The Read – "The Other Proposal"

Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Kid Fury & Crissle West
Podcast Network: Loud Speakers Network

Episode Overview

This week on The Read, Kid Fury and Crissle West spill the tea on everything from recent Black excellence in sports and theater to the perennial messiness in hip-hop and pop culture. The episode flows with their signature blend of humor and candid commentary, touching on everything from Ciara and Russell Wilson's public perception, Offset’s music and relationships, Dr. Umar's questionable new show, and listener letters about friendship and proposals gone sideways. It’s both a celebration and a roast, offering insight into celebrity culture and everyday Black life, including heartfelt moments and sharply funny rants.

Black Excellence Round-Up (03:04–06:12)

• A’ja Wilson Makes WNBA History

  • Kid Fury highlights A’ja Wilson’s 30-point, 20-rebound double-double for the Las Vegas Aces.
  • Crissle: “That is A’ja, constantly raising the bar and being better than just about every fucking body else on any given night.” (04:11)
  • Kid Fury: “She has shoes as well.” (04:21)

• Wendell Pierce & the Legacy Theaters of Color Initiative

  • Kid Fury shouts out the $10 million investment secured by Wendell Pierce for historic Black theater institutions, lauding the reinvestment in Black culture.
  • Crissle: “Shout out to you, Mr. Pierce, our Tony award–winning Black legend, theater legend.” (05:59-06:12)

Pop Culture Tea & Celebrity Mess

Regina King's Healing Through Wine (06:22–08:44)

• Discuss Regina King’s new orange wine, “Me and You,” made in tribute to her late son.
• Crissle: “You really don’t hear people speak with that much compassion and empathy for the way he was struggling, especially, you know, his mother, their mothers.” (07:55)
• Kid Fury humorously laments that it is sold out online.

Ciara, Sienna, and the "Corny" Russell Conversation (08:49–14:35)

• Kid Fury and Crissle crack up over Ciara’s daughter Sienna picking “Ride” as her favorite mom song on Billboard, much to Ciara’s embarrassment.
  • Kid Fury: “You know, I love ‘Ride’…Sienna’s like, at home, I understand that. At Billboard, at work, where we at?” (10:35)
• They celebrate Black children’s joy and style, segueing into the ongoing debate over Russell Wilson’s so-called “corny” behavior.
  • Crissle: “Who are these men calling Russell Corny? I bet they don’t take care of their children… That’s why you niggas think he’s corny.” (13:13)
• Extended dragging of internet/fan culture that criticizes men for showing love to their families.

Music & Hip-Hop Relationships

Offset vs. Cardi B, The "Corny" Standards, & Rap Trends (15:18–20:30)

• Kid Fury reads Offset’s new “Move On” lyrics, leading to an extended roast of the expectation that women should cook, especially celebrity women.
  • Crissle: “Who thought Cardi was like, oh, let me take them chicken thighs out the freezer?” (16:39)
  • Kid Fury: “Pardon me for my refusal to lift a spatula for a nigga I’ve caught two to three cases behind.” (17:19)
• Dissects double standards in hip-hop—raising kids and showing love is “corny,” while neglect is ignored.

The Water & Wellness Tangents (20:03–21:00)

• Jokes about men needing women to instill basic self-care (e.g., drinking water).
  • Kid Fury: “You can drink water…I forgot people drink this.” (20:14)

Reality TV, Dr. Umar & Black Entrepreneurship (21:00–26:35)

• Dr. Umar’s “Date the Doctor” show lampooned; skepticism over his claims to solve homelessness/prostitution by urging Black women entrepreneurs.
  • Crissle: “Homelessness is not a career.” (23:25)
• Discussion about real solutions needing to address systemic issues, not reality TV spectacles.

Black Culture on the Chopping Block

Arrest of BigXthePlug, Spike Lee/ESPN, & Tabitha Brown’s Target DEI Drama (29:20–38:40)

• Light-hearted reflection on BigXthePlug’s marijuana arrest.
  • Crissle: “I’m just glad you wasn’t beating a woman or assaulting a child in some way. It’s sad that that’s…where the bar is.” (31:39)
• Frustration over Spike Lee’s Colin Kaepernick doc blocked by ESPN/NFL (32:00–34:56).
• Heartbroken take on Target pulling back Black-owned product lines, noting Tabitha Brown’s public explanation of licensing deals.
  • Crissle: “Those are not my products. Right. Those are Target’s products.” (35:29)

Celebrity Antics: Drake, Tiffany Haddish, and Social Media Clout

Drake’s Miscellaneous Drama (38:51–48:18)

• Drake’s purchase of a possibly-fake Tupac chain, his public customer service spat with gambling site “Stake,” and rumors about family court in Toronto dissected for both comedy and messiness.
  • Kid Fury: “Like, can’t you call somebody if it’s personal? I feel like you could call somebody.” (43:15)

Tiffany Haddish’s “Cat’s Out the Bag” Baby Prank (48:30–51:30)

• Both hosts baffled by Tiffany Haddish posting a photo with a baby and then joking about it, only to act surprised by fan reactions.
  • Crissle: “Can you read the words? You put ‘the cat’s out the bag’ with you, this homosexual, and an infant. All right.” (49:59)

Listener Letters Segment (54:29–95:13)

1. Friendship Fade—Single Moms, Trauma, and “Left Behind” (54:29–74:05)

• Whitney writes in with a story of losing a rare “village” friendship after her friend got a new boyfriend, especially after Whitney was assaulted and left with little support.
  • Kid Fury: “My opinion is that this bitch sucks. She sucks a lot.” (63:01)
  • Crissle: “You’re doing it all by yourself, which is unfathomably difficult, and two is such a difficult age because they are ambulatory and they wanna die.” (70:27)
• The hosts offer validation, empathy, and encouragement to build wider mom-friend networks: “This person in this situation doesn’t represent friendship. This isn’t right.” (73:46)

2. The “Other Proposal”—When Your Engagement Surprise Isn’t Surprising (75:17–95:13)

• Sandra feels her fiancé botched her proposal by not making it a surprise and ignoring her requests (nails, hair, dress), even though he recreated their first date and is otherwise sweet and supportive.
  • Kid Fury: “You want it to be a surprise, but I also need my nails done, I need my hair done…But it has to be a surprise.” (77:57)
  • Crissle: “If that’s a special occasion for you, how is it supposed to be a surprise, baby girl?” (79:52)
• The hosts advise a reality check—proposals can’t be perfectly Instagrammable surprises unless you’re always glammed up, and maybe the engagement photo shoot is the real solution.
• Crissle: “You want them likes. Girl, you dreaming. You are having nightmares about all the likes that you didn’t get.” (89:35)

The Read Segment (97:43–122:31)

Kid Fury’s Reads

(97:43–108:51)

• Nintendo Switch 2 hardware & game release complaints.
• America’s creeping fascism and military policing of cities: “It is a lot of y’alls fault…Many of you sleep next to someone who voted for this.” (104:52)
• Reminds himself (and listeners): don’t waste precious time trying to make sense of nonsense—go pet your dog instead.

Crissle’s Reads

(108:53–122:37)

• Cardi B: Rants about her rumored pregnancy and annoyance at artists faking drama for album rollouts.
• Snoop Dogg: Drags him for inability (or unwillingness) to explain gay parents to his grandchild after watching “Lightyear.”
  • Crissle: “If you can’t explain that to a child in an age appropriate way, don’t take the child nowhere.” (120:31)
• Recaps her empathy for Lil Nas X and side-eyes celebrities pulling stunts for attention.

Notable Quotes

• “Who are these men calling Russell Corny? I bet they don’t take care of their children… That’s why you niggas think he’s corny.” —Crissle (13:13)
• “Pardon me for my refusal to lift a spatula for a nigga I’ve caught two to three cases behind.” —Kid Fury (17:19)
• “It is a lot of y’alls fault. Well, not you if you listen to this podcast, probably. But you know what I’m talking about.” —Kid Fury (97:43)
• “If you can’t explain that to a child in an age appropriate way, don’t take the child nowhere.” —Crissle (120:31)
• “You want them likes. Girl, you dreaming. You are having nightmares about all the likes that you didn’t get.” —Crissle (89:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Black Excellence: 03:04–06:12
• Regina King’s Wine: 06:22–08:44
• Ciara, Russell, & Corny Narratives: 08:49–14:35
• Offset/Cardi B Relationship & “Corny” Men: 15:18–20:30
• Dr. Umar’s Reality Show: 21:00–26:35
• Spike Lee vs ESPN, Tabitha Brown & Target: 32:00–38:40
• Drake Drama: 38:51–48:18
• Tiffany Haddish’s "Cat’s Out the Bag": 48:30–51:30
• Listener Letters: 54:29–95:13
• The Read Segment: 97:43–122:31

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is a classic blend of hilarious, unflinching “reads” and moments of real vulnerability and Black community reflection. The dynamic banter is both highly specific to cultural touchstones and relatable for anyone navigating adult friendships, relationships, and societal mess.
If you missed the episode, you’ll be caught up on all the key pop culture shade—and the critical insight you’d expect from Kid Fury & Crissle.