Highly Melanated Podcast
Hosted by PJ, Blair & Red A safe space for you to enjoy every bit of your melanin no matter how "melanated" you are in skin tone, we are ALL Highly Melanated.Come enjoy funny and dynamic conversations that people of color face on a day to day basis with various topics such as loving ourselves, knowing who we are as a people and uplifting each other with a mix of class and rachetness (CLATCHETNESS)
Highly Melanated Podcast
Authenticity Unfiltered: Social Media's Impact on Self-Perception
What if social media was secretly sabotaging your mental well-being and self-image? Sit back and join us in a thought-provoking conversation on the Highly Melanated Podcast about the impact of social media, filters, and the pressures of beauty standards on our self-perceptions and mental health. We embark on a rollercoaster journey starting from the minor frustrations of Instagram blockages to the serious topic of body acceptance and external validation.
Have you ever questioned the name of that floating tube in the pool or pondered about the contracts in the entertainment industry? We'll answer those questions and more, as we discuss a broad spectrum of light and heavy topics. We applaud the wins, like E.C. Pizarro receiving the Gay City News Impact Award, and also address our struggles, from our personal experiences with body dysmorphia to the societal expectations that mold our self-image. At the heart of our conversation is a powerful shout-out to Grace Detravera, our upcoming guest, and an encouraging reminder to live life joyfully and authentically.
We're not just talking about problems, we're sparking change! As we navigate these conversations, we're challenging you to question your use of filters and confront the realities of social media addiction. We share strategies like taking progress photos and limiting phone usage to maintain a realistic self-image. Let's celebrate the strides being made for representation in the entertainment industry, discuss the decline of cursive writing, and so much more! Join us, and remember to celebrate life, laugh often, and love much - all in a highly melanated fashion.
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I don't know what it is, but I just love being black DJ here.
Speaker 2:What up dough? It's your girl, blair. You know, melanin was popping yesterday, it's popping today and it's show enough, gonna be popping tomorrow.
Speaker 3:Thanks your boy Red, and you're listening to the Highly Melanated Podcast.
Speaker 1:Hey guys, hey guys, hey guys. Welcome back to another episode of Highly Melanated Podcast.
Speaker 3:I was wondering what she was gonna say.
Speaker 1:Nobody's safe, nobody's safe, the safe space where it's okay. Pj, I'm not going to. What did?
Speaker 2:what Are you all right?
Speaker 1:It is okay to realize that is enough is enough. That's it, that's it actually.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 1:And the reason why is PJ has a bone to pick with Instagram because I cannot comment for 24 hours based on. I have violated some terms when I commented on something about like this if you miss your grandma, exactly.
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:So I was. I was, you know, like. I've been seeing these comments that say this is the like, this button for missing year or whatever, or everybody who feels a certain way usually likes that button because I want to get some likes. No, but I was just trying to follow what I've been seeing and immediately they said nope, spam. And I'm like, I'm not spamming anybody, I was just trying.
Speaker 2:They blocked you from commenting.
Speaker 1:They blocked me from commenting and this was and this was. This was something about. This has something to do with Kiki Palmer.
Speaker 2:And my comment was my comment?
Speaker 1:was this is like this comment, if you wish we would stay out of personal people's personal relationships for people we don't know and idolize, immediately blocked like damn, it wasn't like it was reported. It was like soon as I hit comment. But yeah, pj has a bone to pick with you. Instagram for the for I've been trying to comment and keep forgetting that I'm blocked.
Speaker 3:So PJ is blocked.
Speaker 1:That's my bone to pick.
Speaker 2:And has a bone to pick about it.
Speaker 3:Red is not blocked, but I still do have a bone to pick with. Various people will just say no, let's say no.
Speaker 1:This is the moment to say it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I have a bone to pick with with with some people in the industry.
Speaker 2:And I thought you would say Red is channeling Rihanna in the fact that bitch, but I have my money.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to. I don't know. I think I'm very frustrated at this particular point in time.
Speaker 2:That's fair.
Speaker 3:So I don't really have much to. I don't know exactly what I want to say, but red is unblocked, frustrated and looking for that money. Red.
Speaker 2:Well, I hate to break the pattern, but Blair is quite the opposite. Blair is relaxed and feeling put loose and fancy free. Blair, wow.
Speaker 1:And as always, guys, they've been talking through the shirt and speaking of the shirt I want to let's start off this show with. We mentioned this last week and I said I was going to wait until this week to talk about it. So currently I am wearing my pay pay black queer folks sweatshirt, which was from EC Pizarro the third, his website. Again, you can go to easy EC Pizarro dot com or you can go to pay pay pay black trans folks or pay black queer folks. They both are the same landing page. If you go there, you can buy some of this wonderful merch.
Speaker 1:But I wanted to start off with saying that we've had him on as a guest, so we want to give a special, special, special shout out to my brother, ec, for his Gay City News Impact Award that he won this past weekend. He was in town, he was in town from Florida and this the wonderful thing, like as being a previous winner, we are allowed to nominate people who we want and we think would be, you know, great to have, and they look at the nominations and say, okay, this is cute. Or they could say okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah sure, yeah right no new contracts, no new contracts. Hashtag no new contracts.
Speaker 2:But well, some new contracts, because SAG is now off a strike.
Speaker 1:Yes, but wait, before we finish that, I do want to just give a very special shout out to EC. He said a really kind thing to me that I didn't really understand until now. He said that you know, we all want to be allies and everybody wants to be an ally, but he gave me he said that he gave me a really dope ass compliment and said the world is okay with allies, but we need more accomplices, a lot more cisgendered, whichever straight, gay, male or female to actually fight for trans lives, to fight for trans rights. And I've been fighting for my brother since the day I met him and I'm just proud to be in the moment. We had a great time.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Gay City News once again, as well as one of my house members and another other person. Shout out to Grace Detravera. We'll have her on sometime in the near future, but it was an amazing night and I was just really proud to be there during that time. So, again, if you want to figure out who I'm talking about, his name is in the comments as well, as I'll put his website where you can get this merch that says pay black queer trans. Pay black queer folks that spell FOLX, or pay black trans folks. That's also spelled FOLXcom, so you can get that beautiful merch different things to support the cause at least as well. He also won for Marsh's Web, which is what he talked about before. So we're just so proud of you and thank you again. One of our highly melanated family members is also now a fifth. This is his fourth award and he went for his fifth something else the next Saturday. So we are with this award winning circle here. Let's go.
Speaker 3:Winning circle. I love that Speaking of circles. Question a week.
Speaker 1:No, wait, wait. Before we get to question a week you were saying something about SAG, let's get back into that.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, it doesn't have to be a whole thing, because there's still a lot of things that we're trying to figure out here, but the there is an interim contract on the table, there is a proposal on the table, we are officially off strike, but the members still have to vote on the new TV theatrical contract. I have started reading it, I am. There are some things that are great. There are some things that are still questionable in my mind. So, yeah, but the good thing is is that at least you know there are some provisions in place which are better than none. So there's that.
Speaker 2:And I'll report back to you guys once I finish reading the entire thing. Right now, they just give the summary to us, so I'm waiting for, like, the full contract and we'll see. I will say, though, that I am especially happy there are the. So the biggest point of contention is, like, all this up surrounding AI, but there have been issues that have been preexisting for quite some time that they finally have addressed, one being hair and makeup on set for people with textured hair, my African American brothers and sisters and those who have, you know, textured hair. There are a couple of things in place, like.
Speaker 2:One area I was reading was just like you have like a wardrobe, like consultation, like you have to like go and get fitted for wardrobe and try on like different, you know outfits to see, like what they're going to put you in for the day. The same thing is going to happen for hair, and if there are not people there who are capable of executing the hair the way that it's supposed to be and you have to go to like an outside you know vendor or you know stylist or whatever, they have to pay you for that. So there's, there's, there's things in the works here that were not there before, so I'm I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1:That's pretty dope, that's actually pretty. That that right there alone is a great thing. We talked about that before.
Speaker 2:I am tired of my hair getting fucked up on set Because you don't know what you're doing. Just because you don't know what you're doing. I'm doing, make it make sense, but yeah, so, like I said, there's some things that look great. There are some things that I am giving a little bit of a side eye to, but I'm also waiting to see, like, what the full terms and agreements are before I make an overall decision on whether or not it's a good contract. But at least we're off strike.
Speaker 1:You know At least we are off strike just as long as that's in a good way, and it's really. I guess it's. I mean, I was watching Jimmy Fallon and he had Tom Hiddleston on to talk about Loki and he said this was the first guest that they've had on since the strike ended. It's a really big thing for that show and I think Sherry had something similar. I haven't really watched the full episode just yet, but you know. Sherry my girl, you know, not Sherry, but Sherry.
Speaker 2:I saw that and I took your template and made my own post from it, because I saw that.
Speaker 1:I haven't seen it. Let me go see it now, but I haven't been on my phone while you're doing that, you can do question of the week.
Speaker 2:I could do that.
Speaker 3:Oh so, but one thing I was going to say before I move on to the question of the week is that the contract is only going to be for, only only going to be for three years. Right, yeah. That in itself is just so crazy to me, because in three years, which is like no time, will be back.
Speaker 2:No time at all.
Speaker 3:We'll be back here doing the same goddamn thing over and over again.
Speaker 2:Pretty much. Hopefully, not Hopefully it'll be It'll get worked out on the front end.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like you would think that right, like everybody knows that it has been for the last hour, or many years, you know?
Speaker 2:Oh, I see it.
Speaker 3:Come on.
Speaker 1:now I'm going to be back in three years.
Speaker 3:Are you seeing me and Sherry hey?
Speaker 1:Sherry, she was looking good. I'm telling you, she looks good.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, yeah, you're bad. Oh, do I. Well, it's your turn now this time. Anyway, I'm going to be back in a minute, test circle back.
Speaker 3:Question of the week. Question of the week your questions as they pertain to you prospectively and introspectively. So I want to do a little bit of a different with our question of this particular show. So I'm amazing at work that he's doing with his sister. They're starting a business, so I'm really excited for him and we decided to have a kind of like a friendsgiving get together and kind of send him off and see him before he went away.
Speaker 3:And so of course, we went over Greg's place. Greg, of course, has his son know, kind of just terrorizing everybody, all in good fun, of course. And somebody decided, because it was a Noah's birthday, to read him a bedtime story. And in the process of reading him a bedtime story, he said, looking into the book, what's that? And you hear like mumble, mumble, mumble, and then you hear Chris come here a second. Uh oh, so Josh was reading him a bedtime story. So I go into the bedroom and he shows me a picture and he said what is this called? I can't figure out what this is called. So question of the week. I know you guys can't see it. I'm sure Blair will make a lovely description of this, but I'm interested to hear your answers. Questions of the week. What is this called?
Speaker 1:Is that a lifesaver?
Speaker 3:Is it a lifesaver?
Speaker 1:A tube, a lifesaver tube.
Speaker 2:Like a lifesaver inner tube.
Speaker 1:So okay, so okay. So, blair, can you just, can you just?
Speaker 2:So yeah, so we're looking at. We should have AI described, Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:We are looking at a swimming pool that has a circular tube floating in the middle of it. The tube is mostly white, with red stripes along the outside, similar to a peppermint of sorts.
Speaker 2:And then it has a rope that is tied loosely to the outside of the ring and it's connected at four points along the tube. Typically, what PJ and I are thinking is you see this kind of thing with a lifeguard. It's the inner tube that they carry with them If they have to go into the pool or into the beach to save somebody who is at risk of drowning.
Speaker 1:I feel like it has a dirty name.
Speaker 2:No no, it's not called a lifesaver.
Speaker 3:Well, here's the thing it has multiple names.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's the thing I was gonna say, like I feel it does have multiple names but, like the most common name that I can think of, to call it is a lifesaver.
Speaker 1:Because that's what they have Like if you get the lifesaver mints or the gummies those are. That's why they're called that, because it's shaped like that.
Speaker 3:So the thing is is that we could nobody in the, in the room, in the, in the in great apartment, could come up to a consensus as to what it was called.
Speaker 2:So everybody had a name for it, but everybody had a different name for it.
Speaker 3:Yes, and then me and me and Josh, of course, could not agree on it and we just found it was. I mean, it's very silly, but we just found like it was the most hilarious thing. I called it a lifesaver. So I agree with y'all. He's called it. It was a lot, it's? He said it's a life buoy.
Speaker 2:So I've heard buoy before.
Speaker 1:But buoys are? The buoys are the things that are in the water, that are like triangular.
Speaker 3:But a buoy is just something that floats in the water, which it does.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that's not that. But those are different. You can't say, grab the buoy, that's for the, that's for a ship.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, so somebody called it, so I called it a lifesaver, he called it a life buoy, somebody else called it.
Speaker 1:Who called it? Greg called it this or Josh.
Speaker 3:I think Josh called it a life buoy.
Speaker 1:Oh see this takes away from my argument.
Speaker 3:Greg. Greg called it a life preserver, and here's the other names for it it's called a life preserver, a life ring, a, a liffa ring a life, a, what A? Liffa ring A. Nuva ring A ring, spell it.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no, I'm sorry, I mean my glasses. Life or ring, but they just put it all in it's together as one word. So life, ring, life, life or ring, life saver, ring buoy, donut safety wheel, peri buoy and kiss bearing His ring. So that's my, that's my nerd moment, but I just thought it was hilarious because it just disrupted whatever conversations were going on in the in the apartment for a good 30 minutes because nobody wanted to agree on what it was called.
Speaker 2:Hmm, that's interesting. Yeah, it's always been a lifesaver to me, which is also different from so. You know, the ones from like Baywatch, like the ones that are kind of like a trapezoid kind of looking ones, what would you call that?
Speaker 3:That's a. That's a. I think it's a. It's a. I looked it up.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm talking about, the ones that float in the water.
Speaker 2:Well, that floats in the water too. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no I'm talking like you know, like on Baywatch, when they would like jump down from the tower and they would run into the water.
Speaker 1:Oh, run with their, it in hand.
Speaker 2:That they were holding the one. It looks like it's kind of shaped like an arrow and it's got like handles on the other side.
Speaker 3:It's called. I remember seeing it because I was just so fascinated by how we not, we just have all these right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a life raft, a handy raft.
Speaker 2:A handy raft. That's what you call it. Is that what I said? So again, so that's what I would have thought would have the effect that apparently the lifesaver had on you guys. Like, when you look at that, the Baywatch one I feel like that has multiple names that people will call it.
Speaker 1:Baywatch life.
Speaker 2:I always thought it was a life guard raft.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's a mock life raft.
Speaker 2:But again, this is what I'm saying. I thought that this would have multiple.
Speaker 1:It's a boogie board. That's what. That's what I'm. That's a boogie board.
Speaker 2:That's the boogie board. A boogie board is flat.
Speaker 1:That is flat, it is flat.
Speaker 2:I'm, this is, this is this has like, like you know what I mean Ruining Thanksgiving dinners everywhere. Like a boogie board of flotation.
Speaker 3:It's not a boogie board.
Speaker 2:I could tell you it's not a boogie board, because boogie boards are like completely like flat and then one dimensional. This is like this has, like it is oval, and then the other part, that's the wrong one, that's inflatable. That's what you just said. No, not the inflatable kinds like the hard plastic one.
Speaker 1:It's still the same thing. This is an inflatable mock life preserver boogie board.
Speaker 2:It's the same what is this, are you on? But even like here, this one is like the hard one and it's called a rescue can.
Speaker 3:Right A rescue can.
Speaker 2:A lifeguard rescue can.
Speaker 3:Can you rescue me?
Speaker 1:Can you feel the love?
Speaker 2:So that's interesting. Yeah, yes, no, I've always known those to be lifesavers.
Speaker 3:But he would. He was arguing me down and he said what did you say?
Speaker 2:he called it.
Speaker 3:He called it a life buoy and even like it's funny, because even Noah, you know his five year old self, you know we kids these days, they know they have so much knowledge about stuff because they have so much access he called it a buoy too, and but he wasn't sure. So it was just this whole way, you know, disrupting everyone's lives, but yeah, Hmm.
Speaker 2:So, it life buoy Interesting.
Speaker 1:Do so, as you talk about disrupting people's lives, let's see how we can tie this together. Okay, so, as we talk about disrupting people's lives, I think and I thought of a different, a decent conversation for us to have, based on this time to disrupt the system. I don't think, I don't, I'm trying to blare to. Can you let me see? And so it's like let's how do we disrupt what we've been doing and disrupt the what's been normalized, and let's stop doing a certain thing. Is that making sense?
Speaker 2:Please, I believe you can get there.
Speaker 3:It does.
Speaker 2:I believe you can get there and you did, congratulations.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, I'm cutting this all out, no, but um, yeah, so I mean okay. So, in the light of you know, cutting things out, that's not what you said. Jesus fucking Christ, bro, wait hold, please.
Speaker 2:Oh, what Except with my glasses on?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he likes them too.
Speaker 1:I guess we're at the cutting part. We're at the cutting point.
Speaker 2:Where my glasses. Like you, you're in them, glasses I'm like ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1:Okay, so in the spirit of what you were just saying in reference to, like, what we know how, what we know how we're doing, but you know, I'm trying to figure out how to tie those two together and I'm cutting all of this out in between.
Speaker 2:We try to figure out how to tie it together. Okay, so we're talking about.
Speaker 1:But today's conversation is about, you know, like things that we should stop doing period. Like not even just as us, as like people, but just like us as humans, like we should really get into the habit of stop doing this.
Speaker 3:How do we stop disrupting our lives?
Speaker 1:Okay. So in the spirit of, in the spirit of, like, picking up fucking around, figuring out take these glasses off there, you make it be hot no, in the spirit of figuring out how we're going to disrupt things that are disrupting our lives, I wanted to talk about like I've been seeing a lot of things on social media in reference to what we should be stopping doing, which we should stop doing, and I feel that there's a part of this conversation that is leaning towards how we can be better as a people, and there's another conversation that's leaning towards black people were not ready to have this conversation and part of it for me. I want to start out with like here's an example, Because I mean there are famous. A famous prophet once said I'm comfortable in my skin, I'm cozy with who I am, and so I Wow. So I, it was Wow. So here's what we're going to do going forward, Every episode, I'm going to put a lyric in there. You just have to figure out where the lyric is and what song it is and when you hear it.
Speaker 2:Not like, not like you shut, like you say it like it's gonna be hard.
Speaker 1:I'll make it harder as it goes.
Speaker 2:Come on, Beyonce cozy Next.
Speaker 1:But you know, like, it was this one that was saying about these filters. You know, like, let me ask you guys how do you feel about filters?
Speaker 2:Now so I. And I'm like I've used filters before, but I've only I've. I don't use the filters that like Dramat, like drastically change you know what the what the picture is. I have a lot of issues with like trying to create an image online that doesn't reflect reality. So, yeah, that's how I feel about filters and so the go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 3:I was like, do you not want me to participate? And I'm logged off right now because, oh shit, no, I mean it's funny. I mean, I'm sure you know my answer I use filters. If I use filters, it's for from an artistic perspective, anything that I've ever done has always been interesting, unique. It's because I'm using it's funny. So I did that TikTok filter where it changed, like it changed me into anime, like those were all comedic related. So that's the only time that I'm using filters. I can't see me a lot like Blair. I can't see me using it to be like, oh, look at me and I'm so dapper, what, like you know that that's not real.
Speaker 2:Like I agree, like I feel like filters can be fun. Like when people like when you're using them with the intention of, like you know, like purposefully showing a different version of yourself. But like when people use, like the beauty filter and you know, like the lips like to make themselves to give people the impression that this is how you actually really look in real life. But in reality you know you have a filter on because you don't really look like that, like what's one of the filters that I do love. It was the one I don't know if it's still there or not, but it's the one like where, like, if you like, nod your head a couple of times, a different pair of like sunglasses will come down like over your eyes. Like filters like that, like I love because they're fun and they're funny and like they're, you know it's just there for you to have a good time. But like when people use like the beauty filter and the makeup filter and the enhancement filter, like that kind of stuff I say tried lightly.
Speaker 3:Also how often you use it too. Like if you're using that every day and be like look at me, I'm getting some Starbucks, it's all. Like if you in your head wrap and you don't got no makeup on, just say that then Like who ain't nobody looking at you? You know, like crazy, that's who you are.
Speaker 1:It's so funny because at the top of my head right now the only filter I could think about is when I go, when I do my little TikTok lives and I switched to like the color filters and the color filters and the one that I always pick, ironically enough, is the cozy one. That's why I laugh about only because I like the the different color of it. But when you take it off and still it's still pretty much myself, it doesn't. It might remove a couple of blemishes off my face, but I think I agree to it. Like, I just think that it gets to a point in, regardless of catfish and other people, you begin to start catfishing yourself and you forget what you look like yourself.
Speaker 2:So then when you see yourself, you start, not like how you actually really look.
Speaker 1:And this is what, and so like. The pictures are so like. What do they say? We look at ourselves in the mirror and that's a perception that we have of what we see. And then there's a perception of what you each see when you each look at someone else, and that may not be the same vision, the same perspective, obviously, that you see in the mirror, because it's in 3D or 4D for them, and they're looking at it from a different perspective other than you seeing it in the mirror. Now, if you're looking at yourself constantly with a filter, you're gonna forget that. I forget sometimes. I have this Mary J Blyat scar on my face and it's right here and it's prominent. I love it. But whenever you put something on it, it'll cover. Like I have a filter on right now, as we're doing this podcast, because we're doing it on Zoom, and I'm like blocking out the background, because I just wanna block out the background for a quick second, but it doesn't mean that I'm embarrassed of what I have, but I don't know. It has different meanings, I guess.
Speaker 2:You know, it's really interesting in what you said about looking in the mirror and that's the perception we have of ourselves.
Speaker 2:I even think, like that is on a case by case basis.
Speaker 2:I think everybody sees themselves or sees what they or I don't even say this the vision of themselves that they have in their head, of what we look like and how we present in the world, can be so different all the time.
Speaker 2:Cause, like for me, like I've got, like I've got some body dysmorphia stuff going on right now, and when I look in the mirror and I look at myself in the mirror, I can't reconcile what I'm seeing in the mirror with what I think I actually look like. And what I think I actually look like is the idea or the pictures of me from like five, six, seven years ago. I'm like that's me, that's what I look like. But then when I look in the mirror and I don't see that, I'm like wait a minute, what's going on, what's happening? And it's not because, like you know, like those pictures are, like you know, like have filters or anything on them, but that's just like when I think of like what I look like, that's where my head goes, but it's not current to what I actually really look like now.
Speaker 1:It's crazy because, like, looking at you now right and looking at me and looking at Chris, like we all look like what we look like in our pictures, like we look like what we look like in our box. At least, when I physically go to see each of you, I, like Blair, you always look flawless. You know Chris has boogers in his nose and so-.
Speaker 3:Don't tell people about.
Speaker 1:Vex and he's you know, but you know, but they at least match his hair. So I think, yeah, yellow boogers, it's weird.
Speaker 3:I'm weak. You gotta be matching baby.
Speaker 1:But I think that like, like example, gaining weight and losing weight, right, and so I do, I too have like a body dysmorphia thing. I don't even know we were gonna go this direction, but it's just like-.
Speaker 2:Don't worry, I'll pull this back in a minute.
Speaker 1:Amen, because I could remember, like when I lost weight and I remember when I was like, I think right before we really stopped doing the podcast, that's when I was really stopping going to the gym right around sometime before not doing the podcast, doing it in the studio, shout out to COVID and then all of the pudge that has been put on for all of us. You know, I constantly look at myself in the mirror and like God damn, I know I'm not fat, I know I'm just thicker than I used to be. But then when I hear people describe what they see as me and it's weird because I don't see that I really loved it when, like, alicia Keys started rocking her no makeup, makeup, you know, but that's just a conversation of like are we ready to be real when it comes to what we really look like versus what TV, the internet, social media says is pretty?
Speaker 2:Well, that's the other thing about it too. It's like everything is just so based off of trends. You know when we were talking before about, you know the filters and the beauty filters and whatnot, and my first thought was, like I wouldn't be surprised if we went through and liked it, like the digging on, like who created these filters and who paid for the research to be done on these filters. I'm sure a lot of it will track back to different like beauty corporations, because if they can get people to think that this is what they should look like in real life, then they'll go out and buy the things that, theoretically, will make them look like the way that they do in filters will make them go and get the Botox and the Fillers and the LIPO and the this and the that, because they're trying to match what they see. You know they could potentially look like through social media. But isn't that like just like the?
Speaker 2:Where the conversation about social media keeps coming back to is just how it affects our authenticity and the perception of ourself and how that all goes back to like our mental health and mental wellness. So I think, like the reason why you wanted to have this conversation today, pj, was because it does have an effect on our mental wellbeing and we have to be able to recognize that and actively work against it, so that way we can maintain some sense of realism. You know, stop using these beauty filters because, no, that's not what you look like, but that doesn't mean that you're not beautiful.
Speaker 3:I think, part of the problem when and I think you touched on a point where you talk about living in realism, and I think realism requires you living in the present and I think for like you had mentioned earlier that you see, like, when you look at yourself in the mirror, sometimes you see the old version of you and I think there's some people that live in the past and I think you know that there's some people that live in the future.
Speaker 3:Maybe, like you know, in PJ sense, he wants to maybe work out more and so he's envisioning this person of who he wants to be. And I find, like, when you do that and you untether yourself and not ground yourself in your present self, then that's when you have the most unrealistic views and perspectives of you. Like you know, I always, you know, talk about body dysmorphia. You know I don't necessarily have body dysmorphia bad, but I definitely. There's times that I step out of the shower and I stand in front of the mirror and I'm all like ugh, and then and that is that, after you go back and forth, flat, flat, flat, flat flat.
Speaker 3:You always have to do flat, flat, flat, you always have.
Speaker 2:Oh, you guys do flat, flat, flat too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course. Yeah, we gotta make sure the balance is right. How do we?
Speaker 2:But I just more like flat flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, flat flat flat, flat no, but like you know.
Speaker 3:So I think I think that's part of it, and I think when I don't have those moments and and I do say I do look in the mirror and I say you know what, actually don't look bad I realize that I'm actually living in the present and whatever is happening and connected to my mental, to connect to my psyche at that particular time just tends to be 10 times better because you're not trying to regress and you're not trying to do things that are stressing you out to be somebody that you're not yet.
Speaker 2:So, then, what are some of the things that you make sure to tell yourself to do or not do, so that you don't fall into that trap of having, like, a false sense of image, dreary about yourself?
Speaker 1:Okay, so I will say this and I think that, and I don't know if there was this to both of us with this, yeah, this is for all of us. I take, I take a lot of pictures of myself and and in a not in a selfie kind of way, but as like, in a progress way, like number one I'm going to be, I'm working on my body right, so I'm taking a lot of before, I'm taking a lot of when.
Speaker 2:I'm pregnant.
Speaker 1:These are, these are and this is my therapist helped me with this and this is what has been working for me. I take one right when I wake up. Sometimes I'll take one when I get out of the shower and freshly groomed, and one when I'm fully dressed and ready to go. And these are just and if, like you, would look to my phone, you're like, I damn you, what is all it is for? But there are moments when I look back on it and I have to realize that the imperfections that I see is just what is in here in my head, and it doesn't necessarily mean that that's what other people see. And and those which helps me. It helps me in a way that I keep track of.
Speaker 1:I'm getting older. I keep track of how my body is changing, how my skin is changing, how things are, how my allergies are now affecting my skin. Like I told you guys before, I have a rash in the back, in the center of my back. I don't, I would have never known about it. Or it's like in the back, it's like under my under arms, on both sides, and someone had to point it out to me and I realized it, but I'd never seen it because I never like when you take, when you look at yourself and you're wet or you're dry, you know you see it one way, but then somebody's looking directly.
Speaker 1:If they're massaging your back and you know they're trying to like do other things, they looking at your body in a different way and it's just like what's this? And I'm like what is that? Now I'm freaking out now I'm constantly worried because, like, is this a sign of my illness? Is this a sign of a blood issue that I have to worry about? Like you know, I'm going back to the fourth, to the doctor, and he's like you're getting paranoid and I'm feeling like I'm turning into my mother. And, oh my god, this conversation is about, like, now, me feeling like I am not good enough, and so I sometimes keep doing and I delete them. They're not always there, but it's just a way for me to stay on track with how I see myself in real time.
Speaker 3:I mean, I guess, to kind of sum it up, I I stopped. I stopped using my phone as much. Yeah, you know, what I do is. I think we're in this culture where we want to document everything, right, so maybe you're complete opposite of what I just said no, but I mean everybody's different.
Speaker 3:So you know, I mean it's all good, but I think, like you know, we're in this culture right now. We're, you know, we're at a Beyonce concert and what some people will do is they'll record the entire right instead of being at the concert experiencing it, they're watching it through their phone, when they can watch it directly because if they watch it through their phone, they would have seen it already, because it's been posted a million times instead of being present.
Speaker 3:And what I'm finding is is that a lot of, a lot of my, my anxiety has come from me wanting to get like the right picture or the right thing or the right moment.
Speaker 3:And I think you have to kind of just come to a certain conclusion, certain level, because I mean, we all do different things and maybe some people are content creators or whatever, but we have to come to a certain level of conclusion where we just say you know what these, these, these 80 pictures that I have, are good, you know, and you know I'm going to, I'm going to be alright with, with not taking more and then just being in the moment, and I think that that more of the quality, I think. I think I'm looking for quality and so I remember my night more vividly and even when I and me, even when I go back, I reminisce because I enjoy it more, because, like whatever pictures that I did take, I was like, oh, that was a funny, blur, blurry moment, because you know PJ wouldn't sit still and Blair's laughing and doing, you know, rabbit ears behind him or whatever it is, you know. So I just try and be a little bit more present and I try not to be in my phone as much as you know.
Speaker 1:But you know, let me, let me just say right, um, that from what I was saying, like now and I'm not saying this, guys to like defend what I was just saying I just want to add a little bit more to it, because I feel that's why I'm listening back to it and listening to what you're saying what we're saying is somewhat similar, um, except for the fact that I'm just capturing it as a reference so I can look back in 30 days and say, okay, doc, this started this day.
Speaker 1:Here's the progress of it. Um, not like, oh my god, look at me, this and I should be this and I want to be that. You know, and I think this is what I was saying when I was on, when I was on my way to see you and I was sitting next to this girl from Brooklyn all the way up to the Bronx, was taking a picture in the same position, doing the same thing, and, girl, you look the same way you look two seconds ago and so like, but and she was adding different filters and different colors and she was looking to see what looks best and she was posting and she was doing all the hand gestures and all the things that people do and you know, I just wish that people would stop doing that and I just want to um, because you make a very valid point and I would be okay with that if, like, she was just burning time to just as, because that's a long ass fucking trip.
Speaker 3:So I appreciate you coming up, but I would it would be one thing if she does that in that particular moment and because she's just trying to spend time, but if you so happened to go back on the train back down with her and she's doing the same thing, and she already went through all her goddamn filters. And then she doesn't when she gets home, and then she does like people become obsessed with it girl yeah there's only 80 filters.
Speaker 1:There's a level of obsession that you have with that and you know, and you, you said content creator and I immediately cracked because cracked up because you know, whenever I do sometimes feel like doing a little nasty duty, do not nasty duty, but you know what I mean, you know I need an adult yeah, but there are moments where I feel like you know, let's, let's press record a little bit, a lot of bit, actually not even gonna lie, and I have a humongous library of stuff and I will never, ever post anything like that.
Speaker 2:I never say never but here's the podcast of your only fans. What is happening right now?
Speaker 1:so this is what you kept saying, like go to your only fans, but I don't poke. I do have an only fans, but there's nothing on there. Um, this is if I ever decided to post any of the stuff I have ladies and gentlemen, this is the launching.
Speaker 3:This is the launching right.
Speaker 2:This is the launch.
Speaker 1:This is the soft spot only fans pjom but here's the thing, and I only bring this up because when you're in the moment, when you're having sex and you have like a camera set up, you can't be in the moment because you're more concerned with what you look like, um, unless you have an amazing sex and baby you know. So I'm, you know, I'm thinking about myself and I'm just talking about for me.
Speaker 3:So you don't have amazing sex or great next time.
Speaker 1:I haven't had, you know, but you know, I look out, you know. Next time.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to open up to you guys. This is what you know. If I showed you out my drop box, you know it's off of my phone because you know. You know other people use my phone as you know, shit happens wait show.
Speaker 1:So sidebar, shit happens. Story time random. So we're at the, we're at the. Oh shit, it's 8 a 53, you get a hard stop. Never mind, let's just say this uncle needed to use the phone and needed to use my phone because his phone wasn't working and accidentally pressed the x app instead of the phone app. And you know my uncle, he pressed twitter. He was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, what's? My nasty twitter is prominent over, like my regular twitter. So if I go to twitter or my nasty twitter, I'm seeing porn. I'm not seeing my porn. Let's get that straight.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry this. The algorithm has figured out what you like no, it's all nasty twitter, so yeah, feeding it to you feed up.
Speaker 2:Give it to me, baby okay, and on that note, um, to answer the question that I put forth before, what am I doing? Um, I am. So if we're gonna put it in terms of like the things that we're stopping doing, I'm going to. I'm trying my best to stop downplaying or dismissing when other people give me compliments about the way that I look. I'm really trying to stop doing that because I have like, especially when it comes to like what my body looks like, you know, because I do have like this whole body dysmorphia thing going on, cause I am not the same size that I used to be and just kind of like coming to, coming to a sense of acceptance, like about that. And so in the last like two weeks or so. So, like you guys know, noreen, she was on the podcast on the baddest beach. She's the baddest beach, baddest beach shout out to the baddest beach.
Speaker 3:I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2:Noreen was talking about. She was like well, you look good. She was like. And then another friend of mine was talking about like you know, the curves are hitting in all the right places and I wish I looked like you. And even a gentleman friend of mine, who shall remain nameless I'm gonna put some glasses on baby.
Speaker 2:Even he, you know, said something you know complimentary and positive about you know the way that my body looks, and so normally what I would do is just kind of like, you know, dismiss all of that and just kind of like play it off and not really like let it like penetrate, you know, or like really like have like an effect on, like my psyche.
Speaker 2:But I'm trying to and I'm only doing this with people who I know would not lie to me or would not just give me lip service or tell me like what I wanna hear, you know, like cause, you know, like you get into those situations where people you know are just saying things just to be nice, like oh, you look good, you look good, you know, because they know that you feel some type of way about it and they're just trying to, you know, be nice Versus people who are they don't have an agenda behind what it is that they're telling you, you know. So I'm trying to be more accepting of that and I'm trying not to be so dismissive of it, so that way I can kind of reconcile what my imagery is to me through others, and maybe that's not the best way to go about it, but it's a tactic I'm trying.
Speaker 1:I wanna ask you a question. This is a completely off topic and I may keep this in. I may not, but I've had something similar, a similar conversation, with a friend of mine who is like you in a way, and I say in a way, she's, she's. I think this is gonna sound funny, this is gonna sound funny in present time, but she's the daughter of, so she's the daughter of a page.
Speaker 2:What are you doing? Sorry, wrong button. Ha ha ha.
Speaker 1:Now she's taking a crunch y'all. She's the daughter of a pageant queen. So she, her mother, just like you know, pretty hurts, right, her mother always would instill in her or make her feel less than because she's not this pageanty girl and she's gorgeous, but no, she's not a pageant queen kind of girl and so, like, for you like being like okay. So for you like being the daughter of an AKA, and we're not. You know, I'm not. I'm just going in the idea of what they say certain groups are supposed to look like and not all AKAs look like this, obviously not. But have you ever felt the pressure when it comes down to that?
Speaker 2:Yes or no. I think I've experienced it in different ways. I'm taking like the AKA thing out of it. I think, like my mother growing up the way that she grew up. She grew up like, you know, southern. You know my mother grew up a different way than I did and my mother grew up with different ideas about how women should be in the world and how women should present themselves in the world. She has more of a old school kind of approach to it and she's been, you know, kind of understand.
Speaker 1:We talked about this like when she, she, like when you went natural.
Speaker 2:When I went natural. That's a perfect example. When I went natural, and the way I went natural was I transitioned for about nine months and then I big chopped. So I, when my hair was relaxed, I had like broad-strap length relaxed hair. So I had long, pretty hair. For a black girl, you know, it's the thing. Like, every black girl wants to have long flowing locks and I had them. And so when I transitioned and then cut my hair into a pixie cut, a short pixie cut on top of my head, my mother had a conniption. She was so upset with me and the first thing that she said to me was like I don't understand why you cut off all your long pretty hair.
Speaker 2:Men like women with long hair. Okay, because as a woman, one of my biggest focuses should be getting a man, getting a husband, and so I need to play into the role of looking for and seeking companionship in a man. So anything that goes against that, you know, was problematic. And then the other thing too, which just again, me having such long pretty hair. It was something that was coveted in the black community and then for me, to quote unquote, reject it because I had it and I threw it away. Essentially. You know it gives off a couple of different perceptions. It's either like one, I didn't have an appreciation for it, and two, I'm taking myself off of a pedestal, and my mother didn't like that either. Fast forward to now she's obsessed with my hair Like she's obsessed with it. So you know she's like I want my hair to be like yours. So initially you know she might be combative at first, but she comes around.
Speaker 1:And I wonder if a part of that is because at one point in time she wants to be that person or they want to be that person and see you living in your truth and feeling. And you know, and I'm not talking- about your mom at all.
Speaker 1:There's a little bit of resentment that comes from people who live in their truth and people who want to dog you out for living in your truth and being who you are and what authentically, what looks good on you, because it's something that they never feel that they could do.
Speaker 2:Oh, they never were awarded that, so they never took that opportunity to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I also do. I also do want to just admit, like when I brought the whole AKA thing and then I remember, and I just have this conversation about being on a college campus and I was talking about remembering what it was like and what every organization and the conversation was with a bunch of Greeks and we were just talking about what, if you were this, you had to look like this and you had to be this, and of all this, it was really the AKAs that gave the yeah, that's the narrative around that sorority I know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no-transcript.
Speaker 3:Quickly Wow, then you rushed me, but damn, I think for me, I think the thing that I am going to try and stop doing is similar to what Blair had mentioned, but it's not the same thing, because I think I've finally gotten over that hump. I still have my moments, of course, but I think, being really comfortable with my artistry. So how this came about was actually this weekend I wanted to start really like sitting down and doing some projects and things that I put together, and so I went back into my folders, in my camera reel, and I noticed projects that I didn't finish or I started and I just kind of forgot about and I think that's built upon having this self-consciousness about what that might look like when I put it out. So I find myself like cyclically trying to do it, put it out, be okay with it. But then I like it's a journey.
Speaker 3:So I shout out to PJ, who got me a very nice mug for my housewarming. It says enjoy the journey, aw, that's so sweet and it is now my favorite mug. You beat a mug that I actually made. So thank you for that. Don't make me cry. But yeah, so, and I realized and I'm gonna show you guys, I'm actually gonna show you guys really quickly, because I don't know why I haven't put it out yet. But yeah, there's projects that I've started because I'm kind of like being a perfectionist and know it's just gotta be right, and you know what I'm sick of that and I just want to put it out. And if y'all don't like it, then y'all can suck my dick, wow. But what if they do like it?
Speaker 1:Can they still suck your dick? Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:Well either way, it's a win-win. It's a win-win. This is what this is all about.
Speaker 3:See, this is what y'all are like, friend, how much more time do you have?
Speaker 1:Because I just wanted to do one more, but One minute, okay, all right. So what do you guys want to do? All right? So we talked a lot about like what about for us now? What about for people? And let's like add a little fun with this one Like. Here's an example that I wish people would stop doing. I wish people would stop going to social media. Mind you the irony of this, but it was in a I don't know what Instagram was thinking when they did meet this way. So I still have this fucking bone to pick with you, but I wish that people would.
Speaker 1:Who are looking at a post and they feel like they have to get something off their chest, but they don't read the comments before they do it. So all you're doing is repeating the same thing that's been said 20, 20, 20,000 times, whether it's right or wrong. Like, how about you read the room first? I wish people would stop just opening up something and immediately typing their response without thinking or reading first, because it's annoying, especially when, like when you ask to like.
Speaker 1:I saw this one where they were doing the video of Sterling K Brown when he went to this gay bar. I forgot what it was, for. He was being undressed and so everybody's like who is this guy, who is this guy, who is this guy, who is this guy, who is this guy, who is this guy. If you just scroll and read, you would find out who this guy is, because someone has asked that question before. I just wish people would just take the time and do their own research first before starting to open their mouth and sounding stupid, and not even just with that post, just with anything that social media does or out in general. So I just wish people would just read, you know. I just wish that you know.
Speaker 3:PJ, you have such lofty goals.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say you know, dream big baby.
Speaker 3:You want people to stop reading?
Speaker 1:You just start reading, start reading, start reading, you know, Start reading.
Speaker 2:That was funny. I actually made a TikTok on this exact very thing Because, again, it's something that I'm I told myself I have to stop doing so, literally like because we're all just so addicted to social media. In some way, shape or form, it's part of our everyday lives for the most part. I made this. There was a sound on TikTok that I made a video to and the sound goes time for TikTok. Oh, I mean, thank you, lil, for waking me up this morning and starting me up with this and starting me on my way. Now it's time for TikTok.
Speaker 2:So I made a video to that because I was like, oh, this is not so like indignant to my life right now Because, like, I wake up in the morning, let me scroll on TikTok. Before I go to bed at night, let me scroll on TikTok. And the first thing that I should be doing in the morning when I open my eyes is thanking God for allowing me to see another day. So what I would like for people to do is stop opening up social media the first thing in the morning, like, check the weather app first, open the Bible app.
Speaker 3:Slightly scroll over.
Speaker 2:But, that's what we're doing. Just even I'm okay with you, even like checking your email first before you get on social media and see what the shayroom is posted today or whatever it is, but like we have to be able to ground ourselves to something more than the shayroom.
Speaker 1:Can we go back to the time when we used to use the bathroom and read all of the like ingredients in the back of things Like I have a Because now y'all don't know ingredients, y'all don't even know what, y'all Not even okay, let's even take it a step further. Not even know ingredients. Realizing it, I was gonna mention this. I'm so glad I this all popped in. Do you know that the Gen Zers can't read In cursive? So, like Johnson and Johnson and all these other organizations-.
Speaker 2:What's the guy thinking of writing cursive? Either, that's what I'm saying. They can't. They can't read it. They had to change their logo.
Speaker 1:Their logo, their brands to print, and so, like I wish that people would learn you know how to write In cursive. It is important.
Speaker 3:That's crazy, because the I mean cursive is not that different. That people Like context clues people.
Speaker 1:Only the Z and the Q may be different, or however people might, you know, write it. It's not like I mean, I write in calligraphy and so do you, because you have a really pretty handwriting. You know that is, that is. That is not a, that is not a dig. So I don't need to look at me. That is a penmanship. Hey look, are you talking to me?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's talking to you.
Speaker 1:I said this to you last time and you were like-.
Speaker 3:That's cursive. Oh yeah, I know I was. I mean I was teasing, but no, I mean I, that was chicken scratch, that I did that day.
Speaker 1:Oh, excuse the fuck out of me.
Speaker 3:I wasn't even trying.
Speaker 1:What he wrote with a quill and he's like, oh, that was chicken scratched.
Speaker 3:You know what's crazy. So I have a little quill there.
Speaker 2:You know I broke pen and See, oh my God, it's so precious.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like ladies, yo guys listeners. Chris really has beautiful handwriting. I have bubble handwriting. Blair has a very neat handwriting.
Speaker 3:Oh well, thank you, I'd write it. Baby, type it.
Speaker 2:So, red, what's something that you want the general public to stop doing?
Speaker 1:Let's talk about the Bronx.
Speaker 3:I don't, you know, for the Bronx to stop Bronxing. I never had a parent like it.
Speaker 2:No, I'm, I'm not.
Speaker 3:They're not that naive of a person. I'm not. I'm a lesbian person, not Pink. Go on to post. It's always people like going at each other. You don't know who Jamie B, thirty zero zero eight is like. Why are you going so hard? And like arguing and you guys could be like learning from each other, I guess. I guess that it's like entertainment to a certain degree, but I feel like that takes away from the opportunity for us to like grow and actually learn from each other. I don't have all that time to be sitting there and like you know, go, you know, go on head to head with somebody, and there's bigger things to like worry about. So you know a lot like people reading. I think I want people to listen.
Speaker 2:You know what is so interesting about that, though? It's kind of like you know it's, it's TikTok, is or TikTok. Social media is kind of an all or nothing thing, you know, like it's great in the sense that it provides people with the opportunity to connect. How they connect is a myriad of different things. People can have a positive conversation. People can have a negative conversation. People can have a conversation where they actually, like you know, are in depth and go back and forth and learn from each other. People can have a conversation where they're just, you know, dissing each other the whole time. That's the thing about social media is, you know, you provide this platform for people to be able to connect, but now we're trying to get into the realm of dictating how people connect, and that can be pretty dangerous.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm not dictating anybody.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not saying that we are, but like it's, like it's, it's. It's one of those things that we have to be mindful of, you know.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think we can go on and on and on about this topic.
Speaker 2:It's so interesting that at the last couple of conversations that we've had have been about social media.
Speaker 1:And, but in different aspects of it, you know, and I really wasn't even thinking about it in a social media aspect when I first thought about this topic. So I'm glad that the conversation went this way, because it kind of flows into like I guess let's say this is our conversations for as we've been having them, but I think these are also reflective of the times that we're in.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And things that we do need to, or if I mean not need to, because here's the other thing. I can tell you what, as a as a person talking to all you out there, I can tell you what. I want you to fucking stop doing all that, fuck. I want to. But guess what? I'm walking in my shoes, I'm not walking in yours, so hold up, they don't love you like I love you, so I don't know.
Speaker 2:But that's from the Lemonade album.
Speaker 1:But you know, I mean, and I can't tell you anything, so like I also wish that we would stop trying to tell people how they should live their lives, you know so say it louder for the people in the back.
Speaker 3:You know what?
Speaker 1:On that note, guys, thank you for taking the time to listen to another episode of highly motherfucking Melonaded the safe not you hit your head on your bike. Y'all heard that the safe space where it is OK to stop worrying about what other motherfuckers got to say but still Worry about what you got to say. Did that make sense? I think it did, as always, guys, you can take the time to follow us on social media. You know what's there? Highly melanated podcast at Instagram and TikTok. It's there. Or you can follow us individually. I am at. I am PJ Ryan blairs at JBT dub, jbt dub and Chris aka red is acting regent. Let's see if that'll work.
Speaker 2:That that'll be interesting. Let's see if that works. We start giving out our personal.
Speaker 1:Somebody said to me in the tiktok message number screen shot it when I find it. She was like I went to follow you on all of your stuff and the last time you post it was like two years ago. So, Anyone go.
Speaker 2:If they come, we will build it. You know what? As a matter of fact, hold on. I'm about to issue a decree right here and right now. As of recording this, we have 504 followers on Instagram. That's 504, like the 504 boys, if we get to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what's you going about to say?
Speaker 2:600 Say. That's what I want to say if we get to 600 1000 no, no, no, let's, let's, let's, let's make it real. We've been, we've been doing this.
Speaker 1:We've had a crawl before we run. We've been doing, we've been crawling for five fucking years.
Speaker 2:But no, I think we we've been. We. I don't know what we've been doing. We've been. We haven't even got out the start.
Speaker 1:We've been standing still for five years when it comes.
Speaker 2:If we get to 600 followers by the new year, by First 2024, okay, so there's 96 followers. 96 followers, that's, that's nothing right. 600 followers by the beginning of the new year. I will personally Make sure that our, that our Instagram is active.
Speaker 1:Ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here first. I am going to clip this and make this a video Breaking news.
Speaker 2:Just these can't be these. Gotta be real followers. These can be bots.
Speaker 1:You know, and also this is a safe space to say to you motherfuckers out there no, I will not hit you in the DM. No, I don't want to be an ambassador for your eight. No, I don't want you to help me grow my following by, you know, and you want me to have a blue check. You only, you don't even have one, and I'm just glad today. Stop asking us to buy hair so.
Speaker 2:Yes, if we get to 600 followers by January 1st 2024, we will make sure that our ends. I will make sure that our Instagram account is so glad she corrected that.
Speaker 1:Ladies and gentlemen, she will become the president of the social media.
Speaker 2:I Will make sure that our social media is actively posted to that is all. If you want to email us, you go ahead and email us at highly melanated podcast at gmailcom.
Speaker 3:Well, or you can come on over to Twitter, formerly known as Twitter, now known as X. If you want to disrupt some things at family, thanksgiving, family gatherings with frivolous questions, come on over over. H underscore melanated pod.
Speaker 1:I don't know guys, peace, love and and take your filters 600. I Think I'm addicted to your light. I'm just looking at Beyonce quotes right now. I'm not gonna do this. I'm not gonna do this every episode. But yes, peace, love. But I am. Who you lying to us for you we gonna take it to the moon, to the stars and all that good stuff, all right did we finalize a piece. Peace, love, and they'll just.
Speaker 2:Know what be real with yourself. Live your life off social media.
Speaker 1:You know, live your life, but you live, laugh, love you.