The Read – “Salvation”
Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Kid Fury & Crissle
Podcast Summary by Sections with Timestamps
Episode Overview
In this episode of The Read, Kid Fury and Crissle journey through the messy terrains of Black pop culture, social justice, and celebrity drama with their signature wit and candor. They start off celebrating Black Excellence—albeit with a Halloween twist—then veer deep into pop culture controversies, viral moments in the Black church, celebrity lawsuits, and plenty of hilarious shade. Letters from listeners round it out with candid relationship and coming out advice, while the “reads” for the week tackle everything from horror movie characters to homophobic parenting. The tone is playful, honest, and peppered with cutting observations that keep fans coming back.
Black Excellence & Nostalgic Media Critique
[03:25 – 06:15]
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Chlöe Bailey’s Halloween Excellence: Chlöe’s Foxy Cleopatra costume is praised. Kid Fury jokes she’ll churn out at least 10 costumes for the season, setting a spirited mood for Halloween.
- “Chlöe Bailey does the Halloween thingy...” – Kid Fury [03:25]
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Revisiting 90s/2000s Comedies: The hosts reflect on how some classic comedies like Austin Powers and Ace Ventura have not aged well, dissecting their problematic themes—particularly fatphobia, racism, and transphobia.
- Crissle: “I tried to go back and watch them as an adult who's been to therapy, and I was like, oh, this is deeply problematic...” [04:36]
- Ace Ventura’s sequel is called out for anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.
Pop Culture & Current Events Roundup
[13:16 – 28:39]
1. Halle Bailey’s Legal Drama
- The restraining order Halle has against DDG is discussed, including his petty attempts to win her back through music and social media, and why public diss tracks are not healthy or mature forms of communication.
- “Why do you keep making songs... When y’all were together and you didn’t like that she had a love interest in a movie... Why are you making a diss record to your girlfriend for doing her job?” – Kid Fury [15:02]
2. Beyoncé Tour Dancer Car Robbery
- The Atlanta theft saga concludes: thieves who robbed Beyoncé’s dancers are caught. The discussion centers on the city’s “robbing season,” surveillance footage, and stolen hard drives that have yet to resurface.
- Crissle, exasperated: “Where is that lady’s flash drive? Kelvin, where is that lady's flash drive? Run her her shit.” [20:29]
3. Brandy & Monica’s Tour Drama
- Brandy abruptly leaves a Chicago concert mid-performance, blaming dehydration and technical issues, resulting in disappointed fans and calls for tour rescheduling. Kid Fury and Crissle empathize with fans but also discuss the pressure on legacy Black artists.
- Crissle: “If y’all can't give money back... at least reschedule and refund tickets for people who can't make the new date.” [29:58]
Viral Church Scandal: Marvin Winans’ Cash-First Christianity
[38:07 – 51:08]
- The Controversy: Video of pastor Marvin Winans turns viral after he publicly rebukes a churchgoer who donates $1,200 instead of the demanded $2,000 during a church fundraiser.
- Reactions: Kid Fury and Crissle eviscerate Winans and other church leaders who hustle congregants for money, question where building funds actually go, and highlight the audacity and ungodliness of his tone.
- “For the building fund of this shit… you want a cybertruck?” – Kid Fury [41:24]
- “You want a bitch to come up with $1,000 plus bring another bitch with a thousand dollars too. Would you also like a unicorn?” – Kid Fury [47:19]
- Crissle (re: Winans’ definition of stewardship): “You have a limited amount of time with your children and this is how you choose to stay up.” [138:54]
Lawsuits, Religion & Celebrity Delusion
[51:41 – 77:17]
1. Rockmond Dunbar vs Disney
- Dunbar’s loss in court over Disney’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is a jumping-off point for a deeper discussion on Black actors, spiritual beliefs, and ignoring plain, scientific facts. The hosts break down Dunbar's weak legal argument (“religious exemption” despite taking synthetic testosterone and many other medications for non-religious reasons), his public outburst, and the wider implications for actors of color in the industry.
- Crissle: “You’ll take medication and medical interventions to keep your dick up... but not to keep you from developing [COVID]?” [60:06]
- Kid Fury: “That's what made me, again, go, like, whoosh. The people he reports back to. Because you had to... look this payday in the face and decide to make the decision he did.” [63:18]
2. Tyler Perry Lawsuit
- Tyler Perry’s legal team officially denies sexual harassment claims by a former white male colleague. The hosts read and roast the formal statement, analyzing the power dynamic between Perry and those seeking industry advancement through association.
- Crissle: “This is what I expected Wendy and Eddie to post on Instagram... something that says ‘we absolutely did not do this.’” [73:42]
Listener Letters & Relationship Realness
[84:33 – 120:52]
1. Relationship Rut
- Mackenzie asks for advice on her relationship with an emotionally detached partner who may be on the spectrum. Crissle and Kid Fury advise on the importance of values alignment (including faith for child-rearing), candid communication, and recognizing incompatibility, especially regarding romance.
- “You might be asking something that he's not capable of giving... and that's fine too.” – Crissle [99:56]
2. Coming Out & Lesbian Joy
- Happy with My Stat is elated in her new relationship but fears coming out to her religious family. Crissle suggests coming out first before introducing the girlfriend and highlights the common pain of queer exclusion from family. Kid Fury notes the hope in surprising reactions and building a “found family.”
- “It could create a situation where some people disappoint you. It could also create a situation where you grow closer to some members of your family.” – Kid Fury [106:51]
3. Jealous / Self-involved Friends
- Susie is struggling with a friend who cannot be happy for her. Both hosts recommend gentle but direct conversations—ideally in-the-moment—and stress that a real friend should be able to both celebrate and commiserate, not just center their own experiences.
- “Not saying anything isn’t helping you or her. So how you say it, I think, would be what you are left with.” – Kid Fury [114:33]
- Crissle: “When Angelica says, oh, I wish I had a singing baby, can you say something like, you know, sometimes I feel like you really have trouble being happy for me?” [116:34]
The Reads: Where the Gloves Come Off
[122:42 – 139:44]
Kid Fury’s “Spooky Read”
- He roasts Get Out’s protagonist Chris Washington for his inexplicable willingness to risk everything for a white partner, skewering the trope while highlighting how Jordan Peele’s film gets under Black viewers’ skins so viscerally.
- “What about white woman is like, yeah, I'm gonna take the risk, I'm gonna try it out. White men don't even like them.” – Kid Fury [125:14]
Crissle Reads Tammy Roman
- Tammy Roman is dragged mercilessly for appearing on Kandi Burruss’ podcast and admitting she refuses to meet or acknowledge her daughter’s girlfriend, even barring her from the graduation. Tammy’s justifications (citing “confirmation bias” and “protecting my mental health”) are rejected as homophobic and selfish.
- Crissle: “That isn’t what that [confirmation bias] means… If your mental health is affected by your daughter having a girlfriend, that's called homophobia. And you need to work on that.” [133:55]
- “Your money is from going on TV and acting like a bitch...” [135:29]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “Anti-blackness is a global issue.” – Kid Fury [12:54]
- “You’re asking a bitch to come up with $1,000 plus bring another bitch with a thousand dollars too. Would you also like a unicorn?” – Kid Fury [47:19]
- “Of all the shit you, Tammy Roman have done on camera, this is where you draw a hard line...” – Crissle [137:57]
So, whether it’s exposing pop culture mess, dragging Black prosperity pastors, or rooting for listeners navigating love and being out, Kid Fury and Crissle never miss: with shade, laughs, profound honesty—and the occasional necessary read.
Listen to The Read on your favorite podcast app or visit thisistheread.com for more.
Note: Timestamps refer to the transcript and are in MM:SS format. Main content summarized; ads omitted.