Episodes

Today Mario sits down for a unique, solo show. He catches us up no how he’s doing, whats been going on in his zone, and also what he been thinking about. On topics of politics, health and healing Mario takes a full 16 bars and raps out the worlds issues like only he can. It’s a short episode with a whole lot packed in so don’t skip this one! Shout out to turning 40 y’all. This is a free unlocked episode. To get early access to future episodes, become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patre...

DISCLAIMER: We are still figuring out our audio issues and in this episode, you may notice that Vidas audio is digitized and choppy. We are sorry about this and will continue to work towards resolving this and other issues. Today Vida and Trevor sit down for a casual chop-it-up session on everything from stepping away from social media to Joe Buddon and Top Gun. Later Mario jumps on to join the conversation and add his insights to the mix. It’s a laid-back affair, so get your slippers on and ke...

Ken, Trevor and Mario sit down in this episode to talk about the aging of hip hop. Or rather, the age that hip hop has become. Utilizing the new Kendrick album as an anchor point, the Sharks discuss where hip hop is, and where it has been. One thing is for sure, it’s hit middle age. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/66840058. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the en...

Today Mario, Ken and Trevor sit down to discuss the Buffalo shooting, social justice in general, and then take a break from the heavy stuff to talk about Kendrick’s new album as well as past trends in the world of hip hop and end the conversation with a round of movies from the past and present. DISCLAIMER: Due to issues with the platform used to record this episode there are brief moments where the conversation is dropped. We were able to successfully edit the audio back together but there wil...

Today Vida and Ken sit down to talk hip hop, LA life, and of course the new Kendrick single, The Heart pt 5. In pt 2 the conversation switches to Kevin Samuels; so if you are not subscribing, now is the time to do so you can get this extra bonus material and hear what the Sharks are saying. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/66253542. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access t...

Today we have Katie Way on the show to talk with Trevor about, among other things, Brazilian Butt Lifts. Katie Way is a senior staff writer at VICE who writes about internet culture, policing, prisons, drugs, and work. She can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/k80way and her newsletter All Cops Are Posters can be found at https://acap.substack.com/. Her article on how Miami became a hotspot for Brazilian butt lifts can be found at https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjb5qb/how-miami-became-...

Today Vida, Trevor and Ken sit down to talk about body positivity. Being big, not being big, healthy versus unhealthy. Sometimes the 2 things can get confused. It can be tough to tell the difference but sometimes you’re not supposed to be able to tell the difference, and thats how they get ya! Pivoting between other online phenomena movements that control the online conversations, the Sharks use this episode to really dig in to what is and isn’t healthy about todays lifestyles. This is Part 1 o...

Today we have returning guests Yasmin Nair, Mtume Gant, and Chris Jesu Lee in the studio to talk about the new movie Death on The Nile. Breaking down the already broken movie, Yasmin, Mtume, and Chris join Trevor in a delightful romp of bashery asking the question, “when the book and original 1978 movie were so good, why change the formula?” This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/65299341. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month ...

Today Vida and Ken use the movie Hollywood Shuffle as a jumping-off point to discuss what it means to be Black in Hollywood. Hollywood Shuffle is a 1987 American satirical comedy film about the racial stereotypes of African Americans in film and television. The film tracks the attempts of Bobby Taylor to become a successful actor and the mental and external roadblocks he encounters, represented through a series of interspersed vignettes and fantasies. Produced, directed, and co-written by Robert...

Today the West Coast Sharks, Vida, Mario and Ken, gather together to discuss the politics of protection. It took just one slap to shake up a national dialog that has as many arms as a consortium of octopi. From what it means to protect Black women, the cult of personality and the religion of celebrity… It’s so much to parse out it takes 3 great brains combined to even break the surface of the situation at hand. Lucky for us, those 3 brains just happen to be guiding the conversation you hear toda...

UNLOCKED PT 2 In this episode Vida and Trevor chop it up and play a little bingo. Trying to understand why recent Black articles seem to always be about assimilation or authenticity anxiety, Trevor and Vida read through and analyze multiple articles looking for answers. This is Part 2 of a two-part episode. Part 1 is free to everyone over at www.patreon.com/posts/62924338. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the whole archive of subscribe...

WARNING THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE “MASTER” Today Vida, Ken and Trevor sit down to discuss the Amazon Original movie Master. Master is the story of three women who strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university that may disguise something sinister. Diving into the parallels of the writer’s own experience as well as past works, the Sharks bite into this fresh meat only to find it might have spoiled on arrival. This is a preview for a full patreon only episod...

Today we are very honored to have Dr Timothy Golden on the show to talk about Critical Race Theory. Timothy Golden has earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and has more than twenty years of experience as a lawyer. His areas of scholarly research include African American philosophy and critical race theory. Golden is currently editing a book titled Racism and Resistance: Essays on Derrick Bell’s Racial Realism. He has also published philosophical essays and teaches African American philosophy and critica...

Today we are very honored to have Timpthoy Golden on the show to talk about Critical Race Theory. Timothy Golden has earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and has more than twenty years of experience as a lawyer. His areas of scholarly research include African American philosophy and critical race theory. Golden is currently editing a book titled Racism and Resistance: Essays on Derrick Bell’s Racial Realism. He has also published philosophical essays and teaches African American philosophy and critical ...

Today the West Coast Sharks reunite! Vida, Ken, and Mario all jump on to talk about the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees. The times and the ways of dating have changed since the old days and the Sharks are here to guide you on the Do’s and the Dont’s in this modern Twitter dating era. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/63180465. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get a...

UNLOCKED AND NOW FREE: We’ve been doing book club night where we read the book and then do the subsequent discussion over at the Discord voice and chat server. If you are a patron but haven’t figured out how to use the Discord server yet, you simply have to follow these instructions: https://www.patreon.com/posts/instructions-for-31613305. Participation in the movie and book club night discussions is available to all patrons. Book Club is on Sunday nights. This is the fourth installment of ou...

In todays episode, Vida and Trevor chop it up and play a little bingo. Trying to understand why recent Black articles seem to always be about assimilation or authenticity anxiety, Trevor and Vida read through and analyze multiple articles looking for answers. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/62924645. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive of subscrib...

Today we have special guest Zakiya Sankara-Jabar. Zakiya is a Parent Organizer/Advocate and Director of Racial Justice NOW! which is a community-based organization led by Black parents organizing to lift up their voice and agency in the educational outcomes of their children. Through her advocacy at RJN! Zakiya trains and acts as an advocate on behalf of other parents at suspension and expulsion hearings and at IEP meetings. In addition, Zakiya does policy work at the local and state level pushi...

In today’s episode, Vida and Ken sit down and chop it up like only they know how. It’s tough times out there looking for a job that pays well, and to make matters tougher, it seems like some people would rather gloat on social media about denying people in the community jobs rather than helping people learn how to obtain quality gigs. Ken and Vida dive in deep on exactly why that is, and what we could do to be better neighbors, community members, and all-around better humans. WARNING: Due to mec...

Today Vida and Trevor kick it off talking yoga, meditation, and ladies loving 2Pac. Then, Ken joins in and the Sharks get into the real meat of the episode… the Talentless Tenth. The water is warm and the Sharks are hungry so jump in and join the feeding frenzy. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/61929398 Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive of subscr...

!!!WARNING THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR MULTIPLE TV SHOWS!!! Today Vida, Trevor, and Ken chop it up over the good things in life. Must-watch TV shows, top-rated cooking hacks, and newly discovered exercises, just to name a few. So put on your favorite slow jams and get that ultimate good-time vibe going as we dive into the positive waters. This is a free unlocked episode. To get early access to future episodes, become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and...

Today we have Elana Levin and Emma Bowers on the show to talk with Trevor about the HBO Max show, Doom Patrol. Elana is a comics-centric critic and is the host of the podcasts Graphic Policy and Deep Space Dive. Emma is the Anime Correspondent on Struggle Session as well as a video essayist on the channel Hyenas and Gin. This is a preview for a full patreon only episode. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the full archive of subscriber-on...

!!!WARNING!!! This episode has extreme spoilers for the book “The Other Black Girl”!!!! Today we have Chris Jesu Lee of Plan A Magazine and Podcast as well as illustrator and painter Kamaria Kermah on the show to talk with Trevor about the book “The Other Black Girl”. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/60958482. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive o...

Today’s episode is all about entertainment. Vida and Ken start things off with a conversation about what plagues the modern era of television. Then Mario drops in and things get even more into the depths of what is happening in today’s world of entertainment and how it differs from that of the past. Comparing how old shows are viewed by new audiences with how they were viewed in their own respective time, alongside the sustainability of current television, the sharks have plenty to chew on. Art...