UNDISTRACTED: May 6, 2021

Insecure’s Yvonne Orji on Black joy…and her “homie” Jesus 

Please note: This transcript has been automatically generated.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Hey y’all, it’s Brittany. Have we entered the Twilight Zone?

Tim Scott Hear me clearly, America is not a racist country. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So Tim Scott, the Black conservative senator from South Carolina, said those words last week in his rebuttal to President Biden’s speech to Congress. Y’all probably already heard it because it’s all anyone has been talking about. But the very question, “Is America racist?” is actually a straw man. Y’all remember that term from school. This is a distraction and gaslighting all rolled up into one hot GOP mess. Systemic racism is a fact. And getting us to debate that fact is a tactic that distracts us from, you know, ending systemic racism. So don’t fall for that. We don’t argue with flat earthers and we don’t need to argue with racism deniers in a year of such overwhelming trauma and strife it is not just confusing, it is downright offensive to hear someone denying our truth. For me, it is especially painful to hear that coming from a Black man. But here’s the thing about oppression, it will use anybody to uphold itself. Black folks can uphold white supremacy. Women can uphold the patriarchy. We’ve all breathed in that smog. And even if we aren’t on TV lying to the public, all of us have things we need to examine. So instead of getting caught on the hamster wheel of outrage, let’s take a look at ourselves always and often. And let’s hold to account those who have the power to do something about the deep rooted issues we know are real. The question is not, “Is America racist?” The question is how much is America willing to invest in ending structural racism? That’s the conversation we need to be having. 

We are UNDISTRACTED. 

On the show today, Yvonne Orji. I’ll be talking to the Insecure actress about her new book, Bamboozled by Jesus and how the Lord’s guidance hasn’t always been apparent. 

Yvonne Orji I have done everything Lord, everything you asked me for. I have been the quintessential pinnacle of a faithful daughter, and I’m getting crumbs. Is this what you want for me? Is this what’s going to move the nations Jesus? 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham That’s coming up, but first, it’s your “UNtrending News.”   

I know we are still working our way out of the pandemic here in America, but as you probably know — 

Reporter India is wrestling with a ferocious wave of Covid-19 and the latest coronavirus figures show infections that have now passed 20 million. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham This is a tragedy. But in a recent piece for The Guardian, Indian novelist Arundhati Roy argues, quote, “The system hasn’t collapsed. The government has failed.” She says the world is, quote, “Witnessing a crime against humanity.” Roy, like many, blames Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being unprepared and complacent. He allowed mass religious gatherings and political rallies to take place just last month. And now Roy and other critics are calling out Modi’s government for denying that there’s even a problem. One of his chief ministers even threatened legal action against anyone who complains about oxygen shortages because the government wants to insist there is no shortage. Listen, India’s problem is our problem, too, and we must do what we can to help. If you like yoga or chai or turmeric, now’s the time to step up. We don’t get to enjoy India’s cultural exports while ignoring India’s people. You can contribute by donating to international and local and regional organizations that provide mutual aid and medical supplies like masks and oxygen tanks. The pandemic can’t end unless we all help India right now. 

This week, Elliot Page sat down with Oprah for his first interview since coming out as transgender. He talked to her about the joy of finally feeling at home in his body for the first time. But Elliot said the main reason he felt compelled to speak out is because of the current wave of anti trans legislation. 

Elliot Page Right now, the main tactic is to attack trans kids. It’s just, it’s unfathomable to me. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham There are over two hundred anti-LGBTQ plus bills under consideration across this country. Many of them focus on banning health care for transgender kids or preventing them from playing on sports teams. 

Elliot Page And if you are going to do this, children will die. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Elliot spoke directly to trans kids around the world at the end of his interview. 

Elliot Page I want to tell them that I see them, that they exist, that they are real, they’re loved. And I’m going to continue to do what I can to try and help this society shift how it treats transgender people. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  Elliot, good for you for using your privilege platform to help trans youth. And now let’s extend civil rights, really human rights protections to cover LGBTQ folks by getting the Equality Act passed. 

And finally, the upcoming Sex and the City revival is finally going to diversify its cast. Back when HBO Max announced the reboot, fans were shocked to find out that everyone’s favorite sex positive diva, Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, won’t be returning. But in her absence, the series titled And Just Like That, will expand Carrie’s social circle by adding six new characters. And just like that, three of them will be women of color. Showrunner Michael Patrick King has also promised that at least half of the writers will be BIPOC folks. Of course, Sex and the City has been criticized over the years for its poor track record on diversity and its whitewashed perspective of New York. 

Sex and the City Clip Everything white, white flowers, white tablecloths, white food W-H-I-T-E, white. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So yeah, if you want to tell an honest story about women in New York, that includes women of color. So I’ll drink a Cosmo to that and you know, I like my Manolo’s too. Coming up, I’ll be talking to comedian Yvonne Orji about her homie Jesus and the recent season of Insecure right after this short break. 

And we are back. My guest today calls herself a proud, Jesus loving Nigerian-American writer and stand up comic. But Yvonne Orji is probably best known for playing Issa Ray’s best friend, Molly, on the HBO series, Insecure. 

Yvonne Orji as Molly Issa do you hear yourself? Nobody has more drama than you Issa. Okay, you need to figure out your shit and stop using people. You’ve used Nathan, Andrew, me, who else? 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Oh, this shit’s getting real. Yvonne received an Emmy nomination last year for her performance on Insecure and yes, things have been going well. 2020 also saw the launch of her debut HBO comedy special Momma, I Made It. And now Yvonne can add author to her list of accomplishments. In her book Bamboozled by Jesus, which comes out later this month, she shares the twists and turns that led her to success and encourages readers to live their wildest dreams. It’s a very funny book about God because, as you’ll hear, Yvonne Orji believes fun and faith can go hand in hand. Hey, Yvonne, thank you so much for joining us. 

Yvonne Orji Girl, I’ve been looking forward to this. I’m so excited to be talking to you. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So the subtitle of your book was How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams. So I absolutely have to start there. What does that mean? And when did this start happening? 

Yvonne Orji Girl, I was born holding the IUD in my hand. Now if that wasn’t somebody getting tricked, that was when God bamboozled my momma. My momma was like “We got to shop these clothes. Hold up. Who, what is this and who is she? Nobody supposed to be here. How did you get here?” So, I feel like that was God just like starting off my life with the okey doke by bamboozling my parents and then, like, just my actual life has been a series of getting tricked right? So I got a master’s degree, thought I was going to get my pre-med degree and God was like, “Why don’t you go ahead and slay these jokes. And I was like, I ain’t got no jokes. I ain’t even funny. What are you talking about? Cut to, “Hey, Mom and Dad. So I’m not going to med school. I think I want to make the world laugh.” And then cut to not knowing how I’m going to do that. To opening up for Chris Rock in Barclays Center in front of nineteen thousand people. Cut to one hour HBO comedy special My life Brittany has just literally been me doing a series of I — all right, cool, if that’s what you want. Like I’ll rock with it, just say yes. You know what I mean? Just like not knowing where the road would lead. But just being like all right fam, I mean if you say so I guess. And sometimes it’s been with a question mark on the end like I, I guess? Yeah. So sure. That’s how I got tricked. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  So you were born in Nigeria.

Yvonne Orji Yes.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  And you moved to Maryland. “Murland,” as we like to say out here, Murland with your family when you were six and you were raised Catholic. So, when did you first start to develop a personal relationship with God? 

Yvonne Orji  It was when I was 17 and I was a freshman in college and on my way to the club, I talk about in the book.I’m always on my way to the club. So I was on the way to the club and my friend that I was going with, she was just like, “Hey, you want to go to Bible study before we go?” And I was like, “Chick, you know what we want to get into?” But I had enough reverence for God, you know, because I wasn’t going to just be like, I mean, I want it to be a part of my college experience. But like Thursday night at 9:00, like, that’s what we want to do? Okay, cool, all right. So I went and when I went there was this, like, amazing radical for Christ, young woman named Dr. Lindsay Marsh. And she just was like talking about God in a way that was very sexy. Right? And then I met a group of people that were like, no, you can still love God and have your own life later and like, you don’t have to give up the essence of who you are because he made you that way. And I was like, sign me up. And so then that’s when I became a born again Christian, when I got — when I was 17. But this is how I also got tricked because I had told Jesus, because, you know, sometimes you have to tell a lot about yourself because he don’t know everything. At least that’s what we think. So I said, so Jesus, I was like, listen hear fam, so when I turn 18, I’m going to start smashing because like I feel like that’s the will of God for my life. You know what I mean so like, I’ma get it on. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham That’s what you meant for me. 

Yvonne Orji Yeah. I feel like that was your best for me. I was like, I’ma get it on when I turn 18 because I’m going to be an adult, you know, I’ll give you I’ma give you, you know, 18 good years of my — my chastity. But it’s — but these yams is about to get up —

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Listen, the streets were calling your name. 

Yvonne Orji  Oh my gosh. And so he was like coo coo coo cool. So mind you, I’m 17. I meet Dr.  Lindsay at the Bible Studies. She’s all talking about how like she’s a virgin and she’s waiting ‘till she gets married. And I was like, nah, nah, nah, nah. Go back to the other stuff you were saying about how like you could — you tripping. Why would you do this to me God? So that’s how God tricked into me, you know, celibate and a virgin at 37, but God is — he’s doing a quick work. So I believe that by the time this — this episode hits the airwaves, there’s somebody going to be in my DMs or in my actual life because I don’t know if we want all the — 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Hey, Hallelu.

Yvonne Orji God bless it. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Yeah. No, we want — we want a real life DM. We’re going to — we’re going to speak that into existence right now from your and my homie Jesus. 

Yvonne Orji Call him!

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So like as women of faith together, we’ve had a lot of these conversations. But when I got the chance to read your book, it genuinely made me laugh out loud, like you always do. But in some ways, because it was so irreverent, you know, you refer to the Bible as the good book, like we all do. You call Abraham the first F-boy to ever exist. And there are some — there’s good reason for that. I appreciate, you know, that you talk about God and this faith journey in a funny way, in an accessible way. But when it really comes down to it, what is your take away from the good book? What is it all about for you? 

Yvonne Orji Well, one, I’m glad that you picked up on the humor because one, God made me a comedian and I feel like I don’t think he would want me to write this book and just like thou artest  the vyeth of that, nah that’s not me fam. I don’t even want to do that. I don’t even want to read that. To be honest, I don’t want to read that. So the only way I could do it in that way is because that’s how I actually converse with Jesus. Like he cracks me up, because sometimes people like, you know, you foul. And I’m, first of all, anybody ask you to tell me about myself in this moment, sir. Rude. But then he’s like, but you right, though. Like, I might have to process that later. And so for me, I’m just like, I don’t know if I’m the only one that has this kind of relationship with God. I hope I’m not. But for the people who either do have the same kind of relationship or desire this kind of relationship, let me tell you how you can have it. And so for me, that’s really the essence of why I wanted to write it like that, because it’s like it ain’t your grandmother’s Bible study. And I do think that the church has actually done a disservice to people who actually are seeking our faith. And that’s what a lot of young people are like. I’m just going to do my der, I’m going to just do what I want to do. And then when I get to be like 88, then like I’ll find Jesus. Which, you know, is a plan. You know, it’s an option. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham It’s a plan.

Yvonne Orji It’s a plan.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham It may not be the best one for your life, but not the one God had for you.

Yvonne Orji It’s not the one God had for me. And he was like, I’m going to get you at 17. And so for me and I say in the book like, I’m not ignorant to why people are like I’m good on church. I’m good on religion, because humans run religious organizations and humans have tricked off religion in the worst way. And even God is like yo fam, I don’t need your help. Please stop trying to help me because you’re — you’re getting it wrong, you know.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham All the way.

Yvonne Orji All the way wrong. And so for me, it was really important for me to make the Bible something that’s accessible in 2021. And it’s not that I was like trying to be racy or risque and be like, oh, shock value. It just is like now how would I really relate to this and make it applicable to my life in a — in a tangible way. So what I want people to get out of it is that like, I think what it is, to be honest Brittany, is how we relate to people in our regular life. The disappointment, how people have disappointed us, how people have let us down, how people have, you know, not come through. I think we kind of apply those same things to God. I know I for sure was like, oh, only if I show up as perfect. Only if I show up as God’s favorite. Only if I do everything right will he love me and it’s like, no, you’re — you’re — you were born to do everything wrong. That’s why you need me. But you know what I mean? 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham There it is. 

Yvonne Orji So, I have to make that switch on myself so I know that, like, a lot of people feel like, well, I can’t really have fun with God because I’ve done a lot of wrong things. So, like, I can’t really laugh with him. And it’s just like, no, the contrary. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Yeah. So like you said, you planned on going to medical school, which you call the pinnacle of success for every Nigerian child. But of course, Jesus had a different plan that he tricked you into, funnier plans, shall we say. You kind of ran through this earlier, but I really want to dig into it. You didn’t just go straight to opening up for Chris Rock right? 

Yvonne Orji No. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Is it true that you got your start at a beauty pageant? 

Yvonne Orji I sure enough did Brittany. and here’s the thing, here’s the crazy part, you want to know the crazy part? I suffered from low self-esteem. I did not think I was anybody’s beauty anything fam. In the book I talk about when I tried to be pretty and I put baby powder on my face just looking at what a hot, ashy, ridiculous mess because I didn’t know that matte makeup was different. Like matte powder is different than Johnson and Johnson powder.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Oh Lord.

Yvonne Orji  Yeah girl. I tried to fit in and I just got bullied all the more. So it was a mess. So the fact that the beauty pageant that I was like who’s pretty? not me, but okay God,  he had jokes before  I had jokes. And it was one of those things where I wasn’t checking for it, I wasn’t looking for it. My brother asked if I wanted to participate because he knew the people who ran it. And I was like, I mean, I guess I think I’m free on Saturday, like that literally was the makeup of my decision. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  And to be very clear, this is this is the 2006 Miss Nigeria and America pageant. 

Yvonne Orji You really had to put it all out there. Yes. I didn’t know Brittany. I was getting my masters trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. I was not focused. Okay, I don’t know what this means, but God was like, if you just say yes, you don’t have to know what it means. I’ll do it — I’ll take it from here. I’ll do the rest. And so that’s what happened. So I entered the pageant but I didn’t realize that I needed a talent. And so, like, two weeks before, they were like, hey, we got your application. We got your you know, everything’s great, what’s your talent? And I said, oh nah, you got — you got me twisted. Like I make straight As for a living. That’s the only talent that I know. And I really don’t know how to display that on stage. And they were like, coo coo coo coo cool. However, if you want to compete in this here pageant, you need one. When I prayed and I heard God say do comedy and I was like, no, you got me twisted because like I’ve been bullied in my life and I said no, I was like, coo coo coo cool, no, try again. And I was like, so what’s now going to happen is me get on stage in front of Africans who are rude, okay, not just Africans, but Nigerians who will just be like, “Whose daughter is this? Please tell her she’s not funny. Get her off the stage immediately.” I did not want to go through that smoke. Okay, so I said, God, as somebody who’s been picked on their whole life, I’m not willingly about to volunteer myself as tribute to be picked on again as my adult life. And he said, loud as day he said cool, either you’re going to learn to trust me or you’re not. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham You decided to trust him. Do you remember any of the jokes you told, though? 

Yvonne Orji I do. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  Like, I just — I just need one. I need to understand exactly how this played out. 

Yvonne Orji One joke was how Africans don’t know how to whisper. So my mom would like get a call and she’d be like, “Hello? Can you hear me? No, no, no, no. I am hearing you. But you, can you hear me?” And I’ll be like, Mom, everybody can hear you because we’re at church. Anyway.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So you keep working at it. And like you said, you end up in clubs in New York and LA and you open for Chris Rock. Last year you launched your debut standup special on HBO, Momma. I made it, which was fantastic. How does your faith inform and intersect with your work that you do right, on stage as a comedian, as an actress? How does that show up? 

Yvonne Orji Well, thank you for watching, Brittany. I was like, oh, my God, the pandemic happened. And it was around like when George Floyd was murdered. And I was just like, oh, my God. Like, I felt like the special was going to be a casualty of the time. I just was like, okay, it’s what it is. I was like, Black people are hurting like it is what it is like, I understand why. We’re hurting twice, people are getting killed with this pandemic and people are getting killed in the streets, like, how is this possible? So I just was like, all right God, it’s fine. I’m going to get a back end blessing with a second special, it’s cool. And when I tell you the people showed up in such a way because it was like, no, Black joy is a form of resistance. Black joy is a weapon. Black joy is still a form of activism. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Amen.

Yvonne Orji And so we’re going to show up and we’re going to enjoy it because if we don’t laugh, oh, something is going to happen and America is not going to be happy about it. So you might want us to laugh because we need some levity in these times because the levee is breaking. And in that moment, like I was shown, like it’s not just for jokes and giggles. It’s therapy, it’s therapeutic. It’s like it is medicine. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham This is, I think, what people don’t see behind the scenes. You’re making us laugh. You’re bringing us joy. You are bringing Black folks an opportunity to engage in the revolution of joy. And yet, as you say, even while you’re living your wildest dreams, this has not all been vanilla sprinkles on a chocolate shake. So have there been times where in the — in the midst of all of this, you’ve questioned your faith? like what are your fights with Jesus sound like? 

Yvonne Orji Man. Man. So the year was 2014. I had gone through so much disappointment. I was like, I have done everything, Lord, everything you asked me for. I have been the quintessential pinnacle of a faithful daughter and I’m getting crumbs. Is this what you want for me? Is this what’s going to move the nations Jesus? Is this what’s going to make people believe because other people are better? And he was like — he was like, first of all, what you’re not going to do is spit in my face you need to calm down. And I was like, no, no, I’m tired of being calm. But really, what it was God had told me to do something back in 2012. He gave me an idea for a show and I started, you  know how like ideas happen. You start it, I’m like, okay, I’ll try it. Yes, sure. I started it and it got hard or like I just didn’t feel like I was enough to see the project through. Right. And as life, luck, faith, whatever would have it, I started working with people in entertainment that were, you know, that were already popping. So I was like, oh, okay, this is — this is easier. God was like, okay, all right, he let me have it for like a good solid year and a half, two years. And the problem with money is when you’re making it, you think you Gucci. You don’t have to — you’re good, you’re comfortable. God shut all of that down. The jobs went away, like the good — what I didn’t realize is that the projects end. And so I was like, oh, man, you got one more shot. I read the Bible and literally the first thing that I opened up to was Psalm 31:14 which says I will trust you because my time is in your hands. and the night before he had asked me what’s in your hand? And I was like, man, I don’t know. And so I was like, okay, God is this the answer. Is it my time are your hands? What’s that mean? Like I started having a conversation, I was like, all right I’m not upset no more, but I mean, you still on thin ice so let’s talk this out. Like you — I’m sure this is how a marriage works. I don’t know, because I’m still single, but I’m sure this is how marriage works where y’all are like, all right, you know, we have beef but let’s talk it out. So anyways, oh my God, let’s talk about. And he said, I gave you something in your hands that you did nothing with. And I was like, oh, you mean that thing that I put down two years ago because I was busy making other people’s dreams come true? So it was my fault this whole time. Got it, coo coo coo coo cool, okay, my bad. I apologize Jesus. And so that’s literally what — that’s literally what it was. But even then I was like, hey, God, I’m not playing no more games with you. I’m going to do the thing. But if it don’t work, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going back to lower Maryland and just tell my mom I’m sorry, but at least I eat three meals a day. Cool? Got it. And when I tell you, Brittany, from October 2014 to October 2015, here’s what happened. I finished the trailer for First Gen, I pitched that to David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey. I auditioned for a one show called Insecure. I booked Insecure in July and by October of 2015, I not only shot the pilot, but was able to pay off my debt with the pilot. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Before I let you go, we have to talk about Insecure because I’m obsessed. You, of course, play Molly, Issa Rae’s best friend on the show. Now last season, you focused on Molly and Issa’s friendship and more specifically, the issues in their friendship, and I know that after the big fight, a lot of people were really mad at you, like both Molly the character, and Yvonne Orji the actress. 

Yvonne Orji They did not separate it. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Listen, I really think it took two to tango. That’s just my personal opinion. How is this — how has it been for you when people — just to hear how people get so angry at or really relate to Molly? 

Yvonne Orji  So, yes, last season was — I feel  — here’s what I feel as though, I feel as though — and Issa was like, you still do your — your Molly apology tour? I was like, first of all, you’re not loyal. So I feel as though it took 10 episodes for everybody to forget the down friend that Molly has been for the last four seasons like all y’all forgot. it went out the window, episode one, Molly tripping. But who was there to drop Issa home from Malibu? Okay, who was there to run interference between Daniel and Lawrence? who? I believe it was me. Okay, me. I mean not me, but Molly. It was Molly, it won’t be — you see I’m getting caught up in my own — in my own situation. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham That’s how it happens. 

Yvonne Orji I think it was a testament one to the phenomenal writing of the show and the realness that you know of the characters that we get to embody, that people were — people were genuinely in their feels because they’ve had these relationships. They’ve been in these moments. They were Molly and Issa because, yes, it take two to tango because all she had to do was call me so we could have a conversation about — anyway, let me pull it back. I’m protective of Molly because I feel like, yes, she’s — what I love about her is that she’s beautifully flawed. Who isn’t? You know, I mean, I think sometimes people were watching our show and just like forgetting that like she’s human and we’re all human. And even when we don’t want to, it’s like the Bible says, the thing I don’t want to do, I do. And the things I do want to do, I don’t do it. Just like we all have a bit of these characters in us and they present differently. And I think the — I think the people that were most upset with Molly hopefully are the people who had done their own self work and recognized, “Oh, yeah, I used to be here. It’s not going to end well, like, oh okay, girl. Like you need to go back to Rhonda.” But then I think the other people that were upset with her when the people who hadn’t done their self work, they’re like projecting so, because what we’re not going to do is —  and it’s like hold up, I feel like this is hitting home in a different way. But it has been a blessing to play. And I was like, go figure, the year that, like, Black Twitter hated my character was the year that I get nominated for an Emmy. So I thought, well, we did something right, okay, we did something right.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham So Insecure is coming to a close, which, you know, I feel a way about 

Yvonne Orji  This is our final season. We are in the middle of shooting it as we speak. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Okay, so can I get can I get, like, a spoiler or something like, 

Yvonne Orji Hey, Brittany.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham You finally going to work it out? Like what’s going to happen?

Yvonne Orji  I just saw a — I literally just saw how you and your husband got together because this whisper voice Brittany, this whisper voice Brittany. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham  It’s confusing, right? Yvonne don’t you understand what happens? 

Yvonne Orji Girl. Hold on, Hey, Brittany, I would really love to give you something, but my checks are really important to me, so what I’m not going to do is lose my mortgage money because I told you some —

Brittany Packnett Cunningham It’s cool, you can text me later, it’s fine. I won’t tell nobody. 

Yvonne Orji Wow. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Okay, so but for real when we lose Insecure, which will feel like a loss, we also get so much more. Because you mentioned First Gen. 

Yvonne Orji Yeah. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham That comedy series based on your life and you pitched it to David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey and now they’re the executive producers of First Gen. 

Yvonne Orji Yes. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham What is God going to trick you into next? 

Yvonne Orji Girl, let me tell you how that was tricked because I pitched that in 2014 and it got picked up 2021. So, yeah, there’s that. I’m just — I’m not in the — I’m not in a box. honest to God like if God is like I want you to take three years off to get married and enjoy the fruits of your loins connecting. Yes I will do that. Take three years and then I’ll come back and then I’ll be like, hey, what I miss — what what did I miss? Because I was — I was getting other things. Or if he’s just like, hey, I want you to, like, create a conglomerate and take over the industry, I’ll do that too. So it really is — I’m open. I’m just — this is my season of staying open and I want to usher in ease and flow. That is — that is the thing I’m on right now, because the book is really for the hustlers or the people who are hustling or trying to figure out why their hustle is not working or in a transitional period. I’m like, coo coo coo cool, I’ve given you all that. I’ve done that and I’m doing it. I’m doing it. However, in this season, I feel a shift into the receiving and for people who are worker bees receiving is a very hard thing because it almost feels like I didn’t deserve it or I didn’t work for it. And so how can I enjoy it and how can I take credit for it? And it’s like it’s not about who gets credit, it’s about releasing and just enjoying that it happened, that it came to you. And so that’s the season I’m in. where, I’m just — I’m learning to receive because God just wants to give because he’s that good. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Oh, I love that, so we — okay, so I’m going to forgive you for taking Insecure from us. It’s cool.

Yvonne Orji I didn’t — you need to call Issa. I did not say, “You know what Issa, I’m leaving this show.” 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham I’m upset with all of you, I feel a way. But I’m excited for the things that you are giving us. And I’m excited for all the things that you are going to receive. And I’m so excited for more people to read the book and get bamboozles in the best ways. 

Yvonne Orji Oh, well, thank you and thank you for reading the book, Brit I appreciate this. This is — this is — this means a lot to me. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham Yvonne Orji is a comedian, actress and author of the upcoming book Bamboozled by Jesus. So I know it’s a cliche, but laughter really is the best medicine, and I love that Yvonne is using her comedic gifts to fight the power. Black joy is a form of activism. Amen to that again and again. There’s no one way to affect change. So whether you believe your gifts come from a heavenly creator or the result of a village that nurtured your talents or even a little bit of both, how will you use what you have to make things better? There’s no gift too small or talent too strange. If you get creative and you find some faith, I guarantee you the world can most definitely use what you have to offer. We are all waiting on you to get started, so don’t make Jesus have to trick you into it. All right. 

That’s it for today, but never for tomorrow. 

 

UNDISTRACTED is a production of The Meteor and Pineapple Street Studios. 

Our lead producer is Rachel Matlow. 

Our associate producer is Taylor Hosking. 

Thanks also to Treasure Brooks, Grace Chen and Hannis Brown. 

Our executive producers at The Meteor are Cindi Leive and myself, and our executive producers at Pineapple are Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linsky. 

You can follow me @MsPackyetti on all social media and our team @TheMeteor.  

Subscribe to UNDISTRACTED and rate and review us y’all on Spotify, Apple Podcast or wherever you check out your favorite podcasts. 

Thanks for listening. Thanks for being. Thanks for doing. 

I’m Brittany Packnett Cunningham. Let’s go get free.