This message is brought to you by McDonald's. Did you know only 7.3% of American fashion designers are Black? Well, McDonald's 2024 Change Leaders Program is ready to change the face of fashion. The innovative program awards a monetary grant to five emerging Black American designers and pairs each with an industry professional to help them elevate their brands.
I know specifically and distinctly how McDonald's can support and empower not just black Gen Z, but black people. My first job was McDonald's. I learned a lot there about customer service and how to relate to people. I still love that place and go there very often. Look out for the change of fashion designers and mentors.
at events like the BET Awards and the Essence Festival of Culture. And follow the journey of the 2024 McDonald's Change Leaders on their Instagram page, WeAreGolden.
Here's an HIV pill dilemma for you. Picture the scene. There's a rooftop sunset with fairy lights and you're vibing with friends. You remember you've got to take your HIV pill. Important, yes, but the fun moment is gone. Did you know there's a long-acting treatment option available? So catch the sunset and keep the party going. Visit pillfreehiv.com today to learn more. Brought to you by Veve Healthcare.
Two tapings in a row, you and I, back at it again. Yes. Damn, Daniel, back at it again. Damn. Do you remember that meme? Yes, I do love that meme. Damn, Daniel. From one Mrs. Daniel to another Mrs. Daniel, I'm Sam Sanders. And I'm Zach Safford, and you are listening to Vibe Check. Vibe Check.
Whatever happened to that young dude from the meme? So listeners might recall back when Vine was a thing, there was this high school kid who would show up every day and his friends would like drag him by being like, Damn, Daniel, back at it again with the wine bag.
That guy ended up going on Ellen, right? He became a big deal. He did. I hope he's okay. I'm Googling him right now. I am worried about him because he looked like he was going to grow up to be a very fine person. Fine meaning like nice, not problematic person. Here's where damn Daniel Lara is now, five years after that famous meme. This is from 2021. Yeah, and he's now working in design and fashion in Los Angeles. Good for him. We loved
love this damn Daniel and it's Met Galloway good for you yes we are dedicating this episode to damn Daniel that was so funny I'm so proud of him I'm really really happy for him
Anywho, shout out to damn Daniel. Shout out to our sister, Saeed. He's feeling under the weather this week, so he's not with us. But we always like it when folks take time to take care of themselves. Don't work if you don't feel good. Right, Zach? Amen. That's my thing. You know, we've moved into this world of where when you're not feeling great due to remote work, you'll just keep working until you're bed sick or you'll take the call. And it is wild. Like even yesterday, I was on some Zooms with people who were traveling and their flights got delayed. And I was like,
And they were so stressed, but yet they were like walking to the airport on their phones. And I was like, girl, we can reschedule. You're busy. Take a breath. So I think all of you, this is a reminder that when you're not feeling your full self, if the universe is screaming, take a day. Take a day. Take it. It's okay. Damn, Daniel can take a break. Zach can take a break. Saeed can take a break. Listen, we're here. Speaking of taking a break, this week on the show, we're talking about
Diane Feinstein. That's actually perfect. Yeah, yeah. So political news watchers have been seeing this slow simmering train wreck of whatever the hell is going on with Senator Diane Feinstein. She's a Democratic U.S. Senator from California. She has faced calls to step down now for months, and she's been MIA for a while as well. We're going to talk about the financing of it all and a larger trend that we've all been seeing is
in various industries throughout America, older folks are in charge. Bob Iger is back as the head of Disney after leaving that company a while back. Joe Biden is running for reelection, and he might very well be the oldest president ever again. We're in a moment where America's leadership seems to be as old as it's maybe ever been. What does that mean? How should we feel about it? We'll talk about that without being ageist. We're not going to do that. Yeah, no.
That's first, and then Zach's going to lead a conversation all about the royal coronation happening this weekend. I kind of forgot it was happening because I'm not really checking for king. Is he king Charles yet or Prince Charles? What is he? He's about to be king. He's technically king, but he's getting crowned this week. His son will hold his hand and swear allegiance to him. He'll be anointed behind a curtain. It's all the pageantry of it all. And he's the first king since, I think, the 50s.
Oh, wow. It's been a while since a man's been in charge, and what a time. What a time. So we'll talk about that. But first, got to just check in with my sister. How are you feeling, Zach? From what I understand, you just finished taping with the BBC. The BBC, yeah. It's been a very whirlwind-y day because we did the Met Gala episode last night, and
The girls, I guess, are girling. And like what we said, so now we're getting all these asks to break it down. And so I did the BBC, so you can hear that. We did the show Newscast, or I did. And we talked about the coronation too. So you can get the British version of this episode today over at the BBC, if you'd like. But beyond that, I'm tired. My allergies are kicking my butt.
I was in Tennessee this weekend and as some of you who reached out, so many people reached out and thank you so much. But, you know, one of my oldest friends in the world passed away in February. And it's something Sam has known, Saeed has known. It's been a very quiet thing that I've been working through. And we were just able to all get together as high school friends. All of our friend group from high school got together with the family and did a celebration of life.
for this person. And she was one of the biggest people in my life. She was like, and what it made me think about and what I wanted to bring up to you is, I don't know if you've gone back to a high school reunion or gone back to your high school group of friends, but this was my first time doing that because I was a queer person that said, I got to get the hell out of this place. And my family moved. Like my mom wasn't living in that town anymore. I have like no reason. And so many of my friends I was there with, we all were like, we have no reason to be here. This is wild. Besides what's happening. And even this friend moved to New York City. Yeah.
And to sit in a room 15 years after graduation with the people who literally shaped you and loved you and fought with you and bullied you to back then and kind of gave you the beginnings of what you are now is a mindfuck to a level I had never experienced. And it was like...
Let me just say, nostalgia and memory are a wild thing. I was walking down the street being like, I remember when I was 15 and I went to the Starbucks. I remember when this friend yelled at me on this corner. So it's just really wild. And it just feels like we've hit this age, Sam, where we probably all are experiencing more. Grandparents are getting older. Everyone's expressing loss. But you also have enough distance from the past of where you're fully conscious to really engage with it. And it's really weird. I am only in touch with one friend from high school.
This is my dear friend, Nitra. I officiated her wedding maybe two years ago. We went to middle school together and two years of high school together, and she was actually my first girlfriend.
That is the only person from high school I stay in touch with because, and I think a big part of it is like, I wasn't out in high school. Yeah. And I think to go back to those people and go back to that world would just be like multiple coming out conversations with folks I haven't talked to in 20 years. Yes. And I really feel like I'm past that. I don't want to have to come out anymore. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I,
100% and so many of this friend group of mine, you know, I wasn't openly gay, but I was. Now you look back, you're like, Zach was definitely gay. I just didn't have the language for it yet. And I was talking to a lot of these women and I found myself being like, I don't know if I should talk to you about my boyfriend in my life. And I would just say it to them and they'd be like, oh yeah, we know, we knew, we knew.
So some of them listened to the show, which was wild. So it's very cool. So I would say, Sam, they know your ass is dead. They know. So, you know, just leave. It's true. Anyway, how are you doing? I'm good. I have been still busy, busy, busy talking last week about how it feels like we're finally back outside and my life is busy again and that feels good. But I'm also in this moment where like Alex and I were driving somewhere and we're getting on the 405 and there was traffic and I was like,
ooh, girl, the 405 is in retrograde. And then we just started ripping. It's never not been in retrograde. Then I was just like, it feels like everything's a little bit in retrograde right now in Southern California. This weather, I thought it was right. It's not right. It was raining yesterday. I've had little annoyances in my life that just have me saying, everything feels a little off. I'm not distressed. I'm just noticing. So my energy right now is mildly retrograde.
I heard the other day on the TikTok, I don't know if you're familiar, but Leo placements are supposed to be entering after this retrograde, I think, an incredibly lucky period of their life. I'm going to need that. Watch out for your blessing. You're going through a rough time, but it's going to get better. All of you, if you're going through a rough time, it will get better. You know what I want to fix it all? What?
Usually when I take time off from work, I'm going somewhere. What I've realized I want before the year is done is like a week off, but I'm at home. Yeah. That's what I want. What about at home, but also go to a hotel? What do you think of that? Girl, I just signed a mortgage. I ain't got no goddamn money. Nevermind, you ain't got no money. Your savings broke.
The hotel's called my backyard. What's funny though is like, I'll tell, cause like I'll see friends and they're like, oh, congrats on your house. And I'll be like, yeah, I ain't got no money. They're like, but do you have the house? That's an investment. That's wealth. And I'm like, I can't spend the house.
I hate when people say that. I can't spend the house. I'm just spending money on the house. Yes. Sorry to complain. I am blessed. I am blessed. I'm so blessed. You are blessed. But I hate, I do hate, and I don't own a house, but I hear people say that to people all the time. Well, your money's in your house. Girl, that money's not buying brunch, okay? It's not buying dinner. Anywho, all this to say, I'm fine. I am lucky and blessed that
So, she's in retrograde, but she's vibing and thriving regardless. We love, we love, we love, we love. All right. So, before we get into this episode, we just want to thank you all who sent us fan mail this week. And also, I just want to say thank you to every single one of you who sent me a note about my friend who passed. A lot of them were so, so heartfelt.
It really meant a lot. Even if I couldn't respond, I was a bit overwhelmed. I'm going to try to respond to everybody. But thank you. It does mean a lot when you reach out to people. So we love it. You also can email us at fivecheckatstitcher.com. Tell us anything. Yes. And also check for Zach. He was mentioning that BBC Newscast is the podcast. We're taping this on Tuesday. When will the episode be up, Zach? I think when this episode drops. Okay. So Wednesday, check for it. With that, shall we get to it? Yes, let's do it. ♪
As we alluded to earlier, we want to talk about age and leadership. We're going to start now in California. If you've been following political news, you know that California Senator Democrat Dianne Feinstein, she's facing calls to step down because of her age and the condition of her health.
So Dianne Feinstein is 89 years old, and she's actually been out of commission in Congress for a few months now. Since February, she's been sidelined with a bad case of shingles and what her team calls, quote, continued complications.
Her team has not said when she'll be back, but at this point, even members of her own party are saying she should step down because it's starting to affect the votes. While she's been out, the number of judicial nominations waiting for a floor vote to be approved has jumped to more than 25. And some watchers say that at least three of them have been directly held up just because Dianne Feinstein isn't there to cast her vote.
On top of that, there are other votes in the Senate that have been stalled or kind of gone the other way because of her absence. There was a recent measure concerning regulating truck emissions through the EPA.
Feinstein being there would have flipped the vote and would have sent the tie to Kamala Harris for a tie-breaking vote. That didn't happen because she wasn't there. So folks are saying this is actually a big deal and it's not fair for her to still be there. Her supporters are saying this is ageist and sexist to call on her to step down just because of her age. To start, Zach, what does this feel like to you? Big picture.
I'm confused. I'm big confused. Big confused. My thing with Senator Feinstein, who seems incredible, has done so much for this nation. She's a legend. She's a legend. We love her. It's giving me flashbacks to RBG in terms of like...
kind of a woman that has literally placed trails. To our point earlier, girl, take a break. Step away because the work itself is being blocked. And why I bring up RBG is that people speculate that we wouldn't be in this certain situation we are in with reproductive rights if RBG had stepped down and we had replaced her with different justices. And the craziest thing about the RBG of it all, so she famously didn't want to step down while Obama was president.
because she wanted to wait for the first female president, Hillary Clinton, to anoint her successor because of the symbolism.
But had RBG stepped down when Obama was president, there would have been a liberal justice there to fill her spot. And we might have avoided a lot of this Roe madness. And what I have to say to that is tomorrow's not promised, as we know. That's true. The Bible, Sam Sanders. Oh, not the Bible. Okay, come on. Tomorrow's not promised. Yes. All we got is today. And RBG—
God rest her soul, only had those days she had. And those are the days in which she should have done something substantial. Dianne Feinstein has that same situation right now. We do not know what's going to happen in 2024. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. What we do know is that we can begin to deal with these things today. And there is a plan in place by the Democratic Party to replace her. And she should just let that happen. So Sam, can you explain to people what would happen if she stepped down?
Yeah. So even before the shingles diagnosis and that medical absence, there had been numerous reports questioning Feinstein's mental fitness to serve. A lot of rumors that she is suffering from dementia or something similar.
And these reports are pretty detailed with folks close to her saying she is not all there, right? So for a while, California has been saying, how do we handle this? California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is thought by some to possibly want to run for president at some point, he said that if Feinstein ever steps down, he would fill that vacancy with a black woman. He says, I promise this to you.
And the black woman that everyone thought would be the person to fill that seat was going to be Barbara Lee, a California congressmember.
But now, as this absence goes on, some are saying Barbara Lee shouldn't get the seat if it becomes vacant because she is running in earnest for Dianne Feinstein's seat next election. So that's murky and complicated. But that said, Newsom would fill this seat with a Democrat who would vote the way they want to vote. He just can't do it till she leaves. So his hands are tied. And it's just...
Say it. I love the Democrats. I think it's great. I think the world would be even worse off if we didn't have who we have right now. But we have to be a bit more proactive. We have to be a bit more offensive here or on the offense. Not offensive. We shouldn't be offensive, but we should be on the offense. And I'm just confused at why we don't like to win. And it's just like everyone. You have everything in front of you to win. Just win. This is why you're elected.
Yeah. I think it's, you know, there's a question about wanting to win. Then there's just an acknowledgement of where the Democratic Party is right now and where both parties are right now. If you look at the leadership of both parties in general, they're older. Joe Biden is in his mid-70s. No,
Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker, still in leadership in her 70s. Chuck Schumer, majority leader in his 70s. Mitch McConnell was up there as well on the other side, and he was just sidelined with the concussion and has been out for a while.
Donald Trump, should he run for president again and become his party's nominee, is also in his 70s. It's not just a democratic thing. America right now is run by boomers of a certain age. And you look across other industries, it's happening there too. I mean, if you're in Southern California, you know all about how Bob Iger –
legendary leader of Disney for quite a long time, stepped down. I think he's 70 now. Then just a few months, they brought him back. Came back. Because they didn't like the person they brought in to replace him. Bob Chapek. Yes. It's wild. So it's not just politics. It is all...
All spheres of American power and influence, they're led by boomers. And the issue with this is, I think we're trying to be reasonable here in that the world has changed so rapidly, so quickly. We have the emergence of AI. AI is a big part of why the writer's strike is stuck right now, including with fees, paychecks.
because the studios want to have something in the contracts that say every year they can have a conversation about technology and about how it's advancing, which should not stop the writers from getting what they want. And I do think every year we need to talk about how the world's changing.
The systems that these people currently run aren't changing with the times themselves. And you see it so much in the Senate committees when they're talking with TikTok. They don't understand it. You know, they don't know what AI is. And it's really having a trickle-down effect on policies that actually help people's lives because they don't understand the world that they live in right now. Oh, yeah. There is a really important Supreme Court case that's in deliberation right now concerning copyright law.
And it's an argument between a Prince photographer and the Warhol estate over who owns an image that is reimagined. But one of the biggest questions with this case is how does it apply to AI? And Supreme Court watchers say, well, there's no way that the Supreme Court can actually decide the AI of it all because they just don't know the tech enough. They aren't in the time of their lives to really grasp it. So in all of these spaces, you're seeing situations where –
And I'm trying to say this in a way that's just not ageist, but there are questions about whether a ruling class that's only one certain demographic can speak to everything we're dealing with right now. And what's really interesting is that when you look into the data, America's kind of an outlier. So as soon as you start Googling gerontocracy or any of these keywords –
You'll find all the writing and research on this stuff. I found a really interesting article in the New York Times opinion section written by Ian Prasad Philbrick.
And he says that compared to our Western European counterparts, we're just putting in place older leaders than they are. I want to quote his article right now. He says, quote, since 1950, the average age of heads of government in the three dozen member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has declined from above 60 years old to around 54 today.
The average OECD national leader is now two decades younger than Donald Trump and almost a quarter century younger than Joe Biden. We are outliers here. I mean, you look at who's in charge of Europe. Who's over there in France? What's his name? Macron. Macron. Yes. Like young, fine, little bit has some issues and needs to stop messing with people's retirement ages.
Fine and young and doing a great job at large. Exactly. And here's what's crazier, Zach. There's another piece I found in Newsweek written by Michael Novogratz and William Watterson. And they found that this moment in American leadership is even out of step with American history. They write, quote, the generation that founded America was largely in its 30s and 40s, with Thomas Jefferson a mere 33 when he took the quill in hand and wrote the Declaration of Independence, quote,
Also young were the leaders who won the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office at 52. William T. Sherman marched to the sea at 44. Ulysses S. Grant arrived just shy of 43 at Appomattox.
Hard to overstate here. This is the weird moment when you look at us and the rest of the world. Why do you think it's, why this? Why now, Zach? Do we know? I mean, we can guess. And I know some of these people and it's very ego driven, but it's wild to think about, you know, historically these huge figures in American history were millennials, as we would say now, you know, 30s and 40s, which is wild because I'm 33 and girl, I am not picking up a quill to sign any declaration of independence.
I'm not even willing to sign a mortgage right now. Like, not let alone the future of a nation. But it does speak to, you know, age ain't nothing but a number, to quote Aaliyah. And we need to be a bit more open to kind of diversifying these leadership positions. And the reason why it's gotten this way is that those who've gotten to
power and due to us having this very hierarchical system have just kind of stayed there and continued to grow and not mentor, not reach down to help people, build ladders, et cetera. And that's also how this power continues to be unchecked because it's the same people holding it over and over. So what we are arguing at the end of the day here on Vibe Check this week is diversity in age. We don't need everyone just to be an older person.
person. I also don't want all Gen Z running everything, too. Just mix it up. We enjoy the young people that are getting elected that are Gen Z. They're bringing energy. AOC brought energy to Congress and has helped shape it. Sadly, Marjorie Taylor Greene has done similar and Lauren Boebert. But we need representation. And currently our nation is a mix of ages right now. And that's the point. So, you know, we need to do better there.
Yeah. So there's some really interesting theories as to why boomers run everything right now. And this is a boomer phenomenon. This is a post-World War II generation. And a lot of folks say it's because of that. There was an era of...
economic surplus and abundance and childbirth after World War II that led to an entire generation that was really populous and really relatively wealthy. You know, like the boomers came of age in a moment where they could afford a home without a college degree and they had pensions and they accumulated wealth. And those same folks still have a lot of wealth compared to other generations and a lot of power because of that.
But there are also some theories that say part of why America's political leadership is so much older than other countries is because of how we elect our leaders. And a lot of places in Western Europe, there are parliamentary systems in which new leaders are chosen by party leadership and party members. So they will purposely pick someone who is young and photographs well and looks good to make the party look good. But in America, these leaders are chosen more so by voters and
And our election system favors candidates who have the most money.
And older politicians generally have more access to wealth. Yeah, we're the only country where you hear people say, oh, just spend more marketing dollars to increase your favorability. That's not okay. That is not good. Yeah. Well, and so my fear with all of this, and it's not just politics, it's entertainment, it's all spheres. We're going to end up in a scenario in which you have festering resentment between generations. Right.
You hear it now. Millennials are mad at boomers. Gen Z is mad at boomers. That's not good for a country. We need to have a country in which we feel united in some kind of common cause. And I think a lot of what keeps us from that today is leadership feeling like it's locked up in only one generation. How much more cooperative would America feel if our leadership reflected a better age diversity? Yeah.
Yeah, I think we would feel a lot better, at least about figuring things out. I think why people feel so dire about climate change is because you have people who don't even understand the science sitting there and don't want to understand the science. And who know they won't feel the worst effects of it. Rumors will not feel the worst effects of climate change. Gen Z will. 1,000%. They're like, ah, okay.
I don't care. I won't be here for it. And it's like, no, let the people who will be here for these things have a voice. So that's the point here. So, you know, I hope Dianne Feinstein has a wonderful many more years in front of her. I hope, you know, things are great. But currently, if we're not seeing real movement on real piece of legislation, then I think folks across the board need to go. Well, and just to underscore, it's not just politics. We have an episode in the feed right before this all about the Met Gala event.
That event is run by Anna Wintour, and it was honoring Karl Lagerfeld. Two legends of fashion, but two older legends of fashion. The chokehold that boomers have on so many spheres of influence across this country is real. And I want to have these conversations without being ageist.
but to acknowledge that there's some disparity here. So listeners, as we wrap this segment, write us. What do you think about age and leadership? How do we tackle this issue without being mean? And what's the way forward? Let us know. We are at vibecheckatstitcher.com. Vibecheckatstitcher.com. Going to a break. When we come back, can you call Prince slash King Charles a boomer? What is he? I don't know. He's a boomer. He's a boomer. He gives me boomer energy. Okay. After the break, him.
This message is brought to you by McDonald's. Did you know only 7.3% of American fashion designers are black? Well, McDonald's 2024 Change Leaders Program is ready to change the face of fashion. The innovative program awards a monetary grant to five emerging black American designers and pairs each with an industry professional to help them elevate their brands.
I know specifically and distinctly how McDonald's can support and empower not just black Gen Z, but black people. My first job was McDonald's. I learned a lot there about customer service and how to relate to people. I still love that place and go there very often. Look out for the change of fashion designers and mentors
at events like the BET Awards and the Essence Festival of Culture. And follow the journey of the 2024 McDonald's Change Leaders on their Instagram page, We Are Golden.
Here's an HIV pill dilemma for you. Picture the scene. There's a rooftop sunset with fairy lights and you're vibing with friends. You remember you've got to take your HIV pill. Important, yes, but the fun moment is gone. Did you know there's a long-acting treatment option available? So catch the sunset and keep the party going. Visit pillfreehiv.com today to learn more. Brought to you by Veve Healthcare.
All right, we are back. And I want to say we're switching gears, but we're not. Same gear. This conversation is kind of like the same gear. It's about a person named Prince Charles, who we all know. We've known, most of us have never known a world without him. He finally is about to become king after Queen Elizabeth's death, you know, months ago. Cue Lion King soundtrack. Oh, I just can't wait to be king. 1,000%. And this man has wanted to be king for so, so long. Did he kill Mufasa to get it? Listen, it's...
I mean, I wouldn't put it past these royals. They do a lot of sinister things if you watch The Crown, which we're going to talk about. Because The Crown, actually, the last season was the perfect kind of preface to what's about to happen this week. So, high level, King Charles and Camilla will become king and queen of the United Kingdom, which still includes Canada, New Zealand, et cetera, et cetera. The Commonwealth. Yeah. The Commonwealth.
All of these places will be having simultaneous celebrations to welcome the new royals. Not new royals, but now the ascension of King Charles as king. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m., and will primarily be at Buckingham Palace and in London. So it's going to be a big, big deal. But leading up to it has been pretty interesting because, soon to be King Charles, isn't as popular as the queen was. Yeah. And that is a huge problem. Yes.
So let's just start there, Sam. What are your thoughts on King Charles? Okay. One, I'm always team Diana. I love her because my mother loved her. I think watching Diana's funeral was the first time I saw my mother cry for someone she didn't know. Like she felt that shit.
I remember when she died, we walked outside. My neighbors came out. I was with my mom. Yeah. And people were bawling. Oh, yeah. People were unconsolable because this woman had died. And it's just so seared into my brain so much. So, yes, I agree. That's my feeling as well. So, like, she meant a lot to America. And for that reason, I think I just don't like Charles because of all that drama and backstory. But I also feel that he is perhaps the most uncharismatic leader the monarchy could have in this moment. Yeah.
You know, for better or for worse, the queen, his mother, she performed the role faithfully and dutifully. It was kind of fun to watch at her prime. Even as she got older, she was still there giving it a good old college try. It never seems like Charles has the energy to actually be a charismatic figurehead. He's not fun to watch. He looks pretty stiff.
Low-key, he kind of seems like an asshole. I'm just like, from a PR perspective, doesn't feel like the next several years of him in charge are going to be good for the aesthetics of the monarchy. On top of that, as our world becomes more global and interconnected, there are just bigger and bigger questions about whether this thing should exist. It is a monument to empire. It is a monument to colonialism. Why are we still doing this?
And then even besides that, just the pop culture cachet of the monarchy is down. In the run-up to this coronation this weekend, all I've been seeing are stories about how nobody wants to go. All of the British celebrities that you would think would be there, Adele,
Ed Sheeran, all of them, they're not doing it. Like, you've kept tabs on this, Zach. Who are the famous folks who have, like, bowed out of this coronation? I think it's, like, everyone. Adele, Ed Sheeran. From my understanding from just in Hollywood, they went to everybody. They went to literally everybody. Wow.
And everyone kept saying no. And what they've landed on is Katy Perry, which I must say, and I keep saying this, I'm having like a kind of a revelation here with her. A star. I went to her Vegas show a few months ago. Does the damn thing. Does the thing. Great. Storyteller. But she is the pick.
As well as Lionel Richie, which we love. But it's kind of like, you know, think about President Obama's inauguration. Beyonce was there. This is literally the same level. And to bring back to a point that you just made about pop culture, but that's kind of the problem that we're dealing with right now with the monarchy is that in the 90s, they became supercharged with the addition of Princess Diana.
Princess Diana was, is, remains, and will forever be a pop culture phenomenon. Fashion has been launched off of her. Like, Aldi became more popular because she drove an Audi. Like, everything she touched became huge. Her death was a morning that all of us felt. And she let us forget about the oppressiveness of this empire. And we got wrapped up in the fantasy. And Prince Charles was her husband. But when he started cheating, and that became fodder for the press, and she, you know, eventually did pass away.
This machine they built, built off press and tabloids, has gone off the rails. And now they're dealing with the consequences of that. Because in the wake of that, they've raised two sons who were stars and continue to be stars, but they've broken free, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer part of the official duties of the royal family. And that's only hurt them worse in the global eye. But in the UK, people continue to try to protect
the monarchy, and it's still not, it's just not working. And even last night, I was listening to all the podcasts that are being made about the Kingsport Nation, and all they do is they're trying to make Charles into something I just don't believe he is. Because as you said, Sam, he's not charismatic, he's not interesting, but they're trying to make him. And I still can't get over the fact that he's marrying the side chick, like the side chick won in this whole
Well, quiet as it's kept, the side chick half the time wins, historically. That's the movie we should make. That's the movie we should make. What's going to happen this weekend is pretty much lock and step with what tradition has always been for hundreds and hundreds of years of the royal family. And that's why no one really cares in America. Because it's really, really fucking boring. The only differences, and this is what I just want to toss out for people who are like, I feel like this week we've been explaining pageantry, and this is another version of that, similar to the Met Gala.
Everything is going to go as usual with the king being crowned. He's going to have his son get on his knees and kiss his hand and literally pledge allegiance to him. He'll be anointed with water behind a curtain and all these other things. Camilla will walk down the aisle, this aisle to be crowned, with her grandchildren holding her cape, which feels very Met Gala. But there are some interesting differences. And this is kind of what the royal family is trying to test. And this is kind of why we're talking about it today.
is that they want to pitch to us, the world, that the king can be our chief diversity officer of the world. Did they use the word chief diversity officer? That's what I'm using. They're calling him the charity king, but that's the picture. So Charles has invited over 200 representatives to his coronation to represent community organizations. This never happens. You don't let the nonprofits come, and they're inviting the nonprofits to.
They're also making a bank holiday. And the purpose of a bank holiday on Monday is to get you, the people, to go out and volunteer in honor of the coronation of the king at charities that serve the underserved. Because Charles himself has, I think, 19 charities under his belt that do do a lot of work in POC areas, which we saw in The Crown, which was propaganda. So that's the pitch here. Can I just tell you my first gut response to hearing you say that?
The audacity of Prince Charles and the monarchy to try to craft his kingship as one of charity. If the monarchy truly wanted to be charitable, they would give back everything they stole. 1,000%. They would sell all the land, all the property, and give the proceeds to the least amongst the British. They would take the very crowns they wear and give those jewels back to the countries they stole them from. I ain't even British. I find this whole framing offensive.
It is. Charity from the monarchy? You're going to be charitable with the things you stole? Yeah. I just. And we've never had, and that's where I just like for our listeners in the UK, this is why us black people. And the Irish. And the Irish. They're with us. Yes. Hey, black Irish. Um,
We love that. We love that. Is that there's never been a reckoning of the sheer violence that they have continued to do on a global scale. And the wealth accumulation is only through conquest. Yes. And its own form of oppression and violence. The fact that you've stolen jewels from countries in Africa and have never given them back so they can be sold on the markets to people.
the GDP of that country, that's a problem. You've never done it. You've built museums like the Tate Modern and all these other museums. Stolen goods. Yes.
stuck stolen goods in there and you will not give them back and now you've launched charities and this king to save the day. Well, and this is the thing, and let's call it what it is, that kind of white supremacy can only survive and be palatable if you've got someone as charming and as pretty as Diana in charge of it, or at least the face of it. Or if you have Meghan Markle as the face of it. Or if you have the former queen as the face of it. When you lose a beautiful, likable figurehead for the monarchy,
All that's left
It's just the bad shit right there on display. It's very hard to spin the monarchy into anything positive when King Charles is in charge of it. Yes, and they're having a PR problem with this. That's why, you know, this coronation is 2,000 people, not over 8,000 people. Wow. And they're also, you know, there's been a lot of reducing of the gates in the streets for parades and things. And they're saying it's due to, you know, people are all having financially a hard time globally, right?
That's no shock to anyone. We are in a recession without saying we're in a recession. And they're using that as coverage to say that they're reducing costs, that the taxpayers of the Commonwealth don't have to pay for it. But it's also the fact that most people don't want to go. On their big holiday, they're probably going to be at the pub. They're going to be hanging out. They don't care. And I think this younger generation just also doesn't see the point here fully. And it is pageantry, and it's very expensive pageantry. So they're now wrapping it in volunteerism and I don't
think it's going to land. But that's the big test that we're about to see the next year. Can the royals save themselves after the queen died? Because most people, I think, don't care. And honestly, maybe this is for the best. Maybe we all were kind of frauds for believing in the monarchy just when Diana was there. Because it was still an imperial, colonial monarchy. Maybe it's time for it to just go. And if the boringness and mediocrity of King Charles
hastens the end of the British monarchy, maybe that's good. Yeah. Maybe that's good. Because I got to say, I'm kind of tired of it. It needs to go. Give that money away and go do something else. 1000%. And something that, just to draw like a line between two episodes this week of Vibe Check, you know, the Met Gala was honoring Karl Lagerfeld, who was very casually racist, fat phobic. Girl, not even casually. Professionally. Professionally, I guess professionally. Racist.
It was problematic, but yet we are saying, you know, his art, what he produced was, you know, a net good and that we're going to forget all this other stuff. And I just don't know if I agree with that fully. Similar to the royal family, you know, they've done a lot of terrible things. I don't think they've actually paid reparations in a real way on their own. And also Prince Andrew is showing up.
He's messy. Like nasty, nasty, messy. In the midst of all his controversy, you know, with Epstein and everything. So there's still like some shady characters being around. And the one person that all these people cannot stop talking about, who I'm not even like fully team her right now, but I still will defend her in this space, is Meghan Markle.
These people will not let that woman live her life. They're all obsessing over her. They needed Meghan Markle. They needed her, and that's the problem. This plan would have worked if they weren't just so, in her own words, so racist. Listen, if she showed up at the coronation with Tyler Perry and Oprah, baby, I'm watching at Alamo Draft House. I would watch. Yes. If Oprah was going again, if it was her wedding, I threw a brunch at three in the morning. I would.
Of course you did. My basic ass did that years ago. And you know what I'm doing this weekend? Not watching this coronation. I'm sorry. I just can't. That's the problem is that they should have, they had, I think the universe gave them like, oh, here's a route forward. You have a black woman. Literally. Who wants to do it? She likes being out there. She did.
Do it. But you all could not stop. They drove her off. The microaggressions and the macroaggressions too. And now this is what you've done. So good luck. Congratulations, King Charles. You got what you wanted. It's kind of just be careful what you wish for because I don't think he could have ever imagined this would be the circumstances he'd be entering. But now it's his court. So do with that what you will. I feel like the theme of this segment, of the last segment, and even our Met Gala episode is truthfully perfect.
moveon.org. Moveon.org. Monarchy, move on. Yes, let it go. Lagerfeld and a winter, move on. Dianne Feinstein, moveon.org. Yes, and if you move on, we can actually get past all this and keep moving. And then history will kind of maybe be nice to you. But yet, if you hold on to the crown, you know, heavy is the head. It is what it is. Heavy is the head. Heavy is the head. All right. With that note, we're going to take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. We'll be back with our recommendations. Stay tuned.
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On their Instagram page, we are golden. All right, we are back. And as we do most weeks, we end the show by sharing some things that are helping keep our vibes right. We've got two recommendations for you this week. I'm going to let my sister Zach start off. It's going to be a show that I'm also watching too. I'm so excited to talk about this. I'm so excited to talk about this. Our pick is the one, the only, Jury Duty on Amazon Prime. Actually, Freebie, which is owned by Amazon Prime.
Yeah. Well, you do know whenever we watch it, I got to be like, Alex, go find the freebie. I don't know where it's at. Alex has to pull it up on the TV. I don't know how to get there. It is hidden. But yet, we have all found it. Thank you to TikTok, I guess. TikTok has really blown it up. If you're not familiar with the show, it stars James Marsden and a bunch of actors you don't know. But the reason for that is because that's part of the show.
The premise is there's a guy and he is, he has signed up to be in a documentary about jury duty. So he's chosen to do his jury duty and thinking it's for a film that's about the process of being on a jury here in LA specifically. It's in Pasadena and we love the Pasadena. And what happens next is a completely scripted world that he lives in for two weeks and
With James Morrison there playing James Morrison himself and a lot of other people playing different characters. But he thinks he's in a real trial, and you see the full thing happen. And it is the wildest thing I have ever seen. It's insane. So first, honor to you, Zach, because you're texting about this show in one of our group chats. Finally got me and my boyfriend to watch it, and we are hooked. It's so good. How to describe this show? It's bonkers. So you have this guy, an average Joe who works in construction, who's
who thinks he's on a real jury-jury duty that is being filmed for a documentary as well. And so he doesn't know, but we all know that everyone else there is an actor, including James Marsden, who plays the juror, who thinks he's too good to be there because he's a famous movie star. But the things they do to him, they have one juror who talks about being racist and you got to watch this real guy's reaction in real time.
They have other situations where he has to basically become a leader in this fake jury. And he has to deal with these emotional tests, which he always handles beautifully. Like he's a really nice guy. So well. But they put him through it.
They put him through it. They do. And it was like, I mean, they were setting him up to fail. You know, you cast a white guy in his late 20s in California to do a trial. You know, I'm thinking he's going to go left. And it went right all the time. He did make moral and ethical decisions when pitched things that could have been really awful of him to do ethically in terms of a jury. But at the end of the day, he does, he handles it with such grace. And I want to say he got a good edit, but I also do think he just was a good person.
Like, I think he's just a good guy. And he's become a star on TikTok. People love him so, so, so much. He seems nice. Well, and what I like about this show, and I'm so glad you brought it to me and now to our listeners, Zach, is…
It actually feels like an original idea. We've talked before on this show about how so much content right now just feels like generative IP. Names you already know, shows you already know being rebooted and recycled over and over and over again. This actually feels like an original new idea from Hollywood. And I love it. It's daring. It's daring. It could have gone so bad for this production.
Yeah. They could have begun and he could have become a white supremacist. I don't know. They just could have done so. Well, and what I like about this show is that it feels much more...
Yeah. Yeah.
And like it has a heart. It has heart and soul. And it's not too political, which is hard to do in a trial with people talking about this. So anyway, it's so great. Everyone listen and let us know what you think. And I mean, pitch us what you think would be another good offshoot of this once you finish it. Because I've been thinking it's like, could it be a wedding? Could it be like, what can we do next? Sam, what's your pick for the week? So those that know me know that for about a year now,
I've had a record player and I've become kind of a record addict. When Beyonce's Renaissance came out, I, like most other big time Beyonce fans, got Renaissance on vinyl. My bird ass gets the record to my house, then I realized I don't have a record player. So Beyonce made me go buy a record player. Since then, I've been collecting records. I had a really good find last weekend at some flea market on the west side.
But I got an Isley Brothers record from 1973 called 3 Plus 3. And the last song on this album, The Highways of My Life, is some smooth, grown folk shit. This song, I'm just going to say, this song, you need it in your life. When you finish your work day, you pour yourself a nice little rosé.
You walk out to the deck, let the sun hit you, and just start to relax. You go put on the Isley Brothers, The Highways of My Life, and you will vibe and you will thrive. It is such a vibe. It is my mood this week. It is my rec this week. The Isley Brothers are making grown folks music, and it still slaps. Trust me when I tell you, The Highways of My Life, a song that you should hear.
The whole album is good too. Also, everyone in my life, I go to a SoulCycle class with a guy. I'll say his name. He's a SoulCycle. JoJo. His name's JoJo. He's a Southern California SoulCycle instructor and he is a dancer for the Isley Brothers. So I do his class before he flies to go dance with them. And I
Does he like them? He loves them. Okay. He loves them. He has R&B classes here in LA and all these things. So if you're interested, if you're in Southern California and want to go to an Isley Brothers-inspired SoulCycle class with JoJo, go to SoulCycle.com. That was said without an advertisement. I love it. Well, also, this is a thing that happens with the Isley Brothers. Once you start listening to their music, you realize you know like five or six of their songs already because they're just like in the ether. Like, who's that lady? That's them. Yes.
There are other songs where you're like, oh, that's them. That's them. You'll love the Isley Brothers. Trust. I love that. Thank you for bringing them back. It's so funny. I've been resisting and I'm taking this as a sign from the universe to stop resisting them and go backwards in time. Or I guess forward. They just have new music. Well, on top of just being able to sing incredibly, that falsetto is incredible from Ronald Isley. They played their own instruments. They were their own band. The brothers were playing the instruments. That shit slaps, man. You know what, Sam? They just don't make music like that. They don't make music like that no more. Yeah.
All right. We are totally against leadership being tied to just the older generation unless it's music.
Yeah. Then, baby, Isaac Brothers, stay here forever. Isaac, do it. Stevie Wonder, never leave us. Diana Ross, never leave us. Diana Ross, please. Patty, all of you, make more music. Make more music. Listeners, what are you feeling this week or not feeling this week? Are you loving jury duty or would you kill someone if they tricked you into being in a false reality for two weeks? Because I would. I'd be so mad at the end of that. Let us know at vibecheckatsister.com.
And with that, that's our show. Thank you for being with us twice this week. Twice this week, yes. It was such a good time. And if you love the show and want to support us, please make sure to follow on your favorite podcast listening platforms. Tell a friend, tell a sister, tell a brother, tell a lover.
I was rhyming. The Isaac brothers got me rhyming. Huge thank you to our producers Chantal Holder, engineer Brandon Burns, and Marcus Hom for our theme music and sound design. Also special thanks to our executive producers Nora Ritchie at Stitcher and Brandon Sharp from Agenda Management and Production.
And we said it already, but we'll say it again. We want to hear from you. Stay in touch. Let us know your favorite Isley Brothers song. Let us know your ideal booking for the Coronation concert. Hit us up. We are at vibecheckatstitcher.com. Also on the Instas.
On Instagram, Zach is at Zach Staff. Saeed is at The Ferocity. And I am at Sam Sanders. If you post about us, use the hashtag VibeCheckPod. All right. Stay tuned for another episode next week. And until then, skip the coronation. Just put the Isley Brothers on. On repeat. And vibe. Bye-bye. Stitcher.
Ross has huge savings on looks that are 100% you. So you can find all the styles that match your vibe. From stylish skorts to jersey tees. The trendiest looks of the season will have you saying, it's a yes for me. Plus, they've got shoes to make any fit pop. Be the best dress for less with your favorite picks of the season. Head to Ross and save 20-60% off other retailers' prices. Items and styles vary by store.
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