et cetera with Bouge & Rouge

Listen, we can't take it all to the grave with us...

In today's episode, we discuss consumerism and how to combat the retail therapy urge! I share my thoughts on dupes vs fakes and what to truly invest your hard earned money on. We also dive into the problem with poor quality products creating this consumerism problem in a capitalistic economy.

Trigger Warning minutes 6:17 - 14:28 about everything going on in the media from f-ed leadership, our r@p!3t prez, and the f-ing C0rnell 7.

Alright. Get a snack. Get situated. We are diving IN today.

Today's episode skips the chit chat and life updates to make time for a very important stream of consciousness: the curse of the Millennials / Gen Zennials (aka anyone born between 1985-1998). I dive into the burden that has fallen to our generation from the constant dichotomy of spearheading progress but still rooted in traditional values to the reason why we are all unable to build a portfolio of assets like our parents and busy treating ourselves to instant gratification and dopamine hits. 

"So, where did you go to school?"

Ah, the dreaded question everyone asks regardless of whether you're in suburbs where nobody has really left OR in a big transplant city. People never like to admit why this question is asked for both high school and college in the respective settings: it's because we as humans naturally need a simple anchor to base our perspective of others. In the suburbs, your high school tells others how you grew up and your socio-economic status. In the cities, your college tells others what kind of person you aspired to be when you left home. How you react to this question also tells you how far you've come since then.

Nobody likes to admit that there are truths behind stereotypes and that there is a class system (not to be mistaken with caste) in place when it comes to any society. People can move through that class system but it requires a specific mindset, behaviors, and life experience to do so. The reality is we aren't tied to those 4-8 years permanently, but those 4-8 years we developed into the person we are today (or aren't anymore) which is why it's a question asked regardless of the crowd. You can be privileged with all the right accolades but go nowhere in your life, and you could have a community college degree and become extremely successful because you knew how to reach your potential.

In this episode, I break down why we are so "elitist" when it comes to education and how the crowd and environment of a school are so crucial to a young developing mind. I share my highs and lows from my "brand name" schools and why I think it matters more what you do with what you have versus if you went to one of these brand name schools or not. We are more than our degrees, but our degrees do set a foundation for who we want to become in our early adult years. 

Holla we want prenup, "WE WANT PRENUP, YEAAAAAH!"

Wedding season is almost over, so let's talk about marriage itself and how our society centers everything around it. Recently, I've seen quite a few divorces under a year of marriage and it led me to ponder on the core reasons and synchronicities in values and mindset needed for a successful marriage. We also tackle the very important but polarizing prenup topic and why I wrote mine with my current bf 3 weeks in. 

UPDATE: Episodes will be bi-weekly through Labor Day!

It's the last month of my whimsical girl summer! Today, I share stories of my psychic abilities with blind boxes and how I've been whimsy-waterboarding my boyfriend into accepting one or two of his own trinkets and figurines. I also share some travel plans (ASIA!!!!!!!) and my love for new latest albums that came out before diving into today's main topic: discernment in the comments section.

We live in a parasocial society that has forgotten that freedom of speech is a privilege lately (although it should be a right) and communication is a tool, not a weapon. Today, I dissect how I've been able to exercise my discernment to navigate trolls and immature comments on my socials. I explain how to turn a sticky situation around for your benefit and how to stay true to yourself both online and in real life. 

Before listening, check out @naomibabybu's TikTok on 6/25 about Tastestlop: Sophistication vs The Algorithm for the official inspiration behind this more casual discussion of taste.

Today, we're back with a (semi) fixed microphone and an update on my whimsy girl summer! I share what blind boxes I've been collecting as well as my hypocritical splurge on Labubus and closets for them this month. Then, we dive into the topic of having "taste." In a world where everyone is trying to tell you who you are and what taste is, have you fallen for the same algorithm to cosplay someone with "taste" or have you done the work to actually develop taste? Taste is a social language that determines status and culture. Consuming taste is very different from developing taste. To have taste, one must develop it individually and slowly over time after challenging themselves, not because they conform to a formula. 

So, do you have taste? Or is it someone else's?

You might want to turn this one on 0.75x speed because I blasted off into yapland in a racecar... Sorry for the two week hiatus! It's hell season and work so yours truly had to work late.

In this episode, I ramble quite hard about my frustration with the term girls' girl and how it's evolved from good intentions into something negative. I'd tell you more, but honestly you'll find out all my unfiltered thoughts when you listen so I'll just let you digest my speed talking LOL!

Inspiration: @Lindsiann on TikTok 5/26 horizontal episode

Are you superstitious? Do you have a lucky charm? Or do you believe that everything in life is set up for you already so nothing is by chance? Maybe a bit of both?

As we close out the NBA championships, celebrate Hamilton's first F1 win in Ferrari, and head into World Cup games, everyone's discussing luck these days. Whether it's Jordyn Woods' lucky purse or wearing the same underwear every game, we all have something we anchor onto. Besides controlling or hedging on within their control based on past experiences or logical reasoning, there is always a desire to influence the uncontrollable. Yet on the other hand, there are people who don't believe in chance or don't believe in controlling chance. For them, whatever is meant to happen can happen. As someone who is actively working on control issues, chance is something I struggle with often since people often tell me I'm very lucky. Today, let's click into that and see what that really entails.

KNICKS IN FIVE BABY!!!!!!!!!!

Side note, it's always funny to me that we say "Knicks in Game #" which means we count UPwards to 7 when we're counting DOWN to the title... Does that make sense or am I just super neurodivergent on this one?

Today's episode is all about defining what a New Yorker is. With all eyes on our city from Mayor Mamdani's election to NBA Playoffs to J Lo's recent Subway Takes video with Kareem, the age old question has surfaced once more. What does it really take to be a New Yorker? Do you have to be a native New Yorker? Are there exceptions? What if you spend 60+ adult years here till death and never leave? How much of our personalities and mindset are shaped by childhood where we grew up versus the place we choose to immerse ourselves and evolve in? Why is this such a touchy subject and something that is almost only unique to New York City? And what about that little forgotten Staten Island, are they as "New York" as the other boroughs or is the rumor true that they make up more of the Jersey shore stereotype than actual Jersey folks? What is the obsession with NYC anyways? Or is this all a study in anthropology and tribalism? 

Grab a snack and join me for probably one of my most controversial episodes yet. Be sure to stay till the end when I boldly give my personal opinion after reviewing the opinions of both NY born and bred strangers and friends in my life.

& don't forget, it really is New York or nowhere.

IT'S ALMOST FERAL GIRL SUMMER!

This episode, I start by sharing a cool experience I went to last week at Gospel with my friend Gloria where I tried to solve a mystery alongside Neil Patrick Harris?!? Yeah, still not recovered from that yet. 

After, I share some tips and tricks to make it through wedding season relatively unscathed. Then, we discuss my top 10 hot items for this summer from changes in mindset, activities I'm pursuing, clothes I'm wearing, everything!!!

Also, KNICKS IN (hopefully under) 7!!!!!!!!!