, Ashley Furniture Store. It's a furniture store. One might say it's discount furniture, but I don't believe that. I feel like they got pieces in there. So for me, I don't know if I would consider that discounted furniture.

[Dustin]

And it's good furniture that allows furniture pieces.

[Asante]

There are like stable things you can get out the Ashley Furniture Store. I've seen it.

[Dustin]

We've had them.

[Asante]

I just ain't been in there in some years because I feel like they do have a price tag. And I feel like if I'm gonna spend a price tag price, then I'm gonna go some other places. But Ashley is definitely on that list of girls.

[Dustin]

Yeah, but ain't nothing wrong with going to Ashley Furniture. This is like a. A thing that has, you know, gotten people what they needed. You know what I'm saying? Ashley Furniture is. It's an honorable, respected furniture store. That. And there's a range families go to. Yeah.

[Francesca]

Within Ashley's, they have. Yeah. Top tier furniture. They also have things that are more affordable lines. Like. Yeah, I don't think it's anything. Well, you know the Internet's gonna make people feel bad, right?

[Asante]

Well, furniture dynamic, smooth. Jasmine mama. Jasmine's mama, she don't think nothing of it either as well. Because for Jasmine mama birthday, she wanted something out the Ashley Furniture store. And so Jasmine was like, period. You know, I'm a tick tocker. I got dollars. I'm getting my mama a couch. I'm getting her Whatever she want. So they went to the store. There was a couch that her mom saw that she wanted, but they didn't have it in the color that she wanted. Now, I'm reporting this. This, you know, loosely, but I'm going to give you bits and pieces the way that Jasmine was giving them, too. So Jasmine was in the store, or I don't remember if she was in the store with her mama, if her mama went. But anyway, there was a sales associate by the name of Bridget that helped her mama out. Bridget, let Jasmine, mama know, hey, girl, we don't got this couch in the color that you want, but we can order it. So Jasmine is like, all right, girl. Well, I'm gonna give you the money, Mama, and you could just order the couch. You know, that way I don't got to order it and, you know, be at your house in your name or whatever. She just gave her mama the money to pay for the couch.

[Dustin]

Get somebody else to do it, right?

[Asante]

So the mama's like, period. My daughter gave me some money. Bridget, I want to buy this couch in the color that I want. Bridget's like, okay, girl, I got you. They put it in the order for the couch. The couch are off to the mama's house. It's not the couch that her mama wanted. That it's a different.

[Francesca]

Couches are annoying. Like, they gotta come back. Move your whole thing and couches.

[Asante]

Because when she was telling the story about the couch, you know, I'm just thinking about, like, my couch. Right, right. Like, it's just the couch. Like, yeah, couch section or whatever. Her mom had got a couch with, like, a. She ordered one with, like, a zero gravity feature.

[Dustin]

So, like, why'd she do that?

[Asante]

You're both asking such some freaky.

[Dustin]

That sound like something about balance.

[Asante]

Wait, wait, no. Okay, so the zero gravity, what her mama look like?

[Dustin]

She got one of their mamas, like, young Miami mama. And who is her mama? Mama. Smooth Jasmine. Silky Janine. What's her mama name, God damn it? June. Sweaty Smooth Jasmine and Sweaty June. What her mama doing on the couch? I was zero gravity for.

[Asante]

I feel like I was doing so well. Okay, so zero gravity. I know when I was looking for a new bed. Cause y' all know I want that new king bed, and I got that new king bed when I was looking for a new platform. They have these, you know, the adjustable platform bases. And some of them have this zero gravity feature. Now the zero gravity feature, I think, is where it, like, raises you, like, your legs. It elevates your body. To, like, one point to where it feels like it's zero gravity. It feels like you're floating or something. I don't know the actual feeling. I just read about the feature. I didn't, like, test it out.

[Dustin]

Get a body pillow.

[Francesca]

So it's like an adjustable bed. Like, it moves up and down.

[Dustin]

Oh, like the Craftsmatic. Yeah. I always wanted a Craftmatic.

[Francesca]

That's something like. Is this just a newer name for that?

[Asante]

Sure.

[Dustin]

I always wanted a Craftmatic adjustable bed. I used to watch some commercials as a child.

[Asante]

I hated them. Commercials. They wanted one your legs could go up.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Especially if you want to read. Yes, it sounds like. Okay, so this is just a new name.

[Dustin]

Look at her hair looking like the bed.

[Asante]

They still make the craft matic, y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Dustin]

They do. I want one. Can they advertise on the show?

[Asante]

I don't think they do. I don't think they do. It's just one page on this website. I don't know if this is. Yeah, I don't know if the Craftmatic's still around. For real.

[Dustin]

The good commercials. Craftmatic adjustable bed.

[Francesca]

This just sounds like how they. How they say vegan leather for plastic. You know, just have to make something sound interesting. That's what I'm getting from this.

[Asante]

Okay, so zero gravity had. She had the zero gravity in her couch. They. Oh, yeah. So they do zero grab. Okay. A zero gravity chair is a type of recliner that elevates your legs above your heart to achieve a neutral body position, mimicking the posture of astronauts during space missions.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Asante]

So friend. Yes, you. You're right. This is like vegan leather.

[Francesca]

Craftmatic.

[Asante]

They just wanted to make this sound interesting. Interesting. Yes. I've always heard. I heard this feature previously in beds. I didn't know that they did it in chairs, let alone couches. So Jasmine.

[Dustin]

Rashida. Rashida got a song about it. Her and candy legs to the moon.

[Asante]

So, yes. I didn't realize this zero gravity technology existed in couches. But Jasmine, her mom wanted a particular couch at the zero gravity technology or feature. Right. So when she got the couch that was wrong song. She reached out to customer service. Long story short, she. There was a long back and forth about this couch that she had and how they were. It was a hassle to get it replaced.

[Dustin]

Come get the couch.

[Asante]

Not only was so they. Honestly, I don't think anything until Jasmine put up her second video. Because she put up, like, a series of videos. Her first video was like, Ashley Furniture. Yeah. I got 10 seconds to respond. And then she put up the video explaining what happened. How this sales associate sold her mama couch and how the wrong couch showed up. And then when she tried to return the couch, Ashley wasn't being responsive. And when they were being responsive, initially, they let her know that first of all, she'd have to pay shipping to have her couch replaced. And then they found out, hold on. No, you. You ain't even ready for the real, please. And the actual couch that she wanted was a thousand dollars cheaper than the couch that they even gave her.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Asante]

That she didn't even want. So they weren't. And they weren't even going to refund her the thousand dollars initially. So it's like, you're not going to refund me the difference and you're gonna.

[Dustin]

Make me pay the shipping rate at all?

[Francesca]

Yeah. This doesn't even making sense.

[Asante]

It didn't sound right.

[Dustin]

Y'.

[Asante]

All right?

[Dustin]

Is it an AI story? That's where the AI.

[Asante]

No, it's in. No, no, this is not where the AI comes in. This is not where the AI comes in.

[Francesca]

I'm trying to fake ass YouTubes.

[Dustin]

Yeah. No, this is not where they kind of set was.

[Asante]

No. Smooth. So smooth. Jasmine. So from her telling her story, you know, a bunch of people in the comments were talking about how. How Ashley didn't scam their ass too. And so.

[Francesca]

No, not this being a thing.

[Asante]

Well, and in different ways, too, because this is what happened to someone. Well, I think the other occurrence happened to someone in store as well. The other content creator that Marie covered on his page, I wasn't familiar with, but it was a white woman. And she was talking about how her and her husband had. They had a couch themselves. And she said something would end up being wrong with the cushions. I don't know if she messed it up or whatever. So she wanted to get her cushion fixed or replaced. So she reached out to whoever she was supposed to call, call, and they said, oh, you know, you got the OR for Ashley furniture. I guess she reached back out to the store to be like, you know, can I buy some new cushions? Or whatever. And they said, oh, you know, girl, you bought the insurance. And she was like, me. Me and my husband don't ever buy insurance, so I don't know what the you talking about. And so she said that she, like, literally went back and she had the couch for like over seven years. She went back through all her old receipts because her husband, they keep every receipt.

[Francesca]

The receipt shout out to them people, I throw everything out, girl.

[Dustin]

I throw the damn couch out before I Go through all.

[Asante]

So she finds the receipt and there's a very interesting occurrence that has happened on this receipt. Right.

[Dustin]

Her husband was cheating.

[Asante]

Yes, that's what I thought when you first said no. So I forgot the actual cost on the receipt. I want to say it was either five or six thousand dollars, but there was a totaling up of items. And she showed the items that were listed. And when you did the math versus the actual, like, you know, the items listed versus the actual total total, it was short 349.99.

[Dustin]

How'd she miss that?

[Asante]

But there wasn't a line item, especially seven years ago. Okay, well, I mean, she's like, you know, her, her man, they like, they did well, so I'm sure they were. So she said in a moment.

[Dustin]

Well, I do.

[Asante]

Well, so she said in the moment. She said in the moment when they were being checked out, that she was like, does she said that seems a little high. So one of the line items was for like the delivery. And I think that was like 3.99. And so when she said to the associate, she said, that still seems kind of high. The associate was like, yeah, but remember, you got the home delivery and you're going to be so excited for that and blah, blah, blah, blah. And the woman was so over from this.

[Dustin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

And say that that's what she needs to say instead. Acting like somebody did something to her. But she got finesse, girl.

[Asante]

But the finesse was. Listen. But the finesse was missing on the receipt. She didn't just say yes to the insurance. She. Which is what she was saying. She said she can remember. You know, you know how somet have that reflex. Like, for me, whenever I buy something on Expedia or whatever, I uncheck the travel insurance. I'm always like, I'm going. I don't need the insurance. Like, even though anything could happen, you still should get the insurance. So I'm not saying don't get the insurance, but like, for me, I just be like, if I am booking this trip, I know that I am going. And even. You know what? I have my own testimony real quick. Just earlier this year, I booked a ticket to.

[Dustin]

I don't tell your business.

[Asante]

Okay, look, I booked a ticket to somewhere. Thank you. My flight got canceled. I don't remember what was happening this particular weekend. But y' all remember earlier this year, the flights have been wonky. Like the air traffic control, like, FAA's been a mess, like firing everybody.

[Dustin]

Yeah, yeah, I had a flight those and big balls. What Was the guy's name the, the young 22 year old, big Balls? That was the guy's name. Name. The little white boy. Have you seen that?

[Francesca]

No.

[Dustin]

There was a 22 year old named Big Balls that was responsible for slashing all of the Big balls. Literally. That's his name. And he was, he was responsible for slashing all those jobs and. 22 years old, completely unqualified. And his name is Big Balls? Yeah.

[Francesca]

How much that somehow.

[Asante]

Well, Big Balls was one of the reasons that I had a ser. A slew of cancellations in one day. I was trying to get to where I wanted to go so bad just because I don't like being in the airport that like, I, I had three flights canceled on me. And so it was like midnight, it was 12:30. Like I. Because I remember I was on an American Airlines flight first. The flight got canceled. And so for the next day I bought a JetBlue ticket. Now normally I just buy these tickets outright, you know, some sometimes through the airline carrier, but I don't remember why. But I had bought this ticket for, through, like, oh, no, the ticket that I bought. Oh, I was flying American Airlines. I had bought two American Airlines tickets just outright. And so I still had to wait like for the refund or whatever for that. And I was like, I don't feel like buying another ticket off American Airlines. I'm gonna do that. I want to fly on an airline I want to fly on. So I, I flew to JetBlue because it was the only direct the next day. So all that to say I got on my jet blue fight. The next day I had a whole luggage crisis with American, which I'm going to talk about, or I've talked about before, don't care to talk about again right now. But American, that second flight that I bought from them, I bought through Expedia.

[Francesca]

Oh, God. And so always a headache doing third party purchases.

[Asante]

A headache and a half. Right?

[Francesca]

Man, I learned that lesson.

[Asante]

Now this was a time where I was about to spend some money. I had money and I knew I was about to spend money. And so when I know I'm about to spend money, sometimes I'll affirm something too. So for Expedia, I checked out with a firm. All this is so dumb.

[Dustin]

I'm thinking you meant make something feel empowered.

[Asante]

Oh, yes, thank you.

[Dustin]

I didn't know you meant the payment plan, sir.

[Asante]

Yes. So I decided to do the firm, you know, paying four, six, whatever for this Expedia or for this Expedia purchase.

[Dustin]

Of a damn American Airline, further complicating the refund process.

[Asante]

Right, right. But let me tell you, and so I'm glad you just already know where this is going. So let me just get to the skin and bones of it. I got to where I was going on JetBlue. Mind you, I was, I should have done this within like a 30 day window of like trying to get the refund. But for me, if I know that money is owed back to me, I'm not stressing I'm gonna get my money back. I don't care when the your thing ends.

[Dustin]

That's when I stress the most.

[Asante]

I hate waiting. But like, I'm always like, it's my money and I want it when I want it. So it's like sometimes that's now and sometimes I'll give y' all that window to says something. If y' all don't do that right then, then I want it and we gonna get it in. So Affirm was telling me, hey, you still got to make a payment on this ticket for this flight that was canceled. And I was like, hey, this flight was canceled. And even American sent me the email saying that, you know, I'm allowed my refund of credit. What, you know, what the hell ever. Affirm says, hey, you got to talk to Expedia about that. Expedia says, hey, American Airlines, American Airlines said that you were a no show. This particular flight. This particular flight because I was in that airport since like 5 or 6pm this particular flight I got on at like 9 or 10pm, was on the tarmac till 12.30am and then was canceled. I had to go. When we finally got back to the airport at like 12:45, 1:00am, I to go to the luggage, the, the baggage thing to get my luggage. And they told me it was going to take like, like three, four hours before it came out. And so they were like, oh, well, if you got it. Because I was literally booking my Jet Blue flight right there on my phone at one something in the morning. Like, all right, there's a flight at 5, 6 in the morning. Let me get on this the next day. Why the hell the lady was like, oh, if you go in JetBlue, we can just put the note on it and they can just send your bag over there. This is a whole nother issue. I'm not even gonna get back into that. So basically I was there when that flight was canceled. I was down a no show. I contact American Airlines, like, hey, can y' all confirm that this flight was not a no show? Because I was on the damn plane. And they were like, we can confirm A, that you, you know, were checked in, you know, marked as border for this flight, and B, that this flight was canceled due to air traffic control. And so I forward this email over to Expedia. Expedia is like, American Airlines. Like, we. We need an official statement from them. And I'm like, this is an email. Y' all can call them.

[Dustin]

Y'.

[Asante]

All. Like, I kept telling them to do it anyway, but they're like, we can only do so much.

[Dustin]

Oh, so the representative was AI that you were dealing with.

[Asante]

So AI is going to come back up. But. But to get to a lot of these people, I skipped the. I skipped past those AIs. But I did have to deal with, like, AI chatbots before I got to. I dealt with AI chatbots, and those were not pleasant experiences because every time I had to bypass to get to a human because I didn't have a simple, like, hey, flight delayed, neat change. Hey, this happened. Like, I need an actual human to.

[Dustin]

Recognize that it would recognize. You needed a nuanced conversation. Conversation.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

So just to wrap that up, after going back and forth with Expedia, I went right back to a firm and hit the dispute and said, expedia does not want to provide refund. This is what they won't refund me for. Gave them the screenshot of the Expedia order that they were affirming me for. Gave them the order of the flight from the Expedia order. Gave them the email the way American Airlines said that they canceled it. And so affirm just gave me my back. So I was like, cool, this is. This is what I need. That was easy. I didn't talk to people.

[Dustin]

Oh, you mean that part? Once you delivered those documents?

[Asante]

And then once I delivered those documents, that was reconciled within two, three days.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

But I had time. A lot of people don't have time. The reason that they make these AI chatbots, because they're supposed to save you time. Right.

[Francesca]

Which they do.

[Asante]

Which they never do. But the problem is you're still dealing with people. Like, I was dealing with people that kept telling me one thing and saying that I have to do something, and I'm like, girl, you're the one at the company that needs to talk to the other company, because one of y' all companies lies. The other company, which is why this other company is asking me for money that I'm not going to give them. So smooth Jasmine, her mama had to argue with that company. Right? She made these TikTok videos, just saying, like, damn. I had to argue with this company, right? Because Smooth Jasmine mentioned the sales associate's name in her video. She was like, you know, this woman Bridget, you know, who sold my mom the couch. People were in the company comments talking about Bridget, you know, in a way that we would. But they weren't threatening Bridget. So Bridget, I guess because she saw the comments or maybe somebody was like, hey, girl, this girl dragging Ashley furniture on tick tock. And I know that you work there. Your name is Bridget. She might be talking about you. I don't know how it happened. It came back to Bridget, but Bridget somehow saw these comments that, you know, talked about her and decides to screenshot them and text smooth jasmine, the 10, the content creator's mother. This sales associate reached to out. Out to this woman off the clock about something that didn't have. And so when Jasmin put the video, she said, media about social media. She said she reached out to my mom. Not to apologize, not to reconcile the issue, but to say that the Internet has threatened her and her mother. Apparently she. She said that the Internet was trying to threaten her mother, who is now deceased.

[Dustin]

The comment, that was a lie.

[Asante]

The. It was a lie because the comment that Bridget was referring to was. Was. It's. It said, at dawn, we ride for. I forgot what Jasmine's mama name was, but it's like, we ride for your mama. And I think Bridget took that as them threatening Bridget's mom. And I'm just like, bridget, girl, this wasn't even about you, girl. And the one word that Jasmine kept yelling out at that moment was professionalism. She was like, what happened to professionalism? And it took me back to even a Tisha Ra. What happened to customer service? And this is something that we've pondered before. Before, but I wanted to talk about professionalism just a little bit because I feel like we always touch on it. Sometimes the conversation that happens when professionalism is brought up is that professional is. Professionalism is rooted in racism. But I want to know what you guys take, what your take on professionalism is.

[Francesca]

I mean, her being her texting the mom off the clock. I feel like I've dealt with that with phone carriers and even. And even with, well, they have your number, the phone when you go to.

[Asante]

Like at the store. And then.

[Francesca]

Yeah. And then they'll text you like, hey, just wanted to know. I thought you were. And you're just like, ew, you shouldn't have the right to text my number just because you saw it. Or helped me get this new number or even delivery people. People that will engage with you through the messaging. Like not some. Not so much doordash but more so like Instacart, you know. And I've always found that scary because they have your address.

[Asante]

Yep. They know exactly where you live.

[Francesca]

You know, they. I don't think they have your number. Right. Because they do. Like third party.

[Dustin]

Right?

[Francesca]

Yeah. So at least I know that. So it's.

[Asante]

Unless they get your voicemail and your voicemail says your phone number on it.

[Francesca]

Which I'm not 100 years old. It would never do that. But they have your address and that's scary to me. They know where you live. And the lack of professionalism I've dealt with in that, in that way. And also just people being terrible with customer service which I think a lot of us have experienced where you're just kind of like why would you work with people if people annoy you that much or if you don't have the tolerance for people on a daily basis. Not saying that people aren't annoying as well. I'm sure customer service people do with a ton of shit all day. And you know there's but so much you can take but sometimes it's just like oof. You are not a ray of sunshine as a forward facing or front facing person for a company. So.

[Dustin]

And I've had a bad day too, bitch. So now. So now let's just be mean to each other. Yeah, I think that let's just be.

[Francesca]

Mean to each other. And then braiding stories. The hair stylist, all the server, you know, hear it seems to be getting worse.

[Asante]

That's not a thing in the salon.

[Francesca]

For real can or canceling your appointment like 30 minutes before you're supposed to be in there or taking your deposit. Just weird shit. You keep hearing.

[Dustin]

There's professionalism, then there's common sense and decency which go hand in hand a lot of times. Right. And so some things are just common sense. Right. It would make you. You understand what they. The what's seeking a solution here. You understand the. All the factors involved. Come up with a solution. Don't be a dick. Think about how your experiences have been working with people and figure out how to be different in a good way. Right. Second of all, everything is not a groundbreaking egregious act or discretion or egregious act towards you or whatever. Some shit is just irritating up that happened in your day. Everything doesn't WARRANT A goddamn TikTok series where you telling the world that this happened to you. This is some normal. A customer service gripe, you know what I'm saying? Bad customer service, whatever. She didn't. Nobody called her a. You know, or anything horrible like that. Nobody crossed those sort of lines. Yes, there was a text made after hours, which was ridiculous. But again, this is Internet. The comments, cold culture pouring over into real life. And you see there's. It's completely obtuse to what's normal. Right? Like there was no reason for her to text her based off of some Internet. Stop letting the comments threaten you and feel. And everything is now amplified and magnified into a huge, you know, transgression. It's not that deep. Okay. Yeah, I. I don't want to say the words Smooth Jasmine. I wish her all the success, you know what I'm saying? No disrespect. And I want her to. To have boundless success, you know what I'm saying? But I don't give a damn about what happened to you, you know what I'm saying? Because some. You know how much I've been dealing with.

[Francesca]

But I think it's fair to use your platform. Let's say if they were not refunding that thousand dollars, they were not giving her the new cash. They're playing those games. Hell yeah. I'm gonna bring it to the Internet.

[Asante]

And this is a one. And she literally said that. She literally. She. She doesn't make content like that at all. Like all her content is the stup. Tracy Chapman. This was literally like, we interrupt your program. Y' all can talk about me all y' all want, but there's one thing I don't play about, and it's my mama like it. Like that's.

[Dustin]

Sometimes you need to vent. So I get it right?

[Asante]

So that was like.

[Dustin]

This was one side of it. I see so many people acting as if they. We gonna. I need y' all to hit this. Call this. No.

[Asante]

Yeah, yeah.

[Francesca]

Weaponizing their platform.

[Dustin]

I've had so many up experiences with companies and. And lack of customer service in situations where it was really necessary to seek a solution, you know what I'm saying? Saying I'm not bringing it to the Internet every day and being problem written and burdening the other people in your audience who are already dealing with their own, you know what I'm saying? People might watch your. To escape their day and escape. You know what I'm saying? Their moments that were like that. So sometimes you just have to find the line with that, you know what I'm saying? And if you need help getting access to a solution and you've exhausted all your other options. Sure, sure. You. It would make sense for you to use your platforms where you have an audience that you engage with and can seek some sort of action from. You know what I'm saying? But a lot of people just be bitching.

[Francesca]

Content. But people also are looking for content. People looking not only something to create a story around and get. And get engagement.

[Dustin]

Like do better.

[Francesca]

And if you, if you're having trouble set.

[Dustin]

If you're a creative and you're having trouble coming up with ideas, go get you a stuff skill and do something else, right? Maybe your ass don't need to be making quote unquote content.

[Francesca]

I ain't mad at that.

[Dustin]

I need to figure out what the you do. You know what I'm saying? Do something.

[Asante]

I agree with you that it shouldn't be like you're coming up short because it can literally become like a whole of like toxicity, right? Like you're basically just making a lot.

[Dustin]

Of like hate some hoes just be complaining. And that's the. I'm sick of, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Unfortunately, like how we like to log on and see jokes. Unfortunately, there are people that like to log on and see misery or see.

[Dustin]

Somebody there, because that's weird. There's something wrong with a person that likes to log on and see misery, you know what I'm saying? And I don't think we need to make space for that. I think that if we like to log on entertainment. I'm not saying that's what you're saying. This is the one I'm saying it's the point I'm making, I'm hearing you, is that people need to stop doing that kind of. If we're seeking entertainment, that's. That is a reasonable, you know what I'm saying. Purpose for us engaging with certain platforms or engaging with social media. If a person says, I want to see bad miserable shit and see motherfuckers being sad and fucked up, something is wrong with you and people like that. We, instead of making space for the fact that there are some people who do that, we need to erode all of that. That's what we need to do. We need to dig that shit up out of the digital space as much as we can. I sit on a lot of different platforms and I go out of my way to eliminate what I deem waste in the space when I'm commenting on these reality shows and shit. I'm having fun over here on the Friend Zone cracking jokes. The audience understands it to be comedic in nature, and they know it's not crossing the line. We're not calling nobody's house. We're not texting nobody's mama about Ashley Furniture the next day. Right. But there are a lot of other people who go so far with that and go so far beyond whatever screen they're watching and whatever the program that and the subject matter is that they're watching. And that's what I try to eliminate when I sit up on Monday nights with Carlos and Claudia and we talk about these reality shows. I keep the conversation centered on what we're watching on tv. And I'm vocal about the fact that I don't like people taking their passion for this entertainment and. And. And turning it into something harmful. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Even though it's the way the violin.

[Dustin]

Even though it's the norm, and even though it's what everybody's doing, doing, if I have an opportunity to have a voice that's going to cut through that people are listening to, I'm going tell them that's weird, and don't nobody need to do that.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

You know, and I just think people need to do more of that when it comes to weird, harmful, toxic shit like you were just talking about. Erode that shit, my nigga, because it is getting out of control in a lot of situations. That's the point. I'm.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I was feeling that way, seeing the. The commentary around the girls from Love island, because I'm like, jesus Christ, leave these girls alone. Like, they did this show for two months. We enjoyed it. And I realized that people don't know how to just stop there. Like, we enjoyed the show. These people gave us what they came to give, and now, like, they're done. The show is over. We did the reunion. Let these people be if they want to create, you know, careers off of this, which obviously most of them do. Sure. But the commentary is just. It feels like assault at this point, and harassment and stalking, whether it's analyzing and psychoanalyzing every single post, every picture, every interview, I can't even imagine how that must feel. And I. And you know, there's an element where people are like, well, they knew what they signed up. Up for. I don't think anyone signs up for that level of harassment, though. You know, like, let's all be a point.

[Dustin]

I was just trying to make. Even though it's the norm. No, it's not. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Create or have fun on A show. It's like, I didn't sign up for you to hate me all day and threaten my family. And I saw one, what's his name, Brian, who. You know, we all joke that he was scamming because I do feel he scammed on that show. But that's funny. I can laugh at it.

[Dustin]

The one that bought the watch?

[Francesca]

Yeah, him. Exactly. That's funny. If I saw him on the street, I'm not gonna, like, say something like.

[Dustin]

What time is it, motherfucker? You're a. And that's what I mean.

[Francesca]

Like, there's a difference where it's like some people just get very attached to things and it's. It's like, scary. I would love for someone in the mental health field to. I'm gonna see if maybe Dr. Joy has an episode about that. Like, what is it that some people just get unhealthily attached to the casts of these shows or even to their favorite artists and creatives and that parasocial relationship that is just like, unhinged, in my opinion.

[Dustin]

You know what? I think without going too far from your original intention for the conversation, Asante, we can get back on track. But I think it goes a little bit further beyond just the attachment to those things. I think that once the empowering of people's opinions was introduced, right, through things like the comment section, through things like just lives and new ways to engage with talent and mediums that were before previously inaccessible, I think that once that barrier was kind of. Kind of, you know, deconstructed, I think that these opinions and became harmful. No one's saying you can't have an opinion on what you see. You should be moved to feel something. That's the point of creating art. But once you. You decide that your feelings have a value or have a purpose beyond simply them being your feelings or your opinions, that's where people go off the rails with shit. Have your opinions. But just because you feel like that, that doesn't mean that that feeling is now valuable or. Or deserving of some sort of reckoning. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's. That's just how the you feel, bitch.

[Asante]

You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Like, it's like the Perez Hilton. Hiltonification.

[Dustin]

Yeah, look at him. Weird, twisted. And I'm not even gonna dog his appearance out, right? But a weird person who. Their opinion would have otherwise been completely devoid of value, right? But they decided that because that's how they felt. Now that we have a. This information vehicle to, you know, utilize, we're gonna put it out there. I don't give a. I feel the kind of way about it. I feel something about your ass personally. You know what I'm saying? So now what? That's what I'm saying. Like, I just, I hate. The other day I was watching Funky Dyneva. He was talking about something and somebody in the, you know, as he was on his live offering commentary, he raises up the comments that people are putting in his live comment section. Somebody said, do not agree too far Funky with an exclamation point. And he read the comment came up and instantly he was like, I don't go die. I don't know. That's what he said. It was so abrupt and so like, boom. But I got it immediately when he said it because. Because it was so. Who the fuck do you think you are to tell him as you're watching what he's doing that he's, that that's too far and you don't agree with.

[Francesca]

It, but it's literally his.

[Dustin]

I don't give a fuck.

[Asante]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dustin]

That shit is just hard for me to deal with sometimes.

[Asante]

So.

[Dustin]

But in this case, yes, she should have worn Ashley Furniture's ass out because they was playing with her mama. You know what I'm saying? Saying and that, that is something that.

[Asante]

I can relate to.

[Francesca]

Shots is crazy.

[Asante]

Could have just DM'd old girl or.

[Francesca]

Just not said anything.

[Asante]

I mean, really just not said anything. Really just not said anything. Which. But that would have been too professional. And we already see that she is. She said that.

[Gecko]

Factories have their own rhythm. Machines hum data flows. But if your systems aren't fully integrated, everything slows. That's where Verizon Business steps in to help our agile connectivity solutions enable seamless interoperability, giving you real time visibility of your systems and data so you can make better decisions faster. That's the rhythm your facility needs to move your business forward. Learn [e-mail] manufacturing.

[Asante]

The 2026 Chevy Equinox.

[Dustin]

Is more than an SUV.

[Asante]

SUV. It's your Sunday tailgate and your parking.

[Dustin]

Lot, snack bar, your lucky jersey, your.

[Asante]

Chairs and your big cooler fit perfectly.

[Dustin]

In your even bigger cargo space.

[Asante]

And when it's go time, your 11.3-inch diagonal touchscreen's got the playbook, the playlist and the tech to stay a step ahead.

[Dustin]

It's more than an suv. It's your Equinox Chevrolet.

[Asante]

Together, let's drive.

[Gecko]

This summer, Instacart is bringing back your favorites from 1999 with prices from 1999. That means 90s price prices on juice pouches that ought to be respected. 90s prices on box Mac and cheese and 90s prices on ham, cheese and cracker lunches. Enjoy all those throwbacks and more at throwback prices only through Instacart. $4.72. Maximum discount per $10 of eligible items. Limit one offer per order expires 95 while supplies last discount based on CPI comparison.

[Asante]

One of the reasons I even wanted to bring up professionalism is because people see it it as a problem. And I can understand how it can be problematic, but because of it being such a problem, I feel like that's why people are leaning into AI for certain things, especially when you think about customer service. We previously Talked about the AI chatbot. Imagine you can't get through with AI chatbots and you do get on TikTok and some people are getting on TikTok, like you said, destined to just have fest and actually not do. But the second woman, her tik tok was really more so to just add. Add in her story of like, hey, I had a. A time where Ashley scanned me about this for this insurance. And then from there she actually started a conversation with Ashley Furniture about getting her refund on the couch and whatever. And then one other video she posted, she said she actually felt bad for being on the Internet and like, you know, resolution was happening for her but not everybody else. And she was trying to urge everybody to like, you know, to maybe, maybe, you know, talk to them in their, their DMs and maybe they can get some help too. Which I thought, I mean, really, Ashley ain't gonna do for them because they not gonna get up on the Internet do anything too. They're gonna just do what you told them to do and DM them if they decide to do that. And Ashley's not going to reconcile all those dms probably. But I thought it was kind of cute that she even ended hers with like, you know, hey, I don't have a solution for all y', all, but maybe y' all could try this as opposed to being like, so all y', all, y' all see my videos, why don't y' all get up here and make your videos too so you could be heard. To your point, Dustin, like, I' try to keep a hate train going or make it into a trend or say, even in her initial video, she wasn't hashtag, yeah, she wasn't even like, you know, go talk to Ashley so I can get my refund. Because even Though Jasmine started hers with Ashley, you got, you know, such and such seconds to respond and that she knew she had her power. So she was actually trying to do what you were saying initially, right, Dustin? But it just didn't go as far as some people go in like that desperate, like, this is going to be my content. And so I think, think that one of the things that we dial back to because you like y' all said Bridget didn't even have to send the text, is the professionalism aspect. I think that the way that professionalism is problematic is Bridget, the person might have got hired because they seem professional facing wise. But to your point of common sense, she ain't got no good damn common sense. Because why would you text some. Why would you text a customer about something personal happening, happening.

[Dustin]

And what's wrong with professionalism?

[Asante]

Well, for some people, right, they. Okay, so let's define professionalism. Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude expected of someone in a professional role. It usually indicates qualities like competence, reliability, accountability, respect, and ethical decision making. That's the common sense piece that's missing. Yeah, that's the piece that I guess is eroded or. That's one of the pieces. It just, it shows how people. It's how people show that they can be trusted to do their work with integrity and skill. I was watching a YouTube video that I took some notes on about professionalism, and they were talking about workforce and how it's changed. But I thought it was interesting that they noted that college graduates, sometimes they end up in jobs that they aren't qualified for or they don't do as good of a job as person that didn't graduate from college because the stakes were higher. So they felt like they had to work harder so they would do a better job than a college grad sometimes who had the education, training, but they didn't have. They didn't actually have the skills for the job that they were doing. So a person that might not come with a professional skill could be potentially more professional than someone that just appears professional. So I thought it was funny that I think it's interesting how people think that looking professional equals being a professional professional. For a period of time, professional was just a title attached to certain practices where they had like oaths and things like, you know, doctors, lawyers, like, those are professionals. And then it just kind of became like, I guess you could be a content creator professional today if you want it to be like, I feel like people are so professional at the end of anything and they just feel like, like a customer Service professional, but you're not. Like, I think there's a difference between someone that's working a job and someone that's like, on a career path in their job. And I feel like those people need to be noted in their, I don't know, their titles, maybe, because I feel like a lot of people are right, but sometimes they are. But I feel like sometimes people haven't worked towards that actual title and they're stuck in a position or maybe, like, there are different scenarios where they are, but they're not noted appropriately. So like, even like a manager, right? Like, how. How is someone a manager, but they have, like, employees that appear more professional than they are because they want to actually track to be a manager versus a manager that was hired that just needed a gig, you know, to pay the rent. That, like, that's the type of thing I think about sometimes when I think about, like, professionals and professionalism, but it's different in different industries. So professionalism is one of those things that just kept coming up because when the whole thing was happening with Jasmine and her interaction with Bridget, she was talking about the professionalism because she was saying how she was lacking it and how she really thought this woman was going to reach out to her mama to apologize or try to reconcile the couch situation. Situation. And instead it was over some text, some. Some comments that her mom ain't got nothing to do with.

[Dustin]

Sometimes there's a way to do things properly and properly made denote the most efficient way. It may denote the most, the. The a way that is fail safe. You know what I'm saying? It can denote a few different things, right? But there is sometimes an official way, an official process process that things are done in, right? And if you are a person who is competent according to whatever criteria has been established to determine that, right? And you can execute whatever the function is in a way that is in alignment with those processes, that's professionalism. If your purpose and your interest in a circumstance or an opportunity is the efficiency of something, professionalism would be a priority. And I don't understand why, why some people have attached a negative connotation to that. What the hell is wrong with professionalism, right? We're fortunate to do this as a job. We're professional podcasters, right? We do this in a professional capacity. We have. We're tenured. We've been doing this for a very long time. We have seen certain. We've hit certain marks that identify our competency as hosts and podcasters, right? We're professionals. There's a way to do that, this, that reflects that. I don't understand why people have determined that to be wrong. I think sometimes people kind of lump in or pile that with things rooted in what people deem moral or like morality based things. And I think that that overlap is where the problem occurs. Because doing things according to a process that serves the purpose best, I don't see personally what's wrong with that. And that's what I think professionalism is. You know what I mean? And I don't see what's wrong with that. I think people conflate that with things that are moral, morally based or morally understood. Right? And that's a gray area because who the are you to determine what's good or bad morally? You know, there's a difference between that and professionalism. So that pull your pants up and can't wear this if you're a teacher. You know, all of that goes into there. And I think sometimes people have confused that with matters related to. To professionalism. I personally love professionalism and I am rough around the edges intentionally. Right? But I'm also professional, okay? And I execute the things that we have to do with a sense of professionalism because I respect the work that we do and I'm grateful to be doing it. What's wrong with that? I don't judge nobody. I do judge other people, but I judge people that deserve to be judged. You know what I'm saying? Like, so I don't understand why people have now created an issue with somebody, somebody saying that professionalism is something that we could. That would serve us well to. To devote some focus to. I don't understand why people have done that. Y' all feel me?

[Asante]

Yeah. I think what it is, is it's been like professionalism is used against people or it's used in certain situations to like, like in. It's weaponized in the workplace against black people. Like, you know, people feel like, oh, professionalism is like, when I go to this job and as a black man, I can't wear my hair a certain way. Or a black woman even, like, you know, like, go ahead.

[Dustin]

That don't have nothing to do with what professionalism means.

[Asante]

But that's what I'm saying.

[Dustin]

That's where people are conflating the two right there. Your hairstyle has nothing to do with your competency right. To execute a fraction in a row role. And when people have decided that it does, therein lies the problem. To me, per my view, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Back to that earlier point of that.

[Francesca]

Would Be like, white supremacy versus professionalism. Because the standard is this.

[Asante]

But that's like an example just because, like, earlier I was talking about how the guy, like, you know, we take the college professional who shows up to work looking professional who can't complete the job versus the one who looks lax and shows up in between pajamas, but he getting everything done tenfold just because he don't got no degree. He's like, yo, I don't. I'm in pajamas because I ain't got no money yet, so I got to get this work done. And it's like, all right, well, you know, the one that looked lazy, he didn't log 80 hours this week. The one in the suit, he makes sure he out by 5pm every day. He only logged a good, you know, 35, maybe the 40 if you wanted to. So, like, I get what you're saying. Like, professionalism should not be hand in hand. I mean, professionalism doesn't. Or like, it's shouldn't like, equate to looks and competency and things like that. But for some people, they feel like, oh, well, if you look this way, then you look like you can't get the job done, or if you act this way, then you act. And for. In certain situations, there are like, all right, well, this is excessive, right? Like, I, I think there's a line that needs to be drawn sometimes with artists that are like, mean, like, like Jocelyn. I love Jocelyn, but some. And, and she's been softer these seasons. So I mean, like, you know, older versions of Jocelyn, like, I feel like they would. Never mind. I just meant, like, as far as, as, like, professionalism. Well, I just wanted to give a. An example. When you're right, it was a quick draw and you're right. So I will put that one back in the pocket. Yeah, I will put that one back in the pocket. I will put all of that in the pocket. But even, even business, just like the way that businesses carry out today is, Is so different and radical versus how it was viewed, you know, how businesses could have been viewed years ago. Like, I remember. I still always think about this thread of content creators popping up like YouTubers, like, even you talking about people putting their words out and their words having value now. Vlogging, like, it's like industry has changed and grown in so many different ways that I feel like certain aspects of, you know, what was, you know, old industry have changed as well. And I think the definition of professionalism is one of those things that has evolved and changed. And I'm not Sure. That people perfect example for you.

[Dustin]

Okay, here's where we meet in the middle.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

In the digital space in a non traditional medium of media. Right. T.S. madison and the rapper Kaia had a wildly popular common Internet commentary show called the Queen's Court right from the beginning. Once the show started getting a lot of attention, TS Madison started, started implementing measures to elevate the show. Right. She was adding different technical components, she was adding staff, she was changing the set, she was organizing and commodifying the show in a way where it could be pitched for sale or license to other networks. Kaya was resistant to all of that. And as Madison decided to continue to progress the production value of the show, Kaya crashed out and went the other way. Madison continued to form and shape shift into a industry professional keyword, right?

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Elevated and implemented measures of professionalism. Her business model is organized and structured and running and functioning. Kaya is still behind that damn paneling saying my line suspended and yes, yelling, spitting at a MacBook camera. So that I think is a perfect example of professionalism versus a lack of professionalism in a non traditional or new space of business. Right. That didn't exist previously. There's a way to implement professionalism in these new spaces with new ideas that are new, new for us to navigate. But you can apply a sense of professionalism to those things and see it work towards your benefit. And I think TS Madison Nakaya are a perfect example of that because Kai ain't done shit and stay right in that basement and Madison is literally going to the Emmys coming up, you know what I'm saying? On Beyonce's album and just flourishing, thriving, flourishing. So that's a glaring example to me of how it can look in these new spaces that exist. So I don't think that profess. I say that to say I don't think professionalism is outdated in theory or in application. And I don't think that it is. I think it's a good choice personally. That's. Now that's just my perspective. I think it's a great choice to make if you want to see progress or invest energy into something and see a result. I think professionalism is a great choice to make no matter what you're doing. And I think there's a way to do it.

[Asante]

Yeah, I agree. I think that one of the key components that's missing, or not even missing, one of the key things that key themes that I see that's glaring is trust here. When I think about professionalism, when I think about this Customer, this Bridget. Hell, when I think about Ashley Furniture, like, there's a trust there, right? There's you trust this company to deliver this product. You trust this customer service professional, Bridget, to help you, or you or Ashley Furniture even trust this professional to help. So it's like there's this. This trust that's like met in the middle here with the. The person you know, essentially at work, Bridget. And I didn't even want to mean to make this all about Bridget, but because of her function, it's either Bridget.

[Dustin]

And fuck you Bridget. If you listen to this. I don't. You was wrong as hell for the way you did her, mama. You knew that she was in a bad way with that couch. And you know your ass could have helped her and figured out a way to help.

[Asante]

I just wanted that couch for her birthday.

[Dustin]

Figure out a workaround. You don't have no excuse not to help this lady when that's literally your job. You wrong as hell. And that's why the Internet was on your ass like that when they found out about your dirty deeds. You was wrong, Bridget, and you got to deal with that. Now, I'm not saying nobody need to show up at your house, job, any, any of that. But you need to know your ass was wrong. You was wrong. And you got to eat that and don't do it again. Help the next mama that come around your way, whatever come across your hill, dude, do it different. Bridget.

[Asante]

Don't. And don't be a Bridget. I. I just hate that that's the name used for today. But don't be a Bridget just because. Because of Bridgets. That's why people lean or that's why companies believe, believe that technology is the future. Because the more that we have these people that are messing up, you know, from these couch orders on down to the food orders, to make it more.

[Francesca]

Automated so there's less personality risk involved. Yeah.

[Asante]

Yes. And with that said, I just want to parlay just really quickly into the last part of it. Because it's the AI. That's why. It'll be real quick so you don't even got to feel it. Right. One of the things that I kept seeing was about this, the AI Channel chatbot, y' all know that the chat bots had been abused previously for relationships. And there's been this ongoing trend of people being weird with them. Well, businesses have been using them for a while at Drive thrus, Taco Bells. McDonald's and other establishments have been using chat boxes at these Drive Thrus. Taco Bell's Chief digital and technology officer. He's actually quoted that they are going to to continue to roll out the AI for their drive throughs but during busier times that they're going to be using, they're going to still need people. So people are still necessary, but I feel like they think that they're going to be able to streamline processes so they can make more money by using AI. So I urge you customer service professionals, if you still exist and not just for McDonald's, because it's going to start with McDonald's. It's going to start with the services that we use over the phone. It's going to start with, you know, the digital chat boxes that we see on these pop ups for these websites whenever you need help that those are going to be automated. Not to say good luck with that.

[Dustin]

Good luck with that because I don't want no fake ass taco.

[Asante]

And the taco is not fake yet. Just the person to you that's fake.

[Dustin]

I would rather go, you know what's going to happen? Bring it on. Because what we're going to see is a surge and a rise in the business at mom and pop restaurants. People are going to want the experience of going to see going to have somebody cook the food and, and serve the food. People are going to crave that. Nobody's going to want to be in and out of everything that they do. So that will happen. It will. Because people are not going to want an AI experience when it comes to dining.

[Asante]

You know what I'm saying? You don't see the way people get excited about the robots in the restaurants?

[Dustin]

No, I haven't. I've seen people say what the fuck is this? Get this shit out of here. We don't know what the fuck this is. It's throwing drinks up against the the wall instead of filling the damn cup up. That's what I seen. And furthermore, the only place establishments that I see implementing this as of now are fast food restaurants. Nobody wants a vending machine building, okay? We can go to a vending machine for all of that. We want people, we want to engage and we want the care of a human, you know what I'm saying? Doing the things that need to be done to give us the food that we're buying. So I don't foresee that being successful. Successful on a large scale. Ain't nobody going to no robot restaurant.

[Asante]

See, it's funny because I feel you.

[Dustin]

Right?

[Asante]

I feel you. Never mind. I understand because I'm the type I y' all know Y' all know I always have to talk to somebody like. Like I need to talk to somebody because I need them to feel me too. So I always talk to people like, they're my cousin or they're my best friend's brother, sister. Like, I be talking to people like, let me just talk to you right quick and. And you have a good day. Like, I'm always customer service and someone doing customer service because I know that they don't want to be there as much as I don't want to be on this damn phone. I hope that they came to work and they know that I don't want to be on the phone with them as much as they don't want to be on the phone with me. But I go into it like, I don't want to be on the phone with your ass, but I know your ass don't be. Want to be on the motherfucking phone with me. So let's treat this like a beautiful lunch that, that we're going to have for the first and hopefully last time so I can get what I need and go. But certain people, they just like that convenience of being able to just get the order and go, or order it, you know, through their phone and come pick it up or order through their phone and it comes to the table now. Or order through their car and drive up and it's delivered to you by a person or order it from your car and, you know, one day it'll be delivered to you by robot. You know, they just put up that Tesla Diner and is it in. Where's the Tesla Dinah? Tesla Dinah. I didn't want to talk about them, but the Tesla, because I remember it was going up, and then I remember seeing that it was up, and I was like, that was quick. Did that not seem quick? It opened on July 21, 2025. It's in. It's on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Angeles. It includes a drive in theater and 75v4 supercharger stalls.

[Francesca]

I mean, it's smart. I'm not even gonna attack the concept. I think if you have people that need to charge their cars for a considerable amount of time, you're giving them incentive. Yeah. If you can create a community around that, that's genius. As much as we dislike him, it's a very smart business movie. So.

[Asante]

I know that was a real yawn, and that was a real yawn. Yeah, I'm not. I only wanted or I was considering or consider the thought of an electric car. Just because it's like oh, okay. Like a cute way to save money on gas or something. Or, you know, like, environment. Yeah. I think of it for other reasons than, like, oh, because of Elon Musk. Like, there's just nothing that excites me about electric. I just think of it as something that could be cool to potentially help. Not cool to be cool. But I know some people, they like a cyber truck or they like the Tesla brand. Just that look.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

I. And I saw a lot of them in Atlanta. I was like, I am surprised, but I should not be surprised because the just like to flex. So, yeah, have cyber.

[Francesca]

Getting it wrapped and different.

[Asante]

I was gonna say, I seen one. I wasn't gonna hold you. It was. It was doing something anyway. I ain't want to shout out because I don't know if I might know somebody in one of those, because Atlanta's real. Back to earlier, mixy. Atlanta is a real mixy city, but hopefully not mixy enough to ever need a Tesla diner. Just because, like, you're saying, friend, imagine you've created this community, and now you have this. You're giving people these incentives and reasons to, you know, use your business. So it's like, all right, I done got you for a car now I can get you on food. Now if I can figure out how to get you on, like, you know, a house or apartment or something, it's like, you know, you're putting all your money into this company. So smart. It is smart. But unfortunately. But, you know, reasons that things like this happen is because of bad customer service and sometimes, you know, lack of professionalism. That was my quick little tie in of the AI for this week's hot button. Just because I feel like professionalism is something that I've wanted to revisit for a while. I just didn't know how. But after seeing that YouTube of the Tik Toks come up about the AI or about the bad customer service, and then also seeing the story about the AI, because that part would have been longer. But I felt like we, you know, really beat the professionalism angle in. But I was seeing a lot of the stories about the AI chat boxes, which is funny because they used AI And Fortnite, there was an update where they had a Star wars theme. So Fortnite is a game for those of you listening. It's on multiple platforms, and there are different games in. In Fortnite, and they do collaborations with movies, music, things like that. So they had a Star wars collaboration, and they used an AI for Darth Vader and y' all know Darth Vader was originally voiced by James Earl, the late James Earl Jones. Yeah. And so they had issues with that and they, and they actually removed the AI because of that. Because people were like, y' all ain't supposed to be doing this. And I don't know what kind of legal trouble they got in, but yeah. So AI pops up in various ways from our video games to now our drive throughs. And you have your lack of professionalism to thank for that. Thank you both so much for participating in this week's conversation. Any closing thoughts?

[Francesca]

No.

[Dustin]

You? Bridget Ho.

[Asante]

Then that's it.

[Dustin]

Welcome to the Friends.

[Gecko]

Outdated systems and inefficient communications are bad news for your supply chain. But with Verizon Business, everything just clicks. With our advanced connectivity solutions, you can automate your operations. Plus you can keep your teams connected, connected and on top of the job, helping you stay ahead of demand and the competition. It's the chain reaction your distribution needs. Learn [e-mail] distribution.

[Asante]

And Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music.

[Francesca]

Limu Save yourself money today.

[Dustin]

Increase your wealth.

[Francesca]

Customize and save.

[Asante]

We save. That may have been too much feeling. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates.

[Gecko]

Excludes Massachusetts this summer Instacart is bringing back your favorites from 1999 with prices from 1999. That means 90s prices on juice pouches that ought to be respected, 90s prices on box Mac and cheese and 90s prices on ham, cheese and crackers lunches. Enjoy all those throwbacks and more at throwback prices only through Instacart. $4.72 maximum discount per $10 of eligible items. Limit one offer per order expires 95 while supplies last discount based on CPI comparison.

[Francesca]

So this week in wellness, I kind of wanted to piggyback off of last week's conversation. And even earlier in this episode when a lot of people were writing and saying they too too have been dealing with upset tummies, gastro issues, acid reflux, all of the things a lot of you, like I said, wrote in sharing your experiences. But a lot of you also tagged me to a Tik Tok account called Dr. Ruben MD and he was talking about the fact that the CDC actually let me reel that back because people may not even know what the CDC is, right? The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it's the National Public health Agency of the United States. They focus on infectious disease, foodborne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention and educational activities designed to improve the health of the United States citizens. It also conducts research, provides information to its citizens. But unfortunately it is now run by RFK Jr who that presents its own unique set of problems. We are also. The CDC is also the founder founder of the International association of National Public Health Institutes which is how we can combine research on a global scale to take care of citizens. So In March of 2025, RFK Jr. Reorganized the U.S. department of Health and Human Services. And the crazy part is that he put out a video video saying that he was reorganizing this without consulting, mind you. He put it out on social media. It wasn't even on television. This was on March 27th with no input from agency level human resources staff or leadership. Literally just put out a video on his own mentioning that he will be merging five of the existing agencies into a brand new administration for a healthy America called make America America healthy again.

[Dustin]

I hate him.

[Francesca]

Like they think this is a game.

[Dustin]

I hate his spluttering, rotten stomach. Rotten rotted out brain ass. I hate him. He literally looks like the picture of non health.

[Francesca]

Non health.

[Dustin]

Looks like something is wrong with him. He sounds like something is wrong with him.

[Francesca]

But remember, his family were appalled that he had been appointed such an integral position. Position.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Someone that has no experience. He's not licensed in any way. Not certified. It's scary.

[Dustin]

Not a doctor. It's not terrifying. This is a critically important agency to literal public health. That's as general as it gets.

[Francesca]

Yep. And it's crazy because Basics. Yep. The merging that he did of the agencies, it affected the national center for Chronic Disease Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, y'. All. He absorbed that. He also absorbed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Like these are all agencies that have been absorbed. Not to mention that 20% of the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA has decreased its workforce. He has fired over 3,500 employees employees just in the seven months. Not to mention also 20% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention itself has lost. Has been lost in the workforce. The reorganization has been met with a lot of feedback. The former CDC directors, it was about seven of them actually came together to write an op ed in the New York Times recently titled in case you want to to look it up. We ran the cdc. Kennedy is endangering every American's Health. It is a Behind a paywall. So you can look that same title up and just write BBC. And the BBC kind of did a recap of that article so you can still get some of the information, but it discusses how he's been restricting vaccines, pulling funding for important medical research research. Not to mention the firing of the thousands of healthcare workers that I mentioned in the agencies before.

[Dustin]

Just, just, just so dangerous. So dangerous. So dangerous. This is literally a matter of life and death.

[Francesca]

Literally.

[Dustin]

Though that's not an exaggeration in this case. This is quite literally a matter of life and death.

[Francesca]

Yep. And he recently fired. He actually recently fired The CDC director, Dr. Doc. Dr. Susan Monorez, because she, as they put it, did not align with the President.

[Dustin]

That should be illegal. And it is, I'm sure. Bring on the lawsuits. May God help us all because we have a fucking raging lunatic in a position of power that is so dangerous and so critically.

[Francesca]

Important. Yeah, yeah. And the, the staff, the, the former CDC directors that came together to write the op ed in the New York Times, they said that RFK's tenure as health and Human Services Secretary was unlike anything our country has ever experienced. And the article that the TikTok account y' all tagged me to was highlighting was an NBC News article that said that July 1st the CDC quietly scaled back a surveillance program that monitors foodborne illnesses. The critical surveillance program is now only monitoring two pathogens instead of its usual eight. So there. You remember a big thing with Elon and the President and even RFK is they were cutting back to save money. Right? Merging agencies, absorbing agencies, reorienting to cut costs. But they're cutting a surveillance program that is integral to our, the health of our citizens and our food. Foodborne monitoring? Are you kidding? Foodborne illnesses being monitored? Excuse me.

[Dustin]

There is no reason to eliminate that.

[Francesca]

I just don't understand.

[Dustin]

There's no plausible reasoning that can, can make a person arrive at that sort of decision. There's, there's no reason to eliminate protections that are, that are research based over years and years of people's painstaking efforts at researching this and, and, and creating an understanding of these illnesses and protecting, protecting us from them.

[Francesca]

Right, right.

[Dustin]

I guess he want everybody to be up and sputtering like him. Don't he want us all to look like a damn tree bark?

[Francesca]

That's the part I don't understand. A lot of the scientists that have been working on this research, their whole lives are devastated because they're like, it's like he doesn't Understand how serious this is.

[Dustin]

Truly.

[Francesca]

Right now, apparently he's only allowing the program to monitor for salmonella and E. Coli. That's it. But there's so many more other pathogens. And they listed them. You can look it up in the NBC News article. The title literally is, the CDC quietly scaled back a surveillance program for foodborne illnesses. And they list all the pathogens that we are now no longer monitoring in our food systems. And it says, experts worry that without active surveillance of all patterns pathogens, public health officials won't be able to adequately compare trends over time or even notice whether cases of a particular illness are starting to rise.

[Dustin]

And here's what I don't get. Never mind. Continue. And I'm not going to go there. Just continue. Yes, I am. How the fuck did we go through Covid. How the fuck do we just go through the pandemic and motherfuckers decide like, to lessen the protections that we have against illnesses and, and, and nationally an environmental health, like, environmental health policies. My. Like, how do we go through something like that? See how the world stopped. See how miserable you were? Which dials back into the other about AI and eliminating people everywhere. You was complaining like a. When you were. When everybody was on lockdown and you couldn't engage with people, you was complaining, didn't want the government controlling what we do and all that other shit, right? But now you want to eliminate people and go back to an isolated world. Okay, Then this. We go through a global pandemic. Global pandemic. And you bitches, you dumb ass bitches want to eliminate fucking protections against. Against foodborne illnesses. News flash, dummies. We have to fucking eat. So we should be monitoring shit and protecting ourselves against threats. How do you like even. And this is what I mean about you.

[Francesca]

It's only going to get worse, though. They're saying what I mean about you.

[Dustin]

Hoes that vote for Kamala.

[Francesca]

Right? That's what I mean about a rollback, literally, of all. All food safety regulations if they've gone this far. White House spokesperson said, the health and safety of the American people is the administration's utmost priority. That's their response when they were questioned of the utmost priority. But you're scaling back on food regulations and food monitoring services. So I just wanted to put that out there. I dug in a little deeper, you know, from that TikTok account, because I was like, okay. Actually, I hadn't been fully aware of exactly what RFK Jr was doing with the health agencies, but to see. And if you're Interested to see the full scope. There's an actual Wikipedia page that lists out out every single change you can type in 2025 U.S. department of Health and Human Services reorganization on Wikipedia. And it literally like a bulleted list of all the agencies that have been absorbed or reoriented.

[Dustin]

I blame a lot of people. I'm not going to list the reasons because had their reasons and some of the reasons made sense but it was never based bigger than the. The task at hand. This is what I mean about you single issue voter. This is what I mean about y'. All that was so hell bent on a lot of things. I don't even want to go down the rabbit hole. But this is what I mean because the, the, the. The ramifications and the. The impact of this decision reaches far beyond who's the president. It goes far beyond that.

[Francesca]

And you stupid take to undo.

[Dustin]

Oh my God.

[Francesca]

Another administration, truth be told to undo the damage the lives lost.

[Dustin]

I have to hit this weed because.

[Francesca]

I am so no I. And but that's some. I'm glad that it caused me to look further into this information because I'm like a lot of us are just feeling worse and worse and worse, right? And then I started thinking, thinking go ahead. What are you gonna say?

[Dustin]

You don't even fuck with the political system at all. And you got your ass up and you went and voted for Kamala Harris because you understood it was bigger than the. The. The justified. You know what I'm saying? Concerns that you had about her leadership. You understood the bigger picture. You selfish dumb that have so much pride and ego that think that you gonna make a statement with what you doing. I'm not doing. This is what the we end up with now. When your kids got measles in their. And the snakes coming out of their ears. The bubonic plague some we read about in history books and we got to deal with it. This makes me very angry. It makes me so angry because people are so selfish. Selfish and dumb and stupid that they make critically crippling decisions like this. And we got to deal with RF K. Who can't even talk.

[Francesca]

And has no experience in any of these fields, which is the scariest part. So I was thinking this is a challenging conversation as far as like what do we do right with our food. Because like Emmy Hale mentioned in the comment I read when she was talking about farmers markets and just the ways that she's kind of reconfigured her food shopping. A lot of people don't have access to farmers markets. Those are not available in all neighborhoods. Even co ops are not available in all neighborhoods. I know I mentioned years ago, for those who've been listening, the CSA box, which is the community supported agriculture.

[Dustin]

I remember that.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Where customers can pay a farm upfront for a share of its seasonal harvest. You receive a box of fresh, locally grown produce and other goods on a regular basis. You can decide with the farmer based on his pro their program, what the frequency of that box would be, you know, what it would include from their harvest. And it's a great way to build a relationship. We've talked about that here, even in the episodes about preparedness. Right. For these types of situations. One of the biggest things that that off grid homestead farmer that I had highlighted, the black woman named Zani.

[Dustin]

Yes, I remember.

[Francesca]

Yeah. One of the biggest things she was saying was building those relationships with people that own farms are growing food. So if you need to your meat, you know who to talk to. If you need your produce, you know, to talk to. I know that we speak about that and very, you know, just kind of entertaining the thought. But I think it's time we got serious. Yeah. I don't even think that's something to entertain or idealize, but it's very much so. Do you have farms around you? Do you know anyone? Can you align yourself with people who have that kind of access? I know depending on where you are in the country, it can be hard, harder than others. Some cities are a little harder, but something to look into. So we can start creating our own food systems. The CSA boxes, you can literally type in your city and write CSA program and local farmers will literally pop up. And that's an option. Also trying to find local butchers, through my own research, I actually found that we have a black owned butcher shop not too far from me. Yeah. And his name is Theodus.

[Dustin]

You know that means, right? Yes, baby. That's where you get shit from.

[Francesca]

You know what I'm saying? Theodus Casen, and it's called the Cason's Fine Meats and he's in partnership with like three different local farms. He's been in business. Yeah, It's a family business. They've been there for a very long time. Apparently they closed during COVID understandably and just reopened to a bigger location. So look for that, look for those mom and pop company.

[Dustin]

Thank you for offering some solutions.

[Francesca]

Absolutely. Because I was trying to figure out what do we do? You know, also the off off grid Homestead brand that I mentioned, her name is Zanny Zani. I Hope I'm saying her name right. Look her up on Instagram. She gives so much, really like useful information on how to be prepared. She also has books that I did mention you can get them on Amazon. She has three books, the Personal Prepping and Survival Planner, the Off Grid Planning Workbook, and the Beginner Survival and Prepping Manual. All three are available on Amazon if you want to figure out how to get started. And then the last thing is just trying to find the farmers markets near you. Right. And trying to get your produce straight from them tables, straight those farms. Is it cheaper? Not always. And I understand that that is not the easiest solution, but I'm trying to give as many options as possible. Obviously, those of you listening, maybe you have some suggestions, maybe you have come up with some reconfigurations to your grocery shopping that you have found to be cost effective. But we got to figure something out. And I'll keep bringing up solutions because being mad is. Is important, but we also need to figure out. Yeah. And so hopefully these options, like, I know what we did this past weekend, which was different for us. We went to, well, we always go to the local butcher, but we didn't get our produce from any of the stores we frequent. We literally went straight to the farmer's market just so that we can gauge the cost. Yeah. Like if we did butcher and farmer's market, how does that look in comparison to the market getting everything? Yeah. And so we did some of the cost and analysis. Those are things you just got to start doing as adults. We got to really start looking out for ourselves and just making some tweaks because is crazy. My stomach, I will say from going to the farmers market, I didn't have any issues this weekend. My stomach felt very right. And I'm like, okay, so paying attention. And obviously with these food regulations that have been quietly scaled back this year in particular, and then I'm seeing so many of you writing in saying, yo, my stomach's been upside down too. What the fuck? You know what I mean? Yes, we're aging, but also shit's going down that our bodies are reacting to. And so just trying to figure out what to do moving forward. Like I said, if those of you listening have any suggestions, things that you've done, systems you've put into place or maybe any programs you're part of, please let us know in the comments so that I can read it on the show next week and maybe we can come up with some systems as a collective. So that's it for this week in Wellness.

[Dustin]

And another thing.

[Francesca]

For real, though, I.

[Dustin]

I done got mad, y'. All. I hate being. I know. I get passionate about this political stuff. This is not a political show, though. I don't want to make it feel like that every week. And I try to hold back from stuff.

[Francesca]

No, but there's a lot of harm that we have.

[Dustin]

This is the most basic of our needs. Food. That's infuriating. And it makes me mad as. And it makes me want to have outbursts. And I'm trying my best.

[Francesca]

We're at the mercy in a lot of ways of this administration. That's scary. Right?

[Dustin]

I tell a joke in my show since the show is over now, I can tell it here, but I tell a joke in my show because I tear that whole administration up in the show. And I tell a joke about RFK sounding like the beat to argue that somebody.

[Asante]

That's the joke. Remember when I said you had the white people laughing? The white man. Them white men were cracking the up. And that his wife or whatever, she was looking at him like, really? And then in my mind, I'm like, she sound just like him. Like, y' all was crying. I'm so glad you shared that.

[Dustin]

Asante. You know, if I would have seen them walking out, I would have worn them out all the way.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Dustin]

I would have walked off the stage and got lucky.

[Asante]

Dustin, honestly, I'm glad you didn't see that couple at all, because before, she had been tripping the whole time a little bit, but this had dropped her drink. Like, they broke a whole glass over there. I was like, these are drunk. Like.

[Dustin]

But, yeah, get the out hoe.

[Asante]

I think you.

[Dustin]

Oh, my God.

[Asante]

You would have been cracking jokes on them and them. And he would have been laughing the.

[Dustin]

Whole time, the whole way out. Paul Mooney used to tell people. I told you. He would tell people when the white people walk out of his shows, he would be like, I hope it's some robbing your house when you get home. He would be talking Jesus Christ. So literally anyway. But, yeah, rfk, it just makes me mad. And I don't mean to take the show into a dark place. So I apologize to y'.

[Francesca]

All. It's in a dark place, so it.

[Dustin]

Is what it is.

[Asante]

The world needs some healing. So unfortunately, there is some anger still that needs to settle in dust before we can get to this. That. So thank you for some sort of solutions and solace, friend. This week in Music. Just a couple of things that I want to touch on. The first thing I want to touch on. It's literally two things I want to talk about. And one of them makes me laugh. Guess which one the Jonas Brothers recently performed in Dallas. And that one.

[Dustin]

Cause the jig is up. Them motherfucker's 40 years old now. They got kids and wives and what the. The Jonas y'. All. The Jonas y'. All. Just the Jonases. They need a reboot.

[Asante]

Listen, the Jonas Brothers are younger than 98 degrees out here trying to do the Thong Song. So I be.

[Dustin]

They doing the thong song.

[Asante]

The 98 degrees covered the thong Song. For whatever reason. I don't know why it happened on my YouTube video.

[Dustin]

Understand what you think about that.

[Asante]

Meanwhile, Nick Lachey, you know, he getting them Netflix checks. But I guess, you know, his. You know, his brother and the rest of them, they. So they got.

[Dustin]

I ain't mad. Pick everybody up. But, like, when you think about the audience and them saying, let me see that thong. That's funny.

[Asante]

And then Vanessa just standing like, yeah.

[Dustin]

Everybody looking like an ironing board. No ass with a thong on.

[Asante]

The Jonas Brothers performing in Dallas. And I don't listen to the Jonas Brothers, so I can't tell you anything about them, but another group that I didn't really listen to, but I was interested in was fifth grade harmony, and they reunited at this Jonas Brothers concert. Well, four of them. Did you know, Camila Cabelo is still on them girls. But the girls. The other girls reunited and they said, you know, we still got it. They performed some of their hits. I believe they perform work. I don't know if they actually perform work. Work is one of the only songs I know, but they perform something.

[Dustin]

I don't know any of their music.

[Asante]

I only know damn, I something with Ty Dollar Sign, you ain't got to go to work. Work.

[Dustin]

Yeah, he was one of them.

[Asante]

I think he might have been. Well, I don't know. So. Yes to maybe one I was about. Say, I think he might have with one or two of them, but maybe it was just the one. I don't know. But, you know, we love Ty Dollar Sign over here. So.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

The fifth harmony, they reunited. A friend of mine sent me the story and titled it New Danity King got back Together. I hated that. But it also made me laugh because it's like their generations, you know, girl group that, you know, went through something. So, okay, I respect it.

[Dustin]

It was after my time for that sort of.

[Asante]

Right. Because I don't respect that because I think this harmony was made on a TV show as well.

[Francesca]

That was my next question. Were they?

[Asante]

Yeah, I think they were, like, on X or something.

[Dustin]

America's Got X Factor.

[Asante]

I always forget this. Let me just Google right now before.

[Francesca]

I get to them.

[Asante]

Oh, Fifth Harmony creation. I probably.

[Dustin]

Kelly is actually the person who made me kind of like, reframe the way I look at Normani and her presence in the music industry, because a lot of people feel like she never did anything or whatever. Including Claude was like, you know, she's been going through and it's not easy to put a project out. He's just broke that down one day and I was like, damn, Claude is right. Like, people do need to chill the fuck out with that. Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Lewis York.

[Asante]

Absolutely.

[Francesca]

And she's a hell of a dancer.

[Asante]

Absolutely. She's a hell of a. She's a star.

[Francesca]

She hasn't had the right team, which is, which sucks for an artist, right?

[Asante]

Everybody has a time that aligns. And unfortunately, like, to your point, Dustin, like, Normani had been going through a lot of stuff while there were a lot of big things happening. And, you know, every artist goes through that and they all, you know, achieve in different ways. You know, a lot of bad stuff was happening to Megan as she was, you know, hitting her lick. And some people feel like she was doing too much. She, you know, was caught in trauma and did the most, and some of it worked for her, but then there were other things that worked against her. And then she used to think that worked against her to create more art. But Normani, she's one of those people. She was creating things been happening and, like, you know, we don't all need to be in that mode of, like, creating past trauma. So it's like, I give her grace. She gives us great products when she brings them, and then other things happen that might be out of control on top of, you know, the bad things that are happening already. So I give her so much grace. I give her.

[Dustin]

People want to see her win, see her do well, even to the point.

[Asante]

Of, y' all know how I feel about girl groups. I, I, to this day, I don't care how successful each and all of them become. It'd be cool as if Destiny's Child just kept doing reunions every five, ten years or whatever. It's like, yeah, we're all solo, but, like, we still do some great together every now and then, so it'd be dope. So I don't care. I don't know if it's Our Harmony's music, but I don't care if the girls decide to get back together and do another album. I think that's dope. They all feel like they still have something to offer in the music game, and it shouldn't affect if Norman decides she wants to be solo outside of that or alongside of that or after that. I feel like everybody's got their thing because all the girls were doing solo efforts at one point. I just don't know if everybody was into it or if that was, like a label push. It's like, all right, well, everyone's going solo, so everyone has to live their life. All these girls have been brought back together by the grace of whatever. So shout out to with Harmony, apparently. I think they were looking good. I saw just, like, a really short clip. That's why I wasn't sure what song they actually performed. But I just know Normani was there, to be honest. Look, I told you. I was just. I only know the one. The work, work, work, work.

[Dustin]

You know what song I know by them. It's not even by them. They have a cover on YouTube of them sitting at a piano when they were younger, when they were, like, teenagers, and they're singing it. It's actually a Taylor Swift song called Red, and it is literally. It is beautiful. Beautifulness. It actually shows how dope of a songwriter Taylor Swift is, because I was like, damn, this is what her music sounds like. They could sing their asses. Look up those. Y'. All homework. We ain't did homework in so long. Oh, I just got an emotional wave over me. We have homework. Look up Fifth Harmony. Read on YouTube and you'll see them. They're. They're around the piano, and it's a beautiful performance. The only piece I know by them.

[Asante]

Fifth Harmony formed on July 27, 2012, during the second season of the X Factor.

[Dustin]

Yeah, I was definitely good grown by back then. I was having fun.

[Asante]

So, yeah, so that's where Fifth Harmony was born. The phoenix might be potentially rising from the ashes as they were on stage with the Jones Jonas Brothers. That's Fifth Harmony. Last point of discussion I would like to talk about. Let me make sure I've got all the people in this particular production Key. Glock has released a new video. We love Keeglock's music. Yes. Fran, are you familiar with this already?

[Francesca]

Before I say it, the song?

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

No. I just saw a clip of Janae from Love island as the video girl.

[Asante]

Keeglack has released a music video for the song she. She ready. It stars Tasha Smith, Janae from Love island, who we love. And then you even Get a little cameo at the end from Yan Tia which was funny because she does look like she's saying that. She ready spaghetti. So the fact that like they put that part over her saying it and then she says it too. I was like, see, she looked like she's saying it. That's so funny. But I love the video. I loved seeing. First of all, I love Key Glock. We love Key Glock. We've talked about Keylock so many times. Music is so great dialogue. Love that video. Like Janae looked great like this. Like the little love story in the video.

[Dustin]

They look together.

[Asante]

Janae is just a fine one. Thing about Love island is there are some fine ass women on there. Like even I know people hated on Clark because of Taylor, but it was really Taylor. Y' all should have been mad at Clark. She was a beautiful woman. I know, I know you still.

[Francesca]

Yeah, no, I mean look at, look.

[Asante]

They were standoffish to her. So it's like them I came in here, I wanted this. He chose me. So I don't give a about you. Like if I was Clark Lowkey. Me too.

[Dustin]

Like we were happy to see Jana.

[Asante]

In the video but we are happy to see back to it. We are happy to see Jana looking good. Like just looking so good. So shout out to her. Shout out to Key Glock. Go check the video out. It's on YouTube and wherever they play.

[Dustin]

Music also love to see it that that woman is young and beautiful. I love to see her being featured in these videos and being on magazine covers. Live this charmed life, have these unique once in a lifetime experiences and be a star. Mama. I love to see it happen. I love it.

[Francesca]

Same same brand.

[Asante]

Do you remember that season of Love island with Cachet?

[Dustin]

Yeah, I remember the store.

[Francesca]

Wasn't that the first, wasn't that like the first first us was that American season. I believe I might be wrong, but.

[Asante]

All I know is Cachet the guy that she was into on that show Cinco. Cinco, yeah. Yes, Franc. Cinco. He a video hoe he being videos. I forgot I've seen him in a few videos and I've been like, is that Cinco again? So yeah, that's funny. But yeah, shout out to the Love island people that they get it, how they live it. But shout out to Key Glock because I love the music. He just released I think a deluxe this project. The music goes just go listen to Key Glock. Go support. That's it for the artist dimension portion of this.

[Gecko]

Factories have their own rhythm machines, hum data flows, but if your systems aren't fully integrated, everything slows down. That's where Verizon Business steps in to help our agile connectivity solutions enable seamless integration interoperability, giving you real time visibility of your systems and data so you can make better decisions faster. That's the rhythm your facility needs to move your business forward. Learn [e-mail] manufacturing it's that time of year again. Back to school season. And Instacart knows that the only thing harder than getting back into the swing of things is getting all the back to school supplies, snacks and essentials. So here's your reminder to make your life a little easier this season. Shop favorites from Staples, Best Buy and Costco, all delivered through Instacart, so that you can get some time back and do whatever it is that you need to get your life back on track. Instacart we're here.

[Asante]

Now we can get into the Listens Lately Songs to play.

[Francesca]

I do want to say this. Someone listening literally just tagged me and said, fran, you were right. Miguel is dropping 10, 2325. And look at the name of this project.

[Dustin]

Chaos baby. Bring it on. Bring it on.

[Francesca]

I assumed as much like I mentioned last week, because like I said, he just kept posting the word. I'm like, okay, clearly this is an album title. Or maybe it's a single. We don't know. But something is dropping.

[Dustin]

I'm ready.

[Francesca]

October 23rd spaghetti. We felt it. We.

[Dustin]

Put it in my veins. Come on.

[Francesca]

I love that. The first comment right under the post from Miguel is mystic Zone strikes again.

[Dustin]

Yes, Our listeners, we love our audience.

[Francesca]

Okay, but I don't know, Sante, if you're ready for us to play our song.

[Asante]

Absolutely, friend. I wanted to make sure you was. Look, she you ready, spaghetti?

[Francesca]

I am.

[Asante]

All right then, friend. What you been listening to?

[Francesca]

So Dustin Conrad dropped an alternative jazz album. Isn't that cool?

[Dustin]

He's a brilliant artist.

[Francesca]

I love that. I think that was so interesting and it's really great. It's called Whimsy, which I really like that title. The record I'm gonna play is called Wash you Away and it's with Terrace Martin. Pull up on me know that you will speak fast I ain't nothing like that weak ass push away find a way to come back this ain't nothing but another relapse I had a feeling without even knowing your narcissism is scared and boring I left your crib this morning and I smell you on my neck don't want to wash you away yes, yes. The project of the whole is just lovely. Really, really nice soundscape. Yeah, I think people will enjoy that. Alabama Shakes folks, to see that they drop music, just really lit meet up. They dropped a record called Another Life, and this is how it goes.

[Asante]

Here we are, the most unusual circumstances. How could I ask you to say what if there is something better for us next time?

[Francesca]

I just love her. She is everything. And then lastly, there's an artist that I've been a fan fan of. Her name is Jalen Josie.

[Dustin]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Y', all that cartoon.

[Asante]

Hell, yeah. You seen the video?

[Francesca]

No, I didn't see the video. There's a video. I first found her through a song called Mixed Signals. I think it was a. An ep, I think. Don't correct me if I'm wrong, but it's called, like, conversations from a payphone. And Mixed Signals was my. And then I saw that she just dropped a new record called Freak, and it's with Tricky, right? And that made me happy. And it is amazing. I had to play it. Jalen Josie. Freak. You got something I need, baby Give it up baby give it up Keep on flirting with me I'mma give it up I'mma give it up.

[Dustin]

Okay. Come on.

[Asante]

Go ahead, girl. Go ahead, girl She's.

[Francesca]

She is everything. So those are my three for this week.

[Asante]

I didn't even know she made music like that. That's.

[Francesca]

Let me tell you, she has a range, though, because I feel like a lot of her songs sound very different from each other.

[Asante]

I was gonna say I'm gonna play one of her songs for mine, but it's gonna be different from that. But, Dustin, I would love to know what you've been listening to before we get there. So what you been listening to?

[Dustin]

All right, let's go. This first song is by Black Queen. It's called we you, dude.

[Francesca]

I'm with you. I'm with you one time now he crazy. He want me to have his baby. I'm talking some days a week can't sit me down for a whole night on my side this ain't cheap.

[Dustin]

That'S what you do by Black Queen. The next song I'mma play is on Offset's album Ki, which is incredible, by the way. Offset's album is incredible. I heard this first song I'mma play is called love you down. I was waiting on him to drop this because he played it. He posted the snippet of him recording this a long time ago. And so when the album got to track seven, I was like, I could believe he had Actually put it on the album because you know what I'm saying? So this is that song let's love you down.

[Francesca]

It never really mattered too much to me, but you were just too damned old for me.

[Asante]

Right, guys?

[Dustin]

Yeah. Yeah. You know I with you, you that one for me so I'm a with you. I don't even know what to do. I don't even try nobody. Yeah, yeah. You know I with you, you that one for me so I'm gonna with you. Yeah, yeah. I don't even know what to do. I don't even trust nobody, but I start trusting you. How about the car? You look like a star. You struggle, you walk. You think walking the park. We go to Bugari, then we go shopping and Rick, it's a great album. The last song I want to play came on when I was getting my paint in Home Depot. They were shaking the cans and it was so funny because the can, the paint machine was like going to the beat a little bit. I was high, but I love this song. Listen, this is off of the Mariah album. It had the worst title out of all her Cole catalog. It's off of the me I am Mariah, the elusive Shantous album that was.

[Francesca]

I think she was high.

[Dustin]

I liked because the word and you were writer. So like, you know better, mama. But anyway, this song is the. It's called your mind eternal.

[Asante]

I am for your touch that get.

[Francesca]

You every time and I just can't seem to give you up your mind.

[Dustin]

Let that ride a little bit. That's my three for this week. This was a week of melody for me. Even with dude, there's a melody there. This is a week of. Of melody for me feeling my melodic.

[Asante]

Well, my YouTube algorithm had been going crazy and it brought back some old hits that I enjoyed. This first song I'm going to play is by none other than Cynthia Loving. This is Lil Mo's Forever featuring Fabulous.

[Francesca]

Now that love's taking over I'm 100% sure that it's here to stay I ain't got no issue standing in my way and I ain't going nowhere way you ain't going nowhere. Make it official. We ain't getting no younger, baby.

[Asante]

Sorry. That's song Face off classic. Next song that I want to play. So the next song that I'm going to play is who I thought you were going to play first, friend. When you said that artist's name, I thought you were about to play because I said, did you watch the video? There was this video for this artist that just this artist recently named J. Stevens. She's an artist. She's an artist that I've seen. I've seen kind of around on the Interwebs. But she has a song called After Body. So that was the new video that I saw. So I'm going to play that song and here's how it goes.

[Dustin]

Somebody bbl after Body. Baby lighting up.

[Francesca]

He don't even know that here I can make him blush.

[Asante]

That production, it took me back to like MySpace for some reason, but the video was real hot. She drums a beautiful brown girl dancing her ass off. You know what I'm saying? I fuck with it. So that's J. Stevens. And now I'm gonna play for you the song Southern Delicacy by the artist that you did play. Just Jalen Jossy. This. I played this song before, but I love her voice because I didn't know that she made music like what you played because this is what. I was introduced to her, by.

[Francesca]

The way. Knowing that you put me on your arms Cuz you could say that you're the lucky one. Oh, you hear me? You ain't so, so deaf. I know it's best. I'm saying that. But we could be the big. You know they put us on. They movers and wall bab.

[Dustin]

Be real, baby.

[Francesca]

All you needed was the. All you needed was the sugar honey. I te. Oh, I'm a Southern type of delicate. All you needed was the sugar honey I see. All you needed was.

[Asante]

All you needed was sugar honey Iced tea. So yes, I'm have to go in her catalog, friend. Thank you for bringing her back to the table. That's it for the Music man segment. Hope you all enjoyed. Dustin Ross. What have you been watching? All you need.

[Dustin]

All you needed was the all right. Sugar honey. TV first of all, ain't really on right now, you know what I'm saying? Outside of the things that we watch on digital. So why don't we go there? Let's talk about that. Of course, the Real Housewives of Orange county is on there embroiled in a huge scandal right now. People are talking about that. They're all up in arms about their. The way that they're doing one of their cast members name Katie. It gets dark. So I ain't gonna go there. But it's just a lot going on on the road county right now.

[Francesca]

Oh yeah.

[Dustin]

So that is something to watch on linear right now for people as well as loving Hip Hop Atlanta, which is having a great season. Loving Hip Hop Atlanta is Great. Also love and marriage. Huntsville every Saturday on the OWN network. So we do have some things to watch. So if you guys want to talk about those, let Asante and Friend know in the comments and they'll tell me. And then I'm sure we talk about it here.

[Francesca]

Not do that.

[Dustin]

But as far as digital. Right. On Baddy's Africa this week, there's a.

[Francesca]

That is just so unsettling.

[Asante]

Friend exists.

[Dustin]

Baddies Africa is a. A cast member named Summer. None other. Who. She's an idiot. We don't even have to really go into detail about it. She's a complete buffoon. And this is her second season. And so in this past episode, they were fight like a grassy lawn. And there had been horses, I guess, trotting all over the. The property. And there were clumps and piles of horseshit on the property. And in one of the fights, Summer picked up with her hand some of the horseshit and threw it at another girl. Yeah.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Asante]

She wasn't alone.

[Dustin]

Now, to me, for you for that to even come in, because as much as putting on another person would humiliate them and you would accomplish what you were trying to do in that regard, you had to get the shit on you in the first place to get it on them.

[Asante]

You are the shitty bitch. You cannot call me shitty bitch.

[Dustin]

You can't give a fuck about yourself if you're willing to do that. So where I thought that she thought that that would land with the audience as far as her being, like, wild and really crossing a line to get somebody on the show. No, you just look like a shitty, nasty fool. That's what you look like. And a person who is so low and so down in the gutter that you were okay with picking up a handful of horseshit. Gloveless. Okay, you were okay with that. That means it was under your fingernails. You know, you got acrylics. That means that it was all in. In her. In the. The folds of her hand and the lines. You can't go. I'd like to see her try to get her palm read.

[Asante]

No.

[Dustin]

Okay. No. Can't read. That's what they would say because of the smell in the. Her hand. She's just a disgusting human being. And I also think that while everybody has a creative license to come up with what they want their show to be, if I were in control, I wouldn't have included that scene.

[Asante]

Absolutely not.

[Dustin]

I wouldn't have included that scene. And I actually would have penalized her for doing that because you can't make People think that that's something that is okay to do, even on a show where we beat the hell out of each other. But she wasn't alone or piss on somebody is across the line. And so I just want her to know she's a shitty person.

[Asante]

Dolly shitty too. I'm sorry. Dolly shitty too. Dolly grabbed the first actually, and they both threw on someone. And then the girl thought she was gonna get her get back by also grabbing Cold killer. You are now also. Well, you were a shitty because they got you with the. But now you are definitely a shitty because you grabbed some as well. And I don't think you really got yours in like. Yeah, you got in her face too. But like, you're both. All three of y' all are shitty. So.

[Dustin]

And what you do, ladies, instead of throwing at a person, if you want to incorporate that in your violence, you beat their ass and put their face down in the. That's what you do. So you don't pick the up. You bring them to the. You bring them to the. That's what you do. So I just don't understand what's not. I don't understand what's not connecting for these ladies. And that's. There's really nothing to come. That's. To me, this. There's no coming back back from that. You know what I'm saying? Like, you're just forever the person that picked up horseshit in Africa.

[Francesca]

What a dude.

[Dustin]

You know? So just think about that. Like, she's really a disgusting person and I'm ready for her to go. And she has a bad Girls club tattoo on her chest that looks like a keyboard. And with that being said, that's it for this week. In digital news, Jocelyn's Got Cabaret is also airing. For those that partake and watch. Ms. Natural Whooped T. Love's ass.

[Asante]

She did.

[Dustin]

That's all I want to say about it. If you watch the show, you'll feel me. And that's it for TV Land this week.

[Francesca]

Don't forget to watch the Katrina three part series.

[Asante]

I didn't watch.

[Dustin]

I haven't been able to. I can't bring myself.

[Francesca]

So you have to absolutely be in the space to watch it. But my God, it was.

[Dustin]

Was I genuinely interested in my partner on all three parts.

[Francesca]

I think the part that shocked me the most was that I'm like, where was I? That I didn't know it was this? You know, Like, I. But I have to consider that the news was spinning a narrative, as they always do, especially with them showing what.

[Asante]

Was going on versus the stories that were getting out.

[Francesca]

That's what I'm saying. We were just. Because at the time, we weren't connected the way we are now. I think I was a year out of college, so I was like not even in that world yet. And so this shocked me, like, to watch, to hear people's stories and. Is it Lt. Honore, like the army lieutenant that came in and just shook shit up? Shout out to him.

[Asante]

I just had to put those guns down.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Like, he made my heart. I was like, my God. But I just had to mention that if you haven't watched it, it's on Netflix and it's. I think Spike Lee is spearheading this or at least I saw his name as the executive producer. It's called Come Hell or High Water and it's the Katrina story. So check that out.

[Dustin]

I saw a clip that was getting a lot of attention on Twitter of some white people during Katrina who were saying that they were literally hunting black people in the streets. And they were gloating and gleefully.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Yep.

[Dustin]

Discussing it. And. And right now is not a good time for me to see shit like that.

[Francesca]

Completely understand.

[Dustin]

And then I saw a woman who was in some. I don't know if she was at the Superdome or what, but I saw a brief clip of a woman who was literally screaming to the camera just in distress, like, people are dying, helping us. It was terror. And that was that. I'm just so grateful for doc and documentary documentarians. Right. People who. Who create documentaries and who archive all this footage and make sure that it is compiled in a place and is safe. And this. I hate to bring everything back into politics, but this is why we have to protect our ability to do so. We're now under a regime that is trying to cripple us and handicap us and handicap our voice and our ability to be in the press, be members of the free press. What we can talk about. You see, they're canceling late night long running television shows that. That they feel skew in a way that doesn't agree with what they have to say in their rhetoric. Got to protect that curriculums erasing history and now challenging slavery. So this is why we have to protect that. And this is why you single issue voters that ruined their everything. Here's another example of why it's bad and why you have to vote for the greater good sometimes far beyond on what impacts you. We have to protect our freedoms and our abilities to compile footage like this. Look what these people went through look at the families that are irretrievably broken, never to be found again. People missing. That's a reality for a lot of families. People don't know where the their family is is. And that's so frightening to imagine.

[Francesca]

And the stories they were telling of them literally being there as their family members were swept away like little children, mothers. Like it. It was harrowing. And like I said we knew that this happened but the extent is what.

[Asante]

Was like not being in it.

[Francesca]

And when they had was it the National Guard that came in with the guns like it was just like what the. Like and. And President Bush taking. Doing a photo shoot from his plane. Anyway, just please watch it and let us know your thoughts on that because that was really. That was a hard watch. But that's our reality and that's our government.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

That's it.

[Francesca]

I guess that's it for oh my God. Right? Thank you guys for listening and hanging out with us yet another week as we're now on the other side of our 10 years. We love you guys so much and we'll catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Don't be a Bridget. Stay black and protect your magic.

[Francesca]

Bye.

[Dustin]

That's it. This is.

[Asante]

And Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds of with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music. Limu.

[Francesca]

Save yourself money today. Increase your wealth. Customize and save.

[Asante]

We say that may have been too much feeling. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com.

[Dustin]

Liberty. Liberty.

[Asante]

Liberty. Liberty Savings Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.