2 Dope Queens

'2 Dope Queens' posts final podcast episode, featuring Michelle Obama

The 2 Dope Queens podcast is no more. Hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson posted one final episode where they interview Michelle Obama, along with a letter explaining the podcast’s departure:

Hi boo boos,

We’ve got some big news, so you might want to sit back like Wendy Williams about to serve the tea. The final episode of our beloved podcast 2 Dope Queens is hitting your feeds today! In the words of Boyz II Men, it’s the “end of the road.” We want to thank you, listeners, for being with us from the very beginning. We are so honored to have gotten the chance to go on this ride with you. Our show started in a hot basement in Brooklyn and now we’re selling out theaters across the country. We could not have done it without you. The podcast was created as a space for female, POC and LGBTQ performers to shine (and for Phoebe to teach you all about why Bono is, in fact, great). We — and by we, we mean YOU — showed the world that people want and need to hear more diverse voices.

You can catch us on the next round of the 2 Dope Queens HBO specials!

As for this last episode, we are going out with a bang, y’all. A conversation with her majesty Michelle Obama. When the queen calls, the Queens answer! We couldn’t have dreamed up a better, more meaningful, finale.

Thanks for all of your fan art, your sweet words, for saying hi at shows. A special thank you to WNYC Studios, to all of our guests, and to Chenoa Estrada for making the podcast dream a reality.

#YQY #CDG

Phoebe and Jessica

As for what Phoebe and Jessica discussed with Michelle Obama, here’s an excerpt of the transcript:

Jessica Williams: Another question for you. In your book you talk about the angry black woman stereotype. And how you dealt with that. And how often times people used that trope to sort of quantify and minimize I think expression from a lot of women of color. I was wondering, do you feel like you’re in a place now where you can inhabit that anger healthily and express yourself?

Michelle Obama: You know in all truthfulness, no. I think that labels and stereotypes are intended, they stick, you know? And if you’ve grown up sort of thinking watch your mouth, be careful, don’t be too, as you see other people. You know, you want to talk about seeing some anger… there’s a lot of anger being expressed these days and I just think man if I ever said that, those would be those bubble moments where I could end the presidency. If I said these three words, it would all be over. And those words are said every day, all day, these days. So, no, there’s still a double standard.

And I have to be aware of what I say and how I say it because if you want to get a point across… if you’re a woman and you’re too angry people stop hearing the point. They don’t hear you. And I’d love to be able to get in and emotionally, psychologically change that, but the truth is, is that people will hear things differently from me. I will do one thing and somebody else will do the exact same thing and it will be interpreted completely differently.

So I had to learn how to, how do I separate my anger from the point, from the goal?And that is what I try to mentor young people to do. It’s like have the feeling, don’t deny the feeling exists, I’m not gonna pretend like I’m not angry. But if I’m trying to move an issue, if my anger doesn’t work to move the issue, then it’s not helpful. And that’s what going high means. Going high means you don’t ignore it. Going high doesn’t mean you don’t acknowledge the fear, it’s just like well if you’re, what’s your goal? And if the goal, and usually your goal isn’t to just be angry. Barack has been good at that, that’s his even keeled temper is not just cause he’s calm and cool and not emotional. It’s just like, you know, brother can’t get too angry if he wants to move things forward. He doesn’t have the leeway to solve problems with anger.

And that’s remains true for women and minorities. So yeah, I still watch what I say and think about what I say because I don’t get a second chance. I don’t get the benefit of the doubt that maybe she had a bad day, or maybe she didn’t mean what she said.

Every word I uttered on the campaign trail was picked apart and it was analyzed and oftentimes incorrectly. So I couldn’t stop people from doing that, so I had to control my own message. I had to control my voice so that it wouldn’t be misinterpreted. And I still do…

You can read the rest here and listen to the episode below.

Meanwhile, the 2 Dope Queens HBO show lives on, and Phoebe and Jessica will be taping its second season across four nights at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn in December. Tickets are still available, and you can also win a pair to one of the first two nights.