Why Can't Christians Take a Joke? Chaz Smith Doesn't Hold Back

Chaz Smith, the Vine legend behind Water Malone , sits down with Chelsie Baham on The Diamond Podcast to talk about the unplanned path that took him from a New Jersey basketball court to millions of followers online. We get into his NBA dad, the terrifying car ride where he quit basketball, why he doesn't like most people, the church's complicated relationship with comedy, and what Christian dating culture gets so wrong.

Plus: bad haircuts, wild DMs, and whether God actually has a sense of humor.

Timecodes:
2:15 “Water Malone” & going viral
8:40 Leaving basketball + family pressure
18:30 Faith, humor & church culture
32:10 Why people get offended
45:20 Dating & “God told me…” conversations
58:00 People-pleasing & boundaries
1:10:00 Who Chaz really is off-camera

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New episodes drop every other Tuesday.
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Website: https://chelsiebaham.com
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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.

SPEAKER_02 0:02

It's watermelon. Inside of watermelon! This is my senior year. I'm like, alright, I got all this free time on my hands. What do I want to do? Start making YouTube videos. Like that's time consuming. It is. But I've been watching Vines for like two or three months because it came out in January 2013. Finally decided to start making them in May. And then had a lot of fun doing it. Kept making them, and then within I think like six weeks was when I posted. Yeah. Over the summer was when everything started to take off. And I was like, oh, this is cool. So I just kept doing it. Um, I think it's because it makes it easier to deal with the discomfort we have with whatever we haven't worked through yet. Um I think some of the best comedians are able to take things that are very taboo and talk about them in a way that people haven't considered before.

SPEAKER_08 0:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

That's extremely relatable or just outright funny. I heard this quote one time, I think my friend said it. Super wise dude. I'm probably gonna butcher it, I'm trying to paraphrase it, but anything that you can't criticize is an idol. And I was like, um, hey dad, I got uh, oh dad, I got um, I got something I want to talk to you about.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

It's like what's up shaking out already before he even got it out.

SPEAKER_04 1:32

Hey, I'm shaking, he starts the wet into the car.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

It's like um, so uh I decided uh I don't want to play basketball going into college. And this was this was his response. Kid you not, you could ask him this. Probably this is the first time I ever heard him say anything like this, too. Which is like basketball. It's all good now. Just before I want to preface this before I say what I'm about to say. He goes.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

Action in three, two, one.

SPEAKER_06 2:01

What's up, y'all? Welcome back to the Diamond Podcast. We got a good one today. We have content creator, I don't even know how what his title is. Content creator, social media influencer, uh, anime creator, which we'll talk about a little bit later. And I would also add comedian in there. You might have seen this man when Vine was still a thing. Mr. Walter Malone. We have Chad in the building. Thank you for joining. Thank you for having me. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 2:34

I'm doing all right.

SPEAKER_06 2:35

You doing all right? Why just alright?

SPEAKER_02 2:38

I'm just being honest. I'm like, I don't know, it's a long drive from being OC now.

SPEAKER_06 2:42

Yeah, you are you were in LA before.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Yeah, like I was walking across the street. I didn't even I didn't even get a chance. I hardly got a chance to get out of my car. I'm walking across the street. Dude in a what was it? I don't know, a porch or something, like threatening to run me over. He sees me getting out-cause my door's been open for 30 seconds at this point.

SPEAKER_07 2:58

What do you mean threatening to run you over?

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Like I'm I'm getting I was already getting no, I'm already getting out the car. Okay, beginning my walk across the street, and he's looking me dead in my eyes, just pushing the car forward. I'm back in LA. No. So I'm alright.

SPEAKER_06 3:16

Well, I want to get into it. I first, you would you say vine is a thing that like blew you up?

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Yeah, I'd say that was the start.

SPEAKER_06 3:23

Yeah, the watermelon. Tell me, tell me about that.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Like um, I was bored.

SPEAKER_06 3:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Yes. Yeah, I was uh I I played basketball all the way through high school, but I knew I always wanted to do something in entertainment, just whatever. Did not think it was gonna be social media related. I started like I made a couple YouTube videos first because when I decided, like, oh, I'm I don't want to play basketball anymore going into college. Um, this is my senior year. I'm like, all right, I got all this free time on my hands, what do I want to do? Started making YouTube videos. I was like, that's time consuming. It is, but I've been watching Vines for like two or three months because it came out in January 2013. Finally decided to start making them in May, and then had a lot of fun doing it, kept making them, and then within I think like six weeks was when I posted over the summer was when everything started to take off. And I was like, oh, this is cool. So I just kept doing it.

SPEAKER_06 4:12

Yeah, what what made you stop wanting to play basketball? And did your parents like kind of push you into basketball because of your height?

SPEAKER_02 4:19

My dad in particular, yeah. Um, so he played in the NBA for the Clippers, Knicks, and Spurs.

SPEAKER_05 4:27

Sorry, it is what it is. I I go when you say clippers, it's like, oh you a Lakers fan? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Yeah, it makes sense. Okay, yeah, so but uh he always wanted me to play because um because he played. Yeah, yeah. I I never really wanted to. I more so wanted to play just to please him.

SPEAKER_08 4:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

Um, but it wasn't what the thing that I had a like I was super passionate about.

SPEAKER_06 4:51

And you have to be passionate about that to make it to that level.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

It's a job. It is, especially going into college, like you you're a full-time student. Full-time athlete. You would be a full-time athlete, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

So it's it's a lot of work. I just knew like I'm not being honest with myself if I if I keep playing with this.

SPEAKER_06 5:04

So, how did your parents feel when you decided to like my mom was cool with it?

SPEAKER_02 5:08

My dad was not he was not cool with it. Um took him a minute to adjust, but it was a funny story. We would go on vacation to uh this spot. Hope it was like a really nice like family area on the East Coast every summer. And this one summer we went when I was like finally started making vines, um, people would always recognize him wherever he goes, still now, just either whether it's for his height, because he's he's 6'10. Yeah. Massive six. Six foot ten. My mom's 5'4, I'm 6'3, so she'd like to be. Oh my god. She stifled a little bit. You're brother. But people always point him out for his height, and then every now and then people recognize him because oh, yo, that's Charles really playing the lead. And so there's this one time we were on uh vacation, he comes home and he was like bewildered of it. I was like, what happened? He said, Yeah, I was I was walking outside and I saw a group of kids like across the street and they were pointing at me, yelling. I was like, oh, they probably recognize me. And one of them yells out, Look, it's grandpa watermelon. And he started cracking up. Grandpa Watermelon. Not even, not even like Papa Watermelon. That would be kind of weird, like daddy watermelon. Daddy. Um, but when when that happened, he was like, Oh, snap, something's actually going on here.

SPEAKER_06 6:20

This is a thing, yeah. So, how was that conversation when you decided to say yo, dad? Like, how did that go?

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Oof, I was in the car on what was it back heading back home from practice one day, I think. And I knew I had to tell him. I had already told my mom because I knew she was gonna be cool with it. Yeah, I need like that. And so uh I'm in the passenger seat, he's driving around the highway. I remember exactly where we were in New Jersey on the 280.

SPEAKER_06 6:46

That's how you know this is a memory.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

This is a core memory. Yeah. And I was like, um, hey dad, I got uh I was like, oh dad, I got um, I got something I want to talk to you about. He's like, what's up?

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Boy saw shaking out already before I even got it out.

SPEAKER_04 7:05

Hands shaking, he talks to the went into the car.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

I was like, um, so uh I decided uh I don't want to play basketball go going into college. And this was this was his response. Kid you not, you could ask him this. Probably this is the first time I ever heard him say anything like this, too. It was just like massive. It's all good now. Just before I want to preface this before I say what I'm about to say. He goes, Oh, okay. Really feel like you could have made it to the NBA. I said, now you want to say I turned like you know that that cry when you're just like angry out the window like this? I was so mad, but um, yeah, ultimately it's fine. Like I knew, even looking back, it was like I I never really wanted to do it.

SPEAKER_06 7:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

So yeah, it's straight.

SPEAKER_06 7:55

So when Vine kicked off, uh what was your plan? Did you say, like, yo, this is, you know, I'm going viral. I'm gonna continue to become because like at that time, Vine was what, 2013, 2014? At that time, social media isn't what it is today. So what was your like goal? Was it just like keep posting and see where it would take you? Like, what was the what was the plan? There was no plan. There was no plan. You just wanted to have fun.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Actually, my plan was uh, because I started making vines in my summer 2013 as I was going into my freshman year of college. And um by the end of my freshman year, I just because I took a video class, I decided, oh, I want to go into film production full-time. I wasn't even thinking of vine as anything. Yeah, like that was also I wasn't really considering social media as a career. As a career. At that time it wasn't a thing, right?

SPEAKER_06 8:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Um, so I was so like freshman year, I was like, oh, I want to go to NYU for grad school, get into like Tish film production program, never want to go to LA. That's what I said. So funny. Um you ended up in LA. Yeah, that's another story. I I uh by the end of my senior year of college, I had gotten into NYU and had an internship in LA at a production company for two months, June and July. So I was like, oh dope, I'll be able to go learn some stuff in LA, come right back to the East Coast and start at uh grad school in September. At the end of my time in LA, something clicked and I was like, wait a minute. I've been just not even trying and just having fun making content. And I got like hundreds of thousands of followers just off of having fun. Maybe there's something here. Yeah. Like, Laura, you might be doing something.

SPEAKER_08 9:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

So that was when I decided, like, yo, I'm gonna just give this a try. I can always go back to school later, but why not strike while the iron's still hot, you know? And so that was when I decided to keep making content and not go to school for film production. Okay, and then it was that was at the end of August, and then by like December, January going into the next year was when everything really started to take off.

SPEAKER_06 10:01

Which was what, like 2015?

SPEAKER_02 10:03

This was 2017 going into 2015. Yeah. Um that was when YouTube started taking off more, Facebook took off, Instagram took off, and then a couple years later, TikTok took off. Um, and there was never really a plan for it. I was just like, let me just try and see what happens. Yeah, it just worked out.

SPEAKER_06 10:22

Have you always been that type of guy where it's just like, you know, who knows where this will lead, but I'm just gonna do my thing?

SPEAKER_02 10:28

No, it's not in everything. I think in that particular area, that's how it worked out. Just only social media.

SPEAKER_06 10:36

Only social media.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

For other stuff, I'm like, I tend to be like a plan A, no plan B type person.

SPEAKER_06 10:42

Really?

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Yeah, I'm I'm more of an put all your eggs in one basket. Oh, one basket. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:46

You think there's benefit in that?

SPEAKER_02 10:48

Um it's it's I think uh it's not a true story, but I I think it was debunked. That's not a true story, but there's this principle, this idea that like or the story I was told about these these people who were going to war on these ships, and there was like like they were trying to land on an island or on the shore or whatever, and their enemies that they were fighting, um it would have been easy for them to push them back. So the leader, general of the army, told him, like, yo, burn the ships, because then it's like, oh, we have no other option. We it's either we beat them or we die. Like, there's no, so I mean it it kind of puts in some ways a healthy pressure on me to be like, hey, let me take this seriously, not be flippant about what I'm doing, and really go in and figure out like just by any means necessary, do what I gotta do. Yeah, so that's a benefit. Yeah, um, it's not the most practical way to do stuff.

SPEAKER_06 11:39

It's got me far though, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

But but there's also I know in my mind, like, if this, whatever I'm doing doesn't work out, there are always other options I can go to. Yeah. But I'm not like planning them out.

SPEAKER_06 11:51

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

You know.

SPEAKER_06 11:52

Was um were your parents people of faith? Because your content has, you know, streams of faith in there. So were your parents people of faith? How did that affect you? And do you think God had a sense of humor or do you think he just created you to prove that he did?

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Okay. You asked two different questions here. I'm gonna answer the first one first. My parents. So my family and I like I grew up going to church from the time I was really young. That's one thing. On the other side, I know I knew the Lord from a very young age. Because there's plenty of people who go to church and just never know Jesus for real. My mom and her mother, the two greatest influences, had like some of the greatest impact on me growing up, um in terms of my walk with the Lord. So yes, absolutely. Like my whole family go to church together. Um in terms of God having a sense of humor. Absolutely. There's different stories in scripture that I read that I think are just so funny that go over people's heads because it's like it's not written for the sake of you know, yeah, of comedy narratively. But like uh one moment I always laugh at is when Jesus was talking with the woman at the well. And um the disciples- I know you're like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_05 13:09

What part of that story is?

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Like he's talking with the woman at the well, and um all the disciples go off to like go get some food because they were hungry. And they asked him, like, well, before she gets there, like uh they're like, yo, Jesus was about to go into town, grab some food. Anything you anything you want? He's like, I got that food you don't know about. They're like, hmm? What are you talking about? And they come back, and um I forgot the exact order, but correct me, whatever. Anyway, I think that's hilarious. Just like all their faces. Did you ever watch tangent? You ever watch Roll Bounce?

SPEAKER_06 13:40

Yes, I've seen Roll Bounce.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

You remember that moment when they were all like staring at Bow Wow talking to uh I think it was mega good, and they were like, yo, what was he saying?

SPEAKER_06 13:47

And what I was like, oh, yeah, because that's kind of that's kind of like a weird sandwich. That's kind of like a weird thing for Jesus to say.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Yeah, it was just like he was being serious, but it's so funny because the reactions are like, yo, wait, did somebody go get him food when we were looking? Like, what happened? I think that's so funny. I don't think I told it in the most funny way.

SPEAKER_06 14:03

But if you were, I couldn't imagine you being a disciple during that time, you would probably be cracking up at Jesus and he's just trying to be like, bruh, yeah, I'm being serious in this moment. I am living water.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

But then on top of that, when they come back, he's like, he's already knowing what they're thinking, just purely off their facial expressions alone, because they're watching him talk to this woman one-on-one at the well after you just told him, like, no, I'm gonna stay here, and they're like, uh, what is what's going on? Like, yo, Jesus, you good? So I think uh bottom line, I feel like the fact that we have senses of humor and that laughter is so important to human connection and relationship is evidence in itself that God has a sense of humor. So just like we're made in his likeness, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_06 14:50

I I don't know when this will air, so I'm not gonna say this is recent, but the Drewski skit.

SPEAKER_07 14:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:58

Okay, like comedy makes in church spaces people a little bit uncomfortable at times. Why do you think that is? Do you think it's because there's a level of truth and honesty in some of these uh skits that people do? Because like you have the Kevon stages that come in churches and kind of clown on some church culture. Why do you think comedy in church spaces sometimes is like a little awkward?

SPEAKER_02 15:22

I think because people idolize church culture and think that everything about church is meant to be serious, taken seriously, or supposed to be treated only with reverence. There's some stuff, a lot of stuff with modern church culture, especially in the West, that's just that really needs to go. Um and I don't know, we can't I can't really say what Drewski's intent on it. I don't think he was necessarily trying to make a commentary on it. I think he was just pointing out things that he sees that are true that are kind of wild and making light of that. I think that's great. I think it was funny, and I think people were offended because there are things about it that are true, are very true. Absolutely. Um but I feel like people hold on too tightly to I mean, kind of like kind of like the Pharisees a little bit, like their old traditions and ways of doing stuff, and whenever somebody said it, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:18

Like, do you think the church confuses reverence with rigidity? Like to have reverence for God and to because a lot of people had an issue with Drewski because they're like, oh, he's mocking the church, yada yada yada.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

People were saying he's mocking God. Mocking God well, nah.

SPEAKER_06 16:34

And the and the issue is like if he's mirroring exactly what he sees, like we too, whoever he's like imitating, I mean it says a lot about those type of people because he didn't do anything that was necessarily like fault, he didn't make anything up, he was kind of just really mimicking.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

I heard this quote one time, I think my friend said it. Super wise dude. I'm probably gonna butcher it, I'm trying to paraphrase it, but anything that you can't criticize is an idol. Like if there's something that I I did not word that well the way he said it was just like, oh, that was perfect. But if there's something that you hold close to that you have and you see not like or a person, culture, whatever, and you see nothing wrong with it, then that it's very likely that you're holding it in a place of idolatry. I think that's something that like came out in all the comments and commentary that people are making.

SPEAKER_06 17:32

I know people are going crazy about it, but I do think it's a little bit like the Pharisees who are trying to up like this is the way to do it. How dare you? This and it's like they miss what's right in front of them because they're tied down to their idea of religion and law. And you still see threads of that in church culture where it's like we're missing Jesus a little bit because we're trying to stay tied down to this law. And like, I think joy is one of the things we miss. Like, we're I too think God has a sense of humor. Um, He gave us the ability to laugh. And you look at some church people, you're like, Are you good? Do you have the joy of the Lord? Because it's giving not.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:12

You know what I'm saying? So I think there is, and maybe it's a generational thing. Um, there is this confusion with like reverence and honoring a space with like being rigid. And yeah, I just think life would be so much better if people could laugh. Church is a place where we can we can laugh.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Yeah, I agree. I think we need to take stuff more lightly and just consider like sometimes what people what somebody needs isn't necessarily like scripture or a verse or encouragement. Sometimes it's just like a joke, you know. Joy, joy is like medicine for people, you know.

SPEAKER_06 18:53

Let me be devil's advocate. Okay, just to poke holes. I agree with you. You have the the religious person who's like, no, scripture is the end all be all, it is all sufficient, it is the only thing you need. How would you perspective that?

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Yeah, um, I'll say this: like we're human, we need to connect with people. People need to feel seen and loved and known. That's the reason why Jesus, like, God didn't just give us the Bible, He gave us His Son. Like He showed up here in person to have relationships, not just preach at us. Like He was He sat with people, you know. Um, an example. There was a few years ago a friend of mine was like opened up to me about how he was really struggling with something, feeling depressed, and just like, whatever, all this stuff. And I was like, yo, bro, I think you just need to worship and spend time with the Lord. He was like, Cool, but I'm I'm here because I I need to. He didn't say it to me at the moment, but he got really mad at me. He ended up telling me later. But he was like, yo, that was so tone-deaf. Like I'm I'm pouring my heart out to you. I really just needed you to be with me in that moment. You didn't even need to say anything for real. But um, I think sometimes we just try to I I I think we just try to spiritualize everything in a way that's not healthy. Like you could say, you can make an argument and say that everything is spiritual, sure. But I think sometimes, um like just considering proverbs, sometimes like it's better to talk less and just sit and listen. Um, like be slow to speak, quick to listen. Um sometimes like uh there's a I can't remember the exact reference, but like in in many words, there is like the more you speak it, the more likely it is for you to come up with like some type of error or transgression or just say too much. Sometimes you need to sit with people. So going back to like um what you were saying mentioning before about oh no, people saying like, oh no, everything needs to be X, Y, Z. No, nah, not really. Be a person to them. Like just be first, might not need to say anything at all.

SPEAKER_06 21:02

Just be. Yeah, yeah. Do you has anybody benefited by your content that you post online?

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Has anybody? Yeah, I'd say a lot of people have. Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_06 21:11

What content are they offended by? Oh, offended.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

I thought you said benefited. No. Anybody benefited? No, benefited. Oh yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_06 21:17

Offended. Absolutely. And who's more offended? Christian people or non-Christian people.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Oh, man. No, I mean like I don't really make stuff that's of that's necessarily offensive and coming at people, but there's certain things where like I think when we uh make fun of things that are very true and uncomfortable, that's when people start to get offended. Like, like what?

SPEAKER_06 21:35

Give me an example.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

So there's this video I posted last year uh where it was like um I was sitting in a uh like a church in a in a pew, and the caption said, Um you're four hours away from your wedding night and Jesus comes back, and I had like, I was I was sitting checking, I could You probably just play it. Play the video if you want to show the visual. But um I was like shaking in my seat, and then the trumpet sounds, and then I was like, ah, it just disappeared. And people were like, and the super Christians came in saying stuff like, Well, brother, you know the a relationship with the Lord is the greatest thing. Yes, I agree. This is a joke, though.

SPEAKER_05 22:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

You know, people have emotions and desires and feelings. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 22:25

Like every time I post something where I try to be funny, people are in my comments going in on me. And I'm like, guys, it's a joke.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

Relax.

SPEAKER_06 22:37

It's mostly my real my religious family that are like, I don't know. Oh my gosh. What's the wildest DM that you've gotten online? Oh my god, those eyes are scaring me.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

I don't think I could uh say it? Yeah. Why not? Let me think. There's like there's different types of wild.

SPEAKER_06 22:55

Um I want all of them. Not in my DMs, but I want to hear all of the wild ones in your DMs.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Yeah. Um inappropriate ones.

SPEAKER_06 23:06

Mmm, bless it. Quick blocks? Mmm, quick block.

SPEAKER_02 23:09

Matumbo. You know? Um what's a wild one? Uh let me think. Y'all can edit this. Give me a second to think.

SPEAKER_03 23:23

Uh oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

I mean, uh advances from dudes.

SPEAKER_06 23:34

That's always that's a word to use. Advances.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Yeah. Um like just super bold with it too. Like, nah, we don't. I'm I'm good, bro. Yeah. Yeah. I'll spin that way. Uh what else?

SPEAKER_06 23:50

I think like because your following is huge, and I'm sure you get a plethora of interesting people flooded your way.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:58

Um has it made dating hard?

SPEAKER_02 24:00

Has it made dating? Has has the the like the following that I have made dating hard? Um, I don't know. I actually don't date too often. I rare I like I don't I don't like people very often.

SPEAKER_05 24:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

You know what I mean? Like, hold on.

SPEAKER_05 24:16

What do you mean? Break it down, break it down, break it down. So what do you mean you don't like people often?

SPEAKER_02 24:22

I mean like I don't I don't meet people very often where I'm like, yo, I'm really interested in getting to know this person to pursue them. To pursue them. Um that's what I mean by that. Like people ask, oh, why aren't you in a relationship yet? I don't like nobody. Like, what you want me to do? Um it's simple. Uh yeah, I I feel I even just recently, like, as very recently, I feel like that's just not something I need to be focused on right now, anyway. Um, which is tough because like I really definitely want to be married, we'll be in a healthy relationship and all that. But I'm like, am I in a spot to really give the required amount of time and attention to someone to where like they feel seen and appreciated, where it's healthy, where we're both growing, um, where it makes sense. I've only been in one relationship my entire life, lasted a month and a half. That was it, not unless you also want to count the uh like two-month relationship in eighth grade. Okay, that doesn't count. Yeah, in my adulthood, I've been in one relationship and been on like I've not been on I I've probably been on dates with five different people total. Something like that.

SPEAKER_06 25:34

Do you feel pressure from from online or maybe even like religious spaces to hurry up and like find that person? Do you ever feel that pressure?

SPEAKER_02 25:43

Not from other people. Okay. If anything, it's just like my own self. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, I don't. It's yeah, that's it. That's my answer.

SPEAKER_06 25:54

He's like, yeah, and I'm done. I want to go back to like humor because when you go on your page, just all it it you have a it's like nonstop sense of humor. Yeah, and I and I'm obsessed with it. But do you think that some people laugh through some unresolved pain and issue? Like, break, why do you think people are so connected to comedy that speaks to you know, some parts of ourselves that are like we shouldn't joke about?

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Um, I think it's because it makes it easier to deal with the discomfort we have with whatever we haven't worked through yet. Um I think some of the best comedians are able to take things that are very taboo and talk about them in a way that people haven't considered before.

SPEAKER_08 26:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

That's extremely relatable or just outright funny. Dave Chappelle is my favorite comedian because he's so great at doing that. At this point, he's not he's like not even really making jokes as much anymore, he's just like telling stories. He's just talking about it.

SPEAKER_06 26:57

And it's and it's funny.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

And it's funny largely because it's just true.

SPEAKER_06 27:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

But like there's a but it's uh a lot of times it's because it's so uncomfortable. So I think that's something that helps. In one way, it can help us open the door to be able to start working through stuff, but also it like just takes the load off because when we think of things that are uncomfortable or difficult that we haven't worked through yet, um, it can just feel weighty. When we're able to laugh about them, it's like we can relax. It literally releases chemicals in our brain that tell us to relax and chill out. We're good, you don't need to be on, you know, yeah, like self-preservation mode all the time.

SPEAKER_06 27:32

Do you think through your like and I'm gonna go into like a content like lane right now? Do you think of your content that you're gonna post being that this is like your full-time job? Or are you just recording your life and it's just it just tracks with the world?

SPEAKER_02 27:46

It depends. Um, I think for sperm videos, I'll have to think about in when I'll say when I was on Vine, I wasn't thinking about nothing. You were just posting. If something pops into my head, it's funny, I'm making it, yeah, posting it. Um, I think I overthink stuff now, and I don't post as much as I probably would if I didn't think so much.

SPEAKER_06 28:08

You posted something recently though, and as I'm looking at you, I'm reminded of your haircut situation.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 28:15

Tell it because what do you mean somebody put hair clips to give you a fade?

SPEAKER_02 28:19

That was terrible.

SPEAKER_06 28:20

And was this person like of of African descent?

SPEAKER_02 28:24

No. That's that's your fault, though. So it's like halfway, you know what I mean? Like it was like, hmm. Because some it's a hit or miss. You know what I mean? Like I know some Dominicans that would slice you up right.

SPEAKER_06 28:36

So how'd you find this person?

SPEAKER_02 28:38

That's the thing. Uh like I said, I just moved to Orange County.

SPEAKER_06 28:42

Oh, it was in Orange County? That makes so oh, end of the story. You you got a Latino in Orange County to give you a fade. No shade. If you're from Orange County, you're Latino.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 28:53

But Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

I mean, like they're they're a good barbers. I think as I mentioned in the video, I was like, why are all these cuts saying like $75, $80? I'm not doing that. So I'm like, oh, here's one for $45. I checked the pictures. Oh, that one looks nice. That's a black dude. He clearly knows how to do a fade. That picture was not his. No way he took that picture. He did not do that haircut. That was not his lineup, those are not his hands.

SPEAKER_06 29:17

So how did the haircut start? This is so off tangent, but it it was phenomenal. How did the haircut start?

SPEAKER_02 29:22

With with with a lot of fear in his eyes. He did not know what he was doing from the very jump. Like, I I uh You didn't think to like get up out the chair?

SPEAKER_06 29:35

Because like when you mess up a fade or push back a hairline, it it could jack.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

I didn't let him touch my hairline because I already knew where that was gonna be. Oh, you didn't? I did not. I stopped him. I stopped him, I made sure he did not. I've since found a dope barber.

SPEAKER_06 29:48

Wait, no, you need to go back to the hair clips.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

This man, I showed him a picture of exactly what I wanted. Okay. Like, it's perfect. You could go on my profile, see the video. Uh and he was like, all right, cool. Uh and he turns around and grabs hair clips and just puts them in the side of my head to like separate.

SPEAKER_06 30:11

To separate where he was gonna give you a fade?

SPEAKER_02 30:14

Mm-hmm. I don't know anybody who does fades like that at all. Like he probably he was probably still in barber school. Had to be.

SPEAKER_06 30:21

No, because like who's barber school is teaching you to clip somebody's side of their hair and give them a fade. I would have immediately got up. I would have immediately got up.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

Yeah, I should have.

SPEAKER_06 30:32

Or would have been like, hey, is there is there a reason why there's clips?

SPEAKER_02 30:35

I told him that. And then he took him out. I told him. I was like, yo, yo need to use clips to do the fade, bro. He's like, oh, word?

SPEAKER_04 30:45

Oh word! Stayed in the chair.

SPEAKER_02 30:49

I fully blame you are responsible for it. I take accountability for it. As you should. I'm glad you did. I was I was uh I didn't and you're in Orange County? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 31:00

I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

I had to go to Anaheim to find my dude.

SPEAKER_06 31:03

So yeah, Anaheim's more like the lane. Where where was the city before? Where was that?

SPEAKER_02 31:08

Were you actually were you I was 10 minutes from there, wherever it was. It wasn't far. It was not far. But I looked at so I looked at the pictures.

SPEAKER_06 31:17

Anyone can upload any type of picture and say they did it.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

I didn't know. Well, clearly.

SPEAKER_06 31:23

And and he and he your fate was interesting.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

It there wasn't one. It was non-existent.

SPEAKER_06 31:30

How much did you pay him? Did you taboo?

SPEAKER_02 31:33

Absolutely not. Okay. I shouldn't have paid anything for it. I didn't want to be mean. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 31:37

I just that's the worst. Whereas like, I I'm like that with my nails. I'll see my lady do my nails. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

And I Yeah, there's gotta be an equivalent for women.

SPEAKER_06 31:46

Oh, for yeah, because women with the hair, like, we don't mess with that. At least I don't. But with my nails, I do, I am hesitant to say, yo, like what are you doing to my and there there was one time this girl was trying to match my toenail color to my nail, to my fingernails.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 32:00

And it was the match was not matching.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

And oh, so your your toenails are already done. No, my nails were already done. From a different person.

SPEAKER_06 32:07

Once we get my toes done, she needed to match them, and I'm like, I have milky white, and my my toenails look like foil.

SPEAKER_02 32:16

Huh?

SPEAKER_06 32:16

They were like, you could. That's a different that's a completely different color palette. Like you could, I could see myself on my toenails.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

Trying to give you translucent toes?

SPEAKER_06 32:23

No, it was literally translucent, and I was like, what's that website you're talking about? Oh my god. Okay, before the pod. Okay, the fact that this is becoming a big thing, and I don't mean I didn't mean I don't mean to go here. But there, yeah, there's a website called Wikifeet, and you're not on it, which is a blessing. Good. But you might be after this conversation.

SPEAKER_02 32:41

I'm not saying to put you on Wikifeet, but I will find whoever.

SPEAKER_06 32:46

Do you show your feet a lot?

SPEAKER_02 32:47

No.

SPEAKER_06 32:48

Okay, then you should be fine. I don't.

SPEAKER_02 32:49

You should be fine. Have I? Oh. You have? I dislocated my foot.

SPEAKER_06 32:54

And you did videos about it? Oh, definitely. Were your feet ashy? In the videos?

SPEAKER_02 33:00

No.

SPEAKER_06 33:00

Okay, you should be fine. You should be fine.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

You should be fine. But I mean, I got like hooper feet after playing for like 10 years.

SPEAKER_06 33:06

I got hooper feet too, but like, but pretty hooper feet. I don't have ugly feet. I mean, my feet aren't bad though for real.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

Why? We can stop talking about feet.

SPEAKER_06 33:13

Yeah, back to the toenails. So midway through the midway through the comp the she was doing my toes and I could see myself in my toenails. I I didn't have the heart to say, That's how I felt. I felt so bad, and she was like, oh, look nice, look nice.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

And I'm like, wait, what was that? What was that? What's that supposed to be right there?

SPEAKER_06 33:39

Wait, wait, was that like a half-hearted commitment to the She said they look nice? And I was like, Yeah, I could see myself in them. This is not okay. I didn't say that, but in my head, I did.

SPEAKER_03 33:54

She did.

SPEAKER_06 33:54

And I was like, this is the which one I'm gonna take. But she said I can see myself in the phone. I'm gonna take I'm gonna take an L in this one. Oh man. So I I but when it comes to my hair, like yours is worse because I can cover up my toes. You can't cover up a bad fade.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Wear hats for like a for like a topic. Oh, you have to wear it. My hair does my hair does grow back pretty quickly. Oh, praise God. I got it fixed the next day.

SPEAKER_06 34:15

You went to who'd you go to?

SPEAKER_02 34:17

Um Lines Dem barbershop.

SPEAKER_06 34:20

That sounds familiar.

SPEAKER_02 34:21

It's an Anaheim. Crawl Street is on. Uh you look me up.

SPEAKER_06 34:25

People who um are melanated and okay, I was just Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

He knows what he's doing.

SPEAKER_06 34:30

You learned your lesson? Praise God. Um back to humor. Uh have you ever felt pressure to tone yourself down to be taken seriously spiritually?

SPEAKER_02 34:40

Still.

SPEAKER_06 34:41

How does that affect how does that affect you personally?

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Um, it keeps me from really creating freely. Um I was actually thinking about that on the way over. That exact question. Um because I I like when people meet me, there's been so many times where like people will meet me after seeing what I create online and they expect me to act a certain way. Yeah. Yeah, like I the outgoing extra like it comes off as extroverted, whatever, the way I present myself. I'm one of the most chillest dudes that I know. Yeah. I'm inside most of the day. Probably 10% of the time I'll be outgoing or whatever. But that's just I I still enjoy creating stuff like that. So that's what I put out online. Um so people just assume that I'm not a very serious down-earth person. And then I there's a times where I feel like I gotta make up for that. Yeah. Um, and that's not good. Uh like there's I even it makes me overanalyze what type of stuff I should be putting out or not be putting out. And then um I think it just can hold me back from how do you push through that?

SPEAKER_06 35:55

How do you push back? How do you still working on it? Yeah, yeah. Which is the point of this podcast. Like I I love to hear that's something that you still you're still trying to figure out. There's a lot of content creators that I think are in the same, whether you're a content creator, whether you're in the middle of trying to build your career or a business or whatever, where you're just trying to f figure that out. But I do think there is this pressure, especially online, like you live a lot of your life, not a lot, but like you share a lot of your life publicly.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

I choose to.

SPEAKER_06 36:25

You choose what you choose to share. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you decipher what like how much you're gonna give the audience of you? Um I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

I think it really just comes down to like, is this something funny that I want to put online in the moment? Most of the time that answer is a no.

SPEAKER_07 36:41

Really?

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yeah. I don't I really don't post that much. I don't put much of my life online at all. Um I prefer to be low-key and more private. Um so what people see is just like there's the 10% of the time that I'm like really outgoing, probably 10 or less percent of that. And that's what people are getting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:03

So who is who is Chaz the other 90% of the time?

SPEAKER_02 37:06

Um laid back, calm, genuine dude, like going for hikes. I you like hiking? Not like sorry, I said that really really. It's not like rock climbing hiking, it's like nature walks and stuff. But I do like going up steep mountains. So yes, sometimes.

SPEAKER_06 37:21

Like like with friends, like by yourself. Or you listen to music when you do this.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

Um sometimes. Or I'll bring a speaker and I'll listen to music at the top. That's fine.

SPEAKER_06 37:29

Oh, like having a holy moment? No, it's like some sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

Maybe most of the time it's like layback, jazz, fusion.

SPEAKER_06 37:36

So you go hike and you get to the top and you put on jazz.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

Yeah, solitude. Smooth.

SPEAKER_06 37:41

You know what? I wouldn't expect that from you. The the hiking is questionable, but your music choice is great.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

So there's oh no, that I I I would say you know how people be like, oh, what music you listen to? A little bit of everything. No, you don't. No, no, I I um I have like a very particular range of music that I'm comfortable with.

SPEAKER_06 38:00

What's the range?

SPEAKER_02 38:01

Lo-fi jazz, fusion, soul mix of that, like new jabis. If you've heard of him, probably. No, I haven't. Sorry. Um, if you know, you know. If you know, you know. Um hiatus Coyote is dope. That's probably my favorite band ever. Um, listen to a good decent amount of Christian hip hop because it's just like a bunch of friends that like make that type of music. Love RB and soul. Uh like Cleo Soul is a dope option.

SPEAKER_06 38:26

We were just talking about Cleo, so that's my girl.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Madison Ryer Ward makes amazing music.

SPEAKER_06 38:30

Yeah. I thought she was black at first.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

And then everybody does.

SPEAKER_06 38:33

Yeah, that girl got soul, and then I saw her face, I was like, whoa, there. Even like Moon Child is another one I love. It's a it's a group, but have you heard of Hillary? No, is it a group or a person?

SPEAKER_02 38:44

Single person.

SPEAKER_06 38:45

No, uh uh.

SPEAKER_02 38:45

She is dope, uh, incredibly dope. Nah, she's uh Filipino, I'm pretty sure. Really?

SPEAKER_06 38:52

I need to check her out.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

Yeah, she's super dope.

SPEAKER_06 38:55

No country. Good. I was about to kick you out of this room right now. Walk out now.

SPEAKER_02 39:00

Oh, curveball. I listen to a lot of orchestra and like like uh video game and movie scores.

SPEAKER_06 39:10

Really?

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 39:11

At the top of the mountain when you're hiking?

SPEAKER_02 39:13

Yep, or on the way up, on the way up.

SPEAKER_06 39:16

We're gonna pray for you after this. What? Okay, so hiking, hang out with friends, you're chill, you're low-key. What do you feel like people misunderstand about you?

SPEAKER_02 39:27

They think that I'm a goofball 24-7. I'm not. Um I think that people probably think I'm on the childish end. I can't be childish, goofy, but I think I'm most of the time I'm way more like serious, contemplative, introspective. You know. Um my social battery runs out pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_06 39:52

Are you introvert or extrovert?

SPEAKER_02 39:53

I am an extroverted introvert. So an extrovert who's always on low power mode.

SPEAKER_06 39:59

That's me. I was gonna throw Larry into it, uh, my producer. Sorry to put your business out there, but we're he's male version of me, and I we're we're all in the same like charismatic when we need to be, but really like enjoy solitude, and the social battery recently it gets drained very it's like you know, a bad iPhone battery, is what I'm at. Yeah, it's like like iPhone 15, bad.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

Something I've I've I've recognized recently is like how am I I don't think I maybe we can talk this out right now.

SPEAKER_05 40:35

Okay, talk it out.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

This is so I I recognize that I overcommit to people or hangouts and stuff like that because I don't want to disappoint people.

SPEAKER_06 40:48

The people pleasing, right?

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Yeah, but I mean, like it's the I've known about the people-pleasing things. This is like a specific aspect of it. Like, people will will reach out, like, yo, let's grab food, let's hang, let's go do this. I'm like, I do want to spend time with this person. I also don't want them to feel rejected or disappointed, but I won't prioritize the fact or recognize, like, yo, where's my energy level at? What do I actually have time for or the space for? And can I just feel okay with saying no? Like, can we can I can I do that this year? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 41:17

Are you there? Where are you at with what now that I've recognized it?

SPEAKER_02 41:20

I'm like, I did it yesterday.

SPEAKER_06 41:22

Oh, I'm proud of you. Yeah, that's a big for people. It is big. No, it is. This is serious. Give him his flowers.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Where are you at? I got no flower. Some on the wall. Oh my god. That's that that was that was important. Because like I was talking myself through it. I'm like, yo, I told this person a month ago that I want to go to this thing that he invited me to. And now I realize, like, not only do I not really want to, it's more so like I don't think I have the capacity. I don't have the capacity. You know that mean? And so I was like, oh wait, I committed to this. Yeah, but I'd rather do this thing that I feel like will be more life-giving right now. I don't want to disappoint you, but I don't think it's about that. It's more so just like, yo, am I even gonna be able to be really present? And afterward, where am I gonna be at? Um, so now I was like, hey, I know I said I'll do this thing, but I can't, man. I'm sorry, got back out, blah, blah, blah. I think part of it is a fear of coming off is flaky too.

SPEAKER_06 42:23

Yeah. Yeah. I think I have that same thing where it's I want to be a woman of my word, but it's also like when you commit to something two, three weeks before, you can't, you can't plan where your energy, your capacity will be at during that time, especially with people, and not to make an excuse for our trades and our careers, but as creatives, you go through ebbs and flows of your energy, and there's no cons really consistency in our schedules. So you could be in a season where you're crazy busy and then you're not really doing anything. You can't really plan where somebody who has a a nine to five, which is fine and great, they know kind of they know, they know these.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

We don't know. I hope the mic is peeking right now because that's how I feel.

SPEAKER_06 43:07

So it's like we don't know, we can't plan for it. So I think that's where I've had more grace for my friends who are in the creative space that have committed to something and they're like, I don't have it in me. And I'm like, I get it. I there's uh one season where I was committed, overcommitting myself, and I knew that I had to change something when I had made plans. I would or a friend had made plans. I was getting ready, literally on my way to go see this friend, and then they backed out, and I was so happy that they did. I was like, oh my god, you know.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

Hold on, I need to pull up a meme. I need to pull up a meme. Not the meme, the meme.

SPEAKER_06 43:45

I'm like, I'm so glad that you flaked on me. Thank you so much. And it was in that moment I realized something has to shift. I could have said no. Chelsea, I had full face on.

SPEAKER_07 43:59

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_06 44:00

Lashes, eyebrows, we were ready to go. And she backed out. I said, Oh, the Lord is my shepherd.

SPEAKER_02 44:06

That's that is a very real experience.

SPEAKER_06 44:10

And I had to I had to change my yeses and my no's.

SPEAKER_02 44:13

Yeah, I I I think just it's the it's the beginning part. What you just mentioned is like what I was kind of talking about earlier, the fact that we need to like know in advance, like, hey, it's cool to just pull. And just also, I think we even though we are creative, so there's ebbs and flows of creativity, all that energy. Um I think part of maturing in that way is recognizing, like, hmm, if I do if I know I'm going to be doing this today, or whatever, how am I gonna feel at this time? Or maybe just blocking out time so dedicated downtime where like, you know, I already know it in advance. I'm not going to say yes to anything because it's gonna be a long week. I don't be doing whatever. Um, so planning is important for that reason. But this isn't the exact one, but it's really what I was just talking about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 45:01

What does it say? Read it. Oh, you it's it changed. Go back. Oh, go back.

SPEAKER_02 45:04

It's Patrick if you don't if you can't see me making plans in the group chat knowing I'm not gonna show up anyway.

SPEAKER_06 45:10

Literally, like type in the chat if you're that person, say I put a star in the chat.

SPEAKER_02 45:16

The one I was trying to find is like it said uh when when we make plans but they back out last minute, and it's like it shows him like pulling covers over himself. It's the same picture.

SPEAKER_06 45:26

No, literally, it's I knew I was like, Chelsea, you could have said, Why are you suffering your way into community? Like, I'm not showing up my best self, I'm not showing up present, but it's the people pleasing in me and not wanting a half reputation of somebody that makes plans or backs out, you know what I'm saying? You know, keep your word, um, but also knowing like when I show up in spaces, I do want to show up as my best self. I'd rather that than show up and people get a Chelsea that they're not. They're like, this ain't her. My friends can tell the difference.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

Do you live with roommates or you live solo?

SPEAKER_06 46:00

I'm with my after the shows that I was on, I'm with my family, but I'm about to live by myself.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Okay, yeah. Something I learned recently after having roommates for many years is uh when I come home, that needs to be a place of peace. I had like a lot of issues with my former roommate because I didn't know how to communicate that like, yo, when I'm on the couch and I'm on my phone or I'm watching the show.

SPEAKER_06 46:29

I don't want to talk. Respectfully. Respectfully.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

Leave me alone, you know that song? Yeah. Um when I'm in my room, I'm sleeping. Yeah. When I'm in my office, I'm working. When I'm on the couch, don't talk to me, please.

SPEAKER_06 46:45

Leave. I don't, I don't uh Hey Siri, play play Jackie Hill Perry, leave me alone.

SPEAKER_02 46:51

That's when I'm plugged in. Like the couch is like plugging my phone, like if I'm a phone, me sitting on the couch is like plugging my phone into the. Let that play real quick.

unknown 47:01

Hey loaded up, both me.

SPEAKER_03 47:03

Yeah, watch my wrong thing. Leave me alone. I ain't gonna try that for me.

SPEAKER_04 47:11

I would not play.

SPEAKER_03 47:13

What did you leave me alone?

SPEAKER_06 47:18

That's from her new album. Wow, Jackie, you're welcome. Free blow. Uh, you could uh I'll invoice you later. Um but yeah, I I'm with my family right now, and they also too see this charismatic Chelsea online um when I'm speaking, teaching, podcasting, they see, or on TV, they see this. And then I get home and they kind of want that same, and I'm like, it's not that I'm switching up. You're not gonna get it, but you're not gonna get that. I am exhausted.

SPEAKER_07 47:44

Not yet.

SPEAKER_06 47:45

Not yet. I need to recharge. So when I get home, okay, let me just real quick. I went on the Amazing Race, a show, and we race around the world competing for a million dollars. And I went with my dad. Love him, shout out to Jack Baham. However, comma, space bar. We would wake up, we had to sequester together. So you race and then you rest. So you can't leave your hotel room. You're stuck. I'm with my dad, and we wake up.

SPEAKER_02 48:11

24-7.

SPEAKER_06 48:12

No, 24-7. Do you know we can't leave that room. Imagine being in this room 24-7, you can't leave. With your dad. Exactly. So I wake, I wake up, I'm like crust still in the eyes, type like my voice, like I sound like a man, my voice is so deep, type of wake up, okay? That is, I'm in that zone. And he wakes up and wants to have a full-on deep conversation. I need at least 30 minutes for my brain to start functioning. And I was like, Dad, at least, why are you talking right now? I just woke up. I I still don't even know what my name is. And you want to sit here and reminisce on the leg of the race we we raced five days ago. I don't care right now. So I've they expect me to be like this Chelsea all the time, and I've had to set the expectation. Like, when I get home, I need to recharge and it needs to be a place of peace, which is why I'll be moving in by myself to kind of gain some of that back. But it's hard for people who online we have these sides of us that we show that people expect us to be like that all the time. So I sometimes feel this like this pressure to have to be on so that people don't get let down for for the Chelsea they expected when they walked in the room. Um, but it's also freeing when you find those friends that just let you rock. They let you rock. I want my friends that let me just go and just sit and not like I go over the house and just sit and not say nothing. Music is playing, and we say absolutely nothing.

unknown 49:42

Yo.

SPEAKER_06 49:42

Cam Sullivan Brown is one of those guys where it's like, I can go over his house. We're, we don't say anything for five hours. And we're just sitting listening to me, and I'm happy. We are content. But I gotta talk. Those friends are the best. Where it's like they, you can be you, whatever version it is.

SPEAKER_02 49:59

They're not offended by it.

SPEAKER_06 50:00

They're not offended by it.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Yeah. That's you're not wondering, is it are you good? Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06 50:04

And those friends also know when you're not good. Right. But they also know you're just chilling.

SPEAKER_02 50:08

Right. And they they pick up on it. Of course, you gotta communicate it better.

SPEAKER_06 50:13

Yeah, I've done a bad job at that.

SPEAKER_02 50:14

But same.

SPEAKER_06 50:15

But but setting the expectation, like, hey, when I'm this way, it's not because I'm mad. I literally, battery is on low power mode.

SPEAKER_02 50:22

Yo, literally. There are friends where one friend in particular I can think of, where um there have been times we have like an hour-long car drive and we're both silent, no music player, nothing. It seemed like some NPC type behavior, honestly. Dude, yeah. Honest. But it's like, it's just what's needed. I need to be an NPC for a bit. Just gotta just log off.

SPEAKER_06 50:41

And that hour, we didn't gotta talk that whole hour. It's okay if we're nothing. Nothing. And if I'm turning up the music, it's a sign.

SPEAKER_02 50:49

Oh man. Please do also love, where I'm like, all right, we're driving back home and they just want to keep starting a conversation. The music goes up, they're like, turn it back down.

SPEAKER_06 51:00

Or they talk louder. It's like read through it.

SPEAKER_02 51:03

But then it gets to poor just like, hey man, I just want to chill for a minute right now.

SPEAKER_06 51:07

And I feel so bad saying it.

SPEAKER_02 51:08

Right.

SPEAKER_06 51:09

It's like, yo, please shut up. And it's like, you know what I'm saying? It's like, how do you say be quiet respectfully? So it's just like, yeah, I've had to learn how to how to communicate my needs from a person that um that yeah is a people pleaser. I think it's hard for me to tell my friends this is what I need. Or I just had a conversation with a friend yesterday, and my my heart was just like gut-wrenched. He is a friend I met online and he hit me up. He has a huge community, and we've only physically met once. We're usually like online friends. And he hit me up and he's like, Hey, I felt did I do anything wrong? Because I feel like you stopped talking to me. The comp the relationship kind of shifted, and I was like, I didn't know you had those expectations of me. But also, I was in a season where I couldn't take on more relationships. Yeah, so I'm learning how to better communicate for those who are showing interest to be part of my life. Like, I it's confrontation, and I hate, I hate those type of conversations. I'll confront in the workplace, in my career, but when it comes to people and friendships, I hesitate, but I tell that friend, like, I didn't have the capacity to uh invite another person in my life. I'm still trying to manage my life, my friendships, and relationships that I have now. And I have to be okay with vocalizing. Hey, this is like the season where I'm trying to figure out relationships. This might not be a good time.

SPEAKER_02 52:31

I get it. Recovering people. It's so important to be aware of that and then actually communicate. Communicate it.

SPEAKER_06 52:39

Because I'm aware, it's just getting it out that's difficult for me. Okay, I want to shift gears as we close out. Uh, actually, before we talk about uh the logo you have on your uh jacket right now, we'll get into that. Uh it's not a game, but I want to I want to see what you think about this.

SPEAKER_07 52:57

All right.

SPEAKER_06 52:58

God told me conversations. God told me, the Holy Spirit told me you were supposed to be my husband or my wife.

SPEAKER_02 53:07

You didn't tell me that. Yeah, it's like I've had you mind telling him to tell me too?

SPEAKER_06 53:14

Especially when it comes to like husband and wife stuff, it's like if you heard that, I should have heard that too. Yeah. So how do you feel about that? Weird?

unknown 53:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:20

It's um it it is 99% of the time very weird. I know stories of friends who are happily married where they've both heard from the Lord the same thing.

SPEAKER_06 53:33

That's a huge component.

unknown 53:34

Right.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

But when it's one, I can think of a lot of situations where it didn't work out. Matter of fact, I can think of one where like the dude told the girl they ended up getting married, they just recently got divorced after having three kids together. Which is like that's there's a whole there's a lot more nuance and a lot more stuff going on in that relationship than I'm aware of. Yeah. But part of the woman's frustration upon reflection was like her desires and needs. Um, and again, I don't know the fullness of the conversation or the relationship, but um she went into the relationship not fully there, but felt like she should be because of that.

SPEAKER_06 54:23

There have been Because he said God told me.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Yeah, she avoided him for like six months after that. After he initially said it. High key, yeah. Yeah, and there I've I've heard that from women a few times as well. Where yeah, it don't it don't yeah.

SPEAKER_06 54:38

There was a guy that went on like a had written a letter, was like, you know, the Holy Spirit told me you're my wife, yada yada yada. You know, I've gotten a few of those, but then I from this particular person found out that this this letter was a recurring theme. And I was like, So Holy Spirit told you multiple women was gonna be your wife?

SPEAKER_02 54:55

Which Holy Spirit are you talking to? Only knows the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_06 54:57

It's spirit, but it ain't holy. Yeah, moving on. Uh touch your neighbor energy. Turn turn your neighbor, touch i football.

SPEAKER_02 55:04

Man, I see okay. Touching, I don't like that. I'm already just like more on the don't talk to me side.

SPEAKER_06 55:12

I don't like people.

SPEAKER_02 55:13

It's just no, but also like, can we just figure out a way to make it more personable? You know, like why we don't need to constantly be touching people. Like, what is what is what is the actual purpose of that? You know what I mean? Like it's supposed to make people feel more welcome. If that's it, then I still don't like it. Um it's just like teach, bro.

SPEAKER_06 55:34

You know, don't tell me to don't tell me to turn my own.

SPEAKER_02 55:37

We don't have to do that. We don't have because I'm not gonna do it. And the person next to me is gonna be feeling awkward. I might give up like a you know what I mean? Just like a little head.

SPEAKER_06 55:45

Especially if it's like turning neighbor and tell them you look good today. And it's like the outfit wasn't it. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 55:51

Or they just say something out of pocket.

SPEAKER_06 55:52

He's like, you want me to lie in church?

SPEAKER_02 55:54

Like it's unfortunate.

SPEAKER_06 55:56

Okay, last one Christian dating culture.

SPEAKER_02 55:59

That is a very large um uh you want me to specify it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 56:06

Um I can say something.

SPEAKER_02 56:09

Okay. Yeah, I can just subdiscript. You need to like uh specify, but let me say something. I think that I can speak for myself. There's like there are times where I have been on dates. Matter of fact, last year I went on a first date with somebody who was really cool, and I just got way too excited after. What does that mean? You need to clarify that. Like, I was I think it's important to just slow down and be like, hey man. Um I'll explain so y'all know I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy, I'm not some crazy dude out here, right? I think um I'll just yeah, speak personally for myself. As I mentioned before, it's rare that I meet somebody where I'm like really interested in wanting to get to know them. And then like, I don't know, it's just like having a crush. You never had like you're you gotta you get a crush, and you like you just get really excited and you want to talk to them, you want to keep getting to know them. She wasn't on that same wave, and so it was- Were you aware of that in the moment? Not really. That's rough, not really, yeah. Um I think I know she had a great time too, because we were planning the second date at the end of the first date.

SPEAKER_06 57:18

Oh, that's how that's a good sign. Yeah, it's like where'd it go wrong?

SPEAKER_02 57:21

Where we're wrong is like I think I was too overbearing. I wasn't hitting her up every day. Was not, but I think um This is just my perception, because this is not what was communicated, but I imagine like hmm, that might have been something that was going on that she might not have shared. I don't know. Um, but I think that uh I probably could have just chilled out a bit, gave more space. Okay, because it was a first date, you know? Yeah, I was just really excited because we had already played in the segment. I'm already you know, I mean I think it's okay to be excited, and also I think for like there are times where that is how like relationships go. I've heard stories of people where like the first time they meet, they stay up till 4 a.m. talking.

SPEAKER_08 57:58

Yeah, you know?

SPEAKER_02 58:00

Won't be mean. This wasn't that, yeah. Um, so I think generally speaking, that's for me. I think generally speaking, Christian dating culture, I think we can maybe it's just people in general, but I think especially the Christians, we can get too excited to move on to the next thing because we are trying to faithfully wait and so that we see someone that could be no answer, right? Yeah, you know, yeah. So were you gonna say anything else specific to narrow down the conversation? Like, is anything else?

SPEAKER_06 58:30

Yeah, I was gonna say, like, do you think the church does a great job at and not that it's the church's full responsibility, but to talk about the reality of how difficult dating is today?

SPEAKER_02 58:39

No. Um, I don't think enough people do. Cause dating isn't even a concept that's mentioned in scripture. Yeah. Um that makes it tough. I think that something I've been learning is how important friendships are um and really getting to know by somebody on a solid personal level where it's like because I think there are generally three factors or four factors that are that are very important in any like healthy relationship. I think this is also coming from a dude who's like anyone relationship, but hear me out first, just give me a second. Give me a second, hear me out. All right. I think um like one spiritually, not necessarily spiritual maturity, but I think just having a genuine heart after the Lord, whether a person just is getting into their walk with the Lord or they've known him for decades, like their whole life. I think that, like just being equally yoked in that sense is very important. Um I think being able to be friends with that person is very important. Like y'all get along. Do you like each other? You like this person? Do you actually like each other or do you like the idea of the person?

SPEAKER_06 59:49

Yeah, do you enjoy them? Right.

SPEAKER_02 59:51

Um, I think, and that's like a compatibility type thing.

SPEAKER_06 59:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:54

Compatibility. Then there's um suitability. Um, I didn't come up with this concept first. Compatibility and suitability, two different things. I think suitability is in just in terms of like, are y'all's purpose, purposes aligned? Are you on the same page? Morals, values, direction of life, the pace that you're moving. Um I think that needs to be very important. And fourth, physical attraction is very important. Like, I think I would put that.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:19

Yeah, I would I would re- I would uh not reorder it, but I do think I so I I'm saying like on a this is what I've been. I say this from a girl that comes, I have very low standards.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:30

Love God, okay, which is a high standard, but I'm saying I have very minimal standards.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:34

Love God, have all of your teeth wash your cracks, and know how to spell. Yeah. Those are the but you know, yeah. And it's like the difference between there, there, and there, your, and your, the ability to comprehend the difference. Grammar is huge. You know, if you have a run-on sentence, every text message, my brain is ugly. It is. I gotta live with this for rest of my life. You know what I'm saying? Wash your cracks, hygiene is very important. Do you have all of your teeth?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:00

And uh, do you truly like fear the Lord? Right. It's hard to find somebody who fits all four of those categories. You got your four, I got my gotta say.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:07

Yeah, yeah. So I think uh after having heard us out or heard me out, I think that's fair, you know? It's very fair. So reiterate real quick, recap, summarize all that. Okay, Pastor Preach. Um physical attraction. It's like the like when you like it's like window shopping. It's like, do I like what I see? Okay, now I'm gonna go on to the store.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:26

Once you walk in the store. Yes, that's a better way to put it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:30

Yes. Once you walk in the store, it's like, all right, is the friendship there, the compatibility, suitability there, like mission, purpose, values, all that. And then the spiritual, like the heart of the person. That's a great way to put it. You know? Um, why did I why did we start talking about it?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:42

Because I asked about Christian dating culture.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:44

Yeah, we don't talk about stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:45

Yeah, we don't enough in church. I agree. Or just period, whether religious or not, I don't think that this is talked about enough. Okay, we'll end with this. Talk to me about the logo on your uh shirt. We talked about it a little bit before we uh hopped on camera, but uh let the people know about this series that you're working on.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:01

Yeah, so um this is What had happened was What had happened was so the So um like I've been making content for years, but I've always wanted to do something since before I even hopped on Vine, years before I hopped on Vine, I always said I want to do something that was like both entertaining but point points people to the Lord in some way. Um all this like and then growing up, my one of my family's favorite pastimes was watching movies together. My mom, dad, we go to Blockbuster, rent out like two or three movies, and just watch them all repeat. iRobot was a family favorite. iRobot. That was a great movie, it was very fun, it was enjoyable.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:34

It was very movies that you chose was iRobot.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

It was the core memory. Okay, love that for me. Love that for you. You know, like it was just one of Agent Spooner, it was just you know one of those ones. Anyway, um, I always loved storytelling, movies, film production, all that stuff. Once I finished college, decided to start making content, and things started moving and progressing. I started feeling like I was growing, like numbers and all that, but I started feeling more and more dissatisfied with just making comedy entertainment type content. And so five years ago, around this time, I started praying, like, Lord, how do I do both? Like, I want to keep make people laugh, I enjoy that. I think I have a gift of teaching and preaching, but I don't feel like that's my lane either. How do I do both? And that was when I felt like started putting it on my heart to just work on this series. The idea was initially to just like retell biblical stories in a way that's easy for people to understand, modernizing language, and it was just gonna be like a YouTube talking head, like, yo, so this happened in MOGO, you know, just talking to the camera directly, like that. Um that was all it was initially, and then as time progressed, I'm giving a very shortened version, eventually got to the point where I was like, you know what? No, I want to make a full-on animated series about the Bible that walks people through. So I'm a big anime fan, right? Like I love seeing.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:49

You like hiking, you like anime, uh-huh, and you get your hair cut in Orange County. There's some conversation we'll have to have.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:55

It said oh, black barber shop, though.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:57

Okay, I was just you know, just pointing out facts here.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:59

He is a Negro, full blown, full blown. But uh, yeah, I I I I I when we hear the gospel, we get the spoiler version of it, right? We hear the ending at the very beginning. And there was this one show I was watching, it's like my one of my like my top two favorite all time, it's called Attack on Titan. It's beautiful. And seeing the ending of the show and just watching through it and seeing all these reviews, there were times where I would like jump up out of my seat, scream, run around, run around my house from like how the author tied everything together so well, right? And I thought about it, I was like, yo, I'm getting this. I feel like the only reason I'm getting this hype about how can I be this hype about a show that's only been coming out for 10 years when the Bible exists? Why don't I why don't I get this excited about the Bible? Like the author of Attack on Titan clearly knew the end from the beginning, but like that's literally the author of creation who knows the end from the beginning. You know, like all that stuff. And I was like, uh, yo, it would be so cool if people could experience the narrative of scripture, the story of creation, who God is, Jesus coming into the world to save us from sin, from ourselves, in a narrative progressive form where there's like like just the experience progressive revelation rather than like out the gate. You know what I mean? Yeah, and I feel like it's something that believers will be able to glean from no matter how long they've been walking with the Lord, but also just something that will reach people who have no concept of the gospel because it's entertaining and just solid storytelling. So, bottom line, this is uh we did a Kickstarter for like the original YouTube idea, much lower budget because it was just gonna be a YouTube idea, and then once we started working on that, we're like, oh, we want to do more. We don't got the money for that yet, though. So, right now, we're just currently working on the pilot episodes. Animation is mad expensive. Y'all have no idea. We're gonna finish in the first four pilot episodes. We're gonna cover Daniel chapters one through three, and then that'll be a proof of concept. For the full-on, like streaming ready, high quality animated show we want to produce um in the future.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:06

So where can people find the pilot episodes?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:09

They're not out yet.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:10

Still working on them.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:11

But they will you will be able to watch them on YouTube on our YouTube channel. Um if you get we're WHW series across all platforms.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:20

And you talk about it on your personal platform as well. Yeah. So people can follow you.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:24

Yeah, Chad Smith on all platforms.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:26

All platforms, right? Uh I want to end with some wisdom that you would give uh the person watching this that um might be in process, like you are trying to figure out what they want to do next. Or they want to launch something. Uh they've had a dream and they are have some decision paralysis because they don't know what the outcome might look like. They don't know who's gonna watch my content, who's gonna care. What advice would you give that person who is in this in-between moment who may have some paralysis and moving forward with the dreams that God's given them?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:57

Mm-hmm. Um I'd say that it is going to feel uncomfortable and that's just part of it. Um like if you I'm just now getting into being consistent with like exercising again since I played basketball in high school. Just now getting back to it. And it's uncomfortable for different reasons. Physically, it's uncomfortable because my body's sore in ways that like I haven't been used to in a while. It's uncomfortable because I'm like, dad, I if I kept going, probably would have been stronger. If I'd started sooner, you know what I mean? It uh it's uncomfortable because sometimes, you know, just for example, like the environment that you're in, other people being around you, watching you, um, having eyes on you, being it opening up yourself to judgment and criticism. There's going to be a lot of things that are uncomfortable. You cannot give that power over yourself, though. You gotta recognize, like, okay, I'm going to be uncomfortable and I'm going to do this anyway. I'm gonna feel afraid or nervous or whatever, and I'm gonna do it anyway. I'm probably gonna keep caring what people think for a little bit, maybe not, might get over it, but I'm going to do it anyway, regardless. Um, I think that uh a lot of people don't start or they stop or they never end up moving forward because they just allow them the discomfort that they feel to keep them caged up, but they're not really caged up, it's not it's not actually there. Yeah. Um, yeah, push through the discomfort.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:24

My uh my professor in college, my speech coach, she said two things that stuck with me forever. She was like, baby, get comfortable with being uncomfortable in this field that you're in. Learn that uncomfortability is just a way of life for the field that you're gonna enter. And also, she was like, when you get butterflies, make them fly information. You're in control of the nerves. Don't let like allow the emotion to come, but when that emotion comes, know that you have more control over it than you realize. So, man, this conversation was fun, fruitful. Thank you for coming on the podcast.