Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Larry weighs in on the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearing. He is then joined by Rodney Barnes to discuss his new HBO show 'Winning Time' about the rise of the '80s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty. They talk about how the production came together(14:14), give a brief history of the ABA and NBA leading up to the events in the series,(20:20) and examine the show's impeccable casting.(27:27) Rodney then details his inspirational journey from being a "hired gun" living in his car to being one of the more accomplished Black creatives working in film and TV.(39:00) They wrap things up by sharing insight into what it takes to find happiness as a working writer(45:58) and Rodney looks forward to some of the future projects he's excited about.(57:36) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Rodney Barnes Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry is joined by Julia Ioffe from Puck to talk about every angle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They begin by discussing the geopolitical and historical aspects of the conflict and how both sides are using Nazi analogies to meet their respective ethno-nationalistic goals.(3:13) Next, they dive into topics like Vladimir Putin's dissemination of misinformation about the invasion to his people, (12:45) how the conflict compares to the events of World Wars I and II,(25:15) racism in Russia,(32:47) and much more. After Julia shares her deeply personal connection to the tragedy(39:15) they wrap up their conversation by speculating on how the war will end and what Puck is doing to question the status quo and restore objectivity to modern journalism.(47:08) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Julia Ioffe Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry is joined by Stanley Nelson to discuss his Oscar-nominated (Best Documentary Feature) film 'Attica'. They begin their conversation by talking about how the event is a microcosm of racial tension in the U.S. and why Nelson decided to make a movie about it. They then detail how the Attica riots started and analyze the major events and individuals that contributed to its outcome.(6:42) Stanley and Larry wrap things up by examining the emotional impact of the movie and what social issues are still reverberating from the tragedy 50 years later.(40:36) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Stanley Nelson Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Lakers and Ukraine. He's then joined by Roy Wood Jr. and they begin their conversation by sharing their experiences from working on 'The Daily Show' and how they navigate writing racially based jokes in the current political and social climate. (14:33) They then discuss Roy's new stand-up special 'Imperfect Messenger' and discuss the process and tribulations he went through in preparation for it. (30:30) Next, they go over Roy's early years in Alabama and how his father's work as a radio commentator influences the work he does today. (43:05) They wrap things up by talking about how they each found their voice in the entertainment industry and the projects they are working on for the future. (54:17) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Roy Wood Jr. Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Rams' Super Bowl win, Kyrie Irving, Tucker Carlson's comments on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the New York Times' recent statement on racial animosity during the 2016 presidential election. He's then joined by James Curtis, author of the book 'Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life', and they start their conversation by talking about other biographies on Keaton and why James decided to write his. (24:56) They then touch on some of the major points in Buster Keaton's career, including his early days in show business during with vaudeville era, his rise to fame via acclaimed short films, and ultimately making major pictures for MGM. (30:20) Next they go over the production and budget issues that effectively ended Buster's ascension and relegated him to obscurity until his eventual return to the limelight through television appearances. (54:13) They wrap up the pod by discussing the rediscovery of his legacy and their favorite Buster Keaton films. (1:16:57) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: James Curtis Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the L.A. Rams, Whoopi Goldberg, Joe Rogan, COVID-19 misinformation, election disinformation, and anti-Semitism. He's then joined by Reinaldo Marcus Green to discuss his movie 'King Richard.’ They start by talking about how the film came together (25:05) and what it like meeting and working with Will Smith. (31:18) They then pivot to the casting of Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton as Venus and Serena Williams,(41:54) the process of getting the tennis scenes as authentic as possible, and the tribulations of raising child athletes in Black communities like Compton (55:05). Next they dissect Will Smith's physical and mental transformation into Richard Williams (58:31) and the message Green is hoping to convey with the movie.(103:34) Finally, Reinaldo details his journey from a young baseball prospect through stints on Wall Street and as a teacher to ultimately finding his calling as a filmmaker (106:43). Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Reinaldo Marcus Green Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on Joe Biden's first year as president of the United States. He's then joined by W. Kamau Bell to discuss his documentary 'We Need To Talk About Cosby.' They start their conversation by touching on how Bill Cosby influenced them through his TV shows and albums in the '60's and '70's and American culture in general with 'The Cosby Show' in the 1980's. They then pivot to Cosby's infamously controversial behavior and the turning points that led to them coming to light, starting with the "Pound Cake" speech (24:14), the viral Hannibal Buress rant (32:16), and Barbara Bowman's essay on her firsthand experience with him (38:30). Finally, they talk about how the film highlights society's treatment of victims of sexual assault and what we can do as a community to fix those issues. (46:00) Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: W. Kamau Bell Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry is joined by John McWhorter to discuss his book 'Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America' and the factors that are affecting racial discourse within the current cultural and political climate. They touch on many of the issues and obstacles holding back the modern anti-racism movement, including religion (9:16), victimhood (24:34) and white supremacy (22:15). Larry and John then dissect the definition of "whiteness" (27:20), share their views on critical race theory (35:53), talk about the future of the woke movement (49:04) and much more. Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: John McWhorter Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on testing positive for COVID-19, the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, the great Sidney Poitier, and the Amhaud Arbery verdict. He's then joined by Prentice Penny to talk about his journey from being a young writer inspired to work in television through a chance intervention at NYU (29:00) to navigating the industry as a prominent Black producer and showrunner (31:40). Prentice and Larry then offer valuable insight into what it takes to be a successful writer in show business (39:17) before discussing the HBO show 'Insecure' (54:59), his working relationship with the show's lead Issa Rae, (1:04:05) and Prentice's favorite memories from his time working on the series. (1:15:32) Finally, Larry shares some of his experiences working on the 'Bernie Mac Show' (1:21:19) and Prentice looks forward to his career after 'Insecure'. Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Prentice Penny Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Omicron variant and his faith in the current political system while looking forward to 2022. He's then joined by Mariana van Zeller, host of the National Geographic TV series 'Trafficked' to talk about her early days in Portugal (19:11) and how the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks inspired her to become a journalist. Then they discuss how 'Trafficked' was created and it's production process (28:21) while touching on some of the shows' subject matter including white supremacy, (37:00) crystal meth, (42:04) legalized marijuana, and much more. Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Mariana van Zeller Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices