August 1, 2023
EP. 216 — Sasheer Is Learning Spanish
Hey friends. Nicole is pro union. Sasheer breaks down the misconception that all actors are rich in regards to the SAG-AFTRA Strike. Nicole talks about how the strike affects the whole industry. Sasheer and Nicole reminisce on how they got GOT in the industry. Nicole wants a mermaid tail. Sasheer wants to go to Disney if they end up visiting Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium. Nicole bought a keyboard and is taking singing lessons. Sasheer’s learning Spanish with Duolingo. Nicole breaks down the characters of Duolingo. No BuzzFeed quiz this week, but they do an IS THIS WEIRD: Cleaning Edition.
This was recorded July 17th, 2023.
Sources:
Duolingo Characters: https://happilyevertravels.com/duolingo-characters-names/
You Poop When You Die: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23144-what-happens-when-you-die#:~:text=Your%20muscles%20loosen%20immediately%20after,see%20your%20bone%20structure%20beneath
Email or call Nicole & Sasheer with your friendship questions and “Is this weird” suggestion at:
424-645-7003
Transcript
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Sasheer [00:01:34] Hi, friends. This is Sasheer. Do you ever say to yourself, “I love hearing Nicole and Sasheer talk to each other each week, but I’m dying for more content?” Well, you’re in luck. I’m coming out with a new stand up special where I’ll be talking uninterrupted for an hour. This is the first special I’ve produced, and I’m so excited for you to see it. If you want to contribute, it’ll be available on the £800 gorilla website and a pay what you can model starting August 15th, and then it’ll be free on YouTube starting August 29th. Thanks again for supporting me, Nicole, and our show, but mostly me. Thank you so much.
Jordan [00:02:25] All right. Otherwise, if you too are ready, we get started.
Nicole [00:02:31] Yeah.
Sasheer [00:02:33] Yeah!
Jordan [00:02:36] I wasn’t convinced before. Now I’m very convinced. All right. Whenever you’re ready.
Nicole [00:02:42] I met my mailman today, and it was a woman named Nicole.
Sasheer [00:02:49] Oh. Oh.
Nicole [00:02:51] I don’t know why I didn’t say, “Hello, Sasheer” like a normal way to start an episode. But I had this information bursting out of me.
Sasheer [00:03:00] I’m really glad you delivered it that way because we don’t need to have pleasantries. Get to the meat. What’s going on? You met your mailman. And I want to know what’s going on with this person.
Nicole [00:03:13] She is a woman named Nicole but goes by Nick. And it was funny because I was walking this dog I have–Clyde, my dog. I don’t know why I phrased it that way.
Sasheer [00:03:26] “This random dog I have.”
Nicole [00:03:29] But she stopped me, and she said my address. And at first, I was like, “How does she know where I live?” And then I was like, “Oh, ’cause she’s the mail person and has seen me in my house and has delivered things to me and has given me things.” And she was like, “I mean, I’m going to loop around and give you your envelopes and stuff. But I have some packages for you. Do you want them now?” And I was like, “Oh, sure.” And then I was like, “Well, what’s your name?” And she was like, “Nicole.” And I was like, “No way. I am Nicole.” And she went, “What? Well, I know because that’s what it says on your packages.”
Sasheer [00:04:01] “Are you kidding me? Wait, I do know that.”
Nicole [00:04:04] I love that she was like, “Whoa– Oh, yeah, it says it right here. Right here on this package for you.” But I think we’re friends now.
Sasheer [00:04:16] Aww… Or she does that to everybody. She’s like, “Brian? My name’s Brian!”
Nicole [00:04:23] What a funny way to, like, keep the day fun.
Sasheer [00:04:27] Just lie.
Nicole [00:04:29] “I’m Tony.”
Sasheer [00:04:30] For no reason.
Nicole [00:04:32] And I’ll never know if Nick is lying to me. I hope not. I hope she didn’t start our new relationship on a lie.
Sasheer [00:04:39] She wouldn’t lie. Nicoles wouldn’t lie… Not to another Nicole!
Nicole [00:04:43] I hope not. It would be so sad.
Sasheer [00:04:47] Yeah. That’s nice.
Nicole [00:04:49] Pretty excited. I was like, “Wow. A connection!”
Sasheer [00:04:56] I love that. That’s very nice. I–
Nicole [00:04:58] I am just trying to gather connections wherever I can. What were you going to say? Sorry.
Sasheer [00:05:03] I guess I’ve seen my mail person, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation. They just, like, wave. And I’m like, “Thanks for the mail.” I don’t even say that. I just wave.
Nicole [00:05:16] It would be funny if you screamed at them, “Thanks for the mail!” They’re like, “Yeah, you’re welcome.”
Sasheer [00:05:22] “I guess. That’s my job.”
Nicole [00:05:26] “It’s what I do.”
Sasheer [00:05:27] Yeah.
Nicole [00:05:29] The UPS is going on strike–UPS workers.
Sasheer [00:05:32] Oh, why?
Nicole [00:05:35] I think because full time drivers have, like, benefits and get paid pretty well. But part time people are only making, I think, a little bit above minimum wage. I only casually glance. And I think everyone is striking, so the part time people can get more money.
Sasheer [00:05:56] Aw, that’s wonderful. “UPS Strike Could Cost U.S. Economy Billions”?
Nicole [00:06:02] Oh, hell yeah. Think of how many packages get delivered every fucking day.
Sasheer [00:06:06] That is very, very true. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. “A potential strike against the UPS delivery service by 340,000 workers could lead to a slower delivery time, supply chain disruptions, and higher shipping costs if the company and the Teamsters Union don’t come to an agreement overpay for part time workers and cost of living adjustments by August 1st, possibly causing billions of dollars of economic damage.” Wow. They know their work.
Nicole [00:06:39] They do because packages are important! Sending shit is important. And I mean, I’m all for– I’m so pro-union. I’m so pro people getting what they’re worth because why are, like, three people at the top making so much money and then nobody at the bottom who’s actually doing the work– I’ve said it a hundred times. Jeff Bezos has never delivered a package to my door. Not one time has he done that. And that’s a lot of work.
Sasheer [00:07:09] Yeah! I haven’t heard him go into those Amazon warehouses, take the things out of the shelves, and put them in the boxes that ship to other boxes.
Nicole [00:07:18] I have never once seen him take a dildo and wrap it in paper, so it looks exactly like a dildo and bring it to my house.
Sasheer [00:07:25] He has never peed in a jar in the side of the factory because there weren’t enough break times during the day.
Nicole [00:07:33] No! He has never thrown a package right where the gate opens at my place, so it crushes the ceramic pig shaped cookie jar I bought. He has never once done that, and I think they deserve all the money they can get. Honestly, I do. I’ve had so many things dropped, ruined, and shattered, but I’m like, “Give them money. It got to me.”
Sasheer [00:07:55] I mean, they might take better care of the stuff if they got paid fairly. There just trying to get the fuck out of there because they’re, like, rushing to all these different houses. If they had a more reasonable working wage and working day, it wouldn’t be so frenzied.
Nicole [00:08:12] Boy, oh boy. You’re telling me, sister, And we’re on strike right now as actors!
Sasheer [00:08:16] Actors have rights.
Nicole [00:08:21] “All the world is a stage.”
Sasheer [00:08:23] Yeah. Yeah.
Nicole [00:08:26] And I do think it’s very funny because I do think people are like, “Rich people wanting more money.” And I’m like, “No. You should be able to make a living as a guest star or co-star.” Like, it’s really incredible how little actors are paid, especially with residuals.
Sasheer [00:08:44] Yeah, I think if you’re not in the industry, you think, “Oh, Hollywood movie actors–they’re making millions and millions of dollars.” And some are. But then they’re not thinking about the actors who are, like, on set to say five lines or the extras or the dancers or the stand-ins. There’s, like, so many other people that aren’t movie stars that need money, need a living wage, and need to be able to pay to live in LA–or wherever they are–to pursue their dreams. And they’re not getting that currently.
Nicole [00:09:21] They’re not getting it. And then I was like, “The whole AI thing is so wild because they’re trying to scan actors–background actors pretty specifically, and then they’re going to move on to other actors. They get $150 a day, they get scanned, and then their likeness is just used in perpetuity. And they change this, change that, change an outfit. And then I was like, “But that’s one person who’s, like, getting paid once and never again.” But the costumer? You’re going to need less costumers. You need less makeup people. You need less hair people. I was like, “It’s not just the actors. It affects everybody in this.” It’s so wild.
Sasheer [00:10:02] Also, I’ve been extra before. I started as an extra. And, like, if I got scanned… Also, you get, like, 90 bucks a day or something like that. But if I went in for one day, got scanned, and then they can use my image for perpetuity. What if my career happened the way it happened? Now I’m on TV and I get cast and stuff, but Paramount or whoever scanned me ten years ago can still use my image because I let them? No! That sucks.
Nicole [00:10:33] Yeah. It does suck. And also, it’s not even letting. It’s, like, just written in. Like, people don’t read contracts. And they’re just, like, sneakily putting it into contracts and whatnot. It’s so wild. And it already kind of happens–not with AI, but, like, with the perpetuity thing. Sometimes in a contract, it’s like, “We can use your likeness for, say, a book or a video game and we don’t have to pay you a single cent more than what we’ve paid you.”
Sasheer [00:11:00] I’ve gotten got.
Nicole [00:11:01] Yeah, I’ve gotten got, too. I’ve gotten got good.
Sasheer [00:11:04] And it’s crazy. And it’s like, “Well, you signed it. You signed on to this job. Those are the things that we asked for that you didn’t check on because it was in fine print.”
Nicole [00:11:15] And then also, the way I got got is I asked for those things to be removed and they said, “No.” And that’s another option! You have to have the most powerful lawyer–most powerful agent. But if they go, “No,” you either take it or you don’t take it.
Sasheer [00:11:34] Damn. That’s tough.
Nicole [00:11:45] And then also a lot of people complaining are like, “But actors get paid so much.” I’m like, “Yes, so should the person at Starbucks.” Every job that you have–whether it be like… Well, garbage men get paid a ton of money to play in trash.
Sasheer [00:12:02] I don’t think they’re playing in trash.
Nicole [00:12:03] “I think they’re driving big trucks, and they’re playing in the trash. I think that’s what they’re doing. They’re playing in this garbage.” But, like, if you work at a convenience store or a Target, like, you should be able to pay rent and not have multiple jobs. That’s how I feel.
Sasheer [00:12:21] Yeah. That makes sense to me.
Nicole [00:12:24] Flipping burgers–that’s a skill. I don’t think I could do it. A bunch of drive thru orders–you wouldn’t get your food. That’s a skill. I think they should be paid adequately.
Sasheer [00:12:34] Yeah. You shouldn’t have to have many, many jobs in order to–
Nicole [00:12:38] No!
Sasheer [00:12:39] Yeah. Did you see that–
Nicole [00:12:41] Here’s what I say… What?
Sasheer [00:12:44] I was going to talk about Orange is the New Black because it was one of the first Netflix shows and because no one really knew what it was. They didn’t consider it, like, “TV” TV, even though it was nominated for a million Emmys after it came out. And so, the actors still had to work regular jobs in order to live, even though they were on TV.
Nicole [00:13:07] They literally went to the SAG Awards, accepted all of them, got to accept a statue that said Best Ensemble, and then fucking on Monday had to go to day jobs. That is wild to me. And it’s because in the beginning of streaming there was new media agreements, so it was argued in, like, good favor that “We’ll help you build your platform. And then in turn, you will pay us adequately after you’ve established yourself.” And then the streamers went, “No. No, we don’t want to do that at all.” Sean Gunn–he was on Gilmore Girls. He said that he hasn’t gotten any residuals from Netflix, even though Gilmore Girls–which is a WB, I believe, production–is licensed to Netflix. So, Netflix paid WB to stream it, and then they’re not paying the actors–
Sasheer [00:14:05] For their residuals.
Nicole [00:14:06] Yeah. So, I’m like, “Bring back Pirate Bay!” You remember that website, where you just fucking rip torrent or bit torrent or whatever. Steal it! Steal it all! We’re not getting paid! Steal it because they’re like, “Piracy! People need to get paid.” But they’re not paying anybody!
Sasheer [00:14:23] No. Truly. So, it should be free.
Nicole [00:14:26] Bring back LimeWire. Remember LimeWire?
Sasheer [00:14:28] I do remember LimeWire!
Nicole [00:14:30] You didn’t know what you were going to get when you downloaded that shit. It’d be an album of cat noises and you’re like, “That’s not what I want. I want Beyoncé.”
Sasheer [00:14:39] The good old days.
Nicole [00:14:41] Those were the days. LimeWire. Napster. Pirate Bay.
Sasheer [00:14:45] Yeah. It’s also weird that sometimes things aren’t even in a place. I looked for Drop Dead Gorgeous because I had never seen it before, and I wanted to see it. It’s nowhere. I can’t find it. It’s just nowhere.
Nicole [00:15:00] You know what else is nowhere? Eddie–the Whoopi Goldberg movie where she plays a limo driver who becomes the head coach of the New York Knickerbockers! So, I own it on VHS and DVD. I was like, “Do we have to start buying DVDs again because things are just going away?”
Sasheer [00:15:21] I guess. Yeah, it is really weird. It’s like, “Oh, I guess either this platform could go under or get bought by somebody or they can just take things off of it, and then I could just never see a thing again–a thing that I like.” It’s so strange.
Nicole [00:15:38] Oh, it’s so, so strange.
Sasheer [00:15:41] Yeah, I guess maybe they should make DVDs again or make, like, links we can pay for to download? I don’t know.
Nicole [00:15:48] Can the download disappear? Can they take it away?
Sasheer [00:15:51] Probably.
Nicole [00:15:52] Yeah, because remember when we all got that YouTube album downloaded to our phones and then we said we hated it and they took it away?
Sasheer [00:15:58] They did take it away.
Nicole [00:16:00] I think they can take away our downloads.
Sasheer [00:16:02] Probably.
Nicole [00:16:02] Wild. We have to get DVD players. We have to do DVDs.
Sasheer [00:16:06] We need to go analogue again.
Nicole [00:16:08] Analogue?
Sasheer [00:16:09] Yes. Analogue.
Nicole [00:16:14] Is that what a collection of DVDs is called? “Analogue?”
Sasheer [00:16:16] It’s, like, analogue versus digital. Like, real versus…
Nicole [00:16:21] Fake. Nontangible!
Sasheer [00:16:26] Yeah. Tangible versus nontangible.
Nicole [00:16:28] Jordan’s head is in her hand. She’s upset that I don’t know “analogue” means. Well, guess what, ma’am? I’m not a scientist.
Sasheer [00:16:42] Oh, here we go. “The major difference between both signals… Analogue signals have the continuous electrical signals, while digital signals have noncontinuo–” Why are you showing this to us? Judith, we are not scientists! I don’t know what this fucking means!
Nicole [00:16:58] We don’t have PhSs.
Sasheer [00:17:01] “PhSs?”
Nicole [00:17:02] Wait, what’s a doctor called?
Sasheer [00:17:02] “PhDs!”
Nicole [00:17:11] Never has my brain betrayed me so hard as when I said, “We’re not scientists. We don’t have PhSs.” Boy, oh boy.
Sasheer [00:17:37] The Real Good Podcast by U.S. Bank aims to celebrate and gain knowledge from those working to change historical institutions and policies that disenfranchise BIPOC communities and women. Hosted by Faith Salie, each season provides the opportunity to learn from people who are on the ground, working to better their immediate communities or their industries. Topics include building community centered small businesses, bringing minority deposit institutions to new markets, the real impact of diversity programs at the corporate level, and more. This is not a banking podcast, but Faith and guests do explore how various issues impact people’s abilities to reach their goals and build generational wealth. The goal is to have open, direct discussions of the issues without sugarcoating things with corporate speak or letting corporations–including U.S. Bank–from doing their part to change systems of power for better. Listen to Real Good on all major podcast platforms or visit usbank.com/realgood. This show is brought to you by Simply Spiked. Summer is here, but it’s not going to last forever. With your day one friends and a refreshing Simply Spiked in your hand, you can squeeze every juicy drop out of summer. Simply Spiked Lemonade has been bringing the juiciness since launching last summer in four bold flavors that are perfect for any occasion. By popular demand, four fan favorite peach flavors are now also part of the Simply Spiked family: Signature Peach, Strawberry Peach, Kiwi Peach, and Mango Peach. Our producer Judith loves the peach flavors and currently has them in her fridge right now. Go to drinksimplyspiked.com/bestfriends to find out how to get your hands on Simply Spiked lemonade and new Simply Spiked peach. That’s drinksimplyspiked.com/bestfriends. Flavored beer naturally flavored with other natural colors. Simply Spiked Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Celebrate responsibly. Simply Spiked and Simply Spiked lemonade are trademarks of the Simply Orange Juice Company.
Nicole [00:19:44] I look like Coolio right now.
Sasheer [00:19:46] You do. Your hair is all braided up in pigtails. It’s cute!
Nicole [00:19:51] I did these, like, tiny, two strand twists on my hair. But my hair has, like, no density or weight to it. So, they just stick up and around. And they won’t, like, lie flat. I put mousse in it. The only thing that works is if I go swimming and then rinse my hair, then it will be stuck somewhere. But I think it’s because the pool chemicals. I have to wash it wash it. And when I put shampoo in it, it goes back to being, like, fluffy and unruly.
Sasheer [00:20:23] Hmm. Yeah. I don’t know what makes it go down.
Nicole [00:20:28] Me either! Maybe it’s fake hair. But they also kind of look like calamari. You know? When you get the big pieces.
Sasheer [00:20:39] I can see that, yeah. Or, like, that feather fish that you sent me?
Nicole [00:20:51] Oh! Yes. I’m a feather fish.
Sasheer [00:20:54] You’re a feather fish! Yes!
Nicole [00:20:56] Oh my God. Okay, so I finished MerPeople documentary because I will watch things that you like.
Sasheer [00:21:04] Oh boy. Okay.
Nicole [00:21:07] Watch Sonic! I don’t understand why you don’t watch it.
Sasheer [00:21:11] I will. I will. I will.
Nicole [00:21:16] But I did finish it. It was really good. And then I was like, “Well, should we just go buy tails?”
Sasheer [00:21:22] Yeah. That’s the moral of the story. We should get tails.
Nicole [00:21:26] I kind of want to get a tail. And I’ve been swimming a lot like a merperson, moving my arms and not my… You know, how they move their body like a body roll? I’ve been doing that.
Sasheer [00:21:39] Oooh.
Nicole [00:21:39] I’ve been rolling around and doing flips and pretending to be a merman or mermaid… Merperson. I’m having a nice time.
Sasheer [00:21:49] That’s fun. Yeah, it feels like it takes a lot of skill to do that. I guess you’re using your legs, but not really.
Nicole [00:22:01] Not really. You’re using your arms a lot, but then I do think the motion of your feet is helping. The thing I’m stuck on is, like, “Oh my God. What if I start, like, drowning and I can’t kick?”
Sasheer [00:22:14] That’s what scares me about getting a tail. I want to be able to kick and fully use both my legs as opposed to, I don’t know, flailing about in the tail.
Nicole [00:22:25] Yeah. And they stay underwater for such a long time.
Sasheer [00:22:30] I know. Yeah. I’d be scared.
Nicole [00:22:33] Where is Mertailor? I forgot to look it up.
Sasheer [00:22:38] Isn’t it in the south?
Nicole [00:22:40] I want to go.
Sasheer [00:22:42] Yeah.
Nicole [00:22:43] I want to go to a Mershow.
Sasheer [00:22:46] Where was it?
Judith [00:22:47] I believe it was in Florida because I watched the docuseries, but I’m looking up right now.
Nicole [00:22:59] And there was one part towards the end where an older woman was like, “I married my partner at a convention, and it took away my anxiety. Like, I had agoraphobia; I didn’t want to leave the house.” And I was like, “I think moving your body in a joyful way is more powerful than people let on.”
Sasheer [00:23:15] Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
Nicole [00:23:18] And I feel like being a mermaid might be like, “That’s fucking weird,” but it’s truly just swimming and having a fun time with it. And I love it.
Sasheer [00:23:29] Mertailor is in Florida.
Nicole [00:23:32] How do we get there? What’s La Canto, Florida?
Sasheer [00:23:36] I don’t know.
Nicole [00:23:37] All right, let’s do directions. How long does it take to get there?
Sasheer [00:23:41] We could go to Florida. Hopefully it’s near Orlando because we can make a whole trip out of it.
Nicole [00:23:47] Orlando? You wanna go to Orlando?
Sasheer [00:23:50] That’s where Disney is.
Nicole [00:23:51] You’re trying to get to Disney?
Sasheer [00:23:54] What else are we going to do in Florida?
Nicole [00:23:59] I don’t know.
Sasheer [00:24:00] I don’t want to go just to La Canto or whatever.
Nicole [00:24:04] Well, if it’s near Miami, we could do that jet ski tour again. That was fun.
Sasheer [00:24:09] That was very fun. Yes, we can go to Miami. I don’t know why I was thinking of Disney.
Nicole [00:24:14] Why would we want to go to the middle of the state? Disney is hot.
Sasheer [00:24:19] Disney is hot. That’s true.
Nicole [00:24:22] Okay, so it’s 36 hours away if we drive. But can you zoom in so we can see how far it is from, like, Miami? Oh, it seems to be on the West Coast, and I believe Miami is on the East Coast. Did I say that right? Oh, yeah. Okay. So, it’s not near anything.
Sasheer [00:24:48] It’s close to Orlando.
Nicole [00:24:53] Okay, let’s see how far away from Orlando it is. I guess we’ll go to Disney.
Sasheer [00:25:02] An hour and twenty minutes.
Nicole [00:25:03] Yeah. I mean… All right. I guess we’re going to go to Mertailor Mermaid Encounter, and then head on over to Disneyland.
Sasheer [00:25:11] See? Make a little trip out of it.
Nicole [00:25:14] And you know what? I don’t hate Disney as much as I thought I did. So, I’m open to going because I realized they didn’t like it because the way my father made us do it. We had to bring in our own water. When we ran out, we ran out. We had to bring in our own snacks. When they ran out, they ran out. And it was hot. And he was like, “We gotta get to here. We gotta go here. We gotta go here!” It was… That man spent a lot of money and let us know it.
Sasheer [00:25:46] No, that’s not very enjoyable at all. I can see why you don’t like it.
Nicole [00:25:49] No. We would load up at the Golden Corral before we went. He was like, “Eat as much as you can at the buffet because you only get snacks!” Then we would bring it in.
Sasheer [00:25:59] That’s really, really funny. I mean, I also wouldn’t want to be a parent who has to bring kids to Disney World. Like that’s so expensive.
Nicole [00:26:08] It’s so expensive. And then if they’re too young, they’re not going to fucking remember.
Sasheer [00:26:14] They won’t. They really won’t.
Nicole [00:26:26] I bought a piano. Did I tell you?
Sasheer [00:26:29] A keyboard or a piano?
Nicole [00:26:31] Oh, a keyboard.
Sasheer [00:26:33] Okay.
Nicole [00:26:35] Sounds cooler to be like, “I bought a piano!” I bought a little keyboard.
Sasheer [00:26:39] Oh, nice! Is it in your office?
Nicole [00:26:42] It’s in my office, and it’s right next to my desk. It’s purple. And I’ve just been tapping on it, trying to match sounds with my mouth to the piano. Harder than you think.
Sasheer [00:26:54] Yeah. Are you going to take lessons? Are you going to learn how to play?
Nicole [00:27:00] Are you kidding? I don’t want to say his name because I don’t know if he wants to be publicly noticed. But your friend who does singing lessons–I’ve had two singing classes with him.
Sasheer [00:27:10] Oh. I guess what I was referring to is piano lessons.
Nicole [00:27:17] Oh… No, I ain’t going to do that. But I’m going to tinker around by myself. And I gotta print out this sheet music to My Heart Will Go On because that’s the only song I really care about playing. I already know the melody. I gotta learn the chords.
Sasheer [00:27:32] Great. Great.
Nicole [00:27:34] And I can read music. I can read every now and again. I’m like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.” But I haven’t tried it in a minute.
Sasheer [00:27:42] That’s fun!
Nicole [00:27:43] Yeah. Just having a good time. Have you picked up any new hobbies that you want to tell me about?
Sasheer [00:27:55] So aggressive.
Nicole [00:28:00] Are there things you’re doing that I don’t know about? I have no idea why I said it like that.
Sasheer [00:28:07] I’m trying to learn Spanish. I added you as a friend on Duolingo.
Nicole [00:28:12] Sí. Yo como pan.
Sasheer [00:28:17] Sí. Is that “I eat bread?”
Nicole [00:28:22] I said, “Yes. I eat bread.” Duolingo is obsessed with bread and apples.
Sasheer [00:28:31] Yeah. “Manzanas.” Is that how you say it?
Nicole [00:28:31] Yeah, “manzanas.” “Yo como manzanas y pan.” “I eat bread and apples.” Nasty. That’s a nasty snack.
Sasheer [00:28:42] An apple sandwich.
Nicole [00:28:48] Let’s see. Tú es mujer.
Sasheer [00:28:48] Sí. What can I say with “tú”?
Nicole [00:29:04] I mean, I just said, “You’re a woman.” So, I mean, you said, “Yes.”
Sasheer [00:29:07] Tú es niña.
Nicole [00:29:19] Yo is older than child. I don’t know how to say that.
Sasheer [00:29:26] “Yo is older than a child.”
Nicole [00:29:30] It’s hard.
Sasheer [00:29:34] I tried to thank someone for breakfast the other day, and I was like, “Gracias…” I think I said, “Pero comida.” And that’s wrong. “Por.” I gotta say, “Por.” “Gracias por la comida.”
Nicole [00:30:01] Muy deliciosa. Yo encanta.
Sasheer [00:30:02] I have been saying– When someone says some gossip. I’m like, “Ooh, muy escandaloso.”
Nicole [00:30:14] Duolingo–it feels hard, and I get it. It’s, like, repetition, and that’s how you learn. But I was just like, “I don’t need to know about the bread or the apples anymore.”
Sasheer [00:30:25] “Can we move past the bread and the apples?”
Nicole [00:30:26] “Can we move past?” “Pasaporte” is “passport.” “Hotel” is “hotel.” “En tren” means “I’m in the train” or “I’m in a train.” Yeah. Duolingo is so hard.
Sasheer [00:30:41] Yeah, but I do like that it’s all gamified. That is helpful because I love to win.
Nicole [00:30:45] Yes, it is helpful. And I also love to win. And what’s your hot streak? Are you on a streak?
Sasheer [00:30:55] I, like, literally just started, so I’m sure my hot streak is, like, four days or something.
Nicole [00:31:01] I think I’m at… Oh my God. Jordan’s at 189? Is that what that says? It’s little. My eyes.
Sasheer [00:31:08] Yes.
Nicole [00:31:09] Oh, yeah. 189. Are you doing Spanish? Hola, Jordan ¿Cómo estás?
Jordan [00:31:14] Muy bien. ¿Y tú?
Nicole [00:31:18] Muy bien. ¿Tú comes pan?
Jordan [00:31:26] Sí.
Nicole [00:31:28] I’m literally going to go to Mexico and just ask everyone if they eat bread. “What is wrong with her?”
Sasheer [00:31:33] “Do you eat bread? Do you eat bread?” “Is she selling bread?”
Nicole [00:31:38] “She keeps talking about bread. What is this?”
Jordan [00:31:41] The funny thing about Duolingo is that, yes, I also was aggravated about the bread and the apples. But then once you transition, you then go into, like, being obsessed about books and the library and numbers. And then Duolingo will trick you and be like, “How many apples do you want?” And you’re like, “How do I remember the word?” And you kind of freak out for a second. And then you’re like, “No, I do remember the word. So, it does trick you along the way.”
Nicole [00:32:13] Interesting.
Sasheer [00:32:14] So remember apples!
Nicole [00:32:18] “So apples again?”
Sasheer [00:32:19] “You thought we forgot about apples?”
Nicole [00:32:22] I don’t know if I like that green bird. It’s kind of scary.
Sasheer [00:32:28] It’s a little scary. The energy is a bit overwhelming.
Nicole [00:32:32] The ass is too fat. Too big. That ass is too fat. Too much knowledge in that ass. And then I have a woman who’s, like, mad at me all the time. She has a cloud over her head. And I’m like, “What do you want?” And I’ll click on her, and I’ll do what she asks me to do. And she’s still always so mad. And I don’t get it. Have you noticed her, Sasheer?
Sasheer [00:32:56] I don’t think I’ve seen this angry woman yet.
Nicole [00:32:59] Oh, I got to show her to you. She’s so mad. I’m like, “I’m here learning. You should be happy I opened the app this morning.” This fucking bird blasting off. I hate that bird. Okay. This lady. Look at her. She’s got a cloud on her head!
Sasheer [00:33:19] She has a literal cloud over her head.
Nicole [00:33:23] And it’s weighing on her. She’s waving. Why is she–? Does she know I’m showing her to people? Oh my God!
Sasheer [00:33:27] She is annoyed with you.
Nicole [00:33:31] And I didn’t do anything to her. Maybe it’s because I didn’t fill up my stars or something. I don’t know. You don’t have her?
Sasheer [00:33:40] No. Again, I’m not very far. Maybe when I get to certain levels, she’ll pop up and be mad at me.
Nicole [00:33:47] Jordan, do you have an angry woman? Oh, okay. So, it’s just part of the game.
Sasheer [00:33:53] That’d be really funny if just you got assigned an angry woman.
Nicole [00:33:58] “Eh, we really don’t like you, Nicole.” Oh, and she’s just angry.
Sasheer [00:34:05] She has a name?
Nicole [00:34:05] Lily.
Sasheer [00:34:09] She’s so emo.
Nicole [00:34:09] She really is. I like this purple… This, like, pink person underneath with the big eyes. What’s their name? It doesn’t tell us.
Sasheer [00:34:18] Well, she looks excited.
Nicole [00:34:20] Oh, there’s ten characters. I think I’ve only met five. I’m excited to meet the rest.
Jordan [00:34:28] I wonder if they do the ten characters so you can hear the words in a different, like, tone.
Nicole [00:34:38] Oh, interesting.
Jordan [00:34:40] Because sometimes a character will say something to me, and I’ll be like, “Oh, this means ‘I live in Mexico.’” And then another character will do it, and I’ll be like, “‘I drink Mexico?’” “Vive” and “bebe” is so close to each other, but it depends on the character you have.
Sasheer [00:35:00] Oh.
Nicole [00:35:02] Interesting. So, they’re really trying to make us learn all sorts of different Spanish.
Jordan [00:35:07] I think so. A just hearing from different people.
Sasheer [00:35:13] Oh.
Nicole [00:35:15] Zari. I like Zara. She’s Lily’s best friend. I don’t get it. No. No. Lily’s going to bring you down, Zari. Get out.
Sasheer [00:35:26] “Despite being Lily’s best friend, they couldn’t be farther in personality. Zari is super extroverted and always has to be doing something.” Zari’s cute.
Nicole [00:35:35] Zari is adorable. And Lily’s a curmudgeon. Also, her hips don’t lie, Zari!
Sasheer [00:35:42] Zari’s got some hips in those pink pants.
Nicole [00:35:44] Yeah. What’s going on with Duolingo? Did the person who designed everybody be like, “Everybody need a fat ass–from the birds to the people”?
Sasheer [00:35:55] That’s where we store all of our knowledge.
Nicole [00:35:57] Yeah, I wonder how you say “fat ass” in Spanish? “Guapo ass.” No. What’s “guapo” mean?
Sasheer [00:36:05] I don’t know. I was going to say, “Grande.” Vikram.
Nicole [00:36:14] Sasheer needs to learn everybody she’s going to meet.
Sasheer [00:36:16] I need to know who these characters are before I encounter them. I don’t want to be surprised. Okay. Vikram. “Have you ever met a person who is like the personification of sunshine? They’re never not smiling or finding some kind of silver lining. That’s Vikram in a nutshell. If you have a bad day or an off day with your language learning, Vikram is the guy to come along and cheer you up.”
Nicole [00:36:37] What does Vikram look like now? Yes, I’ve met Vikram. He seems nice.
Sasheer [00:36:41] Really big beard that covers his whole mouth.
Nicole [00:36:44] Yeah, and he’s doing a split. He’s got a little body, though. Big fat belly and no ass.
Sasheer [00:36:53] Okay. Who’s this? Oscar.
Nicole [00:36:55] Oscar. I’ve met Oscar.
Sasheer [00:36:58] Okay. Oscar looks nice.
Nicole [00:37:01] Oh, interesting. He over pronounces words. He’s an art teacher/coffee aficionado? I love it.
Sasheer [00:37:10] He has a job! Okay.
Nicole [00:37:10] Yes. Oscar’s the only one with a job so far.
Sasheer [00:37:16] I’ve seen this person. This is Lucy.
Nicole [00:37:19] I don’t see Lucy often.
Sasheer [00:37:21] This is Lin’s grandmother. It’s family.
Nicole [00:37:26] Oh, okay.
Sasheer [00:37:28] “Not a whole lot is known about Lucy.” What? You’re writing it?
Nicole [00:37:35] No, listen. She’s too old, so she is withholding, and she doesn’t know how to open up about who she is. So, we don’t know about Lucy.
Sasheer [00:37:46] “She is a cool grandmother letting Lin chill out her place without holding down a job.” What a back story.
Nicole [00:37:54] I love it. A chill granny who doesn’t give a shit that Lin is poor.
Sasheer [00:38:00] And this is Lin.
Nicole [00:38:02] Oh, Lin would be the one without a job. Half her head is shaved, and she is just cool. One earring.
Sasheer [00:38:12] With her Tegan and Sara haircut.
Nicole [00:38:14] Got to say, not much of a torso. Her pants are very high.
Sasheer [00:38:18] “Lin is super chill and laid back. As Lucy’s grandchild, she bounces from job to job without much of a plan or clue of what she wants to do in life. We’ve all been there.”
Nicole [00:38:29] And we have. Yes, sister. Okay. And then Angry Lily.
Sasheer [00:38:38] Angry Lily. “A little bit of an emo and an outcast.”
Jordan [00:38:43] Oh, she’s a teenager.
Nicole [00:38:45] Yeah. Oh my God. So, they’re making her work, and she doesn’t want to be working because she’s a teen. She’d rather be outside having fun than teaching me Spanish.
Sasheer [00:38:54] That’s why she’s upset.
Nicole [00:38:57] Wow. Lily, now I understand you. Oh, Junior. I don’t really like Junior. So, Junior’s Eddy’s chaotic little boy. He really is. He is chaotic. I get, like, a real chaotic energy from him. He’s a precocious kid. He is a correct answerer–a comeback for anything. Yeah. I don’t like Junior. Oh, yeah. And then there’s a bear. Falstaff.
Sasheer [00:39:24] “Falstaff?” What a name.
Nicole [00:39:25] Falstaff’s “an enigma, a mystery–the Duolingo team hasn’t developed a rich backstory for Falstaff.” There’s just a random fucking bear here, and they said, “Deal with it.”
Sasheer [00:39:36] What?
Nicole [00:39:39] I forgot that there’s, like, a literal angry bear.
Sasheer [00:39:42] With a blue scarf.
Nicole [00:39:44] Yeah, he’s cold.
Sasheer [00:39:47] Icy bear. Okay. Falstaff. Why that name? Eddy.
Nicole [00:39:54] I haven’t seen Eddy that much.
Sasheer [00:39:56] I’ve never seen Eddy. “Haphazard dad of Duolingo character, Junior. He’s a bit of a frantic mess, but he’s trying his best.”
Nicole [00:40:08] “His heart is in the right place.”
Sasheer [00:40:13] I mean, yeah, he had, like, an Adidas tracksuit on. He’s trying his best. He’s working out or something.
Nicole [00:40:20] Something. Very big upper body.
Sasheer [00:40:23] Yeah. No ass.
Nicole [00:40:26] No. No ass. And then there’s one more.
Sasheer [00:40:32] That’s me!
Nicole [00:40:36] Yes! Bea!
Sasheer [00:40:40] “Consider yourself ambitious and neurotic? Well, then you might find yourself a kindred spirit in Bea. You’re a type-A personality type who knows what they want and isn’t afraid to go after it? That’s Bea down to a T.” She’s cute. She has, like, a yellow tank top and jeans–little afro puff and a yellow bandana.
Nicole [00:41:01] She’s got a little titty. She ain’t got no ass, though.
Sasheer [00:41:04] Yeah, it’s straight up and down; that’s not me.
Nicole [00:41:07] I feel like she’s the only full character with feet.
Sasheer [00:41:11] Did Vikram not have feet? Did we not see feet on Vikram when he was doing the split?
Nicole [00:41:14] Oh, we did. He was in a full split. But everybody else is pretty…
Sasheer [00:41:23] Torso up?
Nicole [00:41:26] Interesting.
Sasheer [00:41:29] Interesting.
Nicole [00:41:32] Well, and there you have it. If you are interested in Duolingo, we have told you the characters. I imagine there’s one person who was on the fence and was like, “I don’t think I’m going to do it. I don’t like these characters.”
Sasheer [00:41:53] Yeah. “I don’t want to get to know any of these people. I just want to learn the language.”
Nicole [00:41:59] “I gotta know these people trying to teach me.”
Devyn Simone [00:42:09] Hey, everyone. It’s Devyn Simone.
Tori Deal [00:42:11] And I’m Tori Deal.
Devyn Simone [00:42:12] And we’ve got some very exciting news for our fellow Challenge fans.
Tori Deal [00:42:16] The Challenge USA is back for a second season.
Devyn Simone [00:42:19] Featuring fan favorite contestants from your favorite CBS shows.
Tori Deal [00:42:23] Yes. So, join us on MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast as we watch CBS reality titans compete against challenge legends for the title of America’s Best.
Devyn Simone [00:42:33] Listen to MTV’s Official Challenge podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.
Sasheer [00:42:43] Should we answer questions?
Nicole [00:42:43] So we should do a question or two or three or four. Give us those queries. We’re hungry for more.
Sasheer [00:42:55] Ooooh, beautiful.
Jordan [00:42:55] That was so good, Nicole.
Sasheer [00:43:00] Those singing lessons coming in handy.
Nicole [00:43:02] Thank you. Is This Weird? Cleaning Edition. “Hey, Nicole and Sasheer and all the lovely people who make the pod possible. I have a question about whether something I do is weird. This is something I never thought much of until my sister came to visit and was like, ‘What in the actual fuck?’ when I told her about it. I have this routine whenever I go out of town or vacation, and the routine is before I leave, I always clean my house and organize my closets, bathroom, and kitchen.”
Sasheer [00:43:35] “One might think–example, my sister–I do this because I like coming home to a clean place. But no. I do this because I worry I’m going to die or get seriously injured while I’m out, and I really don’t want my family or friends to come to my home and think my place is gross. I also don’t want them to have to bring me things while I’m in the hospital. In the event I survived the horrific accident and was appalled by how I disorganized my closet, bathroom, etc. Basically, I want them to remember and think of me as a much more put together person than I actually am.”
Nicole [00:44:12] “As I said, my sister thinks this is weird and morbid. I suppose I could just lie and say I like to come home to a clean place, which admittedly is a nice perk. But deep down I would always know the truth. And honestly, if the roles were reversed and I had to go to the home of someone in my life who died or was in the hospital, I’d much rather walk into a clean, organized home. So, what do you guys think? Is that weird?”
Sasheer [00:44:36] No.
Nicole [00:44:37] No. I don’t think it’s weird at all because I have been embarrassed where I’m out of town and I’ve had to have someone go get something in my house and I’m like, “Okay, you have to step over this mound of clothing. And then trapeze through a bag of mannequin heads that I need to throw away. And there are my car keys.” So, I do try to do my laundry, try to have everything folded and put away… I do try to organize just in case because I have that embarrassing thing. But also, I do like coming home to a clean home.
Sasheer [00:45:08] Yeah, I love coming home to a clean home. But also, I guess there’s nothing wrong with that reasoning. Yeah. If you want people to come, you know, find your belongings in a nice spot if you have passed or are sick, that’s a fine reason, too. It’s also funny because this person’s like, “I want them to think I’m a more clean person than I actually am,” but you are. You’re doing it. Like, you’re actively being clean. So, it seems like you are a clean person.
Nicole [00:45:36] I think you’re a clean person. I like it. I think it’s funny. I don’t think it’s morbid, but I also have, like, a full will and stuff, so I don’t know. Nothing’s really morbid to me.
Sasheer [00:45:48] Yeah. Yes, people don’t like to think about mortality or death or anything like that. But I think it’s a fine thing to think about. It could happen.
Nicole [00:46:00] It happens. Shit happens and people be dying.
Sasheer [00:46:04] Everybody dies, just like everybody poops.
Nicole [00:46:09] That should be the second book in the series. After you read that to your child–Everybody Poops–Everybody Dies.
Sasheer [00:46:14] Everybody Dies. And then everybody poops after they die.
Nicole [00:46:17] Do they?
Sasheer [00:46:18] Yeah. I think so. I think so. I think it’s like when you die, your body expels everything inside of it, and you poop.
Nicole [00:46:32] I don’t want to poop when I die.
Sasheer [00:46:34] Yeah. “Your muscles loosen immediately after death, releasing any strain on your bowel and bladder. As a result, most people poop and pee at death.”
Nicole [00:46:44] Yuck! And then somebody has to, like, clean that up for, like, a wake.
Sasheer [00:46:52] Yeah.
Nicole [00:46:53] Ew. Ew! Ew! Ew!
Sasheer [00:47:01] So really, we should be wearing diapers in case we die.
Nicole [00:47:04] We really should.
Sasheer [00:47:06] So there’s loose shit all over the place.
Nicole [00:47:09] But wearing a diaper–it would just be so crunchy. Like, with every step everyone took, I’d be like, “Someone’s coming.” I can’t imagine shitting in a diaper at this age. And, like, no shade to people who have to. Just… In my brain–this is very ableist of me, and I understand this–but, like, I know me. I forget about things. I would just get used to, like, the creamy texture.
Sasheer [00:47:46] No!
Nicole [00:47:47] And, like, forget to change my diaper. I know I would.
Sasheer [00:47:52] I don’t think you would because it’s so uncomfortable. No, I really don’t think you would. When’s the last time you wore a pad for your period?
Nicole [00:48:05] It’s been a minute.
Sasheer [00:48:07] Okay. I feel like when I did wear pads, I would feel like I would need to change it. I can’t walk around all day with a full pad. So, if I actually had, like, a full diaper that went all the way around my body and was holding my shit and my pee, I would absolutely… I could not go about. I couldn’t go to the grocery store and, like, do things.
Nicole [00:48:36] Here’s what I’m saying. If I’m out, I’m out. If I can make it to the bathroom, I probably will. But, like, I probably would be like, “All right, let me finish my shopping first,” and then, like, forget about it and be, like, squishing on home. And then hopefully when I got home, I’d remember to change it. But I really do think there’s a world where I’m just like, “Shit, I forgot,” especially if it’s just, like, a squirt.
Sasheer [00:48:59] Yeah. I wonder if people who wear diapers and are able to change themselves carry diapers on their person when they’re out and about.
Nicole [00:49:11] Oh. That is interesting.
Sasheer [00:49:14] Or do they just wait till they get home? I don’t know.
Nicole [00:49:19] I don’t know either. I think I would carry them with me to be like, “Just in case.”
Sasheer [00:49:23] Yeah, just in case I still have to be out for hours and don’t feel like holding this.
Nicole [00:49:30] Well, if you think about it, you could bring a tampon or a pad with you when you leave the house. Even when I wear my little diva cup, I bring one just in case the diva cup overfloweth.
Sasheer [00:49:40] Yeah. Jordan, what were you going to say?
Jordan [00:49:45] I’m loving all the logical reasonings for this. But I do want to mention that with, like… There’s a reason that babies cry when they poop their pants. It’s irritating, and also if you don’t clean a baby quick enough, it can cause a rash. So that’s, like, another thing to think about. Like, yes, you probably could, like, slosh around all day with that. But you could get a rash. And also, I think the stench would get to you. I think the scent would really, like…
Nicole [00:50:15] But if it’s a little squirt, maybe it’s not stinky.
Jordan [00:50:17] A little squirt I can understand. And I feel like most adults do little squirts from time to time because people shart themselves all the time. But I think the scent would probably get to you–or the squishiness.
Nicole [00:50:34] I think that’s probably true. All right. I guess I take it back. I guess I’d change it quick.
Jordan [00:50:39] I also just want to say thank you for letting me be on the show because I would never have these conversations on my own.
Nicole [00:50:49] You mean you’re not gathering friends together and asking them how often they would change their diaper if they had to?
Jordan [00:50:54] “Everyone, come here. Who would have a diaper? Who doesn’t? Who needs to be changed?” That’s exactly what I do. Yeah.
Nicole [00:51:00] And I just want to reiterate, this is a very ableist conversation. And I do understand that. And I do understand that diapers are a necessity and maybe aren’t a laughing matter for some. But I did enjoy my tee-hee-hee.
Sasheer [00:51:14] Nice disclaimer. “But I had a good laugh.”
Nicole [00:51:17] Well, I don’t want people to–
Sasheer [00:51:18] No. No, that was considerate.
Nicole [00:51:22] I just don’t want anyone to, like, feel bad because there’s nothing wrong with wearing a diaper.
Jordan [00:51:27] No, there’s not. Do you know that I have–? When my period is so freaking heavy, I will wear Depends because it’s just like, “I can’t control this. I’m just going to wear this.” And it’s actually very useful.
Sasheer [00:51:43] Oh, wow. That’s really smart.
Nicole [00:51:46] That’s good info for people. When my periods were heavy, that probably would have come in handy. It never occurred to me to do that.
Sasheer [00:51:52] Yeah, I’m sure that’s also really helpful when you’re sleeping, too.
Jordan [00:51:58] Yeah. 100% because everyone knows that for the first two days it’s, like, crazy and it’s an explosion. So instead of, like, running to the toilet every hour to change, it’s like, “Hey, I could wear this for a couple hours, and I should be okay.” But yeah, definitely sleeping in it, too, is helpful. It’s only when it’s, like, real, real bad.
Nicole [00:52:18] Boy, oh boy. Periods suck. I wish I didn’t have a period.
Sasheer [00:52:22] Yeah.
Nicole [00:52:24] This month, I kind of didn’t, and it was amazing. It was for two days, and it went right away. It got sucked right back up in me, and I was like, “Thank God. Stunning.”
Sasheer [00:52:34] Right back to where it came from.
Nicole [00:52:36] Goodbye!
Sasheer [00:52:37] Should we do a question?
Nicole [00:52:40] Hell, yeah, dude.
Sasheer [00:52:40] Hell, yeah, dude.
Nicole [00:52:42] Hi, Nicole and Sasheer. My name is Nicole. Pronouns are they/them. And I love the show so much. Okay. Sorry. My voice is a little scattered. I also have ADHD, so sometimes my brain is just like… Even though I have thoughts that in my head make sense. And then I say them out loud and they don’t make sense, which, you know what, Nicole? You get it. So, I don’t feel that embarrassed by calling in or sending a voice memo because I guess I’m technically sending in a voice memo on my phone. So, I guess that’s kind of calling. Okay, whatever. I have a question about cohabitation with your best friend. So, my best friend and I have been best friends since college. And we have lived together post-college. For context, that’s, like, 10+ years. And honestly, y’all’s relationship really makes me think of our relationship. It’s so relatable. I think we’re always talking–sending voice memos. Like, she’s my platonic life partner in many ways. And we’ve been really evaluating how we look at the future of community. Also, we live in Seattle, and neither of us can afford a house. So, we’re working on buying a house together this summer because family is really what you make of it. And it’s her and her fiancé and me and my partner. And I guess I’m just wondering if you two were to move in together–like buy a house together… For the record, we’re trying to find a duplex because, you know, that makes more sense for our lifestyles because she and her fiancé can have a duplex and me and my partner can have a duplex because I also have a non-nesting partner. So, it’d be nice to have… Anyway, that’s not the point. I don’t think. Basically, if you two were to cohabitate, what are some things that you would want to think about or, like, prep for ahead of time? Would you have to think of, like, agreements that you’d want to separate out friendship stuff from roommate stuff? And I know you all both own your homes, but I was just curious if you were to buy a house together, what are some things that you would think about decorating wise? Like, my best friend is very minimalist. I am a colorful maximalist obsessed with flamingos. So, I’m just wondering if there’s anything that you would think about when cohabitating together. Okay. I hope that makes sense. I’m a lot. I don’t know how y’all do this. Okay. I love you both. Have a great day. Bye.
Sasheer [00:55:22] Nicole, is this your mail person?
Nicole [00:55:25] This is Nick, my mail person. They sound just like my mailperson–my mailman who’s not a man. She’s a woman. I can’t believe that’s how I presented that to you. Yep. That’s who I met today. Here’s the thing, if you buy a duplex, you’re not technically roommates. You’re getting two separate homes.
Sasheer [00:55:48] Yeah. If anything, you maybe would share a yard if there is one. But yeah, you don’t have to, like, worry about decorating your spaces together. But I guess if they couldn’t find a duplex and they did have to find a house to share… I think you said this before on the pod, if issues come up, roommate-wise, you could just start the conversation that way, like, “Hey, this is a roommate issue I have versus, like, a friend issue.” You can have roommate meetings as opposed to, like, friend dinners and bringing things up that have to do with the house.
Nicole [00:56:26] I will say buying a house that’s not a duplex with your best friend might be hard because then you’re really in each other’s spaces. You’re in each other’s faces and spaces every single day. You’re sharing a kitchen–maybe sharing, like, a bathroom. And then usually in houses there is a primary… And then everything else is a secondary bedroom. So, it’s like, “Who would take the primary? Who’s going to be in the secondary ones?” I really think a duplex is the best-case scenario–either one building where there’s a top and bottom or a house where there’s a house in front and a house in back because that way it’s like you see each other, you share a yard, but your lives are separate, and you get to live in a community because it is still a community. But there’s a separation, and I do think that’s really important.
Sasheer [00:57:30] Yeah. Or you could buy land and build tiny houses on it.
Nicole [00:57:35] You could do that. You could buy some land, go to Home Depot, get you a tiny house that’s pre-built, slam it on that ground, and say, “Hello, community.”
Sasheer [00:57:45] I think they’re cheap, or, like, I think there are, like, reasonably priced tiny homes that don’t even seem that tiny.
Nicole [00:57:55] But I will say the thing about buying a prefab tiny house is that I don’t believe they come with kitchens or bathrooms. I think it’s just the structure, and then you have to put everything in it. I think that’s where the cost comes in.
Sasheer [00:58:10] For sure.
Nicole [00:58:14] Yeah. Home Depot’s $32,000. Imagine spending $32,000 at Home Depot.
Sasheer [00:58:20] That’s actually way more expensive than I thought.
Nicole [00:58:25] These houses are pretty. $7,000? 12-foot by 14-foot? That seems pretty expensive.
Sasheer [00:58:33] Also, this is from alibaba.com? I don’t trust that.
Nicole [00:58:36] I don’t trust that. That house isn’t coming together. It’s going to come in pieces. $7,000. Oh, that’s a shed. I don’t know. Maybe Sasheer was not on to something.
Sasheer [00:58:50] I don’t think I was.
Nicole [00:58:52] Maybe you shouldn’t do it. Is it cheaper to build a tiny house? $30,000 to $60,000? I mean, that is less than a house-house. Okay. Well, maybe you don’t do a prefab one. Maybe you build it from the ground, from the studs from the sticks, from the dirt…
Sasheer [00:59:16] Yeah. Fingers crossed that you can find a duplex. But also, I’m sure there are people who are living in a house with their partners and best friends. And you can make your community whatever you want. I think that’s great. I personally love being alone. Ooh, baby, I can’t get enough of my alone time in my own space, no matter how much I love you. So, it’s really hard for me to visualize that–to have three other adults in the house with me? No, thank you.
Nicole [00:59:53] I mean, I had roommates for a very, very long time, and I think it really only worked because everyone really picked up after themselves. When there was three of us, it was good. When it was just me and John Milhiser, we would play a fun game called Trash Jenga. And you just put little things on top of the trash until someone was like, “Well, I have to take this out.” But also, that was in my 20s. But yeah, I didn’t have a problem living with roommates. I don’t know. I really, for whatever reason, just feel like a duplex is the way to go.
Sasheer [01:00:36] Yeah. Yeah!
Nicole [01:00:37] Because, say somebody wants to move out, the person can buy the other person out and then rent that out, and it becomes income.
Sasheer [01:00:47] We love that passive income.
Nicole [01:00:53] Solved!
Sasheer [01:00:53] Solved! I don’t know. I don’t even know if there was anything to solve. I think we just gave our opinion on the situation. But I hope it works out.
Nicole [01:01:03] Me, too. Best of luck to you and yours. And if you have a query or a question or comment or something you want to say–get off your chest–you can email nicoleandsasheer@gmail.com. There’s also a number. Do you want to hear it? Of course, you do. 424-645-7003.
Sasheer [01:01:24] We also have merch at podswag.com/bestfriends.
Nicole [01:01:28] We also have transcripts of our new episodes. Check them out on our show page at earwolf.com.
Sasheer [01:01:37] Lastly, don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. That is the easiest way to support this show.
Nicole [01:01:44] Now go out in the world and do something positive today! Boop-boo-doo-boo! Goodbye!
Sasheer [01:01:51] Goodbye. Boop-boo-doo-boo!
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