This week, we check in about the exhaustion of December as we fight to make it to the end of this year. Then, we pivot to unpacking the art of gift giving. What makes a good gift and what doesn’t? We got the answers. Plus, we share some of the best and worst gifts we've ever gotten and talk about the science of reacting to gifts we may not like.
Okay, Da Art of Gift Giving
Scottie Beam You're listening to, OK, now, listen, a biweekly show where we chat about what's on our minds, what we're bingeing, and what’s blowing up our timelines. I'm Scottie Beam, a media personality content creator and music enthusiast, and on a deep detox. I couldn’t even say detox right because I hate it so much. But yes, I’m on a detox, so no wing connoisseur this week guys.
Sylvia O'Bell You over here starving, my god child, Nina as well, I see. Everybody in the house gotta suffer because you wanna suffer?
Scottie Beam Everybody got to be on the same Cord. Detox.
Sylvia O'Bell I'm Sylvia O’Bell. I'm a culture writer, host, producer, lover Beyonce. And currently you can call me Lil Boosted, because I have got my booster shot yesterday, all because, you know, Omarion ruined my life once already when he broke up B2K, and I'm not about to let him do it again. So I said, before I go home for Christmas, let me get this booster shot.
Scottie Beam How you feel?
Sylvia O’Bell I feel a little loopy. I felt this way after the first vax too, it was like the first like day or two I was fatigued. I felt like, you know, like how your body feels when you're sick a little bit and then you're fine? And then immediately I was fine, after day two nothing ever happened. So I'm hoping that's the case. But guys just know, please put everything under the lens, I say today, as, “She on that Vax.” Because I lowkey feel like a little edible or something, I'm like, I don't know.
Scottie Beam I like that. We're going to get the best of Sylvia today.
Sylvia O’Bell We gon see.
Scottie Beam That’s alright. We gon get the truth. Yes But speaking of booster shot, because child. I feel like I need a booster shot from December. All of December, I am Exhaustion. That is my name. I am tired. December, I want it to be done. Christmas has not even, we're not even there yet. I feel like this is the longest month of the year - I don't care. It's the longest month ever. So I have so much going on. You know that my mom, her birthday is in December. My brother's birthday is in December. My sister is at the top of January. Everybody's a Capricorn. Yes, send your prayers, and I'm throwing, I threw a birthday party for her. She's throwing another party this month, so she has a lot going on. I’m supposed to be going to Aruba with her for the last week of December. I am, is tired.
Sylvia O’Bell I am is tired.
Scottie Beam You heard me? Is tired. I am exhausted. So I'm gonna right behind you with the booster shot girl.
Sylvia O'Bell Well girl if you tired already, get a nap before you go to Aruba.
Scottie Beam Yeah, but I thought about January and I can knock out. Don't nobody call me. Don't nobody text me. Don't nobody do nothin. I'm tired. And, but, the highlight is that Sylvia is coming back to me, guys. It's not like the weather is different anyway. Like, it's cold in L.A., so far, I saw that it was like forty six degrees out here. That’s what I heard.
Sylvia O'Bell You know, L.A. has two months out the year, where on the occasional day it will get cold, and, I'll take it. I'll take that over alls my life is cold, OK, like it's like, and then also it' be, it be cold but it don't even really be cold. Like, I've been looking at all our New York friends who live out here bundled the fuck up like they didn't grow up at the bus stop, freezing they asses off like the rest of us in like 10 degree weather, but, no it is chilly. It was raining yesterday too, and I said, what? I really get offended whenever it rains in L.A. because I'm like, I specifically moved here to not deal with this. But yeah, that's part of the cost of living here, I thought. Like it's included that one of the perks is that there's no rain in this package. So why is it raining like it rains like once every other month? And I'm just annoyed every single time. Like why? But no, I am excited. I have not been back to Jersey since I left. In August 2020. So I am very excited to go back home. I hope I get to see you while I'm there.
Scottie Beam I am excited.
Sylvia O’Bell I know you got like a jam packed weeks or something.
Scottie Beam No, you got to come to one of these things, one of these things that’s going on, you coming. Don’t play with me. One of these things.
Sylvia O’Bell I will look out for the flier.
Scottie Beam It’s too much. Look out for the flier, I’ll send you the flier. Speaking of the Christmas spirit, though, I really I saw that you got a nice little tree in the corner of your apartment
Sylvia O'Bell I did!
Scottie Beam I've been wanting to decorate, but I don't know what to do. So I've been looking at everybody, I looked at yours. I said, I'm not going to get a tree, but I want to get like, some lights. Or a wreath. Something for the spirit.
Sylvia O'Bell But no, you're right. Like, it's hard, especially when you like, we both don't actually spend Christmas Eve or day at home. So it’s always like, Do I get a tree, don’t I get a tree? And I was, you know, roaming around Target, unsure if I wanted one, and then literally when I was looking at the display, I gasped at how much artificial trees have gone up, because these niggas was talking about some $150, $200, $250 for a fake tree? It lights on it but damn!
Scottie Beam [laughing] It came with lights?
Sylvia O’Bell I was getting ready to walk away, a white man came up to me and was like, “Are you interested in a tree?” And first I thought he was doing that thing where you accost a Black shopper because they spend too much time loitering. I was like, “See why are you over here with me? There's seven other people over here, lookin for a tree.”
Scottie Beam Mind your bother fuckin business.
Sylvia O’Bell And they were in boxes so I was like, maybe he thinks I need help. Let me answer him. I was like, I was lookin to see what some of the prices were, but I’m not sure if I’m gonna do it. He was like, “Oh which one are you interested in?” I point to the one in the display that’s like, skinny enough and like, whatever enough to fit in my apartment corner where I was thinking. And he was like, “Do you want that one, ‘cause you can have it. Name a price.” I was like, “excuse me?” He said “Name a Price.” And the tree was like, $150, the one that I was wanting, I was like, “forty bucks.” He was like, “Go lower, that’s too much. How about $20?” I said, “Wow look at you, showing me how to negotiate like a white man. You right.” And then so, he was like, “How about 20?” I was like, “You deadass?” That white man looked at me like, “What does that mean?”
Scottie Beam He’s like, “I’m dead ass.”
Sylvia O’Bell He stared at me blankly. We’re in Los Angeles. He was like, “I don't?” And I was like, “Yes, yes.” And he was like, “All right.” And picked that, unplugged that shit, because it was the display. Unplugged it, plopped that shit in my cart, and got on his thing and said, “I’m sending a customer, sending a customer up with a tree for $150-” ‘cause he was like, “nobody’s going to believe you,” he’s like, “Tell them Dominic told you to do this.” And I was like, “Alright Dominic!” And then everybody else in the area was pissed, like they were like, “Wait! Nigga I want a tree too!” I was like, “Let me roll the fuck out of here before the come for me.”
Scottie Beam: Dominic had enough.
Sylvia O’Bell Dominic’s - I’m trying to get rid of this display. Dominic is as tired of December as you are, Ok? He is managing a Target in a Black neighborhood in Los Angeles, and he is exhausted, OK? So he was handing out trees like Santa, and I was happy to have one. Now I have a tree, even though I'm only here for like seven more days.
Scottie Beam So? It raises the spirit.
Sylvia O'Bell It does, though it really does. It really does. But anyway, another thing we can add to the stress of the holiday season is gift giving. It can be a lot to navigate whether people are expecting more from you because you know them so well, or you're in a new relationship. Or maybe you're great at giving gifts, but other people are not.
Scottie Beam Yes. Yep, that last one. Sylvia, you had me dying a few weeks ago when you tweeted that it was the time of the year to buy yourself the thing that you don't want your man to get you. Let me just say it one more time. It is the time of the year to buy yourself the thing you don't want your man to get you. All right, that is the truth. So we're going to get into the art of what makes a good gift giver and share some of our best and worst gifts. OK? Let's get into it.
[Transition music starts, then fades out]
Sylvia O'Bell OK, so we know this episode, by the time it's out is basically Christmas, like Christmas is not in two days. This is not to be confused with a gift guide, you know, buy Black. we hope you buy Black and all that stuff. There's other podcasts and lists for that. We're here for the jokes, and the tips, just, gift giving in general. You can apply this to anniversaries, birthdays, all the - Valentine’s Day.
Scottie Beam Valentine’s Day!
Sylvia O’Bell You know, this will come in use in the future, but we're just here for the ideology of it all. So before we get into the actual rules of gift giving, let's kick this off with some of our best and worst gift experiences. We'll start off with the best gifts. Scottie, what would you say the best gift was that you ever got?
Scottie Beam I think the best gift, and I had to reach back, I had to reach.
Sylvia O’Bell far back.
Scottie Beam But when I was in high school, I begged my mom for a Sidekick LX. So I needed it. It was necessary. You hear me? For my high school years. Everybody have one. I think I was still in a Nokia life. I had a Nokia. I think I was still there, and I was like, It's time for me to upgrade, Mom, please.
Sylvia O'Bell Upgrade, you was a hit at the time.
Scottie Beam My good sister said, “Absolutely not. You're definitely not getting that.” And you know, I said, You know what? Fair. Maybe. I've been wylin’ a little bit. Maybe not. Christmas came around. I opened. She put it in this weird box too, like, I couldn't tell. So it was like a bigger box and I was like, Oh, sneakers or something. So I opened it and ended up being a LX. And I was like, “Oh my God,” like I, my whole body. I was like, I'm going to fuck up some stunnings, you will never see me again. The way that I have flipped my screen up and put my away message on, don’t try it. I could not wait.
Sylvia O’Bell That was the hottest phone of the time, too.
Scottie Beam So that was the best gift I’ve ever gotten. I think the element of the surprise, it was the fact that like, she faked me out for real, I really thought I was not getting that phone so,I had completely threw it out my mind and just moved on. But it was the fact that I got the phone, it was surprising, you know how moms do?
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah! You know that meme, that meme, I was literally thinking about that, I miss a good old Mom fake out. That's the joy of Christmas when you're younger. It's like that. You’re talking about that lean they do in that meme when they like, “that look on your momma’s face when you open that gift that she swore she wouldn’t get you for Christmas.” That’s the one.
Scottie Beam With the yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell I guess I love your ass.
Scottie Beam With the, “I love you I love you I love you.”
Sylvia O'Bell “You know, you don't deserve that, right? You know you don't deserve that, right?”
Scottie Beam Hello? Miss child, I didn’t, I didn’t. I didn’t. What was your best gift?
Sylvia O'Bell OK, so phones aside, because phones definitely, like, there are years where both of my parents had gotten me phones that really lit up my life. But we've told the phone story, you know, I loved my sidekick as well. Like, it was a phone. We were it girls at the time, and I love that for us. OK?
Scottie Beam Ooh. Us!
Sylvia O’Bell But a different kind of gift, not including a parent fake out, which were a joy. And my mom's favorite fake out, by the way, used to be that she would sneak gifts upstairs, like when nobody was around. And she- like the thing that like, whoever told he “Don’t get them that it costs too much.” She would sneak give it to us afterwards when nobody was watching, and it would be the cutest thing. But, I would say that one of my, the best gifts I ever got from an ex was a Michael Kors wallet, right? So hear me out, hear me out hear me out. I know y'all like Michael Kors? Granted, this was in my early 20s and where I come from in Jersey, Central Jersey, But I imagine this across wherever, Michael Kors? You couldn’t tell us at the time that that wasn’t like Louis Vuitton. Like, you couldn’t tell us that it wasn’t Prada. That I just wasn't gifted the baddest designer in the game. OK?
Scottie Beam Hello. Nicki Minaj had talked about it enough for me to be like, hey!
Sylvia O'Bell Couldn't get Michael Kors if you was fuckin' Michael Kors! [Laughs]
Scottie Beam I wanna point it out - it was between that and Juicy Couture.
Sylvia O'Bell Juicy Couture! You had to be there.
Scottie Beam The girls was on it.
Sylvia O’Bell You had to be there, okay? But couldn’t get Michael Kors if you was fuckin Michael Kors, I said, well guess what bitch? Did and did, and did, and fuck em! And I had my Michael Kors watch that had gotten myself with my first ever tax return.
Scottie Beam She was rich!
Sylvia O'Bell Well see the good is why the government don’t give us nothing. Then there was a time when we were in college, we were like, If you were a student, they gave you like a thousand dollar like a refund,
Scottie Beam Like the refund?
Sylvia O’Bell No, not the refund check, but your taxes. If you filed your taxes, there was like a student credit tax, whatever. So you would get like some money. Maybe it was a thousand, maybe it was like 500? I don't know. Either way, I used about three hundred of it to get that Michael Kors watch. And then he had gotten me the Michael Kors wallet, and you can tell me I wasn't that baddest.
Scottie Beam Repairations.
Sylvia O’Bell Because that was the first designer thing a guy had ever gotten me. And it's like, this is not what the girls be talking about, but to me, I’m like, “This is what they be talking, this is what all the R&B Girls and the rappers be talking about when they say, ‘get you a man who can get you a watever.’ That’s what this is, that’s where I’m at, I’m coming up.” You know, it was my club bag for all of the early 2010s, you know what I mean, like that. The flat one, it was navy blue and it had gold studs all up and down it, Michael Kors is in the middle, and I was obsessed with it. Designed and Gucci me down.
Scottie Beam Down to my socks.
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah. So that one was, that one was a highlight. I mean, I also got, my high school sweetheart once took me to the Cheesecake Factory on our engagement. Another place that you couldn’t tell me was like Nobu.
Scottie Beam So that’s, I was just about to say, how is that not a five star restaurant?
Sylvia O'Bell Cheesecake factory in high school?
Scottie Beam To this day.
Sylvia O’Bell So yes, had me - paint the picture - had me at the Cheesecake Factory a.k.a. Nobu in Malibu, and gave me a ring with our anniversary engraved on it, like a little promise ring. Yes, I’ll rock your promise ring. Whenever that song was.
Scottie Beam What finger do you wear it on?
Sylvia O'Bell Not the ring finger. I wore it on like the right hand, I guess. And it was just like, you know, we were at the age where giving a ring, it's like we're in high school so it was fine. Like, now that is not a gift I would want from a nigga. Like, do not get me a ring unless we geting married, like, we too old, I don’t want nothing in a small box that ain’t a ring. I don’t wanna see a small box until I’m ready for it, so let’s just, like, eliminate that all together.
Scottie Beam Let's just stay away from the rings. That would be the worst gift you can get somebody, okay? The worst. Sylvia. What's the worst gift you ever got?
Sylvia O'Bell Well, you know, I'm about to get real honest with y’all. You ever get a gift and you know somebody’s about to break up with you? Because the gift that you got, because it’s so bad that you’re like, “Damn, you really don’t care no more. You don’t love me no more, he don’t love me no more!” What movie was that, where she was like, “He don’t love me no more!!”
Scottie Beam Baby Boy!
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah, Taraji, that was me when I opened this gift.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell When I opened up this rainbow sweater, these two sweaters, from rainbow. Rainbow!
Scottie Beam From Rainbow.
Sylvia O’Bell Rain to the bow.
Scottie Beam Now what they look like, Sylvia?
Sylvia O'Bell One was like a white turtleneck knit sweater that I know if one child just pulled a single thread, I would be naked in public. You know what I mean? Like, I know one spin cycle and it's a wrap. It just barely was hanging on for dear life, like just a broken edges level of quality. And I was like, Wow, does this nigga hate me? I was like, cuz I don't even wear turtlenecks like that. Like, and it’is white and it's like, it's itchy. Like itchy sweater, bro.
Scottie Beam What did you say?
Sylvia O'Bell say? I don't even remember because I think I blocked it out. Like, I think this is actually traumatic. And like, I don't even really remember what the second one looks like. And maybe, I'm like, I hope there was a second one. I'm just telling myself this so that I can feel better about the fact that there was not one $10 sweater, but two, for people who are not familiar with Rainbow, Rainbow is like Kmart, but smaller, boutique. It was like Fashion Nova fast before Fashion Nova existed. But like, cheaper. Like, even but it’s like, the trendy things that you can afford.
Scottie Beam Fast fashion, and when I say fast - expeditious fashion, that’s what it is. It is fast.
Sylvia O'Bell And so I remember, because I was again, still in my 20s, I was like, I definitely was younger than twenty five older than 22. But I can't remember exactly where. Again, I blocked this out like trauma. But I do recall feeling like, I remember being in like the living room of my mom's house in Jersey and being like, “Oh, so this is this is we're on life support here. Like, this is not, this relationship is, this thing is over.” So I definitely was like, I don't think I was at the place in my life where I had the confidence and the whatever to let the nigga know immediately that I did not like the gift. Y’all know that I am a recovering people pleaser. I was at peak people pleaser in this era of my life. So I definitely feel like I was like, “Thanks?” but like a question mark thanks, like, I was speaking with my eyes. You know, I'm like, I'm looking at him. He’s lookin at me. It's like four meme with Diddy. But instead of us, like, them smiling and smirking, we're looking at each other confused, but staring, and like, back, forth. And I’m like, “Thanks?” And he was like, “Yeah, no, don’t mention it.”
Scottie Beam Don't mention it? Nigga, I won’t. Don’t worry.
Sylvia O'Bell Until I get a podcast then I’m telling the world. And like granted, we were, we were like, we were in college, we were in grad school. We were broke. all that stuff. But damn, nigga!
Scottie BeamYes,
Sylvia O'Bell Something, anything else! It was almost embarrassing. Like, I don't think I told anybody. I think I would change the subject when people asked me what we exchanged for Christmas, I just couldn't believe. Or maybe I would just say, “Oh, some sweaters!” but like not from where. I just absolutely was like, if we make it into the new year, I'm shocked.
Scottie Beam But y’all were younger. Y’all, we're young. And that's the best thing I can say about your situation because
Sylvia O'Bell Yours happened in more recent times.
Scottie Beam Mine happened last year.
Sylvia O'Bell Last year, God Damn!
Scottie Beam And I love this man. I do, Lord knows I do.
Sylvia O’Bell Why are are both like Black women in movies who are suffering?
Scottie Beam So many.
Sylvia O’Bell We’re just suffering Black women.
Scottie Beam Christmas came around, Lord and you know, we get each other several gifts, like more than one gift.
Sylvia O’Bell That's a safe way to pad it.
Scottie Beam So, you know, Safe. Very safe. I like it that way because, for me and my anxiety, if you don't like one give, you're going to like the next one or something. This man, lovely man, heard me say, I'm assuming, that I want new clothes. You know, it's time for me to step up my wardrobe.
Sylvia O’Bell Mm hmm.
Scottie Beam And he said, A’ight. Bet. He hopped skipped and jumped his ass to the Gap, y’all. To the Gap. And let me just tell y’all this, if y’all don't know me by now, the Gap ain’t never been a store that I stepped inside of. Maybe at an outlet, just to see what's going on. Get a sweat suit. This man pulled out his wallet for a Gap wardrobe.
Sylvia O’Bell A wardrobe though?
Scottie Beam And when I saw a wardrobe, Pea Coats. Shirts. Sweaters. Socks. Pants.
Sylvia O’Bell Balled out. He balled out at the Gap! [Laughs]
Scottie Beam He balled the fuck out at the Gap and had the audacity in his heart to look at me like, “Yeah!”
Sylvia O'Bell Like, when you opened it, like, “Don’t you love it? Isn’t it great?”
Scottie Beam Right? And, just like you, what you said, Sylvia, it’s like, “Are we breaking up? Like, this must be the breakup gift. This must be the moment where you say, fuck it!” And truly, I still don’t know what the, what the
Sylvia O’Bell Thought process.
Scottie Beam Yeah, behind it.
Sylvia O'Bell Oh, I love my brother. I do. But the Gap?
Scottie Beam Child, by the way, the sweater was a furry sweater. It was furry.
Sylvia O’Bell Furry?
Scottie Beam and just childish everywhere. Just furry everywhere. And I said, “I would never wear this ever.: He goes, “Oh, but you said you wanted something new. You wanted to try something, bla bla bla.”
Sylvia O’Bell Oh no.
Scottie Beam This ain't it, OK? We go to his family's house. We knock on the door. His niece, beautiful niece, opens the door and is wearing the same Gap sweater that we were going back and forth about.
Sylvia O’Bell I'm screaming
Scottie Beam And I looked at him and I said, And there, exactly. This is what I mean. And there it.
Sylvia O'Bell Exhibit A. Exhibit A through Z.
Scottie Beam There it is.
Sylvia O’Bell That is a sitcom ass moment. What did he say? What did he say when he saw his niece in this sweater?
Scottie Beam Yo, not, it was, “We just got good taste. We just got good taste.” I said, “No. You could taste it right back to the Gap.”
Sylvia O'Bell You could taste it, you told him to return it?
Scottie Beam You get your money, you have to return it, honey. You have. Because here's the thing, I didn’t want him to waste his money.
Sylvia O’Bell [Laughing] I am not gonna wear this shit.
Scottie Beam I said, “Take it back. I'm not going to wear it.” Child, I was, And I couldn't even hide my face. I couldn't even have my face, so I couldn't even. I was so confused.
Sylvia O’Bell I was confused. Shit.
Scottie Beam And luckily, yes, he got me other, he got me Pierre Moss sneakers.
Sylvia O'Bell Oh, OK. Well, that, that's definitely is a win.
Scottie Beam Yes, something else to like, print my photos because I really do want to print, I want to make more scrapbooks. So he got me like a printer for photos, for the photos in my phone. So that was really amazing. That last one is where we had an issue, because.
Sylvia O'Bell And, you know, he knew he was flossing you out. Just get her a new wardrobe, Get like me, [Laughs]
Scottie Beam it. And I'm just saying, when you have the Gap bag in tow, when you was swinging that bad boy back to the apartment.
Sylvia O’Bell He’s still got the bag with the strings, the drawstring bags that they used to have.
Scottie Beam The drawstring.
Sylvia O’Bell Just sling it over your back like a knapsack, like, “Haha! I’m ‘bout to kill em with this one.”
Scottie Beam Not once in your mind did you say, “When’s the last time did I wear some Gap?
Sylvia O’Bell Never in her life.
Scottie Beam And that’s what blew my mind.
Sylvia O’Bell It’s like, “Oh, you got to know me. Like don’t make me think you don’t know me.”
Scottie Beam “Know me!” Know me.
Sylvia O'Bell And this is such a pity because it's not even like he didn't spend money. Like, we joke about the Gap, but the Gap, (A) is not Rainbow. Sweaters are not $10. Like, it’s stepped. But it's not all about the money. It's not about money spent, child, it is not always about money spent. is now.
Scottie Beam It's about just knowing me and knowing what I like, you know? And that brings us to the first rule of gift giving.
Sylvia O'Bell Hmm What is it? Let the people know.
Scottie Beam This is what I go by for any gift. Any gift. Get people something they want, not something they need. Yes, I might have said I needed, for myself. I got to do that for myself, some clothes or whatever something, a need. If I say I need an apron, or I need something - please don’t get something that I need, get something that I want. that i would feel guilty about buying. If he had a bad knee and he’s like, “Awe, damn, I need a knee brace,” or I need some icy hot. That’s something that he needs, it’s not a gift.
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah, I love that. Get people something they want, not that they need. Especially, I think, in romantic relationships, especially. Because you want some romance to it. At least make sure one of the gifts is a want, especially if you're, like, dating a woman, because often women will buy ourselves things that we need. But we have a harder time buying ourselves things that we want.
Scottie Beam Yes, men too. Men have that, they, “I only go buy what I need. All I need is socks. All I need is a gas card,” or whatever it is, what I need. But what is it that you want, that you don't allow yourself to think about or dream about? What are those things that you want, you know, and that's what I like to give. I think I've gotten a bunch of neat gifts, child.
Sylvia O'Bell What's a gift where it was literally like, “I said that I needed this and I didn’t mean that I needed you to get me this.”
Scottie Beam I made the mistake one time, I was saying that he needed, not me, he needed a workout bike, so I could get on the bike, I would love to do a workout bike here. He was building his own little workout space in his apartment. I would get on that if you got a workout bike. This boy said, you just fucking wait. He said Valentine's Day is around the motherfucking corner.
Sylvia O’Bell Say less, fam.
Scottie Beam The boy got me a workout bike to keep at his house for Valentine's Day, given, yes, we had dinner. We did all the amazing things for Valentine's Day.
Sylvia O’Bell Uh-Huh.
Scottie Beam The gift
Sylvia O’Bell [laughing] was an exercise bike.
Scottie Beam was an exercise bike for his workout room.
Sylvia O'Bell So he thought he was doing this for you.
Scottie Beam Yep, Yes, he did.
Sylvia O'Bell He really had convinced himself that that was the romantic Valentine's Day gift of your heart.
Scottie Beam And he said, I'ma fuck you up. Valentine's Day, baby. Don't you even worry about it.
Sylvia O'Bell He said, Roses are red. Violets are blue.
Scottie Beam Get your ass on that bike, ho.
Sylvia O'Bell Men are hilarious bro. Men are actually hilarious. Like, it's just like, why? And this is why I say, this is why I say, watch what you say around your partner, especially your - men in your life. Brothers, fathers, cousins, homeboys, boyfriends, husbands. Because these niggas, they're not that always creative about it, like a lot of them are just like simple people who just look for simple clues. And when it's time for Christmas, usually Last-Minute shopping, there’s a reason why the joke is that you only see men in the mall on Christmas Eve, and stuff like that. It’s because they just are like, Oh, Christmas, shit, it's here. What?
Scottie Beam What did she say?
Sylvia O’Bell What did she say she needed? And he’s just going through the things that they remember you said. And that's a dangerous, that's a dangerous lane,
Scottie Beam And you can just be running down a list of things that you know that you have to get for yourself on Amazon. And this man is like, All right. She said she needs some hooks for her closet. I think I'm getting her that. No.
Sylvia O'Bell He’s like, remember that time you had a flat tire and you ain’t have nobody to help you? I got you AAA because, I thought that I, can I take care of you? Yaay! No. So that’s a good rule, and that’s why I always say, too, but it for yourself first, because he can't get it for you if you already have gotten it for yourself. That is the only way out, if you know that you fucked up by saying something too many times, especially if you said it multiple times. Like “shit, I know I've said multiple times that I need this shit.” I know I keep saying I need to get an apron. I need to buy myself an apron before the next holiday because I don't want this nigga to think is that for Christmas, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, that an apron is the way to go. Don't you get me no domestic ass gift like that?
Scottie Beam Please. Or no workout ass gifts. I mean, the Peloton that he got me. Absolutely. I love that.
Sylvia O’Bell Now, if you’re gonna do it, then do it.
Scottie Beam Do it that way. So that was a blessing. But yes, I 100% agree. Even my mom, her boyfriend. She made the mistake, just one time, of saying, Ooh, I'm gonna have to get some new pots soon. Mm. He said, Oh baby. Bought her a 55 piece set of pots. I said Child, my mom was like, “For my birthday? Pots for my birthday?”
Sylvia O’Bell Get in that kitchen, woman. Get in that kitchen, get cooking.
Scottie Beam Domestic ass gifts. No thanks! What’s another rule for you, Sylvia?
Sylvia O'Bell I was about to say, this taps into one of, another big one for me. Another rule, which is, when it comes to giving, is all about being a good listener. A lot of people mess up because they get somebody something that they want for them, instead of what that person will want for themselves. And I think there's a piece of this in some of the stories we talk about where it's like, if any part of your gift, no matter how pure your intentions were, because like you heard the person say they wanted it, but you probably have heard your person say they want a bunch of things. Like if you picked the thing that also benefits you, that's what I'm talking about. Like where it's like, yes, she said she wanted the bike, but it's in your apartment, so you also can use this bike.
Scottie Beam Thank you!
Sylvia O’Bell Yes, your momma said she wanted pots, but she wasn’t thinking about how she about the cook you this food in these pots! Like, no part of it needs to be benefitting the gift giver or it feels selfish.
Scottie Beam Thank you.
Sylvia O’Bell You got to listen better. Like, or it's like even with that where it's like, “Oh, I would love to see Scottie in this furry sweater,” Nigga, but does Scottie want to see Scottie in this freak ass sweater? I don’t think the answer is yes. Follow that guidance, ask yourself. When you about to buy somebody a gift, “Would this person want this?” It seems like a simple thing to do but literally, listen better. Because also, the more personal it is, the better. You know what I mean? Like, there's giving the gift, and then there's engraving it too, you know, customizing, little touches of customization. Like, I remember when I bought my mom her first designer bag, I also got the little tag with her initials on it to make it, whatever, you too right?
Scottie Beam Me too, yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell And it's like, or, you know, when I think about even some of the best gifts I've gotten, like, it's because it was like, I said, the ring that was engraved or like, Oh, I remember when guys was given dog tags out, but they were thoughtful, you know, I mean, that was an era in the early 2000s. That was the moment, you go to the mall and get one made, put some pictures on it. But like, it’s just, being like, “Oh, I know that this is something that this person really, really wanted for themselves. Want. Keyword, want.”
Scottie Beam And also ask yourself, how can I benefit from this gift?
Sylvia O'Bell And if the answer is not at all - Go with that. Go that way.
Scottie Beam That’s a great one. Oh my gosh. And there are also levels to how much you ask for.
Sylvia O’Bell Mm hmm.
Scottie Beam Depending on how long you've known somebody. Like after the second year, you want something better.
Sylvia O'Bell Right, like, you got to have room for growth. Don't come out the gate booming because you don't have to keep getting better. You got to be strategic about this shit ‘cause it’s got to keep getting better. So set a pace that you can keep up with, like running. You guys set the pace that you keep up with. But also, I think another big factor here is price range, right, Scottie.
Scottie Beam Yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell Now that some of us and some of our partners can afford pricier gifts, it creates a whole new avenue for awkward moments. If there's a big gifting mismatch, like, it depends on what would make your partner uncomfortable or not, too. Because like, there's also situations where mismatched situations where it's like, what if you're making different amounts of money? Like, what do you do if your partner makes way more than you or vice versa? Like, do you agree on the price? Do you compensate with thoughtfulness?
Scottie Beam Well, didn't, you said that like, you had some people, you know somebody who actually has a cap.
Sylvia O'Bell Like one of my friends, one of the ways she got through this with her boyfriend, I mean, well, their first Christmas together, she makes more than him, and so she didn't want it to be uncomfortable. She said she didn't want to set herself up to be disappointed. You know what I mean? So they agreed on a price, like an average price and not like, oh, three hundred and under, because under could be 20 bucks and you still get disappointed. It was like, we're going to stick to around a three hundred, two hundred dollar gift limit here. I know some people are listening like bitch, that sounds expensive to me, but like even it could be like, it could be maybe one hundred dollars. We're going to stick to gifts around a $100, hell, $50, whatever it is!
Scottie Beam And Sylvia said around $100, not under, not under it. Spend the hundred.
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, like you could be off by like five dollars above or below. You know, like this is a little margin of error.
Scottie Beam But don't go twenty five.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes.
Scottie Beam If you have a hundred, is what I’m saying, to spend on this person.
Sylvia O'Bell And I thought that that was so smart because I do often feel like there is some anxiety, especially, you know, as women continue to out earn men, just statistically.
Scottie Beam Yeah, I was about to say I'm a, I'm a, I'm a ball out-er, OK? I’ma ball out. I’ma ball out for my nigga. I'ma ball out for my people. I'ma ball out for my, my family. I'm always gonna ball out. I already know mentally that our ball outs are different. I have prepared for that. I know that. But -
Sylvia O’Bell Ok.
Scottie Beam There is a difference between, oh, well balling on the budget or just being fucking cheap. There's a difference.
Sylvia O’Bell What’s the difference, break it down.
Scottie Beam Balling on a budget is amazing. Balling on a budget, you can find things that don't look cheap or doesn’t look low quality, and are extremely thoughtful.You can do that on a budget. Absolutely 100 percent. But then you have cheap where it has no thought behind it. You just bought it because you thought that it was something that I would want or something that
Sylvia O’Bell You could afford that you weren’t trying to look harder.
Scottie Beam You can afford. And that was it. And you didn't, It took no thought and it was cheaper. That type of shit, is what I'm saying. Like, if you can't afford something that I do want. Don't look for the cheaper version of it. Get something else!
Sylvia O'Bell Get something esle.
Scottie Beam Get something else. And I would not be mad at it. Get something else. I'm sorry, guys. I'm a Libra. There's always a way to get a great gift. There's always a way.
Sylvia O’Bell And you believe that.
Scottie Beam I believe it 100% with any type of money you have. There is a way to turn a low costing gift into an amazing, beautiful gift. There is a gift that I have that I know that didn't cost much money, and I don't have the name of the woman that actually gave it to me. But she blew up the picture of my grandmother and I holding hands.
Sylvia O’Bell Mm hmm.
Scottie Beam And this is around the time when I lost my grandmother. She blew up that photo, put it in the frame and sent it. Still, to my heart, one of the most precious gifts that I have that I, truly, I'll never get rid of. This will be something that I’ll hold near and dear to my heart forever. But I'm big on that. So, nothing about that is cheap. Nothing about that. You know what I'm saying?
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah.
Scottie Beam So just make sure that it's just not a cheap gift. That's all I'm asking.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes. Not a Rainbow sweater, but like, you know, I think the way to go about it is, get creative, start making shit that's like, craft something up that's really beautiful and thoughtful. There is right ways to go about it. And I do agree.
Scottie Beam Even with balling out, too, get creative. When you ball out, be thoughtful behind it.
Sylvia O'Bell Be thoughtful, because sometimes an expensive gift can be just that.
Scottie Beam It's just an expensive gift. It's not necessarily anything that came from somebody that you love, which is why we talk about, I put my mom's initials on the bag or, you know, write our names, all my siblings, name on a coat that we got or whatever it is. It's something that she holds dear to her. You know, you remember when the moms was doing the Pandora bracelets, child?
Sylvia O'Bell Oh, baby, Liz had us in a Pandora choke hold. And we would have to go to one in Princeton, child, you know, parking there crazy. We used to just be like, Oh my God, the Pandora had moms in a choke hold.
Scottie Beam Shout out to Menlo Park Mall, child, choke hold.
Sylvia O’Bell They had the moms in a choke hold.
Scottie Beam So yeah, those little charms, we would all get one that, you know, that symbolizes us, and each person. And then we would do that. So those are expensive shit. Back then this was expensive,
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, it was it was. You're saying that you're perfectly fine if, like, you get your man a Prada wallet and he gets you a framed photo or something, that's very meaningful. You can walk away from that, OK?
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell Because some people feel like, no, I would rather us both just go low. You know, like if they go low, we go high. Or like, if they go low we both go low.
Scottie Beam I feel that, I feel it.
Sylvia O’Bell Or some people, on the flip side. Some people say, If I can't afford it for myself, I don't want you to buy it for me because it makes them uncomfortable, especially men.
Scottie Beam Let me tell you what I'm not with.
Sylvia O’Vell What?
Scottie Beam I'm not with that type, [laughs] but, but
Sylvia O’Bell [laughs] Oh! Oh bitches, I’m sorry, you know I’m on this booster edible.
Scottie Beam I think, yeah, I think a… because cheap is different, in my mind. Cheap I don't use unless I don't like it. It’s just tacky, I don’t like it.
Sylvia O'Bell A wise thing, a woman said, a friend of mine said to me, who's a little older and wiser, who also, you know, comes from a group of women who make more than a lot of people. She said to me, like, you know, sometimes the way they also, sometimes it's like, if you know, your man is spending most of the money during the year because he's paying for the dates and he's doing all these other things. This is her talking, I'm talking to the people. You know, like if he's mostly spending the money on stuff, then like, you shouldn't feel too bad if you get him a gift that’s more of, because overall, maybe in that way, it may feel a thing where, like, because they’re the ones paying for most of the stuff when you go out. I have not been in a relationship in a very long time. So again, I am just going off of what people have told me. You know, the last time I was in a relationship, we were both broke. So like, I can’t speak to this, but I do feel like it’s something that I’m anticipating. Like, Oh, how do couples make this work? I don’t know.
Scottie Beam I'm also interested in figuring out how long of a grace period do you give your significant other to get it together with gifts, because there are people who are naturally not good at gift giving. I probably dated all of them. They're just not good at giving that.
Sylvia O’Bell [laughs] She’s done the work. She’s done the light work.
Scottie Beam [laughing] I’ve done the work, I’ve done the research.
Sylvia O’Bell So you don’t have to.
Scottie Beam They're just naturally just not good at it. Like, can a terrible gift from a partner be a reason to break up?
Sylvia O’Bell Whooooo!
Scottie Beam Could you see yourself doing that Sylvia?
Sylvia O'Bell I almost did with that Rainbow sweater.
Scottie Beam Oh, with the Rainbow Sweater!
Sylvia O'Bell I wish I had! Um, No, I don't think I would. It would have to really depend on the greater scheme of things, because I do feel like people can be, I don’t want to say trained. But like, you can maybe teach somebody how to gift you. Like to me, I have bigger deal breakers than that, much bigger deal breakers than how you gift. But I do think that there should be a growth in the thoughtfulness of, or how much you know me. Like the longer you've been with me, the more you should know me. And I do think like the first, especially like the first couple, like the first, whatever is always the one that to me is the most nervous because you're going to find out, it’s the litmus test. Like, no clue we're going to see. And then it's like, I do think communication is important where you like, I do think this is like a conversation couples can have. Because for some people, gift giving is a love language. So like a lot of times, people like put that off as “gold digger” or whatever, like, there's always these labels about, “Oh, you care too much about material things and the inside that the outside.” But when it’s a love language? It's because it speaks to like, all these things we're talking about, the thoughtfulness, the tenderness, the caring. I can see how, feeling a lack of that might make you want to break up with somebody. But I will say that like, you know, train up a child in the way that they shall go if possible, you know, like if possible, like, you know what I mean, just train them up. I know we said we was done building, and therefore I am done building, but maybe, I feel like, gift giving can be a little like sex. Like in the beginning, you got to show somebody what you like because everybody's so different.
Scottie Beam But also, Sylvia, you have mentioned, I remember, like when we were talking about this loosely on the phone, you was like, Call a friend. Phone in somebody.
Sylvia O'Bell yes! yes, get help.
Scottie Beam Sylvia, please. say it again. say it so that everyone can hear, please.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes. Like if you are, if you are somebody who suffers, I feel like I'm like, This is a telephone ad. If you or somebody you know suffers from bad gift-giving syndrome, call up a friend. I think like, we talk about it here, people want to just see effort. A lot of gift giving is just effort, like, put your pride to the side a little bit and ask for help. Do not be afraid to ask for help, in any situation, especially gift giving. Like if you pay attention, if your person is constantly disappointed by the gifts you're giving. Look at the gifts that she does enjoy, he does enjoy, and maybe reach out to those people in their lives and be like, So how do you go about this? Help me. You know, and like and I don't mean literally. I get that you don’t want, “Ohliterally like, could I get this? You don't want like, oh, basically my friend got me this gift, not him.” No, like, I think if you're the friend that gets called, lead the horse to water, don't just hand the horse to water. You know what I mean? Give them theories, ideas, like, Big Picture help. And then let them pick it specifically, so it still feels like it's from that person to your friend and not from you to your friend. Or even if you don't have if you don't trust none of they friends to keep a secret, talk to the people who work at the store. Like I used to work in retail over the holidays. Like they train us, they train us to help y'all with that, if you're working over the holidays, so like if you at Nordstrom and you don’t know what to get your partner like, ask somebody, Hey, give me some ideas. And there’s like a thousand gift guides on every website that I could think of every Christmas, so it's just like, do the research, because that will also show the person like they care enough to try.
Scottie Beam To try and do the research.
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, but I do think that it's not an unfair conversation to have. I think sometimes it's better to maybe have them post holiday, in-between holidays where it doesn't feel direct pressure, so people don't get defensive. But like, I do think if you're with somebody and you really love that person, you should be able to communicate with them about anything, including this, if it feels like something that's getting in the way of their relationship. Yeah. I also think that even outside of relationships, something I've noticed is that our expectations are changing, also, on how much older we get in our family's.
Scottie Beam Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell We're in this weird in-between stage now where like we went from being the kid that was getting the best gifts to being the adult who now has to give the best gifts.
Scottie Beam Who is giving the best gifts.
Sylvia O'Bell And it's like, while our parents had to sit there and like, pretend to be happy with our macaroni and cheese pasta craft while they were buying all the toys of our desires as a kid. You know, I mean, well, now it's kind of like, OK, I know that I'm probably about to hand out the biggest price tag that Christmas, like everybody’s excited to open my gifts. Me too. I'm excited to open my gift from me, to me. That’s the gift that I’m most excited about, and it’s just where we’re at. It’s just where we’re at!
Scottie Beam I definitely am buying a gift for myself, just so I can say, “Wow!’
Sylvia O’Bell “Wow, I want to feel what everybody else is feeling!”
Scottie Beam That’s definitely something I’m gonna do, I can’t. It’s the Air Sign.
Sylvia O'Bell Especially like you and me specifically, we’re in-between childhood family, like being in the family house, and marriage. So a lot of my friends now who get good gifts, like at our age, it’s because they're married, you know? Or because they also now have like, a partner or somebody who is committed to them, to give them the kind of gifts, and they give each other the gifts our parents used to get us or whatever. Because now we're in our prime, making our prime money, and all of these things. But for those of us who, especially if you single, and in between, and don't got no kids, and all of that stuff. And that is the fun part about being single on the holidays is like, you don't have to worry about too many gifts, it’s much cheaper. But like, I think the bigger your family is, the more gifts you get, the more Christmas feels like Christmas, right? And I think that when you're in that in-between age, like we said, at Thanksgiving, before you're able to give people, the grandkids, the nieces and nephews and the cousins to all have this big exchange with, it's going to be small, it’s gonna be intimate, can be quick. You're going to get in, get out and you probably gonna be the one to get yourself the best gift. And I think I've just accepted the circle of life, you know what I mean? It's the circle of life that, you know, until I find, until I am married or, you know, as people grow up. Shout out to my sister, who's the baby of the family. Can't wait for you to get older because, you know, then you know, maybe then me and her are going to be going back and forth on each other like boom boom boom.
Scottie Beam That’s right.
Sylvia O’Bell You too, you have younger, you know, you and DeAndre. DeAndre going to get to the point, that young man’s on his way, okay?
Scottie Beam Okay, I hope so. Prayers!
Sylvia O'Bell I will manifest that. You’re laughing at just the thought of it!
Scottie Beam I can't even imagine. We call him Mr. Cheapo. So he, literally, when I say that is going to be a tough one, Child.
Sylvia O'Bell You got to raise him up in the way that you want your partners’ families’ to help them. You don’t want all of his girlfriends to suffer. Because she’ll be like, “I know your mother and sister don’t tolerate this. Who raised you?”
Scottie Beam Like, I can't wait. Unfortunately, by the time you hear this episode, some y'all already have the gifts you're going to give. So let's talk about the art of reacting to gifts, because that shit gets so funny sometimes. I cannot hide my face.
Sylvia O’Bell Mm.
Scottie Beam But I am still enthusiastic. I still will. I still will be like, Whoa!
Sylvia O'Bell No. With that voice? They could tell. If that’s the best you have to give us?
Scottie Beam No, that’s exactly what I do. “Wooooow.”
Sylvia O'Bell It's giving Tyler Perry Movie Act level acting, and it's giving stage play, chitlin circuit level of acting.
Scottie Beam “Whaaat?” Damn, yeah, I got to work on that.
Sylvia O'Bell It's giving A Mother’s Prayer by Candy Burns. The stage play. [Laughter] You remember when they had Portia doing Two Can Play That Game, as a play?
Scottie Beam That girl was working in the play. You hear me? Working.
Sylvia O'Bell But yes, our faces are just too loud for that. And that's the problem.
Scottie Beam Too loud.
Sylvia O’Bell It’s just too loud. See to me, though, the pressure of how you have to react to a gift takes out some of the joy of it for me, because it's like, there's so much pressure. I don't want to have to perform. I am somebody who, I can love a gift and I am internally loving the gift. But it's like my mom's love language is gift giving, right? So it's really crucial for us to be like, if we are not, if we don't jump up, hit five jumping jacks, three push ups run four laps around the apartment building - she about to fight me - then she’s like, “Did you like it? Are you sure?” I don't know. I just felt like I didn't, I don't know, It's like you are comparing me to the five year old who had the energy to do that over all the Barbies and now me at thirty one, my knees ain’t as good. I'm a little tired. Like, I just dont!
Scottie Beam But you know you can know the difference. Like, I think because she's your mom, she knows the difference, she feels like she does.
Sylvia O'Bell No,nonononono, I can. I will genuinely love a gift Scottie. I will genuinely love and give like I'd be like, “Oh my God, I love it.” Like, “This is great.” I'm like, Not even like how I'm saying it now, but like, “Oh my god, thank you so much, like this gift is what I wanted.” And she still looked like more.
Scottie Beam I will send it back. Yeah, I feel like that's me, though, that’s me, I am the same way.
Sylvia O'Bell It’s like the drumline character where he got the hand up.
Scottie Beam The two fingers up!
Sylvia O'Bell Raise it up. I would like some more. And I'm just like, just let me love this gift, please, quietly, I'm happy.
Scottie Beam But why does it have to be quietly?
Sylvia O'Bell Because not everybody’s personality. This is a personality thing, and it’s like, don’t nobody want to pretend to be somebody they not on Christmas morning!
Scottie Beam I don’t know! I’m like that too, Liz, it’s not just you. If you don’t have a smile, if you don't have a big ass smile on your face, “I've done something wrong. We could take it back. We could do this all over again.” But I do have to, I know and I acknowledge the fact that there are people like Sylvia who just quietly loved gifts like, “Oh, that’s really nice thank you.”
Sylvia O'Bell No and my words will say all the things. I am a writer, not an actor. I'm not a performer. I am a writer. My words, I speak.
Scottie Beam So OK. So you say you say more than you -
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, I'll be like, “Oh my goodness, this is so great. Thank you.” And then also like, if we're doing gifts, and everybody's going around and around you, it’s kind of like, I don’t want to hold up the process. It’s like, “Ok, who’s next.” I also am bad at spotlight, which is why we talked about this in general, when it’s like, all eyes on you. Like the Office camera, “Sylvia’s turn, zoom in!” I’m like, “Aah, everybody’s looking to see how I react. And i get nervous!” I don’t know, I have weird anxiety around gift opening. Because I know the stakes are high. But that's what gives it to me. The expectation of a reaction like it just, yeah, I think you can let somebody know that you love the give in the way that you let them know.
Scottie Beam Yeah, I will love it even if I hate it, that's my problem. I can't ever say I hated it. I will try to. Now, with the Gap shit, I was like this is not.
Sylvia O'Bell Sometimes you gotta draw the line.
Scottie Beam This is not it. I'm sorry. But it wasn’t like, I hate it. I was just like, “Oh, this is just not me.”
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, it's like, who wants to say that? Because I've never even had that, especially my mom, like my mom usually knows what I want. So there’s never been a time where I'm like, “Oh, I don't really like this gift.” Like I wouldn’t lie. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't say I liked it. I love it, thank you.
Scottie Beam My mom gives me a whole lot of unnecessary gifts and I'm like “Mom,” and she'll want me to be like, “Oh my God!” Every single one, I'm like, “Mom, why?” “Oh, I don’t know.” Like, she's a just because girl, she'll get me just because gifts all the time. But every time she throws them at me, I got to be like, “Yeah!!”
Sylvia O'Bell That's what I mean, though. I'm talking about all of the gifts. I'm not talking, but you just want that reaction for the gift. But it could be like, Oh, here go that scarf, and those towels I wanted for the house. And it's like, Why aren't you jumping around and doing cartwheels?
Scottie Beam My mom, my mom, went to some store where they, you know, they print stuff on your shirt and your sweater. My mom said, I'ma her a sweater that says Me Season because I seen it on her Instagram. My girl got that and gave it to me in the car and was like, “Look what I made!” I'm like, “For you?” She's like, “No, for you!” This is your gift, go ahead,” and stared at me. I said, “Mom, wait, why?” She's like, “I don't know. Just because! I don’t care.” She says, “You don’t like it?”
Sylvia O’Bell You and Issa, y’all are saying “This is your season?”
Scottie Beam Right, “You and Issa, it’s y’all season.”
Sylvia O’Bell That’s what y’all said, right?
Scottie Beam I’m like, mom. Yeah she’ll say, “Oh you don’t like it?” And I’m like, no, “I like it, I like it, I like it,” because then we’ll go into the reasons. And have a whole argument.
Sylvia O'Bell And that’s my point, like, gifts should not start arguments. Like, it’s supposed to be a good thing let’s let it be a good thing. Keep this all in mind ‘cause y’all only got two days to practice, y’all.
Scottie Beam “Wooo!”
Sylvia O'Bell And while we did say that we are, we know that we are on the brink of it being Christmas like right this weekend, when y’all heard this episode, a lot of y'all niggas might not have got your gift yet. So, you know, force something along, do that, because like I said, Christmas Eve is the day that most men are at the mall. I feel like it’s a statistic.
Scottie Beam That’s the facts.
Sylvia O’Bell I don’t know who to cite but I believe it to be true.
Scottie Beam I know my gift not bought yet. I know that. OK? So.
Sylvia O'Bell But terrible gift or not. Tis the season to enjoy your friends and family, so we hope they y’all spend some time this year doing just that. I know a lot of us didn't get to last year. A lot of y'all did anyway, which is why I got to get my booster now. But I digress. I am excited and I hope you all are too to get home to your families and do all the Christmas things. I can't wait to watch movies and drink hot cocoa and, you know, binge all the things and have a good time listening to Christmas music and all that stuff. It's going to be great. I'm in my little Christmas onesie right now.
Scottie Beam Yes, it'll be my first time since 2019 since I spend time with my family for Christmas, so this is going to be a blessing. I'm so excited to do it. I miss my mama.
Sylvia O'Bell All right. That's our show. Thank you all for tuning in.
Scottie Beam Our show is a production of Pineapple Street Studios in partnership with Netflix, and some likely shout out to our team. Our editor is Jess Jupiter and our producer is Taylor Hosking. Our music is by Amanda Jones. Special thanks to Max Linsky and Jenna Weiss-Berman.
Sylvia O'Bell Make sure you share your thoughts with us on the episode using #OKNowListen. We would love to hear y’all best and worst gifts, like, please give us all the stories.
Scottie Beam Oooh, I’d love to hear the worst, yes, please!
Sylvia O’Bell Yes, please share those. Follow Strong Black Lead on the socials @StrongBlackLead, and follow us too. I’m @SylviaObell. Y’all can send me Christmas gifts too if you would like.
Scottie Beam Yes, and I’m @ScottieBeam, send me a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory, thank you so much.
Sylvia O'Bell Until next time folks, stay blessed and happy holidays!
Scottie Beam Happy holidays!
Sylvia O’Bell [Singing] Happy Holidays!
Scottie Beam I hate Christmas music. We'll talk about that later.
Sylvia O’Bell Woooooow. And we’re gone.