The Marissa Mitchell Show: November 09, 2026

Appearing on the milestone 25th season of the hit series and from the page to the big screen, a new film about the U.S. invasion of Okinawa titled The Mosquito Bowl is now playing in theaters. Director Peter Berg is going to join us in studio along with author Buzz Bissinger, who's going to chat with them about it as well. So we got a great day planned for you. It's been a great show. Taylor, the weather, is it just as great? It's going to be great for a couple of days, sunshine through midweek and then rain arrives Thursday and possibly on into Friday as well. All right. Thank you guys so much for joining us. Marissa, over to you. All right. Thank you so much, ladies. We've got a fun show coming up with Marissa Mitchell. I've got, oh, you're low now. What's the deal, people? And to talk about his show that's coming up. Congratulations. You're blinding me. You're blinding me. You're blinding me. You all are blind. You are so powerful. Thank you for everything. And then it's Freeman. She's here pulling double duty for Hot Topics and also a segment on Thanksgiving. And get ready for that. All that and more coming up, and it starts right now. We're starting to speak now. Welcome on in. It's the start of a brand new week. And thank you for choosing the Marissa Mitchell Show on this Monday. And I hope you had an incredible weekend. But if you are on the struggle bus, and I know many people are, getting back into the swing of things, I have comedians here ready to cut up and also some conversations you may want to have as we get deeper into the holiday season. Our hot sheet is stacked. We have Huggy Lowdown here for that with his hot takes. On the docket, rapper T-Pain is sharing his thoughts on polyamorous relationships. Another celebrity giving a fan a towel. Let's just say that it touched him where the sun does not shine. Buckle Up is going to be a crazy and a spicy ride. That's you and me, the ball. Your girl got backstage access last night to meet Babyface. He had a sold-out show at Maryland Live in Hanover. I'm going to share with you what I told him and other big names that I ran into. Last night, that's today's burst of joy. Plus, a historic midterm election season has happened, and the path ahead is paramount. Nationally renowned political commentator Dr. David J. Johns, he's here talking about his brand new book and his thoughts on voter priorities. Then, with just 17 days until Thanksgiving, I cannot believe I just said that. 17! We're cooking up things early in the kitchen, and it's more than just food. I have some guests who will also talk about how to build families stronger and better with boundaries. That's the hard part. So here to get into trending, I have Huggy Lowdown and Venus Freeman of the Truth Sarah podcast. The Truth Sarah. Truth Sarah. You need the Truth Sarah. What's the deal, Kempis? Yeah. I'm getting into it. Okay. Yes. So first I want you to talk about your holiday show and how we can all get tickets. November 28th, OrleansBistroVA.com. Yes, there's black people in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We don't drive all the way out there to the correctional facilities or outlet malls. You know, black people in the neighborhood. We don't go there. But it's a beautiful venue, Orleans Bistro. I'm with Chris Thomas. Oh, man. You're going to have us in stitches. So that's right after the Thanksgiving holidays. It's the perfect time to go out. You got it. That's right. And that's the flyer, you guys, so you can go and get those tickets. I'm the one on top. You never know with Let's start with rapper and producer T-Pain because he is playing matchmaker all of a sudden. He has this new dating show following a couple that wants to add a third person to their relationship. Here's a sneak peek. I do identify as bisexual. I had a girlfriend before and yes, me and Monte doing poly is a plus and treat for me too. Later on, after we was dating and we was... Stable. She was like, I think you deserve to have two women. I was like, hell yeah. In my mind. I do. Okay, now this show follows his longtime DJ, Montae. That was Montae you just heard from. Okay, Montae. Really? Okay, Montae. Don't even say that. It's called Montae. Imagine for a third, it's going to premiere this Wednesday on YouTube on a Nappy Boy Network for those who are interested. One episode per week. You're here for all of this. All of it. Why y'all looking at me like I'm T-Pain? You're here for polyamorous relationships or the fact that he has this show exploring polyamorous relationships? That sounds, I can't even. even I'm speechless. I better be speechless right now. That sounds very expensive. It's very expensive and intriguing. I think whether you're into it or not, I think a lot of people watch. You know, guys are going to say, oh, okay, that's another girl. You know, man, yeah. You know. Neo, like, man, hold my beer. Neo got what, four? Neo on a whole nother level right there. Four now? How do you see this whole polyamory just in general? Actually, I did a podcast on this. Really? I did a podcast called Relationship Spectrum. And we were talking about the different types of lifestyles. And believe it or not, there are a lot of people who are very open to it, me personally. I don't like to share. I'm not an only child, but I don't like to share. I believe in love. I believe in two people interacting together and not bringing other people. I think even when you bring your family into stuff, it can be too much. Then a whole other person. I can tell you right now, my fiance, the only poly he's getting is polyester. That's it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pollyanna. None of that stuff is going on, but no shade to those. I think it's important to be open and honest about what's happening. And whatever works for that relationship. Yeah, just make sure that both parties know what's really going on. This next one, can't wait to get your thoughts on this, particularly you, Huggy. Because Ice Cube seems to think that Chris Tucker will return as Smokey in the upcoming film Last Friday. In a new interview on his podcast with Mike Epps, Cube said, and I quote, nothing is 100% until we start shooting and get it in the can. But I believe he's going to do this movie. He wants to do this movie, and if circumstances all line up, He will do this movie. Ice Cube says that filming on Last Friday actually will begin in the spring. Do you all think it's really going to happen? We've had three Friday movies already. It might happen this time. I hope it happens. My thing is, what are they going to do with the Smokey character? Like, has he aged 30 years? How are you going to write that into the... Like, he's been eating some smoked ribs. Chris Tucker done put on... He ain't the same. You know how you see repeats of Friday. He ain't the same Chris Tucker. But he can still be funny. I think it would be a great addition for him to come back. I think I think everyone will welcome him Every time, Friday, next Friday, Friday after next, we always go, where's Chris Tucker? Another Friday, another Friday. How many Fridays have you been? You got at least 52 in a year. I'm proud of you. More Fridays than Sharknado. Come on. I love Sharknado. You know, Sharknado doesn't get enough credit. I don't know how we got to Sharknado. It's so bad, it's good. Your fiance is learning a whole lot about you right now. Yes, he still is, according to a therapist. The reason why you keep ending up in the same unhealthy relationship is for people who are still searching for the one. It's because you're into familial things or familiarity. Experts say in your subconscious mind, it leads you to some people that you're dating. You know they're not good for you, but they remind you of others. It's perpetuating this downhill cycle. So here's my question coming out of this study. Do you think for most people, you know, the devil you know You know, they know it's not good, but it's what you're. You're used to, essentially. People get comfortable in what they know. They get comfortable with the toxicity. And then, unfortunately, I did a podcast on this, too. Unfortunately, we're so used to being treated bad that when someone comes along that treats us great, we don't know how to accept it. And we have to work on that. You're waiting for the shooter drop. I'm taking notes. Absolutely. Yeah, it's true. Unfortunately, we're waiting. And I'm trying to help people get past that. Like, when it's your time, like, again, congratulations to you. Me, personally, at 52, I found my person. At age 52? At 52, I found my person. Yes. And my sister found her person. She was in a relationship for years with this guy. I had three kids, and I'm very intimate right now, personally, rather, in a relationship with her husband for years, and he wasn't the right person. But she found love again. Yes. She found love again. And so it is out there. It is out there. You got to keep believing and then love yourself first. Absolutely. You know, I think a lot of times men and women, we put off life and enjoying life until we meet that person. And I think once you enjoy what you have, your energy changes and then you attract the right person at the right time. And that person is out there. Yeah, it is. That person is out there. I can tell you at 52, they're out there. Don't force it. Don't force it. She's out there too. Like winning season. Well, actor Terrence Howard believes the future of acting is artificial intelligence. This went viral. TMZ caught up with him last week and asked him about Hollywood and production, and Terrence offered a rather gloomy outlook, saying that Hollywood is heading toward a future where AI could replace actors and change how movies are made. He said it's just inevitable. Do you think he's right? Terrence Howard is AI. His voice is a... Come on, man. I didn't hit on me. I love mine, man. When my clothes get wrinkled, I grab an iron, man. Sorry. Say man again. Come on, man. I am. Terrence Howard is AI. He has the first AI voice. It's funny. Congratulations, my rest in mind. Come on. Venus, man, come on, Venus, man. Come on, man. And it's in every room. It's consistent. Terrence Howard is AI. Yeah. But I do agree because I'm finding people, because my son used to model and act, but they are taking commercials. They can just... Make a person. Put in a prompt and have somebody show their product. This morning. So it's something that's certainly going to work. It is. All right. Well, it's 11:10, and I'm enjoying you all so far. Come on, man. We've got the hot sheet with Karen Tower coming up. Come on. November the 28th, man. I know. NBA legend Jalen Rose just criticized some celebrities for their support with HBCUs. I'll tell you why. He's giving them the side eye. Let's leave the hot takes in the actual hot sheet and not on your Thanksgiving table. Podcast host Venus Freeman, she's hanging around and she's bringing company to show us how we can use tools to create healthy boundaries during the holidays. And in honor of National Diabetes Month, we have a beginner-friendly workout routine to protect your health. That's why I wore my pantsuit. I'm ready. We'll be right back. You can call my dog, sign the wall. We gonna ball when you breathe. I'm back with you now on a Monday edition of the Hot Sheet. Are you having fun yet? You having fun, baby? Yes, indeed. I'm having a great time. You're doing good behavior so far, so far. Well, former NBA star Jalen Rose is getting celebrities. He's going to ask you something. Oh, you're not? If not, I got some oil now. Don't worry about it. I got it. Our Jalen Rose, who's giving celebrities who support HBCUs for the camera, but never actually cut a check for them, to side-eye. Rose didn't call anyone else specifically. That was the first thing I looked for, who? But he is now raising the question on whether HBCU celebrity involvement goes beyond a photo op. What he said, hot or not? That's very hot. I think it's hot. And it's about anything, even beyond that. Do you all see it? Got any names? No, I think he should have dropped the names, man. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Stop protecting those people, man. You're good for the photo op. Mmm. You're going for that bag drop. Drop that bag. Absolutely. Secure the bag. Secure the bag. Yeah. Secure the bag. We need it. They need it, man. Well, I think, too, when you think of homecoming season specifically, you see people come out and you go, well, did they go there? Even if you didn't go there, how have you supported over the years? And if you're doing it for a photo op, I mean... Stick to what you say you want to do. And if you're not dropping the bag, use your platform. Yes, because that's awareness. Because that's money. Bring extra light. That's right. Well, singer Lizzo is defending and praising fellow musician Chloe Bailey following criticism of Bailey's new song, Mrs. Claus Don't Have to Know. This came out Friday. Oh. I'm starting to speak now. Yeah, because I love a man with power. I'm starting to speak now. All right, so you go, well, what's wrong with that? That was a clip of the song that received a wave of criticism for people who see adult themes, that she's sexualizing the holiday and using some children's media or related to it. You saw the Dr. Seuss character. Lizzo, though, she uplifted Khloe online, praising her for her, quote, endless artistic talent. I'll get you on the song in a minute, but coming to another artist's defense, hot or not? Was Lizzo right or not for coming out and saying what she said? I mean, definitely support. It's good to support, but... She's a fellow musician. Yeah, I'm going to leave it there. It's good to support. It's good to support. You were about to say something. Don't hold it back, Venus. Don't keep it on the planet, Venus. The whole, it'll make children look because she's using Dr. Seuss. So that was a bit much. And then what kind of secret does she want Mrs. Claus to be keeping? Well, we know we had Santa, baby. We know what that was really about. I mean, that was what it was. I'm curious. Why are you going through the song? You know we had. There are others who have done that song over the years and that was highly sexual, right? Right It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. And Christmas is more than for the kids. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. It is. It's sad to be here. You're using those things. It's sad to be here. Come on now. It's sad to be here. You got to keep it light. It's sad to be here. Okay, so you see it both ways. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. Not too much. Not too much on the pulley, but you see where people are coming from. It's sad to be here. It's sad to be here. Well, rapper Blueface went off in his latest performance. And when I say that. Blueface a rapper? Yeah. And out to fans. He actually tossed a towel that he used to wipe his private parts right before. One woman grabbed the souvenir. She was very proud of that. We have photos of the moment, but we chose to kind of opt out of the full video, so we're just going to show you this part. Was Blueface's free merch giveaway hot or not? Can I get a bigger sign? What the heck? What? What the heck? There's some fan out there who's getting up this morning like... It could have been a towel, I mean It could have been a towelette. Not a towelette! Oh, wow. Oh, Lord. What did you just say? So, I don't know. I done came up with mic and everything. It is all good. It deserves every bit of that. I feel like, what is going on right now? You want to put it around the other side. I'm watching my hands at the same time. But, you know, people used to throw panties and things out all the time or onto the stage. Fans used to do that. You talking about blue face. They got, like, 50 baby mamas and no. Oh. You call it blue face. It's the act. It's all of that. So here we go. It's a junk towel? Yeah, so he took the towel and did some wiping, and then he threw it into the crowd. It looks like a cheering audience, too. I mean, a lot of people were reaching for it. They say, know your audience. I learned that. You're on the television, so somebody's a happy camper this morning. Hear, see, and smell everything. Since you're here, Huggy. What? What? Tell us about your holiday show. You're the actual comedian. November 28th, Orleans Bistro Grill in Fredericksburg, Virginia. And yes, there are black people in Fredericksburg. Have you been to this particular bistro before? Oh, it's nice. Very nice. Very nice. Nice cigar lounge right next to it. I'll be there with Chris Thomas, one show. I want y'all to be there. And every Tuesday and Thursday, I'm hugging the block outside in the community for Magic 102.3. And every Friday, I do my Bama of the Week. Okay, and so for your huggy, when you go on the street, you just pop out. I'm outside. You've got to find me. I've got gifts. I've got money. I've got whatever. Touching the community, blessing people with stuff. I would argue, too, your show is a great holiday gift. Oh, yes, it is. Right in between, right after Thanksgiving, people got money. They're in good spirits. Well, hopefully. Treat your local. What? Maybe they're all spent out. I don't know. I can't speak for everybody. All right, well, it's time now for Tucker's take. And for that, we have Taylor Grinda. She's in for Tucker's take. Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. A lot of butter. And she's not throwing in the towel. No, no, no, no. It's hard to talk back to her. Oh, my goodness. There it is. Isn't that nice? Oh, that's good. That's just. Yeah, I'm glad Tucker's not here, but let's go. Oh, my gosh. Tucker would have pulled his box of briefs off. Yes, he probably would have. You call me? It's funny. We love Tucker. Yeah, he totally would. But anyway, the weather this week is looking fantastic through midweek. We'll have some rain showers, cool air move in late week and into the weekend. Okay, not too bad. I thought last weekend was... Fabulous weather. I know it rained a little bit into the weekend, but then we came out of that and it was nice and bright. Too bad it didn't help our commanders. I'm going to be a little bit more of a I had to go there. They're going to be your Bama of the week. I'm going to be a little bit more of a I'm going to be a little bit more of a defender. Really? Yes. Thank you so much, Taylor. Yeah. We appreciate it. Well, coming up, I was just talking about my weekend plans. I managed to go out to this Michael Jackson. It was like a string quartet. That thing with candlelight stuff happening in D.C. We're going to play some of that video coming up next. Also, in a little bit, helping you prepare for the road ahead, nationally renowned political commentator and author, Dr. David J. Johns is here to talk about his brand new book, And how the historic midterm elections could actually reshape our nation. We'll be right back. We're back now with comedian Huggy Lowdown and podcast host Venus Freeman. And I have a question for both of you. And for all of you watching. You know I love me some Michael Jackson. Try and guess which Michael Jackson song is being covered in this clip. You need to guess. And I'm J.S. Bagg. You're going to start sliding like the NBA person. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Michael. Michael, Michael, she go, uh-uh-uh, like a motorcycle. I can't say all of it. So it was a thriller. I took that clip over the weekend at Candlelight, a tribute to Michael Jackson. It's a string quartet covering the King of Pops' biggest hits. That was at D.C.'s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library downtown, surrounded by hundreds of candles. I believe 1,000 was the count. And this will be there until January 2nd. You want to see it? I will go see it. You said, Venus, you saw something special. So, I actually went to one, and their tribute was to Prince, for who I would love for them to do Phyllis Hyman. Oh, come on. Now you're talking. Oh, my gosh. The instrumental of her. Phyllis Hyman. Oh, yes. I don't know who else. Who would you pick, Huggy? I'm a big Curtis Mayfield fan. Oh, y'all good at taking it back. Yeah. That could work. Not like Isaac Hayes. There's a whole lot. Mm. Mays? James Brown. James Brown would be nice. That would be a good one. That would be a good one. They only approved us filming the final song, which was Thriller. When they did ABC, Jackson 5, everybody stood up and we were all clapping and singing. We all kind of broke out of the formality of it all. We were like this at first, you know. And then it turned into a party. You haven't grown funny. I try to keep it grown and sexy when I can. I do. Oh, that's funny. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. Orleans Beach Road, November 28th. Me and Chris Thomas. You all get out there and support and have a blast. And Venus, you're not going anywhere. And this guy's not going anywhere because next up, nationally renowned political commentator, Dr. David J. Johns. He is here on the couch from your health mirror to housing. he shares how the historic midterm elections could reshape our Our day-to-day. We'll be right back. Care to housing, to civil rights, sweeping changes could be ahead after the historic midterm elections and the face of government is changing. For example, the midterms brought the first black female governor to Georgia with Keisha Lance Bottoms pulling off a victory there. The midterms also saw a record number of women vying for state and federal offices. Nationally renowned political commentator and author Dr. David J. Johns is here to talk about about what's next and also to talk about your new book. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Congratulations. Thank you so very much. Thank you. The Black Paper is out this Friday. Out this Friday by Routledge. Yes, you can find it now at Routledge.com. Wow. You can write at any time. Why is now the right time? You know what? The ancestors helped to make this happen, and they predicted where we are now. This book is a two-year journey, and it is the result of more than 100 people. Across the country, community organizers, people that work at policy at every level of government, educators, caring and concerned adults. This was workshopped over time at the State of the People Power Tour. That was 13 cities, starting in Atlanta, Georgia, when the governor was not a black woman named Keisha. ended in Altadena in Los Angeles, California, where I'm from, the weekend that ICE was nationalized there. They were workshopped in community. We've seen what happened when people use power to consolidate it for the benefit of themselves. We also know the legacy of Black people is one where we write it down and make it plain so that all of us can get closer to freedom. When it comes to the elections that we just had, beyond the ballot, what's next, would you say, or what should be next in terms of priorities for Black America? Yeah. I appreciate the question. I want to acknowledge that we are still in the The midterm elections, there are still at least two races that are yet to be called. This is true. That's right. And it's important for us to celebrate and appreciate that. Elections don't change people's material conditions. Elections decide who's in power, but it's policy that decides what happens with that power. And so the difference between Monday and last Tuesday is not that different for a mom in D.C. who's struggling with rent costs or trying to find care, acknowledging that in January there are procedural paperwork policies that are going to kick hundreds of thousands of people off the roll. The thing that I want to be clear is that the priorities that matter to Americans endure. And the pendulum around elections and election results, those continue to shift. And so my hope is that. We appreciate that the day after elections start accountability season, and there are hundreds of thousands of policy recommendations that can change lives if implemented at every level of government. So this is a tool to be used, again, regardless of who's in power or the political party that they are affiliated with. I'm glad that you said that, because I think right now we're so steeped in partisan politics that both sides are yelling at each other as opposed to speaking to each other. That's exactly right. You did so much research. I mean, you all look at how heavy, oh, it's heavy thick. Like the Bible is so big. But, I mean, economic opportunity, health care, education, there are so many things. Can you talk about maybe one or two of the policy recommendations that came out of this work? Absolutely. Our preview now that tomorrow at stateoftheppl.com, we are going to release a five-point policy agenda that we hope is taken up in January when the new Congress is set. Two of the policy recommendations included in there are to one. Fully fund the child care tax credit because half of all black children eligible for that receive less than half of it at present. Half of it at present. Chapter 25 is written by Dr. Reverend Mark Thompson. It's on D.C. statehood. There are more than 700,000 residents of D.C. right now that pay more in federal taxes. ...per person than any other state throughout this country and still do not have a vote in Congress. So, D.C. statehood will be another recommendation. And to the point of us writing this down, so many of the policy recommendations that were demanded at the Gary Political Convention in 72 to be the 55th year anniversary next year are things that we are still demanding now, including D.C. statehood. A lot of the coverage that came out of the election basically centered on most voters thinking we're not where we need to be economically, and we know that, and they made their decisions based upon those standings. In the course of this process, did you see any other similarities between Democrats and Republicans in terms of what they wanted? From government? Yeah, absolutely. And to your point about us being in a space where people are pushing partisanship as a scare tactic, what we know based on data that we collected at NBJC, the organization that I happen to quarterback the team of, is that the policy priorities for most Americans are the same. They oscillate in order in terms of one and two, but it tends to be the economy and then healthcare. They go hand in hand because if you can't afford to go to the doctor, then you often aren't well, and that can be a cycle. And then below that for black folks, you know that in particular we're worried about state sanctioned or stochastic violence. Ending the use of state apparatus like police or ICE agents to terrorize us. And then you go down a list and it's about us ensuring that we are well, that our babies are cared for holistically. That they're in schools where people assume that their brilliance is native. And that the gifts that they bring to school with them can be used to help them learn and grow. Those policies often are important to people regardless of where you find them based on lines drawn by geography or a political party. Yeah, everyone wants to get to the same destination, but the paths are different in reaching that outcome. I think, too, when we talk about elections, people go, make your vote count, get out to the ballot box, be a part of the process. After that happens, how do people stay engaged and hold their elected officials accountable? Yeah, I was smiling as you asked that question because I'm thinking about Bell Hooks, the writer who... Taught her, wrote her name in lowercase B and H because she wanted us to focus on the words. What she said is too often we don't teach that democracy has to be defended by each generation. She would go on to say education is its midwife and part why I'm an educator. But what she reminds us is that The work starts after election day. It's important for all of us to hold everyone who has auditioned for the responsibility of being an elected official accountable. And so I hope more of us use tools like this as we go to city council meetings or to school board meetings or talk to federal elected officials in districts or in Washington, D.C. and offices that were built by the people for the people to hold them accountable for ensuring that we all get closer to freedom and that we can't just survive, but we actually thrive. Finally here, there's so many takeaways. That was my final question. And what's the takeaway from the reader? Maybe a takeaway you wouldn't normally consider that you think people will walk away with after sitting down with your material. I hope people appreciate that it was not easy to produce this. And in the pages, you will feel the tension and conflict that comes from having a shared goal, all of us having bodily autonomy, all of us being healthy. All of us having a job that will allow us to retire or age with dignity. How we get there might be different. So I think about in this moment, there's a chapter on community safety. The introduction is written by Brittany Packnett Cunningham. And then there are two chapters that are in conversation with one another, holding tension. On one side, you have folks talking about abolition. On the other side, you have folks talking about building from within. And the reality is we have to do all of it. We should not be beholden to the tyranny of either or, but be liberated by the beauty of both ends. All of the work is required. for us to get closer to freedom in the key of Fannie Lou Hamer. Oh, wow. Well, thank you so much. Can I call you David or Dr. John? So here's the thing. You can call me David. I can call you David. But this is where there's a divide because my personal form of reparations is that white people are obligated to call me doctor. But you can call me David. I can call you David. Okay. Yes, yes, yes. Well, thank you, David, for coming. I really appreciate this and the work, too. And like you said, it's nonpartisan. It is nonpartisan. You want people to know that, that there's something in here for everybody. It is about defending and expanding democracy and the key of all of us getting free. And I want to make sure that you hear me and my husband say congratulations. We hope that it is everything that you want it to be. Thank you. I so appreciate that. And I'll read the other book that you gave me as well in preparation for that next chapter of my life. Thank you and congrats on the book this Friday. This Friday. You can pre-order right now, but they will ship and should be available in bookstores near you or bookshop.org. They will be shipped on Friday. Routledge.com or stateoftheppl.com. Sounds great. Well, it's 1137 coming up next from setting boundaries with your family's elders to a fresh yam recipe. Hey, ladies, podcast host, life coach and chef. They are all in the kitchen with some ingredients you'll need for a healthy family Thanksgiving. And later, we're going to kick diabetes awareness month to high gear with an at-home Pilates routine. They're going to be here in studio teaching me, teaching you, and also telling us about About how we can all tap into. a 5k walk that's coming up aimed at spotting and reducing the disease. We'll be right back. Yeah. All this good energy got you all in your feelings. You know I thought Thanksgiving was 17 days away but now I'm not so sure. You all have transformed our kitchen into a feast. It looks so good from the food on your table to your family dynamics. I called in some help, lots of it, from all angles to make sure you have the healthiest holiday possible. So we have this and it's needed because nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults say the holidays stress them out and family conflict is at the top. We want to change it. So we have the host of Truth Serum Podcast, Venus. You've been here all morning. I'm here for it. Venus Freeman. We also have life coach, minister, and generational curse breaker. I've got to get some more details on that. Minister Katrina Williams. And then I have Chef Hollywood. Yes. Easy to make recipes. Why do they call you Chef Hollywood? Sweet. Hollywood. You come get everything glamour. Oh, listen. I see it. It's free. All right. So, before we get to all of this, Venus, I want you to talk more in depth about this segment, and we're going to have some fun for sure with what you hope to get across, because a lot of families and friends will be gathering at the table in a couple of weeks. Yeah, so the most important thing is, so I'm doing a five-series podcast on generational curses. The next one I have coming up is on the 10th, tomorrow, at Art & Co. in Temple Hills, Maryland, but just talking about... The different things that we go through and how do we bring back healthy traditions? Because there are a lot of unhealthy traditions. There are a lot of conversations that are not being had. And I know it's uncomfortable, but we need to have those hard conversations. We need to bring it to the forefront. We need to get past it and start doing some of the things we used to do, which goes back into the food. For me, when I smell sweet potato pie, I think of my grandmother. And I think about being in the kitchen, snapping the string beans and cleaning collard greens. How do we get that back? How do we create... Healthier traditions for the generation to come. I'm going to get you to Minister Williams on this. But Chef Hollywood, walk us through quickly here what you brought. And then we'll literally set the table and talk. Look, I can chew gum and walk right through you. So we're going to do both of those. Okay, we have salted caramel cheesecake. Sweet potato, candy yams, barbecue fried chicken, macaroni and cheese. Oh, and the sweet potato pie. The sweet potato pie. Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Candy. Can I walk away from here? Okay. Are you getting the kitchen seat? Because I think you threw everything. I didn't throw that. You know, that's a headliner in my household. Oh, yes, yes. Okay, well, let's start plating. So we're going to plate that and then talk at the same time. Okay. Because I definitely want to try. So as we start plating everything, and you all, don't be shy and don't try to be cute because you're on television. Tell me about the generational curses, too, that you hope to break. And then, Minister Williams, I'll get you on that as well. So, try to break the curses of... Holding stuff in, the secrecy, oh my gosh, the famous term that I know everyone knows, what goes on in this house stays in this house. That's a big one. We have to stop doing that because what happens is we're also teaching our younger generations to not talk about things. So if you don't have a safe space at home, then maybe it's your counselor at school. Maybe it's another peer, but talk to somebody, get help from someone. Don't just hold it in. And listen to people telling us stuff like that. We can't sweep it under the rug anymore. Which, like I said, on tomorrow at Art & Co., we're talking about molestation, the family secret. It's a secret. I know it's an uncomfortable conversation, but it needs to be had. It needs to be had. And, Minister, you see this spiritually, that people are really dealing with and holding those traumas for years, decades even. Yes. What's your recommendation? As far as even for myself, I was one of those individuals where, yes, we had those things was done in the house. What goes on in the house stays in the house. And that is a part of. That's a problem. That's a trigger. That's a trauma. That is creating those generational curses. Some of those patterns and things that we've had in our household for generations, our grandparents and the great-grandparents, where again, it goes back to not having those conversations because it's uncomfortable. And then having those uncomfortable conversations. One of the things about breaking generational curses is that oftentimes we break it within our home, but we got to go back to the root of where it started. And at the root of having those uncomfortable conversations is where you also have to do the healing. Yes. To be able to, it's not that you're not just breaking it in your home, you're breaking it for generations that may be long gone, but you're also breaking it for those generations behind you. Yeah, it could literally be in your DNA, and you don't even know that. I do believe that. So that's so that's one That's one of the things when it comes to creating healthy traditions, we have a lot of family members that because we don't have those comfortable conversations, they're afraid to get to the table. Absolutely. Absolutely. And that's what I was thinking too, because I understand with the holiday Holidays, that may not be the ideal time to have those type of conversations at the table. But if you start to have those conversations before, you're at a place where you can hopefully enjoy the season and enjoy your time with family. What are some traditions you think families should begin to incorporate more for the holidays? So for me, I say create, make it a game, you know, but promote a space of. You're safe to say what you want to say, you know, not to be judged, just to hear them out, especially our youth. We got to listen. We have to listen and not judge because that's one of the biggest things. We're afraid to talk because we're afraid of what people are going to think of us. We're afraid to talk and we're starting to tell people we can't tell people how to feel and when to feel. All we can do is respect how they feel, hear them out and try to move from it. The biggest thing I always say, you have to own it before you can heal from it. You know, so we have to start holding ourselves accountable, and we have to start breaking some of these bad curses that we have. And then also celebrating the good ones. And I love this juice, too. That is my daughter's homemade strawberry lemonade. Really? It is so good. You should sell this. She should. She doesn't give this away. That's a good one. Because I'm looking at everything that you all fixed and thinking about all the recipes I wish I had gotten from some of my relatives who have passed on. I think there are a lot of opportunities this time of year to pass on and cherish the good memories and the good stuff, too. We want our viewers to understand that. And that's one of the things with my grandmother. She's no longer with us. But with my grandmother, and I do have three amazing great aunts that are still living And my grandfather, and that's just one of the things that even those... Traditions, it's always been family, fun, love, fellowship, and food. And it was always incorporated at the table. But even before the holidays, we do that. Back in the day, Friday night was Fish and Grits night. Saturdays, you go on your own. But Sunday, we fellowship together at church. And after church, it was at grandparents' house. And it was family dinner. Family first. Yes, family first. So it's just getting back to those traditions that was the foundation. Never lose the foundation. Where we all, at the table, there's always somebody going through something. So we just got to get at that table and have those uncomfortable conversations. We should have started with that. Putting the bones down. You got to because you never get that time back. I'm going to let you all enjoy because I think I was the only one who ate. Thank you. Thank you. I want to get food in my teeth. What are the greens like? The off the chain. They're calling the off the chain. But you all. Enjoy. We've talked about healthy conversations, healthy recipes. I'm actually going to go over and do a healthy workout. Workout. We'll talk with you ladies in just a bit here on the other side of the studio. And I have mats. Who's waiting with me here is Diabetes Awareness Month, and for today's edition of Health Hacks, alert in Virginia Pilates studio aims to bring attention to the disease with a 5K walk, and it happens this Saturday. Here to tell us more, we have founder of Studio Zoe Pilates, Zoya Burgess. She's back, and also Pilates instructor Candace is here as well. So step forward, because I believe the last time you came on, you were getting ready to open. Yes, yes, we had it open. Thank you. Amazing. Love it. We have so many new members, so many wonderful instructors. I love the community we've built. Oh my gosh. Kennedy is definitely a receipt. You all are doing here and we see the ribbon cutting. So super proud of you. And now you're being engaged really with the community as it relates to Diabetes Awareness Month. Talk about it and why you were so inspired to do so. So, obviously, you know, 40 million Americans are... Unfortunately diagnosed with diabetes and recently actually my stepson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and we found out kind of in a very tragic way and it got into a point where you know there needs to be more awareness about this and a lot of our clients more people I talk to family members have diabetes and they're affected by this. We don't have any walks in our area the most of them are in the city like in DC and Arlington. This is true. I wanted to bring a 5k to our community give all of the proceeds to the American Diabetes Association And just help. find the cure for that. You're doing the Lord's work. When is this event? So this is this Saturday at Occoquan Regional Park. Okay. At 9 a.m. is check-in. First 50 people get a free goodie bag. We have a matcha car and the walk starts at 9 30. Okay. You had me at free goodie bag. Let's say less. I know it's very, very important. And Kennedy, I mean, this is close to your heart too, in terms of keeping us all healthy. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's important important to get a little movement in your day. I mean, it's a big, it's a big thing that That helps not only us look good, but feel good, too. But feel good. And think better, too. I think it has a lot to do with the mindset as well. So I kept this suit on. I normally change for this show because I knew you all were coming. You're going to put me to work. So, Kennedy, Zoya, I mean, walk me through some of these easier at home things that people can do. And those of you watching, you're a part of this Ipsquad to get our bodies moving and our blood pumping. All right. Well, we're going to start lying down on our backs on the mat here. We're just going to take a few deep breaths once we get down here. Now I have this mic box and IFB box that I can't lay all the way. There we go. So I want you to take your hands, put them by your sides, make chicken wings. Chicken wings? Chicken wings. We got chicken wings in the kitchen. Barbecue chicken wings. I didn't get around to that yet. We got chicken wings on the mat, too. Me too. We're just going to take a few deep breaths. I want you to breathe in through your nose and out through a straw. Why do we do it that way? This is the most efficient and effective form of breath. It's called rib cage breathing. Mmm. To add to this, I want you to imagine pushing your ribs into your palms as you breathe in. And knitting everything together as you exhale. I already feel so relaxed and I'm still at work. I love it. I could take a nap. I love it. Let's do one more together. You guys ready to go in there? And out. One more time. All right, we're going to kick it up just a little bit here. We're going to take our hands, we're going to stack them one on top of the other. Place them behind our head. Okay. All right, we're going to get ready. Hi, buddy. Okay. All righty, so we're going to take a nice big inhale together, and on our exhale, we're going to lift our chest up towards our thighs. Are you ready? I'm ready. Let's inhale in through the nose. Exhale, let's lift. Did we come all the way up? Yep, all the way up. Oh. And back down. Got it. All right, we have 15 seconds, I think we may come back to this segment if you don't want to get another move in. But real quick, Zoya, talk about the event that's coming up. Yeah, so honestly, we are just inviting our entire community. We're inviting all of our members, even if you're not a member. We're having everyone come out and just enjoy the walk. I think we have about 60 sign-ups right now, and it's open to everyone. We can have over 200 people. So anybody wants to come, bring your kids, bring your dogs, bring your families. Every single person is welcome to come. Well, you know you're going to get a whole lot more people after this segment. Yes, yes, I would love to see more. All right, we'll have much more in your bursts of joy after this. I'm back with you now with Kenny and I have Zara from the studios here, Zo Pilates, or Studio Zo, I should say. They teach Pilates there. What's one quick, quick... All right, we're going to inhale, sit nice and tall. Exhale, hug a beach ball. All right, while you're hugging that beach ball, I'm going to get into today's burst of joy because I had a big meet-up last night with R&B icon Babyface. Check it out. You know you don't need to make a phone call. Oh, and he was cool. That's me, Dean, my fiancé, and Ramone Bain. She used to represent Michael Jackson at the show. Also bumped into the governor, Wes Moore. He was backstage as well, and First Lady Dawn Moore. And I had the opportunity to take a picture and speak with Babyface briefly. What a great night, great star, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to finally meet him in the flesh. We'll be right back with a preview of tomorrow's show. Tomorrow on the Marissa Mitchell Show, we have an attitude for gratitude all hour long as we race closer and closer to Thanksgiving first.