Who's with Me? with W. Kamau Bell

The podcast opens with Kamau giving Rafael his flowers. Rafael, who has lived in LA for seven years, insists he still identifies Berkeley and Oakland as home, describing his time in LA as an extended work trip.   The conversation moves into Rafael's background in the Bay Area youth poetry scene, where he competed in the National Poetry Slam and earned a reputation. Around season three of Def Poetry Jam, producers sought out younger voices and brought Rafael on at age 18. He describes being a nervous, skinny kid staring at the ground on stage, having never memorized a poem before. He was one of the first people to convert his clip from VHS and upload it to YouTube, where it reached a million views, a rare feat at the time. He then toured colleges for a decade off that single clip.   During this period, Rafael and his childhood friends opened a recording studio in a North Oakland warehouse, where he first began collaborating with Daveed Diggs. He later took a role as creative director of a poetry scholarship program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also worked toward a degree, finishing four credits shy of completion.   The interview touches on Rafael's identity as a white Latino, the complexity of Hispanic racial identity, and the importance of honest self-placement within conversations about race and representation in Hollywood.   The conversation closes with Rafael discussing his commitment to the Bay Area community, including efforts around the Oakland film incentive, the Baylist initiative connecting Bay Area media makers, and a call for investment in local film infrastructure. He reflects on the importance of mentorship and passing permission to younger artists, citing an encounter with Jim Carrey as a defining moment of validation.   Donate to #Makeitbay at https://makeitbay.org and to Youth Speaks at https://youthspeaks.org   Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sharing an episode of No Such Thing, a show where Manny Fidel, Devan Joseph and Noah Freidman—three best friends and journalists—argue about stuff, like friends do, but instead of just yelling at each other on the internet, they actually go find out the answer In this episode, they dive into the reading crisis in America. They speak with children’s author Jason Reynolds, professor Paul Thomas, and public school teacher Kelsey Clodfelter to answer: are kids no longer reading? And if so, why does it matter? Listen to No Such Thing On Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The interview starts with Kamau giving Don Lemon his flowers. The two reflect on their shared history at CNN, with Bell recalling that Lemon consistently welcomed and supported newer talent at the network. Lemon pushes back on claims made after his departure that he was difficult to work with. The conversation shifts to Lemon's post-CNN career and his commitment to field reporting. Lemon explains that he has always been a reporter at heart and that getting out into the streets is essential to understanding public sentiment, citing his early read that Trump would win in both 2016 and 2024. Discussion turns to Trump's potential interest in a third term, with both agreeing he should be taken seriously given his track record of delivering on policy promises, while noting his failure to lower the cost of living. They also raise concerns about Trump treating the White House as personal property and his apparent contempt for judicial authority. The topic moves to CNN, Politico, and MSNBC being removed from the White House press pool. Lemon argues this is the result of corporate media bending to political pressure for financial gain, and calls for journalists to collectively refuse participation in briefings that compromise press freedom. Lemon then discusses his arrest in Minneapolis, describing it as an ongoing legal case characterized by deliberate delays. He also highlights fellow journalist Georgia Fort, who was arrested at the same time, noting she deserves equal recognition. The conversation broadens to the evolution of journalism, from a one-way broadcast model to the social media era, with Lemon stressing the importance of media literacy. Topics then covered include the Chris Brown and Jasmine Crockett controversy, the Israel-Gaza conflict and the debate over the word "genocide", and the role of independent journalism. Lemon closes by endorsing the Committee to Protect Journalists as a cause worth supporting. You can do so at https://cpj.org Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The interview opens with Kamau giving flowers to fellow documentary filmmaker Bao Nguyen and praising the breadth and quality of his work. Kamau recounts first meeting Bao through the Bruce Lee documentary "Be Water," then being surprised by the announcement of "The Greatest Night in Pop", which he attended with Tom Morello. Kamau was also excited and a bit jealous upon learning Bao was making a Jimi Hendrix documentary. The conversation turns to Bao's filmmaking philosophy, particularly his serious approach to cinematography, rooted in his background as a photographer. Both discuss the collaborative nature of working with cinematographers and the deliberate visual choices made in each film. They then discuss "The Stringer" in depth, a film investigating the true authorship of the iconic "Napalm Girl" photograph from the Vietnam War. Bao reflects on the challenge of disrupting a celebrated narrative within the Vietnamese American community, acknowledging a generational divide over whether to confront or leave such histories undisturbed. Discussion moves to "The Greatest Night in Pop," covering the making of "We Are the World." Bao explains his initial skepticism about the song's corniness, but a chance encounter with a Vietnamese taxi driver playing it convinced him of its universal resonance. He framed the film as a heist story rather than a standard music documentary. Notably, Sheila E's candid account of feeling sidelined during the recording session highlights Bao's commitment to honesty. The interview closes with a discussion of "BTS: The Return," a fly-on-the-wall film that follows BTS as they record an album after military service. He recommends documentaries including "Stop Making Sense," "Minding the Gap," "Hoop Dreams," "Shirkers," and "Mistress Dispeller". Donate to the IRC at  help.rescue.org and Boat People SOS at bpsos-cca.org  Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamau kicks off the episode by reconnecting with comedian and writer Guy Branum, noting they haven't seen each other in person in a while but keep up via social media. Kamau gives Branum his flowers and recalls their time working together on Totally Biased. Kamau praises Branum for refusing to be sidelined in the entertainment industry despite having a law degree and facing industry bias against gay and larger performers. The conversation turns to Branum's solo show, "Be Fruitful," which explores his place in the world as a gay man who will never "be fruitful and multiply." Branum discusses taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the ongoing work of refining it. Bell shares advice about performing at Edinburgh, including the importance of acknowledging local culture for the audience. They discuss Branum's social media series "Old Gays Remember," which grew out of filming standup clips in West Hollywood, and touch on the changing diversity of writers' rooms in Hollywood since 2020. The episode gets more serious when Branum addresses his public criticism of the film "The Whale" for its portrayal of fatness, and his broader experience of being overlooked for roles despite fitting the exact description required. Branum also shares nuanced views on the Israel-Palestine conflict as a Jewish man, emphasizing complexity over simplistic positions. The episode lightens again with a discussion of Branum's appearance on regular Jeopardy after 20 years of taking the test. Donate to Lambda Legal at lambdalegal.org, the ACLU at aclu.org, Teens of Color Abroad at teensofcolorabroad.org, and to Black Voters Matter at blackvotersmatterfund.org. Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.