Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Latest Episodes:

James Curtis on 'Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life' Feb 20, 2022

Show notes

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

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Reinaldo Marcus Green on 'King Richard' Feb 06, 2022

Show notes

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

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W. Kamau Bell on 'We Need To Talk About Cosby' Jan 23, 2022

Show notes

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

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John McWhorter on 'Woke Racism' Jan 16, 2022

Show notes

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

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Prentice Penny on 'Insecure' Jan 09, 2022

Show notes

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

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Mariana van Zeller on 'Trafficked' Dec 19, 2021

Show notes

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

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Lizz Winstead on Comedy and Activism Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Larry weighs in on the Jussie Smollett verdict and how to understand the complexities of opposing arguments in politics. (8:47) He's then joined by Lizz Winstead from Abortion Access Front to talk about her journey from being a young stand-up comedian (10:11) to cocreating 'The Daily Show' at Comedy Central and Air America. (25:37) They continue by diving deep into how she became an activist (43:39), the state of Roe V. Wade (53:26), and how we as a community can protect reproductive rights for women in our society (1:09:43)

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Lizz Winstead

Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante

Production Assistant: Chris Sutton

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Bill Simmons on Pop Culture and Sports Dec 05, 2021

Show notes

Larry weighs in on the Omicron variant, vaccine divisiveness, and at-home testing. He's then joined by The Ringers own Bill Simmons where they where they discuss fame (19:48), the Beatles (27:28) Saturday Night Live (28:39) and HBO's new 'Music Box' series (40:26). Then they break down the "genius athlete" (49:10), Scottie Pippen (59:56), share their NBA and NFL champion picks (1:15:47), and much, much more.

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Bill Simmons

Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante

Production Assistant: Chris Sutton

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Jabez Olssen on 'Get Back' and the Beatles Nov 21, 2021

Show notes

Larry weighs in on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's killers, right-wing vigilantism, and why he loves the Beatles. He's then joined by film editor Jabez Olssen ('Lord of the Rings,' 'King Kong') to talk about the making of the upcoming Beatles documentary, 'Get Back,' (25:49) and how the original 'Let It Be film and LP came together (28:00). Then they dive deep into the technical aspects of making the movie (42:16) and how the project will change the public perception of both the landmark album and some of the supporting cast like George Martin (56:43), Billy Preston (1:00;55), Yoko Ono (1:08:19), and much, much more!

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Jabez Olssen

Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante

Production Assistant: Chris Sutton

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Bob Costas on Baseball and Broadcasting Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

Larry weighs in on the infrastructure bill, unnecessary racism in political commentary, and how Darwin influences our points of view. He's then joined by Bob Costas where they discuss Pete Rose (27:07), Bob's early broadcasting influences (31:21), and Baseball's waning popularity. After that they wax poetic on the importance of regional announcers (42:01) Larry asks Bob about his favorite calls (48:57) the role of the athlete in political protest (55:45) and much, much more.Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Bob Costas

Producers: Kaya McMullen and Brandy LaPlante

Production Assistant: Chris Sutton

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