Episode Summary
(Episode 57) Will Smith failed & Kanye West are from an era where men were taught to be modern. To be emotionally available. To advocate for modern women. To be successful providers who lift up strong & independent women. Despite all of their success. They are two of the most influential men in the culture & they are currently both experiencing immense turmoil in their lives. Let’s pull back the layers of these situations and see if there is something that we can learn from their shared experiences when it comes to dating, marriage, and their image and its overall impact on the culture. In turn what can we learn from these situation in which Will Smith failed emphatically where nothing is ever forgotten, the internet. Kanye West failed in similar ways as well and I will provide further context in this installment of The Karat Juice Podcast. Watch or Listen to this episode of the podcast on Spotify here:
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Podcast Transcript:
[00:00:00] In this podcast episode about culture. We are going to be discussing. Will Smith and the drama around that whole story, we’ll mention Kanye West and what’s going on with him. But I don’t want to talk about the particular incidents that has been going on with them in the news.
[00:00:26] I want to talk about it from a macro perspective, if this is your first time listening or watching. This is the Karat Juice Podcast. I am your host, Montay Lee. I appreciate you for listening and I don’t want to waste your time. So I want to get right into the program. I said last time that I was on the podcast that I would talk about and I would highlight.
[00:00:50] The listeners. I really appreciate my audio listeners. The podcast released every Tuesday and I want to highlight some people who have left [00:01:00] reviews. So I’m going to start right here, Fenway 2.0, shout out to you left a review five stars and it says relevant, interesting and enlightening topics presented by personable Witty hosts, Montay.
[00:01:16] Thank you so much for listening Fenway 2.0, shout out to you. We have another reviewer here that indicates: jv 3, 2, 1. Love the latest episode exclamation point. Great podcasts, five star. Thank you very much for listening and watching. Shout out to you. Now I’m going to get right into the program. This format might be a little different than what I normally do, but I just want to just talk to you, check in and kind of give you my perspective of what’s been going on.
[00:01:55] In regards to the drama that’s happened with Will Smith. Unless you’ve been living under a [00:02:00] rock, you know that he slapped Chris rock on an Oscars stage, and then after backlash he decided to resign from the academy. What that exactly means? I’m not sure I’m not a part of the academy.
[00:02:14] I would think that it’s going to bar him from winning any rewards in the near future. I don’t think that he’s going to be banned for life or anything. And I don’t think that’s something that should be called for right now. I don’t think somebody should be canceled for making a one poor decision, but he needs to feel the sting of this.
[00:02:33] He needs to realize that acting on emotion as man is not the right way to move. And I think that we’re starting to see that he’s feeling the shame of that because there’s been late news recently that he actually is not going to be able to profit from some of his movies. At least in the near future, because news was released that will Smith [00:03:00] projects, bad boys, four, and some other projects and big projects have been put on hold in light of this whole controversy in regards to Chris rock and in the title and thumbnail.
[00:03:14] And in the title of this podcast episode, I talked about how will Smith and Kanye west. Both did this. Let’s talk a little bit more about Kanye west situation. Now, Kanye west has been going through a divorce with Kim Kardashians. He has been lashing out. He has been crying out for anybody to speak to him about his situation when it comes to Kanye and Kim, he wants to get back with Kim.
[00:03:44] He’s been trying his best to do that. And that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Kim Kardashians seems to be moving on. She has a relationship now with comedian Pete Davidson, and there was some news [00:04:00] that recently got reported that Kanye west is not mentally well. We’ve all had some speculation in the past that he has some mental instability and he shared an open up about that, about how he has had.
[00:04:18] But it was reported recently that Kanye west got checked into a mental health facility. And I think that’s great to hear. It’s good to hear that anybody that is dealing with that type of thing is getting the help that they need. So I am pro that and basically what I want to get to is. Will Smith and Kanye west have been beacons beacons in the culture for their success.
[00:04:49] They’re both extremely successful. Will Smith has had a pristine image for years when it comes to just [00:05:00] Hollywood status, success fame. He’s been in big time movies. He’s a handsome guy. He’s welcome.
[00:05:10] He’s been the image of black excellence for a long time. He tarnished that by making a decision to go slap Chris rock. And now on the other side of the spectrum, you have Kanye west who Uber successful. One of the greatest artists, producers, creative creators of content ever. And he’s had a wayward path when it comes to not really being noticed.
[00:05:38] If you’ve watched the Kanye west documentary on Netflix, which you should check out by the way. Was not notice initially he had to grind to eventually get seen. All those people in Rockefeller were not giving him play, but Kanye didn’t give up on himself. Tanya believed in himself more than [00:06:00] anybody else.
[00:06:00] And ultimately it worked out for him. And he’s continued with that mentality for years and a mast, so much money, so much influence, so much Fein, so much. Is that kind of your west, I would say is a bigger star than willsmith Kanye west is a billionaire with a, B, he sells out tours and everything globally, Kanye west could drop something like the stem player, sell his album for $200 and people soak it up and buy it.
[00:06:30] He’s a fashion icon. The list goes on and on, but what I prefaced in the title. And what the whole point of this podcast episode is about is what did they both do wrong? Will Smith and Kanye west both fell into the trap that has been pushed upon us as men here in the modern culture. [00:07:00] What is that? That is the idea.
[00:07:07] That if you pet a lot pedal to realize your woman, that if you are pro strong and independent women, if you are open and emotional and accepting, you will be rewarded. I think what will Smith turmoil and strife and all of the stuff he’s been going to going through an Kanye west. Is rooted in what we, as men have been taught growing up about how to operate with women.
[00:07:48] They are living in a strategy that is outdated, and it’s not going to set you up for success as a man dating [00:08:00] in the modern culture and climate. I’ll go a little further with that. When you look at will Smith, will Smith married Jada Pinkett Smith. Before that Jada Pinkett Smith was an actress, she had been in a couple of, you know, B-level movies.
[00:08:20] I’ve seen some of her movies does an okay job. She had a relationship with Tupac before that Tupac, mega star, you know, thug life, the whole. I love Tupac’s music, but Tupac is a completely different type of cat than will. Smith will. Smith is straight-laced will. Smith is very successful, clean cut guy, Tupac.
[00:08:45] We already know his backstory, you know, ambitious as a rider, thug life, the whole thing, recipes to Tupac. He passed away. He took a chance on Jada Pinkett. [00:09:00] And he decided to marry her because of love or what have you.
[00:09:07] There were things pushed upon us when we were younger as men to lift up women, to be emotionally there, to be somebody that’s going to. You know, take them as they am and be that support system and all that. Okay. I would argue that will Smith has been all of that and more, and it’s still not enough. It still hasn’t been enough over the years and it’s discouraging for men because I’m looking at it and I’m like, that is will Smith.
[00:09:51] And he is being deteriorated in a masculine. Over the years and he’s one of the most successful men [00:10:00] let alone black men in the world. He made the choice to marry her, but it has shown over time that Jada Pinkett Smith, the liberal, the feminine. The very free and open, strong, independent archetype is what you get when you get Jada Pinkett Smith.
[00:10:25] And then on the other end of the spectrum, we have Kanye west. He took the chance on Kim Kardashians who say what you want about her. Very successful has done a lot of good things in her life, but she got her claim to fame with the infamous spicy. Adult tape with RayJay. Nobody really knew about Kim Kardashian before she came out and whatever got leaked adult film, [00:11:00] Kim card, Kim Kardashians
[00:11:03] got very popular. She amassed a lot of money, but she would be seen as in today’s day and age, somebody that would be a red flag to me. But what did Kanye do? Kanye looked at it and said, I like her. She’s attractive. Things are going good right now. And he married her. She is the archetype of strong, independent woman, modern woman, independent make my own money, all those things.
[00:11:36] So Jada Pinkett Smith and Kim Kardashian. I have some things in common when it comes to strong, independent, empowered women who are married to very successful men. And both of those men are experiencing so much turmoil. They are, [00:12:00] they have their relationships on public display. They’re being embarrassed for the most part on a daily basis. Definitely Will Smith even, even so more so than Kanye. And what I’m saying, all of this to say is as a man, the way that you’re going to be set up for success, I’ve learned is this.
[00:12:24] Your focus as a man, can’t be on the women. It can’t be on the woman in your life. It can’t be on the women that the woman that you marry. Hear me out as a man, your central focus needs to be on making sure that you are doing everything that you need to do. As a man to be the foundation and rock for the family moving forward.
[00:12:56] That means taking what [00:13:00] you create, what you do, what you per produce as paramount as the number one priority, because of by-product of that. If you’re married, is. When you’re successful and you’re doing what you need to do, and you are making sure that you have that solid foundation you’re taking what she says into consideration, but you’re say is the final say is going to be the best for the family.
[00:13:26] At the end of the day, I found it that when I was growing up, I’ll bring it on me when I was growing up. When I was in middle school, when I was in high school, when I started dating, you know, Struggling, you know what I mean? All young men go through it. I was dating and dealing with women through that lens of being a nice guy, being a chivalrous.
[00:13:55] Okay. And what I quickly found [00:14:00] out, which what a lot of men find out is that’s not really attractive to women and women can sniff it out quickly. And they’ll become not attracted to you and attracted to you and you will get finessed and taken advantage of for the most part, there are always exceptions.
[00:14:21] So what I’m saying as a man is, as you grow up and as you mature, you realize that if you make your focus, your purpose, and if you make your focus, what you want. To have in your life and what you want to accomplish. You’re going to have better outcomes and young men and men in general, when it comes to making decisions for the women that you want to have in your life, you have to ask yourself, this [00:15:00] is this woman adding value to.
[00:15:06] Is this woman doing things that is going to help me accomplish the goals that I want for the family. And some signs of some indicators that you can look at is, is this person actively. Trying to be around me. Is this person, somebody that causes me is a headache. When she’s around, she’s somebody that’s constantly argumentative.
[00:15:38] Is this somebody that’s trying to compete with me on a daily basis? If you can sniff those types of things out, that’s some somebody that you want to avoid because that’s somebody that’s not going to help you. Continue to progress. It’s going to keep you stagnant. It’s going to, it’s going to have your hair falling out is going to have you in chaos rather than peace.[00:16:00]
[00:16:00] And I want you as a man to be successful and to learn from situations like will Smith and Kanye west so that you can make better decisions when it comes to vetting. I know when I was growing up. I admit I was attracted to the look of certain women. I was attracted to. The mentality of the women who were go getters and that strong and empowered type thing.
[00:16:30] But that was something that I realized was programmed into me, but it’s not what I was actually attracted to. It was what was being marketed to the masses, strong, independent, independent boss, babe, all that type of stuff. And as I got older and I, and I realized I was like, those people didn’t have my best interest in.
[00:16:50] Those people usually are self motivate, motivated. They’re using you for things that don’t [00:17:00] have your best interests and what you have to do as a man is take off the glasses, close your eyes. Sometimes don’t worry about what she looks like and say, does, does this person enhance my life in any way? Do I enjoy being around them?
[00:17:21] Do they have some type of utility that I can use to better my life? Are they like a support system to me? And if it’s more, more cons than pros, when it comes to you going through that checklist, you probably are better off just not being with anybody at all. Especially if you’re a man in your twenties.
[00:17:45] Men who are in college, men who are in your twenties, focusing on your grind, man, get off of Instagram, figure out what you want to do. If you don’t like the job that you’re in or what you’re doing or your [00:18:00] occupation make a plan and figure out what you can do to get out of it. I always tell people, and I always tell men that there are so many resources and options out here for somebody.
[00:18:12] Wants to actually get it. And what I have seen is so many men are drawn to their phones, drawn to Instagram and chatting with these women, with relationships and encounters that aren’t going anywhere. And all it’s really doing is wasting your most valuable resource. Your most valuable resource as a man is what it’s not your money.
[00:18:37] Okay. It’s your time. I don’t want you to waste your time because I’ll tell you something as a man, especially in your twenties, women will waste a bunch of your time if you continue to allow it. So I think I’ve stayed in my piece [00:19:00] and then recap, what all I want to say is will Smith. Drama and the Kanye west soccer has shown me this and I’m sharing it with you as a man.
[00:19:13] You need to make sure that you’re vetting the people that you have in your life, that women can do this as well. You need to vet people. That are in your life. And don’t just look at the aesthetics and you need to ask yourself, is this person somebody that’s going to be a benefit and add value to my life.
[00:19:31] Am I putting more into the situation than they are? And you need to just walk away addition by subtraction. One of the reasons why I’m 33. Now, one of the reasons why I’m set up for success and I’m doing great things in my life is I only have people in my life where adding value to them. If you’re not, then I’m going to subtract you out.
[00:19:53] And it’s not that it’s a thing out of malice. It’s just, I value my time more so than anything. And I want you to value [00:20:00] your time. Your time is important. You are important. Don’t let somebody just freewill and I’ll say this. Don’t let somebody commandeer your time. For nothing at all. It’s your most valuable resource.
[00:20:24] If you use your time wisely through your teens and your twenties, you’ll buy back more of your time later in your thirties, forties and fifties, especially as a man. So you can reap the fruits of your labor and you can live a happy, fruitful and fulfilled life. That’s what I want for you. So learn from Will Smith and Kanye West, and don’t make the same mistakes. A wise man they once said. A wise man, [00:21:00] doesn’t just learn from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. And that’s been another episode of the Karat Juice Podcast. If you enjoyed this content. Do me a favor, please rate and review the podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. Five star five star five star!
[00:21:23] Leave a review, either an apple podcast or Spotify. Furthermore, also, if you’re on. Like the video, it’s free subscribe to the channel if you enjoyed this content. And like I say, every time with the Karat Juice Podcast, love somebody, hug somebody, do something good for someone not expecting anything in return.
[00:21:53] And until next time, peace, we are gone.[00:22:00]
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