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Description

This week, Hoja, Kiki, and Mohanad dive into the perilous world of gossip, fake news, and misinformation. They break down the recent controversy surrounding Joe Rogan, the legal battle between Cardi B and blogger Tasha K, and the rumors Kanye West is spreading about Pete Davidson. They discuss why our culture allows people to get away with spreading lies, and what we as media consumers can do to combat it. Plus, Hoja gets into a fight with parking spot thieves, Mohanad goes on a cookie adventure, and Kiki asks for an apology from one of her fellow hosts on this week’s Sorry Not Sorry.

Please note, I’m Sorry contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

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For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

Transcript

SPEAKERS

Hoja Lopez, Mohanad Elshieky, Kiki Monique

Kiki Monique  00:08

I’m Kiki Monique. And this is I’M SORRY, a podcast about apologies. And this week, I took all of my vitamins and supplements every single day. So I’m very proud of myself. I know it takes 66 days to form a habit, but I feel like I’m on the right path.

Mohanad Elshieky 

And this is Mohanad Elshieky, and I have not done that for so long. And this is another week of me waiting for a confirmation that Queen Elizabeth is alive, still haven’t got it and still waiting for it.

Hoja Lopez 

And my name is Hoja Lopez. And this week, I tried and failed to build a desk. The very desk that I’m using right now how to be completely botched by me and then repaired by my partner, Rachel, once again, entering a heteronormative dynamic that we have in our relationship where I do not do well at mechanical things. And she comes and fixes things as I ruin them.

Mohanad Elshieky

I mean, I don’t blame you. I truly I feel like desks are just like the worst. They make them so complicated. And it’s just like, hey, it’s just four legs and a big piece of wood. And they’re like, Yeah, but you will spend five hours doing that.

Hoja Lopez

Yeah, and I’m trying to be a good gay, but I am really just not. I’m not rising to the occasion here.

Kiki Monique

I love I mean, not that I love but I’m really good at putting together like furniture, like from places like it’s not like I like, like to do it. But I’m like good at it. It’s like math.

Hoja Lopez 

No, I botched IKEA furniture to the point where Rachel’s like we should just return it and get a new one. Because you know, like, once you put a screw in and you take it out, it’s like ruined forever basically. I do it bad. I’ve just, I don’t read the instructions. And then all of a sudden, I’m dealing with something upside down. And then I get that fatherly sigh from Rachel, as she walks into the room.

Kiki Monique  02:00

Well, see, I think you suffer. Okay, not reading instructions. I think that this is like a common element that is like invading our culture. Because I’m going to tell you, I got so many hate DMS this past week, because people don’t like to read the captions of Instagram posts, like, whatever you put in that little square better be your final message because people do not like to look below the line to actually see what you’re reading. And I think that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Kiki Monique 

Because I think that’s such a good segue we excellence.

Kiki Monique 

We live in a just the headlines culture. And I’m like a bit scared of it. Because just in the last week, we have heard or seen so many headlines, that some of them are just flat out false. They’re just not true.

Hoja Lopez 

But also it’s like, who’s in charge? Are you in charge of doing your own research? When you read something? Or the people who are putting out the content in charge? It seems like there has to be a mix there of making sure that it’s not misinformation, but also, I mean, gossip is gossip, it feels kind of good. No, like to talk shit and to think about these famous people’s lives and how they’re terrible, too.

Kiki Monique 

Yeah, I mean, I think you know, we’ve read articles about how gossip can be a good thing, right? Like it’s evolved over time. And it helps us evolve as creatures now where we’ve taking it. I’m not saying that we’re using gossip responsibly as we have in the past. And look, I take pride in like joking that I’m like a number one news source for people. I know that I’m not like the number one news source, obviously. But for some people, like who follow me, I do like, I’ll just, you know, I’ll give them the information and it makes me feel happy that I am. But I also really tried to make sure before I do it, that yeah, where I’m getting it from and what I’m saying is responsible. I mean, I did you know, we’ll talk about being there was a couple stories that came out this week, one of them being this blogger, Tasha K, who was sued by Cardi B. This has been a case that’s been going on for like three or four years. It’s like $4.1 million, because of this suit. It’s like an intentional tort, I think is the final claim. Basically, the claims that were being made on Tasha’s YouTube channel was that Cardi B does cocaine, you know that her baby will have you know, developmental issues, that she was a prostitute and that she has herpes.

Kiki Monique  04:44

And really likes stood behind it like and I think she was even given the chance to like remove these over time but really stood behind it. You know, fought this case, they take this case, you know, and she loses, I think at one point Cardi B had to bring in her medical records to the judge, the judge reviewed the medical records, didn’t let other people because obviously with HIPAA didn’t let other people review but reviewed the medical records and said to the defendant, after reviewing them, this doesn’t look good for you, which is I think, when people knew, like this case was definitely probably going to go in Cardi B’s favor, which it did. And then, you know, Tasha ends up, you know, making what she said was her one and only statement after the judgment was read. And yeah, in her apology, still seem to stand behind. Like, I want to fight this to protect First Amendment, but I’m like, okay, if you believe somebody is an asshole, sure, you can say that, that is your belief. But believing somebody has herpes, and telling people, that is a totally different thing.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Truly, there is not an amendment as like more misunderstood than the first. And I think a lot of Americans have no idea what it means. And it’s just like, yeah, you can say whatever you want. That’s what it is, like, no one’s gonna put you in prison for it. By the same time, you should deal with the consequences. That’s literally what it is, especially if it’s affecting them. And I guess that goes back to the point of like, where does it become illegal, where does it I feel like it was affecting the person because like, I feel like this would have gotten to a point where, you know, maybe her kid would be taken away from her or something.

Kiki Monique  06:27

I think that was part of the thing. Like when these rumors were going around, she was pregnant at the time, and it was affecting her pregnancy, like, she was having a lot, it was it was really screwing with her life. She was, you know, with her relationship with Offset, you know, obviously, you’re being accused of cheating, like, that’s going to affect your relationship, so many things.

Hoja Lopez

Do you feel like because this really, to me, relates a lot to the other side of things, which is like, the feeling that there’s all these doctors making false medical claims, or like all this sort of, like, fanfare around vaccination. And the truth is, it becomes like, it’s almost like Tasha K doing something similar, where she’s like, just choosing to, like create these elements of sort of like falsehoods in order to drum up like, well, the she’s the only place that can get the scoop, […] because she’s making it the fuck up. You know, that’s why, like, it’s a clout thing. It’s a way to keep people interested in her channel and all of that, what really surprises me is that digging in, because the digging in is like a clear like, it’s like the Trump camp, you know, it’s like, never admit to the lie. And then you’ll always have like a strong base of people that support you, unless you do admit to the lie, and then they can no longer back you up. But it’s surprising to see it in all different areas of news and of like, it’s specifically with Tasha K too because it’s like, I don’t know, it definitely is kind of modeling around the Perez Hilton sort of thing, or it’s just like outing people for things, even if she did have herpes, even if she was a prostitute. Like, who the fuck cares? You know?

Hoja Lopez

Yeah, well, the thing that makes the least amount of sense is that like, in the testimony, like during the trial, Tasha admitted to knowingly publishing lies about Cardi B in order to boost your business. So you can’t on one hand in in the trial, admit to this, but then at the same time, say, I’m going to fight this because I’m going to protect which it doesn’t make sense.

Mohanad Elshieky  08:30

It doesn’t make any sense. Yeah, like, it’s just, you want to protect your freedom of flying. Is that what you’re saying? But you’re making money out of it. So yeah, it’s so stupid.

Kiki Monique 

And like, what I was really surprised by was, you know, after the judgment, Hilaria Baldwin, hosted Cardi B statement after the trial, and then Alec Baldwin ended up reposting it. And you know, you know, in the statement, you know, cardi basically just talks about like, you know, the only difference between her and people who are getting cyberbullying is that she had the resources to go after this and like that we really need to stop this sort of like bullying online for every people, which is like a statement. I just thought it was interesting that Hilaria and Alec reposted it because you know, I know they obviously get a lots of things talked about them. It just made me wonder like, are they going to try to kind of go down this path with, people I don’t know. Like, it just got in my head because it was I just didn’t see them as Cardi B fans to be reposting.

Mohanad Elshieky 

That man, that family, truly will met especially Alec will manage to make everything about him and be like yeah, this is also what I’m going through. Like bro, please stop.

Hoja Lopez 

I mean, I do think that there is probably some bullying when it comes to like Hilaria specifically Alec, I’m just whatever. But at the same time, there’s the sense of what you were saying Mohanad which is like, you have to deal with the consequences if you put online some strange, like, psychopathic ideas about like, where you’re from, or like, try to attribute some kind of like, Latin or Hispanic background or something you just don’t have like, you’re also just gonna get called out like, that’s not. That’s not defamatory or bullying. It’s like, you do it on a public basis. And so the amount of people that see your posts are going to make fun of you for it. Like, I just don’t feel bad for them.

Kiki Monique  10:31

Do you think I mean, I know, you know, you mentioned like Perez Hilton, like, you know, he was part of this, like, sort of like online culture. I don’t know if necessarily a lot of the things he ever published were false. Like, he just sort of like it was more of mean girl stuff, right? And so it seemed like just recently it feels like more we can just outwardly. Just say anything. Do you think that, because in my head, this Pandora’s box really opened with Trump. Like, I feel like Trump opened this window where you can say whatever you want, and get away with it. And it all started with that hot mic on the bus with Billy, what’s his face?

Hoja Lopez 

Yeah, Billy, what’s his face? Amazing man.

Kiki Monique 

Even though like there was nothing, all that was a hot mic moment. But what it showed us was like, oh, wow, there’s like no consequences, kind of no, I can do and say whatever. So now, I’m just going to do and say whatever. Even if it’s the truth or not. I don’t know.

Mohanad Elshieky 

I think honestly, if you are willing to be shameless about it, like literally, you will not face social consequences, at least. Because if shame is not a factor, because I feel like a lot of people are motivated by that. You know, like, if someone like shames me for something I said, I will take it back. Or like, I will rethink it or whatever. Like with Trump, like when he says, I didn’t say that, even though it’s on tape, like you can hear it on tape. And he’s like, this is not what I said. And you’re like, but this is what you said, like, no, it’s not. There’s truly nothing I can do anymore. Like, what am I gonna do about it?

Kiki Monique  12:03

Well, yeah, and honestly, it sounds so sad. Like, there came a time where I started thinking like, well, should I just join this collective band of like, people who don’t give a shit because like, over there, you can’t get canceled. Because like, there’s no consequences. You have lots of, like, I would say sycophant, you know, fans, not just, you know, maybe not the good kinds of fans, but you got a lot of sick of fans. And then I snapped out of it. Because I was like, this is ridiculous. You don’t want to be in like, an echo chamber of people who like have no, you know.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Of course, yeah. I honestly think I mean, to your point Kiki is, is I feel like you shouldn’t have to feel that way about, like stuff that are true. And I truly feel sometimes, like, I will take something down even though I really believe in it. And I think it’s true, because of the replies and like the people coming at me and I’m just like, am I wrong about this? I feel like I’ve said something wrong. And I’ve had to deal with this, like, oh, like maybe like not as big of a level as like maybe like, you know, big name celebs or something. But a few years ago, when I had this, you know, this case with like Border Patrol, where like, they took me off the bus. And I talked about it online, and like few publications picked it up, even though I was there. And this thing happened to me. And I believe deep down that was like, mistreated. And it was like, racially profiled and all of that. And I had this court case going, you read what people say, I started reading what people said about me and even like, you know, some, like news sources and stuff, to the point where I was like, am I wrong? I feel like I did something wrong now, because this is what these people are making me believe. Like, I have somehow done something to either deserve this. Or I could have handled this in a better way. And it really gets into your head.

Hoja Lopez 

It’s hard. Because it’s also like, who are you to, like, deny a personal experience of a person, like who are you to deny, like the feeling that you got when that happened to you? And people can dispel, and they can like question, kind of your account of things or whether or not they were correct and how they did it, or why they did it or whatever. That’ll end up, you know, being solved in some kind of court of law. But talking about how we feel about things might be the one kind of saving grace that we have, in terms of like, this is something that we’re allowed to own, but definitely I can see how like a lot of voices saying the contrary of what you believe. Like destabilize your center.

Mohanad Elshieky  14:43

And then you have those same people who are like, you know, do not understand what an opinion even means. Exactly. You know, cuz you hear a lot you hear people saying something like, well, it’s a different opinion and you should just, you know, have to live with it. And you don’t have to agree. But you should respect it. And then you look into that opinion. And it’s something like you should die. Like, what do you mean I have to respect it, this person is telling me to kill myself and you’re like, it’s his opinion.

Kiki Monique 

I hear a lot of like that same, you know, a broken clock is right twice a day. I’ve heard like that a lot. And I especially think of that when I think of Joe Rogan. Because like, Okay, I have followed Joe Rogan for a long time. And I was actually supposed to go to a Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan comedy show in New Orleans in April of 2020. So that was definitely cancelled.

Hoja Lopez  16:06

Destiny was like, no, ma’am, you’re not. We’re not going to do it right now. This seems like the right time to put a stop on all of this.

Mohanad Elshieky 

That is actually why COVID happened, by the way.

Kiki Monique 

And so, like, I always draw this pair. I mean, Dave and Joe are friends. And after, you know, the whole sort of Dave Chappelle recent cancellation, what’s interesting about the two of them is I will say that, I’m probably gonna get yelled at for saying this, like, there are two people who people have such a physical like response to, if they aren’t like fans of them. They’re not even willing to listen to like, an episode or like a show or like an Instagram video with them in it. And they will read publications about what they’ve done wrong with that.

Mohanad Elshieky 

I agree with you. I mean, like, here’s the thing I watch and listen to everything even if I hate which is you know, I don’t know what it says about me. It’s maybe my mental health is just keeps going down. Like, my friends are like, why are you watching this? I’m doing it for myself. And like, I’ve listened to some like Joe Rogan, like recent episodes, watch the videos and stuff, even though he does not make it easy, because they’re like, fucking four hours long or something. I’m just like, bro, I haven’t like, you know, I’m not gonna do this. But at the same time, I guess like, there’s also there’s like camp where you’re like, no, you have to listen to everything. He said, like, I’m not gonna go back and listen to every Joe Rogan episode to form an opinion. If I listen to like, the latest three, and maybe an old one. And then I’m like, I feel like I can form an opinion. That’s what it’s called, you know, scientific method. I just, I need a sample. With Joe Rogan is just like, I feel like we’re like stuck in this thing.

Mohanad Elshieky

Where if you’re a comedian, and you say something, then if people don’t agree with it, it’s a joke. You know, you’re not supposed to take it seriously. And then if people think it’s a good point, then they’re like, you know, comedians are like modern day philosophers. And like, we should listen to them. And I’m like, Okay, which one? Is it? Like is it a joke? Or why should I take this person like, everything they say seriously, I need to figure it out. But the thing with Joe Rogan is like, it’s not just his opinion, him. It’s also the people he had on the podcast. Some of them are, you know, scientist, I guess, or like, you know, work in the fields, doctors and all of that. And then I’m like, okay, now we can challenge those people. Because like, if you have a politician, you already have someone, then this is not a comedian. This is not a podcast. So this is an actual person in that field. And we’re allowed to challenge their ideas, because for the most part, Joe Rogan will not do that. He will not challenge their ideas if he agrees with them. And I feel like that happened with the most recent episode where he had Jordan Peterson on where they were talking about climate change. And then Jordan said, well, climate isn’t real. And I was like, well, okay, now this is a whole different thing. I heard climate change is not real. But to be like climate. It’s just a nice, it’s like, well, what? I don’t even know how to debate this.

Hoja Lopez 

Yeah, I listened to a couple of episodes too. And usually, it’s the ones that are really like highly controversial. Like he did that one where he talked to, I think his name was like Gavin McInnes, and he’s like, one of the founders of like, proud boys like the far-right movement or whatever. And he basically uses his appearance to like, genuinely like argue that Muslims are to like, this is a quote, too inbred for the US to accept as immigrants and so there’s this thing where it’s like, he doesn’t really respond to that. He’s just letting this man kind of say his opinion. And so there’s a certain part of it that I think is like when you allow these messages to just be broadcast largely, people who already feel that way are already angry, find something to latch on to, and they find each other more easily and they get connected more easily. And to a certain extent, it’s like, I mean, that’s a positive thing that the internet does. But on this podcast in particular, Joe doesn’t know enough to have a real conversation with this man. So this person is just allowed to say whatever they want with another person on the other end, who’s way in over their heads. And Joe Rogan is many times when he’s talking to all these people way the fuck in over his head. And so it doesn’t feel like there’s an equitable space or an equitable argument in that they’re just allowed to make this half ass argument and Joe Rogan just keeps moving right on. And so I just don’t think that that’s a responsible thing, when you have that many people listening to your show.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Especially when you also drive it to you try and drive your point by saying stuff like, or labeling your podcast or something like, you know, this is what the mainstream media doesn’t want you to hear. And this argument is so funny to me, because like, Joe Rogan podcast has more listeners than any podcast on the planet. There are more people who listen to you then who watch CNN, you can’t say that you are not mainstream media. You are too mainstream.

Kiki Monique 

You are the stream.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Yeah. And to do this whole thing, you’re like millions of people following you and to pretend that you are the minority here is an insane position to take because like, all of them, like feel like victimized by the like this whole, like mainstream media, so they have to band together. I’m like, You are more than any other group. What are you even saying?

Kiki Monique 

And it’s like, it’s such a Trump move where he tried to really like ingratiate himself with these people that he really did not, like have anything in common with, but they felt like we’re all in this together. I’m like, dude, these two are not in the trenches with you. And yeah, and I also agree, it’s like, you know, what, Spider-Man, it’s like, with power comes great responsibility. So you can’t just hide behind, you know, yeah, you know, this is a comedy routine. Like you said, You are the most popular podcasts on planet. So no, you’re the news source.

Mohanad Elshieky  22:32

Exactly. Yeah. And yeah, this whole thing, then making it into comedy. And people were like, no, I’m just a big fan of his comedy. And it’s so funny to me, because I’m just like, Okay, tell me one Joe Rogan bit that you like, what is a joke that you remember that you really like? Because I want to hear that. And there usually isn’t because demand is just seeing opinions that he just believes. And that’s crazy.

Kiki Monique

Maybe I would have had one if I’d gone to that comedy show.

Hoja Lopez

No. And so this all leading up to that title, or the big kind of like news piece that we were talking about, which is the Joe Rogan. And then the Neil Young situation where kind of out of the blue haven’t heard from Neil in a little bit since maybe like 1998. But I do love Neil Young. And he kind of comes up with the idea that he’s like, okay, publicly, I’m going to make a statement saying I’m going to come off Spotify if Joe Rogan is on the same, you know, I call Spotify a network or an app or whatever. Also with the say that I found out that Neil Young had polio as a child and didn’t have access to a vaccine. So there’s this like, I think, probably an emotional component for him in terms of like, a systemic one as well. So he thinks it’s a big fucking deal that Joe Rogan’s gets to have people who are anti vaxxers on his podcast and so yes, it’s gonna take a lot more than Neil Young to change Spotify, his mind about Joe Rogan. We’ve just talked about the fact that he has what it’s like 200 million followers. But after all of this happens, it seems like there’s some fanfare happening so Joe Rogan, kind of does what I wasn’t expecting this to happen, but basically apologizes, which is really interesting. So he goes on Instagram, then just post this nine minute, nine-and-a-half-minute reel. And did you guys watch that? Genuinely, like an interesting.

Hoja Lopez  24:19

I’ll give you like a little perspective. So the tone was extremely calm. And I think he kind of did a pretty good job. Like some of my highlights for this were, firstly apologize to Spotify because he’s like, put them in that position. And that he’s sorry that Spotify is taking so much heat based on his podcast. And then he kind of goes into this is how this podcast started, where he’s basically saying, I’m not trying to promote disinformation, or be controversial, for me this podcast is just me talking to people. And that one of the major things that he’s realized, which I’m sure he’s realized before this is that he never in his kind of wild dreams, quote, imagined it would be so successful and so popular. And he called it a juggernaut that not even he is in control of. So I think we’re definitely talking to a person who’s like, I don’t know what to do with this responsibility.

Kiki Monique 

And he agreed with Spotify’s decision to put the disclaimer, like he was like, I agree, like, and I agree that I should do more research on the people that I have on the program. And I believe that I should have more balanced approach. He said he does the scheduling personally. And he should do a more a better job of like, okay, if I want to have a conversation with this person, but I should also have a conversation with this person.

Mohanad Elshieky

Yeah, I guess there’s also this, you know, a bigger conversation to have about, like, you know, because first of all, even if Spotify removes Joe Rogan, it’s not gonna do anything.

Kiki Monique 

Oh, he’s gonna become yeah, like, he’s gonna have a bigger platform, just go 100% into his pocket/

Mohanad Elshieky 

Like he literally can just post on our website he makes and just pocket all the money. So I guess the conversation there to have is like, first of all, why do people listen to Joe Rogan in the first place? Because I feel like, you know, he’s not the problem. He’s a symptom of a bigger problem, which is, you know, it’s a big conversation, like, why do people not trust the health care system in America start with that they’re listening to a podcaster. And some people have a point because, like, you know, it’s not good. It’s just, you know, it’s been fucked over and over again, there’s some people just don’t believe in it. And then you have like, this whole conversation about media literacy, and like, how people like, consume news and how they read them, and how they can verify for themselves and I guess it literally all goes back to, you know, the education system in the US. And we are seeing it right now. Because we’re banning books that teaches like about the Holocaust, or like about, like, critical race theory. And like, like slavery was like, and all of that. So what’s people are left with is just like people like Joe Rogan, where they get all of their information from, which is usually not even information. It’s just stuff that they already agree with.

Kiki Monique 

I don’t know like, what the answer is, I mean, obviously, the bigger problem. I mean, my issue is like when I hear, let’s say, when I listen to the apology, there were certain things where I was like, I agree with that part of it, right? Where we are in a society if I say I even agree with one thing Joe Rogan says, I get lumped into this category. And I don’t want to necessarily be lumped in this category, because I still am thinking about how Joe Rogan said that, like Black people shouldn’t be called Black people, because unless they come from the depths of Africa, where they have no clothes, I was like, wait, what? And I’m like, I’m over here dealing with that. And like, have a problem with that. So I can’t agree. Even if I do agree with something you said, because I so wholeheartedly disagree with so much of the other stuff that’s happening.

Mohanad Elshieky  28:01

Yeah. Also, when you talk for four hours, every episode, you eventually say something I’ll agree with, you say a lot of words, some of them has to be right, I guess you can’t be wrong for four hours.

Hoja Lopez 

I will say. I think the interesting thing is that, at the very end of his apology, he said that it’s good to have haters, because it’s like the sentiment was that they keep you in check. And that haters and listening to your haters, in some respect, allows you to kind of like open up, you know, some ideas that you have on certain things. And so I think maybe that is the solution is to just kind of be a hater in certain circumstances that are warranted and just like, kind of be a little bit crazy and how you can call out people who are that big and at that level. Because I mean, the truth is, he posted this apology, and perhaps will be more careful about promoting disinformation, or at least about having more balanced like, people one after the other. And I mean, to a certain extent, it feels like Joe Rogan is a regular dickhole that I would not love to hang out with. That sounds really annoying, that has a podcast that’s successful that he did not imagine was going to be that successful, and is just now realizing fully the responsibility that he has and having it and hopefully he can pivot. And honestly, I think he needs to kind of clean up the act a little bit because he’s been going kind of kamikaze with this podcast for so long. And that’s what people love about it. Yeah, but I think that there’s kind of a reckoning happening that if he wants to still kind of be a good guy, he needs to kind of acknowledge some of this shit that like his haters are calling him out for or else he is going to just kind of become another Alex Jones. You know?

Kiki Monique 

I mean, I will say like, you know, I listened to an interview you know, I love Jackass, I’m going to the bonus content opening night. And I was listening to an interview Johnny Knoxville and like, you know, during like the 2020 movement after George Floyd, you know, he said, you know, he posted a statement about, you know, what he believed this is wrong. And he lost so many followers. And he was like, I’m so glad I lost those followers. He’s like, because this isn’t about politics. This is simply about human rights. And if you can’t even see that, then I don’t want you as a follower. And I think that’s part of like, what Joe needs to recognize is he needs to have a reckoning with some of the people that follow him. And yeah, you’re a corporate man now, let’s face it, you’re a corporate man, you may be you need to shed some of those people that are only listening to you for the wrong reasons.

Kiki Monique 

Exactly. And exactly and also like, drive this whole like victim thing where you’re like, not mainstream, and you’re not being accepted by your friends with Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, like the whole like regular Joe thing like average Joe, you’re a  fucking millionaire.

Kiki Monique 

I will give him this though. I will at least say that I was shocked that we got that statement on Sunday. As soon as we did, because most people who were put in the I’ll say corner who wasn’t backed into a corner, right? Who feel they’ve been back to a corner, just double down, right? Like the Candace Owens and the Donald Trump juniors of the world. They just double down, don’t accept responsibility, and just keep like feeding into their base. You know what I will say at least he did this. And I guess all we can see is like, will it change? We’ll never know because we don’t listen,

Hoja Lopez  32:05

But yeah, I know, there’s like a ton of things happening online too, that feel like very similar to this again, it’s like who is allowed to say things and when do we stop with the allegedly and what is gossip but not in for me something that I feel like caught fire in a way that was insane. Was the Kanye West. Like I guess the sort of quote is telling everyone within earshot that Pete Davidson has AIDS. And I mean, like, let’s say that I believe it, right? Let’s say that I believe that Kanye has been telling like a couple of his friends that Pete Davidson, as you know, not just HIV, HIV positive, but has just full-blown AIDS. Straight to AIDS, number one. I mean, it just sounds like, you know, like a weird tabloidy People Magazine, like it just like, it’s probably just not true. And if it is true, maybe he told one person or two people as a joke, and now it’s just turned into the snowball crazy thing.

Kiki Monique 

That’s the thing, because I mean, supposedly, you know, DJ academics went on to Twitch, I believe, and went on this rant about how he’s knows for a fact that, you know, Kanye has been running around telling people this, and, you know, you know, just hearing it, it’s like, okay, we obviously know he is not going over Kim, like, his behavior and actions shows that he is not over Kim Kardashian. He does not like that she is dating Pete Davidson. So could he be talking with his boys and making some, you know, comments about his sexuality and his diseases. I mean, I’ve definitely said some fucked up shit about a fucking x in their new person to my friends. So yes, that is absolutely a possibility. You know, he, of course, is denying he said any of this. I do think it’s weird that DJ academics is saying that Connie said this, especially after the talk. This literally came like the day after Tasha K, like, had a judgment of her gets $4.1 million for spreading misinformation. So it’s weird that you’re even going, I mean, I don’t know if DJ academics and Kanye were boys at one point, but it’s just weird that you’re even telling it. And then it’s just it’s the whole thing is just so ridiculous. But like, if you know anything about Pete Davidson, you also know his dating history. Let this man down here for three months and then there’ll be broken up let’s be real like you are tripping over a man that is probably not going to be around for long first of all, like I had just started coming around to like I was watching old Kanye interviews and starting remember the old Kanye and I was actually just starting to like be like, the old Kanye is in there somewhere. And then all the sudden, AIDS, I was like, really? I can’t.

Mohanad Elshieky  34:53

Yeah, yeah. Also like what is this, like the fucking 80s-90s. Something like saying Someone has AIDS, just like, okay, even if that’s true, what is the issue? Like, it’s so funny to me that this is the worst thing that he can think of. Just like okay, buddy, maybe

Kiki Monique 

Fourth graders on the playground in 1988. Exactly. Like this is the best, best comeback. You can come back the horrible thing you could say about somebody like.

Hoja Lopez 

It is definitely like an early 2000s like in the sense that it’s like, well, we don’t talk about HIV and AIDS like that anymore. Honey, like the cool kids are like protecting people who are positive and now people are getting tested, and it’s curable. So it might as well be any other dang disease. They’re like using old, weird shame tactics like that are homophobic. It’s like, anybody who is like, trying to bully somebody by telling like other people that they have AIDS. I’m like, well, the joke is on you, sir. Because the cool kids, the Euphoria kids are taking this seriously. And we are all supporting each other at this point. It’s definitely like Newsflash, women like each other now. So if you try to make fun of a woman, or if you try to call somebody out for having AIDS, they’re probably not going to come to your rescue. They’re going to go and be sweet to Pete Davidson.

Mohanad Elshieky  36:15

Yeah, also that whole thing about that diss track that Connie is releasing and guess what it has a line about, like how God saved him from his car crash. So he can be Pete Davidson, and I’m just like, first of all, cool rhyming like dude. And second, do you think God that’s why God saved you? Is that what you think? I don’t know. when the accident happened. I can’t remember really. But I probably Pete Davidson was a child and God saved you like when this child grow up, you’re going to fuck him up. And that is the only reason you did not die in this accident.

Kiki Monique 

That’s like that Bruce Willis movie where he had to like he was supposed to kill that kid because the kid was gonna destroy the world, like Pete Davidson is the villain that’s gonna destroy the world. You have to knock his ass, punch him. Knock him out. That was your whole purpose.

Hoja Lopez 

Also, people keep calling it a brutal diss track. And I’m like, what? That is not a brutal diss track. You have to find Pete Davidson’s internal insecurities and get close enough to him to even do a brutal distract. And Kanye doesn’t have the time.

Mohanad Elshieky

Also, whether you like Pete Davidson or not, he is very harmless. It’s just that’s just a fact. And I think that’s what people keep coming after him so much, because he’s just like not, for the most part is not gonna respond. He doesn’t even have social media.

Kiki Monique 

I mean, he’s harmless, but don’t leave him around.

Hoja Lopez 

Okay, so just a really recap for me. What is the deal with this feeling of like, we’re listening to tabloids, and we’re just going off and maybe ruining a couple people’s lives in the process? Like, how do we do our research? Like, do we just I mean, the same thing is like, think before we post because we’re just like sharks circling blood at this point with these stories.

Mohanad Elshieky  38:10

I feel like it’s all goes back to clout baby. People love clout, people will do anything for clout. That is literally it. It’s just such a fucking disease. And I fall into this trap, too, because I feel like sometimes like, I literally would do something, would post something or say something, and then go back to it. And I’m just like, I do not even care about this thing that much. Or am I doing it just because it’s trending, and I’m hoping to become like, some heat from it. And I’m like, I’m really trying to be cautious of that. I’m just like, I’m not gonna like, I’m only going to talk about stuff that I really care about. Or when I say instead of just being like, seeing something that like everyone like is talking about, like, okay, I have to have a take. And the thing is, I do not, like if I put my phone away and just go for a walk, I don’t have to participate in any of it.

Hoja Lopez 

Again, I think the entire premise of this podcast is we need to be less online. And we need to be moved, like living our own lives with like things we can touch and feel and paying attention to our friends. But it’s just so damn hard. Like this is the new reality. Right? And so, if it is like, how are we going to try to be a little bit better moving forward? I’m not sure.

Mohanad Elshieky 

I guess the message here is truly just, you know, more people should follow me and Kiki and Hoja. And that will fix all of your issues.

Kiki Monique 

Yeah, I am a number one news source I will you know, I will use allegedly only when it’s really necessary. Otherwise I will always bring you facts.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Exactly. Yeah. And you know, you can feel free to DM me anytime, my DMs are closed so you have to find a way around that. But other than that, if you cancel me then I will listen to you. I’m like wow, this person really managed to get to me so..

Mohanad Elshieky  40:04

Okay, and now it’s the time for my favorite segment of the week. Sorry, not sorry, where we either apologize for something that we did, which I rarely do cuz I am perfect as everyone knows, or, you know, you asked for an apology from someone. So we’re gonna start with Hoja, hopefully, this week has someone who, you know, owes her an apology.

Hoja Lopez 

Thank you for introducing it like that. Because this week somebody does owe me an apology. Okay, so Chicago has a famous thing, where if it gets really snowy, and I’m sure that this happens in major cities, people start putting pretty much useless objects out on the street to save their parking spots, after they have cleaned their spot, because it snowed a shit ton over the weekend, right. And so now we’re sitting on snow that comes up almost to your knee. And so you have to dig your car out. And it takes, I mean, a good 30-40 minutes to dig your car out from a space that’s right in front of your house. Now, yes, technically, that is free street parking that everybody should be able to access, correct? But we all know that there’s also sort of more human element, which is that if I dig my own car out for 30 to 45 minutes from the snow, and I put a chair, be it an old plastic dump chair that me Hoja has in order to preserve a parking spot that I’ve dug myself out of, you should not remove said chair, and then park in the spot that I worked so diligently to get out of.

Kiki Monique 

Absolutely. I mean, that’s the same philosophy as like, if I clean the bathroom and clean the shower and clean the tub, I get to take the first shower, the first bath.

Hoja Lopez 

It’s just a human courtesy, that also is an unspoken and illegal rule in Chicago, that I truly believe we should all follow as a real principle of how to be together in a small community, you know, and so I was, let’s say, and I watch them do it. So I went out onto my front balcony, which I’m looking at right now. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, I got loud on the streets of Chicago. And I said, you’re not allowed to park there, I put that there because my partner went to get food and she will be right back with our car. And that’s where it’s gonna park. And then they started to get in some kind of shouting match and even still put the chair that I put there and moved it out of the way and parked there. And okay, I don’t know if I haven’t seen them before. So I don’t know if they were just like visiting somebody here or what is happening. But I have burned in my retinas and brain and my dark black heart here, their face and the way that they were dressed so that if I ever see them again, I will be upset, but probably not approach them.

Mohanad Elshieky  43:09

I really thought you were gonna say that you have burned their car, and I was gonna be like, well, I mean, let’s we’re gonna edit this one out. Definitely not gonna confess their crime.

Kiki Monique 

I’m surprised we didn’t get a call asking to bail you out. Because I feel like I would have ended up in jail that those are fighting words. Those are fighting actions.

Mohanad Elshieky 

From now on, instead of a chair. It should be a cardboard cutout of you holding a gun.

Kiki Monique 

So yeah, I mean, you’re definitely owed an apology. But then did you have to apologize to your partner like did they have to park like far down somewhere else?

Hoja Lopez 

They had to park maybe like it wasn’t too bad. It was maybe like a block and a half away. So that’s still not the most fun just because we’re dealing with a lot of ice that you have to walk through. So that really isn’t the most fun. But you know, there has been a one point we lived in Wrigleyville, which is kind of on the edge of Boys Town in Wrigleyville in Chicago. And truly, that was like the gays and then the baseball gays and then the baseball straights which are there, too. They all converged in some kind of I have the hurricane right in front of our apartment there. And if I tell you that we couldn’t park but six or seven or eight blocks away on a bad day, that was real hell. Also, we moved out from that apartment on gay pride and there was a game at Wrigleyville or at the Cubs stadium and I’ve never sworn hatred against gay people until it was pride on the day that I had to move out of my apartment. And I was like, I hate them all. There was people making out that I had to step over in order to get some pottery just out of my house. I was like your happiness is insulting to me on this day.

Mohanad Elshieky  45:03

Well, yeah, I mean, hey, I am not gonna agree or disagree with that point. That’s all yours. Well Kiki what’s happening this week? Has anyone parked in your spot?

Kiki Monique 

No, nobody is, well actually someone did park my spot but you know like, it’s a friend.

Hoja Lopez 

Kiki, did you let somebody park in your spot this week?

Kiki Monique 

I wish they had. I was actually gonna demand an apology from Mohanad because he had introduced I think both you and I Hoja, to Wordle. And we didn’t know what word was like, oh, yeah, go. And so I was gonna be very upset that now I have another yet another thing to add to my morning routine. But, you know, I’m gonna apologize to Muhammad for having the thoughts that he needed to apologize to me because I’m actually having a great time to get way better Wordle than I thought I would be. I don’t know. Like, I don’t know why, but it’s just fun. I get it. And like, I mean, I’m probably jinxing myself, I will probably lose like every game after this. But, so yes, I offer my apology for thinking I was gonna hate it.

Mohanad Elshieky  46:19

It’s so much fun. And I love that it’s just once a day thing. You don’t have to you know; you have. It’s literally what’s keeping me alive right now. The next thing like you, I mean, I have to be around for the next world that you never know. Well, so. Yeah. So this week, obviously, I’m going to demand an apology, because that’s just how it goes with me. And I’m not going to apologize for anything. But there is this bakery in New York City. I’m gonna, I’m gonna say it’s called Breads Bakery, because that’s what it’s called. And I got a sense of that part. So they have been advertising this black and white cookie that they’ve been selling. And just like, everyone just like making like a huge fuss about it. And I was like, I have to try this shit. And they have four locations, and apparently the only seller in the Upper East Side. And if you’re not familiar with New York City, I live in Brooklyn. So to get to the Upper East Side, I need a passport to get there. And like few days, yeah. So I went me and my friend Hannah, we went there. And they were like, we’re trying to get it. And they were like, oh, we’re out of it. We don’t have it. And we went there like 1PM, you know, and we’re like, okay, whatever. I guess we’ll try again another time. So we kept asking, like, we’re like, literally harassing them on their Instagram and stuff just to figure out like, when can we come and get it?

Mohanad Elshieky 

And they said, you can come as early as you could we sell out early. So we did. On Friday, we woke up at 5:30AM. That’s where I’m at now. And we met there at exactly 7AM, when they opened to get a cookie. Literally, it was like the subway was so busy, cuz everyone was going to work. And we’re like, cute, we’re going on a mission. So we get there at seven. And then they’re like, oh, we actually don’t have it until 8AM. And I was like, okay, this is starting to feel like racist, because, you know, anything that bothers me is racist. Yeah. So like, okay, so we went to a cafe nearby, just like got some like coffee and stuff and waited until 8. And we went back and still wasn’t ready. And I was just like, okay, this is like borderline hate crime now. What’s happening? And then eventually, they were like, literally, we’re like, how many do you need, like, five, give us five of those. And they literally just went to the back and like, I think made five of them. And they just brought them out. And I was just like, why does this feel like a drug deal now? Like, what? Why don’t you have it out what’s happening here? And I was like, at a point, I was just like, first of all, guys, you have to know we don’t live around here. We live in Brooklyn. And then I was like, maybe that’s why they don’t want to give it to us. So like, you’re not gonna move this across the bridge. This is like trafficking at this point. And I was just like, anyway, I demand an apology from them for being so unclear about it. And I have never, I haven’t woken up at like, 5AM, since I was like, I think I was five.

Kiki Monique  49:35

I mean, in all of this for a black and white cookie. I know New Yorkers love their black and white cookies. I just like I mean, maybe I’ve just they I haven’t had that one, was it great? Was it delicious?

Mohanad Elshieky 

It was really good. And I’ll say this also, I mean, if you’re listening and you live in New York City, literally everything that plays serves is fucking amazing. And that’s why I’m like, you know, more inclined to just forgive them.

Hoja Lopez  50:01

It’s sort of like soup Nazi meat supreme, meats like a sneaker drop at 5AM outside of a Nike store. Exactly. Like kind of a broad city episode of retracing your steps for the single cookie.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Yeah, yeah, it was my Heartland Kumar Go to White Castle.

Kiki Monique 

So do you want the apology for having to wake up early to get the cookie or the fact that it was just not even ready when you did all that?

Mohanad Elshieky 

All of that. It just felt like it just like it was like a web of lies, lie after lie after lie. I’m just like, can you be honest Breads Bakery. What’s happening here?

Hoja Lopez

It sounds like any experience in a developing country. Talking about that, where it’s like, trying to get your passport like a Venezuelan embassy. That’s kind of what it sounds like.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Yeah, I was like, I did not leave my home country for this. This is not the American.

Hoja Lopez

Usually in America, they tell you steps A, B, and C and you get there and you have those three things and they give you what you need. Occasionally, when you encounter experiences like this, it just takes me right back home.

Mohanad Elshieky 

Yeah, exactly. And I don’t want that.

CREDITS

I’M SORRY is a Lemonada Media Original. The show is produced by Alex McOwen, supervising producer is Kryssy Pease. Our executive producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Our mix is by Kat Yore and theme music was composed by Xander Singh. If you like this show, please rate and review. And please don’t cancel us. You can find out more about our show at @LemonadaMedia on all social platforms, or follow us on Instagram at @imsorry_podcast. We’ll be back next week and until then be nice, play fair and always say I’m sorry. Thanks for listening!