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Louis Virtel is joined by Nina Parker to discuss new albums by Raye and Robyn. They also share their thoughts on Nick Cannon’s comments on Trump and the Democratic Party followed by the latest episodes of The Pitt, The Comeback and America’s Culinary Cup.

Louis Virtel [AD].

 

Louis Virtel And we’re back with an all-new episode of Keep It. I’m Louis Virtel. We’re done with the Oscars. Summer can now begin, just as I requested. There will be no other seasons. And here’s the star of the season, back again, Nina Parker. Thank you for joining us again.

 

Nina Parker Oh my gosh, it’s a pleasure!

 

Louis Virtel I first of all, this is the first time I ran into Nina in the lobby walking in here and we it was like the Wizard of Oz Like she saw me and I instantly became her scarecrow. I was like, I’m here I’m here.

 

Nina Parker You had a little skip and a jump and I’m off. I left it. A little Nipsey Russell. And then I feel like I joined you and we did join hands and just kind of like go down the yellow brick road together. Yes, and we landed here.

 

Louis Virtel If this is the Emerald City, actually, you know what? We’ll call it that.

 

Nina Parker Green walls in here.

 

Louis Virtel The Emerald Teal is shitty.

 

Nina Parker We got Oz. We got people behind the cart.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Now, speaking of people behind the curtain, we’re going to start today with a depressing note which is you now have to speak to me about what Nick Cannon is doing.

 

Nina Parker Can I say something? I don’t care if people, I hate this man. Okay. Hate. What did it begin? It began, well, I’ll say this. I’ve done interviews with him. Like I did a set visit on the show he did before. He was never kind. Like, you know, very like just dismissive and kind of rude. And maybe it was just the work. I’ve never been a fan.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Nina Parker When I was younger and he was like on, it was a Nickelodeon and you know, sure. I was like a fan of his. He would wild it out in front of all of us. Yeah, exactly. Like, sure, but like when I became an adult and started working in the industry, my interactions with him have never been pleasant. He probably doesn’t even remember, but it was never pleasant. It was just like very dismissive, but whatever. Sometimes it’s like that in the workplace. I don’t care. I don’t care.

 

Louis Virtel We can go through a list of all the people who are routinely bad and kind of mean interviews, by the way. Because everybody at places like that know it’s like we don’t have to speak to Tommy Lee Jones. We have to deal with Tommy Lee Jones where we don’t have to

 

Nina Parker Exactly. It’s kind of that energy, but that actually doesn’t make me dislike someone because I’m like, sometimes when you’re in work mode, you’re kind of, you may not be the kindest to people because you’re, you know, youre focused on whatever. So I get it. But, but his, his, it’s not even his lifestyle choices because I’m, like, whatever you want to have 1 million children and like, is it the best decision? Probably not, but it’s still your business. But he’s just, I just think he’s so immature. He has major platforms. And this is, I think he does not take his responsibility serious. And I just think he’s a clown. Like I think. He’s a full clown. He’s just a clown ass son of a bitch.

 

Louis Virtel You think he’s a clown.

 

Nina Parker I can’t, I’m so sorry. And I rarely talk about people like this because I really try to give a lot of grace for being public in front facing. But get the fuck out of here. Like this whole thing with Amber Rose that he’s doing and he’s, you know, and then I don’t, I don’t even believe this man. Take us through this, by the way. So Nick Cannon, by they way, has like 100 podcasts and YouTube shows. But one of the ones that was spotlighted over the weekend was Big Drive, which he really has just ripped off the idea of like, let’s just ride around with a janky ass camera and interview. Pseudo celebrities like Amber Rose, who was on the show.

 

Louis Virtel It’s journalism to me. Yeah. Ambrose on it as a guest, so you already lost. I gotta say, I’m confused already. I’m not gonna be learning. I’m sorry.

 

Nina Parker I just, I just can’t like, are we actually using technology to fuel this? Like, are you really like using dollars to do something like this? Like this, this could have been an email. So, you know, he has Amber Rose on the, you know, there she’s clearly has changed to MAGA. She says she’s a former liberal. Now she’s MAGA, who gives a shit? Like, go ahead girl, with your tattoo on your forehead. You want to be MAGA? They’ve already traded her in for Nicki Minaj. Like they don’t give a shit about her. She got this invited. I feel like Right with us, you know black folks we invite you to the barbecue. I don’t know what they invite you to. What do they invite? You to a clan rally? I don’t

 

Louis Virtel I’m gonna say an unfinished ballroom. Sorry, I’m pretending like I don’t make jokes about this thing, this is literally my job. Sorry, this Kimmel shit right here.

 

Nina Parker Whatever. So, you know, she gets and she spouts her, whatever, her foolishness that she does. Honestly, I don’t even listen to Amber Rose. It’s literally is like the teacher from Charlie Brown that goes, yeah. And so there becomes a conversation, obviously, that they start talking about conservatism and Trump. And he’s just like, Trump’s good with me, you know, because the Democrats, the same age old, like notions that people say when you know that they’re not educated about a subject, you know, the Democrats are the party of the KKK.

 

Louis Virtel They’re bright, you know, and it’s just, yeah. Why do you need to bring that up? Like, what are you proving? You don’t, you don’t actually know. You’re not expressing any actual knowledge here. And this is also, this isn’t you thinking for yourself. Someone told this to you and you’re just relaying it.

 

Nina Parker He saw it on Facebook.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker You know, on a post with both forms.

 

Louis Virtel This is a drum line, if you will.

 

Nina Parker Totally!

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Nina Parker I think people who see posts with bold fonts think it’s authoritative, so they repeat it. They have no idea. This is just Time’s New Roman. Time’s new Roman bold got y’all in the choke hold.

 

Louis Virtel There’s a little bit of health added to that, that’s the spice.

 

Nina Parker And he says, you know, we both have conservative views. And you know nothing says conservative views like 12 children and six baby mamas.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, okay. Sure, sure. Yes. Yours, mine, and ours. Yours, mine, and ours.

 

Nina Parker Yes. So, you know, he goes on and he just repeats this rhetoric and it’s, you know, it’s been everywhere and it has been picked up. And you know I just, especially with, it is like there is nothing that you should know that, like, I just can’t imagine what thoughts he has in his head that makes him say the things that he says. And maybe he believes it, but then he goes and back tracks and says, but I don’t really believe in none of this, I am not really for each party, I don t believe this man has voted. No.

 

Louis Virtel No, it’s not feeling informed. At the same time though, I am through being shocked with people drumming points like this home because it is ultimately for a kind of attention that it’s just not worth paying them. You don’t know what you’re talking about. And also it’s like people at the end of the day, it’s can you just take one cohesive statement Trump has ever made and stand behind it? Because I’m sorry, again, Jimmy Kimmel, we watch his speeches every day. Sure. If you just take any five words, it doesn’t make any sense. So stop pretending you’re defending a platform at all.

 

Nina Parker This is a man yelling at clouds outside.

 

Louis Virtel Right, yes.

 

Nina Parker You know like and then you’re out here repeating it But the problem is it’s like this is not some guy who just has a podcast that he throws on youtube This is a person who is on major networks who is hosting major shows family shows shows that people Enjoy to watch and you’re saying this stuff and I just think it’s whether it’s his view or not Which I don’t think he has a view. I think it depends on who his guest is I think he waivers but like if he had You know, Dr. Umar next to him, he wouldn’t even be talking about this. You know what I mean? Like, it just depends on, you know, waivers with who’s in front of his.

 

Louis Virtel I do not mean to compare these two people in any way. It kind of reminds me of when Arsenio Hall used to interview people. He just wants to hang. And it’s not really about, I’m gonna introduce my viewpoint to you. He’s like, yeah, yeah. I understand where you’re coming from. Right.

 

Nina Parker With Arsenio, we’re having, it’s a nighttime show and it’s conversation, right? So it’s not. So it’s not…

 

Louis Virtel And we’ll probably get to a laugh.

 

Nina Parker Yes, it will for sure be laughter inside, right? But then like, I just, you know, every time there are some people where I’m just, I can ignore them for whatever reason, when I see Nick Cannon, it’s like a horror film when the hair stands up on your, you’re, you know, and you’re like the killers in the room. Like, that’s how I feel. I just it’s, I get viscerally like not even angry, just more like, why is this person here?

 

Louis Virtel And I want to say, by the way, that A Pardon Me wants to defend him because he does technically have a child named after Marilyn Monroe.

 

Nina Parker You know what I’m saying? Well, that’s the babies with Mariah. Right, Mariah and Monroe. Right, Meraka and Monroe.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yes, yes, right. And it’s named more technically about the piano she had that belonged to Marilyn Monroe that she’s obsessed with. And she’s always so proud of that. And I’m like, but she doesn’t really play piano.

 

Nina Parker SO THE BABY’S NAMED AFTER P.M.A?

 

Louis Virtel Stop, I do not know that. It’s named after motifs in the house she had. There was a Moroccan motif and then she had in the room. Stop it. Mariah is.

 

Nina Parker Unbeatable, unbeatable. She named her babies after an esthetic.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Nina Parker Okay, because you know, I like a modern Spanish home. Please. So now I got to name my baby Smosh.

 

Louis Virtel No, you think I won’t name a kid beige mid-century and move it to Palm Springs immediately?

 

Nina Parker Immediately. I actually love that. And I also love that Mariah is like, please don’t ask me nothing about this man. Like I love she has completely even the babies are like, Oh,.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Nina Parker You know somebody knows the fuck with you when they sigh before they talk about you? Yeah. Oh.

 

Louis Virtel Right, but also she is sort of a living side. Like most topics will elicit this from her, but I think this is an especially deep one.

 

Nina Parker That is true. And I mean, listen, I know that talking about it gives him even more promotion, but we had to talk about it because what are you doing, sir?

 

Louis Virtel But also you’re right to call it out because I feel like he’s someone where there’s kind of so much of him everywhere that it can kind of go under the radar. Like you just expect it. So it’s like, when I get to my keep it today, there’s somebody, I’m talking about somebody who’s constantly happening in a non-problematic way. And I’m finally now going to call out something about them. So this is a preview. I love that.

 

Nina Parker I love that. Okay. Okay, great. I love that. You know, and I think there are people who we know are just like professional trolls, but also I kind of hate trolling as a personality.

 

Louis Virtel Well, also, didn’t we do that in, like, 2018? Yeah. I’ve been trolled. Sure. I’m under the bridge with you.

 

Nina Parker It’s like, you know, you’re not getting enough attention. So you got to do something to get people to engage because your personality just isn’t enough. Like just regular old you, people don’t really give a shit about, right? So now I got to troll to get people to say something about me and show something about me and have some type of interest. Like trolling for a personality to me is just so overdone.

 

Louis Virtel And it kind of works for some people. Yeah, it does. Candice Owens is like…

 

Nina Parker Them. Sure.

 

Louis Virtel You know?

 

Nina Parker Yeah, I mean they’re grifters, you know, and Nick is a grifter, but I don’t know what kind of grifter he is

 

Louis Virtel And not like the grifters with Angelica Houston, a fine movie.

 

Nina Parker I love that you call it bad.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, please. If anytime we can go to 1990, I will go there. I brought up Arsenio earlier.

 

Nina Parker And I’ll do it again. You know, and I feel like, you know, Arsenio is going to be like, why did I catch a stray?

 

Louis Virtel He’s a lovely man.

 

Nina Parker Arsenio, like, what’d I do?

 

Louis Virtel Have you ever interviewed him, by the way?

 

Nina Parker Um, have I?

 

Louis Virtel At the drop of a hat, he’ll be like, did you know Luther Vandross was gay? I was like, yeah.

 

Nina Parker No he did not.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Nina Parker Really?

 

Louis Virtel Kind of before like we’ve had the recent not revelations about Luther Vandross, but like

 

Nina Parker You know, I mean, he’s just telling you the best. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel He literally met me a gay guy and was like, did you know he was gay?

 

Nina Parker He’s like, what can I talk to him about? Here’s my chance. Was that his version of, I have a black friend? I think so, yes. I love that people try to relate to you when they see, they see something that they’re like, what can, I, I went to Gap and got a shirt like that. It’s like just say hello. Just say hello and get your ass out of here. Oh my gosh.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, well, I’m so sorry you had to go through that with Nick Cannon, but it feels like it was actually cathartic.

 

Nina Parker It was, and now I’ve muted all his, you know, I’ve muted Cannon, I muted the word Nick. So if your name is Nick, I won’t ever see anything you post.

 

Louis Virtel All warfare, weapons, crossbow, don’t even start me. That’s right. Casualties would be inevitable, that’s right, and now you don’t know anything about the world. That’s Right. Okay, we are just chatting today, lots going on. First of all, in this post-Oscars world, let’s get back to television. We’ll just talk about what we’re watching, what we care about, et cetera. And then also, two different albums are out this week that I think have something in common. We have the new album from Robyn. Her first album in eight years. I just want to say, a flex to have a new album in that amount of time and it’s 29 minutes.

 

Nina Parker Mm-hmm.

 

Louis Virtel She’s like, I only had time for one episode of Wheel of Fortune.

 

Nina Parker Let me tell you about a woman going through perimenopause. Yeah. She gonna come in and she gonna get in and get out. She gonna get it and get it out because the temperament is gonna change. Right. You know, that was under an hour and as a woman who’s also going through perimenopsia, I was like, perfect, bitch. No. This is great.

 

Louis Virtel No, she’s like, I’m ready to dance, but then I will be in bed by 9.30.

 

Nina Parker This is a we are in bed by 10 o’clock.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, right.

 

Nina Parker With an edible and a glass of wine, babes. Yeah. I was like, Robyn, set the stage.

 

Louis Virtel So we’ve got her to talk about. We’ve got the fabulous Raye to discuss who has a new album, who I guess, by the way, at this point is now kind of one of our definitive album artists. She always, it’s a complete package when you put out an album with Raye. I was so impressed with this album. Do you know the meme I’m talking about where a woman is asked who her favorite artist is between two people and she keeps choosing the new one. And she finally goes, Raye, definitely Raye after saying Mariah and these other people. No, I have not seen this. I am haunted by this meme. This woman seems lovely and yet I am so distressed by it spiritually. I don’t even want to discuss it with you, but speaking of catharsis, this is what I need.

 

Nina Parker Yes, get it out.

 

Louis Virtel So we’ll get into all that on this episode of Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel [AD] .

 

Louis Virtel Well, we spun the new music wheel and landed on R this week. So now we turn to new albums from Raye and Robyn. This is Raye’s second album, titled This Music May Contain Hope. The album is better than that title sounds. Anyway, and Robyn’s Sexistential is her ninth and comes to us a full 31 years since her debut in 1995. Let’s kick it off with Sexistancial. First of all, what is your Robyn quotient period? Do you like her as an artist?

 

Nina Parker I mean, I’m not a fan, but I don’t dislike her. I just, I’ve not, I am generally not like a pop, rocky, like electro, like that’s just not really my vibe. I feel like it makes me way too anxious. But I like her, like I like, I like anybody who has longevity and who finds their people. And I love how people love on her. So it’s not that I wouldn’t turn her music off, but it’s probably like the first album that I would download. That being said, I think I might be a fan now because I feel She has hit me like I’m now her audience because she talked my IVF and yeah, wait a minute now We talk about the only problem I have with this she says like In sex essential. She says fuck a plan b now. Wait a minute Now, wait, a minute Robyn plan b is plan a for some of us Like wait, why we what would you mean? Like a plan B girl like wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves

 

Louis Virtel I want to say, by the way, on this album, she is so, the lyrics are so explicit about like, I’m in middle age, and, but I’m dancing through it, basically. It’s a kind of Zvadoviev album. I would say this is, this album is sort of a twisted ribbon of color and dance music.

 

Nina Parker First of all, I think we’ve talked about this, I love how short it is.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. It’s a short album. Also, by the way, having a short album says I’m confident in it.

 

Nina Parker Yes!

 

Louis Virtel You know?

 

Nina Parker She came in and she delivered and she went home and she to bed.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, right, which I’m deeply thankful for. I like it better than her last album, Honey, but Body Talk still remains her magnum opus. And I have to say, the thing about Robyn that is awesome is nobody else has had this career. This woman who is doing like teen pop music with Max Martin once upon a time, and by the way, those two singles are still absolute bangers, Show Me Love, not the Show Me Luv by Robyn S, Show Me Loved by Robyn, and Do You Know What It Takes? Great song, another Max Martin banger. And then she re-emerged all these years later. And by the way, did not have to. I think she had to like push to make this happen. But of course the millennial biblical entry, call your girlfriend. And of course, the millennia biblical entry dancing on my own, which I have historically voiced my one problem with, which is the character in the song is a loser. She’s watching people make out and she’s saying, why aren’t you making out with me? And the answer is you’re a creep. Right. Okay. It’s a little creepy. Yeah. Yeah. That said, If her music didn’t exist, she doesn’t sound like any of the people I would instinctively compare her to. Now, Jessie Ware is sort of making this like alt-y disco. Once upon a time, she’s kind of compared to Kylie Minogue. She doesn’t even sound like that to me. I call her Indie Lauper.

 

Nina Parker You know what that’s actually perfect yeah if I think that is if someone had never listened her before you said that that would that would real me

 

Louis Virtel Right, and it has that instant character to it too. Like you hear her sing and you feel like you know her, which is I think, you know, there are only a few people that really have that. Like Rihanna is one of them. When Rihana sings a lyric, it’s like, this could be nobody else. And I know exactly the sentiment with which you’re delivering it and the irony or the sauciness with which.

 

Nina Parker But ask someone who’s listened to her before, did you feel like this was still on brand for her? Totally.

 

Louis Virtel If anything, my problem is it’s not a surprise. I knew she was already capable of this, but I love all the songs.

 

Nina Parker It was consistent for you. And I did like, I felt like this was all a groove. Like it was, it was a full story. Like it didn’t feel like, Oh, I only like one or two. Like it. It was all about.

 

Louis Virtel Right, no, the entire thing. Again, when you come up with a 29 minute album, I take that to mean you have hours of material and pared it down. I don’t think someone like her is struggling to make the material. She just wants it to be all uniform.

 

Nina Parker It also felt very grown woman to me. Like, I think there’s always a feeling of like, this is a young artist. This is an artist who’s trying to find themselves. This is a artist who doesn’t want to be in a slump. This is someone who’s taking, you know, an older artist who is trying something new. With hers, it felt very mature, but not in a stale way. But it was like, I’m a grown woman. This is what I’m doing. I’m in the house by nine. Yeah, right. Like, you, know, but I’m still trying to find some, it feels like intimate, but also very free. Which I feel like women, who around a certain age start to just, there’s a freedom in the way that we deliver messages, the way we talk to people and the way you don’t give a fuck. But in a way that’s collective and fun. And I feel like that I felt that with her in this hour.

 

Louis Virtel No, it still feels adventurous, but also it’s like, I do feel like when artists get older, there’s this tendency to want to seem cooler above the fray. But in this album, she also, she basically had in the title song, Sexistential, this woman is basically rapping and says, Adam Driver gave me a boner. I mean, it’s, I would not call it cool. I hate using the word cringe, but it’s she embraces a level of, I’m just gonna say it. And I’ve had three wines, you know, kind of vibe. In addition to that kind of fluttery, synthy effervescence we expect from her. So I like that it’s never just one thing.

 

Nina Parker It was a little diary, I felt like. Like a little bit of like, let me show you what I’m dealing with. I had this baby by myself. Like, you know, I got to, listen, I’m gonna do this album, but I gotta rock this baby to sleep. So excuse me for a second.

 

Louis Virtel No, by the way, speaking of diary though, that kind of takes us into the Raye album. Now I have to say, nobody is just writing down what happened to me, like this woman. It reminds me of Doechii a little bit. A little bit.

 

Nina Parker I thought that you, I literally thought that when I was listening to this, it was a little infusion of a few artists, but like, for sure there was like, I was like I just feel like a little Doechii.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Yeah, but different. But listening to Raye’s album, I hate the feeling of another continent is further ahead on an artist than I am. Like, it just feels like people got like years of history lessons on this woman, even though she’s like not even 30 years old, I believe. Right, right. But a very talented artist and also consummately a throwback artist. Yes. Raye is constantly giving you like old school kind of scat jazzy vocals. Yes. Blending a bunch of style. If I had to compare it to anything, it’s a little bit like Christina Aguilera’s Ain’t No Other Man phase, which I actually found extremely annoying.

 

Nina Parker But you have found that annoying for rest.

 

Louis Virtel No, for Christina Aguilera. For Christina, okay. That said, my problem with this Raye album, as experimental as it is, I kind of thought it kept telling you it was experimental. Like it was like the big bandiness. Very big band. Like it’s like she put all these styles in a blender, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Yeah. Like I’m hearing the style sometimes before I’m hear the content. And if you listen to her last album, like she has a song called Ice Cream Man. Which is a very harrowing song. It’s about a rape and I mean, it’s taking you like step by step through this horrible story, basically. But the musical inventiveness of that seemed to spring from the subject matter of the song. It came about organically, whereas I felt like I was just listening to a collision of old styles here. Like, oh, Ella Fitzgerald fell in with, you know, whatever, Kruner, Frank Sinatra fell in with six versions of jazz. That said, I also think it’s an album that has so much lyrical content in it. It’s hard to just embrace wholeheartedly on listen one. I feel like you need to be 15 listens in before you get it all.

 

Nina Parker And I, you know, I’ve told you this before. My music taste is, is poor. Like I, it’s poor. Like it is where I’m the laziest in pop culture. It’s like, I, I’m like, I’m not into music like that. Like if you want a good music take, please don’t come to me because I’m very simple with mine because I don’t have a lot of expectations and I just really go off of how it makes me feel. Like it’s really a very raw response and then it’s how it make me feel if it’s nostalgic. That being said, I was a huge fan of this album. I literally was listening- By the way, it’s like-

 

Louis Virtel By the way, it’s like Critical Smash. It has like a 90 on Metacritic. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker Yes, I was listening and I said, you know, maybe I should start listening to new things because I thought it was so incredible. And I did, I am of the feeling that, especially with like R&B, which this isn’t an R& B album, but there are, there’s a little bit of everything in this. And you know it’s very jazzy and big band, as you said, but when I was listening, I thought, oh, this, it feels like I’m out. Like, I felt like I was outside, Like it felt like. When you go and you sit in a cafe and you listen to someone for the first time, that’s the feeling it gave me. Like, this is someone who’s really passionate about music. This is someone who’s trying new things, which I think when you love something so much, she can kind of do what you said, which is I’m throwing everything in the kitchen sink in here. And usually it’ll get kind of get vetted out by by your team and everything. And it sounds like she was like, no, we just don’t keep everything in here, but I like that, you know. And there were a few songs on the album where I was like wait, I’m really. This wait a minute girl like you’re really giving it to me so i really loved the album and i for sure believe you need a few more listens though um because i am one of those people who don’t listen to the lyrics at first i’m just like okay let me listen to this groove while i clean my house so then i’m like wait what did she just say wait what are we talking about on this oh my god i sit down

 

Louis Virtel I’m not as obsessed with lyrics generally speaking unless I’m listening to an entire album and I want to say I’m a defender of the album format Yeah, anybody who’s like delivering a full package and like this specific album. You were definitely supposed to listen to a beginning to X You know, it’s like it’s cinematic. Yeah, she’s telling a bunch of stories in a specific sequence There actually is a narrative. You’re listening to a audible original

 

Nina Parker Yes, let me put my grandpa on this album. I said, okay, girl.

 

Louis Virtel We got the family on here. Yeah, right. By the way, we also have a Hans Zimmer film scoring legend is on here and also Al Green is on. Al Green, I said, wait, she got the legends on here? And also, but Al Green is one of those names you hear and you’re like, are you 175? And it’s like, no, you’re not. You were one of those people that started out really, really young.

 

Nina Parker Wait, how-

 

Louis Virtel He’s like, he’s like 80.

 

Nina Parker Okay, he’s alive. Yes. Oh, yes. Oh, secret action. You thought of-

 

Louis Virtel You thought it was like a Nat- Natalie Cole and that kind of thing. Yes! Well I thought-

 

Nina Parker Yeah, I thought it was… I thought Al Green had passed.

 

Louis Virtel You thought she was doing like AI shit?

 

Nina Parker Well, I didn’t think it was a I thought it was like an older track that she that they say we’re getting like a sample From or I had no idea

 

Louis Virtel You thought Ray said, thank God he’s dead, bring me the vocals.

 

Nina Parker Would you know what, Al Green will welcome back!

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Nina Parker I just- I- I don’t-

 

Louis Virtel Let’s stay together. Wonderful. Yes.

 

Nina Parker A black community will be mad at me, I thought we had lost now!

 

Louis Virtel Well, he went and then became a reverend and then was sort of like, you know, back seat in the industry.

 

Nina Parker Well, I’m so happy to hear this, now I’ve got to look him up.

 

Louis Virtel Now you’re making me subconscious, let me look at you. No, no, I don’t want you to. Let me look.

 

Nina Parker You know that we have lost so many legends to still have one around, I’m thrilled!

 

Louis Virtel Right right

 

Nina Parker Welcome back. I’m saying welcome. I’ve been out the loop. Yeah, he’s 79. Oh my goodness! And he’s a little younger than I f-

 

Louis Virtel I thought that’s what I mean. It makes no sense

 

Nina Parker Yeah, he’s been around forever! Right. Well, good for him!

 

Louis Virtel Precisely, I feel the same way.

 

Nina Parker But a triumph for your morning. Cause I really was like, oh, this is an old song. Cause you know, I don’t know. So I was like oh, this is a old song from Al. Yeah. Well, great. We need more from him. I know he’s, you know past and now, but.

 

Louis Virtel Like, give us a little jingle. Yeah, right. I think he sounds great on it. I also want to say, I feel bad in a way, like the confessional nature of this album, I feel like you have no choice but to think of the Lily Allen album and how it’s like straightforwardly telling you like dark things. But at the same time, I think it’s just a testament to the power of both albums. You know, it’s, like, I’m grateful for the candor. I’m thankful that someone is, like not having to couch everything in metaphor, you know.

 

Nina Parker Yes, and I and I really just love it I do I do feel like it feels original and it feels fun and I think you can tell people who are kind of like I’m gonna do this because I want to be famous and I’m going to just make these you know I’m kind of just go with the flow and someone who you can Tell is just this is really in their bones and and she can sing Yes, this is someone who can really like you can come in here right now and do it without any music or or instruments, and you’re gonna sound incredible. And so I really, listen, I appreciate the raw talent.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, no, and by the way, again, with the merging of all these styles and the way she sings, I mean, it’s fair to call this like a singing decathlon. She’s got like 50 different styles, et cetera.

 

Nina Parker I mean, she’s saying us credits on the way out!

 

Louis Virtel No, to which I say, stop, why are we doing this? I said-

 

Nina Parker I said now I had to pause. Yeah, I said girl. We’re done. I have to go to work I was like girl now we sing and you should tell she’s singing to her producer And to my pretty I was a girl. Okay, you know you can yes like we don’t need this is what the this is why? I miss CDs because they had the little thank you remember everybody Remember people used to-

 

Louis Virtel No, your lift to God’s ears, my absolute favorite thing, because you’d go, oh, I’m the, whatever, the TLC fan mail. Yeah, well TLC, that’s the- And they had all the fans in it. That’s the topic today. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker Oh, it is.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Chill you.

 

Nina Parker Chilly, are you okay? What is happening? Rosanda, you know you got a tour, girl. You got a tour girl.

 

Louis Virtel Still gorgeous. Yeah, for now. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker Wait, what is up with her now? She, so basically it came out that she was MAGA. She has denied it. She has said it’s not true. But you know, Twitter found the receipts and they found her liking all these pro-Trump posts.

 

Louis Virtel That’s how we find you, Chilly.

 

Nina Parker That they found all the pro-Trump Charlie Kirk posts, and then she reposted, which she said she did it, but she didn’t mean to, that she was uninformed. She repost it.

 

Louis Virtel Nicole Scherzinger already used that excuse.

 

Nina Parker About Michelle Obama, basically there was a really horrible post about Michelle Obama really being a man. Oh right, those people drummed that shit? Right, and she reposted that. Reposted it? Yeah, she repостed it on her Instagram page and then later said, oh I didn’t realize this was misinformation. Like you didn’t realize this was misinformation girl?

 

Louis Virtel You thought it was information, right? Yeah

 

Nina Parker And then she also came out, they found more.

 

Louis Virtel By the way it feels like people did like two extra clicks

 

Nina Parker Oh, they were they came. Listen, they didn’t cover.

 

Louis Virtel She didn’t cover her tracks.

 

Nina Parker Her tracks were visible for Bigfoot.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker And now that found out that she also donated to the Trump campaign several times. And she said that she thought it was… I’m sorry. I feel bad. This is horrible. It’s horrible. Oh, I think I found… I thought I was just donating to families. Girl, shut your ass up. No, you didn’t. I respect the people who just own it, who are just unapologetic about it, because then I just know I… This is just not someone I want to support, but I feel like she didn’t realize she’s very Gen X with her paper trail.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right, right. No, did you ever see the movie Tar with Cate Blanchett? No. And she doesn’t understand that if you delete the email, that doesn’t mean the other person doesn’t have the email.

 

Nina Parker HA HA!

 

Louis Virtel It’s like, well, we caught you.

 

Nina Parker Like oh girl like the worst paper trail in life so she was she did a statement and she she you know she was like please bear with me i’ve never had to deal with conscious because she really has aside from dating usher yeah it’s been pretty controversy free no and we don’t

 

Louis Virtel No, and we don’t really know that much about her

 

Nina Parker We don’t. She keeps a private life. We know she has a kid.

 

Louis Virtel And in fact, she wasn’t in the original TLC. She was added later. Chilly used to stand for something else. What? No, she was in the origin. I mean, she, she in like their first album. Oh yeah, yeah. Like the original person was somebody else. Oh, okay.

 

Nina Parker Oh, okay. Got you. So yeah, it was, and it’s, this is what I have to say, whatever her views are, it’s so hard as, you know, some, when you, when your an eighties baby and a nineties kid, like you, we didn’t get our idols ruined for us because there wasn’t social media. So we’re, we like, I feel like the kids now, like they like somebody and in a year, everything’s exposed. So you don’t have to worry about like getting disappointed later. Kind of happens quick, but we’ve loved these people for decades.

 

Louis Virtel They feel like family members in a way, you know?

 

Nina Parker Yes, and you and I have talked about how like instrumental TLC’s albums has been like it’s it’s in the soundtrack of my life Yeah, right, and I’ve I love them. So to hear her just She’s kind of has a head full of rock

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, you know, this is somebody who once told us who we shouldn’t have in the passenger side of our best friends, right?

 

Nina Parker Yes, and I’ve been listening to you this whole time. And now it’s you, Chilly. And I’m like, Ch-Chilly, you’re the scrub. Yes. You’ve been, see, this has been projecting the whole time Yeah, no. This has just been projection.

 

Louis Virtel Where is Tion? Can she come back to us?

 

Nina Parker And then Teyon’s on Facebook posting AI images of herself at parties.

 

Louis Virtel I have to actually leave. I’m sorry, the podcast is over.

 

Nina Parker I said this could not be more Gen X than reposting AI images. I don’t know what the hell is going on. I will tell you what, I won’t be at that tour though. Oh please. Oh no, I’m not going now.

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean with their two dance moves. I’m sorry, somebody has to say it. One time at the 99 VMAs, they performed No Scrubs and Prince introduced them and he was clearly excited to do it. He was wearing his like kind of cyan blue outfit. He came in, came out, he’s one foot seven. And he said TLC, like they were about to bring it and they did their swaying and it wasn’t it. It didn’t feel, you know. I’ve never been brave enough to say this until now knowing that they’re doing this shit. Yeah, and you know-

 

Nina Parker Yeah, and you know, it’s just disappointing because there’s other people on the tour. Oh, right. They do like kind of like the boy bands and stuff. And so now it’s affecting everybody’s pockets and they are not letting up on her because she’s so beloved. Like people are being extra hard on her. And listen, and this is what we’ve talked about with Nick Cannon, like especially in the black community, like we hold you dear, we hold to a standard and if you break people’s hearts, they gonna go off about it. And can I say one more thing? This has nothing to do with chili. This has anything to do this, but I’ve been waiting to say something for a while and I haven’t out of respect. Now, you know, Tion, T-Boss, you gotta let the sideburns go. Girl, it was an iconic haircut in the 90s. Everybody had one, I got one because of her. You don’t need these long sides anymore. I’m tired of it. She has it in some capacity for the last 30 years.

 

Louis Virtel Do you think she thinks if she doesn’t have that she won’t be recognized? Yes, I do. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker You know there are some people who keep things forever like because they they just hold on to it because it’s recognizable Madonna so

 

Louis Virtel Oh, Madonna’s still wearing a cross around her neck. It’s like, oh, did you grow up Catholic? You never mentioned that.

 

Nina Parker Let the sideburn, girl, and you know, and I have these little curly tendrils on the side today. Yeah. You know, in honor of T-Fox.

 

Louis Virtel You’re still doing a tribute while you’re railing against her.

 

Nina Parker I’m doing an interview because I want us both to say goodbye.

 

Louis Virtel To it, anyway, she’s catching a stray. Left Eye, by the way, was doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of cool quotability in that group. And now- And she would even call them out.

 

Nina Parker Like, you know, she would say that to them, they’re being boring. We need to try new things. Like she really kept them on their toes. She wouldn’t have stood for any of it.

 

Louis Virtel No, I’m now thinking of Unpretty and how I used to vibe with that song and I’m feeling so down.

 

Nina Parker I’m just like it’s and I’m very much a person like if I if you say something offensive, I won’t listen to your music anymore Yeah, so right now i’m not listening to anything. Everybody’s crazy

 

Louis Virtel It’s just safer that way. I’m just driving in silence. Yeah. Nothing wrong with that. Eyes on the road.

 

Nina Parker Right!

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God, that is so rough. It is chilly. Also, by the way, as you said, I’m also used to being disappointed more by like, boomery type. Yes. Really, they get real. I’m like, this isn’t my culture, but like, Eric Clapton said some bullshit. Oh, you don’t say. Sure, right. You know what I mean? Whereas like, if you grew up in the MTV era, like we’re pretty jaded people. Yeah. We grew up seeing everything. Yeah. So what the fuck is this?

 

Nina Parker And she’s always been like the, you know, the cool, like the cool girl and, you know, really someone that people just felt like, oh, she’s so, she very

 

Louis Virtel Cool.

 

Nina Parker You know, she’s cool and she’s relaxed and she, you know, chill and a little too chill, chilly.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my god.

 

Nina Parker Disappointing.

 

Louis Virtel No, I hate to say it. I feel the same way. But it’s also what you realize you didn’t know the person, right? You know,

 

Nina Parker And that’s the thing is like, we don’t really know these people, you know, and now I think there’s, there is a shift and I think this is why celebrity culture has shifted so much work. You know, people are now saying this is the anti celebrity era and it’s because we’re too exposed to these people. They used to be able to keep like an air of mystery and really the air of mystery was protection because a lot of these people aren’t smart.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, no, I always say, I probably even said this to you before, I do think in general, celebrities have to be smarter given how many interviews they have to do now, which is totally different than once upon a time. I would say, my example is, if you made Laurence Olivier walk through like Comic-Con and do 500 interviews, he might say something fucking stupid.

 

Nina Parker A thousand percent you know and you know that’s why back in the day there were like blind items and there were things because it was like there was nobody was catching it right people really you know genuinely had loyalty these people but now we’re in such a gotcha era that like as soon as you misstep people people are going to gravitate to that

 

Louis Virtel I also think, by the way, that when a celebrity sounds crazy, we’re so used to being exposed to like, oh, my cousin said something crazy, my mom on Facebook said something like crazy. You just sound like people we know who are crazy, so there’s no mystique to you anymore.

 

Nina Parker There’s no mistake and then I’ve been consistently disappointed by my Gen X celebs in general because I just tend to avoid their stand-up I’m just worried like it it it teeters It’s very like still that like, you know The shows that you can’t rewatch anymore from the 90s because it’s just so like it’s so offensive Like a lot of those people, you don’t usher has been incredibly disappointing these last few weeks, right? Gen X people are kind of horrible

 

Louis Virtel I want to, this person co-hosted Keep It not too long ago, but a Gen X icon who is constantly awesome and fabulous and funny. And actually at this point now, underrated in terms of how, like on topic, on point, her humor is Margaret Cho. Margaret Cho gets it, gets it gets it. When somebody is even slightly stupid or like a politician is horrible, she is right on it with a raunchy ass joke and it is fucking hilarious.

 

Nina Parker I love it, which is, is rare right now, like, you know, so to be on it and to get it is rare because I just realized there are so many people who just don’t evolve. Like it’s okay to evolve out of a thought or, you know, we, we all evolve and can say like, oh gosh, like I just, I was off the mark. But a lot of these people have these views and, and just say repetitive, like Nick Cannon or Escher says these repetitive cliches and they’re like these pseudo intellectuals that anybody could see through if you have eyeballs.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, by the way, you just put your finger on something that I think is crucial to this, which is that I kind of expect these lame shifts from men. You know, Jane Fonda did an interview once where she talked about, you know, she’s still so liberal after all these years, and she goes, well, the change to conservatism doesn’t really happen with women. Yeah. It’s usually the men. Yeah. You know, they become stodgier and more defensive.

 

Nina Parker And you see a lot of this peek out. And I will say, you don’t, if they are able to skate by, you know when it comes out when there’s like an election year, because then that’s how you see that these people are so uninformed. So a lot these tales are through politics, but in it’s like, okay, it’s one thing to have these political takes, but also you have an uninformed political take. And that’s the issue that I have. Like if Chile was, or Nick Cannon, if they said these things and they really knew what they were talking about, I wouldn’t agree with it, but I’d be like, all right, this is their view, and this is my decision. They put in the time. They did a little research. They disagree with me. Cool. You’re just repeating stuff you saw your auntie post on Facebook.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, right. Under a recipe. Oh, you just took me back to when Janet Jackson posted something. Oh my gosh, yes! And we are like, Janet, why don’t you do interviews anymore? And it’s like, oh yeah, I remember.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, she was like, oh, sorry, I didn’t know. And I’m like, damn it, pleasure principle, what are you doing over there? What do you know? Like these people, they’re not reading. Yeah, right. And if they’re reading, they are literally listening to their hair and makeup team while they get ready, repeat something from, you know, a meme, and then they just, they soak it in. Janet was like I got it from Randy. I’m, like, you don’t know what. I don’t get my news from my aunties and uncles, they don’t what they talking about.

 

Louis Virtel Absolutely, no, my brother Jim ran a hockey blog. That’s where he met his wife! Hi, Raquel.

 

Nina Parker That’s my sister’s middle name.

 

Louis Virtel Oh really? Yeah! It’s a beautiful name.

 

Nina Parker It’s just, you know, it’s, I can’t, and the way I like it, cause I’m like, all right, these really are just people. Yeah. You know, these are really just regular ol folks.

 

Louis Virtel And I think that’s why this is the anti-celebrity era, is there’s just no reason to have Mystique anymore. Unless literally you’re Beyonce who’s like, I am in an actual Batcave and you cannot find me.

 

Nina Parker Exactly, I’m not saying that.

 

Louis Virtel You know Beyonce eating a little meat. Come on. At least Pescatarian. Beyonce is a liar. I love as a tape.

 

Nina Parker I was, I just, you know, I feel like she, she is from Houston. Like she’s eating meat, she has to be. I just can’t, you don’t, I love her, but you’ve got to be eating. There’s no way you’re from Houston and you’re a vegan. There’s just, it’s just I think it was a fate.

 

Louis Virtel I think I now think of you as a Beyonce meat truther. I’m sorry, this could be a whole job for you.

 

Nina Parker I know Beyonce doesn’t have some ribs or something written in the last couple of years. You can’t convince me otherwise some rib tips or a little tri tip, please. The way she says, I just know. The way to Beyonce, there’s so many things that she would talk about that she loved. I just can’t. I won’t accept it. I will say someone as a vegan with the most money in the world, she probably could get the most meat-like vegan items. Oh, sure. No. But then why be a vegan if you’re eating fake meat?

 

Louis Virtel Just eat meat. Right, but I think she has some sort of like Midas-like system where she can like 3D print out beautiful bacon meat. 3D printer is crazy. No, right, like she picks it out on a computer screen and it comes out.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, I mean that’s my only criticism that I’ll ever have Beyonce. I just think she’s eating meat I just do And I you know, they have to come for me. I love them, but it’s like and I I just

 

Louis Virtel What would my Beyonce criticism be? I still can’t get behind that version of Jolene. I still cant. Oh, she had too many words. She had too much words. It’s a simple melody.

 

Nina Parker I’m not gonna agree with you on any music because they’re already gonna come for me. I love

 

Louis Virtel I love cowboy, please, I love Cowboy Carter.

 

Nina Parker But you kept the saying, you know, the little steak.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Who? You’re the homicide life on the street detective.

 

Nina Parker I just, I’m on this case. You can’t tell me Beyonce ain’t been at a seafood boil.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, okay, okay. Okay, what the crap?

 

Nina Parker Can you BS if you don’t have no crab legs?

 

Louis Virtel Her email is Nina.Parker

 

Nina Parker Anyway, now I’m hungry. Okay, well done, well. Fine. I might also, I might be projected because I’m starving.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Okay. Good answer, good answer.

 

Nina Parker Making this about me.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, we’ll probably get more into this after this, but we’ll be right back with more Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Louis Virtel We’re back, producer Kendra just told us that according to the Renaissance documentary, Beyonce has a turkey sandwich before she goes on stage. I knew it. Look at you. I knew. I knew in my bones. You are proud as a peacock.

 

Nina Parker So it was a phase. Yes. I told you, I knew it. I knew to my bones. I knew, you know, I just, one thing I’m proud, listen, I’m an unapologetic carnivore. Yeah. You know, I love it, I love, I bought my dad a big green egg, like we barbecue. No, you look-

 

Louis Virtel No, you look like you’re part of like a meat cartel like you ever since the topic has come up. You’re like you’ve named seven meats You’re the candy man

 

Nina Parker Now wait a minute, what does that? I look like a meat cartel meme. How dare you. Now wait a minute now. You’ve just been so honest. No, now listen, you want to talk about something that I know better than the Oscars.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah, because I know nothing about that.

 

Nina Parker I’m the daughter of a grill master.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah.

 

Nina Parker So I could tell a meat eater, I could tell an eater.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Am I any of the above? Wait, do you eat meat? Oh, yes, I do.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, yeah, you’re, yeah!

 

Louis Virtel Mostly chicken.

 

Nina Parker Mostly chicken, yes! I mean, we are in L.A.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. No, I want to fit in.

 

Nina Parker A little ground.

 

Louis Virtel Please, a little bit, please. Yes.

 

Nina Parker Yes, but anyway anyway, we knew we knew this and we we probably the last people who didn’t know but Beyonce has a little turkey sandwich a little ginger shot

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right, which is making it the ginger shot edition, now I know it’s Beyonce.

 

Nina Parker Have you ever had one of those turkey sandwiches with like the dressing on it? Oh, yeah. And the cranberry.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. So good. Yeah, I’m a human being.

 

Nina Parker Oh my god, I’m on a turnkey!

 

Louis Virtel I’m invited to turkey sandwiches.

 

Nina Parker I have this thing once a month that I get obsessed with one food item and I eat it the whole month. Right now it’s homemade sandwiches. So I’m making these incredible, like I buy the hoagie bread and I’m like making these layered sandwiches. So this month is for the month of March has been.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I’m diner omelets, not kidding. Really? Stop it! Yeah, I love a diner and I love getting an omelet at a diners.

 

Nina Parker Really? That’s so cool. Have you been to Max and Helen?

 

Louis Virtel No, I haven’t.

 

Nina Parker Okay, we should go.

 

Louis Virtel I love spending too much money on eggs, I can’t explain it. Yeah, okay, anyway. And now, it’s time for a peek into the personal. After much prayer and consultation from our loved ones and community leaders, we will now come clean and reveal what lurks in our watch history. This is What Are We Watching with Nina and Louis. Nina, what are you watching lately?

 

Nina Parker Oh, I just watched the Paradise finale on, uh, technically it came out on Monday, but I watched it Sunday night.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, tell people what paradise is, if they don’t know. Oh my god!

 

Nina Parker Oh my God, it’s Sterling K. Brown’s show. It’s paradise, it post-apocalyptic type of show. They’re living in a bunker. He works for the president and he gets separated from his wife. And so the second season has been about like him, going to outside the bunker to look for his wife, but it’s probably the show that it would, the buzz around it has reminded me of the lost days. Remember when lost. It truly is a.

 

Louis Virtel It truly is a show that everyone keeps telling you to see and you’re like, you must not be smart or something. Why are you talking too much about this?

 

Nina Parker And it’s very like mystery oriented because you don’t know what things stand for things. You’re like, wait, is there time travel in the show now? Like things, it’s always been a sci-fi show but it’s not Sci-Fi presenting at first. So you just think it’s a regular show and then things start to happen and you’re going back in time. You’re, like, what the hell is going on? But it’s so interesting. And this season, all of the theories have started and people are literally thinking, you know, that the anomalies are happening and it’s popping out of everywhere. There’s everyone that has a theory for the show.

 

Louis Virtel We need a show that people have theories about, by the way. I do feel like we’ve been absent of that for a while.

 

Nina Parker It’s definitely not a show you can watch and be on your phone because there’s little things that you miss. Like it’s a show that you have to be involved in. It’s a smart show, which I love because so many shows right now are overly simplified. So it’s just a fun show. There’s a little bit of whodunit in it, a little, you know, a bit of Sterling K. Brown showing them abs off. You know, you can’t go wrong.

 

Louis Virtel So at the SAG awards this year, I wrote, as I mentioned earlier on the show, wrote a small bit for Sterling K. Brown, which he nailed. And then at the Oscars, my co-writer at Kimmel, Laurie Kilmartin, a standup, wrote a bit for him with Conan where they were pretending to be in Casablanca, except they were explaining every plot detail like it was a Netflix movie. And that was so funny. I just want to give him credit as being totally game for whatever in award season. People like me who write for award shows, begging for someone to just want to throw it all out there and have a lot of fun.

 

Nina Parker Do people say like, I’m just not gonna do that? Oh, they’re like terrified. Oh, really? They don’t wanna be funny.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, well like, it’s people like him who I think are used to being generally more dramatic and want to remind people, and of course he did it brilliantly, but no, I think for the most part people want to play it cool at these things.

 

Nina Parker Oh, they want to be like us.

 

Louis Virtel Unless it’s like a Meg Stalter, Paul W. Downs, they will throw it down. A thousand percent.

 

Nina Parker A thousand percent. Okay, so that’s fun. When you have someone who’s like a serious actor, but they want to have a good time and they’re not too, they don’t take themselves too seriously.

 

Louis Virtel Right, because I mean think who else is that right now? I mean, everybody is a little bit LeoCore ultimately.

 

Nina Parker That’s so true. And I’m also just like, you know, I love actors and I love movies and TV, but we are not curing cancer. Like everybody needs to take themselves a little less seriously. Like, we don’t know what’s going on day to day. Like have a little fun with this, you now? So I love people who are just like- Teleprompter pattern, yeah. Cause like, even like a star, a billionaire like Rihanna, like she has fun. She has fun with life. She’s on social media. She’s DMing people, like, she don’t care.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, yeah, yeah

 

Nina Parker What is this air of a line you can’t cross? Nobody wants to be silly anymore.

 

Louis Virtel No, no, no.

 

Nina Parker What is, what’s wrong, where did the silly people go?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, people confuse silly with foolish and it’s not the same.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, we’re not talking to you, Nick Cannon.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Or you Ashanti. I heard that song in a car the other day. Still so good.

 

Nina Parker Catch him straight

 

Louis Virtel No, I like the song Foolish is what I mean. Which is what I mean.

 

Nina Parker Ashanti first, Ashanti, Ashanti!

 

Louis Virtel By the way, do you know the famous headline where there’s a new Beyonce album and it says she’s no Ashanti?

 

Nina Parker Yes! I looked up this reporter last week!

 

Louis Virtel Oh, really?

 

Nina Parker Randomly saw that

 

Louis Virtel Were they assassinated?

 

Nina Parker They have gone underground, baby. This person has gone underground because the meme of it or the screen grab fully puts the writer there. And I’m always like, I got to see. But he did like write something where he was like, when I was totally wrong.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I love it when people take risks like that. Let me just say that this one person’s bad and this person’s good. She’s no ashty as.

 

Nina Parker Gonna ha- it will be on his tombstone!

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Well, it was also written in such like, you know, scare font.

 

Nina Parker Yes, you know you think it’s almost satire. Yeah, and then you’re like, oh this was a real article back then

 

Louis Virtel Well, I mean, Ashanti was no joke back then. She was in the Muppet Wizard of Oz.

 

Nina Parker She was! She was that girl! She’s that girl, but…

 

Louis Virtel All those damn singles. What am I watching? Are you familiar with America’s Culinary Cup?

 

Nina Parker I’m not.

 

Louis Virtel It’s the new Top Chef that Padma Lakshmi hosts, except it’s not Top Chef. Okay. Okay. So Padma Laksmi hosted Top Chef for 7,000 years. Padma Laksmi was never born or died. She’s like a monument, you know, she’s just here, un-immovable. She had a huge hand in developing the show and making something novel in the World of Food Competition series. And I don’t know how, because the prize is $1 million on this show,

 

Nina Parker It’s a big prize.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, the chefs are all extremely established. Like they’re all James Beard winners or nominees.

 

Nina Parker So it has to be a big prize.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, so the sets are immaculate. The food is unbelievable. They give them everything they need. And I think a big thing for Padma making the show was she didn’t want it to be gimmicky in the way that like a top chef challenge can be like, and for this one, you can’t use your index finger. Right, right. You can only use inedible objects.

 

Nina Parker It’s not like schtickie.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Okay. Cause she wants to respect, you know, being a restaurateur or whatever. I still cannot get over, I’m sorry, this sounds so basic, you can’t eat the food. I’m, sorry, if I’m thinking, if, if I am a producer, I’m still skewing the results. Yeah. You know what I mean?

 

Nina Parker What do you mean you can’t eat the food?

 

Louis Virtel Like from as a home viewer.

 

Nina Parker Oh, meaning like this is not something that would be.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, and also, and here’s the thing, not only can I, I can’t judge along with them. Right. Oh, you are.

 

Nina Parker Oh, you want to be able to have like taste division.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I’m in, I need to be in it. Yes, print out the food. Use Beyonce’s knee printer and get me the food!

 

Nina Parker Who’s that crooked PR? Let’s get you on something. I’m ready. I’m READY. We need a taste tester.

 

Louis Virtel So, I mean, that’s just my general problem with all food competition shows. Yeah. But everyone on this show is so amazing and so established that I literally feel bad making them compete. It’s crazy that people have to go home on this. Right, you’re like.

 

Nina Parker Right, you’re like, this person is too talented for a competition, how do we rank this?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, and again, it’s like, I think the thing that does work about the show and actually all food competition shows, in spite of the fact that I can’t taste the food, is that the egos, you have to have a huge ego to make it in that business. The action of being in that kitchen is, I don’t want to say violent, but rigorous to the point where you have something driving inside you that is beyond what would say propel an actor through the industry, I think. Yeah, chefs.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, chefs are an interesting breed of people.

 

Louis Virtel You know, yeah.

 

Nina Parker They’re very well traveled, they take all these risks. It’s a very interesting career. And I did Bobby Flay, I did beat Bobby Flays.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, w-excuse-

 

Nina Parker Yes, I did I went on be Bobby Flay as a judge. Well, was I a judge? I don’t know what I was. Okay, I’m

 

Louis Virtel Did you wonder on a set what happened?

 

Nina Parker I don’t know what they call it because they have like, judges come on to judge the food. So I guess I was a friend of Bobby Flay watching the competition and being a part of it, but I ate the food and it was such a fun experience. But I will say, I’ve never been a Bobby Flays fan. I wasn’t a hater. I was like, oh, you know, like this is- Yeah, I know who he is. Yeah, know who is and he’s a chef. But I kind of felt like TV chefs were smoking mirrors. Yeah. That man could cook.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah, uh-huh.

 

Nina Parker Then i can cook down his food was incorrect i was like you just made this is now and he has this thing where he has like uh… By almost like you know you know you have this photographic memory we talked about something maybe two hours before in passing and while he’s making the competition food he decides to just make me a snack and makes me a full charcuterie board

 

Louis Virtel He’s multitasking. Snacks. He’s multi-

 

Nina Parker It was on a, he had one minute and a half left. And then he made this thing, it came over and was like, just something for you to nibble on. I was like I will marry you right now.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my god. Like, please. No, I’m romanced by that.

 

Nina Parker That’s my love language.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, Jesus.

 

Nina Parker Man, are you single, sir? Like, it was very sexy.

 

Louis Virtel Is this one, did you also have like all the contests? Oh, no, no. Did you eat a whole bunch of platters then?

 

Nina Parker Because it’s like two people competing against each other at first, and then one competes against Bobby. So you have like two rounds of food. So you got to taste the food. We had the taste of food to get rid of the first person. And then we tasted the food against the guy with Bobby. Bobby won my episode.

 

Louis Virtel Is it a blind taste test? No.

 

Nina Parker No, you know who made it.

 

Louis Virtel And one of the guys unacceptable one of them that’s unfair to bobby flay who i’m who i now defend

 

Nina Parker Yes, one of the guys actually I saw out because he has a restaurant here in LA and he was like, yeah, I remember you from that show. I was like he was not happy that he didn’t go forward. It was, he was, you know, it wasn’t a good experience for him.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, got it. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, he was not happy with me.

 

Louis Virtel That said, I’m not like a top chef completist. I was most obsessed with Project Runway just because, I mean, I don’t have to wear the clothes. I can just look at the clothes and it’s not really about wearing the clothes, you know what I mean? It’s about the look of the clothes so I think because Project Runways has always existed, I’ve always thought of these shows as a tier lower. Oh, okay. Just because there’s a better version.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, I think it just depends on what your interest is and what the fascination is about it. But I like a cooking show, they’re fun, and it’s just like, it still feels like a real competition where other things are just starting to feel so staged in TV. So I feel like this is like, look, you mess up with this butter, girl, you’re done. This is not anything you can fake. This is something you can have the set winner.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Right.

 

Nina Parker You know, so that’s, but you like the show.

 

Louis Virtel The first episode just happened and I like it. I don’t think it’s done enough to differentiate itself from Top Chef yet. That said, again, I think she developed this show specifically to do that. So I am optimistic about that. You’ll give it some grace. Yes, yes. What else are you watching these days?

 

Nina Parker I’m watching the pit. Me too. Can I tell you something about the pit though?

 

Louis Virtel And it continues to be good and the actors are all great. I can’t get over the real life accents they have because like, no, just like, oh, you’re Welsh? What, stop.

 

Nina Parker Wait a minute now half y’all from the UK. Yeah liars when I started hearing I heard Santos speak out of red carpet I said, well, she’s lovely

 

Louis Virtel Right

 

Nina Parker I do not like Santos.

 

Louis Virtel Santa’s as a character also but they hit the jackpot casting that woman cuz that woman opens her mouth and I’m like I’m so angry

 

Nina Parker I, she’s doing her job.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker And if you see her interview, she is lovely. So my criticism is not because that she’s a bad actress, but the character, listen, I know it’s a layered character. There is a little bit of a Santos tribe that defends her behavior. Mainly though, I want to scratch my eyeballs out.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, no, by the way, this character has been grating from the jump. I mean, she’s somebody who’s like, her whole thing is I’m using cutting humor on you except it’s not funny and I’m complimenting myself for doing it.

 

Nina Parker Right, and then you know that I’m also really big at.

 

Louis Virtel Not giving people nicknames. Like she loves to give people nick names. Which is very condescending when she does it.

 

Nina Parker It’s so, it’s so obnoxious and it’s just like, okay, black shirt, what’s that black shirt? And the whole, I’m just like girl, shut up. Like, it just, I literally. Literally.

 

Louis Virtel You know what, she’s also just very well written. She is. Because it’s established immediately.

 

Nina Parker She really, it really is a well-written character. More than some, and I do love and hate. Cause I almost want them to do a spinoff called The Night Shift. Because there are people, I listen, let’s get daddy back on screen. Yeah, oh. You know? I’m just like, oh my goodness, this man. I know he’s married, so I’ma keep it cute. But I just, it’s too many five men on this show. I said this is- Oh, sure. The pit is, I was never an ER watcher.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. So I honestly, at this point, would say this show is better than ER, personally. Were you a big ER fan? I mean, there are episodes I really like, and I mean like the acting is all phenomenal and stuff. I just thought that show became so soapy, so fast.

 

Nina Parker Yes, yes. This is still, I mean, they really are tackling, they tackled issues with ICE, you know, child abandonment, like they really aren’t tackling these issues, but also they really are going home for home, like caregivers and you know first responders and I love that they’re talking about like first responders being attacked and like the trauma that that causes and like sometimes we think about first responders, and we forget about like these are people with feelings, but they see these like traumatic moments on a daily basis. And this That’s what I say, like. Hey, as an actor or a host, we’re not curing cancer here. When we see a show like The Pit, and you see people who really dedicate their lives to helping other people, but what they sacrifice to give it. It’s such a great show, and it just really shows all layers. And when you dislike someone like Santos, but then you find out, okay, this is a person who’s cutting themselves, this is their behavior is because of something else. And you see how she reacts to dads, like her reaction to these dads and assuming they’re gonna abandon people. There’s so many things you wanna know more of, and there’s so many characters to follow.

 

Louis Virtel I’m really appreciating the new term competency porn, which has been developed to describe like a big thrill of the show is just watching people do their jobs well. I mean, and not always, but like for the most part, something happens and the show is about what procedurally should be done. Somebody is telling the student what happens here. They say what should be and then it’s done. And that can count as a plot point. It doesn’t have to actually go really beyond that. It’s not like, and you fucked up and everything’s on the line.

 

Nina Parker And apparently it’s been having real-life effects because it’s people are calling it the pit effect where I guess you know The match just happened with a bunch of medical students And they’re saying that there has been like the most interested like the percentage has been up this year for people wanting to work in the ER

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah

 

Nina Parker Because of the they’re calling it the pit effect, but it’s like they’re which apparently there’s always like people don’t generally want to do er

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker Because it’s traumatic and it’s fast and you know, it’s not so now they’re saying there’s a lot of interest in that from students Which I think is wonderful

 

Louis Virtel I’m always obsessed with when something pop culturally catches on and then there’s like a little bit of a credit Like are you a big fan of the movie party girl by chance with Parker Posey?

 

Nina Parker Uh… And i have not a big fan but i’m big fan of parker

 

Louis Virtel Okay, I love that movie. You know, it’s about this woman who runs parties and then she’s dead broke and to make money, she works in a library and there’s this sequence where she finally, she figures out how she can use her partying skills to run a library and after that, there was like a rush of people trying to work in libraries. And I just want to say that I don’t support this. Don’t be stupid. It’s a movie.

 

Nina Parker That’s how susceptible we are to pop culture and that’s why I made my points earlier when I say people have platforms it can be dangerous because it seeps in you know like information these things that we see and we consume it it’s whether or not we people think it has an effect it actually does.

 

Louis Virtel No, my best friend is a heart surgeon and he was one time in a room with Sandra Oh and it’s like he seized up like he’s like oh that’s the reason I want to do this. It’s like Sandra Oh that’s that’s an actress from the movie Sideways. She doesn’t actually do this!

 

Nina Parker But you know what, I will say watching a different world as a kid really made me want to go to college.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. You know, like- Oh, that- Hillman seemed fun. L-

 

Nina Parker Listen

 

Louis Virtel Yeah

 

Nina Parker Hillman, I was trying to be a student. There wasn’t Google when I was a kid, but I wanted to look it up.

 

Louis Virtel Why didn’t we get more of Don Lewis?

 

Nina Parker Well, she’s coming back. Is she? Yes, because you know, they’re revamping the show. Everybody’s coming. So Don Lewis is coming back for A Different World on Netflix. They just did a photo shoot. They just posted all of the cast members coming.

 

Louis Virtel And I know Jasmine looks sensational.

 

Nina Parker Everybody looks incredible. I just saw Cree Summer.

 

Louis Virtel I love Chris, who is the voice of Susie Carmichael on Rugrats. Yes, she is. She’s a very accomplished voice actress. If you look…

 

Nina Parker I think that she’s probably the most accomplished voice actress of our time.

 

Louis Virtel It’s literally like Tress McNeil is probably number one. She’s like in the top five.

 

Nina Parker Beyond incredible. And I went to the Sportsman’s Lodge out here to have lunch, and she walked by, and I was like, listen, I don’t geek out a lot. But I just almost ran her down.

 

Louis Virtel No, maybe I’ve even talked about this with you. Voice actor people, I mean, that’s a different kind of gifted. They’re amazing. Oh my gosh. As in, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to put it. What is wrong with them?

 

Nina Parker I listen, she’s just so incredible. I follow her on social media. She is just the, she is such a cool, interesting out of the whole cast. I think she’s probably my favorite. I just think she is so talented, but she’s also just like a cool human being. And like she decorated her backyard to look like a pirate ship.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, fuck yeah. Oh, come on, whimsy!

 

Nina Parker That’s the best! I love her. And so they’re all bad.

 

Louis Virtel I assume Marissa Tomei’s not back.

 

Nina Parker Marissa, no, season one we don’t talk about.

 

Louis Virtel We don’t know what to do is about is not going to be

 

Nina Parker No, we don’t acknowledge season one. Okay, I’m just making sure. When I rewatch it, we do not play season one, that never happens.

 

Louis Virtel I actually I’ve never really thought about this with the show it got it turned into something else a little bit as it went along and it got better a little bit as it went along, and it got better.

 

Nina Parker They completely changed season two, because when Lisa left, they got us out of there, and they completely changed the trajectory, which is when the popularity happened, and Debbie Allen took over. And Debbie Allen is also back. So it’s literally everybody but Mr. Gaines, because he passed away, unfortunately. But everybody has returned, which I just, I think sometimes those shows happen and everybody gets uber famous, and they go their own way, and then time goes by, and then it just kind of, they collectively, sometimes I think they almost hate the iconic shows that they were a part of, Because I sa-

 

Louis Virtel It’s like the only thing they’re asked about and you know.

 

Nina Parker Exactly. And so this is like, they took their time away. Khadeem Hardison is back, like all the group is back. I am so excited, but then also there’s gonna be a new edition, a new wave of students on the show. So I just, you know, this is gonna be a huge cast. So I’m so excited for this. The inner me is kicking, screaming, throwing.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I’m so excited. We rarely get a revamp like that, where even like the Saved by the Bell reboot, it was like, you know, the three of them or whatever.

 

Nina Parker Right, it wasn’t ever, you rarely see everybody come back. Yeah, right. So yeah, I’m really excited to see what happened with the characters, what couples are still together. Like this shaped my childhood.

 

Louis Virtel I mean, Jasmine Guy is gonna do that Whitley voice and what will happen to me.

 

Nina Parker Oh man, because you know her real voice is so different from what we’ve heard.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, no. Also, she’s like a kind of cool customer. Like, you know. A thousand percent. Yes. She was on like vampire diaries and stuff.

 

Nina Parker Yes, she was playing the Black Witch, honey. Like, yes, she’s been in. She was just on the show on Peacock, Natasha’s show. Oh, Poker Face. Poker face. She was on Pokerface. I was like, wait a minute. Jasmine Guy. Like, she has gotten, she is really gravitating.

 

Louis Virtel And she was in some Super Bowl commercial recently. Like the dunking commercials where they go back in time with Matt Damon and shit. I’ve had it with them, I’ve have it with him. You’re right, she was. She looked of course sensational. I’m also watching the comeback. Do you watch the comeback?

 

Nina Parker Let me tell you something okay one of my favorite shows of all time

 

Louis Virtel Well, can I tell you something? And I love it too, and it’s singular, and there’s no show like it. And even though we’ve had all these kind of mockumentary ass shows since then, this show is still darker than those. Yes. And she is still one of a kind character. Watching it this season, we had the first episode, which we talked about last week. She got offered the sitcom that’s going to be AI written. Now she went in for some deeply apocalyptic meetings, one with a screen. And Andrew Scott was the guy running the show, whom we just saw recently in the Wake Up Dead Man, the Knives Out movie. Of course, from Fleabag, fabulous actor, out gay actor. He was good and frightening in this role. Honestly, this show is so bleak about the industry, I can barely watch it. Yeah. And I guess I wasn’t in the industry like the first time it came on, but like this show, I’m not saying that what’s happening on the show she’s making, this is partly AI written, actually is real life. It’s not yet. But give it seven minutes.

 

Nina Parker By the time it airs next week, it could be… I wasn’t really thinking about it like that, but you have a really great point. I mean, it’s why I stopped watching Handmaid’s Tale. I was like, well, I just gotta open my windows. Well, excuse me, how did people stick with that show? My hairdresser still watched until the end, and I was, like, I don’t know how you’re doing this. No. I had to check out years ago, and it used to be an amazing show, but it’s the same, like… If it’s too close to real life, I don’t know how engaged I’m gonna be. I’ma stick with the comeback. The comeback shaped me. Hello, hello, hello. Oh, yeah. Listen, you take Valerie Cherish from our cold dead heads. I love her. I love me some Valerie Cherished now.

 

Louis Virtel I do think there’s something about this show that where it’s like, women and gay men, it’s really for them. I can’t picture a straight man dialing into this and I feel bad for them

 

Nina Parker I do miss me some Mickey.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, he was amazing.

 

Nina Parker It’s such a void without Mickey.

 

Louis Virtel An effervescent streak, yeah, because this show is missing an effervescence streak right now.

 

Nina Parker It is, it is!

 

Louis Virtel Like her husband appears and I want to die.

 

Nina Parker I do love, and every time I see him in anything else, I’m like, that’s Valerie’s husband.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker I don’t even know him by name because he was in Ozark.

 

Louis Virtel Correct, yes, yes.

 

Nina Parker And I was like, I don’t know who, Valerie Cher’s husband that moved to the Ozarks.

 

Louis Virtel You, you, they’re the same person, yes.

 

Nina Parker There are some people who are always going to be that actor like Danny Glover will always be misted. Right, right, right. And I’m still not forgiving him. No, why did he do that? I think we talked about this before. Yeah, that’s right. And I’ll bring it up every time. That was in the 80s, but I don’t care. Yeah, right? I still feel like you ain’t done right by Celie. Anyway.

 

Louis Virtel I’m gonna say, and also he has multiple signature roles. That’s very funny. That’s very funny.

 

Nina Parker But I just, he always gonna be missed it. So, you know, I just think there’s some people, but I just Lisa Kudrow also just has such a great grasp on the industry.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, that’s what I’m hoping I can watch a little as painlessly, because it is smart.

 

Nina Parker It’s so smart. And I think, listen, it is a little bit of a depressing our industry. I’ve been in this industry 20 years and I’ve never seen it in such a, you know, I have friends who are on Access Hollywood that just got canceled. Like there’s like the state of entertainment, because I’m like, well, who gonna do the interviews and the shows? Y’all get rid of all this stuff. Because you know all of these networks own the like ET with CBS, That’s like their NBC is with Access Hollywood.

 

Louis Virtel Right right

 

Nina Parker You have things you need to promote and talk about. And it’s like, you ain’t gonna have nobody on the carpet to promote this. I think they’re not really thinking this through 100%. They’re just doing things in waves, just to have it come back in two years and say, now it’s the comeback of TV shows. Like they’re just this thing. But there’ve been some really great, what I will say from this is I’ve seen some really good interviews from people within the industry who are talking about pivoting and what to do next. But it’s, seeing this on the comeback and play out in real time is a little too on the nose.

 

Louis Virtel Oh no, so Jane, who’s a character on the comeback and was like, you know, the kind of no-nonsense producer of the show, is just working in Trader Joe’s in this particular episode, and Valerie has to interact with her, and like all Valerie interactions, it is jarring, and I don’t want to be seeing it, and it’s Kafka-esque, but um, and she kind of reels her back into like being a part of her documentary crew or whatever. God, I just, again, first of all, I can’t handle cringe period, like cringe comedy. Like in this episode, she like goes up to Jane Fonda and asks for like social media. She’s like, do you wanna be on my social media?

 

Nina Parker Fran Drescher at the at the strike asking for a pitcher?

 

Louis Virtel I know this is the point of the show, I can’t sit through it.

 

Nina Parker Are you, it’s hard for you, you get secondhand embarrassment.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. You get it bad. Well, I was talking last week about how I was defending Chaperone, and- Oh, yes you did, Chad. Which, I have new enemies, it’s exciting.

 

Nina Parker You know, people was outside with pitchforks, I heard.

 

Louis Virtel But like, when I watch this, like Valerie Cherish interact with Jane Fonda, it’s like, to me, these are the people interacting with Chappell Rock. Right. You’re just like a selfish loser.

 

Nina Parker It’s so true, but I will say, and I also love that the show comes once every 10 years.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, no, me, I agree.

 

Nina Parker It’s not all the time. It’s novel. We don’t know when it’s coming back. Yeah, right. We’ll see you in 2030.

 

Louis Virtel It’s like Halle’s comment. Yes. I know somebody knows when that’s coming back, but not right

 

Nina Parker Right, not me! I don’t know where the San Andreas Fault is, I don’t know when that’s happening, like…

 

Louis Virtel Is this scheduled? Don’t ask me, honey! Yeah, but I- Oh, I love bimbo, you. Don’t Ask Me What Science Is.

 

Nina Parker Oh, here we go with facts. But the first season of The Comeback to Me is some of the best television. I’ve seen it in a long time, especially if we’re talking about like that mockumentary type of show. That’s just so nostalgic. And also just had like all these young stars that now have blown up.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, true, yeah. And it’s also by the, I’m sure we have several more extreme cameos coming up. Jimmy Burroughs, famous TV director, was part of this who directed Friends. And in fact, Valerie Cherish almost name drops the word Friends while talking about his credits. Yes, yes, yes. You can’t do that. We’re already playing with reality.

 

Nina Parker Right. Exactly. They’re very on the nose over there, but I’m happy that it’s back. Honestly, it just feels comforting that it is back, because I think I’m calling back to what life was like when the first season came out.

 

Louis Virtel Also, no, it’s like, and you don’t know what you’re gonna get week to week. Like, they’re not gonna make this show unless it’s fabulous. So I’m excited for, and of course, you know, terrorized by where this can go.

 

Nina Parker I’m terrified, but I’m in, I’m locked in, my seatbelt is on.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, that’s how I’m watching. That’s it. And Jeopardy! You caught up?

 

Nina Parker Can I tell you something? Yeah. I just played black Jeopardy over the weekend. Oh, the SNL sketch? Of course, I’m not as black as I thought.

 

Louis Virtel Wait, there’s like a home game?

 

Nina Parker No, I played it like at a game night.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah, I went to an event and they played black jeopardy.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, it’s called Black Jeopardy. That was the event.

 

Louis Virtel Can I be honest? I think I could win. I think I’ve got it. Bring me in.

 

Nina Parker Well, shake it up then!

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean, I know it’s a little bit like when Andy Coffman would invite like would try to wrestle women It’s like what are you doing there? Well, you should go it’s open to everyone. Okay. Yeah We’ll be right back with the most famous part of the episode since it’s also the name of the podcast, it’s Keep it.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Louis Virtel  All right, Nina, it’s keep it. And I feel like you should start keeping it. Let’s go.

 

Nina Parker Sure. Okay, so mine is different this time.

 

Louis Virtel Okay.

 

Nina Parker And I rarely come for a group of people because I believe not everyone is- Yeah, not everyone it’s the same, you know? But I’m coming. Male Instacart drivers, stop working.

 

Louis Virtel Okay.

 

Nina Parker Stop, leave us alone. Leave us alone, go to hell.

 

Louis Virtel You think this is a gendered problem?

 

Nina Parker This is a straight male Instacart shopper.

 

Louis Virtel We don’t believe in the binary except for right now.

 

Nina Parker Right now. Ban them. Ban them. If there was a bill tomorrow, I’d sign it. I’d go door to door for this. I would door knock for this, mail Instacart. You have no business in the store. I ordered Instacard last night and this man, I said, get me some cucumbers, avocado, cause I told y’all I’m making sandwiches. And cucumber, avocado. I ordered some little sparkling water. He said he couldn’t find nothing. He got me one can of sparkling water. One can.

 

Louis Virtel He was at 7-Eleven.

 

Nina Parker I always, I always tell them to leave it at the door. I opened the door waiting for, I was waiting for him. I opened door like, come up here so we can talk. I almost drove to the store. I kept saying, send me a picture. Send me a picture of what you see. Everything was in the pictures. I asked for a cucumber. Do you know this man bought me a zucchini?

 

Louis Virtel Oh no, not this. Don’t, by the way, they’re labeled!

 

Nina Parker And, and the bananas were green. Ooh, child, the headlock I wanted to put this man in. Josh, count your days. Josh M, wherever you are. I have never experienced real frustration than when I get a male. When I see a woman, I’m like, thank you, Lord. I get my stuff in 15 minutes.

 

Louis Virtel Ooh.

 

Nina Parker First of all, the mail is to car shoppers. I don’t know what they dilly dally and they skipping through the aisles. I don’t know what you’re doing. Do you think you’re in a meadow? You’re at work. Get to work. They don’t know what they’re doing. They will send you pictures of exactly what you asked for and say they don’t have it. I asked this man for two boxes of spaghetti. He brought me one and I literally, he said, how many do you want? I said two and I still only got one.

 

Louis Virtel Correct me if I’m wrong, if they’re an Instacart driver, they specialize in picking this stuff out, right? Yes, they’re supposed to. So, I mean, it does,

 

Nina Parker It just requires a little knowledge. I’ve actually thought about working for Instacart so I could vet who they hire. Like, take them down from the outside. Who’s letting these men in here? Who’s lettin’ them in? I mean, that is concerning. I feel like I’m in a relationship with these people. I’ve never been so frustrated.

 

Louis Virtel It also sort of feels like you should be able to pick a specific driver. Oh, they nailed it.

 

Nina Parker Cause you know like Uber now you can select like the kind of drive you can select like only female rides.

 

Louis Virtel You know? Oh right.

 

Nina Parker Yeah cannot instacart needs that option and listen i’ll fund it yeah i’ll pay extra i’ll pay extra for that

 

Louis Virtel Stay out the store. You’re saying we can’t trust men to know what vegetables are.

 

Nina Parker Well, I don’t think we can trust them to know what vegetables are, bread. Yogurt? Potatoes?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, who is feeding them? I don’t know. Maybe they should have to send you a list of what they eat.

 

Nina Parker These men don’t go in the store, baby. These men have never been in a store before. No. You drive your car to Instacart, stick to Uber. Don’t come in this thing no more. I don’t want them in the stores.

 

Louis Virtel That is tough.

 

Nina Parker No, it’s I’m done. I am done I’m actually gonna just start going again on my own cuz people say well just go by yourself if you don’t want it That’s not the point

 

Louis Virtel No, I’m enjoying, like, a casual eat.

 

Nina Parker That’s like saying, well, I don’t do my job. This would just go to the store. No, go to store and ask the manager. And you know, women will be like, hey, this isn’t on the, I’m going to go talk to the manager and see if it’s in the back. Cause it’s a grocery store. They get delivery. I know what day my deliveries come from my local grocery store, you know? They come on Tuesdays. So I know it’s there. Do you know how a store works? You’re like for all the Rivera busting into the vault. I am livid with these things. Get out of here. Oh my God. Anyway.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, point taken I guess.

 

Nina Parker Yeah, stay your ass out the store.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I don’t buy groceries period. What am I gonna make?

 

Nina Parker What do you do, take out?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, all the time. No!

 

Nina Parker Every day?

 

Louis Virtel Glamor!

 

Nina Parker Watch me eat. Now I know you got money. Yeah, right.

 

Louis Virtel For now, My Keep It is equally peeve-ish. Did you see that this week, Howie Mandel was a guest on Kelly Ripa? I did. I did! With Mark Winspailos. Yes. They’re still together. She greets him and she’s like, God, you look great for 70. And he sort of like looks askance and like pops off a little bit like, no, you know, what is that to say? Whatever. And then eventually he kind of apologized and he made a joke about it saying like, I just should accept that I look amazing or whatever. He should not have had to apologize. It’s a weird thing to say to somebody. And I think we need to call out meager compliments. It’s not backhanded. I wouldn’t say it’s a backhanded compliment. But it’s a compliment that she’s acting like he should have been proud to receive, and instead, when you’re proud to receive a compliment like that, it feels horrible.

 

Nina Parker I, you know, I really understand what you’re saying. And you’re right. You’re right, and it’s kind of, I’m glad that he said something. People felt like he should have just took the compliment, but I don’t have to take nothing.

 

Louis Virtel But, well, one, you don’t have to say the compliment. Two, it’s like, if anyone’s gonna flip out a level, it’s gonna be Howie, okay?

 

Nina Parker And I mean, I, I love that he was a little bitchy. Yeah. I was like, I don’t mind that, but I do feel like if you, if this has happened to you, which it happens as you get older, that people are surprised that you look good.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah, yeah, you know

 

Nina Parker You know, they’re like, oh, you know, I thought you look good, but now I found out your age, you look amazing. And it’s just like, you’re bias is all over me. I can…

 

Louis Virtel I’m not decomposing Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker I recently was at a party and it was a LA party. People are asking what you do. And I told this woman, I was like, oh, I’m a host, I have a clothing line. She’s like, oh, where’s your clothing line? I said, oh it’s at Macy’s. Good for you. Right. She goes, good. Looks me up and now, well, good for you, I wanna be like, bitch.

 

Louis Virtel Great for me, actually.

 

Nina Parker Like, what did you want me to say? Do you think I was the valet? Like, you know, when someone is surprised that you accomplished something, so it’s like, I do understand what you’re saying when they’re just kind of like, oh my goodness, well, oh, you’re 40. Well, you look incredible. Well, it’s just like, there’s no comfortable.

 

Louis Virtel Way to acknowledge like dubious nuance sometimes other than to call it out directly. This is basically what the entire show Seinfeld is about, right? Like you did this weird little thing and I’m gonna now hold it against you for the rest of your life. But like it’s sort of like, I used to see this on Twitter all the time. Someone would like post a joke and then the first comment underneath is someone telling that person, this is your best tweet ever. It’s like all you’re saying is my other work is clearly inferior to me.

 

Nina Parker Yes, it is a little shady

 

Louis Virtel But it’s like they’re pretending they can’t hear it right. I know you can hear it

 

Nina Parker Right, right, right. Or like if someone says you’ve seen them all the time and they go, oh, you look great today. Yeah. But they’ve never said it to you before. Yeah. And you’re like, what the hell did I look like yesterday?

 

Louis Virtel It’s like, oh my God, your skin looks amazing. Yeah.

 

Nina Parker Well, I said that this morning.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah!

 

Nina Parker Now wait a minute now, this is turning into an intervention.

 

Louis Virtel No, it’s not an intervention. You’ve been caught. Yeah. It’s over. No, no, not you. No Elsewhere’s uh, the lovely man who cuts my hair says something. Well, what’s what’s the skin? I thought my skin always looked darling

 

Nina Parker I’m afraid.

 

Louis Virtel I thought it looked like elf tanning.

 

Nina Parker Yes, I’m like, at this point, just don’t say nothing to me.

 

Louis Virtel Right.

 

Nina Parker But Kelly is also, can be a little shady. So.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, I want to say, Kelly is actually now, I would say, underrated. She is amazing at what she does, and we’ve had like a few new talk shows. Like, I enjoy Drew Barrymore, I enjoyed Kelly Clarkson. Kelly is a stone pro and always has been. She stormed into that chair. We thought we would never replace Kathie Lee, and then she sat down and it was like, Kathie who? Yeah. It was like, Kathy, ooh.

 

Nina Parker You forgot Kathy was ever there. And she doesn’t present because she’s this like, small blonde lady, you don’t expect her to like, but she kind of gets with people. Like she, Kelly will go toe-to-toe with you. Oh yeah, no, she’s like smart as a whip. She’s great. And she has her own little tribe because people were mad at Howie. Right. You know, they were like, you’re too sensitive and you’re this and that, but you all know there’s the, from the pit, there was a quote where the older gentleman said, which by the way, if you’re watching the pit you saw that like. Sarge from Law and Order was a guest on the show, you know, like Sarge was on the show. And he says, like, young people know what it’s like to be young, but they don’t know what its like to old. Old people know both, you know. And it’s such a thing where when, as you get older and you age, you start to notice the world treating you different and the things that they say. So you clock stuff so quickly. And it’s, like I do love the course correction along the way.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. No, it’s like, and I think that’s part of what he’s reacting to is there is something Twilight Zoni about getting a meager compliment about something like that. Also, he’s that one of those people who has always looked the same too. Yeah, except for the hair. Yes, but he makes you, yes, aside from in the eighties and the same elsewhere era or whatever, but like he’s somebody who makes you forget time is changing. Right, right. Like I need celebrities like that

 

Nina Parker Also, people are just aging, like, way more gracefully now. Oh, totally. I’m like, wait a minute, did you see, did you see Cheryl Lee Ralph over the weekend at her bikini?

 

Louis Virtel We just had Lisa and Walter here last week, and so I’ve been watching a lot of it at elementary. The woman, I mean, Charlotte Leop looks sensational.

 

Nina Parker And you know Cheryl is 69, about to be in them 70s.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my gosh.

 

Nina Parker So I mean, now I can’t wait to get there, if that’s what we do, I mean I’m probably not going to do what she do, but it’s, you know, at least it’s something to motivational. Still a dream girl. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel And by the way, the comedy time being better than ever. Yes! She’s so fabulous. Oh-

 

Nina Parker Oh, the way she don’t know no Weisse Labs?

 

Louis Virtel She and I will compete in Black Jeopardy! Yes, exactly! Finally, what the people have been demanding, Louis V. Shirley Ralph.

 

Nina Parker I can’t wait!

 

Louis Virtel Nina Parker, thank you so much for being here.

 

Nina Parker It’s always a pleasure. No.

 

Louis Virtel Now let’s say I have the feeling you’re not on social media, but let’s say you would try it. Where would I find you?

 

Nina Parker If I wanted to get on, I probably would put everything under the Nina Parker.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, yes. That’s where people will buy them. All platforms, okay. Yes, all platforms. I’ll find you there.

 

Nina Parker Put a V in front of that, Nina.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, yes. And you’re somebody who can be the Nina Parker. The Nina Parker! A lot of people are the, and I’m like, are you any?

 

Nina Parker Honestly, this girl took me to Parker and I was like, how dare you?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Nina Parker I was like, excuse me? OK, we’ll see.

 

Louis Virtel Thank you, Nina, for being here. Thank you to the pit for being consummately watchable, and we’ll see you next week on Keep It. Don’t forget to follow Crooked Media on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to Keep It on YouTube for access to full episodes and other exclusive content. And if you’re as opinionated as we are, consider dropping us a review. Keep It is a Crooked media production. Our producer is Bill McGrath, and our executive producers are Louis Virtel, Ira Madison III, and Kendra James. Our digital team is Delon Villanueva, Claudia Sheng, Rachel Gaewski, and Jay Banks. Thank you to David Toles and Charlotte Landes for production support every week. Our head of production is Matt DeGroot. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.