044. - Chrissy Rutherford

All right, this episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Stateside with Kai and Carter, a new podcast from The Guardian. And they are using this podcast to slow down the news and wrestle with the questions that we all have about what's happening in the world. And they do it three times a week. Jason, does that sound familiar to you? We don't really talk about, you know, a lot of international global news items and climates and cultures and sports and things like that. We do talk about fashion and wellness, but for everything else, Kai and Carter are a great place. All right, so who couldn't use more news? Listen wherever you get your podcast. or watch on YouTube. Want to make a podcast? Spotify's got a platform that lets you make one super easily, then distribute it everywhere, and even earn money. We like that. All in one place for totally free. It's called Spotify for Podcasters. And here's how it works. Spotify for podcasters lets you record and edit podcasts right from your cellular telephone or your computer. So no matter what your setup is like, you can start creating today. Then you can distribute your podcast to Spotify and everywhere else, those other places that podcasts are heard. Video podcasts are also available on Spotify. And when you want to take conversations with your fans to the next level, Q&As and polls are the best way to get them talking. With Spotify for podcasters, you can earn money in a variety of ways, including ads and... And podcast subscriptions. And best of all, it's totally free. Zero catch. We've been using it ever since we started How Long Gone. And ever since I discovered Spotify for Podcasters, I feel like having the option of turning off the Q&As and the polls on the user dashboard has really helped boost my creativity and take it to another level. I highly recommend giving it a try. Download the Spotify for Podcasters app or go to www.spotify.com slash podcasters to get started.

buongiorno buongiorno tj what's really good hey um you know i'm just hanging out hanging out in the construction zone baby what's the how are we looking man what's the timeline like i think i think we should be done for the most part by the end of the week that seems like that seems like it's on schedule which i feel like is rare for construction projects Yeah, it'll end up being like three weeks probably, which they completely renovated. What was the original estimation? Three or two? Yeah, we're on track to be all good. We're going to be able to do laundry in a day or two probably. Which is big for me. So you've had to wear tank tops for the last three weeks once you ran out of clothes. I'm sorry to hear that. I ran out of tanks a long time ago. We went tanks first and then went down. I'm wearing Valentino suits. I'm wearing North Face fitteds in the middle of summer. It's tough. I'm sorry to hear that. I had to start wearing pants and jeans because all my shorts are dirty. that's actually tragic that's what that's what i i hate to hear that uh but are are you feeling does everything look good are you excited yeah everything looks great i'm i'm very much looking forward to uh having a a brand new kitchen with um countertop there's an area of the countertops where they're they're taller than the other ones so i have a tj sized workspace for no no really Well, it happened coincidentally, but we moved our washer and dryer from a laundry room into the kitchen and kind of built it into the cabinets. So the cabinets had to be raised taller for maybe about four or five feet. So now that area can be for me. So I'm going to do all my garlic chopping and all of my sourdough bread proofing can just happen right there.

I love – because I don't want TJ to get back problems. You know what I mean? So it's good to have something that's height appropriate so that you're not straining with those repetitive motions. Yeah, and if this was 10 years earlier, that's where I would set up the CDJs. I thought you were going to say Coke. But yeah, CDJs. Yeah, that works. Yeah, but I don't think my girlfriend currently would be down with putting CDJs in the kitchen. But who knows? I do remember a phase. Well, they weren't in the kitchen. They were just right next to the kitchen. So close to the kitchen that it could have been the kitchen. Yeah, the kitchen and the lab were essentially one live workspace. I wonder if that's how you came to enjoy cooking. You were in one lab and you could see the other lab and you just were like, fuck it, I guess I'll go in here now. Bro, the similarities between the EDM and culinary world are astounding. And I think I'm personally responsible for breaking a lot of those walls down. Speaking of culinary, Jason, yesterday I went to the local DeKalb Farmer's Market, which is an institution here. It's actually really close to my parents' house. I bought vegetables and I cooked them for dinner. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me double check. Make sure we're still recording this because this is big. Yeah, yeah, I know. Alex is over the moon. She couldn't believe it. When is the last time you went to a store, bought vegetables, and then took them home to cook them? Well, I did it a lot, but I bought a lot of vegetables. I just never cooked them. So yesterday, I completed the circle. So you would buy some carrots, and then you would just eat the carrots. Yes, or during quarantine, Alex was cooking them, not me. Got it. But yes, I mean – So what did you make? I literally just roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Don't say I just did that. You should be proud of that accomplishment. I don't know if proud is the word I would use, but I feel – Look, I mean this week I'm trying to just switch things up a little bit because I was –

I think I got here and I was eating too much takeout and I was, you know, I needed to get back on my shit. So I'm doing berries five days in a row. So berries is now open. Berries is open and I got to say they've done a pretty good job, man, with like the safety stuff. Like the classes are just like half full and there's only two sections. So it's like instead of going treadmill, floor, treadmill, floor, treadmill, floor. You just go treadmill, floor, and there's a five-minute break in between where they sanitize everything. Right. So thanks to COVID, Barry's is now just a regular normal place instead of some type of bizarre maniac workout. No, no. It's still hard as hell. It's just set up differently. Let me put it that way. Slightly less annoying maybe. Yeah. I mean they check your temperature. It's the whole thing. Do you have to wear a mask while you're working out is the question. No, no, no. Okay, because my girlfriend, her yoga studio just announced that they're going to start reopening in a couple weeks. But for now, and it's a hot yoga place, and it's called Modo. Modo? Modo. I always get it wrong. Modo. Modo. It's a popular yoga place, but one of the rules is everybody has to wear a mask at all times in the building. even when you are practicing yoga. Wow. When you're practicing hot yoga, not just regular yoga. So it's going to be, you know, we're in a room where it's challenging to breathe just by standing. You got to be masked up. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know about that. I mean, I kind of get it because, I mean, obviously it's very difficult and it's going to suck ass to do. you know, strenuously difficult hot yoga while you have a mask on your face, but you know, it's, it's, it's either that or nothing. So I think that would be a great opportunity for me to try out my new Chrome hearts gas mask. So I do think that that, I think that is the perfect opportunity for that where it might be too stunty for like, you know, a restaurant or something. I think yoga, it might be, you know, but I do miss, I I've actually been craving a yoga class. That's something I haven't done.

months you know so i i would i would patronize that maybe yeah it is i mean i'm i'm excited just because my girlfriend uses yoga as her you know her means of of releasing stress through physical exertion um yeah you know something that we all are uh you know a big proponent of uh and she has not been able to do that but i she's a little it's it's the first time i've seen her kind of be apprehensive about it because before it was more of just like man i really can't wait until i'm able to do yoga again because that's what i did and you know i was able to do my home workouts or go ride a bike or do all this stuff so i was able to do it and she was not and now that now that it's real and actually happening and coming back she's kind of like i don't really know how i feel about being locked in you know, a sweat chamber where the temperature is, is a perfect bacterial degree. Yeah. I mean, I do be around a bunch of strangers, no matter how hot or, or healthy they are. No, I mean that it is, it does seem, I would say that seems more problematic than Barry's to be honest, like the setup, but I mean, who knows? Okay. John playing the blame game here. I would never, nobody, there's no wrong answers right now. That's true. The only wrong answer in my heart is Barry's boot camp. That's just one person's opinion. That's because you're a bad runner. I don't hold that against you because we're friends. Thank you. I've only seen it once. I look like a gazelle. I don't know what you look like. I look like when you see a giraffe running, you're like, wow. That's true. It doesn't look good, but I'm surprised I'm even seeing it happen. It's impressive just to see that it is physically possible for someone like me to run. The giraffe gets from point A to point B, and that's all that really matters. The thing about this giraffe is it makes it look good. I mean, look, no cap. No cap.

The whole mask thing has really been kind of interesting as California put into rule, anybody in public has to be wearing a mask mandatory, whereas before it was sort of a strong suggestion. I saw that, and for some reason I thought California had been on that wave. for a while but i guess it was just heavily suggested and i didn't realize yeah i mean i kind of almost didn't realize it either but i think the the the problem is i mean you know the problem that we all see is that you know there are a lot of people who don't wear masks and a lot of those people include police officers who you know essentially are the only people that we have to enforce this yeah this mask law or rule You know, cops don't wear fucking masks at all, hardly. So how do we, you know, what do we do? And then if you own a store and a customer comes in, you know, we know what happens because of all these internet videos. You know, everyone in line films it and you get in the yelling match. And, you know, what actually happens? You have to physically remove an angry customer from your business. That is not the responsibility of the, I mean, you can't ask a, an hourly employee at a grocery store or a retail store to like physically remove someone. You know what I mean? It's insane. Like I don't even think insurance covers that, but. And then, you know, does the mom and pop clothing store or coffee shop have to now have a security guard on payroll? You know, a 24 hour every, you know, just always on. to make sure that that is being enforced? Is that a cost that you have to pay? That doesn't seem... I cannot get over the unreasonableness of people refusing to wear a mask in public. I just think it's such a small ask. I understand that as a society, we really value personal freedom to the point where it's bad for the greater group of people.

I just don't know how you get there mentally. Of course, no one wants to do it. Obviously, it sucks. But it's not that big of a deal. It's just not that. You know what I mean? The history of people, especially in America, has not made me feel confident that this could happen anytime soon. There's so many of these safety regulations that are now in place. where at the time, you know, it took decades, you know, like wearing a seatbelt or driving drunk or any of these things that now we all realize, like, yeah, you absolutely have to wear a seatbelt. Like, it's crazy not to. Like, people fought and still do fight, you know, for decades to have the right to drive without a seatbelt or... I think the best example of that is the motorcycle helmet. Right, or a motorcycle helmet. I mean, I guess that one is a little bit different to me, I guess, because it is your own choice and your own life where it's not going to hurt anybody else in theory compared to a DUI. But yeah, I mean, that's another thing of like, hey guys, the science is in, the studies have happened, and wearing a helmet sucks ass. I hate it, but... You know, just wear it. I think what will have to really happen is, you know, just the public shaming is maybe the only thing that's really going to keep or make people actually do those changes to where you become like a social pariah if you're the type of person who doesn't wear a mask or doesn't wear a helmet. Like, if you're a guy who's against wearing helmet laws, if every woman in the world... would not want to fuck you because of that, then you will start wearing a helmet. That's true. Until that happens. There's always a way, you know. All right, we should probably get our guest on the horn. Let's get Chrissy on the horn. Chrissy Rutherford is a, she's the former digital director of harpersbazaar.com. She left fairly recently to go freelance, I think, around the time of corona.

Great timing. Yeah, great timing. We're going to talk to her about that. But also she dabbles in chart reading and has prepared Jason and I's charts. Our birth charts. For reading on this podcast. So this is the first time that a guest has come to the table with like. You know, homework almost. Yeah, which we're delighted to. I'm delighted. You can sort of tell in the subtleties of Chris's voice that he is definitely quite afraid of the information that will be delivered from this birth chart reading. But I think it will be an endless well of content and pod fodder to cover. So I'm looking forward to that. That's what matters. All right, I'll give her a call. This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Squarespace. Obviously, Jason, you and I spend a lot of time on the World Wide Web, so do our peers, our listeners, our friends, our colleagues, maybe even your parents if they're freaky. And if you're doing anything in the world... writing, taking pictures. I do topless boxing. You need a website. Exactly. A website that works, that does what it's supposed to do, that allows you to be creative, but also business-minded. Jason, there's one place to go for that, Squarespace. Yeah, Chris, I'm over here. I'm modifying calculators and putting Claude inside of them so you could cheat at school. And I just want a place where I could have everything all in one place. I can have the SEO tools. So those future graduates can find me and, you know, I'm able to accept quote unquote donations for my services that might be gray area. You know what I mean? And then email campaigns. Hey, I got a new, you know, 2.3 version upgrade. Boom, boom, boom. Get the analytics going. Raise some money. Show your investor all of your cool analytics of what's going on. They're going to want to get in early, and we can use Blueprint AI to make your website look as professional as your competition, if not more. So head to squarespace.com slash howlong for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code howlong to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or a domain. All right, this episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Quince.

Jason, the temps are warming up. It's getting hot out there. Summer always changes how I get dressed. I need pieces that feel lighter, more breathable, and that are just easy, but still put together. I don't want to look like a slob. That's why I keep coming back to Quince. They focus on high-quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Breathable linen and soft organic cottons. Well-made basics, but without the luxury markups. That rare balance where everything feels elevated. but still effortless. Yeah, Chris, linen season is here. I wore a linen blazer to dinner a few nights ago in the warm California sun. But, you know, you got that Italy trip coming up this summer and quality European linen pants and shirts. Upgrade that look starting at just $34. You know, if you get a nice linen suit, a little t-shirt underneath it, some chill shoes, you're looking good, but you're staying cool. The inside of your special areas are nice and dry as you turn up with your besties. So elevate that summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com slash how long for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns, even on a nice holiday now available in Canada. That is Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash how long. That'll get you free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince punto com slash how long. This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by a new podcast from The Guardian stateside with Kai and Carter. This is covering a lot of our bases, Jason. It's trying to slow down. the news and wrestle with the questions we all have about what's happening in the world and i know you particularly have quite a lot of questions a lot of questions but how often because we do this podcast three times a week and that's a sweet spot how many times do they do three times a week and i i have a feeling just based on the platform and these talking points that they're maybe going to be covering different stuff than we do that's just a guess the guardian is not some billionaire owned They're not afraid to say what they want to say, brother. Yeah, Rupert ain't sniffing around in what journalists Kai Wright and Carter Sherman are up to over there at Stateside. But yeah, listen wherever you get your podcasts. You can watch it on YouTube. It's three times a week. And who couldn't use more news? Especially when it's not from here, let's say. Give it a listen. Give it a listen. Whoa, what up?

Is this where I turn my video off because you guys like to be incognito? I don't think it's about us wanting to be incognito. I think it actually helps the reception. You know what I mean? I feel like it... It's an interesting excuse. I haven't heard that one, but yeah, I guess it sort of makes sense. Well, I think it's weird because most podcasts that I've done remotely, you're always on video, and I feel like... it would be helpful for like maybe Chris to not speak over guests. This is, I can already tell this is going to be a great hour for me, Chrissy. Thank you. Um, but yeah, I mean, if, but you know, in, in my, in my playbook, if, if it is a video, conversation then you're not doing a podcast you're doing a you're doing a zoom call or a live chat or a fair whatever but are you saying these videos actually get posted as videos or that they know i mean you're you're recording the podcast on video so like at least you can like see the other person's facial expressions and like You know, I don't know. I think it feels like a little more personal. Stop making a positive case for that. We prefer to disarm our guests with casual conversation via phone call. So it feels like they're just talking to a friend, you know. Well, I dressed up for you guys, so I'll just stay on video. Okay, thank you. Well, you know, we appreciate that level of respect and just preparedness. Absolutely. We don't have a lot of opportunities to show off our fits in quarantine. Exactly. You've got to get it in where you can. Unfortunately, I think Jason and I are probably both wearing lackluster fits right now. I don't want to speak for Jason, but I'm going to guess. Your intuition was correct, Chris. Okay, thank you. We do need to spend enough digital time together for me to know. I can hear your voice if you have a good outfit on. I mean, I did spend like the first six weeks of quarantine, like literally in fancy pajamas or like athletic clothes. So now it's kind of fun to dress up again. Like, like that was your transitional wear into.

Like you thought the fancy pajamas were as close to real clothes. So you kept it going kind of. Yeah. And like, I wasn't working. So, you know, all those articles about like, why you should get dressed up every day. Like, even though you're on lockdown, I'm like, nah, I'm not with that. Nobody had time for those articles. I'm also, I'm also not with that. And I also think that I don't know if people actually, we have no proof if people actually do that or not. I'm still, I'm still, I don't know if anybody actually does that. I think some people. definitely do that but i do understand because like say in a pre-covid world like i've always been the type of person who really likes to get dressed and it just like puts me in a better frame of mind but i quit my job in february i was traveling and then had to come home early um to go into lockdown in my new york city studio so i was like why do i need to get dressed i don't I enjoyed following your journey, actually, of like, I'm in London living my best life. I'm killing it to be like, shit, I guess I got to go home. Damn. And then packing. We saw the whole timeline, which I appreciate that you shared that. Yeah, it was sad. I had to cut my trip by six weeks, I think. Was the idea that you had left your job and you were just going to go kind of hang out and figure out what the next move was? Yeah, for sure. I just like I needed a break. I was burnt out. And like, I've just I've grown up in New York my entire life and was living in New York City the last 10 years. Like I've never really lived anywhere else. So like I was kind of flirting with the idea of moving to London because I really love it and I love my friends there. But then I was like, well, maybe I'm going to go just like test the waters for two months. Well, this is a pro London podcast, so you've come to the right place. Yes, I've heard. Unfortunately, people don't get paid very much money there, which is kind of an issue. Right, right. I know. I didn't know that. That's a real thing, huh? Yeah, and like grown men have roommates and stuff because no one makes any money. It's actually called a flatmate, but yeah, I guess. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's actually pretty crazy. Like the salaries are really, really low, like across just in general. Really? Yeah.

for sure and especially in fashion like yeah no it's a labor of love and the and the labor is spelled with the you that's my last joke and we're gonna move on from that exactly so what did you well i mean obviously your trip was interrupted and we've covered that but did you had you made a decision like were you like yeah i could do this or were you like nah i gotta come home uh do this in terms of what moving there yeah yeah yeah um I don't know. It's kind of hard because, you know, like, as I said, like I'm from New York, my parents are here. And it's kind of hard for me to imagine like moving so far away from them. Like my oldest brother fucking moved to Hong Kong almost two years ago. So that's been kind of like traumatic for us. And so, yeah, I don't know. You guys are a close family. Yeah. And I just always been so. accessible to my parents. They don't travel a ton. My parents are Jamaican. They literally only travel back and forth between New York, Florida, and Jamaica pretty much. That sounds pretty sick. That's like all the hot spots. I don't see an issue with that person. Are you and your relatives or siblings a large source of your parents' happiness and pleasure in life? 100%. I can't relate. I can't relate. I can't relate to that. My parents are like, wait, is Chris? Oh, Chris is gone. Yeah, I don't know. I can relate to that. And, you know, I often think about the grass is always greener side of things. Is it better to be in that CB situation where your parents don't really care that much or to have the crippling grip of your parents' guilt and pressure on you as a source of their life's happiness? I know. It is a lot of pressure for sure. I'm just in a lucky position because my sister fulfills all the needs of, like, a good child. You know what I mean? Right. She lives close. She gave them grandchildren. It's a win. There you go. And wild card CB can just go out here and ruin his life, and they can't do anything about it. You know what I mean? She didn't turn into a liberal. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, I mean, so you moved out of New York City, and you are now at your parents' house, correct?

Correct. I have like fully moved back in with my parents. Let's, let's talk about that because I feel like you might be the first guest we've had who has made the full quarantine move home. Not just a visit. Right. Yeah. Not just, not just a temporary sublet for a few weeks, but this is right. We're planting roots. This is permanent for the foreseeable future. Well, I considered myself very lucky because my lease happened to be ending in April. And as I said, I left my job in February and was sort of planning on making money off of my Instagram and whatever else. Same, same. Still trying to figure that out. Right. So far, it's mainly just been product trades for us. So I do want to devote a little bit of this show to you giving us tips. Yeah, that'd be really helpful, but I'm sorry. Continue, continue. Right. So yeah, I was just like, okay, well, I'm going to move home. Like I had been looking on street easy to see what was out there, but like it was fucking bleak. Like there were no apartments out there that actually looked reasonable. And then like, how are you going to go view an apartment while we're in lockdown? Like most of them weren't even showing. So yeah, I was just like, okay, I'm going to move back home. And of course, like my parents are. fucking over the moon to have me here or at least they were up until like two weeks ago um and uh yeah so i just yeah i came back here but like under conditions of like i need to redo my room and actually we need to purge this entire house because i could like I could just sense like coming into it, how like overwhelmed I was going to feel like after being in like, you know, a modest little studio and then like coming to a house that's just like actually like filled with like years and years and years of shit. I was like, I can't live in that kind of space. Like my room had like fashion magazines I had been collecting since I was what in college. Cause like, I'm one of those people who literally saves every magazine they've ever bought.

You're talking to another one. And that, to me, sounds like heaven. I love to return to my piles. I know. It is really fun. But I just felt like I don't need to have them in my bedroom looking at them every day. No, I can agree. That's true. Right. Because that's where they were. Half of them were in my room. And luckily, we have a really big attic. So I was basically like, I'm going to move everything out of my bedroom, put it up in the attic so I can just have like... A minimal bedroom, like, literally the basics. I have my bed, a dresser, and a chair. Like, that's it. Wow, very, very feng shui of you. I like to hear that. Exactly, exactly. Well, how much time, like, do your parents, like, my parents leave me alone. Like, I'm in Atlanta at my parents' house. I see them when they're here or during, you know, but they're not, like, on me to, like, hang out. Oh, yeah, no. My parents leave me alone. I would say, like, they don't even actually give me that much attention. It's almost like now that I'm here, they're like, oh, well, you're always here. So we don't need to, like, be on top of you. But, yeah, so they're, like, doing their own thing for the most part. But then, like, my dad was home from work for the first, what, two and a half months. So we would, like, make breakfast together every morning. We were also listening to this podcast together. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Hold on. What did your dad think? He would laugh sometimes. That's actually probably the best review I could have expected. Yeah, but he's like not at all like, you know. dialed into what we're really talking about, like what you guys are talking about. And when I told him I was coming on, he was like, oh, can you save it for me? I'm like, dad, it will be available. This is not a ticketed live event. Make sure you turn the VCR on and record it. Yeah, this will live forever. My parents are very old school. That's amazing because I have always told my mom, please don't listen to this podcast.

because you will hear things that will maybe make you sad about the job you've done raising your child. I agree. Whenever I hear about anyone's parents listening to our podcast or any podcast I've done, it makes me feel a strange feeling that I don't really understand. I caught my mom listening to it. I walked in the house in the afternoon and my mom was doing paperwork listening to it. I had a lot of mixed emotions. I heard your little show, Chris. Yeah, exactly. Hey, son, I heard your little podcast. That's amazing. I know. I mean, do your parents, Chrissy, do you think your parents consume your content regularly? My mom does on Instagram. And again, like my parents are so not technologically savvy. So it's so funny. She can't understand like the differences between like the grid and like stories. So sometimes she'll be like, how come nothing's showing up in your circle? And I'm like, because I haven't posted. She'll be like, where did it go? I'm like, it disappears after 24 hours. I need to start calling stories the circle, the way we've changed, the way we started saying grid. I think that's a cool pivot. Yeah, your mom's like, how do I get one of those checks next to your name? And you're like, oh, mom, mom, mom, mom. I don't even think that actually registers. To her at all. And then my dad just recently asked me to sign him up for Facebook. I'm like, you do not need to be on this. Like he is not someone who. Like he's a very social person, but not in a sense where like he like keeps tabs on people. So I'm like, I don't even know. why you feel compelled to be on here, but sure, let me make this account for you. Well, maybe he heard his buds talking about it. He didn't want to miss out on the fun, you know? Clearly, clearly. Yeah, so if you're listening right now, Dad, stay off of Nextdoor app. Stay off of Citizen app. Don't go on Facebook. That is bad. I've never used any of those before. Do you use those?

No, but my neighbor actually has been talking about it and how ridiculous it is. I don't know if you guys are familiar with the area that I'm living in, but it's Westchester County, which is an hour outside New York City. Actually, I think it's probably Chris's wet dream. Is that where Pete Davidson lives? No, but... Martha Stewart lives here, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Ralph Lauren, DMX, like lots of people. Wow. That was maybe the greatest roll call I've ever heard. An astonishing gaggle of names. I have some DMX stories from high school, but anyway. Are you okay? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, like. Yes. Some other people, maybe not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Damn. Have you seen Martha like at the market? No, but I remember my freshman year of college. I went to college in Connecticut. So when my parents picked me up and brought me home, it was the same night Martha was getting out of jail. And so all the news channels were like. camped out in our town. We celebrate that as a national holiday at Dentist Project LLC and at How Long Gone podcast. That's the day I became a man and the day she got out of jail. So it's a big day for all of us. Is it exciting living in such a rich Jamaican neighborhood and community? There actually are some other Jamaican families here that might Well, more specifically, my mom actually grew up with in Jamaica, which I always find to be really weird. That's actually crazy. Very crazy. Very crazy. What about, do you guys have fireworks going on over there in the hood? No, thank God. Yeah, the fireworks thing has really... It's sketchy. It's been popping up a lot. I've been reading a lot about it, and it's not something...

that i you know luckily i'm not really experiencing it because i'm kind of far out of the the major metropolitan part of la but yeah it sounds like people or you know even worse than new york but it's like a real thing do you uh what's your take on it do you do you suspect it to be uh you know psychological warfare or just kids i just i just i think it's like It's not a coincidence that it's literally happening in so many major cities and day after day after day after day. That's not normal. I can't decide how to feel about it because I'm not really a conspiracy theory guy, but it does seem fishy. For sure. It's very fishy and it makes a lot of sense, but I guess it's sort of like there's just more and more different wars and battles being... being waged and enemies being pitted against each other and now it's kind of like people who live in cities versus people who live you know in more remote areas are you know all you have to do to not be a victim of fireworks is just move to the suburbs or you know a rural non-city place and you'll be fine yep suburban life is good i feel like i yeah i feel like you like it a little too much i feel like you might never i feel like you might never leave A friend of mine hit me up this week and was like, when are you coming home? And I was like, I honestly don't have any plans to right now. What is home, bro? Yeah. What does that even mean in 2020 though? Well, yeah. So your plan of now is to hang out and are you, are you working though? Like you're able to do what you do. Yeah, I am working. Sorry. Sorry. Renos at Casa jeans. It's going to happen. Nice. Well, because of everything that has been going on these last three weeks, I now have a new job consulting for brands, teaching them how to not be fucking racist. Amazing. Wow. I love this new cottage industry that's popping up. Yeah. It's kind of awesome.

We won't ask you to name the brands, but what level, what size and industry specifically are we talking about? Let Chris guess. I'm going to say small to mid-range fashion. Yes. Well, one, so right now I'm actually partnering up with Danielle Prescott, who is also an editor that I've known for many years. We're working with a bunch of different people, but our two retainer clients right now, one is a small brand, but then the other one is a major online retailer. Amazing. So are they coming to you like, please help us? We don't know where to start? What did ASOS say? They were getting lit up online by everyone. It was sort of like a crisis management into, okay, well, let's work on your strategy for the future. Did you have a relationship with them previously or did they just like, okay, okay, okay. That makes a little more sense. And both of them, I had literally had conversations with them directly or their publicists about how their lack of diversity was offensive. You mean while you were working there, you were like, we need to talk about what's going on. While I was at Bazaar, if I see brands that are doing out-of-pocket shit or just not being inclusive, I'll say something to them. Even if I'm not, obviously, blowing them up online. I think it's hard when you work for a brand like Bazaar. You can't really be starting drama with brands on the internet. I would just email them directly and be like, listen, this is not okay. There's so many times where I got invitations to panels about women's empowerment, but it's only white women on the panel. I'm like, what you should not be doing in the year 2019, 2020, and beyond is inviting people to a panel that features only white speakers. That's insane. Unless you're talking about your white fragility.

A hot topic right now, for sure. That's a really interesting, though, business that's going to pop up, for sure. I feel like this could be very profitable for you. Yes, and we've also taken it a step further, and Danielle and I have developed basically a two-hour seminar to teach influencers how to be anti-racist online. You can call it a master class. yeah it's a master class yes it is so it's like a video basically and they would pay and then they have access to this video to get to get no it's we do like a zoom session it's two hours we do a one hour presentation and then a one hour q a with them and then afterwards we'll send them like some resources and stuff but it's like specifically tailored to how like the fashion beauty and even like influencing space like upholds the values of white supremacy and how they can actively work to dismantle that as well as like how to hold brands accountable and how to move forward with them, how to hold each other accountable. Amazing. Yeah. Does it feel a little bittersweet that these jobs are being created and they are obviously, you know, being given to most likely people of color? um you know like more more black people are being hired but unfortunately it has to begin with please teach us how to not be racist right yeah i mean i don't even really think of it in that terms like i just think that listen people have finally woken the fuck up great welcome and so now let's just work together like especially for influencers like we're working with girls who literally have millions of followers like it's just so beneficial because you know, their fans like just adore them and think that, you know, the sunshine comes out of their ass. So like, it's really important to get for them to get the messaging. Right. And like, you know, because they're influencing millions of people. Now are these, are these influencers, are they coming to you like positively? Are they coming to you? Like,

Like, are they excited to do this? Do they feel like they have to do it? Like, what's the tone? I think they're excited to do it. Like, the first session we did two weeks ago, I, like, specifically had targeted just a lot of the girls who had been reaching out to me because, you know, because of my job. And, you know, I've built a lot of relationships with most of the top girls. And so, like, the weekend after my video went viral. Um, yeah, let's, can you explain to people about this? Yeah. Um, so I made a video the week of the George Floyd killing, um, where I basically just explained why I think it's shitty for non-black people to be silent on social media. um because everyone takes time to share their fucking workouts what they're eating for breakfast like all of that stuff and like literally if you can take the time to share your normal content like you can also take the time to share how you feel you know and like where you stand on this issue and it's really not that difficult like i feel like so many people are saying, like, oh, I'm scared to speak out and blah, blah, blah, saying the wrong thing. Like, it's really as simple as saying, like, you support the black community. You do not believe in police brutality. Like, we don't need anyone to, like, recite U.S. history and, like, the history of slavery right now. Like, let's just, like, keep it to the basics. Yeah, just a simple act of condemning what's going on publicly is great. Yeah, because, you know, that week, like, I obviously, like, was feeling a lot of shit. And just on Instagram, like, I see all my black friends, like, posting about what's going on. And then, like, every time you hit, like, a white person's account, it's like, we're living in two different worlds. Like, they don't care. They're going about their day like everything is normal. And so it's just like, this is not right. This video got a lot. I mean, this got, like, a lot of views, right?

Yes, it's at over five million, which is really crazy. But Ariana Grande had shared it. And then I also recently found out that like Normani had shared it and like Rosie Huntington Whitley and yeah, a bunch of other people like that. So yeah, that's amazing. It was wild. I never, ever expected that in a million years. That's for sure. Especially, like, as someone who's worked in, like, digital. Like, you always, like, hope to create a viral video. And, like, little did I know I would just do one on my own. Well, it's nice to hear that a video went viral for the right reasons. Absolutely. You know what I mean? Versus, like, you know, somebody yelling at someone in public. It was actually informative. Yes. It was coming from a real place, which I think with stuff like that resonates. I'm sure the pleasure that you feel from having a video that goes viral is 10 times as more enjoyable when it is spreading a healthy, sustainable message versus just you did something funny or cool. Right, for sure. It's awesome. Do you think that in the time that has passed since that, where you've sort of noticed two different worlds on social media and Instagram. Have you noticed any changes or improvements with, um, you know, the way people are posting? I mean, I think like, obviously there's been a lot of noise on, you know, Instagram the last couple of weeks and it's hard to sort of discern like what's performative and what's not. But at the same time, I, I don't know, like it all at the end of the day is like helping the greater good, I think. Right. Performative or not, still better than nothing. Right. And, you know, as like I tell everyone, like this is a marathon, not a sprint. So like, you know, you got to keep that same energy, as they say, for the foreseeable future. Like this is such a long, long fight ahead of us. Like we're not even anywhere near like, you know, reaching equality or any of the things that we actually want to like live a normal life. So.

Yeah, I think actions will speak louder than words in the long run. Amen to that. Are you finding it hard to be logged on right now? Yes. How's your screen time looking? Chris, let me stop you right there. I mean, I turned off my screen time thing because I just don't need that kind of judgment. I don't need to feel guilty. I spend all... day on my phone like that's just how it is like why don't and so does everyone else but also like I do like I read a lot like I make time for things that are important of course so I'm trying to break a record. I'm trying to get 10 hours a day this week. So I'm pretty close. I've definitely done like 12 hours on my phone. Wow. Comes on our podcast and just stunts on me. Damn. That's very impressive. That's very impressive. Your little 10 hours is cute, Chris. Your little 10 hours is cute like your little podcast. Call me when you got half a day going. Half a day. Yeah, never say 12 hours. Always say half a day. So how is the, you know, speaking of spending 12 hours. on your screen. How has your anxiety been going in the quarantine? It's not been terrible. I think that I don't know. I think I've worked pretty hard over the years at keeping a balance and perspective on life. I think that I've actually been pretty sane throughout all of this and I meditate every day and have been since like I landed back in New York, which I think has been really vital because like in the beginning, like sure, I would wake up every morning with like my heart racing, but, but then it like got better. Like the only thing that would make me feel really anxious in the beginning of this whole thing was.

going to the grocery store in New York city. Like yikes. We've talked about that. That's how that going to the grocery store is sort of the high, highest level of stress that you can experience in modern life right now. Completely. But like, you know, I think that my whole perspective is just like, I'm kind of just surrendering to the moment that we're in. Like there's literally nothing we can do to change the situation. So like, why am I going to waste time being like, Oh, I wish I could do this. Or I wish I could do that. Like my best friend literally just said to me earlier today, she was like, I'm really like weirded out by how okay you are because like, you're such a social person. And I'm like, yeah, but. Just being social right now, like out in the real world, just doesn't feel cool right now. It doesn't feel cool. It's hard to enjoy it when it's not the same. It's an altered version. You take it a day at a time. That's all you can do. One day at a time, baby. You have no idea. Therapy helps. I know. I'm doing it today for the first time, actually. I've had to take. a lot of time off because I wasn't sold on digital therapy. Um, but I'm going to give it a try today. Digital therapy is in terms of like those apps or like, no, no, no, like, no, like you time with your, like using some program that my therapist uses to do it, you know, via video or whatever. Right, right, right. I know that has been very sort of weird. And actually my therapist keeps FaceTiming me on like random days. Like by accident? Yes, and it's been freaking me out because every time I see it, I'm like, oh, fuck, I forgot I had my appointment. But then I'm like, wait, my appointment's on Wednesday at whatever time. Once he did it on a Saturday. Much like your dad. That's triggering. Much like your dad, I don't think the therapists are known for their technological sadness. Do you have any tips for Chris on how to deal with digital therapy as he approaches this new chapter in his life?

I think you just have to... Maybe he needs to get his outfit picked out first. Yeah, that helps. I think you just always have to keep an open mind. I think we tend to project a lot of our fears or just feeling uncomfortable in situations. I obviously talk a lot about mental health on my Instagram and so many people will message me or even conversations I've had with friends where they're like... I can just see them making excuses for like why they haven't gotten a therapist or like why they think it doesn't work for them. And I just feel like people always think like their therapist is supposed to be their best friend. I'm like, this is not what you're looking for. Yeah. That's such a good point. That is like equipped to deal with your issues and that like, you just have like a level of understanding and you like whatever form of therapy they do. But like, I like a challenge. So. Like I've been seeing a new therapist for the last like three years. It's the first time I've seen a male therapist, which I actually love. Like this is the best therapy relationship I've ever had. Like I'm obsessed with my therapist. He's just like a great guy. Amazing. And yeah, like sometimes I'm even like, I don't even know like. if he's really equipped to get me to like the next level i'm trying to go on but i just really enjoy our rapport so for the time being he's fine he's like i'm i'm a very bad therapist we all know that but god damn it am i am i charming but aren't i fun to talk to like who cares he is and just like he always makes me feel like i'm a really sane person and i appreciate that I have a similar experience with Luann, my therapist. She does make me feel – you're right. I mean, and it's not like she's ignoring what's going on, but she does have a way of making it feel okay. Luann knows who butters her bread at the end of the day, though, so keep that in mind, Chris. Luann's still like, you can bang that Venmo real quick if you don't mind, Chris, if you don't mind.

You know, we, we teased this in the intro, but I feel like it's time. I feel like it's time. Like for you. So, I mean, you could probably explain it better before you get into it. Um, then, then we could. So if you don't mind just walking us through it. Um, so obviously I've heard you guys talk about being Virgos, but you obviously don't know much beyond that. So is it that obvious? Okay. So I decided to ask you guys for your information so I could look up your birth chart. I'm not an astrologer, so I can't actually interpret it myself. There's sites I use for generalized interpretations, but I always... find them to be pretty spot on like obviously you would need to go to astrologer if you want to like dig dig dig deep but a birth chart is basically it's like a snapshot of like where all the planets were the moment you were born so so yeah it would be helpful if you explain so the information you asked us for was our full name our birth date time of birth and place of birth correct Yeah, I didn't ask for your full names, but you sent them to me, and that's great. Sorry, we're thorough, okay? Yeah, the most crucial thing is you need your exact time of birth. Because, I mean, the planets aren't shifting like that that much, but especially for your rising sign, it tends to change about every two hours. Okay, so there's a little room to play with. There's a little room for her. The planets do be moving, though. You would be moving. Okay. Well, this is exciting. I mean, thank you for providing this service to us that normally costs money. And even though you're not a professional and you're just reading info, that will be our job to then translate all of this information to figure out a way to make it about us in a positive way. Exactly. So, you know, for the birth chart, it tells you.

the position of all 12 planets. Obviously I'm not going through that with you guys. I'm just going to do your sun rising and moon because those are the most like personal factors to like each person. Okay. So who wants to go first? Well, I, I'll take my lumps. Like let's go ahead. Yeah, actually it's better for you to go first because you and Jason actually have like a little overlapping aspect that I thought was very interesting. I mean, we are both Virgos of a similar age. So, you know, there's going to be some crossover. Sort of. You'll see. Okay. Okay. So, okay. Chris, obviously son Virgo, which is in your tent, which is in the 10th house, which is careers. So the urge to work towards a goal for success and accomplishment and or for power is part of your makeup. You value neatness and order above all else. You rigorously practice very high standards of living and conduct. You demand the same of everyone with whom you come in contact. At times you are so super critical that you are merely nitpicky. You are also greatly concerned with hygiene, cleanliness, and personal health. Shit. That is extremely accurate. Okay. Chris has been read completely. Yeah, I mean, all of that definitely checks out. And one of my biggest enjoyments in life is sort of playing off of those, knowing those things that drive Chris crazy and being the one to poke him with a stick. Okay, so also interesting, you have a square. Sorry, sorry. Let's hold on for one second. That's the planets. The planets are intervening on your ass. They're like, no, stop. Don't do this to him. Don't do this. I thought this was important to call out. Chris has a square between his son and Neptune. So in order to add a greater than ordinary dimension of experience to his life that helps him to feel special and important, he might be attracted to Neptune-ruled behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, or other escapist behaviors. Are you saying I was born into these things?

Wow. Damn. Neptune knew about the oxys the whole time. I mean, actually, though, I think that there are, I guess when I think about addiction being predisposed to it, usually people talk about it being hereditary. Yeah, genetic or whatever. But I didn't, I mean, I've never read that far into it, but that does explain. you know, some of my past behaviors. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Moving on. So you're a Scorpio rising and Scorpio ascendant. People have a lot of presence. There is something about them that tells the world that they are not to be pushed around or be a rising. People value their privacy so much. It can border on paranoia. They can be quiet, reserved and quite difficult to understand. At times you enjoy living. life at the cutting edge for you. Life must be experienced intensely and totally. You're quite courageous and are willing to take calculated risks. Damn. I've honestly, I've never felt more understood in my life. Exactly. Um, and then your moon is Leo, which makes so much sense. I like when you editorialize before giving us the facts. That's my favorite part. So you always want to be proud of yourself and will never do anything that makes yourself look bad. You need the respect and admiration of others and enjoy attracting attention to yourself. Everything you do tends to be self-emphasized and self-exaggerated. You're a very stubborn, willful, and independent yourself. Be careful of a tendency to be snobbish and uppity. It does not become you. Chrissy, I feel like you added that last part. I feel like you just added that in. Chrissy, is there a way that you can maybe come on to this show once a week to redo this segment? Because this is just so good.

I know. Until you do me. Honestly, I can't thank you enough. This is all very accurate, the good and the bad. It's kind of nice to hear. Okay, so here's where you guys overlap. So you have a sextile between your moon and Mercury. Mercury rules communication. So it says... This goes for the both of you. You can be quite expressive and animated in your speech. You pick up a lot of information from your environment. You love to chat and to exchange ideas. You might be a little addicted to gossip more probably. However, you are simply very curious about others. There's a twinkle in your eyes. I swear I did not fucking write this. But I thought it was funny to include. And you are never short on humor. Yes, you do talk and occasionally interrupt people in your excitement. But you are a curious person who does want to hear what others have to say. Jason, I'm shaking. All of that is, I mean, I think all of that is very positive and true. And I agree with all of that. I think that. I have a huge desire to just talk to strangers, hear what people have to say, and just study and observe human beings in general. And a lot of times that is confused with me being, you know, annoying or any of those things, which I like. It's more of a fun challenge. This is very spot on. So now it's Jason's turn. Yeah, let's go, let's go, go, let's go. Jason is a double Virgo. So he has Virgo sun and Virgo rising. That's good. Sure. You hit me with a sure. It just means like you're an extra Virgo. So, okay, you have Virgo in the 12th house, which is of the subconscious, which I love. Like I have so many planets.

the 12th house, which is why I'm really fucking into this stuff. Um, this is the only time we will not say fuck 12. Exactly. So you have a tendency to be introspective and need some space and seclusion in order to pull up your strength. You may avoid the spotlight. And if you do find yourself in a public role, you tend to hide your true self behind that role. Your compassion sets you apart from others. And then you have a trine between your sun and your moon. So it says you are likely personally popular, mainly because you expect harmony in your relationships. Your self-confidence and security make you easy to deal with on many levels. Your relaxed, easygoing disposition puts others at ease. You may not be prepared for conflict, and you often avoid rocking the boat. You may acquiesce to others a little too often, if only to maintain a feeling of balance and harmony, as conflict is something you not only dislike, you might fear it. Oh! TJ's big ass... Galloping away from controversy, conflict. Wait, and then one last thing. You also have a square between your son and Uranus. So your identity rides on your sense of personal freedom. It can be quite a challenge to get you to do things that you don't want to do simply because you see any attempts by others to push you in a certain direction as threatening to your sense of freedom. Wow, I can say for 100% that's facts. Oh, God. Expand on that, Chris. No, I mean, I don't need to call. I'm just saying. No, I'm being serious. I would like to hear more about that. I just think that that is, you know, that's why it's hard to pin TJ down. I'm not, I'm not. Yeah, I'm not. Yeah, I think that that's, you know, that's not uncommon nor bad. No, I don't think it's bad at all. You know, half the fun of doing this is also, you know, having a conversation about it. I mean, I find all of this to be.

stunningly accurate and it freaks me out a little bit how accurate it is but I guess that's the whole point and this is why people get so wrapped up in this stuff and like love it so much is because it's true or you know I think astrology gets a really bad rap because of daily horoscopes like I'm thinking that it's going to tell you oh you meet the love of your life today like a birth chart is actually something that It's just different. And it's so personal. To be quite honest, having my birth chart read for the first time five years ago, I think really, really helped me to fully accept who I am as a person and really even embrace some aspects of my personality that maybe I perceive as being difficult. But I'm now able to more view as... you know, like a strength in another way. Yeah. Being aware of your faults puts you so much further at an advantage, you know, emotionally with the rest of the world. For sure. And like, I just always like, I'm just one of those people, like I want to know myself and like how I view the world, how I think about things. And also for other people, I think it's really interesting. Like I always look up my friends charts. Like I always want to like, be able to understand like what makes people tick but enough about me enough about me we still have some more stuff to get through oh no i thought damn i thought we were done no i only did his son um okay so His moon and Capricorn, which is the same as me, but yours is in the fourth house, which is like home and family. So it is being useful and productive or basic needs for lunar Capricorns because they generally keep their emotions under check. Moon and Capricorn people come across as competent people. However turbulent their emotions may be under the surface, we tend to keep cool-headed and come across as steady and reliable people. This position of the moon suggests a desire for clear boundaries and realistic goals. Not much for taking risks in life. Lunar Capricorns look for safety and security in most everything they do. That's why TJ partners up with me, because I'm the safety and security. Exactly.

It's starting to make a little more sense now. Chris Black is the teat that I suckle on for to feel safe at night. Oh my god. And then, oh, you also... This is interesting. You have conjunct moon and Jupiter. So it says you are frank, honest, optimistic, and generous. You like good cooking, creature comforts. His friendships are sincere. He is smart and knows how to surround himself with the right people. He is appreciated at work, usually well-liked and comfortable. Obviously wanted to call out the cooking thing because I see your content. I see your little content. Jason, actually, I would say that final section, Chrissy, was maybe the most accurate of, of all. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think all of that's, all that's true. I mean, I don't know if he's appreciated at work because that would be kind of like up to me. Um, but, but, you know, like, I mean, yeah, I've noticed or I've found when I'm in, you know, workplace settings in my life, which hasn't been that much as I've been, you know, more of an independent contractor, but. I have found that people seem to get the vibe of like, we're not exactly sure if it's worth paying him all this money, but I do know that everyone likes him to be around, but we don't exactly know why. That's the whole approach to life, Jason. That's the whole approach to any career, really. Wow, Chrissy. Yeah. I have one more to go. You got more to go? Yeah, his brother rising. I don't want this to ever stop, by the way. This is the last bit. Let me finish it really quick. Make a meal of it. Jason is also a Virgo rising. So generally there is an intelligent and reserved aura about Virgo rising individuals that is unmistakable. One of the biggest personality traits of this position is body awareness. People with Virgo ascendance are sensitive to any discomfort or other signals their body gives them. Many are especially interested and concerned with physical health and some are attracted to mind-body awareness exercises such as yoga.

You have a crisp, no-nonsense approach to dealing with others, never lazy or self-indulgent. You tend to be dedicated to the work ethic. That's it. Well, most of that is true. Yeah. Most of that is very true. I think I've always had a fascination with the mind and body connection, and I still have a very strong one for that. But I also feel like I'm a little lazy and my work ethic could be improved. There. Maybe it'll get there. Something to work on. Yeah, the two hours that the planet shifted, maybe we got a little fuzzy in the info right there. Also, your birth time wasn't exact, right? It was an approximation. My mother delivers babies for a living, so she had all the facts ready to go. She was ready to send me the hospital address. I can tell you who won the football game that day. Exactly, exactly. Damn. First of all, thank you. Yeah, I feel like we just came on your podcast. I'm so confused. I run this show now. Exactly. The roles have been reversed. Chrissy, since you have been listening to the show for a while and even your parents, so first of all, thank you. What are your thoughts on these observations since you, even though we don't? we're not all friends in real life, but you do feel a real connection after listening to people talk in your, in your AirPod pros. For sure. For sure. I mean, I think your presence is a little bit more mysterious than Chris Black's. Mysterious. I feel like I have Chris like pretty figured out by his internet presence. Okay. Okay. Yeah. He, he's like, Jason, you don't like. You don't really divulge that much, which I guess like Chris doesn't in like a super personal way, but like obviously is a very opinionated person. Right, right, right. Well, look, one of us has to be on the front lines making mistakes. And, you know, I don't think that I just think that giving opinions is is more controversial than I ever thought it would be. You know what I mean? Like, I really did. I just I don't think that it just seems like the.

Most innocuous opinions get the biggest response, which is a very strange thing. Right. I know. I think I actually found your Twitter, like started following you after you had that viral Keanu tweet. Which I don't even know which one that was. When the pictures came out with him and his girlfriend, who was like the same age as him, but everyone was like, oh, he's dating someone's like mom. Or thought like she was his mom or something weird like that. I remember that pic. Well, people were in love with him, man. Jesus. I feel like it's subsided. He's alright. He's alright. Well, I mean, when you have those really strong opinions and you put them out there, you know, you guys are the squeakiest wheels and the liberal cancelers want to unsqueak those wheels first. And I'm hiding in the bushes. I got my sniper on. But I must say, Jason, your food content, I don't fuck with foodies. I don't care about food that much. I eat to live, not live to eat. But I think your food content was really, really good. Thank you very much. During quarantine. Yours and the designer, Rosie Asulin, if you guys know who she is, she like... Oh, I didn't know she was doing food content. Oh, shit. It's on another level. Every day, I'm just like, Rosie, how do you find the time to do this? She has like three kids. She's... cooking the most elaborate shit every day or like baking cakes every day. It's like something completely different. It's just wild. And she documents every single step. All right. It feels like the way you're talking about her and the way you're talking about my content is a little different. Well, no. I'm just, that was a joke. I know. Also just looks always really good.

Well, thank you. Well, you should send him a DM like a lot of people do and say, can I get a bite? That's a popular response. When he told me that he got responses like that all the time, I was floored. I think it's so funny to say. Is it from men or women? It's mainly from neither. It's from boys. It is from 19 to 22-year-old men who love to hit me with a let me get a bite. in the DMs. I would say for every eight bros, I would say there are two. Two women or non-binary commenters letting me know that they would like to get a bite. Chrissy, are your DMs politically charged right now? Surprisingly, no. I got a couple of trolls. that I definitely think like the famous people like Ariana Grande sort of sent my way. Um, but, um, I did a Instagram live yesterday with Lily Reinhart, who's on that show Riverdale. Oh, we're familiar. We're familiar with all, all Riverdale. This is Dale, Dale gang, Dale gang. This is, this is Dolly, Dolly gang. I've never watched it before. That's bullshit, but go ahead. We don't believe that for a second. I'm not a big TV person. I very rarely watch TV. You don't have time. Hell yeah. You don't have time because you're on Instagram for 12 hours a day. Do not mention the office. Exactly. The office, as you know, is a favorite of mine as well. I'm happy to hear that about you. I know. I couldn't believe how many people have come on this show and been office haters. It's the greatest show. It's shocking to me as well, and I would say that's an injustice. Once we tackle our crumbling world, I think The Office is next. For people who have that limited brain capacity, The Office could be the greatest show, but there are other people and other shows out there that transcend that, and hopefully you guys get there one day.

um whatever what so whatever how did it go how did it go with with lily oh my god i was having insane technical difficulties we literally had to start over like five times um but she was actually such a trooper and like every time i got kicked off like she would be dming me and being like should we reschedule like i really want to continue this conversation but like it's not worth it obviously if like people can't hear you and blah, blah, blah, but we worked it out in the end. So it was great. She was really lovely. She's been doing a bunch of Instagram lives with, you know, black creators, activists, everything. That's what a lot of, a lot of celebrities are doing now, right? They're handing their platform over. Right. Um, and, but yeah, my, once she tagged me that she was going live with me, like my DMS just exploded. With Riverdale fans, like people being like, can you ask her about Cole? Why did she break up with Cole? I'm like, can you imagine? TBH, I was also going to ask you why she broke up with Cole. But I guess that, you know, we don't need to cover that. Yeah, but the DMs are, yeah. The desperation of teen heartthrob stans is very, very real. I don't know if you know this, Chrissy, from listening to this podcast, but Jason has a relationship with superstar Zac Efron. So his DMs used to be ruined, too. I mean, I still get him a decent amount, but not as much as when I was really out in the streets with him. It's tough to be celebrity adjacent. I mean, I'm sure Jason's DMs also get blown up with requests to speak to Chris Black, right? Yeah. Chris is a celebrity. People do ask me in the DMs about Chris-related stuff. Maybe they feel like I will respond where Chris might just ignore the DM, give him a hi-hat, as it were. Also, Chris, what happened to your IG Live career? Because I saw you did a couple in the beginning, and I thought you were going to keep going. I actually quite liked it, to be honest. I think that...

What I would want to do with that though is like, I think it's more funny to have like a band play or something. I don't really, I don't know. Like, I feel like I get the conversation done with the podcast. You know what I mean? So I feel like that isn't necessary. Why don't you do like an Ask Chris Black? We've talked about that for sure. I mean, I had a bunch of ideas for their IG and it kind of got just delayed because of Corona. But yeah, I mean. Actually, one of them was going to be going to Erewhon with Jason and him picking out healthy snacks for me. All right. We can do that. We can still do that, and it's going to cost me $200, but we can still do it. I mean, why not? And also, I think with Instagram Live and any other type of appointment-based content, it's still just – it's hard because – You know, somebody who has a lot of followers who has, you know, like if like us, for example, if we have thousands of people who listen to the show and we could say whatever we want as long as we want and release it whenever we want. Right. If we were to do a live, you know, IG live together of us doing this, we would have, you know, 78 people watching it and that's it. Yeah, but then you upload it and then people can go back and watch it. True. Well, you're a master of the genre, it sounds like. So I guess if we're going to hear from anybody. But I don't – I guess I just don't – I don't know. I don't feel like it makes sense for my – for our platform. No, I get it. I'm just – But I do like it. Like I just – what do you think about the disparate – like the number disparity? Like how – people have 10 million followers and they get fucking a hundred people watching the IG live. I know. Like Lily has 24 million followers when she first gets on. It has like 60,000 viewers. I would say consistently we had about like 10k, which is still pretty strong. But like, yeah, I just think there's, I think there's just like too many things going on. Like if you are watching it on your phone, you literally cannot do anything else but watch it. And I just don't think people's attention spans work like that. Like I can't think of many lives.

that I've actually watched myself except for like a friend of mine that has a Instagram live dating show on Friday nights, which is, it's pretty fucking entertaining. So that's like the only thing I really watch. Well, they did let you, now they let you watch, they let you watch it on your computer so you could have your phone. I know, but I don't think. The connection, I mean, the connection obviously is not great on the phone. And I think it's even worse to watch it on the computer. And also the comments don't scroll up continuously. So, like, obviously, like, it depends on the situation. But if you were, like, actually going to be in the comments and whatnot. But, like, you have to, like, keep scrolling to sort of, like, keep up. You know what? It's not perfect. It's a work in progress. It's not perfect. It's not. It's no Quibi. We'll say that. Oh, God. Chrissy, since you are a listener, do you have any questions for us that you've been wanting to ask or wanting to embarrass us in front of our audience? I don't know. I don't think so. Actually, who's your favorite guest so far? That's good. That's a really good one. You can say when it's just me and Jason. That's fine. Actually, 100%. I felt like in the very beginning, I liked maybe the first two guests, but then, I don't know, then I was sort of like, I like it better when it's just the two of you. Because, I don't know, sometimes maybe it's just because I don't like the guests. I told you once that you guys had someone on that I was like, I cannot even... fair to listen to this go ahead just go ahead no come on just go ahead and release the house um i don't even remember what her name is because what who is it i don't remember i don't remember either but it's cool that you don't remember what her name is that's i know i don't you just i don't know her she she has she wrote a book um

I don't know. I'm just like, why am I blanking right now? But she's not someone I like think about. Like, I don't even fully understand like what her story is, but I know she's like sort of capitalized on like being something of like a train wreck. So, and I just, let's just leave it at that. Interesting. Wow. Well, yeah, I think maybe, I mean, I feel the same way when I listen to other podcasts where it's just the hosts. Because you're able to sort of cut through the bullshit of like, hey, well, where'd you go to school? Tell me about your life story. What was that like? Sometimes you really just want to hear a conversation between people. And if you want to learn about their origin story, then you can just look up an interview with them. But I always like podcasts where it's just like, all right, this person's on the show for a reason because they're famous-ish enough and you know them. So let's skip all that and get to the juicy shit. Right, and I think you guys just obviously have your best friends who have great chemistry and are both funny, so it just works the best. I'm glad you said that. I would like to do more podcasts like that, and I'm sure we will. Yes, and I agree. Thank you. Are you guys in this for the long run? I guess that's a question. Chrissy, you're going to be happy to know, yes, we are. I figured as much. It seems like How Long Gone Industries is hitting a little bit of a stride, and we're going to be able to do this, yes, for the long haul. Are you, like, taking it on the road, like, post-COVID? Are you getting agents? Like, what's going on? I mean, the answer to all of that is yes, of course. There's no time like the president to take this shit to Hollywood. Where you belong? Where I belong. No, I mean, I think that we, yeah, I mean, I think we definitely want to take it as far as we can. We will be able to grow as far as two cis white males will be able to grow in the future content landscape. Right. Which is not very far, but that's okay. I mean, even though we are voices that a lot of people don't want to hear from right now.

I like to think that we're at least maybe setting an example of, of conversation, you know, how, how modern conversation could happen and maybe somebody can learn something from that. Well, I did tell Chris, I was like, it's been nice to see you guys getting some more black people on this very white podcast. Like you need some flavor up in here. Yeah. Well, I feel like that has some negative connotations of our flavor level. But I still agree with you. It is pretty flavorless on this side. And specifically black women, because you guys hadn't had a black woman on the show until Gabriella. She was a real hit. I mean, she's truly one of the best. Yeah, she's great. Well, you know, that is true. And it's something that, you know, everyone, including us. is doing a part to be better at. Well, if you have any suggestions, obviously, please send them our way. Sure, I'll also send you my consulting fee. Oh, wow, damn, damn. And that's how it should be done. That's how it should be done. I was trying to make you money. Do we need to Venmo you if we want you to send us our birth charts as a PDF or something like that? Because I need to share it with the people in my life. You already did it. So it's like, I mean, you know. I definitely can send you guys the full, full thing because you should read it. if you want to be spooked out even further, you should definitely get the pattern app, which is like a birth chart app, but it takes all the astrology out of it and just frames everything as like your patterns. That shit will read you to filth for sure. I've heard about that. That app is very popular though, right? It's like a hit. Yeah. They literally should pay me because I talk about it all the time. Oh, maybe.

Maybe we'll set that up. I'm glad that you came on this podcast just to try to earn money. I see how this is going now. If it's not going to be us, somebody's going to pay you. I need money now. But it's all welcome. You can Venmo me at Chrissy Ford. Wonderful. That's what the kids do these days on TikTok. They're literally telling... people to pay them on Venmo. Also, I have had random white people Venmo me money over the last couple weeks. You as well. Which has been kind of awesome. I'm not going to lie. What have you been buying? A random, random person sent me like 15 bucks. I've gotten like 10, 20. And then a friend of mine in Cali like sent me 50 bucks last week. I literally have no expenses right now, but thanks. How does it make you feel though? Do you just think it's kind of funny? I do think it's funny. I do think it's thoughtful. I do believe in reparations. Obviously, it should be coming from the government, but... You know, when you consider the head start that a lot of white people have had and the privilege they have in this country. You know? Yeah. It's true. I'll take your money. Yeah, I mean, that's a scenario that I don't know if anyone ever predicted that, you know, a lot of things that you would assume would be handled by the government are being handled by, you know, people taking it into their own hands, including. you know, literal reparations for slavery is not something that I don't think anyone predicted, you know, to be a crowdsourced by just people out in the world. Yeah, completely. Um, but you know, I mean, my roots are in the Caribbean. They're not here, but I still appreciate anything just the same. Sure. Well, keep everyone keep, keep sending Chrissy those Venmos.

Let's get them more and more like the 50 and less like the 15. Dig deep. If you enjoyed this podcast, thank you for spending on me at... Chrissy, it was a pleasure. Overdue. And if you could let people know where to find you and all of your important content, that would be good. At Chrissy Ford. Literally on every platform. I'd like to keep it consistent. I'm jealous of that. You know, I really am. Thank you. Thank you for joining us. Of course. We'll talk to you soon. Yes. Bye, guys. Bye.