Award-winning author Damon Young is joined by the brightest, weirdest and Blackest writers, comedians, and critics he knows to explore the hilarious and hideous absurdity of our behavior – and how race, gender, and class converge to make everything messy AF.

Transcript:

Damon Young: It only takes two drinks now for me to dance in public. It used to be five. Cause I needed at least that much liquid courage to drown out all the thoughts in my head: Is someone watching me make a weird face? Am I watching them watch me make a weird face? Are they watching me watch them watching me? The irony is that I actually like dancing. Just not with people watching me do it. 

Life is filled with these sorts of anxiety-inducing moments, where who you are, who you want to be, and who you believe you’re expected to be are always in conflict. At least they are for me. 

This is Stuck with Damon Young. I’m Damon. Author, critic, eggheaded Pittsburgher, and I’m stuck. Stuck on sex, money, God. Stuck on everything. 

And I kick it with some of the best, brightest, and Blackest people I know to help me get unstuck, including Samantha Irby. 

Samantha Irby: You know, you put your card in with the chip. If my card takes a second too long. My intestines liquify, you know what I mean? 

Damon: Roy Wood Jr.

Roy Wood Jr.: He goes, son, one day you’re going to have to decide between singing your praises to your Lord and savior Jesus Christ or going to hell. 

Damon: Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds: That first time is a doozy. Your chest is beating and you feel like … Look if this don’t go well, I might vomit all over this person.

Damon: And Nikole Hannah Jones

Nikole Hannah Jones: Who’s coming for the rest of our kids? Who’s saving the rest of our kids, like if we won’t come for our kids, if we won’t throw our lot in with our folks, who will?

Damon: Join me for a trip inside my own brain, where race, sex, gender, and class converge to make everything messy as f***. 

Stuck with Damon Young is out now. From Gimlet and Crooked Media. Follow and listen for free only on Spotify.