Look Mayer, Oh, I see you, my own Bowen.

Look over there is that culture.

Yes, goodness, Lost ding Dong Lost Culturistas calling.

So today was Bowen's first ever Tate experience.

And that is the big headline.

Of the huge headline Famed Bakery shak Shuka restaurant.

They have more things than I had, a delicious chicken salad sandwich with raisins.

Get into it.

I don't want to have this argument with anybody.

Raisins belong in chicken salad.

Okay, you know what else I so I basically described it to you correctly.

Was it was like a Michelin preta mage a Michelin pretamange.

And then we learned through someone that we were speaking to today that it is owned by Panera Bread.

Yes, so it all goes back to Big Pen.

It goes back to Big Bread.

And that's actually your real culture number six and it all goes back to Big Bread.

Also in Lost Coltu News.

So the reason why we're in DC today is actually kind of a fun story.

Several months ago, we sort of reached out to with an opportunity that made us say there's no way, there's.

No way, There's just no way.

It is real, and we find ourselves sitting with a pair of guests that to say that we.

Are excited would be the understatement of the entry to have them on Lost Culture is this.

We were so fortunate enough to be on their podcast at amazing time.

IMO, Higher Ground, get into that.

That's the chicken salad of podcast truly.

Okay, there's raisins.

I mean, you know, I said to our guests earlier, I did a breakfast hack.

I was like, you know what you do, and so I didn't tell you this, Craig, but here's here's what you got to do.

It's not just strawberries and raisin bran.

It's also you cut up strawberries.

I'm a culinary icon on this podcast.

By the way, the snack of the summer is frozen grapes.

Frozen grape Okay, so you got to.

Cut up strawberries, cut and then get some bananas in there and raisins.

Put it in your honeynut cheerios.

Yeah, raisins and honynut cherios.

You're gonna love the way you look.

I guarantee you.

It's still not that deep.

It is.

For more context, listen to our episode of IMO and that Matt, it sounds yummy.

Okay.

So these voices that you're hearing, they're legendary.

They are the Euclid Avenue Robinson, the icon Chicago legends here with.

A college basketball icon as a player, a coach, and a broadcaster and a best selling author that is likely best known as the former First Lady of the United States of America.

And this is just really special.

Podcasters now, So moving on up in the world, I'd say.

Everyone, please, we are out of our.

Minds to welcome Michelle Obama.

Gosh, we're fired up, ready to go.

Put me in coach.

I'm ready to play, and you are the one to listen to when that gets So you're sort of been dragging me all day from my breakfast.

I mean, you bring it up like it's some rocket science and it's chopped up fruit in cereal.

At least you have to cut the cheese and melt its steps.

You do not have to acquiesce to her just because the former first Lady.

That pretty well, yes, ma'am.

Yeah, I know.

Well.

Earlier I was like, thank you so much, missus Obama, and you said Michelle, and I was like, I.

Did say that.

I know, well, it's great to be on a first name basis.

We cannot have a real conversation if you're saying, missus Obama, that's too many.

Pretty quick to like put down that shield for people, you're like, don't even worry about it.

You know.

I was trying to do that when I was first Lady because I just think, you know, it just sort of like I am not that position.

I am Michelle.

And when you're trying to connect with people, especially young people, and you know they need to keep the misses because they're learning.

Sure, but I'm always trying to break down that wall to say we're just all here totally, you know, And the first thing to do is like, let's drop that title.

That's a little heavy, you know, that kind of changes the dynamic.

So I'm Michelle.

Because I know what we call her, what your Highness?

I knew it.

This person you have to.

Be in the family.

You do need this person in your life.

That is like that is like busting your chops a little bit.

You guys always been those people to each other.

Oh yeah, absolutely.

Well we come from a family of chop chop busters.

Yeah yeah, yeah, it's.

It's it's it's it's we earned it.

We earned it our dad, his brother's, our grandfather on my mom's side.

Yah.

I mean, it was just chop busting all the time.

And they started teasing at a young age.

So you and I always thought, oh, this is mean, until you realize, oh, in the real world, this happens all the time.

So you're building a nice armor to fight the fights when you get out in the choice.

Yeah, Craig, you've talked about how growing up it was Michelle was known as Craig Robinson's younger sister, and then it flipped it at some point when you were known as Michelle's older brother.

And I love that, and that is much easier describe it in the ways that that is easy.

It's easier because, first of all, I was whether my mom and dad said, don't do it, don't worry about your sister, don't protect your sister.

I did, so everybody had to know that's my little sister.

So if you're gonna run up on her, you gotta come through me.

Be nice, act right, And anywhere I went, I brought her with until we got to an age where we couldn't do stuff.

But it's always been that way, and it's much easier when I don't have to worry about that.

Now she's she's the big star and I can just enjoy the benefits.

Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean yeah.

We both have sisters, and I feel like it almost makes me emotional to think of people like having an opinion or like be like the idea that someone is you know, accessed by the world in this way, Like that has to be something to manage about each other.

I'm sure about you know, your family members, Like when you become up for public debates and unable to participate in those discussions, I would imagine that that's something that you obviously learn to cope with, or do you ever really learn to cope with it?

You know, you do.

You have to develop a thick skin, and I think some people are better at it than others.

I think my husband has a very calm demeanor, and I think he was built for the job.

I am a little more feisty, less so for myself, but more for him.

You know.

I get my back red up when somebody goes after him and they don't appreciate his intellect and his sacrifice.

Don't go don't go after my kids.

So I don't feel it for myself, but I do it is it is uncomfortable anytime my kids call me with some bad interaction they had with somebody on the street because of their last name, or them worrying about somebody people thinking that they don't deserve the credit for the hard work that they do.

You know, my mommy mode gets on sure, but I've had to practice being okay with it for the sake of them.

Yes, because I think that kids respond the way their parents respond, And all throughout the White House, my thing was this is normal.

You'll be fine.

It's okay.

Yes, there are men with guns on your school.

Yeah, because your dad's here for parent teacher conference.

But keep going.

It's not about you, you know, just trying to make sure that through all of this they felt normal.

So I couldn't respond too much.

I couldn't voice too much concern because then they would start panicking.

Right.

It's like when a tyler falls and they look.

Up to see if they're okay, and if you're like, oh my god, but if you're like you're fine, get up.

But as a brother, I feel it when they get talked about yeah.

And it's really interesting because as a coach, you get talked about all the time, like when your team.

That doesn't bother me at all, right, because I know what I was doing was my best and this game plan went this way, something went that way.

Anything.

But with them, it's when people don't appreciate what they're doing.

I wouldn't say things publicly, but people ask me all the time, how do you handle it?

And I tell them I know deep in my heart that they're doing the best for the most people, and that usually gets people to to sort of calm down and take that strategy with them when they go on when they go about their work, because otherwise it would just drive you crazy.

Sure, I used to be in the comments defending him.

Yeah, I would never want you worse than death come out there.

I also just when you were talking about going to the parents teacher conference, and I thought about being an elementary school teacher and knowing that the Obamas were coming in.

What is that?

Oh, it was a thing because the kids went to school down the street from where we're recording right now, and our house is well we were in the White House that that was our house then, So it was a trip all the way up mass af Right.

And when when you're in the presidential motorcade.

It's a thing.

Yeah, you know, if the president is moving, it's twelve motorcycle cars walking off traffic.

The street gets shut down.

It's a twenty car motorcade, you know which I say that includes an ambulance, a caboose, and a you know, a clown at the end.

I mean, it just keeps going and going and going, and it never ends.

And all of that pulls up into the parking lot of a school and getting held down.

It's like that missus Charney that they're blocking, and it's like, you know, I know, but this is how it goes.

And so Malia is.

Right.

But here's the thing.

Dad was going to parent teacher conference.

It was like, you know, you went before you were president.

You went to every one of them.

We are parents, you know, we have to ignore this.

This is how you get about the city.

And this can't be the excuse for you not to participate as a father, because you you deserve that.

He enjoyed that, He enjoyed those moments of normalcy, even if it came with a twenty our motorcade and helicopters and a cat team on the roofs, which is counter assault weapons, machine guns out, you know, I mean total lockdown.

Yeah yeah, so yeah that was And thank you Sidwell for putting up with us.

Great work.

I always feel like, you know, big moments in my life.

I can often associate with a song or a film or something, and obviously you guys, being in the public eye, I wanted to ask if there is a moment that the world knows and they identify in a certain way just from watching you guys, but you associate that moment with a specific song or something, like.

What was this song of like the inauguration day?

Or like, is there is there.

A moment that you can think of that you can point to no one?

No one knows I was listening to this or what had watched that you're nodding.

I'm nodding.

We do you have something?

Yeah?

The first inauguration we were all together other in Chicago, and the story about when we found out that Barack was the president of the United States is a completely great story, but I'll save it for you next time.

We are all on the stage.

I mean it's our whole family, but our family small, but it's we're all on the stage.

Barack's family is on the stage.

This was in Grant Park in Chicago outside, and wasn't it we Are Family?

I don't remember, that's what I think.

I I think I was a song.

Because I remember we Are Family, And I don't know if it was in my head or if they were actually playing I'm going to tell you something.

We're from Chicago.

I've been in Grant Park in all my life.

When that inauguration was over, you could hear almost hear a pin drop, and people are walking away.

They're just in this euphoric, quiet, calm state.

They were so happy, and it was the I mean, black people, white people, people from the North Side, people from the South Side, people from the West Side, all together just walking back to wherever they were going, quietly, orderly, no police sirens.

You could see flashes of light.

But it was surreal, man for a kid who grew up in Chicago.

Yeah, I mean, it was so peacefully silent that on the way to Grant Park in the Presidential Motor Cave, the kids were in the back because you know, you're trying to tell them what's going on because they were little.

There were you know, seven and ten or six and nine at the time, so most of the time in the hole they're playing.

We set it up so that their cousins are there, they're playing games.

Election nights were all about we get chicken fingers and we get to stay up right.

But you didn't realize they wouldn't understand what had happen.

Happened, so you'd win a primary, big celebration and Malia would we come back.

Maliva says, it's dad president, and you're like, oh no, no, no, no, this is just South Carolina.

We got to do this like twelve more times.

Did she go, okay, go back and play that night?

She said at the end of it is dead president now.

And we said, yeah, this is it.

So we're in the car on the way to Grant Park and it's this deep silence and we're all quiet in the car.

The kids are in the back, and Malia says, Dad, I don't think anybody's coming to your party because no one was on the street.

And it never this was like that.

It was always busy.

And she was like, oh my.

God, this is embarrassing.

I mean, it's like you might be And we were like, oh, sweetie, no, this is what happens now that your dad is president.

No one will ever be on this street.

When he's on the street again.

Wow.

But it's like with the little kids, You're like, you know, how do you put these moments in context for them?

They're just in the back seat going what's next for us?

Yeah, it's like watching someone realize their life is different.

That's right.

It's so weird.

I'm remembering it.

Like we got a new dog one time, and then we opened our pool and I was in the pool and the dog came outside and saw me in the pool and froze and.

It was like a new thing for the dog.

And I was like, oh, I'm watching the dog have.

A formative uh huh, core memory.

I don't know why I've made that poll, but like that is what I'm thinking.

It's so the same.

We don't walk on streets with other people any more.

Yeah anymore?

Yeah, Like what are you.

Doing in that?

There was only a third of you showing.

And I know that's not because like and someone should be panicking here should I dive in the water?

I don't want to.

I mean you're talking about like going.

To parent teacher conferences here, and like I got to ask, like now that you are talking about both of you guys are talking on the podcast about how you know the decision making is for yourselves now, like you know the I mean, I know, Craig, you're still raising kids, but like Michelle as someone who is, like, you know, you've called yourself an empty nester, and like that is that is the thing that like, I have no idea I have anyone asked my parents about this because I'm as nervous about like what that was like for them.

But now that you are like making decisions for yourself, does that change the ration now?

Like the framework of your decision making, like you being in DC again without having to worry about parent teacher conference, Like does that affect your sense of place?

Like I was asking you before where you spend most of your time throughout the year and it's kind of in multiple places?

Like does that feel?

How does that feel?

It feels great?

God?

I bet you know it does feel great, But it is it's a little off putting, right because I realized, for you know, fifty plus years, I was making decisions for other people.

And that's kind of a buffer, you know, I can always say, well, I'm doing this because my husband needs it, I'm doing this because my kids need it, so the consequences of those decisions I could sort of subconsciously throw off on them.

You know, I am now accountable for out the outcomes of all of my choices.

They're all mine now, right, There's no one to blame if it doesn't go right, if there's backlash, if I don't attend a thing, you know, it's not well.

I did it because I had to my choice.

This was my choice.

I stand in it so and that's new at sixty one years old, but it is freeing and it could only happen now that I know.

My girls are good.

They are full adults.

They're not completely independent, but they move through the world as independent, responsible people.

Right.

They do not call us for everything.

They figure stuff out and then talk to us afterwards to get our advice or reaction to what they already decided.

I mean, they're just as a parent.

That's comforting.

You know.

Yes, I miss them, but I can see them whenever.

But that's what we raise them to be independent people who can think on their own and live in the world and survive with or without us.

And that just gives me comfort.

I sleep better at night, and I still sleep worse even as adults when they're under my roof.

I mean, when they're here, I'm like, well, what time do you get in?

It's like, well this is early, mom, But it's like yeah, but I know, I feel like you're under my roof and I know I need to know where you're going.

But I'm free of that, right, So it's good.

It's really it's liberating good.

We need to connect you with Kyle Richards.

She needs to hear from you.

She's having a hard time as a new empty and ester.

I don't know if.

I see this is the part you said you were going to check out.

But we have to take the opportunity to ask Michelle Obama about some house because you go ahead, You've revealed you watch it all.

I do, Yeah, I watch it all.

I watch it all.

It's it's like my golf.

I'd say that to Brock.

It's like TV.

You can tune in and out of and you can watch it or not watch it and still catch up and go.

Yeah.

They're arguing about that.

It's like, remember, I find it soothing.

Sometimes watches or exactly do you have a favorite current housewife, a.

Favorite house that's someone that you watch.

I'm rooting for that one, even if it doesn't make sense all the time.

Oh that's oh, I didn't think about this.

So there are a lot to choose from.

Who am I rooting for right now?

All your listeners probably watch it so they know.

Yeah, but we're happy to this is the current This is the current season.

They're in season right now.

It's airing and it's live.

No, it's a few months ago, but cut it together at it.

They tape them over a season, you know, like last season, and it's airing now, so Atlanta is on.

That's the thing about this stuff, which I would tell all the housewives, it's like learn, you know, just like all of us know, you know, you're at the middle of it, and then it can all be gone.

So what's the plan for when it's all gone?

You know, this moment that feels so good?

We all, you know, at some point in our lives are formers.

Yes, yeah, I truly appreciate what I see a housewife hustling the products because A I think it's funny and B I'm like, get your money.

Get it now, and I hope you're saving it.

On the subject of formers, though, like I feel like what you two are are very good at sort of embodying in your life stories.

Is like the swerve, like the career change.

Like I think this this kind of ties back to like the decision making for yourself now that you're accountable to yourself now, It's like, does this echo anything about like of living in that one between like marriage or parenthood and like right when you're out of college where you're like, Okay, what do I do with myself now?

Like that is something that I think I hope everyone goes through.

I kind of trust someone a little bit more to know about themselves if they have had a moment of questioning like everything they've been taught to.

Sort of move through life with.

You know, I have always felt that our parents prepared us to do anything.

They always encourage us to do anything you feel like you want to do, And the hard part for me was figuring out what that was.

And you know, early on, professional sports wasn't the way it is now.

Like you, very few people aspired to be a professional athlete.

You just didn't think you could do it because you saw you didn't.

You saw very few role models that were other than the people who were way up there, like Ernie Banks and Gail Sayers.

Those were the people we saw growing up.

So well, I'll tell you, we were gonna nod so hard.

We were like, you, guys, don't have Michelle.

You can do that for her, but you don't have to listen.

I told you to coach forty.

That's why I saw.

I figured you would.

You would get the Gail Sayers.

I actually know that name.

Yeah.

So, so I was just playing basketball and I didn't know that I was gonna get a chance to be a professional basketball player, but it wasn't what I was shooting for.

So we were always taught just try things until you figure out what it is you like to do.

And that's what I did, and I felt very comfortable doing it because I had the support of my family.

Yes, and I never felt like I had to be a doctor.

I had to be a lawyer.

I had to be a basketball player.

And then that that way I was able to try finance and try consulting, and then try coaching and realize that I loved coaching and teaching.

And I think the only thing that I thought I really wanted to do was be a teacher.

I thought I was.

Going to teach seventh grade and coach high school basketball.

Right, that was my I should say I started out wanting to be a race car driver.

And growing.

I was publicly I was publicly shamed by my second grade teacher, who I absolutely loved, and she was like, with all those brains, what do you want to be a race car driver for?

And so that was the end of that.

And then I got too tall to get in the cards.

But I thought I'd be a teacher because I had so many good role models my parents, I had coaches, I had good teachers coming up, So I was thinking that would be something that would be worthwhile doing.

Well, you really opened up a door here to the central question of our podcast, and so I feel like we'll just ask you.

We'll start with you, Craig, which is what was the culture that made you say culture was for you?

This is that that sort of formative, influential moment in your life where something you were exposed to, whether it was pop culturally or culturally in general, that made Craig become Craig.

So I'm going to give you the answer because I know this answer.

I'm prepared for this, but I want to tell you I always make note of questions I haven't been asked, because when you get interviewed all the time and you listen to podcasts, you hear all these great questions.

It's always so exciting when somebody asks a question you haven't heard before, and I only know your question because of your show, but I've never been answer.

So I'm really excited about this.

And I know there were two opportunities here.

So when I was in high school, I worked at Soldier Field, which is the arena where the Chicago Bears play.

They used to have great concerts there and we couldn't afford tickets to concert so we never went to live concert.

So my first live concert I worked at during the series of concerts Parliament Funkadelic.

Landing the Mothership on.

The stage, production people and.

The music and the music on top of the production.

But the best part guys seeing them dudes come in off the bus.

I was like, they coolish, Yeah, rock star lifestyle, they cool edge.

Didn't you mystify anything?

It actually mystified.

Oh.

I was like, I should have stayed playing the piano.

Because you're feeling like a group beat.

I was like, wow, I could be up there wearing the stack shoes and the diamond, the stark glasses.

Laying in the face, playing the keyboard.

It was so and so that was when I was like, Okay, there's something to be there's culture out here, there's something to be being cool.

And then the next ahead to one of my freshman year in college was the first year that rap was going widespread.

Yeah, rappers delight of course that song of.

Course my mother I used to do it when I was in elementary school, and I was like, my mom was bars, yeah, that praised for it at the time, but I thought.

I thought, how did you come up with that mod?

I don't know?

Rappers?

They're like, wait, year was that?

So that was nineteen I graduate high school seventy nine, so it was nineteen eighty was the year settay?

Nine eighty was the year I was my freshman year college.

Did you know the same age my mom she graduated at nineteen eighty.

Yeah.

I believe as we came we feel old, No.

No, we are.

My mom played.

I'm as a superstar, ageless, ageless period.

But no, there's a lot of music, and isn't it funny like when when you're young and a kid like it's so uncool to be doing music or playing the band or do orchestra.

And then now who is cooler than musicians?

Ye?

Stars?

Pop stars.

Yeah, so we're trying to keep our fifteen and thirteen year old.

They're still playing their music, yep.

And if they can just hang on, just hang on and keep doing it.

Maybe they'll be stepping off the mother ship.

They don't even need to step off the mother ship, but if they ever wanted to, they won't be so far behind where they could only be the guy playing the like.

There's a play, there's a place for that.

And there is.

Set up.

You're right.

I just gosh, if I could take a time mashing back to like a stadium funk concert, man, like, I guess, like, what's the closest thing we have to that I don't know.

I guess we have.

What are we talking?

I mean, Beyonce will give you every genre, but the I mean like in terms of like real like what you're talking.

About, like a band.

Like a like a band.

I guess you know you know who is huge and there's it's not my culture at all, But whose people really live for is grateful dead?

Grateful dead?

And let me tell you it's also Bruce Springsteen dear friend of mine.

I was at his concert in Barcelona, and you know he's got e street band.

It's it is music, it is it's a band, yes, you know it's it's like it's the drummer, it's the horn section, it's all of it.

And they were playing jazz and they flipped into you know, uh Nora Orleans.

You know, they did it all in addition to rock.

But this is you know, let's make up ps A for Music and Education in public schools, right, because this is you know, all talent doesn't come from the rich, right, Talent is born, and if there's no place for kids to access a trumpet or you know, a set of drums, they don't get to cultivate that talent, right.

You know.

Broad That's why I love Broadway.

You know, Broadway to me is like where the real you know, I don't want to sell anybody, but it's like it's where the real talent lies.

I mean, you go to these shows and it's like everybody is a freaking star.

It's like you should have a concert.

The guy who's playing the backup to the you should have a you know, old album.

You know, it's just that's why I love Broadway because it's the place where real talent can can can come and the fact that they do a day in and day out with the same level of energy.

They're flying without a net every night, and it's just phenomenal to watch, which I don't know.

Did I digress a bit?

No?

No, I was gonna say before we ask you your response to the culture question, I have two questions for you.

One, are you going to get a chance to or have already seen Cowboy Carter Tour?

Oh?

Yes, yeah, I mean it is the sojourn of me and my daughters and I and Beyonce's my girl, first of all, I mean we are that's my girl, her back.

So the girls and I have gone to every concert that she's had.

So we did Cowboy Carter and uh where were we were in?

Uh?

We were in New York.

We did the New York the Rain show.

Were You in the Rain?

Yes, that's one of the parts.

Were You in the Rain?

I was?

And she would think she would be sympathetic, but no, she was just letting you know.

But the entire concert, I mean poor for the entire concert, and none.

Of them missed the beat you're talking.

They didn't miss a beat a dancer.

There may have been a slippage once maybe maybe, but they made it look like it was.

The stage was just a puddle and she was stopping.

She just performed away and beautiful.

She looks I mean, she looks better than ever, sounds.

Better than ever.

Are you This probably was my favorite one of the whole thing was when Blue Ivy stomps out galvanized with the towel wipe down the stage and then shredded, and.

That's of her own making.

Beyonce was like, I look down in one performance in the rain and there's Blue cleaning the stage.

She's like, what are you doing?

She's like, I'm doing my solo.

Somebody's getting this ready for me.

And because you want to.

Know what like, she also knows that everyone's watching TikTok every night, looking at every single movement, like the probably the most scrutinized performer.

In the world right now is and everyone.

Is watching every second of it to see, like, is she as good?

Beyonce, Well, she's she's baby good, She's she is she's in middle school, all right, okay, people, I mean she is like a worker horse, and that's what she's learning that's what her parents are demanding of her, Like, okay, if you if you say you want to do this, then you got to do it, and you've got to perfect your craft.

So yes, I was there and loving it.

Try.

Yes, we're going to We're going to go in Paris.

Yes, next week.

I was thinking about trying to go and get a dry show in so I could go down on stage, but I just don't know.

You let him manage it.

And the last thing before we asked you the culture question was I need to know specifically Oh Mary, Oh, what is Michelle Obama's experience at Oh Mary, because we.

Imagine that everyone's kind of turning to you to see how you're responding.

To specific Well A lot of times I sneak in afterwards, so I don't think that people knew I was there because I come in at dark and slipping on the side, and and I didn't know fully what O Mary was right, So I went with a friend and it was a recommendation.

They said it's play, and and I didn't do the research, which I usually do, so I wasn't sure what was going on right, and then a scene one and I am cracking up yes, but feeling like, oh my god, if people see me laughing, it's gonna be on page six and somebody.

But it was.

I loved it so happy for the Tony Winn.

I mean, you know, just out of out of your mind.

It's like, this is what you think, who thought of this?

What's going on inside that head?

That thought of the retelling of history in this very interesting but powerful way.

Just I loved it it.

Yeah, And also when you get to know Cole and you really realize that so much of their actual personal experience is in that show, even if you don't know, like the things that they've struggled with and what they wanted and the kind of resistance they've been met with is all in there.

And that that I think makes it, you know, in the.

Bones of Mary Todd Lincoln.

Yeah.

So yeah, I'm happy to know that you had.

An amazing time, had a great time.

Gotta know, Michelle Obamba, the culture that made you say culture was for you.

You know now that we're talking, it is music.

It's still music.

And it's interesting that so much of that cultural moment for us was music, and for me it was a musical show.

Soul Train, right, it was the competitor to American Bandstand.

Yes, the music dance show that was on in the late sixties and seventies Don Cornelius, the Soul Train.

The dancing there, I guess like.

The line yes, which is now done at every wedding reception, a party it o ridges for those of you who don't know that came from Soul Train, but to see every week, you know, all these cool young black kids doing all the latest dances, wearing all the latest seventies fashion, the bell bottoms, the big afros, and the top it off with some huge musical guests, the latest in R and B performing in your living room on television Saturday mornings, because that's when it came on, you know, and we'd all get up and you try to do the dances and you create your own Soul Train line.

I mean that's for me.

I love to dance, I love music, I love Broadway.

If I had any ounce of talent, I think that's what God saved the world, because if I had, if I could sing a note, if I could dance a dance, I'd be up every minute, just like would you like me to sing for you?

I would be singing for everyone it's like these talented people who were embarrassed and they don't sing.

It's like, no, I can't.

It's like, if that was.

Me, i'd choose really talented.

I'm sure you really talented.

I don't think I think I'm regular.

I think she could have been really talented.

She's just a perfectionist, so she would have never thought it was right.

You know, I hear that, like sometimes it's you chuck yourself out of things because it's not gonna be perfect.

But then all of a sudden, the world.

Has been you know, robbed of its rights.

Correct.

But back to soul Train.

Back to soul training, you know, quest to do this night at Brooklyn Bull where he would do like a soul train and play clips.

And it was like me like fully as an adult, sort of digesting this for the first like I always knew about soul Train, but then just like actually watching the footage and the clips, it is just this mesmerizing thing where everyone we talk about like being like that person deserves their own show and concert.

Every single frame, you're like, that's the most beautiful group of people dressed.

The women were gorgeous.

They you know that their movements were unique they introduced new dances, and you know, culture was created in that room.

It was the first video music show that we experienced.

There were no music videos back the visuals where you could.

See the artists performing even though they were lip syncing right because they you know, they lip sync to a track.

But unless they were on like the Flip Wilson Show or Carol.

Variety Show, you would see people performing live music on television.

So for us, yeah, were your parents also tuning in or was this Oh yeah.

It was family viewing if my dad was home, it was you know, we had one TV, so you know, we lived in the age where you watched what was on TV.

And we got control of the TV during the Soul Train hours, you know, and everyone and we all got up tried the dances out.

You'd go outside after Soul Train and talk about what you saw with your friends and try to recreate the moves.

And you know, it was the fashion was you know, off the chain.

It was where a lot of fashion culture began and ended.

You see the inspiration in current fashion today, even the colors, the color blocking.

It just you know amazing, and it made me sort of want to be older and cooler.

It wanted, you know, I was.

I was curious about who these people were and how you set these tones, and you know where you found the courage to be that creative.

And then the other moment for me was when I bought and was given Because I bought it and was given my first album.

I was given it by my maternal grandfather, who we called Southside, who was a record officionado.

He had a huge album collection.

Didn't have a lot of money, but he had two turntables, a reel to reel.

I mean he literally had his house wired for sounds, speakers in every room.

But he was a jazz aficionado, had a huge jazz collection that I think we're now donating to the OPC.

Oh.

Yeah, so the OPC will be able to preserve it, but I hope that's in the works.

Two bedroomhouse with twenty five speakers in the.

Bathroom, in everybody's bedroom.

They we grew up with music playing twenty four to seven.

There wasn't a time that my grant when he woke up, the music went on.

And you had to learn how to take care of the album right if you used it, you had to clean it, you had to hold it at the edges.

You couldn't stack them.

You couldn't.

You didn't play put the needle in the middle of the album.

You had to start it at the beginning because you could scratch the record.

I mean, there was a culture to that he gave me for it was one of my birthdays.

He gave me Stevie Wonder's talking book Talking Books Songs in the Key of Life.

I knew you were going to say Stevie won.

Yeah, Well, I think I talk about Stevie whit he He was also he to my culture, you know, because he was the first musician.

And we did this beautiful podcast on Stevie through Higher Ground The Wonder of Stevie, and I recommend it because it is a fascinating look at why Stevie Wonder is a musical genius.

It covers his five albums.

No one has produced that quality and amount of record of music production in such a short period of time.

Questlov was the producer with that co produced it with us, so I learned even more about Stevie.

But talking book, that album it was that led with You Are the Sunshine of My Life.

It was one of his first independent or first or second independent albums that when he was in charge of his career, wrote and produced everything.

So it was his sound.

It wasn't motown.

Nobody was controlling him, and it was it was a cultural experience for me as a ten year old because it was also one of the first albums that came with the lyrics on the Jackass right, And I would spend hours, just hours, immersed in his music.

In the lyrics.

You know, there was opera in it, there was jazz, there was sex, there was love, there was there was political you know, statements being made.

A song entitled big Brother.

You know your name is big Brother.

You say you're watching me on the Telly, seeing me go nowhere?

I mean lyrics so that like I was reading and going he is telling us something here.

And it was the first album where it wasn't just about a music the music, but it was about the message.

So you know, that album was one of those cultural experiences that took me to the next layer.

And like it wasn't just fashion, it wasn't just the moves.

It was like art.

It was art.

Yeah, I mean, at what point from getting the album to like understanding what all of the messaging might have meant and all this context about it being independent production and that there was you know, not influenced by Motown necessarily.

Like when does that knowledge come through you?

Oh?

I didn't know that when I was ten, of course, you know, I've learned that over the course of a lifetime of following.

Stevie or Stepen's your love for the album.

Yeah, exactly right, which is why this podcast will take you to different places with him.

But even without all that information at ten, at ten years old, yeah, that album moved me to a place that I didn't know you could go with music and art.

So it was and still resonates.

I mean, I still have that album on my playlist.

It's part of my the soundtrack, it's my soundtrack.

It's like it's my you know, Stevie is the music that gets me going right before I'm about to give a speech, you know, when I'm on the way in a car to do something hard.

You know, there is some kind of song that Stevie has made that will get me to that place.

It's impossible to pick a favorite.

I'm literally sitting here there like, is it if you really love me?

Is it lately?

Is it all fair?

It is a superstitious you know what I mean like it's he is, yes, yeah.

Before we do, I don't think so, honey, I wanted to ask if you remembered something, So this actually came to me, like it was like one of those memories the other day years ago.

It was twenty sixteen.

You were on Jimmy Fallon's show and people were doing the thing where they were speaking to the portrait of you and then you came out.

Yeah.

So there was a guy named Henry who went last, and he was he was he was speaking to you and you came out and you had this moment together.

That was my boyfriend at the time.

Yeah.

I was just oh wow, that was such.

A tough time obviously, I would imagine for everybody involved.

And I remember just like he is and remains he's a dear friend of our still to this day, and he was the sweetest is the sweetest person ever.

And I just remember watching you guys have that moment, like I just it was just such an emotional memory for me to have the other day and just it was it was do you remember that happened?

I absolutely remember that.

I mean, look, one of the greatest gifts that I had being first Lady was being able to interact with people who felt impacted by anything that we had done, right, because we're living in like an ivy tower with security guards, and you know, it's the rare personal interaction where you could be with someone outside of a photo line and just experience them in that way.

Meant as much to me as it did to him, And so yeah, I remember it all.

What a small world.

It was such a lift and it remains a lift as a memory for me and I know for him.

So I just wanted to shout out Henry and wow I remember.

But like now I'm craving to see that clip again.

Oh yeah, the love going on the talk shows and doing those stunts and bits with with Jimmy and others.

They you know, it was like they would just play right.

It's like she's game for anything.

And I was like, yeah, I'm pretty much game for anything.

But we would have some of the best interactions messing with the public.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm looking back and I'm thinking nowadays they would never get away with that because it's like if you go in there, it's like, oh, you're going to talk to this portrait of Michelle Obama.

I think everyone will be like, well, she behind that it's like.

You were shocked, and he really was.

I was like, maybe this was at the time where we weren't doing as many viral tricks.

We were not it was the beginning of it, right, Yeah, yeah, well I just had to bring that up.

Thank you for that.

Yeah, give him my life.

Thank you for that, and I will I will.

Okay, So it's time for I don't think Swanni bo.

Yes, this is our segment where we take one minute to really segment rail against something in culture.

Yes, we love segments.

What a staple of the pod.

We both have something.

So we'll go first, and then we'll and then we'll go Cragg and Michelle.

Yeah you guys style, you know, we'll we'll see you if we're good.

I've decided to take a risk today with mine.

Mine might alienate some folks.

I'm keeping an eye on everybody out there.

Mine's gonna alienate no one.

But people are gonna be like, now, don't no one has to be concerned.

But yeah, let's go for it.

Let's go for it.

This is Matt Rodgers.

I don't think so many as time starts now, I don't think so honey.

Lack of digerido in popular music, The digity do is the instrument of Australia and I don't understand why we're not utilizing it.

Lady Gaga, I'm looking at you.

If there's gonna be a pop star that brings the digeridoo into complete pop culture dominance, it's gonna be you, Gaga.

It's the one thing missing from Mayhem, which is perfect otherwise.

Oh and Yang, I don't think so, honey, You're about to believe his didery do impression.

Do it?

That sound is amazing.

Don't you want that over a beat?

Don't you want to throw at the club?

I do?

I feel like let's move.

I feel let's get this out here.

Let's let's get someone who can play the digitydo.

Because you know they're not making money because you're not booking them enough.

We need to take it out of Australia and bring it international.

The digital is global.

I want the digery doo.

Lady gotta go.

I'm calling you out, Sabrina Carpenter.

I'm talking about second.

We're all the one of your Parisian concert together.

Bring out the digredo.

Oh my, I thought for it.

You're a picture.

You're a picture full of juice.

I have yours if you haven't thought of it.

Oh, okay, let's see what sometimes you do?

Know more because sometimes I'm coming in here and I'm like, what pisses me off?

And then you find that I can assign you one pretty pretty regular.

We should try that.

We should do that one time.

Like I like, right right as we're about to hit play, you tell me what mine is and I go, oh.

I like that idea.

Thank you for inspiring and.

Ship although he can't do it.

It's like, this is the thing who can do a minute on anything other than.

Let me tell you something.

We went down to Epic Universe in Orlando.

There's an opening of the new theme park Universal, and they had us do one in the ninety seven degree heat humility.

I think we.

Almost almost died.

Oh my god, I think we almost lost our life.

I don't think Sonny, you know the Constellation carousel.

Don't you have human resources on your shop?

Someone actually issue?

I don't think Sony is a liability.

It's like, where are the union rules?

That's exactly right.

Need we need a podcasting union?

We do?

We do?

Wow?

Why not?

I'm starter?

Okay, So I'm ready to alienate by one?

Has he he when he really rips these up, they can This is Bowen Yang's out on things, So, honey, his time starts now.

I don't think so, honey, Why is pet food looking delicious and commercial?

I'm doing I'm watching.

The Tonys and there's a fancy feast Gems commercial working on a plate.

It really did.

The cat's not eating it out of a plate, and then they garnish it with rosemary.

Why are you making it presentable for human consumption?

Because I'm sitting at home going, well, my mouth is watering, I'm gonna eat this.

And then I red an article in the Atlantic about how there is the gourmet dog food market is exploding.

Dress a Micheline chef is making dog.

Food for dogs.

It's it's it's it's really getting out of control.

Your dog doesn't know the difference between kibble and the fresh medallions of salmon that are being advertised on these packages.

In second, your dog deserves the best, Absolutely every deserves gourmet food.

Everybody deserves for meat food.

But don't make human beings want to eat it because I don't, so, honey, me thinking, well, maybe.

I will try some some whiskers some with some some pedigree and that's one minute.

Oh my god.

I saw some catfol the other day that looked like it should win a James Beard Award.

This is not okay.

And also they know what they're doing because it's on late at night when the Housewives wrong when people America.

Have you seen the commercial where the guy kicks the girl right, because.

For the fresh dog food they did you keeping the refrigerator.

She's like a dog.

You keep your dog food in the refrigerator, I mean.

And then he kicks her out of the date and he's left here.

Yeah, that's that was part of your.

He brought we went together.

Was it during the Tony during okay?

So it's during the Tonys and he pointed it out and I was like, oh my god.

As a result of watching the catful commercial, it's like they.

Garnish it with row was marrying.

It's like, what are we doing?

I don't.

Know.

It's because we're the ones buying.

Yeah, yeah, we buy.

That my dog eats her poop.

I'm sure she doesn't do that.

I watched it happen when I was a kid.

I was like, she's no, that's.

Wrong, you know, but Barrocks still won't let her sit on the sofa.

She eats her poop and it's like she doesn't do it anymore.

Cats know something that dogs don't, and that's roller Coachure number ninety.

Cats know something that dogs don't.

It's just true.

They know how to work people in a way the dogs they do.

And also they're persistent, nevertheless, never they're demanding.

They're not persistent, they're insistent.

Yeah, their cat weird cat people.

Yes, we've had two cats.

We just lost our last cat.

I mean their cats Flip Forever eighteen twenty one.

Yeah, Missy Icon, Yeah we're cat folks.

Yeah, may they.

You know what's funny is like I think I am a dog as a person, but I would get a cat.

I think he's a cat as a person and he wants a dog.

Like that's just is they're not start.

Okay, who wants to go first?

Okay you do?

So are you going to do the one that Michelle suggested?

No, and we'll tell you what that is after because I can't do a whole minute on it.

Can you do a whole minute on anything?

Okay?

You kill.

Want smarter?

Even though yeah, like the.

This is Craig robinsons, I don't think so many his time starts now.

I don't think so honey.

And I'm talking about balloons.

Balloons are for birthday parties and baby showers.

They are not ride in.

Tell you why, first and foremost, you can die three different ways in a balloon.

Tell us you can go straight up so far that you lose oxygen in your horrible.

Second thing is that you could go straight down to your point and fall out.

But the thing is you can burn up in a balloon.

People do not talk that you can burn up.

And who are these people who are getting in balloons?

Chariots?

You cannot terrible, You cannot control where you're gonna land.

They got these.

Trucks to follow you along.

You could land in the ocean.

Take it.

I don't think so hard.

And that's what I don't many balloons.

And I'm like, well, there's so much to say about how loud they pop.

He goes them up.

But you said hot air balloon travel, and how ridiculous it is, because you're right, and you should say it, and you did.

These people are getting up at the ass crap of.

Dawn to meet up in a big field to get in a wicker basket.

You want to.

Guys.

Wait, let's just say you avoid those three ways of dying, and you come down the land and the thing turns over and you get.

Suffocated and you get stuff and now, by the way, now you're back on land and that's lethal.

By the way, what do they tell your parents?

Oh?

Sorry, he died And it was like an idiot because he went up in a hot air balloon and didn't need to be doing all that.

So my mom was going to pick upone and say, oh.

He died being extra well yeah under a big yeah, under a big scoopy head like.

And I get so nervous when I see them holding the big, big balloon parade.

You know what I'm saying, the bottom and this.

Is and I know it's it hasn't gone perfectly well.

Every time they'll they'll lose control those things absolutely.

Now we're getting serious, now, thoughts, it's it's like that, now we're getting serious.

You were concerned, Matt, No, this is just like, this is not good.

This gives me anguish.

I do I don't feel like this is why I don't think so.

Honey is a powerful tool for conversation this is great, it's great.

It's cathartic.

But you know what she wanted me to do it on what this world is missing out on ventriloquists.

You think there should it should be more.

I don't, just like the digeridoo, just like the I don't agree with you.

You know what this because it is extremely difficult.

It is a and and those who can do it are really good.

Yeah have you ever tried?

I of course I tried.

Well, well, not good enough for my parents to get me a ventriloquist dummy use one of her dolls.

Okay, do you have you can't do it now?

No, I can't talk like.

It is crazy.

It's crazy because my might lives too far apart.

But there are guys who can do it.

Looks the work tho.

It's eerie.

Yeah, it's crazy, but it's wonderful.

It is a wonderful.

I just love Ventriquist.

They need to bring it back.

Brought it up in one of our I Am O sessions, and I can't remember what kind of I.

Said in my opinion, Oh yeah, the world where the world is missing ventriloquist?

And I was like, what.

Is under They're under represented in comedy.

You're not wrong?

Is famous?

Now?

Who's the closest thing?

I don't know.

They were on America's Got Talent, and they would have to be that's where they show up.

I think you have to watch America's Got.

I want to watch.

The other night, I shout at this season shot my friend Benjamin height Tower.

What did he?

What did?

He's a veteran and he went on America's Got Talent and he's sang chapelone Pink Pony Club on while playing.

The Oh this is gonna make his life that you're gonna go watch it?

But like I'm telling.

You, like did he get through?

And it's going viral onliney.

I'm gonna watch.

Oh my god?

Anyways, can we just skip mine?

You guys are so.

Okay, okay, okay, She's gonna.

Slay it, all right.

This is Michelle Obama's I don't think so, honey.

Her time starts now.

I don't think so, honey.

Seges they still have them here in Washington, d C.

As part of the Monuments tour.

They go so slow.

It's just annoying that they go so slow.

You just want to just get off and walk walk fast, you know, we are dealing with an obesity crisis in the world.

We meet people walking and if you're on a motorized thing that doesn't move any faster than you walk, then I say, please, please take the helmet off because you don't need it on a segway and just walk a little bit.

Walk fast, walk slow, walk twenty seconds and they're in the bike lane.

Are they a bike because it's almost like you're walking in the bike lanes.

You shouldn't.

You should just be on the sidewalk if you don't need to be in the bike lane with the segwe you're not moving fast enough.

And I just say, please, Americans, get off the segues, get rid of them, put your walking shoes on, and let's move, you know God.

And there's a lot of drama about like who belongs in what because the bike lane has become a place.

Where I see a lot of walkers.

And this is a recipe for d I S A S C.

Spell it exactly, want to go, that's NYU work it out.

That's in the college.

I do hesitate to bring up what is the carbon footprint on those too?

I know.

You're releasing something something for nothing.

It's like it's not getting you anywhere faster.

So it's like, and I do.

I could go on about scooters too, Yeah, you know the electric ones that you know some of my staff ride without helmets.

Yep.

Yeah, they're up in there now.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, I'm just glad that I don't drive anymore with the scooter madness, because who are you looking out for that pedestrian, the biker the scooter who's like they're they're on the sidewalk, they're off the sidewalk.

Are you with us or not?

They're in the streets, the street in front of cars.

It's dangerous.

Do you think if you got behind the wheel of a car now you could still sligh?

I drive?

You drive well?

I drive in certain places, yes, I say, And I can still drive.

I have not been in the car with her drive, which.

Like what it doesn't count because you haven't seen it, so you get Usually they drive behind me.

They know I can drive.

I have not had an accident.

I remember how to do it.

It's like riding a bike.

Okay, I love it.

Okay, you know what is kind of like I've taken like ten month breaks because I will go to like New York for a while and then come back to l A and I get and I'm.

Like, you know, you know, you know I'm not a stick And I'm like, do do I know how to do that?

That?

That again?

Again?

My first car was a stick.

I do it makes you feel like you're really driving?

Yeah, crank, I'm engaged.

I'm doing this.

This car isn't moving without me.

Everybody wishes they were a race car driver, you.

Know, and it all goes back to race car drive.

He's a Formula one fanatic.

You are you feeling right now?

In this moment?

It seems like it's really there's a ground swell.

I cannot wait to see the movie to see how banging okay we are.

We're going to go to the theater with.

All the sound around and around sound and take the boys and get the popcorn on.

Maybe that's how we get him the Broadway.

That if Formula one goes on Broadway, maybe we'll see you saw we were talking about talking about that.

I think it was Romeo and Juliet, but it wasn't on broad.

It So have you ever been to a Broadway?

I have, but I can't remember what crazy You're not?

No?

I saw Hamilton he's not my brother Hamilton, not on Broadway.

Oh yeah, but he.

Didn't remember it like it did come to mind like I think.

I think he doesn't know.

I can't.

It's just not don't know.

It's like, how do you not know it?

Because it's because you do.

And you know what I saw miss on the movie.

I enjoyed it.

There you go.

I enjoyed it publically publically, so did we there, guys?

Really I enjoyed that.

Yes, yes, I'm going to amazing and I'm going to take you to some Broadway show you love, oh Mary.

I But you guys have to understand.

So I have thirty two year old and still have a thirteen year old, and in between I'm coaching teams where I have fifteen other people's kids in.

My care so, and it had an excuse.

I wanted them to play well for me.

So I didn't take him to a Broadway show.

I took him to a baseball game.

More sporting all the time.

You don't go to New York.

You were just there?

No, no, no, I.

Was not there, Kelly and the Yeah, I guess I'm trying to.

Like Hell's Kitchen because law here, it's so good and another thing the boys would.

So our kids.

We take our kids to see stuff in our area, but we just haven't made a sojourn to broad.

You'll know a lot of too, obviously because it's Alicia.

So it's like that's another way in too, I think, because that's it's like kind of controversial, the Wholy jukebox musical thing because I love it, but it is a way to bring people to Yeah.

Yeah, but I was thinking about what you guys were saying when you were talking about empty nesters and what you're going to do now and once I finally get there in five years, not like I'm counting, but we'll.

Do stuff like that.

Yeah, we'll do stuff like it'll be there, It'll be there.

It's exciting to get to.

Like my parents are traveling internationally for the first time ever now and in this phase of their life.

They're going to Greece in September, and I'm just so excited for them.

And it's just something that wouldn't have happened before because whatever, like financial concerns or time or whatever.

So it's it's a real like a gift to get that any new experience opportunity.

I think I'm a is going to get you into a whole new world of culture, and you know.

I'm looking forward to it.

Okay, I mean, so you guys, you guys are loving.

Doing the podcast.

Yeah, oh it's so much, so good.

You know, we were so close growing up and then work in all the White House that it just us apart, and now we get to be back together kind of like we were before.

Because when we are together, it's as if we are in the same bedroom throwing the pillow over the top and she's catching it and throwing it back to me.

You can feel that, I can feel you can feel that.

Oh yeah, oh you can feel no, yeah, absolutely.

And I mean, like we will say, you know, before before we wrap, I just want to say that we had such an incredible time.

On your podcast and.

Just to even like be able to talk with you guys and get to know you is so special.

And the fact that you'd welcome us onto your platform is you know, it's moving, emotional, it's so fun and all the things, and so we just had the best time today.

Well, you guys are special.

You really are smart as all get out, funny, talented, the advice you give, the you know, the joy, the fun you're bringing into people's lives.

You know, we need it right now and we couldn't be more proud of you both.

And it has been an honor to spend this time with you.

But it will not be the last time we're podcasters.

Now we are part of the podcast.

You guys are the experts.

So we feel we still have not fully talked about the Old house by so we may need.

I'm gonna do a whole tutorial for him.

Yes, that's a good primer.

Yeah, start with New York season seven when Bethany comes back.

Oh my god, for you to think about.

So clear, that's a clear direction because.

It's how I started it.

I'm okay.

Whenever people ask me how to get into survivor, which we're also big survivors, Okay, Now I have a syllabus, okay, and this is important and helpful.

It's a tool.

It's academic.

Really.

Yeah, So all right, I was gonna start with the Rhode Island Housewives, but I'm gonna sell Salt Lake City.

Yes, we're giving you a lot of conflicting information.

And we're saying a lot of things.

That's okay, we can sum it up.

We'll give him a memo.

Follow directions.

But yeah, you guys are amazing.

Our joy and you can listen to I m O wherever you get.

Your wherever you get your podcast.

We and ever you ever saw with the song.

On my own pretending he's be beside me.

This is lame miss, I know.

To listen to the rest of lame Miss.

You can stream the soundtrack I Know by.

Last.

Culture Racist is the production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeart Radio podcasts.

Created and hosted by Matt Rodgers and Bowen Yek, executive produced by Anna Hasnier and

Produced by Becka Ramos, edited mixed by Doug Bami, Aniko board and our music is by henryk Birski