Zip ties & Ball Gags 👮🏾

July 18, 2020·59 min·4 clips

Two Black women debate whether Nick Cannon is a sellout for apologizing after being fired by ViacomCBS.

Kay and Marquella open the season one finale of The Gray Area by celebrating completing ten episodes in ten weeks and joking about wanting a $500,000 sponsorship deal from Anchor. They pay tribute to civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis, who had recently passed away, encouraging listeners to learn about his history. The hosts briefly discuss a 'national throwaway could haves and should haves day' in a comedic bit before recapping their week, including an axe throwing outing where Marquella's team allegedly lost due to cheating. They discuss the discovery of Naya Rivera's body in a lake, noting the eerie coincidence that it occurred on the seventh anniversary of the death of Glee castmate Cory Monteith. The hosts then address Tamar Braxton's hospitalization for a suspected suicide attempt, sharing genuine concern and recounting a story of a young Black man who livestreamed his suicide years earlier with no intervention. They urge listeners to check on all their friends, not just the strong ones, and to simply send 'I love you' texts. The Nick Cannon firing segment sees both hosts land in a genuine gray area: they understand why ViacomCBS fired him for antisemitic comments but reject the idea that apologizing makes him a sellout, calling out 50 Cent and others for that framing. They argue Cannon has been a consistent activist and job creator for Black people and deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion segment is a mix of outrage and comedy, with the hosts condemning the shooting while riffing on Lanez's reported five-foot-three height. The Money Bagg Yo discussion is the episode's most analytical segment, with the hosts carefully distinguishing between what a man owes a baby mama versus a girlfriend, concluding that the baby mama's real grievance is about feeling undervalued during the relationship. K. Michelle's unsolicited involvement in the drama is dismissed as baffling. The hosts then cover Pop Smoke's murder, discussing the theory that he was set up by someone close to him after posting his address online, and referencing surveillance footage that allegedly implicates a friend. Rich the Kid and Tory Bricks getting robbed twice is discussed, with the hosts suspecting an inside connection. Terry Cruz's tweet calling to defund Pornhub prompts a candid and comedic tangent about adult content platforms. The episode closes with the hosts teasing season two improvements including new segments, a new intro, male guests, and more consistent social media posting, while joking about counterfeiting money and briefly flagging a disturbing trend of people trying to normalize pedophilia online.

As heard by us

A season-one closer that pairs gratitude and season-two ideas with a fast, unruly back-and-forth.

Season one of The Gray Area closes with Kay and Mar marking 10 episodes in 10 weeks and thanking the people who listen, share, and repost. Season two is already queued up for next week, with ideas for segments and possible email reads.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a season-one finale that keeps talking like the ending is just another bit.

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