The Villa’s Power Couple (with Mal Wright) | 59

well well well no no because i'm mad at you why now because i did something so wholesome yesterday oh and you have an attitude about it i went to a necklace making beaded workshop in uh silver lake yep i believe it was there laurel canyon i made this necklace and it was so like calm relaxing it felt very nostalgic i love doing something for my inner child oh you do yes i do and you had a big you said what why did you do that i said go ahead and finish emotionally finish that book first and then get to the beating now i was about to start the artist's way and now never oh yeah now i won't in protest okay because look what it's done to you i'm healed i'm blessed you should see my life shoulders been out shoulders are down titties are up it's awesome yeah oh my god i hate you sorry but we're in la can you tell hunter's beating we're in la everyone's like oh we know where she is yeah she's arts and crafting that's california yes yes yes um listen i'm wearing it well you are yeah we look good in la i'll come out and say it no i i agree but we were here for eats con we were we did a little live show at eats con los angeles and it was a lot of fun it was and the food actually like was so good there's a lot of really good food really good hand rolls i will say i want to hold space for the mother who kind of just happened to be in the audience that posted on her instagram a little too gen z millennial for me but my daughter loves the show shout out to that queen shout out to that queen shout out to that queen's daughter i do love being the source of a fight that i would have had with my mom yes like had i been in high school i almost was like wait did my mom post that because i think because she would she was also um but it was so fun getting to meet and hang out with people at eats con la um and then but my heart was in new york oh always because i don't know if you saw but um zoron mamdani won the democratic primary oh she said i don't know if you saw she called me stupid she said pain you do the news right wait where were you when you found out were you like watching it anywhere um no i was home i was home sitting on my couch i was oh you know i was taking out my braids that's what i was doing oh wow that's liberating that no literally i was taking out my braids and i was watching um i think i was probably watching uh love island usa but i was like following along like on my computer on my phone and literally someone texted me i think he's like gonna do it and i was like yeah wait i like kind of think so too because the early polling was like oh we might not know until like days later because of frank choice voting and um no it was like far and away he had an early lead and it was like oh it's impossible for cuomo to recover yeah cuomo boo hiss tomato tomato um where were you watching um i went to honeys in brooklyn which is fun the gayest place you can watch it for soft power vote was doing a watch party there so me and a bunch of friends went and we were same under the same impression that we were not gonna find out tomorrow so this is just an excuse uh to hope and dream and drink um and i was like oh my god i'm gonna watch it i'm gonna watch it i'm gonna watch it i'm gonna watch it i'm gonna watch it i'm gonna watch it and then all of a sudden uh my friend like runs over and was like i think cuomo conceded i think cuomo conceded i was like i feel like this that's veep right now and like we're part of it like we're doing the work it's like it's not even me but it's the newsroom yeah when when don is on that plane and tells the pilot that they found us that was eliza and rika's running over to me my little friend but like i do if the feeling in general to be in community around that moment felt i don't know i hadn't i didn't have that in a while like it's been we've had some a lot of i just want to say we've on a big losing streak actually it feels good for like something good like good to happen for once who knew i'm almost like waiting for the other shoe to drop like what could possibly happen now um i do have to say i love eric adams starting his like campaign he's running as an independent because he didn't want a primary um coward um with some people have no record some people are running from their record but i've got a good record it's like you literally gave diddy a key to the city what who's his copywriter give him a promotion because the things they do with copy and the video edits that they put out are like it's like get ready with me yes and he does nothing he's like it's like 9 a.m fully clock behind if it's 11 15 god no i'm sorry he really is a club rat first a comedian second and a mayor like 19th on the list yeah absolutely um but like i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know let's hope for that general election baby yeah that's good let's hit the pavement no like people are scared people like um business leaders had a meeting with uh eric adams because they're so afraid of um soren's win but also it really it does feel like a true coalition across like age gender um race sex like that he's won like bensonhurst like places that were deeply like supporting with cuomo yeah so keep that energy new york yes but we're going we're going on a road trip yeah where are we going tell them tell the people we're going to new orleans baby and what are we going to new orleans for we're doing essence fest honey it's a little bit of a girl's trip it's a little bit of a beauty con look at the mugs get a good look at the mugs they're not actually they could be better what was that what was that sound and don't talk to me if you don't have a side profile so we're going to be uh i think around like 10 if you're going to be there around 10 a.m on sunday essence fest new orleans yeah we're coming for you this is girls our girls trip let's pray we're friends by the end of it because that new orleans heat might bring out the worst in us after you already made fun of my little humble necklace the crazy thing is i didn't say anything about the necklace but you didn't say anything good about it so what does that mean like i said okay this week we're talking about the new york times list of the greatest movies of the 21st century and i'm so happy that we get to have another love island usa check in oh thank god and we're joined by mal right to talk about the ultimatum queer love in one and two yep so let me just say this let me say this are you looking for a home for your worst opinions are you a hater first but a lover of pop culture second consider this a glorified group chat but we're not calling you out no no no we're calling you in it's a safe space to touch it but of course from wondery i'm peyton dicks and i'm hunter harris and this is let me say this let me say this let me say this no because i've got this enough to say about ace i'm sure you do i fear and by fear i am just so excited that this has kind of become a love island recap podcast and i'm not complaining every week we're like what you talk about i don't know if i'm with again is that fine if it if it ain't broke don't fix it let's say that um okay so we're recording this on monday yes last night's episode was sunday heart rate challenge um so we're not super up to date if you're listening on wednesday but we will be and let me tell you my heart rate it was up okay okay who was taking it for you heart rate challenge who do you voted for i think the winners who were um sierra and nick yeah i had fun no because they were good and i love wait i saw someone on um maybe tiktok say like they need to dust off rob's like woody costume from last season for nick tour this season and chest on checkers that's exactly what they did i will say it was funny to watch the couples come out and like okay you're a demon angel and then you're a firefighter i'm like wait the craziest one was um uh tall ass chris was like a a chef okay you look like i thought he was a baby in a diaper this is not the bear lord jesus i i was so confused um who was taking it for you well your face don't say it hurricane huda when she literally did a cartwheel into that man's lap and then was like twerking upside down i was like wait yeah first of all it that's real body real cellulite not a bbl second of all i was like damn she really for someone who's been kind of relatively quiet um um few episodes she came in hot the weather report said hurricane headed you better get some umbrellas out truly they said batten down the hatches no um no i thought she was good i also thought shelly and ace they were kind of taking it for me ace's little fred flintstone ass i'm gonna make your bedrock and do you like these pebbles or fruity pebbles or whatever sorry he's oh it's like it'll be a cornball the better luck you up only if you're a lesbian or you're allowed to be corny um who was the worst to you obviously austin how is austin still in that villa i need that man evicted yesterday i can't austin yeah but also um alandria and uh elan oh it was like uncomfortable i'm like alandria leave that man alone leave taylor behind also like is alandria two pounds wait everyone just picks her up with one hand and throws her around every single man tossed her a glass body is tea is she body benty but it's just so funny that i was like does her head hurt like they are flipping and spinning her around i also have to say i loved like whenever they would cut away to like people like um like in between like just before someone comes out or just finishes and i was always like nixon and salandra like oh good job oh that was so proud of you wait they're they go to their heart Um, let's have that conversation. Uh, about Nicolandria? Yeah. No, no, no. We'll get there. Yeah. Um, while we're still on the make out challenge of it all, I need Shelly to pick up her bisexual crown. It's slipping. And Sierra said. Oh, Shelly and Sierra. Yes. No, Sierra, I think she was thinking about you. Oh. I think, I think someone had said, cause I made some TikTok and someone's like, her friends have kind of confirmed that she plays for both teams, but everyone's like, I'm gonna get me a Sierra kiss on the record immediately. Everyone was sucking her face. Yeah. And I was next in line. Well, no, I was thinking about you. I was like, oh, I wonder what Peyton thinks about all of this. Um, and I, Nic being like, wait, I wanted some kisses. Nic's like, everyone's going for Sierra. I want some kisses too. That one hot girl sat on, I know she's an op technically, but, um, Clark sat on Nic's lap, was like, don't worry, this isn't for you. Leans over and makes out with Sierra. I said, I love women. I love when feminism wins. You would like Clark. I don't say I like Clark. I like women kissing. Hunter's like, not me. That's not me. Um, let me tell you who came dead last, maybe even after Austin. Ooh. Taylor. Taylor. I hate Taylor. I hate his body. Sorry. I hate his body. I hate his stupid little grin. I hate the way that it's like, wait, like, no offense, like, be serious for one second. Like, at least like try to be a little bit sexy. I don't think he has the ability. No, I don't think he does either. And did you see the, um, like Twitter graphic that was like, last year we had PPG. Yeah. Like beautiful Bratz dolls, girls. And this year we have Ed and Eddie. Correct. And Taylor was like, wearing his, his like little locks coming down, like dry as hell. I'm like, ugh. Now you're saying get him a deep condition. I hate, no, get him some sacred. I hate to see him coming. I really do. I really do. Which is why Nicolandria was so exciting for a lover girl like me. Yes. But I think that there's something happening where, you know how Shelly got, like was right pretty pissed at Huda after like all she did on top of Ace, like multiple thrusts. Yeah. Camera had to turn, like turn away. No, Huda, dance background. Um, yeah, we saw it. We, we, we saw it. Period. Um, but so Shelly is mad at Huda because she felt like she was disrespectful, like doing too much on Ace during the challenge. But the way that the women were like, you know, backing her up being like, you are so valid to be like a little bit mad about this, um, made me think, will Sierra rethink her very like chill reaction to Nic and Alandria making out in soul ties. You said, will she? Yeah. I think she already has because Iris was like, hold on. I know, Iris pulled her aside, but I do think that like the way that everything that she was saying, like backing up Shelly, I was like, oh, this would be directed right, just a little bit to the right to Alandria. Yeah. But I think the circumstances are much different. They're very different. And I will say, I believe two things at once. Yeah. Very different. One, do I want Nicolandria's end game? For sure. Is it going to happen? Absolutely not. But that's fine. But I also think Iris, the first time she ever spoke was right to be like, that's, that's kind of uncomfortable and weird. I know you love and trust these people, but like, it's still fine to find issue with the fact that they made out in soul ties, a very sexual place, actually the least sexual place. No, it's not. It's, it's one big bed. It looks hard and it looks, it's all pink. I don't know. What do you want to be in the, in the, in the deck chairs? Maybe in the pool. Not that pool actually. No, not that pool. Because we know who cleans the pool. He's not, he's not doing a good job. He's not doing a good job. Austin's not doing a good job. Girl. Or he's doing a great job because he's not doing anything else but clean that pool. If you were Sierra, how would you feel? Upset. Absolutely. Really? Yes. Because, well, hear me out. I'm, she's going to be hot when she sees that clip back during movie night. Sierra's going to watch the way they made out and watch the way Nick grinning ear to ear, makeup all over, like rolled over into those pillows and like, well, come on. I think them making out is like. Like one thing. But the way that Nick was like pressing, like, and listen, Nick and Alandria are written in the stars. Like, that's like Lisa and Alkaid hours. Like they're, they're the ones who were promised. But I think that Sierra will be like, oh, you like were really flirting with her though. Yeah. That's kind of crazy. I do think. It wasn't just like a, let's try this and see what happens. Yeah. I think Alandria was telling the truth where she didn't seem as hyped and excited about their potential chemistry. It seemed like just something to do. That's because her brain was on Taylor. I need my sister to get up. Oh my gosh. I know. Bring back Jalen. Jalen was the other country boy. Yeah. And no one liked him, but I thought he was cute. I thought he really clearly had an interest in her. Yeah, that's true. And he seemed a little bit more shy, but so was she. She's a little bit more reserved. She gives eldest daughter boots. Like she gives like the, the, I had to be strong girl. It made me so sad when she almost got kicked off. Yeah. And she was like, I don't need, I'm not going to cry. I'm like, cry, like cry, babe. I know. I know. But I, I like. I just don't know. Okay. This is a kind of a strange time in the show. Like we've been like, you know, so familiar with these people for so long. Now that like Andreina is like, I'm kind of feeling Pepe. I was like, and you go ahead on and feel him. Cause who is she with right now? Exactly. Oh, the Dominican man. Yeah. He's like, he's pretty boring. But maybe there's something for him and Alandria. Pepe? No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe. I'm just trying to think who can she like partner up with or like couple up with. Do they bring in new bombshells after this? Or is that kind of done? I don't know. I don't know. But I'll tell you, we need to start doing some evictions. We really do. We need to start doing some evictions. Austin needs to have been gone. Yes. Um, who's the blonde girl that's not Iris? Grayson. Grayson with a Y. Grayson needs to go. Yeah. She's not bringing anything. Um, yeah. Andreina, Dominican man needs to go. Who else am I kicking out of the house? I also was going to say, I keep forgetting. Taylor, of course. Top of the list. We fly to Fiji tomorrow. We're like him. Just a yank his, just a yank him out. By the hair. No way. It's like lanky ass body. Oh, I don't want to touch it though. I don't want, he just seems so soft is what I was going to say. Every time. So like when, um, I didn't know that Huda was a personal trainer, I think, or something like that. So when I see her working out, I'm like, oh, she has a really good form. And then you cut to and see Taylor working out and it's, you're going to hurt yourself. You're going to, you're going to tear your Achilles heel. What the hell are you doing? There's like that video Snoop Dogg where he's lifting weights and he's just like. Like just lifting his shoulders up. I don't get it. I don't get the appeal of all these beautiful women being like, this is the man for me. No. I mean, in some, in some ways I was like, oh, I kind of, I can see how Taylor is like cute, but he's giving like goofy younger cousin to me. Like he's so, that's what I mean. The heart rate challenge. I was like, you need to like take this a little bit more seriously. Like you need to come with like, like, like put your chest out or something. I don't think it goes out. But it was just so like, oh my God. Like. Like you're not getting anyone's heart rate up. Yeah. You're like actually like pissing me off right now. Right now, if you had to pick like who's end game for you, who's number one winner? Um, definitely Ciara and Nick. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's the only people we have. Well, Shelly and Ace. Ace and Shelly. Listen, people were calling me everything but a child of God, but now my Ace defenders. No, there was a, there was a post. My Ace defenders have come to my rescue in the TikTok comments. I don't know. Things got scary for a bit. When you see hidden comments, I was like, oh shit, they're coming for her. There's a bunch of tomatoes. And listen, it's tomato season. Call me Lueve. I love a tomato. Oh my God. You're so straight. How is that straight? A Lueve tomato reference in 2025. Put it down. You're pissing me off right now. I'm, I'm like actually getting, you're getting on my nerves. This is a heart rate challenge. It's like my blood pressure is going up right now. No, you know who I feel like? Nick. Nick with Ilan being like, no, that actually pissed me off. Wait, did you think it was, did you think that was inappropriate of them? Their kiss? No, I didn't think so either. It's only inappropriate because I don't give a, I don't give a damn about Ilan. Oh, well, yeah. He needs to, speaking of people that need to go. Wait, but okay. He's like not doing anything. And he's so like, oh, I love Sierra. Like I want to be with her. And I'm like, but why? Yeah. You're like not, at least what I appreciate about Chris and the Chris, Ace, Shelly love triangle is that Chris is coming on the ones and twos. Yeah. He's, he's like bringing his best work. He said, my Sheree more, my Shelly more Stevie wonder, but he also is like, I really want to build something with you. And I see how close you are with Ace, but I still want to put an effort and put in work and Shelly respects that. And even him going to Ace and being like, listen, I, the situation is what it is. I want to respect you, but I also like, I care about Shelly. And Ace was like, period, brother. Damn. Yeah. He's like, I wish we could be friends. He's like, but you are my opps. Yeah. That was actually this. Cause I was like him. Chris, this is what we're looking at. I guess he's tall, but many women get, you know, sidetracked because the man is tall. But I do think that like, that was one of the sexiest moments to me when he pulled Ace aside and was so normal and chill. Yeah. Which is not, we don't get a lot of normal and chill in this show. No, no, no. And Ace who had previously been like, it's a competition, the Leo and him came out, but then even he was like, like, that's a really cool guy. Cause like the other, the other times that's happened, like Alandria and Clark or even Hoda and did she have a conversation with? Everybody. I, I, maybe, yeah, I guess it was, yeah, it was Irish at the time. Like it didn't go that well. Cause it, I mean, maybe there was like more emotion behind it, whatever, but, um, sexiest moment on the show. So far? So far. Cause I have a clear one. Um, I think mine would have to be from last night when Shelly, Sierra and Nick were all making out. So that was for me. That was for someone like me. I love when women get to work. I love the number three. i love paris this time of year you know oh my god and then a sprinkle of nick because i'm a little by sometimes this is a family this is a family this is oh well they're fucked whatever family's listening to this what's this saying they're fucked whatever it's so out of pocket um no sexiest one in the show for me was alandria saying oh i'm cold nick mid bite of a cookie takes off his shirt from the back takes off his shirt peels it off places it on her yeah and i think it was like maybe ace or taylor comes in and they're like like dude where's your shirt and nick's like alandria said she was cold and then taylor comes in oh tries to be like oh i'll give you a side hug from the back i was like yeah that middle school hug get out of here get out of here did you hear that side comment taylor made um oh that no one in the house likes you yeah that's what i mean no no that was before i think no it was after the it was after oh how nasty is that and you also know you saw who was whipping the votes to keep alandria in the house nick nick nick nick and ace got their heads together and they said uh now hold on and clark was like well i don't feel like i should vote and nick was like okay so don't vote great moving on boo don't vote yeah yeah yeah period no we need ace and nick in the streets canvassing for zoron that's where their best work goes we need them getting him into the mayor's house we do um i'm gonna say something kind of controversial maybe maybe not actually the ape shall not kill ape it won't be that it will ever be that dead ass needs to kill ape now we are the apes in question we're coming with a knife and a gun sorry yeah is there was this moment where speaking of you know people talking to their ops when clark and alandria went for a chat and something i sided with clark on was alandria kept you know i think our relationship needed this test like this is a test and aland and clark was like i don't love you referring to like my whole being as a test to your relationship where like you're coming to me let's say that behind my back at least but saying that woman to woman felt a little bit nasty to me i get where the pain is coming from but i didn't like that verbiage and it led me to think like we really treat these bombshells like harlots okay like it is they're brought in to the villa to like stir things up and like not be treated as real people because we obviously aren't emotionally invested in them and then thrown away and it feels my empathetic ass it feels kind of nasty you said you said bombshell work is real work that was funny see how i can make you laugh even when you piss me off see and what do i get and i get called to the red table no no no but no no no i'm reaching my hand across the table i have to no okay no no no no um listen sorry i read for alandria so clark being like i didn't like that she called me a test i was like well that's what you are oh t-e-s-t i guess what he failed he did a few times i didn't have a problem with that i don't like clark i something about her i don't i don't like the way she shows her eyebrows oh i i thought you're gonna say she's just monotone yeah and then it's just like maybe she and taylor honestly deserve each other yeah them talking about what kind of house they like oh sleek all white i was like okay so you want to live in a hospital totally totally um okay who needs to leave the island next one girl one boy one girl one boy okay i'm kicking austin out still he's still gotta go if you you have one bullet and you're taking austin out and not taylor well i sorry i enjoy good tv and i want to watch something good tv no well unfortunately i want to watch some more drama play out there so i've got to shoot austin for my own safety or i shoot myself okay if austin's not off my screen and then i am taking out grayson i hate a white bitch with a complicated name where's what's a complicated a y and grayson bell dash a too much who are you taking out they're gonna get mad at me but ariana what are you doing here the host i'm i want i want someone who's like in the trenches i want like i want like van zandt as a host i want nini leaks as a host i want someone who's like really like mixing stuff up hunter you're gonna get shot sorry and then of course and then of course taylor and then austin okay if i i'm not taking out a woman i would take out taylor and austin well you should have told me that before i killed a girl too late it shall not kill a girl i'm scared for what the the maddox is the ariana maddox is gonna say in your head because i think you're gonna watch vanderpump rules and i think you're gonna change your mind totally i mean no weapon formed against someone who hated tom sandoval shall prosper so i don't i'm light work in comparison okay well next week god i can't wait to do this all over again yeah yeah we're addicted okay hunter normally i don't say this normally i don't oh gosh but i actually love being gay did we all get that on the record and i'll never say it again pride is over but we have kind of like gay icon legend mother to many mother to me i'm gonna say yes yes icon on the pod with us today is mal right who is an nyc based creative and reality tv standout from netflix's the ultimatum season one hey what's up friends i feel like i'm in your living room i feel like i'm with my uh with my nieces right now because i'm very auntie all my sisters and i've come come to help yeah no no no i like i like being young so you can do that i'm the young spiritually an auntie though well thank you for being on the show we have a question that we ask everyone who comes on are you a lover or a hater i think i'm a lover i'd be trying to lean into hater sometimes though because i think like for the lore of it all but i i'm a lover truly i think you are a lover as watching you on the ultimatum i think you're a lover yeah you were kind of the only lover in the ultimatum in your season and i'll and hey let me wake that conversation up ops in the room yeah no we'll get into it later okay we have like a lover hater speed round edition okay okay lesbian version lover hater of you hauling um i'm gonna say hater did you see how slow i moved on the ultimatum to begin with okay lover or hater carabiner lover um utility utility is important um lover or hater chapstick lesbians lover because it's just you need it you need a good chapstick you need it and can you define that actually for people who might not know what a chapstick lesbian is and the person might be in the room with us i don't think she is but i just want to make sure if i'm honest i don't know if i know i just keep multiple chapsticks on me okay so you're both straight by the way 100 percent like wait like i wear chapstick like what does that mean i always have chapstick within my grasp wherever i am in the world okay and then closing us out lover hater of um being bi lover what because you don't want to get got you know the have you have you been creeping tapped into the discourse yeah i try to stay away from the buys versus the lesbians yeah i i just don't i don't love it like if you're bi you're just bi who like it's not that deep we're all on the spectrum somewhere a little something i love a diplomatic answer i know i think it's fine because she has a gun pointed are you sometimes at myself period i don't because some weekends you're by like i think that happens to people like i think even when you're a lesbian a wallowa if you will sometimes you're also bi i'm a chapstick carabiner wallowa and occasionally i find myself leaning curious i'll say it babe none of those words are in the bible just by the way but i love the way you identify we're gonna add that to your your bio yeah yeah breaking news here now by curious mal okay so i want to talk about the ultimate and if you haven't watched this show basically in the show every couple has been issued an ultimatum someone in the couple where either they marry or they move on and the conceit of the show is that you kind of switch partners and have a trial marriage with someone and then go back to your original partner and kind of see retest the waters see how you feel but i read that you worked on season two of this show on the casting team can you tell us a little bit about that i mean just as just as chaotic as what we've seen you know i i don't think i don't know i mean there's very there's different flavors of chaos but i think just as chaotic and and like heightened emotion and rollercoaster emotions and just a wild wild time um some of which really really fun and some of which really not fun you know um would i would i do it again immediately no you like do i regret it no i don't regret doing it but yeah i don't do you feel like you learned do you feel like you learned something thing about watching yourself like on the show and maybe how you like navigate relationships or navigate your own like emotions? Sure. You know, I think what you watch yourself by yourself, right? And then you watch yourself alongside discourse of the public. And that is really confronting. And there's some of which I felt inclined to defend. And then there was some of which that I was just like, well, you're not wrong. I know that editing comes into play, of course. But like what what people's general takeaway was sometimes wasn't wrong. And that was really hard to confront and sit with, you know? Yeah, I actually I always found that interesting, the difference between that experience and then Love Island, where we're having a discourse in real time, but they're not participating in it in any way, which actually seems really liberating than watching it back in real time with all of your peers and like Twitter.com. Right. Like that seems, I will say, like a prison. Yeah. But how many years are you removed out from this now? Two. How long has it been? Two years. Oh, OK. No, I'm lying to you. Like two and a half years, I think. Yeah. It feels both as someone who watched every single episode of your season and absolutely loved it like yesterday, but also feels like, oh, wow, that that that rocked me to my core watching Queer Ultimatum. Yeah. Hunter was questioning her allyship. She said, I don't know about these. I can't stand beside y'all no longer. I might have to step down. Yeah. She puts her brick on the floor. She's like, maybe it won't be me. But wait, can you also talk to us now on this end of it, working on the casting side and also maybe what you were looking for when you were helping with the casting process? Yeah. The casting side is interesting because there was I got interested in casting because I was the only black person on cast. And I was like, well, how does that happen? You know, and, you know, previous like experience working in H.R. and recruiting and all these types of things I kind of know or I thought I knew anyway. And so working in it now, it was interesting. You want to it's interesting to cast for it now, knowing that the people have seen the show when I did it. We hadn't seen it. We hadn't seen the straight version that wasn't out yet. We had no idea. There's a premise that's pitched to you, but you have no idea what it's going to look like. So we didn't we didn't have that. And I think I think the cast now, in my opinion, kind of had like an open book test, you know, so you're looking for people that don't want to be casted for it. And I think that's what's going to happen. famous, whatever that looks like, people that are actually at some sort of crossroads, people that are in real relationships, like, you know, a real couple. And you're trying to weed through that. You know, I remember crazy experience. I was talking to somebody and it seemed like they could have been potentially a fit. You know, they checked the boxes for people that could do the show. And then they break up with their partner. And this same person calls me back and they're like, Hey, me old girl broke up, but I have another one I could take on. And I'm like, I love lesbians. Wait, just wait that. Oh, my God. No, no, you can't do that. It's not. But wait, was what was there not some small part of me like actually amazing TV? Like I love I it's like, oh, my God, lightning in a bottle. Like, truly, you found someone who is a star. We need to remember that lesbians can be fuck boys, too. Like, like, equal opportunity when it comes to gender here. Like, like, no, lesbians will ruin your life as well. Yeah. Wow. Were there any in the casting process, any specific qualities that you were looking for? Or even qualities that were like a big turnoff that you're like, oh, my God, red flag, like they are just here to be famous. Kind of that. I mean, people would say that, you know, which I get it. I respect it. I get it. Especially in the age of like reality TV. Now, I get why people might think they want to, you know, like, couldn't use it as an opportunity. I get that. Um, but that's something that we don't look for. And there were people that are very honest about that. It's just like, you know, yeah, I want to do it. But also, I have this business that I want to leverage and, you know, blah, blah, blah. So I love when you're watching reality TV and someone's like, yeah, so I'm a singer. I sing and then like find an excuse to like do a medley over and over and over. And it's like, so we know why you're here. And the singing career that you're trying to plot is not no one's picking it up. But I will say this cast feels exactly that very authentic. Their experience seems 100% real. A lot of them seem almost not uninterested in the process, but like having a lot of fear, reservations and hesitations around doing this in a very public way. And you can sense that. Did you have any favorite couples from this season working on it or what you've seen so far? Honestly, not favorites. No, I think I had like, I think I had like, I had vested interest in some couples, you know, like, from a protection standpoint. I think when I think about couples, and I think about the couples that are the only of any demographic, I'm like, what are y'all doing? You know, I'm like, watching real close. And I'm like, please, please, please. I love what you just did there. You know, and I think that's natural. Like that just comes up. I think that I was really hoping, for all of them that they just did what was true to them. And they just like made the best moves, especially under the public eye. You can't you can never predict I talked to one of the cast members recently. And I'm like, I could have never predicted how the public would react to you guys. Right? Like, and that's a hard thing. I think I feel not responsible, but I definitely feel really soft for all of them. Regardless of what we've seen them do. I'm like, because you just can't predict it. You know, the state of the world is wild. You see people are going to take what they're going through and they're just going to have like something new to watch and channel all their shit right at you. And I don't even think they actually mean it as harshly as it comes off. I think it's just a bunch of other stuff going on. And I could have never predicted that the public would response so like hyperbolic one way or the other. I could have never, you know, that part sometimes I sit and think about when I see discourse, I'm like, oh, gosh, I hope they don't see this. You know, I have a really specific question. Just because I do see the way the masks are portrayed in the show tend to be very in line with the way we talk about like how masks versus maybe femmes move. OK, you're a little bit of a player. I mean, AJ, if you're listening right now, cool it, brother. But like AJ was not called in. AJ was called out. AJ was. AJ was called to the red table. The red table. Oh, the table turned red, actually, mid-conversation. And that's like with love and respect to all of them and their journeys. But I found myself being like, oh, is this a little bit of a representation of the mask shortage? And do you think that there is a mask shortage right now? Ooh, me and my partner talk about this all the time. She often says, I think it's where you're at, too. I think like geographically, there might be a mask shortage in some places. And the more that we get like fluid and expression and move away from these binaries, the more I think it feels like there's this mask shortage. I don't know. I don't know. And I think it's because I'm not looking. I'm not looking for masks or looking at them. So I'm unsure. But maybe I hear the femme saying it. I was a femme saying it. And then I was like, ooh, I like wore one boy short. I'm like, wait, mask are happening here. No shortage in this house. I was like, I don't know. Yeah. We got masks at home. And it's me in like a big T-shirt. Like, I just felt really interesting to me because I was like, oh, I'm watching all these like femmes kind of go for who I thought they would maybe go for. And the way the coupling works out, you actually see a lot of crossover with like more masculine folks leaning with each other, more femme folks leaning each other in a way that I think proves exactly what you're talking about, where there's a lot more expression that's opened up for these people because of that. Yeah. Which is really cool. I think the show is also. I mean, we just got to call it like there's it's not we're not hiding it, right? Like, I think we just have to call it the way we see it. And the show is very binary in experience and like heteronormative in that experience where like it's it's positioned to be like mask and femme and to emulate kind of the straight version when I'm not sure. Like, I live in New York and I think you're in L.A., you guys are in L.A. or back and forth. And in the metro cities, I think we see a lot more like fluidity. And I think the main why. I mean, if you're in the midwest, if you're a watcher, which is the Midwest, I think they're probably pretty like mask and femme. And so the show shows that way. Yeah. You know, I was going to ask, do you think there's something about the ultimatum that makes it more like open or better for like a queer experience versus like a love is blind? I'm not like there's not that kind of queer equivalent for those shows. I don't know if I think it's better. I do think that it belongs. It's in the library of like queer media. I think it has a place. Right. But do I think it makes it better? I don't know if I think it makes it better or worse for that matter. I do like I do like the discourse that it that it triggers amongst the community. I love that. I love that. We're all like talking about things in our relationships and if we would do it or wouldn't do it. And like, I really like that does that. I like that. It allows straight people who might not watch otherwise watch because a lot of straight people. Watch it. I just have to ask if you think I should be the host. Yes, I should be that. i just want you to in camera say i do i petition that peyton dick should be the host of queer ultimate honestly i was thinking when you were asking that maybe peyton dicks should be we should try if she should be the host maybe i don't know that's what i was thinking i've actually we only brought you on the spot i got to do just that you would be like coaching from the sidelines if you were the host it would be crazy i would be instigating you're like why is peyton in the shot right now she shouldn't be you're like literally lingering the back of the shot haunting every couple what do you think about the feedback on um having a straight host versus having a queer host i mean i think the people that so casting works like this there's a huge team i don't know if you guys know or not i don't mean to be like no please educate us but there's a whole team of mass explaining there's a whole team of people uh that work for the production team or for the like kinetic content right and then netflix purchases the show purchases the show they make the final decision on who the cast is going to be we like you know filter through through the people and ask the right questions and see if they you know are equipped to be on the show but we don't make the final decision on anybody so the host is a netflix that's a netflix thing that's not that's not a kinetic thing you know and she has other shows on netflix and so i think from a netflix standpoint from a business standpoint i think it makes sense for us a queer standpoint we're like wait a minute what are you what are you doing you know and it couldn't be it couldn't be like i see a lot of queer comedians but i don't know if they're equipped to host like that type of show you know what i mean yeah does this make sense yeah yeah yeah so it's not us i wish it was a queer host i do me specifically though is what you said yeah that's what i was saying okay took the words out of my mouth mal's like get me i was literally never coming back truly oh my gosh this is a self-tape now my goodness i'm gonna see you out in brooklyn you're like oh not her trying to pitch herself again um i'm also you know i'm curious how did your life change after becoming like the fan favorite from last season i really thought i was gonna just return back to my regular job if you don't know anything about me i am a virgo through and through grown as hell i want to go back to work i just want to go to my regular job clock in clock out it works for me i'm happy about that um and i don't love uh like losing anonymity i i kind of missed that part um but it did change for better in the way of like the communities that i've that i've tapped into now and using my voice more being a little more vocal than i normally would have been um like advocating for us and really just like living truly as i am which is sometimes serious sometimes diabolical goofy as hell like i get to show an array of one human and and like i'm okay with that you know yeah wow what a what a great answer that's so inspiring i love a beyonce oh hey we love a virgo placement yes virgo rising by the way so let's go see each other and we're locked in i want to ask what were the um formative like queer movies that raised you you know what really got me i don't know if this is problematic to say or not but um she hate me a spike lee movie have we seen this yeah absolutely raised me i remember renting it in block at blockbuster in high school and i remember having it for so long we got so many late fees for this movie i was running it in the ground and i knew i was gay but nobody else knew and my mom was like what is this movie that you're watching she's like pissed and i'm like i don't know i don't know what that is you know but i think that movie really did it i think paris is burning did it i think i can remember early on i was like hooked on madonna's uh like a prayer music video i should have known then yeah i was like well that's the gayest thing you've ever said yeah i should have known i was like why do i love this so much deep in my like little seven-year-old spirit like i love this music video um who else the l word of course you know i was like hooked on tasha oh of course tasha representation see i've loved i've loved it yeah um and i could relate to her so i think that's yeah queen latifah i thought mc light was gay forever she's not there's a lot of those there's a lot of wait i actually get surprised when women except for aren't lesbians oh i was just like no well you're i mean you're good a thumbs up was crazy sorry that thumbs up was really that was the straightest thing i've ever seen yeah that was really upsetting if straight people had a slur this would be it i'm so sorry but wait i'm curious about that were there any early gay icons that you either saw yourself in or you know just thought were hot and maybe unlock something here i don't think i knew like like early on i don't think i knew my my parents were both immigrants um and like the media that we consumed in the house was like jamaican stuff or we're listening to like salsa all day because my dad was like non-stop and playing like congas at home so like i didn't get to see i don't remember seeing queerness around me or on television i just knew i felt different you know um and i didn't know who i could share that with either i just didn't understand why i didn't like the boys like all the other girls did you know so i don't know i didn't have like an icon until i got older i didn't really have like somebody that i could i could mirror i think maybe like the only gay person i knew was was my cousin and i found out about her in high school but like that was like my icon if you will you know i didn't really have anybody else i could look up to there's ellen but not relatable to me i wanted to see somebody that looked like me in the world you know you can put ellen back down yeah she doesn't we don't have to bring her into the room yeah i want you guys i forgot about her yeah yeah we bleep it like it's a curse word blur my mouth yeah mal thank you so much for being on the show um where can people find you where can people follow you um i go by mal on everything perfect thank you so much thank you see you soon bye so the new york times did a list of the hundred greatest movies of the 21st century and the times like made their own list and they also courted um a bunch of people like filmmakers actors direct directors writers um people who just are on letterboxd a lot um said with love um to submit their list of like the top 10 movies of the century so far and i'm kind of obsessed with both the list and also the best like ballots yeah on the list um and i'm kind of obsessed with the list of the best like ballots um movies on the list phantom bride is at 25 uncut gems is at 58 before sunset at 49 ladybird at 39 um number one movie of the century guess what it was did you see online i did and i forgot it though parasite yes wait that was a parasite yeah um which work i was gonna say i was curious for you if there are any big misses on that list that you oh a ton oh um oh my goodness i was really shocked first of all i was kind of shocked that tree of life was so low i think it was in like the 40s i expected that to be much higher like at least in the 20s um uh park chin walks the handmaiden i was shocked that wasn't on the list um what else i was kind of surprised at hale county this morning this evening the romell ross documentary wasn't on the list um i was surprised that best in show which i love that movie but that was on a lot of people's lists yes like a lot of people's ballots and like pretty high like final list um which period yeah and what else was i surprised oh i'm happy to like fish tank the andrew arnold movie was on the list i don't know i don't know i don't know um oh my god you would love oh really you would love yeah okay yeah um so good like really fucked up and crazy but like really really good and you said you would love no you need that girl um what else i was kind of surprised that i don't know i guess i feel like spike lee was like kind of underrepresented on the list yeah um but a lot of paul thomas anderson on the list yeah which i guess just in terms of like output of like the like decade and a half so far plus like um how like active people have been i'm like oh there's like you know quite a bit of paul thomas anderson do you have any favorite ballad what would be on your list well let me let me be clear about something didn't do her homework i didn't do my homework you and mrs tanu in seventh grade would say the same thing um so of course i also thought it was five movies instead of ten i don't subscribe to the new york times yeah i stand on business okay one woke friend we get it so i came up with five movies that i was like okay and obviously it was hard to put all of my bad taste aside like i put i'm expecting twilight one two three and four obviously and then remember me to close us out we have to have a separate podcast just to talk about remember me that was a crazy time um okay but obviously yes twilight but specifically new moon is on my list which one which number and the second one the depressed one one. The one about depression. not the katherine hardwick one not the one directed by a woman no fake oh i didn't say i stand on feminism i stand on business it's a man's world so twilight new moon and then spirited away shout out to our producers and shout out to lesbians everywhere magic mike xxl jada pinkett smith i remember that scene and you do have a strap and i'm ready to see what you do with it tangerine and portrait of lady on fire are my appropriate five everything else is for off the pod dm me and i'll tell you what it is off the pod hot like dm you to do for what for for my extras for my bonus clips to be clear extras you mean just the the rest of the 10 the other five okay yeah paywall that's my personal wondery plus and give me your um very elevated curated hunter-dator homework on time turn in an early 10 list okay to be clear i took this as not necessarily my favorite 10 movies okay but like movies that i really think are like best of the best represent the last 25 years yeah like in all ways number one birth you love to talk about birth i do i do i really think and also it's like i feel like there should be one jonathan glazer movie on here um and i did you know really appreciate i think the zone of interest is so um incredible and i'm so happy that it was on this list and like so high i don't think it was recency bias at all but i do i have to go with my gut and choose there has to be some nicole kidman on the list somewhere i mean my god um okay this is not any real order um birth moonlight phantom thread memories of murder the bon junho movie that is i think better than parasite um wolf of wall street lady bird of course nickel boys great yeah really tour um 25th hour which i think is maybe my favorite spike lee movie the social network which i have that has to be my favorite spike lee movie the social network which i have that has to be my favorite spike lee movie the social network which i have that has to be my favorite had to be on the list come on come on multiple countries are destabilized right now because of that movie um and then ratatouille ratatouille is excellent get me out of this get me out of this podcast no no i will say my two honorable mentions that i couldn't find a place for um are the incredibles and a prophet you have such fun taste hunter that was a great thank you to your pause she was like i don't believe this compliment no because you pissed me off 20 minutes ago oh let it go we're new people now that was a great thing about me i don't let it go oh only children you should know about me um no i'm really proud of this list it's good but i also feel like it was really hard deciding between phantom thread and there will be blood but i do think that there are more i don't know i think phantom thread it's like it's such a like two-hander in some ways three-hander with leslie manville too i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know and there will be blood it really is like it's kind of paul dano and um daniel a lewis you know how i know your list is good what it's because every new mention i wanted to press play like it like was like oh i should re-watch that or yeah yeah yeah i mean nickel boys i think just is like the most spectacular movie of the last 10 years go back to the episode that we talk about it so whichever one it is so good um and wolf of wall street listen i write a lot of people had wolf of wall street on their list i was very impressed a lot of people had the departed on their list i said and where were you when i was in seventh grade and had no friends yeah where was that energy then weren't you tweeting about the rap from the departed like for at least a few years straight you're like this morning i do actually and i write for her and you pull out your phone and right now acts of a generation people try to no no my nice just you don't fuck with my sis and it's the rap she wrote across the railing and she knew exactly what she was doing she took it we both we have different kind of mental honestly happy pride to her no what it's over prize over oh sorry i like too close to the sun well um let us know in the comments what would be on your list a little a little cta that was cool thank you well that's it for this week as usual we are too online so you don't have to be um i do want to hear people's lists in the comments i do genuinely want to know yeah tag us spotify comments dm us post on on at let me say this yes please do that especially if it's like um a list of just twilight movies and then remember me you have community here you're safe here that's all right we stand by chris and rob whatever they do whatever mistakes and you know who we also stand by ace all five feet six inches of him drop that collective we uh but i do hope that we see you at essence fest catch us at beautycon stage yeah see you this weekend hopefully um follow us on socials at let me say this pod at hunter h and at peyton dicks let me say this is hosted by me peyton dicks and me hunter harris let me say this is a production of wondery you I'll go off when I want let me say this yeah oh my god yeah we love it till we hate it yeah get your face I'ma talk let me say this let me say this let me say this is hosted by me peyton dicks and me hunter harris let me say this is a production of wondery production services by dcp entertainment for dcp the producer is ryan ronkema the executive producers are adele coleman and felice leon our theme song is by scott velasquez for wondery eliza mills is a development producer our managing producer is taylor sniffen nick ryan is our senior managing producer our producer is kate young our senior producer is brian taylor white the executive producers are aaron o'flaherty and marsha louis hi i'm nicole phelps global fashion news and features director at vogue and co-host of the run-through podcast each week on the show our listeners get an all-access pass into the world of vogue on tuesdays join me as i interview influential designers like calvin klein rachel scott and simone bellotti on thursdays join chloe mal head of editorial content at vogue us and choma nadi british vogue's head of editorial content as they explore fashion through the lens of culture with guests like doja cat and margot robbie listen and watch the run-through with vogue wherever you get your podcasts and vogue's YouTube channel.