Unhinged & Immoral – "Have a Very Unhinged Christmas!"

Hosts: Jamila Bell & Mecca Evans
Date: January 2, 2026
Duration: ~83 minutes

Episode Overview

In this lively holiday special, Mecca and Jamila dive headfirst into the messy, memorable, and often hilarious realities of Christmas (and holiday) celebrations as Black zillenials. From food traditions and family dynamics to changing rituals, personal growth, and even the challenges of adult friendship and sex, the hosts deliver unfiltered takes that blend nostalgia, critique, and laugh-out-loud moments. With their signature wit, they celebrate the endurance of family, the joys and traumas of holiday food, and the evolving meaning of tradition in a modern, often chaotic world.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christmas Traditions & Evolving Family Rituals

• Jamila reminisces about "Christmas tree calling": A large family tradition where gifts are distributed by age group (kids get toys, preteens get Avon from Aunt Florence, teenagers get the coveted white envelope of cash).
  • "You used to always think ... the older kids, the teenagers, like, ugh, you're so cool. They don't even want toys. You just want an envelope." (04:05)
• Change in traditions as families grow and change: Both hosts reflect on transitioning from big family gatherings to smaller, more casual affairs, and the challenge of creating new, meaningful traditions as adults.
  • "It's up to us to create traditions for our kids and ... the kids who are coming after us. So it's like, you don't have to do a Christmas tree calling. Maybe you can do something similar..." (05:02–05:22)

2. Holiday Food: Love, Nostalgia & Pet Peeves

• Critical takes on “non-traditional” holiday menus:
  • Jamila rails against families that “cook anything that ain’t got nothing to do with them damn holidays.”
    • "I can't stand when people do that ... If I go to your house for Thanksgiving and you ain't got no turkey, no dressing, no Mac and cheese, don't invite me." (05:39)
  • Mecca: “We was acting like Jehovah Witness, we was going to the movies, eating Chinese food” after her parents’ divorce (05:47)
• Defending the ‘necessary’ dishes:
  • Both stress the importance of traditional sides and staples but discuss regional quirks, like chitlins—admitting to nostalgia for the smell even as adults (06:24–07:32).
    • Mecca: “It smells like ass in here. The chitlins are on the sink being cleaned. We're black Americans. ... it just makes me think of ... childhood and ass. Doodoo chitlins. ... with the Jackson 5 playing in the background.” (07:06–07:19)
• Navigating food restrictions:
  • Mecca’s relief that family dietary restrictions have lessened:
    • "Thank God we no longer have to ... Overly accommodate. We can just go ahead and put … some meat in them greens." (13:14–13:27)

3. The “Gumbo Wars”: How to Do Holiday Gumbo RIGHT

• Real Gulf Coast standards
  • Jamila is a self-professed “gumbo connoisseur and critic” and has strong opinions about what belongs in a gumbo (blue crab, okra), what doesn’t (tomatoes, corn, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs), and the patience required to cook it right.
    • "If you want a real gulf coast gumbo, it needs to be blue crabs. I don't know what all this hoopla is about snow crab legs and gumbo. No, it needs to be a blue crab ... I can taste it now. I'm gonna make a gumbo next week. I have to. I have to." (21:23–22:29)
  • Mecca shares the horror of bad gumbo experiences from outside Louisiana, especially a thick, soup-like gumbo in Philly.
  • Both critique internet “gumbo hacks” and TikTok trends that defile authentic recipes.
    • Jamila: “Let me tell you something. First of all, I've seen several videos of people talking about they're making a gumbo and then it's done in an hour.” (25:08)
    • Mecca: "No, excuse me. Gumbo takes all day to make." (25:15)

4. Holiday Timing & Black Family Dynamics

• When do you eat Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner?
  • Mecca’s family: late at night, after gumbo has stewed all day (25:49)
  • Jamila: early afternoon, after church or early dinner; emphasis on “prep the day before,” scratch-made rolls and cakes, and standing around waiting for folks to arrive late anyway.
  • "On a regular. Regular dinner. 7, 8. When it comes to church dinner ... that's early. Early afternoon. Because after you eat, you're done. You're done." (26:13)

5. Deep Dives: Cooking Authenticity & Kitchen Wisdom

• The dangers of “overly relying on stock” and shortcuts:
  • Both rail against cooking shortcuts, overuse of broth, and not knowing your spices.
    • Jamila: “Some of you babies are relying too heavily on the broth and stock when it comes to cooking ... What the do you think the damn stock is? It's just marinated, flavored water, baby.” (34:02–34:38)
  • Mecca shares a pressure cooker success, but both mostly stick to “do it like grandma did it.”
• Roux overuse:
  • Both hosts skewer TikTok cooks who put roux “in everything”—the concept of “spagumbo” (spaghetti with a gumbo-style roux) sends them into hysterics.
    • Jamila: “I'll beat a bitch ass if I bit down into some spaghetti and found some roux.” (36:46)
    • Mecca: “Rugetti is outrageous. I've never even heard of that.” (37:43)

6. Fusion Food Fails and Food Poisoning Stories

• Nightmare fusions:
  • Mecca laments “unity” fusion food from a Black and Hispanic event: collard green quesadilla.
    • "It was collard green with like turkey ... in a cheese quesadilla ... I said, that's a collard green. ... No, I don't like that." (39:16–39:27)
  • Jamila retells a disaster from buffalo chicken egg rolls ending in epic food poisoning.
    • "Just when I tell you every hole in my body was leaking. It was violent." (43:44)
• The perils of adult digestion:
  • Both swap stories of cross-contamination and how holiday (or date-night) meals can lead to unexpected, embarrassing results.

7. Late 20s/Late-Night Real Talk: Sex, Sleepovers, and Libido

• Candid sex and relationship talk:
  • Discussing sleeping over at significant others’ homes, the inability to sleep deeply in a new space, and preferences for morning vs. nighttime sex.
    • Jamila: “My body knows that it’s just not a necessarily comfortable space ... it's like my eyes will be closed, but I'm conscious all night." (48:57)
  • The major libido uptick in late 20s and how working women balance horniness and exhaustion.
    • Mecca: “You like hit your late 20s, early 30s, you're gonna become 10 times hornier than you ever were in your early 20s.” (55:19)
• Experimentation & Dominance:
  • Playful banter about being “the dominatrix” in bed, using toys on partners, and giving each other advice about sexual communication and growth.
    • Mecca: “So the nigga laid on his back and I put it on his balls. I said, have you ever had a vibrator put on your balls?” (61:13)
    • Jamila: “I've slapped the boy. ... I actually really like slapping boys.” (61:42–61:51)

8. Listener Segment: “Spin It” Follow-up

• Listener follow-up from Sanaya:
  • Update on leaving an unfulfilling job, moving to St. Louis, and seeking advice about navigating post-HBCU life, corporate environments, and making new adult friends.
    • Jamila and Mecca emphasize:
      • Stay authentic in “code-switched” professional spaces; professionalism isn’t “whitewashing.”
      • Go back to your roots for homecoming—network and recenter.
      • Make friends by putting yourself out there; join professional and community organizations (like NABJ).
    • Jamila: “You can be as black as hell, as lack as you want in those corporate spaces and still be professional.” (68:02–68:14)
    • Mecca: “You have to decide the type of friends you want to make. … I'm a proponent of having different types of friends.” (70:07)
    • Discuss value of “seasonal friendships” and letting go gracefully (72:55).

9. Year-End Reflections & Notes on the Podcast’s Organic Growth

• Both hosts reflect on podcast milestones (no paid ads or agency help, all guests and collabs are organic), the pride in authenticity, and plans for a live show—with a heartfelt thanks to their growing audience.
  • Jamila: “To this date, have not paid for advertisement. … Every bit of number that you see from us was completely raw and organic off the strength of this.” (78:49)
  • Mecca: “This was built organically. … Next year we got to get with the big dogs.” (79:21)

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Mecca: “It smells like ass in here. The chitlins are on the sink being cleaned. … It just makes me think of like, childhood and ass.” (07:06)
• Jamila: “I'll beat a bitch ass if I bit down into some spaghetti and found some roux.” (36:46)
• Mecca: “You like hit your late 20s, early 30s, you're gonna become 10 times hornier than you ever were in your early 20s.” (55:19)
• Jamila: “You have to be so willing to see some shit through, especially within the creative space. … the creative space is not for the weak.” (78:49)
• Mecca on sex toys: “So the nigga laid on his back and I put it on his balls. I said, have you ever had a vibrator put on your balls?” (61:13)

Notable Sections (Timestamps)

• Jamila’s family “Christmas tree calling” tradition: (01:41–04:28)
• Nostalgic food and chitlin talk: (06:00–07:32)
• Gumbo debates (authenticity, ingredients, TikTok hacks): (17:04–25:33)
• Riffs on fusion food fails: (38:01–39:50)
• Buffalo chicken egg roll food poisoning story: (41:24–44:16)
• Sex, libido, and late-20s realities: (51:09–58:54)
• Listener “Spin It” follow-up & advice on adult friendships: (62:39–72:55)
• Year-in-review and podcast reflections: (76:26–81:18)

Takeaways & Tone

• Tone: Unfiltered, funny, deeply personal, irreverent, occasionally explicit, brimming with cultural (esp. Southern Black) insights, and fiercely supportive of their audience.
• Themes: The endurance of family and food, the challenge of preserving (and/or redefining) traditions, honest talk about personal growth in love and sex, the significance of authenticity—whether in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the boardroom.
• Advice: Create new traditions if old ones don’t fit; honor your ancestry but be ready to adapt. Don’t let “code-switching” erase your true self. Be intentional in new relationships and career moves; let go of what no longer serves you. And above all, don’t ever trust quick gumbo or spaghetti with a roux.

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Diwali, and a fabulous New Year from the Unhinged & Immoral crew!