3522: Vessel for Love - Part 3
 

Keith and Chemda continue with the fallout over The Slap Heard Around the World, including if Keith and Chemda should be allowed to discuss issues involving black people. They discuss the Academy Awards meeting to determine Will Smith’s position in the academy and Chris Rock beginning his comedy tour Ego Death. The duo also discusses platinum-selling artist Eric Church canceling an arena show last minute to see his Tar Heels play Duke in the Final Four. Bruce Willis has retired from acting due to aphasia, and KATG remembers his greatest hits and misses.

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Whoa 😳
 

Whoa.
Could not believe the ‘anonymous’ person who wrote in.
So as a black person I say it’s fine for Keith and Chemda to discuss any and all black slaps at the Academy Awards, any and all black super hero movies including Black Panther 2 when it comes out, any black tv shows, any black comedians, black actors, Beyonce, Prince, black singers, etc etc.

Been a huge fan for the longest - listened to every episode.
Have no problem with Keith and Chemda discussing any issues.

Much love from Texas.
Chaka

The writer of the letter isn't wrong.

I really enjoy the show and want to be able to listen. But I can't do it consistently cause of some yalls takes on black stuff over the years.

For example, when I first started listening to the show Keith was describing getting robbed or mugged or something. And the guest asked the race of the attacker, Keith's response was something like "I'm not going to say the race but you know it's not white".

And I remember a time when Keith was constantly advocated for news outlets to say the n-word cause that'll somehow lessen the importance of the word.

And yeah Keith's take on Black Panther was more than "it's not good" it was more along the lines of "I don't get how this movie is so deep like people are saying" I think I even wrote a forum post trying to explain the depth of it as a response to what he said on the show.

It's a thing. Yall will get into a blindspot and really dig your heels in, so I'll have to take a break for a while for my own mental health. Then time will pass and I'll come back when I remember "hey I really liked this show maybe they have grown" and yeah yall have but it's still really rough around the edges.

I mean this honestly and sincerely:
I did pause (like literally stared at my podcast app screen) before pressing play on the first Oscar episode cause I had already seen what white people had been saying on reddit and other places and didn't want to risk it with yall again. I did the math in my head of whether i had the black mental health space to hear whatever it is yall will have to say cause yall *have* grown but i didn't know to what extent. I ended up deciding to listen because 95% of my in-person and online interactions are black so I had some white people BS wiggle room available to where it wouldn't negatively impact my day.

Yall definitely have huge blindspots. But yall are also still not in a place where you can take constructive criticism from listeners about this without getting defensive or taking it as a personal attack.

The poll is ridiculous. Of course the results are going to say yall should keep talking about black stuff. The audience is mostly white and when have white people as a whole ever been self-aware enough to know they should not be the ones talking about a topic. White people always believe themselves to have the most unbiased and informed opinions on morality and are offended if you suggest otherwise.

Chemda, nonwhite people absolutely can and do uphold and spread white supremacy. It's not even rare. It is the default.

Another, blindspot.

What are your blind spots? Like for a reference.

I don't know anything about Ukraine. I don't say shit about Ukraine. I just read what people in Ukraine have to say.

I am able-bodied therefore I don't speak with authority about disability. And welcome correction without argument from members of that community.

I am (mostly) hetero so I don't speak with authority about homosexuality. And welcome correction without argument from member of that community.

Some of us don't have a problem identifying our privileges and knowing that means we can be and often are wrong about a subject.

Oh you had to sting again at the end. You son of a thing! You got me!

Hi, it's me, a white person.
 

I definitely have a hot take but involves everybody being correct in some way and ultimately... Fuck it. I'm not going to go down that road.

My worldview changed dramatically after reading The Four Agreements and I think would be beneficial when having these chill chats. Talk precisely. What you do/say has nothing to do with me so calm down self. Assume people are well intentioned. Try not to be an asshole.

We *should* be able to have more productive discourses if we embrace these things. But that's hard.

I chuckled at the poll because it should be presented with demographic information once the outcome is announced.

We’re so careful over every poll sweating like idiots. And I like it’s anonymous.