The Friend Zone – “Leave A Voicemail” (02/11/2026)

Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), Asante

Episode Overview

This episode of The Friend Zone takes a heartfelt and often hilarious look at Black history—not just the history found in textbooks, but the living archives inside personal stories, family rituals, music, food, and community. Against the backdrop of Black History Month, the trio explores the importance of preserving these everyday narratives—“leave a voicemail”—whether through recipes, nightlife memories, family heirlooms, or simply recording and sharing stories. The main discussion is complemented by music recommendations, wellness advice, Black business spotlights, and lively banter that is as informative as it is entertaining.

1. Main Discussion: The Power and Practice of Archiving Black Experience

Starts ~[34:00]

Why This Matters Now

• Black History as a Living Archive: The hosts reflect on how Black history and culture are preserved through community rituals, food, nightlife, family objects, and oral histories—much of which is often left undocumented or lost.
• Podcasting as Preservation: Asante notes, “Podcasts are archives...we are Black history.” [1:15:15] They urge listeners to find everyday ways of preserving their own stories and family traditions.

Black Meme Culture

• Deep dive into favorite Black memes and cultural moments from the internet.
  • Ms. Juicy, “the icon of meme culture,” gets special love. [35:56]
  • Nods to the “Black man during Black History Month” meme, and other viral moments.
  • Francesca notes the power of humor in preservation: “I literally do that every day.” [37:28]

Food, TikTok & Lost Recipes

• Asante introduces TikToker @WickedConfections/WickedConfessions, who’s reviving “Lost Black American Recipes.”
• Dustin: “She’s a beautiful woman and she can cook...she’s doing all the black historical recipes.” [40:31]
• Discussion on the importance of passing down recipes and adapting them—inspiration for listeners to write family food histories, even if revived with a “hot girl” twist!

Nightlife and Community as Archive

• Dustin and Asante reminisce about legacy LGBTQ+ venues like The Warehouse (Bronx), Tracks Atlanta, and nightly rituals at malls like Lenox Mall, painting them as formative rites of passage, especially in marginalized communities. [43:58–50:12]
• Dustin: “The club means a lot…you learn how to define your identity, where you fit in, what you like, what you don’t like. All that social capital gives you self-worth in a way...you don’t get it anywhere else.” [46:00]
• Francesca shares the New York club scene: Copacabana teen nights, Greenhouse, 40/40—and how such spaces shape coming-of-age, agency, and social navigation. [53:41–54:57]
• Fran: “The nightlife was a really big part of our life...that was important for me as a young woman coming into myself...a big part of development.” [54:59]

Family, Commuting & Intergenerational Memory

• Fran reflects on growing up in NYC, the profound coming-of-age journey of riding the trains solo at age 13. [57:05]
  • “Imagine putting your 13-year-old on the 9 train in New York City to commute for an hour from Manhattan to the Bronx.” [58:56]
• Community support—neighbors and peers looking out for each other, as with her childhood friend walking her to school from the projects—becomes a powerful archival story in itself. [63:13–64:38]
• Fran: “That’s what I mean about us and how we are with each other...even archiving that as a memory...stories like that are important.” [64:34]

The Call to Action: Everyday Archiving

• Save voicemails, scan photos, collect recipes, write down personal histories, and talk to your elders (or anyone close).
• “Most history is just ordinary people who refuse to forget.” [66:08]
• Fran suggests journals with prompts for elders as a low-pressure way to capture family lore.
• Asante: “Preservation doesn’t require a degree, just intention. So this week, back something up—because one day somebody’s gonna wish you did.” [89:46]

2. Addressing Cultural Critiques & Representation

Super Bowl Segment: [01:28–13:14 and 120:31]

• Dustin and Fran break down the backlash against Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language Super Bowl halftime performance, calling out racism and xenophobia from figures like Megyn Kelly.
  • Dustin: “People sing in their native language. That’s not a new concept, white woman...be same el culo, señora…kiss my ass.” [04:41]
  • Megyn Kelly quoted: “This is supposed to be a unifying event for the country. Not for the Latinos…” [03:59]
• They highlight the significance of Bad Bunny’s visibility for Latinx, Black, and multicultural audiences, and debunk “downrating” attempts by right-wing groups.
• Discussion pivots to the importance of cultural representation:
  • “Everybody I know was celebrating that performance…if you felt some kind of way about him singing in Spanish, then fuck you.” [12:32]

3. Community Feedback: Recap & Listener Comments

[Recap starts 19:26]

• Fran recaps last week’s episode (“Black Bottom and Paradise Valley”) on lost Black neighborhoods, setting off a flood of listener stories identifying similar erasures in cities like Savannah and Indianapolis.
• Asante and Fran read messages from Detroiters proud to reclaim and honor their heritage, including a shout-out to Paradise Valley Coffee Company.
  • Sienna Boy: “We saw a need for spaces that honored Black experiences. Since relocating to Brooklyn with his wife Cheyenne, Miles…now owns Café Noir…coffee selections all roasted and proudly labeled under the Paradise Valley brand.” [23:00]
• Fran and Asante spotlight Societies like the Society of Black Archaeologists, and support for Black/formerly Black neighborhoods and bookstores (e.g., Cafe Noir and Libro.fm).

4. Black Business of the Week

[15:17]

• Highlight: Clean Design Home – A luxury Black-owned interior design brand specializing in allergen-aware, non-toxic bedding, bath essentials, and decor, founded by Robin Wilson.
  • Asante: “If you want to check them out, shopcleandesign.com…They sell bedding. They sell the damn bed.” [16:58]
• Fran gushes over her love for quality bedding, plugging her favorites but promising to explore Clean Design, too.

5. Wellness Segment: “Protein Craze” with Jess from Diabetes Digital

[Wellness segment: 94:01–118:48]

The Issue

• “Everything says 10 more grams of protein...” – with protein added to everything from cereal to popcorn, is there such a thing as too much?
• Fran sets up the debate: “You know, you can start messing with your kidneys, right?” [95:16]
• Jess responds: “It is possible to eat too much of anything...the biggest challenge [with too much protein] is you’re crowding out other nutrients.” [96:04]

Key Takeaways

• For most adults, aim for 1.2–1.6g of protein per kg of body weight (divide weight in pounds by 2.2, then multiply).
• Overdoing protein can be expensive, crowd out other nutrients, and often leads to low fiber diets and digestive issues.
• Adjust your intake based on activity level; revisit the basics of balanced meals (protein, fat, carbs, fiber).
• Beware unverified advice from social media “experts” and misleading marketing.
  • “Protein has this health halo…people demonize one type of processed food but not protein bars.” [98:05]
• Work with licensed professionals and consider journaling to personalize and archive your journey.

6. Music & TV Segments

Music (Songs Played)

[124:29 onward]

• Standouts include:
  • “Sixteen Summers” – Camper ft. Alex Isley & Rose Gold
  • “Antidote” – Duran Bernard & James Bamboo
  • “Bunce Road Blues” – J. Cole & Tems
  • “High Fashion” – I Swear Vezo
  • “Expensive” – DaniLeigh
  • “Roses” – Linda Dawn
  • “Sponsor My Act Bad” – Bad Dolly
  • “I Did This to Myself” – Thundercat, Lil Yachty & Flying Lotus
  • “E85” – Don Toliver
  • “10 out of 10” – Genia

TV

[138:53]

• Super Bowl reroutes usual Bravo programming – Sunday marks the return of Married to Medicine and Real Housewives of Potomac reunion.
• “If you’ve never watched Housewives, this is your chance to get in on the ground floor with the new city,” says Dustin, referencing the launch of Real Housewives of Rhode Island. [139:32]
• Review of Karen Huger’s one-on-one with Andy Cohen, reactions mixed: “I think people wanted Karen to get on that screen and say, ‘I’m a drunk and I could have really killed somebody...’ and she didn’t say that...” [142:02]

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7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Black history and community rituals:
  “Most history is just ordinary people that refuse to forget.” – Asante [66:08]
• On meme culture’s value:
  “Humor is my business, so it’s hard for me not to laugh at things sometimes because it is natural for me.” – Dustin [35:23]
• On archiving nightlife:
  “That history needs to be archived...clubs close and shit all the time… Especially when it comes to, like, Black gay shit, especially...The club means a lot.” – Dustin [45:04]
• On growing up and commuting in NYC:
  “Imagine putting your 13-year-old on the 9 train in New York City...” – Francesca [58:56]
• On food tradition:
  “If nobody records these things, whether it’s those recipes, whether it’s the jokes…do they just disappear?” – Asante [43:09]
• Call to Action:
  “Preservation doesn’t require a degree, just intention...Back something up because one day somebody’s gonna wish you did.” – Asante [89:46]

8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:28] Super Bowl and Bad Bunny controversy
• [19:26] Listener recap & comments on Black Bottom, Paradise Valley, archiving Black neighborhood history
• [34:00] Main discussion: archiving Black history, meme culture, TikTok recipes, nightlife, rites of passage, family rituals
• [94:01] Wellness: “Protein Craze” myth-busting, with Jess (Diabetes Digital)
• [124:29] Music segment: playlists and recommendations
• [138:53] TV rundown: Bravo/own highlights, Karen Huger interview

Tone & Final Notes

The episode blends vulnerability, humor, and righteous anger (especially in the Super Bowl segment), rallying listeners to value and preserve the everyday moments of Black lives. The “Leave a Voicemail” motif emerges as both a literal and symbolic call to record, keep, and share our stories.

Episode Title Explained

“Leave A Voicemail” is a call to action for all listeners: take steps, big or small, to record and share personal and communal histories, because today’s memories are tomorrow’s Black history.

For more resources, Black business links, music playlists, and wellness notes, visit the episode’s description box or join the Friend Zone’s Patreon community.