Kamau sits down with Leslie Jones for a raw, funny, and fiercely honest journey through becoming one of Saturday Night Live’s most unforgettable forces, and why she ultimately had to walk away. She explains the emotional grind of SNL, and the insane internet reaction to the announcement of an all-female Ghostbusters.

Jones traces how Chris Rock helped propel her toward Saturday Night Live, including the controversy over SNL’s lack of Black women and her long‑gestating “slave joke,” written from a bad date in 1999 and eventually used in her audition for SNL and on Weekend Update.

She describes arriving at SNL as a writer, the brutal table reads, and the psychological grind of the show’s 200‑hour weeks, breaking down the Monday-Saturday schedule in detail.

Jones explains how profound family losses—her parents dying within a year and her brother a decade later—pushed her into fearless living and fueled her pursuit of comedy.

She shares behind‑the‑scenes SNL stories; from Black Trump and Weekend Update chemistry to how sketches live or die, and why “the good ones always want to leave.”

Later, Jones recounts the racist abuse and hacking she endured after Ghostbusters, including leaked nudes, and uses it to talk about social media toxicity and the fragility of fandom.

To support Brown Bag Lady’s mission to feed LA’s homeless community, visit brownbaglady.org, and donate to Planned Parenthood at plannedparenthood.org .

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamau sits down with the outspoken multihyphenate Eddie Huang to discuss his evolution as a chef and writer.

Kamau gives Huang flowers for his moral clarity and refusal to let Hollywood reshape his identity. Eddie describes himself as blunt, and is guided by a strong internal compass that his wife and close collaborators help refine.

They discuss code-switching and how Huang leverages being perceived as nonthreatening, while his “pen game” and willingness to speak truth can feel threatening in a different way.

The conversation shifts to Huang’s debut novel, Come Undone, an autofictional work about Hubie, a rough-edged TV chef and traveler clearly modeled on himself. The final draft was written in five intense days while juggling childcare and marriage, with a disciplined daily routine and tight domestic deadlines that he believes improve his work.

Huang embraces polarized reactions to his work. He prefers “five stars or zero stars” because, to him, that’s evidence that he has told a specific, truthful story.

Kamau and Huang discuss his fraught history with ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, the sitcom based on his book of the same name.

They connect this to broader frustrations with Hollywood’s risk-averse, IP-driven system and contrast it with the relative artistic sanctity of publishing, where Huang works closely with publisher Chris Jackson, whom he calls the premier progressive editor championing writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and others who push boundaries and speak truth to power.

They also touch on Eddie’s relationship with Anthony Bourdain, who he describes as a generous mentor who shared their disillusionment with travel TV’s demand for “happy endings” in a world where most people don’t get them.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. Find the Anti Police-Terror Project at antipoliceterrorproject.org and Live Free at livefreeusa.org .

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamau opens the episode recalling Misty Copeland’s surprise appearance at the Oscars shortly after her hip replacement, marveling at her return to elite performance so soon after surgery and the physical demands of ballet.

Copeland explains she had her farewell performance at American Ballet Theatre (ABT) after a 25‑year career, then learned she needed a hip replacement, which she welcomed as a solution to debilitating pain.

Misty and Kamau discuss the importance of accessibility to ballet and how her foundation brings free, culturally responsive ballet classes with live musicians into Black and brown communities.

They talk about Misty’s work with the legendary Prince, who pushed her to improvise on tour, boosting her confidence and drawing new audiences to ballet.

The conversation closes with advice to young Black and brown girls to stay rooted in joy, seek mentors, and remain open to support, and with a call for audiences to invest in the arts by attending performances and supporting organizations like the Misty Copeland Foundation.

You can support the Misty Copeland Foundation at mistycopelandfoundation.org

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.