This week, we are joined by TV writer Cameron Johnson to talk about Teyana Taylor's hosting debut on January 24, 2026. Although Teyana brought charisma, style, and joy, the episode itself felt uneven and "underbaked," with writing that didn't fully use her musical and comedic strengths. We talk about the corporate synergy with NFL on ESPN, linguistics and cultural appropriation in Weekend Update: Marcello Hernández Translates Gen Z Terms, white guilt in turbulent times with Beyond the Headlines, and the strategic deployment of innocence in Toy Commercial. Resources include several scholarly articles on language, culture, and identity as well as popular satirical texts including Black No More by George Schuyler (1931), Mississippi Burning (1998), and Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-2013).
