Podcast Summary: “Dulcé Sloan: Will You Be My Valentine?”

What Now? with Trevor Noah – February 12, 2026

Overview

In this deeply candid and often hilarious episode, Trevor Noah hosts comedian, writer, and actor Dulcé Sloan for an expansive conversation about love, relationships, independence, and vulnerability. Together with Eugene (recurring co-host), they unpack the realities of modern dating, friendship dynamics, Black identity, ambition, and what it means to seek happiness and peace amid personal and societal pressures. Trevor and Dulcé maintain a natural, comedic interplay, deftly weaving humor with pointed introspection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter: Involuntary Celibacy and Friendship Dynamics

• Incel, Legs-in-the-Air Jokes (00:04–01:09, 40:25–41:34)
  Dulcé opens with a quip on being “involuntarily celibate,” lamenting her romantic dry spell:
  • “I am celibate, and it’s very involuntary. These are—this is what incel means. Involuntary. Celibate.” (Dulcé, 00:13)
  • The friends riff, playfully imagining each other in sexual scenarios, highlighting their comfort and quick wit.

Black Identity, Diaspora, and Cultural Belonging

• Diaspora and Heritage (03:39–05:13)
  Dulcé discusses feeling at home across the diaspora versus being questioned in Africa, using biting humor:
  • “Only difference between me and a Dominican is a boat stop…If I go back to the motherland, all of a sudden it’s, ‘What is she doing here?’ Nigga, planes fly daily. That’s why I’m here.” (Dulcé, 03:40)
• Trevor notes that if Dulcé “kept quiet” in South Africa, she’d pass for a local—sparking playful accusations about travel promises.

Friendships, Daily Show Bonds, and Black Hair Interventions

• Looking Out for Each Other (06:14–09:06)
  The group revisits Dulcé’s transformative acts of care for others, especially her colleague Josh Johnson, with detailed stories of “makeovers”, hair interventions, and the sibling-like bonds forged in comedy.
  • “Dulcé made Josh… the way we see him today. That’s a Dulcé makeover.” (Trevor, 06:38)

The Comedy Circuit and Life on the Road

• NACA, Gigs, and Survival (11:18–14:10)
  Dulcé recounts her early career performing at college events via NACA (National Association of College Activities) and the grind, loneliness, and near-death car rides through snowstorms:
  • “I'm almost dead 90% of the time. That’s just death for death. Thank you.” (Dulcé, 14:13)

Women’s Safety: The Bear vs. Man Debate

• Harassment, Gendered Self-Defense, and Hyperbole (15:38–20:28)
  Dulcé forcefully explains why women fear men more than wild animals, why the onus is placed on women to protect themselves, not on men to stop attacking, and how statements like this are often misunderstood.
  • “You can throw food at a bear, you gotta throw pussy at a man.” (Dulcé, 15:48)
  • “If I wasn’t talking to you, you wouldn’t have gotten upset…I said I would rather be in the forest with a wild animal.” (Dulcé, 17:38)

Choice, Dating Apps, and Modern Loneliness

• The Curse of Infinite Choice (42:31–44:33)
  Trevor and Dulcé probe the paralysis and dissatisfaction wrought by “infinite options” on dating apps versus the certainty of limited village options.
  • “The curse of choice is that it increases the amount of time that you need to choose.” (Trevor, 42:59)
  • Dulcé notes, “I got off of dating apps because I was tired of my phone hurting my feelings.” (44:19)

The Dating App Reality for Black Women

• Discussing their negative experiences, especially as Black women and Asian men, Dulcé jokes about starting an app called “Black and Yellow” and calls out the exclusionary preferences seen on major platforms (44:47–45:58).

Love, Marriage, and Financial Security

• Romance versus Realities (35:10–39:42)
  Dulcé desires marriage and children but is keenly aware of the transactional, contractual roots of marriage and the modern idyll of “love matches.” She shares feeling like a failure for not being married, despite career accolades.

  • “I can’t shake the feeling that I’m failing. But also…it’s the only thing that I truly want that I have to need someone else for.” (Dulcé, 37:26)

• Finances and Partnership (52:31–55:31)
  Dulcé is resolute: she won’t marry a man who “can’t pay the bills”, citing both personal experience and social pressure for men to “provide”, and the resentment that can come when gender norms are subverted.

  • “If I’m dealing with someone who can’t keep the lights on…what is he here for? I don’t need another dependent.” (Dulcé, 54:15)

• Gendered Expectations and Insecurity (64:34–66:30)
  She unpacks how male partners often feel challenged by her success and traveling; she’s wary of those who reference “big things” or seem more interested in trophies than in true partnership.

Self-Awareness, Therapy, and Patterns in Relationships

• Therapeutic Insights (68:49–71:58)
  Trevor and Dulcé discuss relationship patterns, inherited dynamics, and therapy:
  • “No one’s starting from scratch. We all think we’re starting from scratch. We’re starting from our scratch.” (Eugene, 68:49)
  • Dulcé admits to hyper self-awareness, analyzing everything to forestall making past mistakes: “I know I make bad decisions. So now I have to be extra vigilant…”

Performing, Control, and Finding Peace

• Crafts and Comedy as Peace (86:08–90:09)
  Dulcé finds peace in her craft room and onstage—places where she controls the outcome and receives immediate feedback. In relationships, by contrast, she feels untethered and uncertain.

• Hobbies as Humbling, Wholeness, and True Self (95:49–97:43)
  Eugene reflects on hobbies as humbling and a way to become more comfortable with imperfection—something echoed in Dulcé’s approach to both art and relationships.

Vulnerability, Hope, and Heroism

• The Hardest Thing: Hope (112:23–113:00)

  • “Hope is the hardest thing to have. Patience is easier than hope, because at least when you’re waiting for a thing, it’s coming. Hope is you waiting for a thing that you don’t know is coming.” (Dulcé, 112:23)

• On Wanting, Feeling Like a Failure, and Magic Wand Wishes (103:56–106:44)
  When asked what she’d wish for if a magic wand could grant anything:

  • “If a wand is waved, I get the help that I need… Because the goal is to stop feeling like I’m failing… I don't feel like I’ve made it.” (Dulcé, 106:13)
  • Trevor reframes heroism: “Heroes are the people who are not choosing the thing, but have to climb the mountain anyways… everything you want is everything you already have.” (Trevor, 108:31)
  • They discuss the challenge of appreciating the present and what’s already been achieved.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On female safety—“You can throw food at a bear, you gotta throw pussy at a man.” (Dulcé, 15:48)
• On Black women’s dating options—“Somebody get on Match…you would rather meet Moana than me? Get the fuck outta here.” (Dulcé, 45:22)
• On relationship patterns—“Hope is the hardest thing to have.” (Dulcé, 112:23)
• On why men fear gold diggers—“The only men I've ever seen worried about gold diggers are the men that don't have gold.” (Dulcé, 56:31)
• On heroism—“Heroes are… people who have to run a hundred marathons, but there’s no ribbon on the other end.” (Trevor, 107:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 – Involuntary celibacy, friendship banter
• 03:39 – Diaspora, belonging, and Black identity
• 06:14 – Daily Show hair intervention, sisterhood
• 11:18 – Standup grinds, college tours
• 15:38 – Gendered safety, "bear vs. man" debate
• 35:10 – Marriage, finances, career vs. romance
• 42:31 – Choice, dating apps, modern loneliness
• 52:31 – Financial stability in relationships
• 68:49 – Patterns, therapy, and self-awareness
• 86:08 – Where Dulcé finds peace: crafts & comedy
• 103:56 – If a magic wand could grant Dulcé’s wishes
• 112:23 – The hardship and power of hope

Conclusion

This episode is a vulnerable, uproarious, and sharp-edged look at love, society, self-worth, and the emotional realities that underlie the comedic surface. Dulcé Sloan brings unflinching honesty and the gift of laughter, while Trevor’s probing questions and candid reflections create a space for radical realness about longing, belonging, and the ongoing pursuit of happiness. The conversation touches on cultural identity, career ambition, personal growth, and the struggle to feel "enough"—delivered with compassion, wit, and humanity.

For listeners interested in incisive, funny, and heartfelt explorations of modern love, Blackness, and friendship, this episode is a must-hear.