Hold Up with Dulcé Sloan & Josh Johnson from The Daily Show · Comedy Central

Oatmeal vs. Grits

March 30, 2023·49 min·4 clips

Dulcé Sloan discovers people put ketchup on grits, sparking a hilarious debate about breakfast crimes.

Josh Johnson and Dulce Sloan open with a brief tangent about ball culture and voguing before diving into their main topic, suggested by listener Kaya Carter: oatmeal versus grits. Josh champions oatmeal for its nutritional profile, citing its iron, calcium, fiber, and B6 content, while Dulce argues that grits win on versatility, serving as a viable side dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They discuss how oatmeal pairs well with fruits like berries, peaches, and apples, while grits pair with savory items like shrimp, fish, sausage, and eggs. Dulce recalls a standout shrimp and grits spot in Brooklyn that closed. The hosts examine whether sweet grits are acceptable, with Dulce firmly opposed based on how she was raised, though she acknowledges the online debate around sugar in grits. They also briefly consider savory oatmeal, with Josh finding recipes for ham, egg, and cheese oatmeal online. Josh points out that grits have minimal nutritional value on their own, calling them a social climber that needs accompaniments to provide real sustenance. Dulce counters that oatmeal cannot function as a side dish and is limited to its own bowl. The conversation takes a historical turn as they trace grits back to Native American corn preparation and how the food became central to enslaved people's diets. Josh notes that oats were brought to the Americas by European colonizers, prompting Dulce to jokingly refuse to promote the white man's grains. They touch on the difference between steel-cut oats and other varieties, the discovery that oats are the basis for Aveeno skincare products, and the classification of apples as pome fruits. The episode includes a health segment where both hosts urge listeners, especially men, to eat breakfast, drink more water, and get fiber in their diets. They wrap up by asking listeners to weigh in on the debate and promote their respective upcoming tour dates and social media channels.

As heard by us

A breakfast argument that keeps widening into a comic riff on taste and nonsense.

Starting with grits, Josh Johnson and his co-host turn breakfast into a lively argument over what belongs on the plate. Ketchup and hot sauce get weighed against each other, savory oatmeal comes under scrutiny, and the talk keeps drifting toward ballroom culture, haggis, and the…

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Why you'd press play

When you want a grits debate that veers into comedy, balls, and dating confusion.

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