Bria Amons returned to the podcast, We raised a glass to her 31st year on this planet, sharing laughs and candid takes on everything from "Real Housewives" drama to the power of reconnecting with personal hobbies.
The Grammys always give us plenty to talk about, and this time was no exception. Bria and I celebrated cultural milestones, like Beyoncé's Grammys ensemble and Tracy Chapman's soul-stirring performance, while also confronting the night's controversies head-on. We unpacked the weighty expectations placed on Black artists and dissected the nuances of intersectional feminism in the music industry, never shying away from the tough conversations about representation and recognition.
Wrapping up with a vibrant discussion on Black excellence, we highlighted the importance of visible support and the cultural significance behind each milestone and loss. From the touching Jay-Z father-daughter moment to Fantasia's electric Tina Turner tribute, every topic was infused with warmth, wit, and wisdom. It's moments like these that remind us why we tune in to each other's stories, eager for connection and understanding amidst the symphony of diverse voices.
Bria Amons returned to the podcast, We raised a glass to her 31st year on this planet, sharing laughs and candid takes on everything from "Real Housewives" drama to the power of reconnecting with personal hobbies.
The Grammys always give us plenty to talk about, and this time was no exception. Bria and I celebrated cultural milestones, like Beyoncé's Grammys ensemble and Tracy Chapman's soul-stirring performance, while also confronting the night's controversies head-on. We unpacked the weighty expectations placed on Black artists and dissected the nuances of intersectional feminism in the music industry, never shying away from the tough conversations about representation and recognition.
Wrapping up with a vibrant discussion on Black excellence, we highlighted the importance of visible support and the cultural significance behind each milestone and loss. From the touching Jay-Z father-daughter moment to Fantasia's electric Tina Turner tribute, every topic was infused with warmth, wit, and wisdom. It's moments like these that remind us why we tune in to each other's stories, eager for connection and understanding amidst the symphony of diverse voices.
What's up everybody. This is Tanisha English and you are listening to the Things you Should Know podcast. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Things you Should Know podcast featuring Tanisha English. I'm Tanisha English, super excited to have my return guest, which I think you're the first return guest. Oh, this is exciting, right? So thanks for having. That is the voice of our good friend of the show, brea Ammons Ammons. I did that the last time too, prince stop.
Speaker 2:Prince, come sit down by me if you need to Prince.
Speaker 1:Also, clearly, prince is a guest on this week's episode as well. Funnier than you say that about Arizona, because I was recently there.
Speaker 2:I was in Phoenix top of the year. Oh, good timing yeah great it was well.
Speaker 1:Here we go, land. It's like this is my favorite type of weather, it's like sunny, but we're talking like mid 60s lows. Now, I don't think it got up to. I think maybe one day it got up to like low 70s, but we're talking like mid low 60s, which is something that I love and enjoy and was actually exponentially warmer than it was here in Indiana. But we get there and everyone's like I'm so sorry, you're visiting and I said such a bad time. Our weather's been so awful and I was like yo, I don't even. I'm not even wearing a coat Right, what are you talking about? I'm worried because I forgot to leave the windshield wipers up on my car at the airport and I'm pretty sure they're gonna be frozen to my car when I get back.
Speaker 2:I swear I'm gonna get back.
Speaker 1:Y'all complaining, but it is bizarro. Indiana and I wasn't ready for it is literally Indiana, just with with tropical weather it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know so many people from Indiana who live in Phoenix now because I think they feel.
Speaker 1:I felt right at home like nothing about it.
Speaker 2:And it's clean. Though it's clean, it was real clean.
Speaker 1:Well, I will tell you what felt different about it was there was a dispensary right across the street from the hotel and I do not get that at home. But other than that, like it and I mean, and the weather, the politics, everything was super similar, so it's weird. So, if you're looking to feel like you're at home but have warmer weather, arizona, Try it out.
Speaker 2:I used to say I hate Arizona. I used to go a lot, but in twenty five oh, hey, baby, how are things? Going Totally yeah you just had a birthday. I did Thirty one.
Speaker 1:Hey, I was. It feels different, you could.
Speaker 2:I feel like thirty thirty. One feels different. It does like I feel like I'm in, yeah, because your first thirty is about being thirty, right? We?
Speaker 1:were literally thirty.
Speaker 2:one is about experiencing Like yeah, like growing up with thirty. I feel like a thirty year old. Yeah, I feel like a thirty year old woman.
Speaker 1:That's real, it really clicks in.
Speaker 2:I'm headed with thirty five short.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's another big one, because to me it's also about when you check that box in the age range, when you jump down to another.
Speaker 2:It's really difficult.
Speaker 1:That's when it's like and the most difficult science of all is the science of Washington. You know we got to do it. Mental health check, hey, what are you doing to protect your mental space these days? You know I've been journaling a lot, I actually have.
Speaker 2:Some things have changed in my life, so I can't do what I usually do Growth. But yeah, I've been journaling, I've been reading a lot more. I feel like I used to read a lot just for leisure when I was a kid or like in my early twenties, but I guess being a hot girl took me away from reading.
Speaker 1:Listen. Being a hot girl. The time that you need to be a hot girl, it does. It subtracts from other things you do have to give something up to me. I guess it was reading yeah, I mean, that's what it is for me, that's my sacrifice too.
Speaker 2:I'm still real well.
Speaker 1:I'm still a hot TV. You got to clock in, you got to check it. I'm actually still a week behind. So we can't talk about our faves, potomac and Dr Heavenly, and them I will say Dr Heavenly, phasor Park, st Joe's friend, why would she let you come? I mean listen, brea, if we were at a boutique and I had tried on that outfit that Heavenly tried on and I looked in it the way that Heavenly looked in it, what would you have advised me to do? Let's see what else they have Exactly, okay, phasor Parks told Heavenly that she looked really small in it and that she should wear it to a networking event.
Speaker 2:Well, that's all you need to know.
Speaker 1:I will also say that I am now an advocate Love Phasor Parks. Alright, have you been watching Traders?
Speaker 2:Yes, love.
Speaker 1:Phasor Parks, love her on Traders, hope she wins it all. But now that Candy Birds has officially announced that she's not going to be back on Atlanta, I am advocating sin Phadra back to Housewives and you know Portsha's coming back, yes, and unfortunately, kenya Moore is too. But listen, you can't have sunshine without rain.
Speaker 2:And she might double endow her storyline this year.
Speaker 1:Here's what I. My issue with Kenya Moore is my same issue with Candice Bassett. Sometimes it just goes too far, like there has to be a line. But I will tell you and she often is on the other side of women that I really enjoy and appreciate. But if I were to take the Marlowe Hampton's event out of the drum line showing up for the Kenya Moore hair care Genius, I mean I just love the petty, I just love, but it goes too far.
Speaker 2:It goes too far. I agree. I actually agree with that.
Speaker 1:So anyway. So how do we get your journaling got?
Speaker 2:us there. Yeah, that's what got us there.
Speaker 1:I can't give up the TV. What are you doing? What's bringing you joy?
Speaker 2:My nephews, they always bring me joy. They're so cute too, yeah they spent the weekend with me this past weekend, oh look at you we had a good time with BB.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, shout out to the nephews the Lynch mob, the Lynch mob. I love that. I love that. Well, brea, I brought you on here because something happened over the weekend that we definitely need to talk about. But no, we'll do that at the end. Yeah, so something happened this weekend that we need to talk about, something that Brienne and I are subscribers to, something that keeps us away from our reading, and that's the Grammys. Music's biggest night. Music's biggest night.
Speaker 1:And it actually was this time I felt like the last few years the Grammys have been a little wiggity-wack.
Speaker 2:Girl me it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think this was a good Grammys. All thing considering, it was very black though. It was really black Highlights for you. Okay, now we are gonna talk about the hove situation, so we're gonna remove it, cause we'll give it a moment on its own. So outside of the hove situation.
Speaker 2:Highlights Seeing Celine Dion number one. I'm sorry. I love Celine Monique. Come on, is that really?
Speaker 1:her middle name. It's not, but you know we're playing with her.
Speaker 2:It is now legally. She's French. Someone change it in Wikipedia.
Speaker 1:Okay, she's French and Monique is a French name Monique.
Speaker 2:Monique. So that was like number one for me, cause I literally have been really sad about this stiff neck or, excuse me, stiff bone syndrome or stiff whatever syndrome. Oh, okay, I'm really nervous about it, like, and they were saying she might not be able to sing anymore, so to see her walk out on the stage and you know, Live her best life.
Speaker 1:Yes, and give that girl that'll be that girl with the realistic award. But you know, it was what it is.
Speaker 2:I was so happy to see her Um Beyonce's 10.
Speaker 1:Galaxies Was everything the look. And she showed up to the Grammy in the shorts but the pants, but the pants. I was here for it. Same page I was here for it, I loved it, I loved it.
Speaker 2:Another highlight for me, honestly, was Tracy Chapman singing Fast Car. Yeah.
Speaker 1:That was such a good it was so unexpected for me, like that was kind of the last thing.
Speaker 2:I was shocked. I am trying to think I had a third one. It'll probably come to me as we continue talking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, highlights for me Victoria Monet winning her Grammys, which I loved. I've been a fan of hers for a while, so it's lovely to see her getting her moment and the sun her just do Cause she's been do it. That was a highlight for me. I took away. I will be trying to use I'm not an attractive crier. Y'all have a great night as an exit line. I love that.
Speaker 2:I love that, I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really love that moment. Yeah, that's what's sticking out to me. I mean Brandy and the burner boy was nice.
Speaker 2:I love that they was playing Moncala on the stage. Yeah, I love that. I was excited about that.
Speaker 1:I just loved like the culture. It was really. It was really female heavy women. You're the women and it felt, while it could have been Blacker it definitely wasn't the BET Awards, but it was definitely it felt diverse.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there we go, like the.
Speaker 1:Grammys had a DEI session recently and it was applied In fact. All right, the double.
Speaker 2:MC moment, the first award of the night.
Speaker 1:I thought Miley was Donald. Well, here's what I will say. I was also very distracted in the way that Miley was styled. I love the way she was styled separately, but I don't think I liked the way she was styled together.
Speaker 2:The dress, the hair, it was a lot. Yeah, it needed some help, but I'm such a Mariah Carey stand.
Speaker 1:And so I just appreciated how.
Speaker 2:Miley Cyrus showed her respect you come stand here. I know I need you right here For this MC moment. You have to be right here.
Speaker 1:I mean live your best life. Miley. I also thought she was auditioning for Miley Cyrus studies. It really felt like her performance was an audition for a Vegas residency. And listen, give her a thing. She deserves it. You don't need to.
Speaker 2:I would If I'm there, I would see you.
Speaker 1:If I was in Vegas, yeah, and she had some tickets, I might go.
Speaker 2:She got some songs I like.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you yeah, anything else jumped out.
Speaker 2:No, I think that's it for now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say that I'd probably have more. Yeah, I would say, the big takeaway for me was the Dr Dre Impact Award.
Speaker 2:Global, yeah, global Impact Award.
Speaker 1:Because, when I think of individuals who have globally impacted the world, dr Dre top of the list. Yeah, yes. Yes, yes, global Impact Award. Now I remember him winning the award last year and him naming the award after him. So he was the inaugural recipient and then Jay-Z winning the first.
Speaker 2:I think it's interesting because you started this by saying, like the Grammys had this DI moment, they did. But it's something missing when we're like talking about Dr Dre, like I'm here for it because he has made like a global impact, but Dr Dre man.
Speaker 1:It's, and people are complicated. Yeah, people are complicated. I feel that way about him. I feel that way about Ice Cube.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I recently talked on the podcast about Kanye West and that complicated feeling. So I get it and I just it's complicated.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's where I'm OK sitting in the space of that. It's complicated with Dr Dre. Like, I'm OK with being in that space for now.
Speaker 1:And here's the thing right, because I don't feel like we need to elaborate on it, because what was it? Two years ago that Dr Dre did the Superbowl and we talked about it, we talked about it. Legacy for at least two weeks. So it's just, it's complicated and I don't want to negate the trailblazer, but as a woman, the damn intersectionality right that damn intersectionality, which leads me to a thing that I think people should know Brea Context is so important.
Speaker 1:It just really is. And if you are choosing to leave out the context, you are doing it intentionally, end of the day. And when we put Dr Dre in the context of music, but when you put him in the context of American society, it gets complicated.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Which is us.
Speaker 2:Factual, but the moment.
Speaker 1:But the moment a man who is less complicated.
Speaker 2:I mean.
Speaker 1:Jay-Z gets up, brings his beautiful daughter. My birthday's me Up and I want to actually talk about this because I think there's been a lot said and we're going to get there. The whole album of the year controversy. We're going to get there. I've done some research.
Speaker 2:I've researched this.
Speaker 1:I'll talk about it, but one of the things that I want to miss is watching him as a father Model. What it's like to be nervous about something and still go and do it anyway for all of us. But watching him then call his name, him lean over and tell Asking Blue to come with him, him grabbing her hand, something about that is just so I just. I always feel some type of way about watching black people being able to be in public spaces as their full selves. Something about that is emotional for me, because I understand how long in this country that we were never able to do that.
Speaker 1:And how integral those moments are and how oftentimes people don't have ever will never have those moments.
Speaker 2:So I think, that it was endearing to be. It really was. It really was. I agree with that. I just was like I'll make me cry.
Speaker 1:It was and it was just like it's a really cool full circle moment because the controversy comes, because he is candidly Speaking up for his wife and for black people and for black people.
Speaker 2:people miss that yeah, because once you mention Beyonce, everybody forgets everything that you hear.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, and we oftentimes forget, beyonce is black. I'm not black, I'm Beyonce, okay, okay we don't, they don't, yeah, they do.
Speaker 2:We don't, we don't, but they do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like it just was to see him advocating Because Of this black woman. Right, Jonathan Owens? That is what supporting black woman looks like that is what supporting your significant other looks like, and showing up in a space where I mean like I know this name.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Jonathan Owens, that's that is that is Mr Simone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's mr Biles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mr Biles, um, because you see, I don't know his name because he's mr Biles. We only know him because he wasn't actively Supporting his wife in the way that he should have. But anyway, I digress and say so it was just really nice to see this man that the black community looks up to show up in that way. That was so. It was just so much more. I think that's being lost. I think we focused on what he said and what he said was important, but there was so much context Around that moment. Um, that's really important and impactful.
Speaker 2:It's really impactful because I really appreciated that he, you know, like the foundation of listening. We all say what we say about the Grammys it doesn't matter. But it matters it's not the recording academy we record. Like so if you don't care about the recording academy, what are you doing it for? Like no, you might not need the acclimat, the awards and the acclaim and all the other stuff. However, the recording academy should have some respect, and so I really appreciated that. He started there and then he was like all right, well, let me load the clip because how, how do you and I actually took it people because it was Beyonce.
Speaker 1:People Only could see that it was about Beyonce. I actually took the comment for what it was just and did some research. So the comment was how can the person who has won the most Grammys ever ever Not have won album of the year? Uh-huh, so, like I said, it is some research. Beyonce has been nominated for album of the year four times.
Speaker 2:I am Sasha fears.
Speaker 1:I am Sasha fears lemonade and renaissance. Yes, I am Sasha. Fierce is the worst Beyonce album that there is. Okay, I can agree with that. The fact that it was nominated for album of the year is shocking to me. So for me there's no need to argue that Grammy it went to Taylor Swift, but that is not a good Beyonce album.
Speaker 2:Okay, in my mind Okay, so If I'm ranking, it's if I was kind of low for me, so okay.
Speaker 1:For me. I don't think we needed to debate that. So now it's three Grammys in play. The second one, self title. That year she lost to the Beck album. That is phenomenal and he, like, did everything, he engineered it, he played all of this stuff. I Can see how it would have lost. And if we are going to be honest with ourselves, hive because I'm all about accountability Not to say that self titled isn't a good album because it is a good album. But the reason we go up for self titled is because it was unannounced and the visuals dropped at the same time.
Speaker 2:It was a cultural reset.
Speaker 1:It was a cultural reset to change the station on folks, and we weren't prepared for it. We weren't ready, and for me it's. It is a self titled, is a is a Great piece of work because of all of the context surrounding it, not necessarily because of the art that it is Okay, okay. So now we're into the lemonade Grammy. Adele stood up on the Grammy stage and said that that wasn't her Grammy, so there's no need to talk about that one one when that one was hers to compare Beyonce self title album and lemonade lemonade aged better than the.
Speaker 2:Beyonce title, because at the time I would have said the opposite, like no, I mean I say the self title, but lemonade lemonade is that girl?
Speaker 1:I'm still upset. Lemonade is still that girl. She just is so and Adele told you, and part of the reason why Adele stood up there and said what she said about the lemonade album was around the context and, if you remember, in that speech Adele talked about what that album meant for women what it meant for her block friends Like, and so there is context around it. But even if we don't talk about the context, sonically, that is a solid piece of work, solid, solid piece of work.
Speaker 2:She took us on a ride.
Speaker 1:And so, yes, two. So, if we're in the scoring column, one album of the year, grammy for Beyonce at least, at least. Well, now we get to the fourth, which is Renaissance, which lost to the Harry Styles album Sonically. There has been nothing on the planet that sounded like the Renaissance album. That, to me, was absolutely a great, egregious sin. Beyonce, her things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I had to go back and listen, because I had listened to Harry Styles prior to the Grammy slash year. But then I had to listen to it again and was like, oh, I had to listen to it again because it was unmemorable. Yeah, and it's a good album, but I didn't collectively For it to be album of the year the biggest record, I mean the biggest award of the night.
Speaker 1:Doesn't make sense. So when we take the Beyonce, the Beyonce and like the name and everything that is around Beyonce out of it and talk about the pieces of work that were nominated, hove is correct. There are two times that Beyonce should have won hands down, no questions asked album of the year. And if that be the case and we've had on record, people say, well, beyonce wins so much so sometimes I don't. So again, it can't buy your metrics. This doesn't make sense and as a member of a minority group who it always feels like the bar always changes, always moves, there's always adjustment, there's always things that To stand up there and name and say, yeah, yo, like this does mean something in the grand scheme of things and we want y'all to get it right, like, yes, this is subjective, but there are times where it's right and y'all get it wrong.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of times that they get it wrong.
Speaker 1:And that's all I'm saying. I agree and I feel like you can argue with me if you want to, but I laid out the facts and the facts is the facts.
Speaker 2:And I'm not mad at them like the only one that I. I mean, I see, just because of the cultural impact that Beyonce's self-titled album made, because no one prior to her doing that could stop promo for an album and drop an album.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know what I'm saying, and for a while, that's what she did and that's what others tried to do and they just wasn't hitting, like I say. But to also compare remissants, another cultural reset. Because she took it back and said we're gonna drop a single and then we're gonna promote the album very minimally, but we're gonna give you a date, we're gonna let you know. Another cultural reset. And now you see the girl scramble into okay, when is my date gonna be? Again, I need to. I need to figure out how am I gonna drop it? Am I gonna announce that I'm having an album at the Grammys? Am I gonna do a photo on my instagram afterwards, like how she's, she's the way, like she is the.
Speaker 1:She's the wi-fi. Yeah, she is the wi-fi in the industry in everybody, like All different genres.
Speaker 2:Everybody literally follows what Beyonce is doing, and whether or not oh, should we? We're not gonna promote our albums anymore Because Beyonce doesn't promote albums anymore. We're gonna promote our album because she is. We're gonna do a concert film Because Beyonce has done that many times before.
Speaker 1:I'ma drop visuals with my album because that's what Beyonce did, like she is the wi-fi, and so, for me, my biggest takeaway from the Grammys is love me like that. Love me enough to say, yo, this woman, right here is it. Everyone follows her and y'all are cheating her, and that's wild. And jonathan owens, again, that's how you support black women period, full stop.
Speaker 2:That's it, because jaycee knows whose his wife, whose his wife, he knows. He knows he's not gonna play crazy and act like I didn't know who she was when I met her. He knew who she was and who she was gonna be when he met her.
Speaker 1:So here's the thing, right and like. You're not even, we're not even talking about a woman who is like, oh, I'm just the greatest in this niche area where I am. She is the greatest Olympian man of all Time. How many moves she got named after her at least two. Ain't it like up to four now? I think here's the thing. At the end of the day, who Are you, you can.
Speaker 1:What's up, gang Trenisha English from the Things you Should Know podcast here reminding you to rate and review and, if you haven't already, be sure to follow us on social media at Things you Should Know pod, like and share and comment, interact with us and, if you haven't already, click that subscribe button wherever you get your podcast. I don't know, that's happened months ago, but I just cannot let it go.
Speaker 2:It roused me up, it roused me up. I feel you, I cannot, I just can't. He ain't even attractive, no more. Like he was kinda cute, like kinda cute, but now he's like you could have done better Girl and she love that man, so I'm gonna leave it on, I hope you signed a prenup because you definitely love that man, love that man, love that.
Speaker 1:I love black love.
Speaker 2:Black love is great, but I love to see black man support their black women.
Speaker 1:And thanks Hope, Thanks Hope. This is one of the times that I think I can come up and say at the end of the day hope set a great example.
Speaker 2:But something I wanted to add about what he said in his speech was that the Grammys they get a lot of stuff right but they're still getting things wrong. Like he said, it's music's biggest night. We boycotted it, but we still watched the Grammys. I thought that was funny.
Speaker 1:Shout out to the Jokes, yeah it was, but I know. There's a terrible boycott that I repeated.
Speaker 2:But I thought it was interesting that the rap categories still aren't really shown on the Grammys and they weren't shown that night.
Speaker 1:I think it's while that the man who swept the rap categories was then involved in a citizen's arrest, which isn't funny, it's not. But, it's hilarious.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing I've always been unsure about Killer Mike. Okay, I'm BG. I've always been very unsure about this man. I don't know what it was kind of like the whole shine king thing. I was not sure what it was, I didn't quite put my finger on it. But then Twitter I mean ex, formerly known as Twitter loves to pull over seats, and this man has a line on that good old song with Audrey 3000. She called me R Kelly, I called her 13. And I just was like what? And I had to go listen to it and I heard it clear as day and I was just like that's what it is. He's one of those.
Speaker 1:For me, it's his conservative, non-conservative politics. See, it's a certain height. I mean, here's the other thing he is in an age, he is of a generation or a time that is foreign to us and he really leans into the thoughts and the feelings and the opinions from that time and that area. And that Because it's very old, southern black like black conservative. It's very southern black conservative.
Speaker 1:That's what it gives, and not that there's anything wrong with that, but there was a time where that was the, that was the Wi-Fi and it was no longer the Wi-Fi. And so to be out here yelling those politics the way that he yells them, in the manner that he does is jarring.
Speaker 2:For me it is, it is yeah.
Speaker 1:But I mean, I enjoyed the little Netflix utopia show that he did.
Speaker 2:Man, that was cute. Yeah, it was cute, but yeah, I thought that was wild, though, that he got a citizen.
Speaker 1:When you say citizen arrest, it just really cracks me up. Would you? What? Would it take what? Because here's what I hear. When a citizen's arrest is when you're someone's like oh, citizen's arrest. First of all, I've never heard that in the wild, like in real life. So I think if I were to hear it in the wild, I'd be like what? What would need to be happening for you to be like? This need to be a sentence? I'm about to call for a citizen's arrest. Okay, I'm going to look around.
Speaker 2:Like we need to. There's been a lot of things that I've just seen, like what people have chosen to wear.
Speaker 1:Oh, do with their hair. Fashioned citizen's arrest. Like was that. That was a choice that you made.
Speaker 2:Choices, and you had better ones, you could have just do on a t-shirt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2:That's all you had to do, I think, that fashion choice and I would also say Beyonce. Hey, I'm sorry, because I feel like if you had no Beyonce, you probably could rob a bank.
Speaker 1:So I've done a lot of thinking about this Beyonce v Taylor thing, that the girls want to make a thing, and I haven't really just honestly over since the greenies right, and all of the hoopla around her. I've just been thinking about Beyonce a lot and about why I enjoy Beyonce and comparatively, why people who enjoy Taylor Swift tend to enjoy Taylor Swift. And to me it speaks a lot about the white experience and the black experience, especially for women, and the intersectionality context is really important. So with me here and also tell me if I'm crazy. So anyone who stands for you know this about me I really like to show up in a place of curiosity for the most part.
Speaker 1:So I've had a lot of conversations with folks and I asked them why do you like Taylor Swift? And what I hear overwhelmingly is about how relatable she is and about how they see themselves in her and she's just so blah, blah, blah, blah. And when I think about why I like Beyonce or why I hear people admire Beyonce, it's about her work ethic, it's about her vision, it's about her drive, it's about her excellence, because black people tend to value excellence, while white folks and these are overgenerations but it's usually about relatability, being able to see yourself in someone right, and I think about the time where Beyonce came through like had the most scrutiny was the time where black women could actually see ourselves with her when she decided to stay with Hope because he cheated on her, and that is when we had the most like criticism for her is because we don't actually want to see ourselves in Beyonce.
Speaker 1:We want to aspire to Beyonce. And if I and I think about artists that I enjoy for the most part, there is something aspirational because, the black experience in America is so aspirational yeah.
Speaker 2:It has to be yeah. That's the only reason we can thrive.
Speaker 2:I can agree with that, because I'm not going to throw my dad on the button Because he's like well, my dad always like pushed us to be better than best. We always had to be excellent, better than excellent. And I find it strange, when people are comfortable with mediocrity Me too Like it, literally like, and I'm like okay, so I'm down for the relatability, but it's the mediocrity of the relatability. Do you feel like you're here and so the person that you just idolized or I don't know, needs to be here? And that's not to say that Taylor Swift is like mediocre, because she got some songs that I like, okay, but I just I don't see it like everyone else sees it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because it is. It's about Taylor is like oh, I can be that Like. Oh, I could be that. Right, beyonce isn't like oh, I could be that Like when I was.
Speaker 2:When I'm left, I just find it strange, it's foreign to me and it's because, right, like, and I'm with you, right, excellent.
Speaker 1:My family, in my house, we had to say, like, excellence is the minimum, right, like. Or I remember my parents used to be like oh no, no, I'm not going to reward you for good grades. That's what you're supposed to do, right? It's just a different mentality it's. It's also about like survival and honestly passed down trauma from slavery. Everything goes back to slavery at the end of the day. But it's literally about how I think, like, situated in the world, like I think about, like the athletes, like any. If you think about folks that black America hold in esteem, it's all about folks who have gone further beyond, blah, blah, blah. And you'll hear like when you hear white folks who have aspired to that, they talk about oh, from like, hard like it's all about. Oh, you could do this too.
Speaker 1:Like you can do this too, and with black folks is in spite of.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, that's exactly what I was about to say. I think it has a lot to do with, like we are not gonna see them if they're not excellent if they're black.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they have.
Speaker 2:They have to be yes, and I think that's probably why it's just like Lana Del rice better.
Speaker 1:And she got up there with her, didn't want to go. I mean it just.
Speaker 2:It is. It's too married.
Speaker 1:I'm just this to America's is different experience. It's the intersectionality about it, it's the Context, it's the reason why white feminism is so problematic Because it doesn't consider that, because white women are looking for someone that they can relate to and, in the grand scheme of things, they will never be able to relate to women of color, mm-hmm. And so if it's about that, if you make your feminism about that, you are going to leave Any woman who doesn't look like you.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm aspect and and yeah, that's why I say I look, yeah, I just I didn't realize this is gonna be good talk about feminism, but I just really thinking about that the last few days and just how that is such and we have to have conversations about that.
Speaker 2:I think so, yeah cuz yeah. I'm leaving it there. I'm not gonna go further. I.
Speaker 1:Have shared a lot of the research that I've done, okay, and things that I've been thinking about. Anything you've been thinking about or something you mother people, do you think the people should know?
Speaker 2:so why we were talking. I was thinking about my girl, frans Asia Bruno. Yes, ooh, because we totally like lost over the Tina Turner moment. We did, and I have a lot to say. First things first is it was, you know, a full circle moment for her to sing Pramirah Mary, because that is her audition song at American Idol 20 years ago this year.
Speaker 1:Okay, right Look at that.
Speaker 2:So that was a better job of connecting that through line for a long time have, but I Would have liked for her to sing a medley of Tina Turner, simply because what she did up there was not playing to her strong suits. I'm so glad they were having this conversation, and I'm not saying she didn't have to do it, you know do it, it just was not playing to Fantasia strong, so I think he can sang down the house and. Come on, she could have found mountains. Hi, I would. That's what.
Speaker 1:I, that's what I would have wanted, her.
Speaker 2:To do with him.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't even think about that. I really wanted her to sing Riverdeep. I thought I would have murdered, that or no, but she didn't see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because that is what she gives Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:I understand that proud Mary is the Tina Turner song, but to watch Fantasia, do proud Mary while Beyonce, giselle was right now. Rose Carter said maybe 20 feet away from her was.
Speaker 2:I think the Grammys are scared to ask me I'm saying to do anything.
Speaker 1:Here's my theory actually. Hmm, cuz I think a lot of people went there was like oh, beyonce told the Grammys no.
Speaker 1:I don't think that's true because I think if anyone would have called Beyonce and asked her to attribute to Tina Turner, she actually was coming. Okay, I also think that people are and not wishing this on her. I hope this never happens. Honestly, I also know that she's going to be the go-to when Diana goes. Yeah, that, that is it. That will be Beyonce tribute. So there's that. I honestly think what happened was they knew they wanted to do something for Tina Turner. They called Oprah Because Oprah and Tina were friends and Oprah has Fantasia on speed dial right now. I don't even think she Thought about it. She was like almost see Fantasia on Tuesday and I asked her if she was like yeah.
Speaker 1:She's gonna be great. I really think it was an oversight.
Speaker 2:Sonically. Fantasia is the one for it. Yes, because Beyonce, diana Ross.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So, sonically, I was here for, and that's why I would have preferred a medley of songs.
Speaker 1:It was the performance part of it that I think there was me it was. Honestly, it doesn't pay to your strengths. When I saw Fantasia come on my exact words out loud, I wonder how long she's gonna keep her shoes on, because that's what I know for her. When the patty tribute comes, don't call anyone else.
Speaker 2:Two people, fantasia Burino and I'm gonna say Kiki Wyatt, because she can say down, I'm not really gonna.
Speaker 1:Kiki Wyatt, I actually thought you're gonna say Jennifer Hudson for a second girl.
Speaker 2:No, Kiki Wyatt is because she remade Patty's song. If only you know. And Patty tell her that ain't my song, no more, that's your song. Okay, so that's the only reason.
Speaker 1:I here's my thing, but if I'm thinking of all the patty songs that I definitely want Fantasia to sing, it is if only you know. I'm not even gonna lie but Kiki can have it.
Speaker 2:I guess, whatever you know, spread it around she's from here, ain't she get something like that?
Speaker 1:something like that, shout out to the Hoosier natives. She don't be trying to claim us, though.
Speaker 2:She tried to act like she from Louisville, but she is from Indianapolis, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that that is an interesting point. Did you see the like crowd footage of Beyonce Audience doing the dance to prom? Okay, which was? Which was?
Speaker 2:funny. That was hilarious. Beyonce was in her zone, if you ask me. I was looking at some pictures after the show and I was like, okay, beyonce popped edible before this show.
Speaker 1:Here's my thing right. Here's what I'm with Beyonce. Y'all talked about that platinum hair and she's not gonna let it go. Mm-hmm. She's going to continue to troll y'all with that platinum hair in January, washing her ass out. I mean, she knows she had no fun. No, she ain't had no son, she ain't been to the central pay or nothing.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:No, she had no son, but she gonna keep acting like she's Khaleesi. Yes, I love it in her mind. She's Daenerys and live your best life, but you deserve it. Alien superstar, listen to classy for this world period anyway.
Speaker 2:But that is what I felt like folks needed to know about that fantasy tribute, I mean the Tina tribute that Fantasia performed. I was here for it, I just wanted them to play to her strengths.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that was definitely a miss on Whoever's part that was because there was definitely Fantasia was a great choice was actually I'll take the back Fantasia was the right choice for that tribute. That was not the right song or the way to do that tribute.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I and I really like how they did the in-memorium tribute this year period, like I like the Stevie Wonder, tony Bennett Duets and it was not a hologram, so I was here for like.
Speaker 1:Listen, I love Stevie Wonder. Bubble wrap him. Let nothing ever happen to him.
Speaker 2:Except cut the back of the hair.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's like come on, he can't see it. Y'all Got the hair back there.
Speaker 2:I said it's still back there, still back there starting in the center of his head.
Speaker 1:Come on.
Speaker 2:Here's a legend. Yes, I'm letting, don't let him go out like that. But yes, I really liked how they did the in-memorium Memorial Tributes. I thought that was cute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was nice, john, back to you did a manly yeah, first.
Speaker 2:of all I play to history.
Speaker 1:He played to his own, she did. They caught him and asked him would he be there? And he was like how much time do I have? I'll see you the day before when.
Speaker 2:I come for some check. That's all I. That seem like.
Speaker 1:That's exactly how it should have been. Um yeah, he did really well and I also love that they did the tribute to and I can't even think of His name right now Clarence a bite?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I love that they caught. They pulled that out, see again a DEI course. Was they people? Someone participated? They had it facilitated.
Speaker 2:Someone did a good job shout out to Johnny Mitchell for singing one of my favorite songs by her on the Grimy stage yes, first time ever.
Speaker 1:Her first time which was because I what but again that in invite Victoria Monay, who definitely should have been a Grammy performer.
Speaker 2:Facts, yeah, yeah and it was sister strings up there with her. I thought that was so cool. I love that. Brandi Carlisle introduced her and then walk back.
Speaker 1:To get in position. Okay, so she could Drama her guitar for me and sing background vocals for her idol, which is exactly what I would have done. So I love it. I'm about it. Yeah, they made some really good choices. Like I said, it would definitely. Yeah, diversity classes have been taught and applied. It was a really good show, trevor Noah.
Speaker 2:This could be his last year?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so, and I love Trevor know, I really do. But I don't know if he don't have access to the Daily Show writers, no more or what. But it wasn't giving what I wanted it to give.
Speaker 2:It was kind of me it for him. It's four times hosting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, I appreciate that breath. That was such a Grammy recap. I love the. It is such a good and I'll say this now I'm definitely aging out of certain ones, like the VMAs, but I really do enjoy an award show.
Speaker 2:I enjoyed the Emmys this year. Did you catch the? Yes, I didn't watch the prime time Emmys. It was produced really well it was produced really well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I usually do the. I usually do the Emmys of Golden Globes, oscars, grammys, bet awards, soul train awards are always really well produced in a good time, good fun time. I also feel like I'm the target audience for that Do you do the AMA? I haven't done the AMAs in a while.
Speaker 2:I usually do the billboard instead of the AMAs, the last time I remember watching the AMAs is when they did like, of course, the Mariah Carey debut. It was like 25 years ago.
Speaker 1:The AMAs are good for. I actually didn't think. No billboard recently did the Jenny Jackson show.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was good, that was really cute.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I usually I love a well produced award show and we're rounding out awards show season right now I know Oscars are coming. Yeah, anyone you pull in for with the Oscars.
Speaker 2:Um, what's my girl from the holdover? So I have. So I have not seen the color purple. So I haven't either, so I just I just can't say about it Like I mean, I'm assume that my girls, who I know do well, do, did well, but I think the holdover Great things and I think her name is Daphne. I can.
Speaker 1:I can't bother me.
Speaker 2:It's on Peacock, I think. Okay, so check it out, but it's good, okay. So I believe, called. She's on like a TV show or something too that I've seen her in, but she's good and it's like she really stole the movie and she wasn't in it that long. So she's a nominated for best supporting actress.
Speaker 1:And so.
Speaker 2:I'm pulling for her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw American fiction.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's really good. I'm pulling it for it and everything that is nominated for but Sterling K Brown and Jeffrey.
Speaker 2:Jeffrey Wright came to no wrong.
Speaker 1:He really can't, and the fact that he doesn't have just like trucks of trophies.
Speaker 2:I was watching a hundred games other day and here's because he went down for a second.
Speaker 1:He's so phenomenal. He's such a great actor, but he is obviously phenomenal in American fiction. It's a really good movie. It's interesting. I talked about it with Alex.
Speaker 2:It was.
Speaker 1:I saw it at King Cam with a bunch of white people. Okay, it was interesting to be laughing about this, this, these black situations in a room full of white people, yeah, who were also laughing Interesting.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I'm looking forward to the possible best song performances. That's something I always look forward to at the Grammys is to like see the best song performances throughout the night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is the first time in a long time we don't have an Egot watch at the Oscars too.
Speaker 2:That is true, that is true.
Speaker 1:A couple of folks have missed it.
Speaker 2:It's all up in the air, missed it.
Speaker 1:I mean I'm just, I'm open. I don't.
Speaker 2:I haven't had anybody like super stand out or even like the best picture category. I'm trying to think of who. What's all in that right now?
Speaker 1:It's that the.
Speaker 2:Martin Scorsese movie yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know what's in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Maybe we need to. What are Grammys? Grammys just happened. Oscars are March 10th.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Maybe we'll have you back. We'll do a.
Speaker 2:Oscar preview. Yeah, preview or wrap up?
Speaker 1:Well, I won't keep you too much longer and the dog is going to be dogged in a second yeah. So it is what it is, but thanks for coming, brie. It was so nice to have you no problem, anytime I love it. Yes, you guys. So we're excited. Thank you all for listening. Be sure to like, subscribe and I'll talk to you next time. Bye, bye, oscar's Prince, give me like. First of all, it ain't even. You still got like eight minutes Eight minutes.
Speaker 1:So chill out, so get what's the world like. If you want to come see the die jump in, Let me know.