The Kids Are Alright

Summary

The Friend Zone – Episode: The Kids Are Alright (May 13, 2026)
Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), and Assanté
Podcast Theme: Exploring mental health, mental wealth, and mental hygiene—who in the hell wants a musty brain?

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into current events around racism in U.S. politics, online harassment and the impact on mental health, generational resilience among young people, new hobbies in adulthood, and the evolving challenges posed by AI. The hosts interweave personal stories and pop culture with signature humor, candor, and social commentary.

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1. The Virginia Congresswoman Controversy & Racism in Politics

Timestamps: 01:28 – 08:46

• Dustin recounts a recent incident involving Congresswoman Jen Kiggans of Virginia. Kiggans agreed (“ditto, yes to that”) with a local radio host, Rich Herrera, who told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to "get your cotton picking hands off of Virginia."

• The hosts dissect Kiggans’ later statement trying to walk back her apparent support for the racist remarks, highlighting the inconsistency and lack of accountability:

  “[She] literally co-signed, girl. She is lying, okay? These racist motherfuckers are so brazen and emboldened in their racism…"
  — Dustin (04:30)

• Discussion connects this incident to ongoing issues of gerrymandering and the attempts to disenfranchise Black voters, especially in Tennessee and Virginia.

• Francesca and Dustin praise Black Tennesseeans protesting and "mob[bing]" lawmakers outside the statehouse for their racist actions.

• Reflection on the importance of photojournalism in exposing these moments of institutional racism.

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2. Racist Harassment and Twitch Streaming Culture

Timestamps: 08:51 – 14:52

• Asante and Dustin talk about a notorious white Twitch streamer whose entire platform is built on harassing Black people for content, especially elderly Black women. The streamer has since been arrested.

• Further discussion about “the manosphere” and problematic streaming trends.

• Francesca references the growing “doc on Netflix” about manosphere culture and the way the internet incentivizes toxic behavior.

• Discussion shifts to IShowSpeed, a popular young Black streamer, and the racism he experienced in the Dominican Republic, including being called monkeys. The hosts note the particular vulnerability of young content creators abroad and express frustration with those who exploit them.

  "I don't like seeing young Black guys being put in situations like that. Try that on a grown ass man..."
  — Dustin (14:03)

• Francesca expresses hope seeing a more progressive, anti-racist generation of Dominican youth using platforms like TikTok to challenge racism.

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3. Generational Shift: The Kids Are Alright

Timestamps: 14:54 – 17:48

• The hosts share observations that younger generations are more outspoken and proactive in calling out societal issues, referencing college graduates booing an AI-obsessed commencement speaker.

  "The kids are all right. I'm honestly so grateful. And we have a lot to learn from them, too, on how they advocate and speak up."
  — Francesca (15:43)

• Appreciation for Gen Z's humor, creativity, and resistance, especially through viral dances and direct action.

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4. Reflections on Dominican Identity & Complications

Timestamps: 16:52 – 17:48

• Francesca opens up about the bittersweet experience of growing up Dominican in America and the challenges of producing content in the DR due to "so many [cultural] troubles," but also the enduring connection to her roots.

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5. Documentary Deep Dives & Trauma; Upcoming Crossover

Timestamps: 17:54 – 23:34

• The hosts discuss feedback from listeners about the Hulu documentary on cult leader Nature Boy, referencing an even more in-depth YouTube docuseries. They reflect on complicity among survivors and the psychological impacts of cult abuse.

  “Why do some people become so self-destructive? Why are other people more resilient?”
  — Francesca (21:07)

• Announcement: Next week will feature a "mashup" episode with Crystal of “Crystal’s Couch," tackling the question of why trauma affects people differently, plus answering listener questions on mental health.

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6. Adult Friendships, Hobbies & Black Joy

Golf as a New Hobby
Timestamps: 29:59 – 45:56

• Francesca shares her experience trying real golf for the first time—with a group of Black friends at an upscale country club, navigating microaggressions from the staff, and reveling in the joy and community:

  "It was just all of us were Black... We were laughing, we were hitting. Like when you'd had a really bad hit... everyone busts out laughing..."
  — Francesca (36:01)

• Discussing the joys (and expense) of country club life, the importance of having hobbies in adulthood, and encouraging listeners—especially Black women—to try golf.

• Dustin and Asante joke about golf fashion and envision group golf events.

• The segment closes with suggestions about Black women’s golf communities on TikTok, and the potential for travel and adventure through the sport.

Rock Climbing & Fitness in Aging
Timestamps: 47:00 – 50:58

• Asante shares inspiration from following Rico Ross (actor from “Beauty in Black”), discussing functional fitness and the importance of staying active with age.

• The group recalls early experiences with rock climbing and the joys and vulnerabilities of trying something new.

  "Rock climbing makes me horny. All that stretching and putting your ass in my face."
  — Dustin (50:31)

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7. Adventures in Adulthood: Homes, Parking, and Urban Life

Timestamps: 57:11 – 76:47

• The hosts reminisce about former apartments in NYC, the challenges and perks of high-rise living, parking woes, and shifting priorities after moving away from New York.
• Asante details the “scam” of paying for non-dedicated parking spots in luxury buildings and the hassle of protecting a new car.

Buying Cars at Auction

• The trio explores buying vehicles at auction, demystifying misconceptions, and sharing advice from friends who are expert hustlers.
• Learnings: you can buy high-quality cars at massively reduced rates, but due diligence is essential.

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8. Digital Life, Money Scams, and AI Anxiety

Timestamps: 77:01 – 100:34

Money Management

• Dustin gives a mini ad-break sermon on the budgeting app Rocket Money, tying it into the theme of simplifying life and avoiding money waste.

Rise (and Dangers) of AI

Timestamps: 82:52 – 97:13

• The hosts tackle the latest AI scams, including viral stories where AI-generated voices impersonate family members to trick people into opening doors.

  "This is only going to get worse because it's going to be undetectable and much harder...."
  — Francesca (86:40)

• Francesca recounts almost falling for a scam government letter, highlighting how sophisticated social engineering has gotten.

• Broader concern about the societal and environmental impacts of AI, with mention of data centers draining resources and harming Black communities (notably, Elon Musk's Memphis data centers).

• The hosts stress the need for regulation and accountability as digital scams become more advanced.

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9. Environmental Racism: Pollution & Community Harm

Timestamps: 97:14 – 100:34

• Francesca shares recent reporting on Driscoll’s farm and local pollution, connecting agricultural chemicals and fertilizers to high rates of illness in nearby Black communities.

  "They had literal proof [of contamination] and how it has changed her health, her families... And nothing has come."
  — Francesca (98:06)

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10. Pop Culture, Movies, and Black Excellence

Timestamps: 101:01 – End

• Light-hearted ending as the hosts discuss movies ("Michael" biopic, "Devil Wears Prada" sequel), iconic moments, and inside jokes about Black pop culture.
• Dustin plugs his upcoming comedy tour ("Come see a... I'm a cuss good and tell good dirty jokes, but not too uncomfortable, but dirty nonetheless." – 107:57), listing cities and encouraging listeners to join.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "You're dirty. Everybody knows you. You're dirty. I see you." – Dustin (Recurring theme throughout)
• "Rock climbing makes me horny. All that stretching and putting your ass in my face." — Dustin (50:31)
• "The kids are all right. I'm honestly so grateful. And we have a lot to learn from them..." — Francesca (15:43)
• "Now I understand why they [golfers] go so often... It's extra fun when you're with Black people doing it." — Francesca (36:01)
• "This is only going to get worse because it’s going to be undetectable..." — Francesca (86:40)

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Key Takeaways

• Racism is alive and brazen in politics and media—host accountability, speak up, and support those resisting injustice.
• Mental health and resilience are shaped by the complexities of trauma, identity, and generational shifts.
• Young people are leading with courage and creativity—elders can both teach and learn from them.
• Trying new hobbies as adults (golf, rock climbing, online thrift shopping) brings joy, new community, and self-discovery.
• AI scams and digital manipulation require vigilance and regulation—trust your instincts and support elders with tech literacy.
• Environmental racism continues and demands action and awareness.
• Black joy, humor, and community remain powerful tools of survival and resistance.

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Transcript

[Francesca]

Here's a life hack for waking up the whole house without an alarm. Place a skillet over medium heat,

[Dustin]

add

[Francesca]

some Land O' Lakes butter for a mouth watering sizzle, and now that everyone's up, you might as well make breakfast sandwiches topped with Land O' Lakes cheese. Here's another. By buying Land O' Lakes products, It benefits over 1,000 farmer owners and their communities. Find it in the dairy aisle.

[Asante]

A rich life isn't a straight line to a destination on the horizon. Sometimes it takes an unexpected turn with

[Francesca]

detours, new possibilities, and even another passenger or three.

[Asante]

And with 100 years of navigating ups and downs, you can count on Edward Jones to help guide you through it all. Because life is a winding path made rich by the people you walk it with. Let's find your rich together. Edward Jones Member, sipc

[Dustin]

welcome to the Friends. My name is Dustin.

[Francesca]

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

[Dustin]

Hey.

[Asante]

My name is Asante. This is the Friend Zone.

[Dustin]

Let's start the show. I'm in a zone.

[Francesca]

You're dirty.

[Dustin]

You're dirty.

[Francesca]

Everybody was right about you.

[Asante]

You're a piece of.

[Francesca]

I see you.

[Dustin]

I want you to know that. That's right.

[Francesca]

That' Real Housewives of Rhode Island.

[Dustin]

Hell yeah.

[Asante]

Why that sound like Liz?

[Dustin]

It was New Jersey. Danielle Cabral is her name this week. Gotta start it off with these dirty. I feel like because we have such a large, dedicated audience. Thank you, friend Zone.

[Francesca]

Okay, Friend Zone.

[Dustin]

But because we have such a large, dedicated audience, we have a responsibility around here to let people know, you know, the dirty deeds that are going on around here. And the first thing that I want to talk about today is a ho from Virginia. She's a Virginia congresswoman, A ho named Jen Kiggins. J E N Last name Kiggins. K I G G A N S. Virginia congresswoman who is facing backlash because she agreed with and said, literally said ditto yes to that. When the host, Rich Herrera, he's another hoe. A motherfucking. A hoe named Rich Herrera, who hosts Richmond's Morning News. Right. Which she was appearing on. He criticized the House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries over his involvement in Virginia politics recently. We know what all has been going on in Virginia with the maps, all that other shit he said, quote, as a matter of fact, I'mma play it for y'.

[Asante]

All.

[Dustin]

I'm going to tell y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Dustin]

I'm going to let y' all know what he said.

[Asante]

If Hakeem Jeffries wants to be involved in Virginia politics, then I suggest he does what a bunch of New Yorkers are doing. Leave New York. Move down here to Virginia. Run from down here. You can represent us.

[Dustin]

If not, get your cotton picking hands off of Virginia.

[Francesca]

That's right.

[Asante]

Ditto. And you hear her ass.

[Dustin]

You hear her ass afterwards talking about ditto. Yes to that. Right now, here she go. We're gonna put her face on blast for our Patreon guest.

[Asante]

That's her right there.

[Dustin]

As you can see, she looks sickly. She looks like she actually is riding from the inside out. You all know that she. I don't know.

[Asante]

Pokemon, Dustin. But there is a Pokemon.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

And she literally looks like one.

[Dustin]

Crow's feet. Origami folds in the skin of her face.

[Francesca]

All that kind of hair.

[Dustin]

Yup. Neck all sunk in because of the hatred. Just can't even allow her to have an esophagus. All of this, wow. Dirty dishwater blonde hair. That's. Who said that. Now you know, of course, once it made it to the Internet, people held her accountable in their own ways. That may have looked like cussing her out. That may have looked like calling her office. That may have looked like bringing up things that she's voted on in the past, all that other shit. But people been on her ass. So of course she went to Twitter.

[Francesca]

She went to Twitter.

[Dustin]

She wrote.

[Francesca]

What a joke.

[Dustin]

This is precisely what's wrong with Democrats. That's how she started off her statement.

[Francesca]

All right.

[Dustin]

This is precisely what's wrong with Democrats. Every lie and distortion is intended to distract from getting their hats handed to them. And the Virginia Supreme Court's clear message, stop trying to rig our elections. The radio host should not have used that language and I do not and did not condone it. Let's stop right there. We don't even need to because you

[Francesca]

literally co signed, girl.

[Dustin]

She is lying, okay? And we're at a place where these racist ass motherfuckers, okay? And I'm being nice. I'm holding back. These racist motherfuckers are so brazen and emboldened in their racism. Right? And in their. Their. Their desire to be racist that they're taking that kind of attitude when they're flat out busted being racist. Donald Trump did the same thing when he put them apes on the face, put Michelle Obama's and President Obama's faces on them apes, then lied about it, tried to stand in it again. She's doing the same thing after she flat out said the word ditto. Now, class, what does the word ditto mean?

[Francesca]

I agree.

[Dustin]

It means the same. Right yeah. Right. So that means that you did condone what he said. Yes. She literally said ditto. Yes to that.

[Francesca]

Very.

[Dustin]

That's what she said.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Now I don't know what the fuck time they think it is, but it's a lot of us who literally will get down in the paint. Because what I'm not going to do is live in those slavery era as times you ain't going to be whipping me and getting away with calling me a nigger. And if that means that I have to get get killed by the police for you up, guess what? I'mma do that on my soul. Yes to that. Oh, my soul. I don't know what makes you think we gonna pick cotton. What do you think is gonna happen to me if me and a racist are looking at each other nose to nose in a cotton field? I'm gonna plant you. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to plant you. Yeah. I don't know why they think this shit is going to slide. We saw in Tennessee recently when they changed the maps, they did racist gerrymandering. And you see the photography. And this is why photojournalists are important and essential to our time, right? Because the pictures that exist of those racist white legislators who are laughing, smiling, looking at each other, slapping high fives and jeering and cheering each other on in the name of race. This is literally purely in the name of eliminating the black vote. The power of the black vote, that is. There's no way around the intention. There's no other way you can package it. That's what this is about. And these old white people in Tennessee and Virginia, as you can see, are laughing, smiling, gleeful. One said he hopes that they can repeal the next. Let's repeal the 14th amendment. Look that up.

[Francesca]

Right?

[Dustin]

Okay. That means that you're a person crazy. So I just want everybody to know that's what's going on. It's a lot of shit going on in the media. It's a lot of stuff gets lost in the sauce. Not over here. We see you. You're dirty. You're dirty. Everybody knows you. You're dirty. I see you. That's what I want them to know. We see your ass. And if I ever see you on the street, you Woody Woodpecker looking asshole, if I ever see you on the street, I'm cussing your ass out. Shout out to those Black people in 10, did you see the black people in Tennessee that mobbed the, the, the House in Tennessee when the, the people who voted to redisch to gerrymander the maps. They were walking out and it was all these black people who was outside cussing in the out and putting their

[Asante]

fingers in their face.

[Dustin]

You ain't seen that?

[Francesca]

I did not see that.

[Dustin]

So proud of them. So proud of them. Well, added to so proud of them, yes, I have to find that and add it. But just, you know, we just want to shine a light. Shine a light on them.

[Francesca]

Hell yeah.

[Dustin]

Clap, clap. That's what we on right now. You shining a light on you and it ain't sliding. Hakeem Jeffries may or may not be one of my favorite people. May not be one of my favorite people. But guess what? You don't get to cotton picking nothing.

[Francesca]

Exactly.

[Dustin]

We'll shove that cotton up your nostrils and make you suffocate and laugh the same way I was laughing at the maps. How about that? So with that being said, welcome to the Friend Zone, your weekly look into all things mental health, mental wellness, and men on non racism. Because who in the hell wants to deal with one of them wind bags in Virginia? Virginia is supposed to be for lovers, and I hate them.

[Asante]

There's an imbalance. Hey, friend.

[Dustin]

Hey. How you doing?

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Asante]

I've seen all this on the Internet. Like, I know how. You know how the Internet, as it progresses, some platform becomes. Rises up and becomes the new supreme or the. The moneymaker of content creators. I know Twitch has been that for a while, but I keep seeing these Twitch clips of this white boy streamer that's going around being racist. And it's just.

[Dustin]

He's in jail. Thank you know that.

[Asante]

I saw a clip of him.

[Francesca]

What happened?

[Asante]

I remember. So there.

[Dustin]

I don't want to say his name. Don't say.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin]

I'm not.

[Asante]

I'm not saying his name. There's this white streamer with a mustache. I've literally only heard about him over the past week, but apparently he came into the light a while ago. But as of the end of last year, he really came to light doing some bullshit. His whole shtick is just going out

[Dustin]

harassing black people, black women, older black women at the grocery store. What he frames it as is that he's a champion of free speech. And so he goes around and records himself saying the worst things you can say to older black women at the grocery store.

[Francesca]

Wow.

[Dustin]

And to black people in public that he deems weaker. Recently. Recently, he ran up on the wrong people. Okay.

[Francesca]

I was clearly about to say that

[Dustin]

he got handled and he actually was arrested and because of some other. He Had a rap sheet as long as Rapunzel's bone snatch of harassment, I'm assuming. Absolutely. He got arrested. And because of that other stuff, it's going to be a long haul for him also. I don't know if you knew this part of Sante, but last week a sex worker came out that. A sex worker came out. A trans woman who said that alleged that she had been having a sexual relationship with him back in the day where she would peg him and him in the ass. Yeah. Her and her wife. And.

[Francesca]

Wow.

[Dustin]

Photographs have surfaced of him in a fairy costume with.

[Asante]

Because apparently he mentioned her sensationally. Trying to say that he. Her. And she was like, yes, we. But tell the whole truth. I. You. And I was like, whoa.

[Dustin]

And she was hard when she said it in the video. She held her hard dick and said and. And showed it. Not showed it, but showed it through her underwear to the camera.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin]

That he. That's what he did. That makes it real, don't it?

[Francesca]

Wow.

[Dustin]

Gives you the visual. Yeah.

[Francesca]

This story went so many places.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

And this is a twitch streamer, you're saying?

[Asante]

I believe so.

[Francesca]

All right.

[Dustin]

He's a horrible looking he. What does he look like?

[Francesca]

It's just such an easy way to make money now too, being that person. So I'm not.

[Dustin]

And it's so stupid to me. I even saw what's the manosphere, whatever they call it.

[Francesca]

Y' all see that doc on Netflix?

[Dustin]

What is. No, but I'm gonna watch it.

[Francesca]

Yeah, you should.

[Asante]

What is the.

[Dustin]

The. The really popular, insanely popular young black guy. That's a streamer. Speed. Speed. He's on a tour. He's over in the Doctor right now.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Dustin]

Was he in Brazil or the Doctor? He was in the Doctor, I believe.

[Francesca]

Awful. I feel he was.

[Dustin]

You saw that. The things that. That. That guy was asking him and stuff.

[Asante]

What happened?

[Dustin]

Tell me. He was experiencing racism over in the Doctor. Colorism and racism. They were calling him monkeys and all kind of.

[Francesca]

And not just that. The guy, Alofok, he has this brand out there. He's like a streamer, basically.

[Dustin]

He's like him in the Doctor.

[Francesca]

Exactly. Really popular. Don't know why, because he is an absolute fucking court jester. But he. He. He was so focused on using speed for his own, like trying to get him on his own show, trying to get him to see his people as opposed to using. I show speed as everyone else has been to highlight the country. Right. That's the point of the tour. He. I show speed has brought a Lot of economic. What would you say? What's the word? Growth. That's the word I was looking for for all the countries he's gone to. Because people love that kid. And so it just was so irritating that this dumb ass would use him in that way. It was embarrassing. They were talking to him crazy. He was so pressed and thirsty. It was racist. I mean it was just awful.

[Dustin]

And speed is young. That was the thing that was, that was. That hit me the most as a man of a certain age.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

That's a young boy. You know what I'm saying? That didn't that what that I thought he handled the situation as well as best he could.

[Francesca]

I wish it was just him and Phantom.

[Dustin]

Right, Exactly.

[Francesca]

It should have just been the two of them just having fun in Dr. That would have been much cooler.

[Dustin]

But you doing that shit to a young boy. I'm not sure how old. Alafalque, what's his name?

[Francesca]

Alofolque. It's basically like fuck it but in Spanish, how people would say it.

[Dustin]

And he's the one who had that. It was like a 48 hour show or some shit. Or they did the. They set a record for the longest stream over in the data or whatever. And it was like all these people in the house.

[Francesca]

I wouldn't be surprised though if it's him.

[Dustin]

One of my American friends, we used to watch that and mess around. But yeah, so you know what I'm saying? But I thought that was fucked up. And I don't like seeing young black guys being put in situations like that. We all, it's happened to all to most of us. You know what I mean? But you know, I'm over 40. I don't like seeing no shit like that. Try that on a grown ass man that can really handle your ass the way you need to be handled for trying it. Instead of this young boy that's confused and just trying to make his money. I ain't like that shit.

[Francesca]

I didn't like it either. But at the same time it's an important mirror because a lot of people are still in denial of what doctor Is really like. You know what I mean? It's a lot of uneducated racist ass people.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

And it's just sad and it sucks and it's hard and it's challenging. Especially I. I do appreciate the newer generation of Dominican kids because they're like really not fucking with that. You see them all over TikTok Tock doing some phenomenal history lessons, talking about Haiti, you know, just. It's I'm. I feel like. I feel like it's turning and I'm praying for it. It's kind of. The kids are no different than our country. Right? Just.

[Dustin]

The kids are trying.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

Did you guys see that clip from the. It was a college commencement. Forgive me, because I don't know the name of the university, but the lady who was given the commencement address was like, and the AI is the new industrial rev. The rise of AI is the new industrial revolution. To an audience of college graduates, people

[Francesca]

who just got their degree.

[Dustin]

They booed the bitch.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Dustin]

They started booing her and. And. And then she brought. She was like, oh, you know, oh, sorry. Or whatever. If you allow me to finish. She said something about back when AI wasn't a thing, and they all applauded. And then she was like. And then she said something else about AI and they booed her ass again.

[Francesca]

She didn't know how to pivot.

[Dustin]

The kids are all right. The kids are all right.

[Francesca]

I'm honestly so grateful. And we have a lot to learn from them, too, on how they advocate and speak up.

[Dustin]

You know, they booed her, and she did that dumb. That Karen's always doing. They try to laugh to mask their peril. Yeah.

[Francesca]

Oh. Oh.

[Dustin]

She turned out. She did all like that.

[Asante]

I'm like, you know what's so funny about that phrase? The kids are all right. I literally just said it the other day when I was on Instagram and I seen.

[Dustin]

Damn.

[Asante]

I don't know the name of the dj, but, you know, like, the. You know, the dance, the. The cha Cha slide. Somebody just put out, like, a new video, and it's like one of those dances. And then, like, the kids are like. They doing, like, the scuba and all those other dances. And I was like, you know what? The kids are dancing. They gonna be all right. I feel like dancing if the kids already ain't fucking.

[Francesca]

You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

So they're not going to. You know, they got to go outside, touch some grass, dance. You know, if they're doing that emo goth dancing outside, that's. That's good enough for me. I just feel like as long as they're active. Remember we were in Atlanta talking about how the birthday friend. We were like, you know, what gives us hope for the future? Like, that phrase, like.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Asante]

The fact that they have that or they've made that. It's such a wit, and it's so unique to them. Like, it's amazing. It gives us.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Thank God for them, my Lord, because. Yeah. This was all very embarrassing to watch. And you know, I've had my own issues with Dr. When a lot of people would ask me, why don't you go do content over there? I'm like, I've tried to work in Dr. Like, I've had a campaign there. I even took my retreat there. But it's just so many.

[Dustin]

Oh, you did?

[Francesca]

Yeah, I'm trying.

[Dustin]

I forgot about that.

[Francesca]

Because there's a part of you that still feels like as troubled as the island is, it's still my. Where my mom was born, you know, it's still my peoples and my family's at. It's still how I was raised. It's so emblazoned, as Mariah would say, and ingrained. And so there's an element of wanting to still be connected. But what I've endured, yeah, it's just been so challenging, so. But that's a conversation for another day.

[Dustin]

Totally get it right.

[Francesca]

So complicated. Bittersweet love. Speaking of traumatized people, I did want to mention this at the top of the show while we still have the majority of the listeners next. So remember we were talking about like the Nature boy documentary, which a lot of you were hitting us saying, y' all gotta watch the 40 part series. Series, Yep. By Hood Horrors, which goes into clearly a lot more depth. Right. It was 40 parts. They say that it's much darker, much worse, and that we would not have felt the same way about Velvet or Kendra if we watch those parts because they absolutely. Or even Aaron.

[Dustin]

They were all complicit.

[Francesca]

They were all complicit. They were being abusive. And their ability to now distance themselves in this Hulu documentary, they just found it laughable.

[Asante]

And so, you know what's crazy? There was a moment, There was a moment towards the end where, damn, I wish I had the. The lady from the Te Chantel. She is.

[Dustin]

Well, I assume she was a lesbian. She looked like she used to play basketball.

[Asante]

She said something that she had.

[Dustin]

She looked like a Y, N. Well, O. She had locks and a lineup and. And she had a polo on.

[Francesca]

I don't. I don't remember Asante. What do you say?

[Asante]

She literally, towards the end, it said something to the effect of like, she wasn't sure if she could believe one of the victims about something. And when she said that, it kind of made me think, like, damn, like, it's gotta suck having been in one of those situations where, you know, you or you were doing some bullshit, like whether someone had controlled you or not, like you were doing some crazy Shit, you were complicit. You were complicit.

[Francesca]

And we saw Kendra in the doc smacking fire out of people just because he told her to.

[Asante]

And I know that a part of that has to fuck with. She wanted to, but that's the thing, right? Like, what was the line of, like, I was being forced to. I was like a la foke. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Like, no, you didn't.

[Dustin]

Right, right. That was good.

[Francesca]

That was good. Nice call back. Thank you.

[Asante]

But yeah, I just. At that one moment.

[Dustin]

Yes, you good professional at that one moment.

[Asante]

When Chantelle doubted that one victim, it kind of made me think about the rest of them being like, you know what? Not that I was letting them off because she was doubting him on something else. She was down that victim on sexual assault, which I thought was kind of fucked up. But then it kind of made me think about some of the other moves that they made.

[Dustin]

And I was like, yeah, like painting their faces. The minute the face paint came out, I would have been like, okay, this is not. Like, this is not. Yeah, well, he didn't have that shit on at first. And the feathers, all of that.

[Francesca]

I didn't know what was.

[Dustin]

I am God. Nah, you are not. You're actually ashy. That's what you are.

[Francesca]

But our listeners had, you know, they were sitting in the background like, please. So, bitch. I was thinking too, you know, we watched Caterpillar and honestly, we've been having these conversations for years now, just about, like, why do people, a lot of people are victims of trauma? I would, I would say most people are. I don't really know too many people that haven't experienced sorrowing things, but I certainly am. But one thing that has come right, has come up a lot on this show is the idea of, like, yeah, but why do some people become so self destructive? Why are other people more resilient? And why is it that we see the sort of fork in the road for people and how they express their trauma? And so I thought we should have a mashup with Crystal's couch next week.

[Dustin]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Where she can. We can walk and walk and talk through these dots.

[Asante]

You made her watch Caterpillar?

[Francesca]

She's about to talk.

[Dustin]

Crystal, who hates color context, is gonna watch Caterpill Pillar.

[Francesca]

Good, thank you. Have to be there. I'm actually kind of annoyed she wasn't

[Dustin]

with us, but thank you so much for this.

[Francesca]

So we're going to assess me a little bit of comedy. No, but that's going to be a good conversation. More of her clinical studies that she can really talk to us, you know, because we come more from an anecdotal perspective. But I love having someone that can really walk us through what's happening. And then, of course, I want to make room. This is where the mashup part comes for Crystal's couch listener questions at the end of the show. So she'll be able to tap into what to do. She'll be able to tap into your questions. So if you have any questions that you'd like for Crystal and us to answer, send them to. You can send them to franfeyfranhey.com you can DM them, you can tweet them. I'll do a prompt on Patreon. Y' all know the vibes. Actually, we need to start mentioning our official email account because I feel like we. We forgetting it's info. Right. Atthefriendzonepodcast.com.

[Dustin]

yup. So for business inquiries, you want to hire us?

[Francesca]

Yes. We always forget to mention it. I'm actually double checking because it's still a relatively new email. I want to make sure that. Hold on. Yes. Info atthefriendzonepodcast.com I was correct. So you can send your questions there.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Or wherever you can reach us. Or reach me. And then I'll compile. I'll compile all the questions for Crystal and then that'll be next week's episode.

[Dustin]

I can't wait.

[Francesca]

It's gonna be good.

[Dustin]

I want her to wear her Crystal's couch hair, too. I like that hair on her. I told her it looks so good on her.

[Francesca]

So that's gonna be next week, so make sure you guys send in your questions so that we have a nice, full, well rounded conversation.

[Dustin]

I love Crystal so much.

[Francesca]

I can't wait.

[Dustin]

I cannot wait.

[Francesca]

And we haven't had her on the show in so long, so it's gonna be fun to work together. So just want to throw that out there before we got into more of the conversation. So last week on the show, we shared our carts. Carts. Everyone has those carts on their computers that are full of the shoes they're waiting on, the outfits they're waiting on. Summer, spring, some fall things you're pinning. And because of that, we're spending a lot of money. I know all of us are guilty, but one thing that I have noticed is that when I go on Poshmark, they have half of the things I have in the cart because either someone bought it and they missed their return window, or maybe they thought they could keep it. Whatever the case may be they're selling it for much cheaper than you would be getting it in that cart of yours. And so I think you should consider looking through Poshmark for those items you have pinned before you really do some damage in your shopping. Because Poshmark is the leading fashion resale market and it's shaped by real people and real style. Millions of new and pre loved items from daily wardrobe staples to vintage and luxury fashion. They have archive worthy pieces that you maybe thought you missed forever. Current Essentials 1 of 1 Vintage finds it's all there. I'm telling you. You can literally find anything from Phoebe Philo era Celine to old Fendi's. I actually found these really cute Fendi snakeskin shoes. They look like they're from the 70s. I couldn't even tell you. But they are perfect and I've never seen them anywhere and I'm so glad to have them. And when you're ready for a closet refresh, you can earn real money selling the pieces you're ready to part with, reaching more than 80 million users on the platform. I know you have some things with tags still on them. I know you have some things that you have been staring at saying I'm gonna wear it next time, I'm gonna wear it next time. And then you still not wearing it next time, go ahead and put it on Poshmark. Like I said, it's perfect for buying and it's perfect for selling. Find what feels like you shop and share your style on Poshmark today. New deals and styles are listed every day, so don't walk, run, download the Poshmark app and use Code Zone when you sign up to get $10 off your first purchase or shop now at poshmark.comzone and get $10 off your first purchase. That's P O S H M A R K.com zone happy shopping. As routines shift and summer plans begin, it's easy for learning to take a backseat. I Excel, however, makes its simple to stay sharp and keep skills fresh in just a few minutes a day. I Excel is an award winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning, whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and writing skills, or reviewing science concepts. IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the U.S. and studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests and it's been proven in all 50 states. We've mentioned on the show for the past few years that we highly support ixl. They are wonderful for kids especially with the summer coming up. I actually think this is really where this program shines because we are constantly trying to keep these kids stimulated without interfering in their fun, but also just not wanting them to come back to school in the fall completely numb, completely clueless and just having a hard time getting back on track. Just a few minutes a day will help them stay there. So I highly support ixl, especially for those children in the summer. 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 iexcel.com friendzone to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Happy learning.

[Dustin]

Y' all know what time it is. Your outdoor space should feel like you, but it can take a long time to get there. And I'm talking about things that I know. Fran and Asante, y' all both know that I just got my place a year ago and I have a large outdoor terrace that I'm so grateful for. But it takes a long time to improve that, to get all the things to even figure out what you need for the outdoor space. It takes a long time, right? But enter Wayfair to help you out with all that. Whether your vibe is modern, coastal, which I love, farmhouse or eclectic, Wayfair has the pieces to create an outdoor space that is uniquely yours. And I can speak about this again because I ordered several items from my rooftop from Wayfair, from an outdoor rug to a couple tables for my terrace like things to just make it feel more comfortable and homey but in an outdoorsy way. And it really worked out. And after I got my Wayfair delivery, which was seamless right from the truck to the door, everything was was intact. No scratches, no bumps, no bangs. And adding those pieces gave my terrace the exact feel that I wanted. A lived in terrace feeling. So with filters, customer reviews, visual tools, all the things that can help you actually imagine how the item will look in your space, Wayfair makes it simple to narrow down what works for your style and your budget. They have everything from outdoor seating, y', all, grills, lighting and decor. Wayfair is literally your one stop shop for home installation and assembly. Services are also available so that you can create a truly seamless experience. And if you want an even faster shortcut to the good stuff, shop Wayfair verified. And these are products that their team of specialists have vetted by hand using a 10 point quality inspection. And they do it on video. Those really help you out while you're shopping, too. It gives you a different look at the item, a different. A different feel for it. You can compare it in size to the person speaking about it. It's just a really useful tool. And I love that about Wayfair. So get prepped for patio season. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W A Y F A I R dot com. Wayfair, Every style, every home.

[Francesca]

Also, guess what I did this weekend.

[Asante]

What'd you do, girl?

[Francesca]

I went golfing.

[Asante]

Oh, okay.

[Dustin]

How was it?

[Francesca]

It was so cute. First of all, that shit is long.

[Dustin]

What did you wear?

[Francesca]

Golf clothes.

[Dustin]

You had on, like, khakis?

[Francesca]

No, it's like this. I don't know what kind of material. It's. They're. They're like these stretchier pants. They kind of look like a trouser. It's like a trouser athleisure mix.

[Dustin]

Got it.

[Francesca]

The little collared. Sure. It was cute.

[Dustin]

He had little gloves on. That's cute.

[Francesca]

No, I didn't have gloves.

[Dustin]

That's cute, right?

[Francesca]

But it was so cute because it was long. It really was. I had no idea. That takes hours. What the.

[Dustin]

That's why be out there getting drunk and doing business deals.

[Francesca]

And I peeped. And they absolutely were getting drunk by the end of the 20th. No. Oh, no. Because it was one of those, like, elevated golf courses. But it was the country club. Yes. But what I loved was it was just all of us were black.

[Asante]

Oh, even better.

[Francesca]

And so it was interesting seeing how uncomfortable a lot of the white people were. And then this one guy was like. He, like, drove up in the golf. I realized later he was part of the people that managed the property. But he, like, drove up in the golf cart and sits watching us. And I was so confused. Like, what's happening? So much. Yeah. My partner turns to him and says, you good, right? And he was like, oh, yeah, yeah. Just, you know, just watching y' all have a good time. And then he comes up to me and, like, gives me a tip on, like, something about. Because, you know, I've never played before, but I just thought, like, I didn't ask, but also.

[Dustin]

Right.

[Francesca]

I guess I. It was expected because white men are going to. White men. Yeah.

[Dustin]

But anyway, you're never alone.

[Francesca]

As a black person, you are never alone. Mind you. We were so far up in some hill that it was like, how did you even care to drive over here? But I had never played Real golf. I've always played, you know, the kiddies. Yeah. Or like, what's the virtual ones? Or topgolf, like the simulated.

[Dustin]

You were on the green.

[Francesca]

Yes. Real deal. We played a part three, and it was just so fun. And I actually ended up having fabulous beginner's luck. That's what I got. They were like, no, this ain't no type of game where it's beginners luck. They were like, you have a natural.

[Asante]

You've been here before.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Your ass used to be a golfing ass person.

[Francesca]

Because I was kind of feeling like. I think it's because they're such great guys. And I think when they don't have any ego involved, all of them were just trying to help me and giving me tips and being like, hold your shoulders like this. You know, do this. Put your feet like this. And I think that helps, right? Because you don't feel like you're holding them back. It was like me and a bunch of guys.

[Dustin]

I'm so glad you went.

[Francesca]

It was. I never go with them because I am one of those people that. I feel like your partner has to have something space to do things, you know, like, those are need mine, period. He needs to have his hobbies,

[Dustin]

Dash,

[Francesca]

ellipsey, you know, like, you need to have your own interests, your own hobbies, your friends, your things that you go do. Like, I think that's so important. And so when he goes on his golf trips with his friends, that's very much their thing. But for some reason, they were like, on the phone, like, Fran, are. I was like, what? No. And they were like, come. Like, we want you to come. We think it'll be fun if you come. And I was like, oh.

[Dustin]

And it was. I'm sure.

[Francesca]

Okay. I was like, fine, I'll come.

[Dustin]

You had the course lit.

[Francesca]

It was so much fun. And now they want me to come all the time, which I'm not gonna do, because I feel like y', all, they.

[Dustin]

Your golfing buddies, what they do.

[Francesca]

They were like.

[Asante]

They were like the golfing bug, everybody.

[Francesca]

Yeah. It was so fun. They were like, we go on trips, and you need to. I was using their clothes.

[Asante]

You about to get some. I know, right?

[Dustin]

About to get some gloves for the times you go.

[Francesca]

No, you already know. I got home and I was like, women's Nike.

[Dustin]

What is it? Tit list? What's the company Tight list or whatever

[Asante]

it is, you know, you wish you got home, you was in the car, like, hey.

[Francesca]

Hey, Siri. Size eight?

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Size eight. Coffees.

[Dustin]

I got You a visor. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

No, that's what they were saying. They were like, oh, gosh, God, you about to have. You about to be pulling up in cute ass fits. And golf is. I didn't know they had, like, golf dresses and skirts and shit. Yes, but outside of that, it was so much fun, y'. All. Like, I didn't realize that golf was this damn fun, you know, right before

[Dustin]

the pandemic, I knew right before the pandemic I bought some golf lessons that I never was able to use because of the pandemic. And after all this time, I haven't even followed up with them here in New York. I haven't even followed up with I need to, because it's still my money. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Right, right, right.

[Dustin]

But.

[Francesca]

And that was a re. You know, that was a reason, I'm sure.

[Dustin]

Hell, yeah.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

And I wanted to do it because nobody. None of my friends or none of my. Nobody in my social circle. Right. Is golfing like that. And I thought it'd be a great place to go take meetings, you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

And shit like that.

[Dustin]

Like, go, let's go on a golf course.

[Francesca]

Those country clubs are beautiful. My neighbo pays $600 a month for the. Gosh, yes. And he says the way it works is that you either pay the 600 or you spend 600, like, you know, in food and drinks, which is really easy to do, obviously, golfing, but that's one good night, you know what I'm saying? But I just. It's like. It was just so much fun. And I had no idea. I've always thought that golf was just sort of like this lazy up. Sorry to say that. It's true. I just thought it was like this uppity sort of like they're just walking around hitting balls. But no, it's actually wasp, you know, it's actually fun. And it's so. And it's extra fun when you're with black people doing it. I'm sorry. We had so much fun. We were laughing. We were hitting. Like when you'd had a really bad hit. The way that everyone busts out laughing, like, I don't know. I just think it's so good. Everyone else looks so stuffy playing in their crews, and we was having a ball. It also made me laugh because one of our friends had a little speaker. I was like, no, you're not about to play music. He had the playlist. Playlist, jamming, which had me Rolling. Cause they're drinking. He had a black bag from the bodega with snacks in it. And he kept holding it in his hand, walking from hole to hole. And my partner was like, bro, you can't walk around with the damn bodega bag. Like, come on now. You got us looking crazy out here. He had beef jerky in it.

[Dustin]

And thank God. Okay. Because I bet you that was tasting like a Thanksgiving meal.

[Francesca]

As much as we made fun of his little bodega bag, we was digging in his dance.

[Dustin]

It kept making noise. I bet you kept hearing that bag rattle, did you? Yeah.

[Francesca]

By the 15th hole. No, that was hours. Like, I did not know that.

[Dustin]

How many carts did y'. All.

[Francesca]

And then out in the sun. No, we didn't. We didn't do the carts because I was also with very athletic men that was like, no, no, no. We got to do our walk and

[Asante]

get our cardio in.

[Francesca]

Walk the course as good as healthy. I was like, oh, Jesus Christ. But I didn't mind because I got my steps in. But it was also 80 degrees.

[Dustin]

Okay. That pasture, you like, God damn.

[Francesca]

Like a D rolling hill. But all that to say if any of our listeners are golfers, especially the women listening. I need to hear your experiences, your thoughts. Where are you golfing? Because I've caught the bug.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Yes friends.

[Francesca]

And our golfing friends. Yes. It's so fun. I totally get it now. And I'm gonna start golfing. I want to take some lessons so that I can learn the proper technique.

[Asante]

She finna eat y' all up on a damn golf.

[Francesca]

Let me tell you.

[Asante]

Meet me on the green. God damn it.

[Francesca]

I was like, I want to have golf events like.

[Asante]

This is.

[Dustin]

I think that's cool. I think that's so.

[Asante]

Don't you?

[Francesca]

That would be so sweet.

[Asante]

What is it? Spectate. I come spectate, girl, me too.

[Dustin]

And some spectator shoes. I get some oxfords. Come out there.

[Francesca]

I'm so ready to get a cute fit.

[Dustin]

You know, nocta has. I have a Nocta golf pullover and visor right now upstairs.

[Francesca]

Really?

[Dustin]

My noctis. And funny story, we were at a gifting suite for Nike, and they sent you in in groups of eight to shop. It was for, like, the VMAs.

[Francesca]

Remember when we went to.

[Dustin]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Shout out to NJ.

[Dustin]

Shout out to NJ. Baby, we love you. Not just. We appreciate that, like, period. Yeah. And you know, she doing good. I don't want to say who she worked for now, but she doing good.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Asante]

So anyway,

[Dustin]

that year, fabulous was a part of My group of eight, him and his son, his oldest son, and me and him grabbed the pullover at the same time and we busted out laughing. He's like, you got it.

[Francesca]

You got it.

[Dustin]

I was like, okay, I ain't arguing

[Asante]

because I wanted it.

[Francesca]

You can get this anywhere. Yeah, that's. So anyway. Yes, Yes. I caught the bug. I think it's lovely and I'm excited to play. I want to take some lessons and that's probably going to be my new thing now for summer too. And just moving forward. Yeah. I think it's important to have hobbies and it's healthy. Yeah. And it's good. You're moving your body, you're walking. I like the social aspect. Like, we had. When I tell you we had had so much fun, I did not think. Now I understand why they go so, like, so often regularly like that. Because at first I was like, not y' all trying to be uppity because y' all in Oregon playing Go, they

[Dustin]

weren't trying to be uppity. They went out there and got down. That's what they did. So, friend, how long. How many hours in total were you on the course?

[Francesca]

OMG. We got there at 10:30 and we didn't leave till 3.

[Dustin]

Yeah. It's an all day thing. Yeah.

[Francesca]

And 80 degree weather and y' all walking and. Right. And you know, it's. Obviously that's going to be contingent upon how many people are with you because you have to wait. And then it's a par three, which means you have three hits, like, to get it in the hole. So everyone's doing their three and then there's additional. If you didn't get the three, you know, so it's like. And then I was the newbie too, so I'm taking a little more time because they're showing me how to stand and all the things. But they were so impressed because they were like, for this being your first game, the fact that you're hitting forward, straight towards it, as opposed to the side through the trees, they said they was hitting in every direction but forward. And the fact that they're like, no, no, no. Yeah. I was able to progress with them, which they found. I think that's why they would, like, come back. Like, this was mad fun.

[Dustin]

She actually. She good, y'. All.

[Asante]

Yeah, I think there's some.

[Francesca]

I think there's a part of them that wants to see me progress, which is why they were like, you have to come back. Like, if this was your first game. We want to see how. How Much better. You do if you.

[Asante]

Yeah. You become an actual. A full on golfer.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I was like, yo, I'm gonna think about it.

[Asante]

But Frank, go ahead and add that to your tool. I know. That's so cute.

[Francesca]

I kind of love that. And then I started going on TikTok. There's so many dope black girls that are phenomenal at golf and have like, crews the way they do the run clubs. There's like golf clubs with black women. I'm like, so impressed. And even my. My partner's older sister, she. She said that she had actually just started playing too. Asante. The one that's the sheriff. And she was showing me her cute outfit.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Was like, girl, you have more outfits than sessions that you've gone to. Like, that's crazy.

[Dustin]

You know who looks like they golf? Who and would be good at it?

[Asante]

Lunel, I know you're about to say something.

[Dustin]

She's sturdy.

[Asante]

She's sturdy. Wow.

[Dustin]

Lunel, get out there in a frock. You know what I'm saying? She get out there in a printed frock with some seat with sequin around the. The collar and the bottom and some little shoes and hit that golf ball. Yeah. With our nails and cussing. With a cigarette hanging out her mouth. Lunell can golf. I think she'd be a good golfer.

[Francesca]

You are so her. I'll be sure.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Which there's. So that's too cute together. But I was also the only woman outside of. Of the only black woman, but just the only woman, period. And so that was really interesting too. I guess I'm not surprised being out here. Yo, you are so crazy.

[Asante]

Crazy.

[Dustin]

You integrated that golf course.

[Francesca]

No, but yeah. I'm excited. I feel like I just clicked into something new. That is fun. You did.

[Dustin]

That's really dope, though. For real.

[Francesca]

I know.

[Dustin]

That's dope.

[Asante]

Hell yes.

[Francesca]

I totally get it. Now. Shout out to the golfers out there.

[Dustin]

I'm gonna get you the covers for your clubs.

[Francesca]

I'm gonna stop judging y'. All.

[Dustin]

I'm gonna find. I'm gonna find you a nice terracotta color.

[Francesca]

You so. Well, literally the color my baby and I ald. I'm a Leon Dore. If anyone wears their brand, they just dropped a whole new garment golf collection. And I felt like she already.

[Dustin]

She already already stitched. If you go on in the golf

[Francesca]

family on door right now, it's a brand that I wear. So when I saw that their new

[Dustin]

collection already found the fly. Listen to her.

[Francesca]

I sounded like the electric cars.

[Dustin]

Yeah, yeah. You heard them angelic voices.

[Francesca]

Because the new path opens. But anyways.

[Asante]

Oh, I want to know in the

[Francesca]

comments, ladies specifically, but also the men, everyone who plays. I just want to. I just want to nerd out a little bit about golf. So hit me.

[Dustin]

You don't make me do it, too.

[Asante]

Like, Fran, dude, don't. Don't leave no comment. Okay.

[Dustin]

We can go on golf trips. We can go to all the beautiful golf courses. All I'm about to learn.

[Francesca]

That's what we were saying. We were like. Because they were like, bro, if you get good at this, we could, like, make this a thing. Like, now this is a new thing you'll want to do when you travel. Go travel to the beautiful golf courses around the world.

[Dustin]

World's best courses.

[Francesca]

Yeah. We saw when we were at Nevis, when I did that partnership with Four Seasons, they had the most phenomenal golf course. I remember thinking, wow, I wish I played golf, because it was stunning. Like, people travel the world for these golf courses. So now I'm kind of excited to build the skill set just because it's like, I want to pop out and be like, oh, you know, well, let's go play golf tomorrow morning.

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

What?

[Dustin]

In Bali? Hell, friend.

[Francesca]

Go playing golf.

[Dustin]

And then when you get your next home where you have the land that we talked about, you can have a course.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God. Imagine that would be ultra bougie, though. Yeah. We have a golf course in the back.

[Dustin]

Or you can buy a home on the golf course fr.

[Francesca]

Imagine that. I don't know. We'll see. I'm very excited about this. It's just so fun.

[Dustin]

I think I wouldn't be in my master bath walking barefoot on the marble heated marble floors on my home, on the golf course. Sure would walk into my closet. It looks like three bedrooms. Are you crazy? Yes.

[Francesca]

I also was making fun of them because they had what I was calling all the hood golf shoes.

[Dustin]

Oh, really?

[Francesca]

I didn't know golf shoes. You can make them like. Like, they can look like ones Jordans. Like, dunks. They look like the other Jordan. And of course, this whole crew had all of them.

[Dustin]

They all got their golf shoes at flight club. Huh?

[Francesca]

I was like, y' all couldn't just get, like, a regular golf shoe. It had to be a dunk. It was like, that's the point of us being here. Like, what are you talking about?

[Asante]

They were like, absolutely, yeah.

[Francesca]

But anyways, enough.

[Dustin]

That's so dope, friends.

[Asante]

I love that.

[Francesca]

I know. I'm excited. I think when you're older you just get excited about hobbies, right?

[Asante]

You know, it's so funny that you said all of that because I kept thinking so a few days ago, you

[Dustin]

know, the

[Asante]

dusty, you know, beauty and black friend. I know you're not so.

[Francesca]

I mean, I know beauty and black.

[Asante]

Okay, so, you know, I saw the first season. You know the. You know Horace. You know the gentleman that played Horace. Horace, right.

[Dustin]

Terrell Carter. Oh, no, Horace. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The older.

[Asante]

So let me look him up because

[Francesca]

I don't know who that is.

[Asante]

I can't remember his name, but respect to him. When I was in Atlanta in October for the one music festival, I seen him and we spoke and he was just super, super cool. So respect.

[Dustin]

I think he's got a good body.

[Asante]

He's got. He's actually a very fit gentleman. Right to my point.

[Francesca]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

What's his name? Nico.

[Francesca]

In real life?

[Dustin]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Does it say so?

[Francesca]

I'm just looking at pictures.

[Dustin]

Hold on.

[Asante]

Let me give this man his flowers real quick.

[Francesca]

It says Rico Ross.

[Dustin]

Rico.

[Asante]

I said Nico Ross. Shout out to you, Rico, don't start this. Shout out to you Rico Ross. Because on his Instagram he was showing like exercises. He was like, you know, as you get older, you know, when you. You trip sometimes, you know it actually hurts you. And the reason why is because you got to work out those muscles down there. He was showing like little exercises to work those out, just being fit. And I was like, damn, you know what?

[Dustin]

I look down.

[Asante]

Well, no, he was talking about in your ankles. Oh.

[Dustin]

So he thought it was a different

[Francesca]

a n. You know what?

[Asante]

So he was giving tips on that. I know that's important.

[Dustin]

Dirty joke. You're dirty. I see you. Everybody knows you. You're dirty.

[Asante]

So he was doing fit exercises for older people. And I thought that was important. And then the other night, I had

[Dustin]

a dream about rock climbing.

[Asante]

First of all, I dream very few and far in between. But I was like, damn. I'm thinking about all those times that I've just seen those people in the facilities, like on shows and shit, and how I thought it was cool and I just never went.

[Francesca]

It's fun.

[Asante]

I was like, I need to go down there. Like, I finally have like the time space and like the places where those are I to go to the rock climbing spot. I don't know why I've been waiting to do it, but I'm about to look that up probably this week or next week.

[Francesca]

It looks fun. We. It looks fun.

[Asante]

It's always looked fun.

[Francesca]

We have A friend out here who. That's like, his shit. He's, like, there every weekend. And so every once in a while we'll pop in on him because, you know, my partner's just really active. All his friends are very active. It's cool. I love that. Being around people that all have, like, these really cool hobbies. Yeah, it's very motivating.

[Asante]

It's good to have friends that are always on Go.

[Francesca]

No, truly. Because then in the weekend, when they're calling you, it's like, yo, do you want to come do this? Come do that? And it's all just really active shit. I think it's great.

[Dustin]

And so now, why y' all don't apply that same logic to me inviting you to the club? Club. I would like to know that. It's great to have a friend that likes to party. Because then when he calls me on the weekend to go out, y' all hang up on me.

[Francesca]

I'm too old to be up that late. I'd be sleepy by nine now.

[Dustin]

Anyway. Go ahead. I'm invested in the rock climbing story, so.

[Asante]

Go ahead.

[Francesca]

No, but I. That's another thing that I was like. I think maybe I had rock climbed as a younger person. And when you do the little bullshitty ones that are just like, like, you know, underwhelming, you just climb, you're like, yay.

[Asante]

It's like you took you off the ground, you're looking down, you're like, damn.

[Francesca]

That was it, right? This is so. This was like, oh, my God, this is hard. And it takes a lot of thinking because you gotta, like, figure out, okay, if I put my leg like this. Yeah. You know, and then, boy, challenging, but really fun. You feel so proud, too, once if you listen.

[Dustin]

Rock climbing makes me horny. All that stretching and. And putting your ass in my face.

[Francesca]

I will say I felt uncomfortable because my ass is all up in air dam. And then when they were showing me pictures, I look like. I look like one of. I was at onyx climbing ass

[Asante]

about to pass out.

[Francesca]

I was like, God damn. I couldn't even focus from pictures.

[Asante]

Was it my birthday again?

[Dustin]

They thought you just got a smile and turn around and smile.

[Francesca]

But it's funny seeing all these white people, like, look at the pictures. I was like, great.

[Asante]

Like, who else has these pictures? What your partner say? Fred.

[Francesca]

He was like. He told his friend, let me hold on to these. But I just, you know, I gotta consider the pants look.

[Asante]

Next time chick harness colors. Make sure the color scheme, make it pop out.

[Francesca]

Leggings with a crop hoodie might not be the look as you consider.

[Dustin]

Welcome to the Friends.

[Asante]

This week's podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the ultimate website platform that catapults you from invisible to iconic. Whether you're igniting your first idea or turbocharging a thriving business, Squarespace arms you with everything you need to dominate online. Build a jaw dropping professional website, grab your dream domain, skyrocket your brand and get paid all on Squarespace. Get discovered fast with integrated Squarespace SEO tools. Every website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions and auto generated site maps, app and more so you show up more often on search engines and bring in more of your real customers. With Squarespace's collection of cutting edge design tools, anyone can build a beautiful professional online presence that perfectly fits their brand or business. Start with Blueprint AI, Squarespace's AI Enhanced Design partner, or choose from a library of professionally designed and award winning website templates. No matter where you start, your website is flexible to what you need with intuitive drag and drop editing, beautiful styling options, unrivaled visual design effects on brand, AI content and more ways to list what you offer. No experience required. Check out squarespace.com friendzone for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use code FRIENDZONE to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com friendzone for a free trial and code FRIENDZONE to save ten off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Francesca]

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[Dustin]

Y' all know what time it is. Your outdoor space should feel like you, but it can take a long time to get there. And I'm talking about things that I know. Fran and Asante, y' all both know that I just got my place a year ago and I have a large outdoor terrace that I'm so grateful for. But it takes a long time to improve that, to get all the things to even figure out what you need for the outdoor space. It takes a long time, right? But enter Wayfair to help you out with all that. Whether your vibe is modern, coastal, which I love, farmhouse or eclectic, Wayfair has the pieces to create an outdoor space that is uniquely yours. And I can speak about this again because I ordered several items from my rooftop from Wayfair, from an outdoor rug to a couple tables for my terrace. Things to just make it feel more comfortable and homey, but in an outdoorsy way. And it really worked out. And after I got my Wayfair delivery, which was seamless right from the truck to the door, everything was was intact. No scratches, no bumps, no bangs. And adding those pieces gave my terrace the exact feel that I wanted, a lived in terrace feeling. So with filters, customer reviews, visual tools, all the things that can help you actually imagine how the item will look in your space. Wayfair makes it simple to narrow down what works for your style and your budget. They have everything from outdoor seating, y', all, grill, lighting and decor. Wayfair is literally your one stop shop for home installation and assembly. Services are also available so that you can create a truly seamless experience. And if you want an even faster shortcut to the good stuff, shop Wayfair Verified. And these are products that their team of specialists have vetted by hand using a 10 point quality inspection. And they do it on video. Those really help you out while you're shopping too. It gives you a different look at the item, different feel for it. You can compare it in size to the person speaking about it. It's just a really useful tool and I love that about Wayfair. So get prepped for patio season. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W A Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home.

[Francesca]

Yes. Rock cribbing.

[Asante]

Yeah. While you talking about golf, think about your fitness and hobbies as an adult. As an older person, I thought to myself, damn, this is from everything. I was thinking about rock climbing when I was watching Oakley on Twitter, y'.

[Dustin]

All.

[Asante]

I mean, crazy. That was purely fun.

[Francesca]

No, you have so much fun. I'll go with you too. Next time I'm in the city with you, I'll go with you because that'll be fun.

[Asante]

Because, Fran, I don't know if you remember or Destin2, but my old apartment, there was actually a rock hunter common wall in there.

[Francesca]

A golf course. I wouldn't be surprised.

[Asante]

So when we were talking about golf, I thought about that simulator too. I was like, oh, damn, I should have hit that.

[Dustin]

That was a nice building and apartment.

[Francesca]

It was for real, hands down on a coolest concept.

[Asante]

That was a nice ass apartment. Now it was New York, so it still had its issues.

[Francesca]

You know when they say, would you rather cry in a Maybach? I cry in the building with the issue.

[Dustin]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Asante]

Thank you. Yes.

[Dustin]

That always puts things in perspective.

[Francesca]

Let me tell you. When you walk out and see that. That lobby with that water form, with that. With the concierge, the way I would

[Dustin]

have been bank head bouncing and doing TLC in my imagination.

[Francesca]

The lockers where no one stole your packages.

[Asante]

I'm telling you, it's just nothing. Like, it was just nothing better than, like, having that piece of, like, New York is not a home place. So, like, to have a. A nice. A nice building. But like a nice building, a nice lobby, nice walkways, like. Like everything was just nice. A nice park on the road.

[Francesca]

It had its own damn roof with the hammocks and the egg chairs.

[Dustin]

And then it was like. It felt like an adventure because you could walk across it and like, to other stuff.

[Asante]

You go all the way around and there were stairs that took you down and then up and then.

[Dustin]

You know, I like. I love lights. And so, like at nighttime when we was up there, all them lights and shit, I was in heaven.

[Francesca]

Oh, that's right.

[Asante]

At nighttime, one of the. One of the most beautiful moments there. Fourth of July.

[Francesca]

Oh, I bet.

[Asante]

Fourth of July. Oh, my God, it was. It's not even the best view, but it's its own view.

[Dustin]

You ain't even looking around you in the. You. I wasn't looking at nothing but us, right? I was having a Good time type shit.

[Asante]

Right?

[Dustin]

That was great.

[Francesca]

That was a cute place too, to have a crush. Would you Anyway, that I could see that being so cute to have a crush. Like, if you invite them and y' all walk up to that roof part

[Dustin]

at night in robes so you can open them up and hug. Ain't nothing like hugging somebody naked.

[Francesca]

And Asante had a supermarket in his fucking building. So when we was being hungry and munchy, you just popped down to the lobby.

[Asante]

Yep.

[Dustin]

Are you kidding right there? That's if you move back to New York, which we hope you do.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Dustin]

Though you might as well move right back there. That building was perfect.

[Francesca]

I would honestly.

[Asante]

Two bedrooms.

[Francesca]

The neighborhood so far for me, like. Yeah, you know what?

[Asante]

And that was the thing. I like to be a little out the way.

[Francesca]

But it worked for you.

[Asante]

It worked for me. And. But then it also taught me because there were many years that I just only use the L train as like a connector for things. Not like a local stop, but locally. The L train blessed me. And I have to.

[Francesca]

I used to go thrifting, like, right.

[Asante]

Like, it was just like, do I take the L train?

[Dustin]

I guess I advantage.

[Asante]

But the L train, you know that. But the L train was actually a very.

[Dustin]

For me.

[Asante]

I had train luck. I remember hearing about the L train always being out of service and needing some service. But the L train blessed me many times.

[Francesca]

I bet.

[Dustin]

I bet when I first moved to New York, when. I mean, like the first week that I moved here, I was on the L train for some reason. Probably going to see a boy or some shit. But I was on the L train. And I will never, ever forget, it was these black girls. It was probably like four or five of them. They. They probably had to be like 19 to 25. And it was two rats in the train car. This is the first time I ever experienced a rat on a train car. But the way that these black girls. You talking about trauma. The way that these black girls were screaming and acting like they were about to literally, they were acting like they were under attack. They was jumping up, like, jumping up, putting their feet on the thing, like, screaming, huddling with each other. And I remember wanting to laugh, but I felt. Felt like I had to wait. I couldn't laugh, like, right in their face. You know what I'm saying? So by the time I got off, I just remember passing out from laughter because they were literally acting like they were terrified for real. They were flat out terrified and screaming at the top of their lungs.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

And that's my train memory. Yeah.

[Francesca]

Oh, I loved my building in Flatbush. That was.

[Dustin]

Oh, that was gorgeous.

[Asante]

I loved your building too.

[Dustin]

That apartment.

[Francesca]

What, the elevator opening up to the living room. But that concrete walls. Oh my God, hands down, the best apartment I've ever had. I don't even know if I can beat that, to be honest. Especially the elevator opening up. The management kind of similar to what you were saying. It's like New York management for apartments. I don't miss that shit. Hell, every time. Literal hell.

[Asante]

Like as many people that live there, y' all can't hire nobody to acquire.

[Francesca]

And as much rent this stuff, you know, like as much rent once you're paying rents that are up in that price range. Exactly. I shouldn't be asking you about heat.

[Dustin]

I call it outcast rent. Keep your heart three stacks.

[Asante]

For real.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Asante]

And you know what's crazy?

[Francesca]

What?

[Asante]

Oh my God. Okay, so this is just my little, you know, I've left New York thing. That's that I'm going through right now. Right. So first of all, I love the fact that everything is more affordable. So certain inconveniences are like, like fine. Like now I have to pay for parking. It's like fine. If I would have had to do that in New York, that would have pissed me.

[Dustin]

Another car note. Parking. Parking is like at least $750. If you want to do a monthly and you got a car here, be prepared to pay at least $750 a month just to park.

[Francesca]

I remember that in my Harlem apartment they had that in. And it's like a little ass parking lot too. So I'm sure even if you paid, searching, fighting people. I remember it was $300. It was like 3, 350 and right. I guess it's not as bad as 7, but 3 is still a lot you got. Right. You're right. Because I moved out of there, what, 10 years ago.

[Asante]

The reason that I said that that was crazy was because at my. The last apartment we was just talking about that was so beautiful that I had. I remember they. People were complaining about the parking garage because there was. That kept happening in there. Like I said. Guess stuff kept falling on cars. I don't know what the was going

[Dustin]

on, but they were charging being in a parking garage and something falling on you.

[Asante]

No, you don't even. Dustin. Whoa. Mine isn't falling on my car. Like I think I told y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Asante]

There's this like pretty ass BMW in my parking garage now.

[Dustin]

And.

[Asante]

But it's this really pretty burnt orange Color. But the roof. The. But the roof of it is. Sorry.

[Dustin]

Because I'll be back in my car in. Well, it depends on how they park. If they park. If they keep it in our back end so we'd be by each other. Excuse me. How you doing? They'd be back. Orange.

[Francesca]

That feels loaded. Asante.

[Dustin]

Do you only see them in the parking garage or do they live near you in the complex? Cause that would change everything. If it's somebody.

[Asante]

I feel like I've already stumbled, so I just am not comfortable enough to play anymore.

[Francesca]

He said, I've said too much.

[Dustin]

When I first moved to New York, I used to see my neighbor naked through the window. Like he. In my kitchen window. He was fine, too. Real shit. And he was nice. He was always so nice. Like when I'd be outside and stuff. What's up, man? I'd be like, shit, what's up? But through my kitchen window, you could see into this window that you could see, like in a main space, like a hallway. He would walk through and he would get out the shower and be butt naked, just walking through the crib.

[Francesca]

That used to be me and my father.

[Dustin]

I'd be naked in my. In my loft all the time. These windows are huge.

[Francesca]

Also, I was on a much lower floor than you. I had no business on the second floor, babe. It's a bad habit, though. I've always been that. I know, but still, you can't be walking.

[Dustin]

Jumping jack ax.

[Francesca]

That's when I will walk outside. Everyone on the street be like, hey.

[Asante]

I'm like, hi, listen, I live on a new street. We got to set the tone. We living over here.

[Dustin]

I get respect here.

[Asante]

Here, you guys, they're charging me for parking. And actually I haven't had to pay for parking yet, which I'm excited about.

[Francesca]

How much is it?

[Asante]

Just $100.

[Francesca]

Oh, shit.

[Dustin]

How have you been able to evade that?

[Asante]

So they're parking on the street? No, they're doing some work there. They're trying to. So I had a. I had a. A gripe about this, right? Because a. I just felt like when I got my car, I was like, hey, I got a car. I need access to the garage. And they were like, okay, bet it's a hundred dollars a month. I was like, you know, I felt two ways about it. I felt like, oh, why not? But the other way I felt about it is like, well, why is this not included in rent? Like. Like, why don't it come with that? Especially. Especially because it's not like a numbered spot. So I feel like if I have

[Francesca]

to pay for it, I was similar to Harlem. It's like, first come, first go. And that don't make no sense.

[Asante]

So if I'm paying for it, why am I not getting an actual dedicated spot?

[Francesca]

Right. Right.

[Asante]

You know, if you're not gonna include it in my rent, you're gonna. It's an aftercharge. It should be like, okay, great. You get, like, you get to choose. Or, you know, they're already. We already filled up. These are the ones available. Like. Like, you should have some sort of selection. Peace of mind to know. Yes.

[Dustin]

Number one, is there ample parking? Like, do you ever run out of spaces to park in? Or is there always somewhere for you to park?

[Asante]

There's always somewhere to park. It's just that there are levels to

[Dustin]

the garage, so you have a further distance to get to your unit.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin]

Depending on where you park.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin]

Second question. If you don't park in the garage, what other options would you have for parking your car?

[Asante]

There are other places to park. I am just not doing that.

[Dustin]

Got it. Okay.

[Asante]

Like. Like, so I live on a newer.

[Francesca]

Especially with a brand new car.

[Dustin]

I totally understand.

[Asante]

I live on a newer street and there is parallel parking and a lot of people do it. And it's beautiful. Actually walking by a lot of beautiful cars at random times. Like, oh, this is just so lovely. Like, I just feel like I have a new life and just walking by a bunch of new cars, a new development. I'm like, oh, new. Like. But you do. Unfortunately, the world is too real.

[Dustin]

New body.

[Asante]

Right? Coming soon. So I.

[Dustin]

None of y'. All.

[Asante]

People were warning. They were saying, don't park on that new street because. And I hear at night sometimes cars be flying. They'd be like, oh, pavement. You know, I gotta. I gotta really burn that. So I just don't even want to run the risk of my baby somewhere in danger.

[Francesca]

Oh.

[Asante]

Which is such a small gripe because

[Dustin]

I haven't heard, like, trying to trigger you.

[Asante]

Oh. Oh, I am so sorry for him.

[Francesca]

That's not triggering at all. No.

[Asante]

I'm so sorry. I wouldn't even think about. And her too.

[Francesca]

No, no, no.

[Asante]

Yeah. That for real. Because.

[Francesca]

Yeah, for real. I got into my dream car crash.

[Asante]

I am not in my dream car, I will say.

[Dustin]

But I am you in a nice.

[Asante]

Look.

[Dustin]

I am in a lovely car.

[Asante]

I am more than satisfied.

[Dustin]

And I. Octavia, he didn't mean that that way.

[Asante]

I did not.

[Dustin]

Before you start your.

[Asante]

I did not. Please.

[Francesca]

You're beautiful ass car.

[Asante]

It's beautiful. But y' all know there are just certain things we have to be weary of, Right? Like. Like last year when we were talking about. I did the episode about the robots. Right. And I know it's a car, it's not a robot, but we were talking about robots specifically how. Which have been out allegedly since March. I need to do some research. Yeah. Neo and a couple and a few of the other ones. I need to do a follow up on. On those.

[Dustin]

We was talking about how they was going to slide that shower curtain back and stab you like, like in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

[Francesca]

That's.

[Asante]

Well, I'm not getting one. The reason that I mentioned that conversation is because we were talking about the fact that these people are basically purchasing. They're paying to be guinea pigs. And that's how it is when you buy a newer model vehicle, especially if a newer model vehicle. So, yeah, certain vehicles, they switch out engines or, you know, they. They just change up different things. And sometimes they're just interior or stuff, aesthetic things. But sometimes with that engine switch, there's brake changes or other. What is it? Safety features that change along with the entertainment and technology features of the car. And sometimes those technology features can affect that engine and other things. And I. That's part of the fun. To me, that's a game. See the engine.

[Francesca]

This is why I want an old school. Just give me car parts.

[Dustin]

What happened to a carburetor?

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin]

Catalytic converter.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Asante]

Honestly, I'm loving this, this. This moment for this car. But I'm also still thinking about, like, I'm gonna need to still get that. That second one to burn the miles off on and whatever that is.

[Francesca]

Yes, you should.

[Asante]

Because. Because I want to preserve the miles.

[Francesca]

I call out a zipper. You need that zip, zip car to get around.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

And you know, you know what I learned? We. We have this friend out here who's a hustler. You. You know that friend that has so many different jobs, you'd be like, what? He can. He could. He can get you cars. He got the license where he can go to the auction.

[Dustin]

The auction. He got a wholesale license.

[Francesca]

How did you even come up with that as a. Like, what?

[Dustin]

He a notary?

[Francesca]

Yeah, right? Yeah, he does demolition.

[Asante]

You get like, all of that.

[Dustin]

He can appraise. He do appraisals.

[Francesca]

He owns a cleaning company. I'm like, y.

[Asante]

This dude is so good for and a half.

[Francesca]

He has like eight different jobs.

[Dustin]

Got global entry.

[Francesca]

I'm telling you there. It's like. And all of them are Successful. So it's so fascinating. This wealthy man. So he.

[Asante]

That's amazing.

[Francesca]

We were talking cars. I know, right?

[Dustin]

Barber license.

[Francesca]

We were talking cars. And he was like, why don't you just give him the auction? And then I was like, the auction? I was like, I don't want someone's car that was ripped from them. That's awful. He was like, okay, but they all

[Dustin]

don't come from repossessions.

[Francesca]

See, that's what I assume that it's. But then he was saying, even my car that got crushed by Crash Bandicoot is at an auction probably, right? Like, he was like, that's what happens. And so he showed me my car that I bought. Why was it $600? I was like, wait a minute. He opened my eyes to a whole new damn world. I still feel like I need more information. But that shocked me.

[Dustin]

The price.

[Francesca]

Why doesn't everyone do this?

[Dustin]

Because they don't want to hear the way. The cadence that that man is talking in, You know, you gotta have. It's like them warnings they have at the beginning of music video, right?

[Francesca]

That's true. It is like a hustle too, right? You gotta be fighting people to get the 600. I just was shocked. I was like, what?

[Dustin]

It's worth it?

[Francesca]

And then to ship it from where it was would have been. I think fifteen hundred dollars that combined

[Dustin]

is nowhere even near.

[Francesca]

Is nowhere. I'm talking about nowhere near. And that kind of. My mind, I'm just. My arms are being opened.

[Asante]

You're hitting all of the amazing cylinders, right? Because that was literally the next place. Place I was gonna go. When I said I was thinking about that second car, I was like, because I. Right, Because I had. I've got this car the way that I got it. The only way that I would consider getting a second car is if I happened upon one of these auctions that I've seen on Tick Tock. This couple, they were like, come with us to the car auction today.

[Francesca]

Let me know if you need my friend.

[Asante]

The friend you heard me say I want to meet him.

[Francesca]

Actually, the guy he was selling us was in North Carolina. I was like, dang. And he was like, oh, you should get one closer. It'll be less, you know, the shipping or whatever. But I was like, wait a minute, let me do some research here. Because what does that mean? Does the car have missing shit? Like, I need to understand what I'm buying into. If I can get a car from an auction, something about it feels like, what you mean you could get this car for $600.

[Dustin]

It's not shady, though.

[Francesca]

Yeah, it's not shady.

[Asante]

Look, it ain't Facebook marketplace, right?

[Francesca]

This is offer up for cars.

[Dustin]

Like I need to know, you know, I'm from Michigan. We've been driving. Driving for years.

[Asante]

This was the inspiration for the scams for Facebook Marketplace.

[Dustin]

They've been. People have been purchasing cars at. Purchasing a car at the auction has always been a thing in my life. Like, I've understood it my whole life.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin]

As a way to get a better deal on vehicles that come from different walks of vehicleism.

[Francesca]

I was gonna say, what's the story?

[Asante]

Right?

[Francesca]

Who owned this?

[Dustin]

You know what I'm saying? It might be a foster car, you know what I'm saying? And it's okay, you know what I mean? But as long as it is in good condition, you know what I'm saying? And some of them are still under warranty even. Like, you just never know.

[Francesca]

You don't know the story. Would you have to go with a mechanic?

[Dustin]

No, but it would be beneficial when it comes to look over the vehicle if you had someone who had a trained eye in that way.

[Francesca]

Okay. So I guess I'm wondering because it's like if you go to an auction, you put your bid in and you win, that shit's yours now. So I need the mechanics panic to let me know beforehand.

[Dustin]

And I'm not even too clear on how that part works, because there may be some system in place that gives you, you know, a time to make decision or to review the vehicle or something.

[Francesca]

Yeah, like a lemon law.

[Asante]

So the tick tock. Oh, well, I don't know about that, but the tick tock that I watched. Yeah, the tick tock that I watched. So the couple that got down there, they went to the lot, like, I think early in the morning, and they were like. So you can get there early. You have time to look at all. All the cars and you know what

[Dustin]

you're gonna bid on.

[Asante]

Yeah, Depending on what you're bidding on. Because I think, like, some of them, you do bid on cars that aren't there. But a lot of them, the cars are present and you're able to look them over before you even start the bidding.

[Dustin]

I'll be feeling sorry for them cars.

[Asante]

I do too. So when players like that initially, the

[Dustin]

people coming today, you know, I feel

[Francesca]

sorry for them like a little pound puppy.

[Asante]

Like the movie Cars.

[Dustin]

It's like if they was in it, they would all have frowns.

[Asante]

Losing Isaiah.

[Dustin]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

I want to Take a look. I'm. I'm interested now. Because I'm like, what?

[Asante]

Yeah, Frank, you kidding?

[Dustin]

All my little.

[Francesca]

No, when he was showing. No, when he was showing me. I'm talking about cars that I'm even thinking of for, like, later in life because they're so damn expensive. It's like, I'm not doing that till I have a house. Like, that's right.

[Asante]

Right as.

[Francesca]

To have a car like that and you don't own a home. Makes no sense. But you. But I told you when I saw in Seattle made me be like, wait. Goals changed. But the price, I was like, I could buy that, like, right now out of pocket. Like, that's crazy. Some. My eyes are open.

[Dustin]

You a whole new woman. Golf. Going to auto auctions.

[Francesca]

You hear me? Like, who am I? Periodically, who the fuck am I?

[Dustin]

But it's being nice to everybody.

[Asante]

You have a good day, too.

[Dustin]

Enjoying yourself in new spaces and shit, you know? Hello. How are you? Good. Oh, God. Welcome to the Friends.

[Francesca]

Every time I'm in the.

[Dustin]

All right, y'. All. So the other day, I was scrolling the Internet, as I typically do, seeing what's going on, perusing, if you will, and I came across a post where this young lady was suggesting, I think it was 10 things that you could do to simplify your life, streamline your life, and find peace this year. And one of the actions that she listed was to delete that app off of your phone that you don't use. Right? So I'm going through by this point. It was like tip number seven, you know what I'm saying? So I'm done. I'm going through all the other stuff, okay? Delete this contact. Okay? Dude, she got to delete all the apps off your phone you don't use. And when I went to do it, I didn't have none. I didn't use. You know why? Because I already had got down with Rocket Money, okay? And Rocket Money had been cleaned up. All the little spending that I didn't know I was doing and really helped me to streamline my finances, okay? Because that's the name of the game. Rocket Money can actually track subscriptions, and it also has the ability to cancel unwanted ones within the app with just a few taps. And that can save you over $880 million in canceled subscriptions. You can be a part of that. That's how much money they've saved their customers to so far, which is huge right now. Also, you can set budgets and goals, and you can get personalized insights and regular reports and this is the part that really helped me. You can receive real time alerts for large transactions, upcoming bills, bills, bills, refunds and low balances. Not new balances, Low balances and users who create a financial goal with Rocket money save over $70 on average within the first 30 days. So this is something that can really help you consolidate, streamline and get your finances in order when everything can seem so chaotic and all over the place. Rocket Money is such a useful tool. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings, which is what we all need to do. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Try for $0 at rocketmoney.com zone that's rocketmoney.com zone rocketmoney.com zone as routines shift

[Francesca]

and summer plans begin, it's easy for learning to take a backseat. I Excel, however, makes it simple to stay sharp and keep skills fresh in just a few minutes a day. I Excel is an award winning online learning learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning, whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and writing skills, or reviewing science concepts. IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the U.S. and studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests and it's been proven in all 50 states. We've mentioned on the show for the past few years that we highly support ixl. They are wonderful for kids, especially with the summer coming up. I actually think this is really where this program shines because we are constantly trying to keep these kids stimulated without interfering in their fun, but also just not wanting them to come back to school in the fall, completely numb, completely clueless and just having a hard time getting back on track. Just a few minutes a day will help them stay there. So I highly support ixl, especially for those children in the summer. Make an impact on your child's learning and get IXL now and the Friendzone listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com friendzone visit iexcel.com friendzone to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Happy learning.

[Dustin]

Y' all know what time it is. Your outdoor space should feel like you, but it can take a long time to get there and I'm talking about things that I know. Fran and Asante, y' all both know that I just got my place a year ago and I have a Large outdoor terrace that I'm so grateful for. But it takes a long time to improve that, to get all the things to even figure out what you need for the outdoor space. It takes a long time, right? But enter Wayfair to help you out with all that. Whether your vibe is modern, coastal, which I love, farmhouse or eclectic, Wayfair has the pieces to create an outdoor space that is uniquely yours. And I can speak about this again because I ordered several items from my rooftop from Wayfair, from an outdoor rug to a couple tables for my terrace. Things to just make it feel more comfortable and homey, but in an outdoorsy way. And it really worked out. And after I got my Wayfair delivery, which was seamless right from the truck to the door, everything was intact. No scratches, no bumps, no bangs. And adding those pieces gave my tear the exact feel that I wanted, a lived in terrace feeling. So with filters, customer reviews, visual tools, all the things that can help you actually imagine how the item will look in your space. Wayfair makes it simple to narrow down what works for your style and your budget. They have everything from outdoor seating, y', all, grills, lighting and decor. Wayfair is literally your one stop shop for home. Installation and assembly services are also available so that you can create a truly seamless experience. And if you want an even faster shortcut to the good stuff, shop Wayfair verified. And these are products that their team of specialists have vetted by hand using a 10 point quality inspection. And they do it on video. Those really help you out while you're shopping too. It gives you a different look at the item, a different feel for it. You can compare it in size to the person speaking about it. It's just a really useful tool. And I love that about Wayfair. So get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W a Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home,

[Asante]

y'.

[Dustin]

All.

[Asante]

I know we were talking about AI earlier and I wanted to mention this. Has AI bamboozled, y'. All.

[Francesca]

Oh no music.

[Dustin]

I ain't Giselle.

[Asante]

That's why I wanted to mention this.

[Francesca]

I saw that clip.

[Dustin]

No, is you slobber.

[Francesca]

One of our listeners tagged the Friend zone to that clip.

[Asante]

Okay, so shout out to that listener because that had to be why. I seen it.

[Dustin]

She bought them crochet. Was it crochet purses or something? She said she bought more than one.

[Francesca]

I want how much? How much? Did she spend. Oh, my God, girl.

[Asante]

Because when I watched that video, I was like.

[Francesca]

Robin said it was a Chanel dupe. I think it's the new Chanel 25. So he. The one with the little pockets on the side. But when I watched the video, I said, girl, you ain't know. Cause some AI be getting me. But that one was.

[Asante]

That one was.

[Francesca]

Girl, his eyes.

[Dustin]

Mind you, Giselle is a college graduate and a. And an American television.

[Francesca]

She was like. She was like, that was such a funny. No, I haven't been duped like that. I've been duped. I told you. The fake astrology page where I was like, wait a minute. His eyes. Like, he hadn't blinked. His facial expression wasn't changing much. I was like, this is. And then I started looking in the comments, like, it can't be just me. So he kind of got me, but not all the way. And then music. There have been songs that I was like, this is really nice. And then when I go to the artist, it's their only song. And then you Google them, and you can't find them anywhere else. Boo.

[Dustin]

No. Pour water on it.

[Asante]

See, the only time I. I thought that I got got. I was so happy that I didn't. This is so crazy. You know that. Y' all know that woman that cooks? I thought she was AI. I was like, is this.

[Dustin]

What woman?

[Francesca]

Oh, with the pretty outfits that you showed.

[Dustin]

So I can understand why you was

[Asante]

saying so beautiful in the way that she looks. I was like, is she a. I, like, not because she's so beautiful, but, like, it's like the way that her skin is just so.

[Francesca]

She's cooking and gowns and.

[Dustin]

And her. She's very. She's very stoic in a way.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin]

And like. Yeah, you know what I mean? That give you, like a. A feeling of a AI person or things.

[Asante]

But honestly, her demeanor is perfect for, like, the new Internet or whatever, right?

[Dustin]

Eating these crap because it's like, they look good.

[Francesca]

I want some.

[Asante]

Because she's a real ass, and I love that about her. But also, she is like. She gives you. I guess what people feel like that are. That are missing, that could connect to AI. That's how I took it, right? Like, I was like, you know what. What you mean by that? Some people do connect to those AI videos, whatever that looks like, right? Like, whether some of them watched that video that Giselle watched and thought it was an advertisement or whether some of them watched it and thought that it was a cute recreation of the. That. That Trend that we saw people being like, oh my, my partner makes this and they gonna talk about it. So listen, you know, like, maybe somebody took it as that and thought something different from it.

[Francesca]

Giselle, like, she's here to be a good sport, though.

[Asante]

I mean, in her defense, it was marketed to sell those bags. And she did buy one, you know,

[Francesca]

like, I want to know if she gets it. And she gonna get the bag. Like a crochet bag, right? Maybe someone's really selling them, they needed a different story.

[Asante]

I don't know. But that also concerns me too, cuz it's like, is it a white person doing it? Is it Asian people using our likeness to sell bags?

[Francesca]

I'm not going.

[Asante]

So that's the part that I'm just like, oh, hell no. Like, like I'm laughing at it, but I'm also like, oh, wait a minute,

[Dustin]

behind the head out of your ass.

[Asante]

Money.

[Francesca]

This is only going to get worse because it's going to be undetectable and much harder. You know what? Speaking of regulation, there's no damn regulation. I got a letter in the mailbox, which is what, like, made it even worse. And it was like, you know, when you have a corporation, a business, you have to pay to keep it active. I think, what is it in August or something that you got to pay? And so I get this letter, like, like the deadline's approaching, you gotta pay. Da, da, da. And it was like so expensive. It was like 300 something dollars. I was like, that's not how much it usually costs. I was like, what's happening? Is that inflation catching this shit too? I'm sitting there with the letter, keeping it in mind, you know, days pass. I was like, damn, let me not forget to pay this. Sit on my laptop, pull out the letter. Something threw me off with it because I didn't see any government. You know, normally it says like Secretary of State and it'll say the name and the office. It has the numbers. I didn't see any of that. And then in the back, it had a QR code.

[Dustin]

Nah, hell no.

[Francesca]

And I said, wait a minute. The government would not be sending no goddamn paper with a QR code. Talking about scan here with your phone. No, to go to the site. And then I felt sick in my stomach because I was like, I almost just got my phone, Lord knows what,

[Dustin]

but you see the difference.

[Francesca]

And they sent it to my house.

[Dustin]

You thought to look it over, assess it, right? Because you're a smart person.

[Francesca]

Thank God.

[Dustin]

Thank God Giselle is slow.

[Francesca]

Stop it. Don't don't.

[Asante]

Maybe this is something that we'll speak to more when Crystal comes. Because this is kind of like when people, they join cults, right? Like they're like you're reading something and it's almost like. Or even way back because, you know, like you said earlier, we've been talking about these types of themes, you know, over the course of the years, but back when you we were watching, because I always go back to that damn movie you made us watch about the people in that damn restaurant doing that today. Voice over THE yeah, I'm glad you

[Francesca]

brought that up because I remember that for the episode next week too.

[Asante]

You definitely will because that's such a key thing because like even your self compliance, right? Like how far are you willing to push yourself? You're reading this letter. At what point do you say like, something ain't right about this, this is some bullshit, or let me stop or, you know, we'll figure it out later because it's not looking right versus, well, shit, I'm in too deep. And I do know that something like this does exist as far as, you know, my business is concerned. I want to keep that compliant. So let me pay.

[Dustin]

You know, it's at the point of realizing that you about to spend your damn money. Money. And so before I do this, let me look this over because I hate spending money on that. I don't want to spend money on

[Francesca]

like, and especially when, you know, you've never spent three that much dollars. Isn't it like a hundred?

[Dustin]

I don't know.

[Francesca]

Yeah. So I was like, damn, I know everything is more expensive now, you know, because like your insurance, everything.

[Dustin]

But this is ridiculous.

[Francesca]

It was like, good, right?

[Dustin]

Did I miss some?

[Francesca]

And not seeing this and not seeing the Secretary of State. And so me, I was like the seal, nothing. Even the letter itself was blank in the front. It had nothing. And I know other disclosures, you know, the official, you know, the official government, they usually have something. So I thank God that I felt weird about it. But then when I started googling more about the company, it just, it just angered me because I was like, imagine the amount of people that are just moving forward paying this because of the way that they had the font. It's like, you know, the bold black letters, due date. And you're thinking, I have this bill, it's government. Thank you.

[Dustin]

Made you feel pressured.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin]

And that's, that's the part that makes sense, you know, that's what makes that scam so disgusting. Right?

[Francesca]

Because you're Manipulating.

[Dustin]

Exactly, friend.

[Francesca]

And playing on the. A lot of us, yeah, financially, we're like, like, oh, I'm trying to stay on top of so many things, you know? And that really irked me so bad.

[Dustin]

If we find out who the did that, I'm gonna break your arms.

[Asante]

Seriously.

[Francesca]

And when I googled it, there are people talking about it, like, yo, that, you know, they sent it to my house. I. I paid it. Like, that sucks.

[Dustin]

That's probably who did it. Look that up, right?

[Asante]

I hate p. I hate that that that is a thing at all.

[Francesca]

Like, I hate so up.

[Asante]

I hate to know that there are people, whether it is a singular person or a single, or people that sit at home and, like, print out these letters and mail them, or the fact that there are even, like, office buildings full of people that do this, like, just from top to bottom. I hate it. I can't stand the fact that people are like, it. It's a way to make a living. And it really.

[Francesca]

It's a whole industry.

[Asante]

It really, really with me.

[Dustin]

I hate it. I saw a video. There's this incredible podcast called Other People's Lives where they have people call in anonymously and, like, talk about their life, and it's the most extreme.

[Francesca]

That sounds like a great concept.

[Dustin]

Like, it can get really dark. It can get all different ways, right? But there was one video that I saw that I had in queue to watch where this lady worked. She wouldn't say which social media platform it was, but it was either like, TikTok or Facebook or something like that. And she was one of the people who has to watch everything that comes in and determine whether it is harmful or not. So she literally sees the worst parts of the Internet. That's what she said. And I didn't watch it yet, but I heard her speaking briefly when it. You know, YouTube, when it goes over the thumbnail, It'll play.

[Francesca]

It'll play. Like, yeah, the first couple minutes.

[Dustin]

And so I heard her talking a little bit about. About it and. And she was like, just imagine. She was like, the worst possible things that you can think of and then think worse than that. And she was like. And I. I have to see it. And she. She can't. She was saying in that part, if I understood it correctly, that she can't, like, stop it. She has to complete whatever the thing is, watch it from beginning to end. So I just thought, damn, I never thought about that. It's somebody that has to do that.

[Francesca]

You know what I'm saying? That's awful. And it's true. That's, you know, even with this AI shit, it. It's only gonna get worse. And that's the part that's scary of like, you know, how manipulative people are going to use this to their advantage. Aren't y' all seen. I've seen, like, maybe three different parents on Tick Tock saying that their kid was bad. FaceTime them. No, their kid FaceTimed them saying, Mama, like, I'm feeling sick. I left school out. Can you open the door? Because I, you know, I was feeling sick, left school, opened the door so I could come in, and the mom was like. The first one I saw, the mom was like, what? It didn't make sense because she said she's the one that picks her daughter up. She wouldn't just leave school and commute home, as opposed to the school calling the mom to say, hey, she's feeling sick. Can you come get her? So she said, off rip. She was like, this doesn't make any sense, but she's looking at her daughter in the FaceTime and. And she was like. The daughter kept saying, can you please just open the door? Like, really panicky. And she says. She was like, hold on one second. And checked her ring camera, and nobody was there. So she calls the school and asked them if the daughter was sick. And they were like, no, she's in the classroom, speaks to the daughter. The daughter was like, what? No, I'm literally in class. What?

[Dustin]

AI shit. I see. That's why I have never been comfortable. Comfortable with the AI. And I know I sound like dinosaur as Dusty.

[Francesca]

I know because there's certain aspects of it that was a mom and then the other one was a dad that went through the same thing. His child calling him. No, no, actually it was. His child was in the other room in her room, talking to him. Like he could hear himself. And she. And he was like, he went to go see what the hell? And he like, who are you talking to? And she looked at him so confused because she was like, I'm talking to you. So it was essentially the same thing the mom had gone through, but they tried to be the dad, but the. Luckily the dad was in the house and he heard it and was like, what is happening? That I'm hearing my own voice talking to my child. And the voice was telling the child, come outside.

[Asante]

See.

[Francesca]

Oh, come open the door. I got locked out. Can you open the front door? And the little girl was so confused. She's like, but I hear my dad in the kitchen, bro. What are they trying to do with getting these people to open their front door.

[Dustin]

I hate it. And I really hope that we find out a person, a name and a face that's responsible for some of these.

[Francesca]

All of these scams. Yeah.

[Asante]

I hope.

[Dustin]

I hope it becomes that clear so that we can. We can have a public stoning, maybe caning. Ain't that when they beat you with the big ass bamboo stick and whip your ass so it cracks open and bleeds? Yeah.

[Francesca]

Something. Because this is. There needs to be consequence.

[Dustin]

That is so scary. I feel bad for parents, man, because you got so many things to be on the lookout for.

[Francesca]

What.

[Asante]

This is going to sound crazy, and I know it's never going to happen, but there needs to be a global initiative to roll back AI.

[Francesca]

Literally never going to happen. They make way too much money.

[Asante]

I know it's never going to happen. It's just that, like, somebody needs to step in and be like, look, the environment is at risk, which it is. Everybody don't fucking need it. Y' all, like, we like, let's roll this shit on back.

[Dustin]

You know?

[Asante]

Know, keep it where you need it and necessary. And, you know, if we can work towards making it feasible, fine. But there's just too much shit going on and. But of course it's never gonna happen. That's. I'm just like, we're doomed.

[Dustin]

I saw a video of somebody that lived 53 stories above a data center, and it literally sounded. They went out on their balcony and it sounded like banshees or something in the goddamn thing. Yes. That's how. That's how loud the machinery in that data center was. And they've been using water from. I can't remember where it was, so I'm not gonna talk.

[Francesca]

Memphis.

[Dustin]

Was it Memphis? I don't know.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Elon Musk's data centers are out in Memphis, but in a. In a predominantly black.

[Dustin]

Yeah, of course.

[Asante]

Of course.

[Francesca]

And they're, like, suffering it up. People are getting cancer and people are suffering, and. And the government is literally ignoring the. Them when they try to do the town halls. They're trying to have community board meetings, and no one cares.

[Dustin]

God.

[Francesca]

And they asked Elon, what are you trying to accomplish? And he said something about. At least in the clip, I saw something about the answers to the universe. I was like, what is happening right now? Like, what. What is this movie that we're in where this is what he's doing? And then, of course, it's in black neighborhoods.

[Asante]

We in. We in black and friend. We're in paradise.

[Francesca]

Literally right And I forget. What doc was I watching. Oh, I have to try to remember

[Dustin]

Pimps Up, Hoes Down.

[Francesca]

It has. No, it has something to do with food. It's a newer doc having to do with that in that world, though. But no, it's something on Netflix having to do with food. That was talking about, you know, the practices with food and farming. No. And there was some farms that. You know how we talked about fertilizer?

[Dustin]

Yeah, we did.

[Francesca]

The way that they would spray it, the shit and the chemicals would. Would, you know, because those sprays reach far. But it's of course placed in black neighborhoods.

[Dustin]

Don't tell me they breathing in shit.

[Francesca]

They would. The woman was showing was an older black lady who had a rack of illness, illnesses and health problems. Her whole family died. Father died. All of the things she showed her, blinds, her. The vinyl siding on her house had little specks of shit that when they got it tested, the house was completely covered in shit. And not in the way you would think, because obviously with a spray, it's just little speckles. But imagine that over time you're breathing that. I was so, so stunned that you have that literal proof and how it has changed her health, her families. It's in her house. And nothing has come. That's what I'm saying. And the government has allowed it. They haven't put any type of distance or parameters. Nothing. Those farms are just spraying their fertilizer and affecting all the black surrounding houses. Houses. No one cares. They showed the kids in the area growing up sick. All kinds of cancers.

[Dustin]

I mean, that's fucked up, man. You didn't see.

[Francesca]

I was watching Funky Dineva actually yesterday, and he was reporting on Driscoll's farm, which most of us eat strawberries. Yeah. And apparently the surrounding area, there's a high number of children with cancer. Answer. Like a high number. Like something crazy, like 38 or something like that or. Or 38 increase. Something in that he was reporting. And I was like, this is crazy. And I had literally have Driscolls in my fridge as we speak, you know,

[Dustin]

and so go burn them.

[Francesca]

I know. So they're investigating, you know, though they're doing studies on that too. So I don't know. And that has to do with.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

The spray that they're putting on the crops. What is it not the preservatives. Is it the preservatives? Preservatives, yeah, the preservatives that. The chemicals in them. Thank you. Like, I knew it wasn't is a pee, but it wasn't preservatives.

[Asante]

I know.

[Francesca]

Pushing pesticide. The pesticides that they're spraying are in the air similar to the fertilizer. They're covering people's windows and homes and breathe, you know, being breathed in the local schools. No one cares.

[Dustin]

Jesus help us. Heaven help us. Come on, y', all, let's sing Heaven help Us.

[Francesca]

I don't know the song, so I'm just gonna rock with you.

[Dustin]

Oh, yeah.

[Francesca]

Us.

[Dustin]

Heaven help us all.

[Francesca]

God cover us, Lord.

[Dustin]

Anyway, anything selection to comfort those. I don't know Heaven.

[Francesca]

Wait, what song is that?

[Asante]

Heaven Only Knows. John Legend.

[Francesca]

Oh, okay. Heaven.

[Dustin]

Okay.

[Francesca]

Do you have anything Heaven Only Knows?

[Asante]

I seen the Michael movie since we said singing, but that's it.

[Francesca]

You finally saw it.

[Asante]

What you think?

[Francesca]

Do you think it's as bad as people are saying?

[Asante]

People are saying it's bad? What?

[Francesca]

Yes.

[Asante]

Oh my God.

[Francesca]

I feel like I'm the only person

[Dustin]

I heard it was good.

[Asante]

I laughed. I ain't going to lie. There were some things I laughed at, but I didn't think it was bad at all.

[Francesca]

Even our own listeners, when I said I loved it, they was like, why?

[Dustin]

Well, somebody told me that I need to see it. I'mma say this without saying saying it. Somebody told me that I need to see it. And there's one specific thing in the movie that I'm going to love. And they said it's in love. They said it's in the whole movie. And there's one thing.

[Francesca]

Love as in like you're going to find funny or love as in there's one thing.

[Asante]

Oh, my God, I'm scared. I don't. You have to tell me what you this you that I'm gonna love. You have to tell me about this one thing after you see it. You have to go see.

[Francesca]

I'm trying to think.

[Asante]

Who?

[Francesca]

Wait, what am I missing? Who had that?

[Dustin]

That's what I heard. That's what I'm heard. That's what I heard.

[Asante]

Who or what? Because I didn't know that they said when.

[Dustin]

When they moonw walking. That's what I heard.

[Asante]

I did see that for a moment. See? So funny that you said it because there was.

[Francesca]

I think he was going to say what happened when the truck pulled up and to the house. I thought, that's the part that's going to have dusty.

[Dustin]

I want to know now. I'm gonna see. I might go see that tonight when

[Francesca]

Michael was like, everyone come outside and then there was a truck pulled up. That part pissing on yourself. And I wish I was next to you.

[Dustin]

You know, I already want to go laugh anyway because of that picture. Nia Long I told you all about,

[Asante]

which I loved it. I love Mother.

[Francesca]

I loved it. Mother.

[Dustin]

Was she acting like Katherine Jackson?

[Asante]

You know, just took me out.

[Dustin]

Remember, T.S. madison said Katherine, y' all both just took me out.

[Asante]

T.S.

[Dustin]

madison, Catherine said Kathy was. Was that Friday after Next, when they did. They had that barbecue commercial. Hey, Mama, come on down to Leo's barbecue.

[Francesca]

Oh, no.

[Asante]

Anyway, it's an old lady.

[Dustin]

I'm gonna find it. So we can put it in the carousel. Just go here. But TS Madison said that old lady in that scene was Catherine. Jack. That Catherine Jackson be sitting up in them pictures and she.

[Asante]

Of her now, like that old lady in that scene.

[Francesca]

I gotta look it up. You know what else I want to see? Devil Wears Prada. That's another movie that people are saying I've never seen.

[Dustin]

The first. First one.

[Francesca]

Really?

[Asante]

I love the first one.

[Francesca]

You would love it.

[Dustin]

And now I'm open to seeing it. I'm much more secure in my manhood and sexuality. But when it first came out, I thought it was for bitches,

[Asante]

so I

[Dustin]

didn't, you know, I didn't go see it, you know.

[Francesca]

No. So I enjoyed it. It's a fun movie. And I think the Part two, I'm excited to see it. But everyone, apparently, it sucks. I don't know. That's what I heard.

[Dustin]

It was good. I heard that was good. And I heard the Michael movie was good.

[Asante]

Now I don't even want to see it.

[Francesca]

I want to see it. I still want to see. I told you. I found a black theater out here, too. So they should.

[Dustin]

They should have let Waka Flocka Mama play the lead.

[Asante]

Oh, God.

[Dustin]

In the Devil Wears product. It should have been Big Deb up there raising hell. Yeah. What do you mean, yeah? You know.

[Asante]

You know, it's funny. I hate that every time Anne Hathaway does something, that clip comes up of her. She did some movies back in the 2000 early 2000s where she was singing, how do you want it?

[Francesca]

What you ain't never seen. Well, add it to the carousel.

[Asante]

I have to. Yeah, I have to find it and send it. Because this clip comes up all the time. And, like, I usually see it on. I used to see it on Twitter, so I wasn't used to seeing it on Instagram.

[Francesca]

No.

[Asante]

So I seen on Instagram, and I almost wanted to repost it, but I was like, I don't post that type of stuff over here. But the comments had me crying because they were already funny on Twitter.

[Dustin]

What type of stuff was like.

[Asante]

So, you know in the Princess Diaries, she was the Queen of Genovia. And so when somebody was like, not the Queen of Genovia, like, it was just taking me out, but I didn't see it. Yeah, I used the N word.

[Dustin]

And I'm screen recording the barbecue commercial now.

[Francesca]

I thought you was taking a selfie song. You put your phone up.

[Dustin]

I'm over here being messy.

[Asante]

Oh, my God.

[Dustin]

Katherine Jackson, shout out to TS Madison. TS Madison is so funny. And she said that she. Because Latoya Jackson had posted a picture with Catherine. This was years ago.

[Asante]

Was like, she reminded me when they

[Dustin]

slapped that woman in the barbecue commercial on Friday. Hey, mama, what you think?

[Asante]

The old woman, it was funny.

[Francesca]

Anything else y' all want to say before we get up out of here?

[Dustin]

Yes, I'm going to tell jokes. I'm on tour. Shout out to the good folks at City Winery. That's right. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I'm so excited. Just to remind everybody, you know what I'm saying? On June 19, which is Juneteenth, I'll be in Philadelphia at city winery. On July 7th, I'll be in Chicago, city winery. July 9th, St. Louis, another all these are city wineries. July 21st, Boston. July 24th, two shows in Atlanta. Okay. And then closing things out of this tour will be in Nashville on July 26th. So those tickets are [e-mail] with me,

[Francesca]

you know, and it's live. Okay.

[Dustin]

Yep. Right.

[Asante]

Now go get yours now.

[Francesca]

Now they're gonna go.

[Dustin]

So come see a. I got good jokes for y'. All. I wrote some good stuff. I'm a cuss. Good and talk and tell good dirty jokes, but not too uncomfortable, but dirty nonetheless. Come have a cocktail. Get you a little nice little bites. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Like, come on out.

[Francesca]

Nice. We had a full out meal back there. To me, them fries was good.

[Dustin]

Okay.

[Francesca]

No congratulations. That's so exciting. I'm sure people are happy because these are new cities, right?

[Dustin]

Well, Boston is new. Nashville is new. I'll be returning to Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis and Atlanta. Okay, so Boston and Nashville, shout out

[Francesca]

to the new editions.

[Dustin]

It's time to pop cherries. Yeah. Shout out to new edition. Okay.

[Asante]

Candy girl.

[Dustin]

Hey.

[Francesca]

Oh my world. And don't forget to send your questions in for the girl Crystal's couch mashup next week. Send those into info The Friend Zone podcast.com or friend@hey, friend. Hate.com or DM them. Tweet us wherever you can get to us and we'll compile those and have a great episode. That's the friend it looks like. Oh, that's so damn cute.

[Dustin]

Dustin looks like a duffel bag.

[Francesca]

I love that. It's also very you. That's so cute.

[Dustin]

It's a hit. When people come by, they'd be like,

[Francesca]

We love you guys so much. Thank you for hanging with us yet another week. We do not take you guys for granted.

[Dustin]

Even you, Discord. We love y'.

[Asante]

All. Yeah.

[Francesca]

No, what is it? The. The Discord developments. They said that you treat them like in my projects.

[Dustin]

We're remodeling.

[Francesca]

We're remodeling you guys. And we're getting for all the. All the platforms. We'll catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Don't join any cults and stay black and protect your magic.

[Dustin]

Love, y'.

[Francesca]

All. This is. And now for a bit of breaking news. Between your breaking news with me, the Geico Gecko, Here are some things you ought to know today. People who switched their car insurance to geico save about $900 a year. Experts are calling that nice to know. Also, plants can hear when bees buzz. My ficus just heard that. And finally, animal experts have confirmed that goats have regional accents. I'm getting a hint of Irish there.

[Dustin]

It feels good to get good news.

[Asante]

It feels good to Geico.

[Francesca]

The new Sprite Berry Blast is here with berry flavor and cold foam.

[Asante]

Sprite from McDonald's just got bluer.

[Francesca]

One of many new drinks now at McDonald's.

[Asante]

Copyright 2026 the Coca Cola Company. Sprite is a registered trademark of the Coca Cola Company.