Pod Insights Therapy for Black Girls I Have Some Thoughts Minisode | Scary Movie 6, Latto's Postpartum, & Russell Wilson's Retirement About this episode Welcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week.
This week, we're chatting about Scary Movie 6, Latto's postpartum concerns, and Russell Wilson's retirement.
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Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.
0:04 Speaker 01 A rare disease diagnosis can change your life, but it doesn't have to define your future. In season seven of Untold Stories, Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition, host Martine Hackett continues the conversation with people living with MG, CIDP, and the broader rare disease community, exploring what comes after diagnosis through stories of hope, progress, and connection. Produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Argenx. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:34 Speaker 02 This January, bare-knuckle fighting championship takes over the ocean. The inaugural Brew's Cruise sails from Miami to the Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Jewel. Three straight days with pool deck bare-knuckle fights in the Caribbean. Mess of parties, beach events, DJs, cigars, tequila tastings, and nonstop action. The lineup reveals coming soon. Cabs are disappearing fast, and the prices won't stay this low. Reserve your spot with just $200 down at B K F S E A dot com.
1:06 Speaker 03 Chevy is called the heartbeat of America for a reason, and Silverado keeps its rhythm. You feel it in the Turbo Max engine with best-in-class standard torque, and available Z71 off-road package that keeps you rolling when the road turns rough. And the most functional truck bed with best-in-class cargo space. They're trucks that work as hard as you do, so you can do more of what you love without missing a beat. Chevrolet, together let's drive. Based on latest competitive information, excludes other GM vehicles.
1:44 Speaker 01 Hey, y'all. Welcome back to our next episode of I Have Some Thoughts, our pop culture podcast where we are talking about all the hot topics, talking that are happening in pop culture, but of course, from a mental health lens. And I am again today joined by Ria, our production assistant. How are you, Ria? I'm good.
2:01 Speaker 04 Good, I'm good.
2:02 Speaker 01 Good. Very excited to see you again and to hear what is on our list for today.
2:07 Speaker 04 Yes, lots to talk about. So first things first, we have Scary Movie Six. So after thirteen years since the last film, Scary Movie franchise is back. Did you see the movie?
2:19 Speaker 01 I did not. I feel like maybe I saw the first one, but I definitely have not seen two through five.
2:24 Speaker 04 Okay.
2:26 Speaker 04 Okay, well, Scary Movie Six hit theaters this past weekend. It launched at number one in the box office. It opened at a hundred and five point five million dollars worldwide, and it's now bigger than actually every other movie in the franchise. However, a few days before the official premiere, the movie debuted on Rotten Tomatoes, and it had a thirty-two percent score from early viewers. Now, I feel like when it comes to black movies, especially the recent ones, we've seen a lot of contrast between like critical reviews and audience love for a movie. And it sparked a lot of conversations online about why projects that resonate with black audiences are often judged differently by mainstream critics.
3:07 Speaker 04 So we saw something similar with Yumi and Tuscany with Hallie Bailey and Regis on Page earlier this year, where studios were really looking at that film to determine the future of black rom-coms. Last year, it was Sinners. It was like out for two days and everyone's not probable yet, and then it's can you give it some time? So why does black entertainment have to prove its value in ways that other forms of entertainment don't?
3:31 Speaker 01 Oh, this is just so frustrating because it feels like, I mean, we had this conversation on the podcast, right? Around like you, me, and Tuscany and like this idea that like people are or the studios are waiting on like one film to indicate the success of everything after. And it just feels every time there is a new movie, the goalpost continues to move. And and I just think it's so unfair. But I mean, it largely happens because we are not the ones in power in Hollywood, right? Of course, there are some people who are doing big things like Will Packer and Tyler Perry and people who have the resources to do their own things. But largely, I think many of the people who are making films are at the beck and call of other. People who don't necessarily look like us, right?
4:14 Speaker 01 And so I think it is the process of continuing to have to prove yourself, even though the last five have proved themselves, right? And the fact that like a six got made indicated that like there was still a hunger for it, even if it's not your thing, right? So I think that the success of the previous films and clearly the success of this one indicates that there is definitely a market for it, even if it is just a hate watch, right? Like people are just curious about like, what is this going to look like? I think that that clearly indicates that there was still a market for it.
4:43 Speaker 04 Yeah, absolutely. And then like, I feel like I see this conversation amongst like a lot of talent as well. But obviously, a lot of artists, whether it's like actors, directors, producers, they feel very passionate about their work. And part of them wants to maybe say like, I love the work that I've done. I don't really care about the awards or the ratings or the critics or anything of that nature. But ultimately, people do work hard toward those like Grammys, those Oscars, those Emmys, and things of that nature. So why do ratings and awards and like critical acclaim hold so much power over how we perceive art, but then also how the artists are creating too?
5:22 Speaker 01 Yeah, you know, I think it's largely how we're socialized, right? If we are not a part of the industry and like you don't know the lingo and like you don't necessarily know what you're looking for, you are typically looking for those kinds of things to indicate whether something is worth your time and worth your money, right? So I'm looking for the bestseller list or I'm looking for where has this thing been vetted? So I know whether it's something that I want to invest in. So I think we can't blame ourselves for that. That is largely the society that we are socialized in, even though I'm very excited to see that there are so many more conversations around art for art's sake and right, like making the things that we enjoy and that we find pleasurable regardless of whether it is critically acclaimed or not. But my understanding is also that winning those awards typically opens the doors
6:06 Speaker 01 for other kinds of opportunities, right? So it kind of opens the purse strings for maybe future projects. It indicates you getting paid more, I think, for future projects. And so we can't act as if these things are just vanity metrics, right? Like unfortunately, they are. Are not. It's not just a nice to have. Unfortunately, the way that the industry is set up, it sounds like it is also opening to other kinds of opportunities that many entertainers and actors and people who do creative kinds of things are looking for and need to be able to kind of continue to support themselves in their craft.
6:38 Speaker 04 That's so true, because I think that even a couple of weeks after the Oscars premiered, I think it was Michael B. Jordan had another animated movie coming out. And then the trailer started rolling for that once all the Oscar campaigning was over and it became like Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan instead of featuring Michael B. Jordan, for example. So that's so true.
6:57 Speaker 01 Right.
6:58 Speaker 04 So our next topic, we're actually going to go back to Lotto. So a few weeks ago on I Have Some Thoughts, we discussed how Lotto announced that her at the time upcoming album, Big Mama, would be her retirement album. We had a really good conversation about how sometimes women feel the pressure to choose between motherhood and their career. And this was a few weeks after she had shared that she was expecting a child. Well, since then, Lotto has been busy. She has had her baby. She dropped the new album. And she also did an interview with Apple Music where she admitted that she made the retirement album announcement in the midst of experiencing pretty bad postpartum. She said that she was going through the experience of motherhood
7:39 Speaker 04 for the first time and it hit her much harder than she expected. Now, a lot of people completely understand this because obviously pregnancy puts women's bodies through so much. But for many, there are questions on whether, did you just announce this to draw attention to the album? Now, we'll never know the answer to that question, but in looking at some of the critiques on social media, I did notice that a lot of them were coming from people without kids. So like, I thought it would be helpful to put postpartum into perspective for those who have never experienced it, like whether they have kids or just haven't had kids to experience it as well. So like, what are some of the common emotional experiences during the postpartum period that people may not expect?
8:24 Speaker 01 I don't know that there's any of it that you can exact, honestly. And you know, I think people kind of use the word postpartum. Of course, postpartum kind of generally describes the term after you've given birth. But people also use it to refer to like postpartum depression or maybe even postpartum anxiety. And so I'm not exactly sure what she was referring to when she said like, I had pretty bad postpartum. Is she just indicating that the period after giving birth was really haywire? Or was she experiencing some, sometimes that might be indicative of like depression or anxiety. But it generally refers to the term after giving birth. And I think the best word to describe is just like chaotic. Like everything is out of haywire, like your hormones are going up and down.
9:05 Speaker 01 Like things are trying to level off after like the huge hormone rise that is leading up to birth. And then everything is trying to get back to a homeostatic place. You're not sleeping. You are at the whim of this little person who kind of needs you to survive, right? And so everything as you have known it is like completely different. And you are just functioning or really maybe not functioning at all with all kinds of like stuff going on. And so I think you see a lot of like just volatility in your mood, maybe increased irritability, likely increased episodes of crying, some experiences of depression, even if it doesn't necessarily meet the clinical criteria. But you will likely experience some loss of interest in things that you used to be really interested in
9:50 Speaker 01 or like just feeling down maybe and not sure why. And it's just so much going on. And I think a lot of it is related to the hormones, but also a lot of it is related to just the lack of stability for your sleep. And we know what that can do to your mental health.
10:05 Speaker 04 Yeah, for sure. And if, for someone who is going through something like, whether it's like postpartum depression or anxiety, or just dealing with the fact that life has changed after having a baby, how can loved ones recognize when someone is experiencing these challenges? And what kinds of support tend to be the most helpful?
10:24 Speaker 01 Yeah, I mean, I think you should expect that your loved one will have some kinds of changes regardless of what they look like, and we can't necessarily predict that. But you should expect that things will be very different for them, maybe even in ways that they are not able to vocalize. So I think just keeping a watchful eye and being there to support them. One of the best things I think is to make life as easy for them as possible so that all they have to worry about is taking care of themselves and the baby, right? So making sure that meals have been provided, being on hand to like hold the baby or take care of the baby so that she can shower or wash her hair, maybe even having her hairstylist come to the, to the house to do a look updo or something so that it's like the one less thing that she has to worry about.
11:05 Speaker 04 Right, yeah.
11:06 Speaker 01 So just thinking ahead of removing any barrier that she might have to be able to take care of herself, taking care of the baby, feeding the baby. If she's not breastfeeding, if she's using formula, then that means somebody else can typically be responsible for helping to feed. Or even if she is breastfeeding and pumping, then you may be able to also help with feeding. So I think just taking as many things off of her plate so that she can sleep if she can, and also accompanying her to doctor's appointments and staying in contact with the doctor, right? So if you notice any like drastic changes, those are the kinds of things that a physician will want to know because it could be an indication that there needs, there may be additional support needed or some other things may be needed.
11:48 Speaker 04 Yeah, that's a great perspective. Thank you.
11:51 Speaker 01 More from our conversation after the break. A rare disease diagnosis can change your life, but it doesn't have to define your future. Tune in for season seven of Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition, a Ruby Studio production in partnership with Argenx. Hosted by public health and policy expert Dr. Martine Hackett, Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition pushes the conversation within the rare disease community forward. Featuring guests living with MG, CIDP, myositis, SMA, and other rare autoimmune conditions, each episode explores hope, progress, and connection. How does research create new opportunities? How do shared experiences help light the way forward? How do we best show up for each other?
12:35 Speaker 01 Tune in to find out. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
12:43 Speaker 02 This January, bare-knuckle fighting championship takes over the ocean. The inaugural Brew's Cruise sails from Miami to the Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Jewel. Three straight days with pool-deck bare-knuckle fights in the Caribbean. Mess of parties, beach events, DJs, cigars, tequila tastings and non-stop action. The lineup reveals coming soon. Cabins are disappearing fast and the prices won't stay this low. Reserve your spot with just $200 down at B K F S E A dot com.
13:15 Speaker 03 Chevy is called the heartbeat of America for a reason, and Silverado keeps its rhythm. You feel it in the Turbo Max engine with best-in-class standard torque, an available Z71 off-road package that keeps you rolling when the road turns rough, and the most functional truck bed with best-in-class cargo space. They're trucks that work as hard as you do, so you can do more of what you love without missing a beat. Chevrolet. Together, let's drive. Based on latest competitive information, excludes other GM vehicles.
13:46 Speaker 04 And then we have Russell Wilson, who had announced his retirement. So this past week, Russell Wilson shared via Instagram that he was retiring from the NFL. Now, this comes after 14 seasons in the league, including 10 in Seattle. As a precursor, I'm not a football sports girl. This is just what the people are telling me. But apparently, he established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the Seahawks' history and one of the best in his era overall. His next chapter, he's already announced he's going to be an analyst for CBS Sports, the NFL Today Show, so he's continuing to do cool things. But you could tell from the tone of the statements that he made in the Instagram post that it was still a very emotional decision for him to make.
14:30 Speaker 04 So I figured we would talk a little bit about life transitions. So whether it's something as big as retiring from a job that you spent decades doing... Something like moving to a city or just changing jobs. Why do we struggle with endings even when we feel like we're ready for them?
14:47 Speaker 01 Oh, this is such a good question, and I think you're right, right? Like, of course, there is a particular flavor to the transition of retirement. But I think anytime like something changes, it can be just really difficult. And I think a lot of it is related to the routine that has been set up for us, right? And especially with something like retirement. I actually was just looking at a video earlier about from Gilbert Arenas, who was an NBA player who retired, I think, a couple of years ago. And he talked about how difficult it was for him retiring. Because when you think about like professional athlete, many of them have been playing their sport since five or six years old, right? And so for years, this is the rhythm of your life. And so then when you don't have that, it's what do I do to fill this time?
15:29 Speaker 01 And so I think for a lot of it is the it's the routine that feels really difficult to figure out. Like, how am I reestablishing my life? Who am I without this thing, right? Again, for retirement, whether it's a professional athlete or whether you have been a school teacher or a physician or whatever, like, a lot of our identity is often wrapped up into our career. And so when you don't have that thing that you're actively doing, there can be questions of who am I? And what does life look like now that I don't have that thing? Am I still worthy? Like, lots of, I think, identity questions can come up after a major life transition.
16:02 Speaker 04 That's so true, because even like I didn't play like a ton of sports in school. Like, I never really thought I was gonna like go run track in college or like professionally or anything like that. But for a lot of like the basketball players and the football players who did play in high school and even college, and they didn't move on to from high school to college or didn't go from college to pro. I feel like a lot of those conversations like often came up there too, because it's this has been my life for so long, like. What do I do now? And I feel like it's even more amplified when you actually did go through pro. And now it's all my formative years have been spent playing the sport too. So how can people embrace reinvention without feeling like they're losing a part of themselves in the process?
16:48 Speaker 01 Well, I think it's okay to acknowledge if that is how you feel, right? Like, I think a couple of the conversations we've had on previous I Have Some Thoughts episodes have been around like grief, right? And like the grief that comes when things change. And so I think acknowledging that if you feel like ouch, this is a large part of my life that's gone and I don't know what to do with myself. Allowing yourself to sit in that and then see what comes up, I think can be really healthy and normal. I think a lot of people will spend some time kind of thinking about, okay, well, what are all the things I had on the back burner? That I didn't get a chance to do that now I maybe have some time and resources to do. So picking up another hobby, I think for many people like Russell, it sounds like have decided they will kind of find a way to pivot to still kind of stay connected to the thing, right? So he won't be playing, but he will be doing commentary.
17:32 Speaker 01 For a teacher, could you maybe then train other teachers or figure out some kind of other thing to do? If that is a choice, right? Like if that feels like I still want to stay connected to it, but maybe in a different way. I think that there are ways to do that. But I also think it's really good to just give yourself some time where you don't make any necessarily quick decisions. Right? Like if you have some time to just take a month or two just doing nothing. I think that that can be really good to just give yourself a reset and to kind of see what comes up naturally about what you might want to pursue next.
18:02 Speaker 04 Yeah, I love that. Take a break and recalibrate and then see what's next.
18:07 Speaker 01 Exactly.
18:09 Speaker 04 Well, that was our last topic.
18:11 Speaker 01 Perfect. Another round of excellent topics. Thank you so much, Bria. And if there are things that you are thinking about or paying attention to in pop culture that you'd like to hear us weigh in on, you can share those with us at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. And until next time, take good care of yourself.
18:33 Speaker 01 A rare disease diagnosis can change your life, but it doesn't have to define your future. In season seven of Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition, host Martine Hackett continues the conversation with people living with MG, CIDP, and the broader rare disease community, exploring what comes after diagnosis through stories of hope, progress, and connection. Produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Argenx. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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19:19 Speaker 03 Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and obesity to improve their OSA. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15-milligram injection. Zepbound contains trisepotide and should not be used with other trisepotide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it, or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction.
20:04 Speaker 03 Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia, if you're nursing, pregnant, plant-to-be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulphonal urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems.
20:26 Speaker 05 Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-5979, or visit zepbound.lilly.com.
20:33 Speaker 02 This January, bare-knuckle fighting championship takes over the ocean. The inaugural Brew's Crew sails from Miami to the Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Jewel. Three straight days with pool-decked bare-knuckle fights in the Caribbean. Mess of parties, beach events, DJs, cigars, tequila tastings and non-stop action. The lineup reveals coming soon. Cabins are disappearing fast, and the prices won't stay this low. Reserve your spot with just $200 down at B K F S E A dot com.
21:03 Speaker 00 This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
Previous Session 467: Eating While Black Next Session 468: The Albums That Raised Us Page updated October 30, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated