The Latest with Loren LoRosa — Bonus: Aunties In Your Business
Podcast: The Latest with Loren LoRosa
Host: Loren LaRosa (The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: December 27, 2025
Overview
In this holiday bonus episode, Loren LaRosa dives into the complexities and pressures of family gatherings, specifically the often intrusive questions and opinions from "aunties" about relationships, marriage, and having children. With guest Brandon, Loren discusses generational expectations, boundaries, and the rising trend of finding support in chosen family or friends. The episode is punctuated by real talk, humor, and an interactive segment featuring a call-in from a listener weighing in on skipping family holidays for the sake of peace.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The "Aunties in Your Business" Phenomenon (03:44 - 14:41)
- Topic Introduction: Loren frames herself as “the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody” (03:44), introducing the episode's central theme: nosy family members and the pressures they put on younger relatives during the holidays.
- Personal Stories: Both Loren and Brandon share experiences with introducing new partners to family and facing family inquisitiveness.
- Loren jokes: “All my family hasn’t met my boyfriend yet. Has all of your family met your girlfriend?” (04:31)
- Brandon: “No, we’re really new.” (04:36)
- Coco Jones Reference: Loren brings up singer Coco Jones, who spoke about dealing with repetitive family questions about being single. Coco’s advice is to arm oneself with clever or “nice-nasty” responses:
- Quote: “At this point we have boundaries… There’s too much therapy on the Internet to not have a boundary, to not have some self-worth, and to not allow yourself to be cornered into a subject you want to talk about.” (06:34)
- Gender Differences: Discussion surfaces on how intrusive questions tend to target women more:
- Loren: “From about the time I was, like, 18, 19... the conversation is, what are you doing to prepare yourself for your husband so that you can have kids? Literally, like, that's the only conversation.” (08:06)
- Brandon reflects: For men, family pressure feels lighter and more playful.
2. Generational Differences and Cultural Contexts (07:05 - 14:41)
- Respect and Tension: Loren and Brandon discuss balancing respect for elders with self-advocacy.
- Loren: “If you keep pressing me, baby, you poke the bear, you won’t get what you asked for.” (07:10)
- Cultural Notes: Brandon shares that in African households (specifically Ghanaian), elders’ questions signal care and community, though boundaries are still important.
- Loren: “I've always heard it's a little bit different in African households.” (14:14)
- Brandon: “There's a lot of love in African household—it’s just cold. You gotta heat it up.” (14:32)
3. Choosing Peace Over Tradition: Friends as the New Family (14:41 - 19:50)
- Media Coverage: Loren references Vogue and Self.com reporting on platonic friendships sidelining romantic relationships for millennial and Gen Z women. Activities once reserved for couples (buying homes, joint accounts, even platonic weddings) now mirror best-friend bonds.
- Loren: “In 2025, having a boyfriend became embarrassing... Best friends are the new boyfriends.” (15:41, 17:14)
- Social Trends: There's a shift in social media and real life away from showcasing romances towards cherishing deep friendships. Loren and Brandon joke about the messiness of failed romantic relationships and how friends can offer more stable support.
4. Family Dynamics: The Pressure to Partner Up and the Value of Waiting (09:00 - 12:58)
- Reflecting on Parental Experience: Loren notes most women in her family have raised children alone, making her wary of family pressure to settle down:
- Quote: “Other than a few aunts...everyone I know woman-wise has raised their kids by themselves.” (09:00)
- Self-Discovery: Both Loren and Brandon advocate working on oneself before seeking a life partner.
- Brandon: “What are you doing to attract the right person into your life?” (11:49)
- Loren agrees: “I’m so glad I didn’t just have kids...just do it because I was in a relationship with somebody.” (12:07)
5. Is It Okay to Skip Family Holidays to Protect Your Peace? (24:42 - 36:23)
- New Segment — Listener Call-In: Loren launches a new call-in segment to poll listeners ("low riders") about family gatherings.
- Anonymous Caller’s Perspective:
- Quote: “Sometimes we normalize dysfunction, and that’s not the space I am in life. So...I’m just gonna go ahead and skip that one and I’ll call y’all and say Merry Christmas or send that text and go about my day.” (30:23)
- The caller stresses finding joy in alternative ways: cooking, spending time with friends, or doing what fills their cup.
- On Family and Forgiveness:
- Caller: “Those relationships you have to continue to mend if they're worth mending...if there’s no effort put towards a relationship, then...you gotta do what you gotta do and...press on.” (34:19)
- Brandon’s Take: “If you're at a family event and it always brings you down...you should definitely find something else to do...But do something on that day so you’re not just down in the dumps and depressed.” (32:15)
- Loren on Mental Health: Reminds listeners that the holidays can be hard, referencing increased reports from suicide prevention organizations and how boundaries are a form of self-care.
6. Honest Family Conversations and Practical Boundaries (35:33 - 37:12)
- Behavior Change: The caller recaps that, even after honest conversations about family issues, sometimes behavior doesn’t change; the “best apology is changed behavior” (35:40). In those cases, you may have to "just suck it up" or limit contact for your own well-being.
- Closing Thoughts: Loren encourages listeners to participate in future call-ins and prioritizes protecting one's peace without losing sight of the importance of family ties.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Witty Comebacks to Aunties:
“I would get a couple pivots and have them ready like on my notes app or just in the spirit. So when she says something, I’d be like, ‘Oh, Auntie, don’t you need to worry about that job you wasn’t—no, you don’t need to worry about uncle because I thought he... Seems like you got a lot of free time these days, period.’”
— Loren LaRosa, relaying Coco Jones' approach (06:34) -
Setting Self-Worth and Boundaries:
“There’s too much therapy on the Internet to not have a boundary, to not have some self-worth and to not allow yourself to be cornered into a subject you want to talk about.”
— Loren LaRosa (06:45) -
On Single Women and Family Pressures:
“What are you doing to prepare yourself for your husband so that you can have kids? And it’s like, well, damn, can I go to college, have an education, get a career, figure out myself first?”
— Loren LaRosa (08:13) -
On Family Dysfunction and Skipping Holidays:
“Sometimes we normalize dysfunction, and that’s not the space I am in life. So...I’m just gonna go ahead and skip that one and I’ll call y’all and say Merry Christmas or send that text and go about my day.”
— Anonymous Caller (30:23) -
Protecting Your Peace:
“I think it’s more about protecting your peace at the end of the day. That is what’s most important.”
— Loren LaRosa (18:38) -
On Honest Conversations with Family:
“I think the best apology is changed behavior.”
— Anonymous Caller (35:40)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:44 — Loren and Brandon introduce the “aunties in your business” topic.
- 04:36-06:45 — Personal stories about family pressures and new relationships.
- 08:05-09:00 — Gendered family pressure and expectations for women.
- 14:32-17:14 — Discussion of Vogue and Self.com articles: best friends as the new romantic partners.
- 24:42-31:36 — Call-in segment: Is it okay to skip family holidays?
- 34:19-35:55 — Navigating boundaries, forgiveness, and continuing family relationships.
- 36:23-37:12 — Episode wrap and Loren invites listeners for more participation.
Tone and Style
- Loren's tone is conversational, witty, and inclusive—she invites listeners into her own family experiences and uses humor to handle sensitive topics.
- Brandon offers thoughtful counterpoints, bringing in his Ghanaian American background and male perspective, often gently poking fun at Loren and himself.
- The episode balances lighthearted jokes with honest reflection on mental health, boundaries, and self-care during the holidays.
Summary Takeaway
This lively bonus episode of “The Latest with Loren LaRosa” unpacks the tricky navigation of holiday family gatherings, offering relatable stories, pop culture references, and listener input to encourage setting personal boundaries, protecting one’s peace, and finding family—biological or chosen—where it feels healthiest. Loren and Brandon keep it real about family mess, social change, and why sometimes the best move is skipping the scene entirely.
For more, follow Loren LaRosa on all platforms and look out for future episodes inviting real-life listener perspectives (“low riders”) on trending topics in the culture.