If It's Free, It's For Me (Featuring Marcy Guevara-Prete)

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Black Fat Fem Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio
and Doctor John Paul LLC. Hey everyone, welcome to another
episode of the Blackfiftem Podcast where all the intersections of
identity are celebrated. I am one of your hosts, Johnson
on as Doctor John Paul, and I am still on
the search for the perfect honeybun. Yes, so I don't

(00:23):
know what it is, but you know one was sweat.
I am prego with how bad I want one. I
have just been wanting a honey bun just so deep
in my soul and I got a really good one
when I was in Vegas and I have yet to
get another one. So listeners, I would love to know
what is your favorite honey bun. And I'm not talking
about no oh it's a cinnamon No, that's not what

(00:45):
I asked for. I didn't ask for cinnamon roll. I
didn't ask for nothing bread and I ask for a
honey bun. Yes, honey, I wanted to sweat out the package.
That is what I want when you know you open
a honey bun and a little sweat because of the shit, right,
that's the glucoas the diabetes. That's what I need So anybody,

(01:05):
if you know of a place that doctor John Bock
can get a good honey bun in the LA area,
please please send us a good message. But anyway other
than that, how are you, Queen Joel? How you doing?
My girl?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
That was just a sweet introduction that was not me
hungry for some honey bothers myself. Fam, it's your girl,
Joho Jordan, if you financing me and we can talk
about it. I'm here to tell you that the state
of our union, if you can call it, that is
in shambles. If you didn't watch that Manager's Congress last week,

(01:40):
you were better for it.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
People are honest.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
I watch because I want to feel informed of what
is being said and how.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
And it was, girl, it was not good. There was
a moment where I was.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Like, we're absolutely not We are living back in the
nineteen sixties just with Wi Fi.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Like we're just with Wi Fi. That's all I'm getting
from this And I I hate it. I hate it.
But truly that isn't here nor there. What is here today?
Thank God for this is.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Our incredible special guest, someone whom I've known for almost
a decade. Have you watched their business grow in incredible
ways serving the fat communities with the best, best fashions
and host the experiences that connect us with community. What's
one of our favorite current and former former unfortunately fat icon.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
It's a small plug.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
They'll be hosting John's first stop on the book tour
March twenty fifth. Please you're welcoming our dear friend and
owner of Los Angeles' plus bus.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Boutique, Marci Givar preach. How are you, my dear friend?

Speaker 4 (02:43):
Hello? Hello, Okay, y'all, I'm already having the best time.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
It is a key around here. It really is so
happy you're here.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
I want a honeybun. I want to move to Canada.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
It's all the things, all of the things, you know.
James Baldwin once said that two troops can't exist at
the same time, and those are both two truths. You know.
We've been trying to plan a stop in Canada, and
I've been thinking to myself, I wonder how much my
life would be different if I just settled there.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
I'm not coming back.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
I'm going there. That'll be the last book tour stop
that I'm stopping there for.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
Like where John go then come back?

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Gone?

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Are they okay?

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yes, because Jean, you do love to bait, don't you,
So you could you know, mother can't get in there,
and she can't cook your owney.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Just give my se worlties.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
I'm gonna open up a honey bun stop. That's a
really good idea anytime.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
I like go to Italy and travel. You know, you're
just like, I can open a coffee shop and and
live here and just do this, and I don't know,
it's just so funny. So we're all feeling it. We're
all feeling it, and I just want to acknowledge how
hurtful the things that are being said, and how much
danger are you know, the community is in, especially the

(04:05):
trans community, and so yeah, it's a really it's a
really rough time to be an American. I'm a you know,
granddaughter of immigrants, daughter of an immigrant, and it hurts,
you know, my grandparents is still love this country so
much and had so much patriotism, and it's just really
it's really we're in a hard time. We can only
hope that this next three years just really flies by.

(04:26):
But yeah, it's a really really difficult time for a
country girl.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yes, my god, I really wish I could just wake
up and it be twenty twenty. Let's just give all
three years. But anyway, with that being said, we are
excited to have you here, Marci and I know we're
going to have a really good time together. And so
as we as we do around here, we love to
celebrate all things fat fashion. So to kick off our

(04:54):
show this week, Mike, we always do honoring our dear
t Sha Campbell, who we are still in the works
of try secure as a guest on the show. I
have had It is so funny. I've had people jump
in my dms and be like, Okay, so have we
gotten t Sha locked in yet? And I'm like, no,
we have not, but we're hoping and we're praying, and
we're still here's what happens, you know what. From your

(05:16):
lips to Beyonce's ears, I am definitely yes. We are
throwing it up to the god above. So that to
be said, I wanted to kick off this show by
asking what are some of your favorite fat fashion moments
that have happened in the last couple of months. I
will start, Marcia, throw it to you, and then Joho
will go ahead and go to you. I will say
very openly and Honestly, it has been such a key

(05:39):
to see Danielle Pinnock, who also I also want to say, like,
I know, I have her phone number and I could
text her anytime and be like, girl, come on the show.
But she's she is booked and busy girl. But just
seeing her like literally come up in like just her
style game and the way that she just she moves
about the industry, right, It's it's been really cool to

(06:01):
watch her not and and we'll talk more about this later,
but it has been really cool to not see her
succumb to the pressure that the industry puts on fat
bodies and her celebrate her body and not only just
her clothes, but her comedy and the way that people
around hers support themselves, like support her and all the
things that she's been doing. It's been just it's been

(06:23):
really beautiful to watch. And so I definitely want to
shout out my girl. You know, she's she's a parasocial
friend of mine, but I definitely go up for her.
And then the same thing Nina Parker. So I will
say this, Nina Parker her clothes at Macy's. If you
are a big girl, please jump into the Nina Parker line.
Obviously go to the plus bus right.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
If you have the time, and we always have Nina
Parker right.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
But yeah, I'm like, if you are a girl who's
like I need something that doesn't it's not floral because
because I will say, there's this habit of like fat
people close they tend to put flowers on everything, and
it's like, bitch, I didn't ask for this big ass
bloom flower in the back of my sho Nobody wants that.
So it's nice that you know Nina she like she

(07:09):
tends to flip her styles a lot, Like I have
something from her last collection, and I have a few
things from this this latest collection, and it's just I'll
wear it out and people be like, oh my god,
where did you get that from? Like girl's Nina Parker. Like,
it's been really cool to own stuff from her line,
And so I will say this and then I'll pass
it to you. Marcy. I have had to have. The
thing about her fashion is I do have to have

(07:30):
it tailored. And I think it's because it's just something
about my body, not because I can slide into eloquot
your body.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
It's just that doesn't fit you perfectly.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
Okay, so ELOQUI fits me perfect perfect. I can out
the out the bag, I can wear eloquy. But Nina's
for some reason her clothes, well, I'll have to have
it tailored just just a bit. But other than that,
it's still like fabulous. It gives, it gives what it
needs to give every single time. And so I really
appreciate that. She really makes the cheap feel expensive and
I'd love that for me.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
And it's not that cheap job.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I was like, che.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
I was gonna say, it's not that cheap okay money bags.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Like I said, she makes the cheap. I am a
cheap girl.

Speaker 3 (08:17):
It's not like, it's not it's not.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (08:22):
Well, I used to be a Macy's girl. Like I
was Macy's through and through. I really shop exclusively now
at the Plus Bus because I own it, and I
just didn't grow up shopping second hand, and so in
the first few years it was really hard for me
to like embrace the second hand of it all. I
think I grew up thinking like thrift stores or resale

(08:43):
stores were smelly or it was weirder, the clothes had
bad Jude jew and I think there still are some
people that feel that way. No shade, but you know,
Nina has been around forever in the plus size world.
She's definitely been on my radar. When she was in TMZ,
I did a cover of Scorched magazine back in the day.
It was a plus sized magazine and we had her

(09:03):
as our cover girl. So I love Nina and I
feel like she is like holding it down for Macy's
because other than like your typical you know, like all
Fawnny or Michael Kore's or I don't know of any
new brands that have really flourished the way she has.
And so I am really happy for her on the
success of the line. And you know, we used to

(09:24):
have Melissa McCarthy from Macy's and that went away, and
so many of these great brands, I mean, Macy's kind
of was always carrying the Ralph Lauren, like all of
these contemporary brands lucky and a lot of them have
really gone away. Or it's just the choices are so
slim and it's sad. So I know, punintended, but I

(09:46):
love Nina's things. I agree, you know, Tayloring is just
a part of life that we need to be embracing more,
especially as plus sized people. When you see someone that
looks really fabulous, they likely had something tailored. It's very
rare or even the thinnest person to just like walk
into a store and everything fits them perfectly, right, Like,
our proportions are all different. So one of the things

(10:07):
that the Plus List we do is really try to
normalize tailoring. Because I will have the world's shortest girl
looks so amazing in address and be like, well it's
too long, and it's like, uh no, bring the ham up. Yeah,
you need to embrace hams from now moving forward. Because
you're five to two, you know you're gonna need to

(10:27):
have every time in a plus sized garment. So I
love that you're tailoring things. And I always like to
make it about the garment not the body. Right, So
Nina Parker's line fits you a little big, and you're
used to maybe fitting in a certain size and Eloquy
and that works for you, but sometimes for me, I
feel like Eloquy runs a really small. So you know,
it's just all the lines they're so different. I just

(10:48):
two things I need to ask. You're honoring Tisha Campbell
on every episode?

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, Okay, because I just want to.

Speaker 4 (10:55):
Make sure I love Martin is my childhood.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
Okay, Like she has a song called Steal here, and
so that is the title of our second with.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
A cultural moment because she's.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
I'm here for it. It was only one question, actually,
I just was like, did I hear that? Correctly?

Speaker 3 (11:17):
Everyone? Every and how she comes here?

Speaker 4 (11:20):
She's coming?

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, like what else?

Speaker 4 (11:23):
Not to be rude, but like, yeah, she's coming. Okay. So,
Danielle Pinnock, I mean, you're cast on a show as
a fat ghost. So the one thing that we can
count on, at least while she's on this show, is
that she's gonna stay fat, right like that? Thank you God,
because it is rough to lose these icons, you know,

(11:45):
as you were, you know, mentioning in your opening like
these former fat icons. I love how much Danielle is
investing in her looks and whether it's tailoring or hiring
the celebrity stylist that she has Serena Akers, who dresses
Beyonce and I'm sure it has Beyonce rates, maybe not
for Danielle. Hopefully she's giving her you know, no, she's

(12:07):
not Beyonce rate. Okay, but that is something that has
been rare to see over the years in my experience
both dressing or consulting plus size clients. So celebrities, you
really have to invest in your look. And I'm so
tired of hearing these designers didn't want to dress me,

(12:29):
that designer didn't want to address me. What I feel
like people don't talk about is that it is also
an investment on your part. So what you're watching Danielle
do is invest in her red carpet persona and invest
in those looks, and that's giving Serena the opportunity to
find her those pieces, or find her those designers that

(12:49):
are willing to work with two, three, five, ten grand,
whatever their budget might be, versus people that are trying
to just like dress it off the runway or however
Christian Siriano does it. You know, I don't know how
he's sort of charging people. It depends, right, But there
is labor, there is product being produced, and then you
know there is an output. But just because someone's wearing

(13:11):
Christian Ciriano on the red carpet doesn't mean you and
I can go buy that dress online, right, So it's
a marketplace, and I think Danielle is an amazing example
of someone who's really investing in herself.

Speaker 1 (13:21):
You literally to class. I'm going to school to bitches today.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
She is the perfect example of someone that wants to
be an A list celebrity, wants to look like one
is winning awards, and she looks.

Speaker 1 (13:35):
Like how she should. She looks amazing, amazing, and I think.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
Every penny is showing up on the on screen on
the camera. I'm so happy for all of her success.
I mean, she held it down during the pandemic for
us with all of her skits, and just to see
her career flourish to this degree is like, it's so exciting,
it's so inspiring, and you know, I have one more
person in mind, but like it's a rough time for
our fat icons, you know, or lack thereof, and you know,

(14:01):
I mean even Lizzo at her thinnest, I feel like
it's probably when she was like twenty, was like a
size twelve fourteen. So I don't know how far she
can go. I don't know the lengths of like the
depths of ozempic, like how good it really is. But
you know, I think Divine Joy Randolph is really serving.
I think she looked amazing at the Oscars say that
again she I mean, I think it was Siriano, but

(14:23):
really she's gorgeous. She's looking elegant old Hollywood, and she's
really giving us that star power we need and deserve
to see on the red carpet because it's rough, divine
joy random.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
Oh yes, okay. Last year she was also mine. Oh yes, okay,
I was make sure that right, Davine.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
I was hard. I was like, who's devine? Diva? Divine?

Speaker 1 (14:44):
Okay, I live.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, she is a stunning I think I definitely she's
exactly who I was seeking as well too, for for
mine was as like a fashion icon because I think
she also point is investing herself and her recordd looks.

Speaker 3 (15:01):
And I also love that she's giving old hub a
glamour because that just.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
Isn't like there isn't apparently there isn't so obvious one
for plus spokespos for black folks, and like, I love
that she's doing that as a black pots woman.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
So I love, love love that. I also really love
I really love Samara just she's me.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
She's iconic in general being like the way she has
calling out so many plus sized brands, you know, the
way she is had her fight with Fever twenty one, Like,
I really find it very very and you know, in
some cases, like you know, you know, Marcy, you're in
the business, so I'm sure you may have you may
have a different like a different like perspective of seeing it,

(15:41):
but a certain who just who really just consumes right now,
I really appreciate seeing her, and you know, I I
and I love I love that. I love that her
her table line has been like it like like if
it fits you, it's for you regardless, and I think
that's really great as well too. I also think a
lot about I'm excited for Survival of the Thickest to

(16:02):
be back at the end of this month because I
think it's one of the only shows really that emphasizes
the importance of like of pluss folks, like having access
to fashion.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
You know.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
I it's not it's not always like all plus us people,
you know. I think there's a twent demographic that that
it serving for that purpose. But I still love love it.

Speaker 4 (16:26):
I love Liza Traeger the Best Friend. I think she's
so funny. I've known Michelle Buchou for a million years.
I love that that show exists. I love that it's
like something out there in the marketplace for us. I
I don't know if it's like a bit that Michelle's
wardrobe isn't great, Like is it that she's a stylist

(16:47):
like those who teach can't you know what I mean?
Or is it like the Costumer and Netflix aren't. I
don't know, but I'm a little confused about it. Michelle, girl,
let's catch up. But that like at the end of
the season one, she's like wearing a sulkie and it
was like, oh, okay, so she does.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (17:05):
So I'm a little confused with the wardrobe on the show,
but I do love it. I think Liza's a standout
and she actually has a bit that went viral about
like her favorite store being called the plus Bus, and
you know, people are so funny. I love Samaira. I
love what Samirah's doing. She knows how to get views,
she knows how to get likes. I would love for
her to focus at times on the brands that are
doing it and on the stores that do exist, because

(17:29):
we need the love too, and those brands out there
that are struggling, that are making plus sizes, that are
dedicated to plus size, like they can use some of
that spotlight shined on them. But obviously, yes, I mean
I have many a time been to the Century City
mall and it's like, I can't pay them to take
my money, so I guess I'll just buy a forty
dollars soap and call it a day. You know, It's

(17:51):
like I no, but you know, obviously all of these
girls they are I'm so proud of them. I'm so
proud to know that, like John, like you should absolutely
text Danielle and ask her to be on the pod.
It's the fact that we we're such a small community,
We're such a small group, and I think that there
is room for all of us, and there's room for
all of us to celebrate one another and lift each

(18:12):
other up. And we're not perfect. That's the reality, right,
We're not all going to do things that we all
agree with.

Speaker 1 (18:17):
But I love that.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
Yeah, Samira texts me, can you, I you know, videotape
my whatever YouTube thing at your store, and I'm like, yes,
I'm there, boom, the door is open whatever you need.
So to me, that is how we should be operating
in our very tiny world and absolutely celebrating the people
that we do see out there, getting the recognition, getting
on the talk shows, getting to sing the national anthem

(18:40):
at you know, NFL games, Like it's incredible. And I
hope that as these people grow, like you mentioned Danielle
or Sami or whoever, these ozempics and these brands, they're
coming out these girls with money, lots of money. Yeah,
so saying no to that is also probably really hard.
You know, no one's called me yet. No, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
No, I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
Never can I can?

Speaker 2 (19:04):
I say, let me go on record and say I've
actually had three partnership requests or for for the some
atlitude whether it's called and each and I find that
so that's so interesting because each one, each one responded
to like because they're offering like like a year free
of it to come and do their stuff blah blah blah.
And like each each one of them, I was like,

(19:27):
nowhere my profile, have I ever talked about.

Speaker 3 (19:28):
Wanting to lose weight?

Speaker 2 (19:29):
No, about how how how I how I embrace intentional
weight loss. I'm all for body and tralogy, bodutralogy. People
want people to their bodies and their decisions, not mine.
But like nothing I've ever done has ever said that,
and the fact that you would ask me to do
a year worth of free step hoarding, this holding this
when people who actually use it for life really need

(19:50):
medication if they you know, if they have diabetes or
other things like that, you're they're charging them thousands four.
If you give this to me, I will get it.
I will get away for free to people who need it.

Speaker 3 (20:01):
Like do not do not.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
Great ways look your rabbit hood. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
Two of them said to reply when what When?

Speaker 2 (20:14):
When person was like, if you want, if you want
to engage in a legal discussion, please let no.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
I want to, I was. I was letting you know
that I don't want to do. I'm just letting you know.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
So people people lord but but but I think your
point right, like you know, Marci, just to your point
of like people, you know, people do get asked.

Speaker 3 (20:31):
It is and it's sad because like in the day, you.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
Know, I.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
It's not for me and it won't it won't. It
won't be for me and like if my body changes,
like it will be my own decision. I won't I
won't be asking for like like like like those medical
things because those things are people. I think people actually
need those for like for life of being care and
I would never want to be the person just sit
up standing in front of that, and I think it's
disgusting in that place.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
Is we'll offer people things for free when people are
being charged thousand dollars to access it.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
Down like just dollars. Horrible. Yes, so I will say
this and then we have to go to break. But
I will say real quick, it is not lost on
me that the news just broke this week that Forever
twenty one is having to close so many of their stores.
So I'm not laughing because I recognize that by closing
their stores, it means that people are going to lose
their job. However, what I am saying is Samirah's impact.

(21:21):
She was yesterday, she said, you said bye bye man
closed autumn store. So shout out to you, Samirah. You did,
you did your big one.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
It's obviously it's obviously a lot of things, but I
literally did.

Speaker 1 (21:42):
She has stopped say I mean, yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:47):
Uh a.

Speaker 3 (21:48):
Taking down the La story is a wild.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
My god, my god mother did her big one. But
with that being said, y'all hear that that is the
sound of Uncle Scam telling us that we have to
take a break so we can pay these bills. But
when we get back, we will have more with your
famous and favorite bitches. More in a thing.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
We are a back family, and I'm excited us to
dive into today's conversation. I think it's gonna be really
amazing because we're sitting with one of the most I believe,
personally iconic institutions for fat fashion in Los Angeles. The
plus bus will forever hold a space a special place
in my heart. It was the first place I ever
went to that centered fat fashion. It was the first

(22:40):
show that I went to where I could find anything
I wanted to find that actually could shop in full.
I can go to the store and find everything for
just myself and not be subjected to accessories or shoes
a guy would shop with my friends. So please, first,
let me say Marci, let me say thank you, Let
me give you your flowers. Let me give you you
and gen your flowers. Because being Jim also, you know,

(23:02):
was a big part of that as well too, for
creating space for our bodies and the garments that we
adorn them with from.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
Make to make that and to make us visible, it
really means so much.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
I'm so thankful My first question for you today though,
is tell us about the history of the plus Bus.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
We're prompted the name. What do you feel like the
Juditary has been like for you? Oh, the lore, the Lord,
the Lord.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
As the kids. So ten years Yeah, we're ten years
in and I started the plus Bus ten years ago
with my former business partner, Jen Wilder, who really is
the muse behind the project. Never in a million years
have I ever wanted to own a boutique or ever
thought I would. I'm not sure I still do. No,
I'm just kidding. I have kind of accidentally fallen into

(23:50):
this business. After meeting Jen, we hosted a free swap
which shout out to the San Diego fats because I
went to my first ever ir relevant like offline at
this like San Diego house and it was like all
of these like really cool fat activists and they were
getting their masters and fat liberation and it was like

(24:11):
Ashley Nell Tipton and Quina Butta and Brie I mean,
Kayla marguite, these girls, these people. People still know these
people and like they're famous to me in the fat
activism world. I walk in and they were just like
anything you want as yours. I couldn't believe it. I
was having the time of my life and that really

(24:32):
was the idea. That experience was where the idea for
the plus bus came from. So, you know, we started
as the first swap in La. We did a swap.
We had an amazing turnout. At the end, we had
so much clothes left over that we were calling our
boyfriends and dads and husbands and please come with trucks
to get all this clothes. Because if you've ever been

(24:52):
to a swap or hosted one, it's not like people
bring ten pieces and take ten pieces. They bring ten
pieces and they take two pieces. You know, it's the
ratio of what's left over to like what people take
is can be really overwhelming. So anyways, at the end
of it, we kind of looked at each other and
we're like, we have so much clothes we could start
a store. And I was in a transitional time in

(25:13):
my life at that point and I wasn't really having
a job. I'm all trying to say it in an
articulate way. Oh, I was at a crossroads and Jen
just turned to me and said, you know, I've always
wanted to go around the country in an RV and
thrift plus sized clothing and sell plus sized clothing, and

(25:33):
I was like, oh, a plus bus and.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
That was it.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
We got chills. The dream was born. And we went
home that night with our big news and I told
my husband, I'm going to get a bus. This is
like twenty fifteen, so really the height of like people
like turning ice cream trucks into boutiques and soood trucks
were like all the rage. And he just immediately was
like such a dream killer and was like where are

(25:57):
you gonna park it? And what about the insurance and
the maintenance? Who's gonna drive it? And like it just
burst my bubble to a degree. But I'm a doer
and I can get shit done. And so we started
to do pop ups out and about, like the Rose
Bowl and this and that, and so basically we just
were really scrappy and very much that thing of like
if you have an idea, just do it, just do it.

(26:18):
Don't make it perfect, just get it going. And so
we started and people would come out and carry their
big trash bags of clothes and pay eight dollars to
get into the Rose Bowl in the heat, and we
just slowly started to see that there was a community,
there was an audience.

Speaker 3 (26:33):
You know.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
I had been to primarily events in New York at
the time, and that's actually where Jen and I had met,
so there wasn't really like a big la community at
that time. There had been a couple of events shout
out Curvy Fashionista. There had been these sort of like
little events, but nothing that was like consistent, and really

(26:54):
it was only Marie that was doing anything at that
time that I can remember, So I feel that we
really were sort of like the nucleus for a very
long time at getting people together and getting people to
come and shop and hosting events, and that was you know,
we found after that, we found a little brick and
mortar in the corner of this like random neighborhood. You

(27:16):
really had to know. It was like a secret clubhouse,
very different from the store. Now that's like on a
retail street and you can just like walk by and
see it.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
This was like.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
The Oh.

Speaker 4 (27:30):
I definitely had to learn to embrace it. It was
a little bit harder for me, and I'm just like, oh,
you think Nicolette Mason is going to come here? I
just remember being like no, and Jen's like, yeah, it's
downtown cool, and I was like, okay, I'm an Uptown
you know what I mean, it's represent and represent east

(27:54):
Side Now I'm an Eastside girl now. So anyways, that
was the plus bus five years ago. Our dream really
came true and we found this beautiful brick and mortar
on this retail space where now you can come and
you can grab a cup of coffee with your girlfriend,
or you can go have lunch. You know, your partner
can go watch a game across the street at the bar.
And we have multiple size inclusive stores on the street.

(28:16):
So it has really been a dream come true to
get to York. We've been there for five years. I
can't even believe it, and ten years total in the
project this year. So you know, Jen and I have
parted ways very amicably. It's all mine now and you
know that comes with a lot of responsibility, and that
comes with a lot of not pressure, but I think

(28:36):
like the pressure to sort of like rectify the wrongs
of the past, right the mistakes that have been made
which I acknowledge, and also move forward and grow and
keep one of the very few spaces in Los Angeles
basically in the world openly. To me, that's the priority,

(28:57):
right Like, nobody's perfect, No space is perfect, nothing is perfect.
So my focus right now is really just to kind
of keep chugging along because frankly, for me as a
small business owner, when I do see that Joanne's and
Party City and Forever twenty one are closing.

Speaker 1 (29:13):
It's scary. It is.

Speaker 4 (29:14):
Yeah, as a little old Plus Plus.

Speaker 3 (29:16):
It's like, for sure, it does something alarm.

Speaker 4 (29:18):
It's scary. It's really scary, and you have to wonder
how far to fight, how hard to fight, how much
to invest, how you know your time. It's like all
of these things. So anyways, that's how the Plus was started,
from a swap to a little brick and mortar and
now hopefully you know, I don't know. I go between
wanting to have a hundred of them and also being

(29:38):
like I would be okay, maybe I'm okay having the
really cutest little store in LA that people just die
to come to.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
Yeah, you know, you bring up something that I you know,
before I go onto our next question, you bring up
something and this is you know, this is just me
being you know, super optimistic. But I feel like we're
seeing a divestment from these big stores and we're seeing
more of an investment into stores like the plus Bus.
You know, I will even say, you know, I go

(30:08):
to different events and I get invited to different things,
and yes, I will still buy from like you know again,
I'll buy from the Nina Parkers. I'll buy from the
Eloque because people send me gift cards to it and stuff.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
Right.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
But I will often say too, like when I ask
for recommendations, you know, or I'll text Danielle, or I'll
ask another friend of mine who is a person of size,
they will often tell me go to this place that
is a you know, one person owned or two person owned,
or a mom and pop or oh, I know this
girl who can make this in her backyard, right, Like
it's I'm finding that I think we're just seeing that

(30:40):
a lot of people are kind of over and I
mean this is a larger conversation, but it feels like
a lot of people are over the corporate greed. Right.
We're seeing them do so many terrible things to to
not only just us, but also the world. And I think,
you know, I'm hopeful and I believe in my heart
of hearts that you're gonna have an other ten years

(31:01):
for the plus Bus. And if and if you worry
about that, I'm gonna wish that for you, so that
way the universe knows, you know, or even I'll even
say it this way, when me and Joho we hit
our first you know, two three mil, we'll go ahead
and we'll invest. We will invest, and we will make
sure that your that you know, your your company stays
the floor. At least I will, you know, Jojo made

(31:22):
Joho probably looking at they will like, well, I don't
know about you, bitch, but I know about it. But
I'm saying me, yes, I am. I will very much
be happy to invest. But I yes. But I did
want to ask you though, you know, so I will
say this and I want I'm so happy I get
to say this to you, and I get to say
this on the air, you know. Before I dive into
the question that I want to ask, I definitely wanted

(31:44):
to thank you again for being the first person to
send Slash sponsor me a look for my first red
carpeted event. I remember telling Joho and Joho and I
basically was like, Joho, take this money, figure out you
know what I what I can wear. I just need
help because I'm getting ready to walk a carpet and
the look, actually, the look that I'm going to be
wearing the night of is the look that I got

(32:05):
from the Plus Bus because it's so special to me.
And when I wear that outfit, my got the way
people stop me, where did you get this from? And
I'm like, girl, I got it from the Plus Bus.
So it's just it's been really really cool to be
able to know, like the first big thing that I
did in Hollywood was connected to this other big thing
that I'm getting ready to do, and so it's just

(32:25):
it all kind of feels so universal, so universally connected.
But anyway, all that to be said, I did now
back to the work. You have been around for a decade,
and it feels like y'all were the first of your
kind for when you started and and since then, you know,
we've seen places pop up, we've seen companies become a

(32:45):
little bit bigger, we've seen them get a little bit
more notoriety, et cetera, et cetera. But I did want
to ask you, like, how do you feel like the
Plus Bus has grown and has set the stage for
not only just for like your next few years right
in terms of growth, but also like how do you
feel like you've set the stage for other places to
come up. I mean, you know, we had brands like

(33:06):
prim that closed, but we did want to know, like,
how has the impact of the plus Bus really just
impacted you and how you see the work kind of
going forward.

Speaker 4 (33:16):
Oh gosh, well, thank you so much. We're so excited
about your event. I'm so I'm such a yes person,
like and I just love you know. We were connected
by Kathy Deech, who's another amazing Broadway girly and so talented.
I'm actually gonna be on another podcast thanks to her
on Monday. And I get to wear my wedding gown,

(33:37):
so I better go see if it fits. But you know,
I think that when I think about the Plus Bus
being the first space of its kind in LA, it's
I'm so proud. I'm so proud. And I know that
whether or not I'm the villain in people's story now,
as they say, But you know, it's like, you.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
Can't you can't deny Ally's origin story.

Speaker 4 (34:02):
Exactly right now. I say it as a joke, but
I'm like, and I think that you can't really tell
the story of La Plus size fashion without the plus
Bus and it was really an accident and a labor
of love and very much a fake it till you
make it. And that's also why it hasn't been perfect,
you know what I mean. It's been very much a struggle,

(34:24):
very much a oh my gosh, those racks American Apparel
is closing. Those are free, They're for me. Okay, we're
going to Bloomingdale's. Bloomingdale's is a shutting down.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
You know.

Speaker 4 (34:34):
The guy that does all the liquidation, he knows me now,
So you know, we've been so scrappy, we have been
so secondhand, we have been so I think that sometimes
when people might see me as Marcy the wife of
Tim going to Orlando Disney World this, and that they
don't realize like my dad works for Disney World. I
I got a discount. We flew there on points, you

(34:56):
know what I mean, Like we packed sandwiches whatever it is, right.
So I think optics in our world, in the social,
as you said, the parasocial, like I think the plus
bus sometimes has been seen as like target, like we're
the man and we are so not you know, we're
still so verre. And I say we because to me,
even though I am the new soul owner. It is

(35:17):
very much a community. It is my team, it is
my girlies, and now my first amazing new employee, Gabe,
is so awesome. A little male energy in there. But yeah,
I think that the plus Bus is for me is
what people will talk I've been working as a TV
producer for the last ten years while owning the Plus Bus,

(35:41):
and no one is going to talk about an episode
of Top Chef that I produced at my funeral. They're
going to talk about the Plus Bus. And to me,
that's what fuels me, and that's what keeps me going,
and that's what makes me want to keep doing it
because I realize that number when there's room for all
of us. I've always felt that way. I feel like,
if they want you, they don't want me, and if
they want me, they don't want you, And that's okay.

(36:03):
Maybe next time they'll want us both. But there is
room for everybody. We are in a teeny tiny niche
of the world that Hollywood or the media already wants
so little of. So I think it's just really important
to acknowledge that there's room for there to be more
than three stores in Los Angeles that carry plus sizes

(36:24):
and I'm talking about small businesses. Okay, let's forget okay, anthropology,
good American, Macy's whatever, Forever twenty one, rest in peace.

Speaker 1 (36:32):
But you know, there is room.

Speaker 4 (36:34):
There is room. There's seven thousand million TikTokers that are skinny,
or millions of Instagram girlies that are thin. But you know,
it's like if two people in the plus size world
like look alike and are making similar content, it's like
we go crazy. So, you know, for me, that's always
been the theme in the plus size world. And when
I talk to my elders when I need advice or

(36:56):
when I'm feeling down, that's what I always go back to,
is like, this isn't happening forever, you know. But I
feel really proud of what we've done. I feel really
proud of being ten years. Like that's a long time.
I can't really believe it. And this year being our
ten year anniversary, like I am trying to really focus

(37:17):
on the positive and just be really proud. It's devastating
when brands like prem close. Just to circle back to
your question, because now I'm like, well here, dad, I
go Okay, the adhds, you know, now Gabby has her
line Villa Fresca, which just launched a new swim drop.
It's studying. It's gorgeous. I just don't have tits like that,

(37:38):
so it doesn't work for me. But I love that
it exists. And we need more and more and more,
you know, we need more, and we every day have
a new brand that comes to the Plus bus a
new brand. Sometimes I get things that actually are already closed, right,
like a really great brand that was selling Plus that's
now defunct. But like I'm like, what's this. You know,

(37:58):
I've never heard of it. And so the reality is,
and as you said, you know, Nina's cheap, You're actually
kind of right. The reality is is that Nina can
be ninety eight dollars or eighty eight dollars or seventy
eight dollars at Macy's because it's Macy's and they're producing
two hundred thousand of them when you're just like Marcy's

(38:20):
yellow sweater line and I'm like hand making these or
procuring this myself or trying to make it real. That's
why it costs two hundred and fifty dollars, you know.
And I think that there is really a lot of
education that's needed for the customer to understand. That's a
lot of the feedback we get, right, is all about
the pricing of among other things. But you know, I'm

(38:40):
optimistic about what the community can do and what us
as consumers because I can't see Jeff Bezos as my
competitor while he is, which is crazy. I always say,
you know, Jeff Bezos, nobody at Amazon is doing a
happy dance when you place an order, but I get
a notification on my and I'm telling you I do

(39:01):
a happy dance. I am. I love. One of the
things I love the most is employing plus sized people.
So for me, the better the plus bus does, that
means the more fat jobs there are. I dream of
corner offices. I dream of a customer service center where
there's one hundred fat bitches employed.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Actually that can be from work, but you know, like
to me, I got you.

Speaker 4 (39:20):
That is for me, it's like the more the plus
mus can grow and succeed, the more fat people will
have jobs. So anyways, I think that there's just it's
a lot of pressure. We live in a really challenging
time for small businesses for fashion and of course, and
I know that we've talked about it a little, and
we're probably gonna talk about it more. But and we
live in an age again, or we're in an era

(39:42):
of ozempic, and so we're very much back to that
before body, that mentality that the thin woman within is
waiting to get out. We are very much cycling back
to that, which I can only hope that you know,
whether it's one or five or ten years from now,
it will turn again. But yeah, everything impacts the plus bus.
Everything in culture, everything in La celebrities, Lizzo cleaning out

(40:07):
her closet, it all does have an impact on us.
And I'm just trying to not be like Forever twenty
one and keep my doors.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
Open, not necessarily.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
So there there's a lot there that I want to
say and ask, But you do deal have a great
segue into my next question, So I'll hold the thoughts
I was taking before, but I want to ask this
question because the struggle of the plus bus has been
a space the interally like bridges the gap between plus size.

Speaker 3 (40:29):
Consumers and influencers.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
Right people you know and like people can meet their
favorite fat fashion icon and or shop their looks and
stories well too, right, that was something that was really
not offer right how many times? Could you how many
how many opportunities you have to meet like your icon
selling something or you doing something right? But in the
age of a Zenmpic and the commodification of weight loss
or fitness sharings, et cetera, we've seen people who have

(40:52):
built their presence off of fat fashion and or even
fat activism.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
Changed your action And I'm curious to ask.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Like what like like both as a person in the community, yourself,
your thoughts on it, you know, and and it also
and also like how does that impact the plus bus
is like sellings? Right, Like you said, Lizo, do people
so come to buy Lizzo stuff then if they feel
like if they feel betrayed by her?

Speaker 4 (41:17):
Like yeah, sure, well the Lizo of it all has
been controversial for the last year. I mean, I remember
when we got listen Lizzo's closet for the plus bus
is like getting an investment. It is like someone sending
you fifteen thousand dollars, right, because that is what comes
when we get ten trash bags set in an uber

(41:37):
or I'm driving to the Hollywood Hills to get her stuff.
You know, that's the reality. That is an investment. But
there have been times obviously where we've promoted it much
more loudly than others because you know, for the last
you know, when the whole lawsuit and everything was happening,
there's the number one question I would get asked, So
what do you think about Lizzo? And as an employer,

(41:57):
As an employee, I've worked in a lot of great areas.
I've had a lot of gray evenings with bosses or whatever.
You know, we really tried really hard to just kind
of like not comment on our person. It's like, I
don't know, I wasn't there, you know what I mean,
I wasn't there. Only the people that were there. No,
And unfortunately, I have learned the hard way that it's

(42:17):
really important to have boundaries with your employees. And so I,
in a way, as an employer can empathize and as
an employee that maybe has been out with a boss
and didn't really want that third round of drinks, like
I can empathize with that too, you know. So anyways,
people very much still want that little piece of someone's closet,

(42:39):
whether it's test holiday that they love or Lizzo or
Jasmine J. I mean, we have really we created the
marketplace for this sort of interaction right where whether that
person was in store. I mean, I just love when
people are shopping like normal and there's like a celebrity there.
They'll be like, is that Eureka O'Hara, And I'm like, oh, yeah,
that's my Yeah, Eureka is here, that's my friend. But

(43:01):
you know, that's the cool thing about the pluss is
you never really know who's clothes you're gonna get and
or who might even be there shopping. The body autonomy,
as you mentioned earlier, is I think the hardest thing
for us. I'll say for me as a person, right,
I think those of us that have struggled, and I
say that I don't want to get canceled struggled with

(43:22):
our weight or I'm doing this like the friends, you know,
those of us that have been on I mean, I've
been on a weight loss journey for forty years, okay,
and I'm forty one. So it's like I I, of course,
if I see someone on Instagram that has lost sixty pounds,
I want to know, what is your secret? What did
you do? Now we're in this era of ozembic where

(43:44):
we don't have to wonder too much. We pretty much
all know it's like, Okay, she didn't eat sweet potato
and write the peloton every day. This girl's been on
the ozemp, you know.

Speaker 3 (43:54):
But I it is.

Speaker 1 (43:57):
I am on the ground.

Speaker 4 (43:59):
But go on, I'm saying it is hard as someone
who has been I have been there. I am there.
I am there as someone who's a fat icon myself,
who runs a fat store, and every day is a
commitment to body autonomy, self acceptance, maybe self love minute,

(44:21):
but every day, yeah, every minute problem, some minutes more
than others, but yeah, Like it is waking up in
a plus sized body, in a bigger body, especially if
you've been there your whole life. You know, it is
really hard when we see these people that we love
Adele or Rebel Wilson or Melissa McCarthy, it's sad to
see them shrink away. Now Lizzo, it's like, okay, she's

(44:45):
on her weight release. It's like, listen, we've got trainers,
we've got nutritionists, they've got chefs, they've got add on
that maybe a little bit of the shot, right, So
add all of his elements together and it's like, yeah,
I'd probably lose sixty pounds too. It's my whole job
and they got some time, right, She's not on a tour,

(45:05):
she's working out. I mean, we watched Chloe Kardashian. I'm sorry,
but she used to be like fat, you know, in
the media. We saw her whittle herself down, and it's
because she worked on six hours a day and like
didn't need anything whatever. And so I think the reality
is that we too often put our all of our
eggs or all of our investment, all of our hopes

(45:28):
and dreams in on these people, in on this like
you know, these idols, and it sounds very like biblical,
but it's like, we really can't worship false idols. You
can't put all of our hopes and dreams on these people.
They're just humans like us, and we all don't know,
we don't know the circumstances that you know, Joho, you

(45:48):
said you've been offered freeozempic. Okay, well what about freeozempic
and fifty grand? What about freeo zepic and five grand?
You know what I mean, That's that's the difference. I mean,
for me, I'll be really really honest if in ten
years it has been the miracle drug that people are
touting it to be, and I see that four out

(46:12):
of five people are still in good health, haven't gotten
a stomach cancer, haven't had adverse effects, and have kept
the weight off right. So I'm talking about the people
that are doing it right now. Call me in ten
years on my fiftieth. I'm my Oprah and just like
what I am, I'm a twelve. But I am really
afraid of it, mostly because I just don't think there's

(46:34):
a miracle cure. I don't want to shoot my personally.
I feel it's poison until I don't know, and the
effects that I've heard people describe are far beyond what
I'm willing to go through to be like I.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Mean, Macie Gray just came out and said, I mean
so again, and this is not you know, I want
to be very clear for our listeners, because we do
have some listeners who will be like, oh lo on
here they go. We're not trying to, you know, tostize
this idea that I mean again. I love the idea
that you say, do what you want to do with
your body, and I want to make sure that we
keep that. But I also want to recognize that there

(47:09):
have been a lot of people to your question. There
have been a lot of people who have come out
and said Ozimpic has caused them a lot of trouble.
And I want to be clear, Macy Gray was one
of the ones who publicly said she could not shit
for three weeks because of Ozimpic. I have friends who
have told me that I had a friend who was
using it and she kept passing out and they were

(47:30):
saying it might be the ozimpic girl, you know, And
so I just I, you know, I think to your point, Marcy,
I really love that you mentioned that, because I think
so many of us, the vanity of society has us
reaching for anything and everything right. And I think for
you to say, I'm going to do the due diligence
and I'm going to try to take care of myself

(47:51):
the best way I know how, and I'm also going
to uphold this idea that I will watch you and
see what you're doing, and if it works out, maybe
I'll maybe I'll, you know again, because I think there's
also this part of us that there are folks who fear.
And I appreciate that we're having this conversation because I
think it's needed. I think there's a lot of folks
who who think and again, I don't want to speak

(48:12):
for you, joho, but I know for me that because
I am so comfortable in this plus sized body that
I don't get the thought of wanting to do the
jab or to you know again, Chapter five of my
fucking book is me talking about why I didn't get
you know, why didn't get my stomach cut out right?
You know? So you know, we all are human and
sometimes yes, the vanity gets at us. And I think

(48:34):
it's okay to say that, But I also think there's
a reality for us to recognize why that reality exists.
And a lot of that reality is because society is
constantly telling us. Again, like I tell people that those
voices you hear in your head are not yours. The
world is so amped to tell you that in order

(48:55):
for someone to love you, or like you, or to
accept you, you have to be this size. And I
appreciate that you mentioned that.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
I just want to say, like, because we're saying anything
about like people were up in arms over co vaccines,
but knowing that a single eye baby that came out
the way.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
People lined up, y'all, y'all, I don't know what's in there.
I don't know what is in the COVID medicine, you
might give me x y Z.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
But everyone said but but I think like the point
out Vandy was just talking about, like because you're selling dandy, right, Like,
if you're selling health, if you're selling true health, people
will not give a fuck about it because it's they're
selling you true health on co vaccines, but they sell
you vanity with ozambic.

Speaker 1 (49:37):
You're like, girl, sign me up. And I'm like, hey, y'all,
I don't care what it does to my body. It
means I can be skinny and be attractive or hot
or be you know, uh, what's the desirable. So you know,
it's funny because I actually saw a comedian do that.
He was like, y'all were so angry and so up
in arms about all of the vaccines. I'm not doing
it because I don't know what's in it. But as

(49:58):
soon as y'all got access to ozen Big, I have
a lot of that.

Speaker 4 (50:05):
It's so.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
Yourself.

Speaker 4 (50:08):
I see it every day. I get girls that come
in Hi, I have all my clothes, I lost a
hundred pounds, and I'm like, okay, I'll take a look.
And I would try really hard not to congratulate or
just I'm not diminishing it, but I'm just like, I'll
take a look, chop around whatever. I see him go down,
and I've seen him come up. You will be there
for them all the way through their journey, right. I'll

(50:31):
be there for anybody in their life body journey, right,
because bodies change. The body changes every single day.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
You said, I'll see when you come back with the
same glow.

Speaker 4 (50:46):
I always say, dress the skin you're in, right. So
there's a lot of fear of like sizing up, and
I think sometimes there's that same fear when you have
lost a bunch of weight. It's like, but what if
I need that size twenty four again, I'm gonna be
really pissed. I took it to the plus bus. I
think both are equally haunting. And I think the reality
is is what we know is the clothes are abundant.
Even though we say there's no clothes, there's plenty of

(51:07):
clothes for us right now, Okay, just come and see me.
But the reality is is that I've seen a lot
of people have their stomach cut out, John and have really,
really terrible health after. So I do see that unless
it's truly life saving, which again, about one in five
people that I know have had a successful bariatric surgery

(51:29):
have not fallen super ill and it has changed their life.
But most of the time, what I have witnessed over
ten years of working with fat people every single day
is the bariatric surgery typically reverses and the so the
ozebic of it all is just like the new version
of that. And you know, yeah, I don't want to

(51:50):
say I'll never do it. I personally don't feel that
I would ever have a bariatric surgery unless it was
something where it's like I literally like, couldn't you know
I had to get it for whatever reason?

Speaker 2 (52:00):
Right?

Speaker 3 (52:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (52:02):
But yeah, I mean, I think it's important that we
let people do what they want to do with their bodies,
just like we are, you know, pro choice or whatever
it is, but with caution, you know, I think we
need to be really careful about the why and for who.
You know, you're you're on the o zempic or whatever
it is, and if it's doing good for you and
your body's agreeing with it and you're not getting the

(52:23):
side effects, awesome, you're probably that one in five that
it's working for. So like praise be. I'm just not
in a place right now where I'm willing to fart
all day or like hot hyrhea, Like I'm so busy.
This is what I think about.

Speaker 5 (52:36):
Look, I'm like, I cannot have ozempic slow me down,
like period, Like I abs don't have time. I'm not
running to nobody's bathroom. I know that's right. I'm in
the same mind I say, I fly too much. I'm
on somebody's plane too many days out of the week,
and I got this book tour coming up. What I
looking like trying to squeeze. I'm not trying to way,

(53:02):
absolutely not. Okay, so we have I have one more
question that I definitely want to ask you. I noticed
could be considered a tense question. But you know, again,
these parts.

Speaker 1 (53:12):
Is this is, this is who we are. We like
to go there sometimes and so I know, and again
I'm learning a lot as I'm like, working with Joho
has been such a big eye opener about kind of
all of the stuff that's happening in the plus size world.
And it's not that I don't know that this stuff
is happening. It's just kind of one of those things
of like my mind is so entertainment driven. I tend

(53:34):
to not really know what's going on over in the
plus size world unless someone brings it to my doorstep.
And so with that being said, you know, I know
that one of the things that you have had to
kind of go through or deal with is the several
iterations that you know, the plus bus has taken right,
you have this you know again you said you started
out kind of you know, with this swap, you move

(53:55):
into this you know bus idea, and now you're actually,
you know, in this actual brick and mortar, and you know,
some of those growing pains have resulted in people losing investment,
not only just in the plus bus, but also in
you know, the movement itself, you know, or are out
rightly saying that they just don't like the plus bus.
And you know, I don't love digging into controversy because

(54:16):
I don't think that it's beneficial for anybody who's a
part of it. But I do think we'd be remiss
to not talk about that a little bit. So I
want to ask, you know, I have nothing but affirming
and wonderful experiences working with you, and that's partly why
I'm so excited to do my you know, my book
launch at your at your space. But that doesn't negate

(54:37):
that there have been some folks who have openly said
that they have had some issues with the plus bus,
and so I guess I want to ask, like, how
are you demonstrating that the plus bus is a safe
and affirming place for people to shop and for those
who ultimately may have felt harmed. How are you, you know,
kind of in kind of moving forward, Like, how are

(54:57):
you kind of doing let's just call it what it is,
damage control, you know, how are you dealing with kind
of the comms of it all.

Speaker 4 (55:03):
Well, thank you for the opportunity to talk about it.
I feel like it is a six part series on
the history of like dissension within the plus sized community.

Speaker 1 (55:11):
In LA.

Speaker 3 (55:14):
And I know we have.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
The real fat gangs of LA. Like it's truly you know, listen,
there's definitely been a little bit of an anti plus
bus vibe going on for a couple of years now,
and there's a lot of different reasons for that. If
I'm going to be transparent, because everybody loves transparency now

(55:41):
so much, a lot of transparency going ha now I'm
just kidding, But if I'm gonna be transparent.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
You know.

Speaker 4 (55:50):
Gosh, there's so much to say, but to start with,
first of all, we went through some heartbreaking layoffs a
year and a half ago, and the reality of being
in a club, in a mission minded business and everybody
is here and getting paid to do all this fun
stuff and make content and become fat icons and that ends.
And that if anybody out there listening, or if either

(56:12):
of you have ever been laid off, it's heartbreaking. It's
heartbreaking when you don't even like your job, so let
alone when you like your job and you're invested in
it and you're providing your face and your beauty and
your talent and all of that. So it's definitely been
one of the most difficult things as a business owner
I've ever had to go through and as a person.

(56:32):
And so there is kind of there starts to become
that little Now there's a group. Now there's a few
people that are like, not the biggest fans. We've had
some differences with folks in the past within the community.
And I say we, I won't speak on behalf of
my former business partner, but I will say we as
like the plus bus. Just like anything, there's different clicks.

(56:54):
There's different crews. You've got a different style, I've got
a different style. You're gen z, I'm millennial, I'm high.
Whatever it is. Right at the end of the day,
what I would like to say first off is I
do want to apologize to anyone that has ever felt
hurt by the Plus Bus, whether in store, by a

(57:14):
bad joke, by an unintentional having been misgendered. Nothing that
anyone has ever been hurt by I believe was intentional
or out of malice. But so often the things we
as imperfect humans do or is we make a bad joke,
or we unintentionally misgender someone because of whatever reason we

(57:38):
don't know them that well, or we forgot or were
being lazy or whatever. And so that is what I'll say.
One is like, period and done. I apologize on behalf
of anyone that has ever worked at the Plus Bus
and for myself and yeah, anyone that you've ever interacted
that is the Plus bus person. I think that moving

(57:58):
forward and or what I've is that the plus Bus
daily serves our LGBTQIA customers, our trans customers that every
day are sharing with me that they're having the most
gender affirming shopping experiences of their life. So what I
have to keep doing is just the work and just

(58:18):
getting better and making sure that myself and my staff
are educated on all of the proper terminology and all
of the proper ways to welcome people into our store.
And you know, we've tried to eradicate pronouns, which I
know can also be problematic. You know, there's all of
these things you know that you're trying to do as
a small business owner and as someone in this culture. Right,

(58:39):
we're in this culture and I don't want to use
the W word, but it's we're in this new culture
where there is I say things to my friends outside
of the fat world and they have no clue what
I'm talking about. And it's because of our intersectionality, which
is what makes us so amazing and powerful. Like the
fat world is so queer and the queer world is
so and together we're better. So for me, all I

(59:02):
can do is say I am sorry, genuinely from the
bottom of my heart to anyone that has been hurt
by the plus bus, and I will say that we
are committed to moving forward and being better, and as
we evolve as the you know, corporate office evolves one
of one now and our team evolves. We you know,

(59:23):
we're just trying to be as inclusive as.

Speaker 5 (59:24):
We can be.

Speaker 4 (59:25):
Uh. We've been doing a lot of fire relief. We've
been welcoming a lot of folks in for that. We've
been doing our best, you know. We people didn't like
how we did that either, and I definitely have had
you can't win. Oh oh no, I don't have a scammer.

Speaker 1 (59:41):
I'm a full scammer, just like what the fuck Like
it's just so sorry, but I'm like, bitch you Literally
Jesus is an investor of the Plus Bus, and I
swear to God someone would say, I don't like Apostle John,
fuck the Plus Bus.

Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
I mean that's where for me, it's like, listen, we
don't have enough places to shop. If you want the
plus Bus to go away, keep doing what you're doing.

Speaker 1 (01:00:12):
But that's it.

Speaker 4 (01:00:13):
Every single day, new people walk into the Plus Bus.
Every single day, somebody finds out about the Plus Bus
every single day. I am thankful for the opportunities like
this to amplify from the rooftops that there is one
place in La one place. I say that confidently that
you can shop seven days a week to get plus
size closed. So my customers that are getting invited to

(01:00:35):
the Grammys at the last minute or Elton John's Oscar party,
they can come and find a gown when the party's
in four hours. And I will continue to fight for that,
and I will continue to host events and workshops and
parties as we have, and that crew is going to evolve.

(01:00:55):
And I would love an Olive branch. I would love
for everybody to get along. I think about the mean
girl's moment, she doesn't even go here. I think we
need a little Kumbaya in the plus size community. I
don't even know if you can say kumbaya anymore. I
think we need a healing moment. Not probably, but it

(01:01:16):
would be nice to have that moment, you know what.
I mean, to have that little bit of like a
team whatever it is. At the end of the day,
people in the fashion industry fucking hate each other. People
in the entertainment industry, there's people that hate each other
like it's just a part of life that we are
humans that are like existing and doing the same thing.
And I just know that we need more of all
of it, especially in the plus and fact world.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
I'm sorry that was just funny to be I can
see someone would be a so damn man talk about that, Peter,
dear John Joho, Marcy, let me.

Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
Just as as as the resident Jensennial. I cannot co
sign things that have been said. But what I but
what but what I can't say? I mean honestly, what
you're speaking to Marcia is like, which is true. We're
so quick to count people out when like when harm
is done and when people are impacted in negative ways.

(01:02:14):
But no one wants to be invested in restoration. No
one wants to have wants to have a restorative process.
No one wants to actually repair harm, right and like
and like what you're doing at present right is like
like like you're trying to repair harm. You're you're saying
like like I am sorry this happened, and like I'm
going sure, I'm going to shore show that we are
more educated and also like and and also like we

(01:02:37):
are humans and mistakes will be made and like if
mistakes are made, tell us those mistakes and we can correct.

Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
Them in real time.

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
But then going and you know, like like at the
end of the day, right, like like this is something
I think a lot is like I will never.

Speaker 3 (01:02:52):
Let me never because I'm sure there's there's I'm sure
there's time right in might happen.

Speaker 2 (01:02:55):
But like I will most likely never turn down, never
turn down black folks. Like unless you're clenty West, I'll
turn you down real quick. But like I'm mostly never
turning down black folks even when they mess up publicly
because I'm not invested in I'm not invested in giving
non black folks more reason to hate black folks that
I'm not and I'm not interested in the in being

(01:03:16):
a person to like.

Speaker 3 (01:03:17):
Cause a downfall of like black excellence.

Speaker 2 (01:03:19):
Right, And so it's so I think in the space right,
if people are having issues with with with with a
plus bus, they like, there there is level. And I
will say this on trashy folks, there's a there's a
choice shift to make in which either you're more important
than the grid are good. And if you make that decision,
I encourage you to effect on why I made a
decision like we are Like I've been harmed in many

(01:03:41):
places many times, and I know that if I make
my harm the issue right, I'm possibly tearing down something
that people need and need to use an access and
I would rather not I'm not modeling myself right, I'm
not saying to Mardy yourself by I'm saying I would
rather explore result and repair with that place, so I

(01:04:02):
forget about being there and so people can still access
the resources they need to access, Like there are places that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
People like there.

Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
It truly, there is no other plus bus in my
in my eyes, there's no there's no there is another
place that I know. Yes, to your point on that block,
there are the places I can go to that have
more plus sizes. But let me let me answer you.
There's there's one place on your to the ball that
I went to and their sizing for pus size was
not actually plus size.

Speaker 3 (01:04:30):
Like I was, like, you have all?

Speaker 1 (01:04:33):
She said, I'm gonna name names, but I'm not gonna
Why is this six X not thinking on me? Bitch?

Speaker 4 (01:04:40):
It doesn't hit me.

Speaker 3 (01:04:42):
It doesn't mean no, like, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:04:45):
I get it, and listen. I mean, I I so
appreciate your feedback. I was so excited to be invited
on the pod. I was so excitic when you wanted
to have your party at the store John and and
I remember thinking like, oh, I don't know if John
knows about the lore because you know, well, that's the
thing at the end of the day, is that everyone
has their different experiences of me, of the store, of

(01:05:06):
the person that they shopped with, or you know, it's
just like any shopping and it's not like any shopping experience,
but it's like some are better than others, you know.
And I am really open and I invite, like if
somebody out there feels that they really would like to talk,
would like to discuss and have some sort of like
as you were saying, coming together, feedback whatever. I feel

(01:05:30):
a little bit awkward right now, like about being the
person to organize it, and I hate using this word.
I don't feel super safe necessarily being the one to
organize it. But if somebody did, or if somebody reached out,
even just independently and wanted to talk, and I don't
think it's going to result in us all being best
friends again. And I don't think it's going to result
in us all being like we're a big, happy family.

(01:05:51):
But I do think it might result in us acknowledging Okay,
this happened, we apologize, let's move forward. And at the
end of the day, like you said, what's the most
important thing is for this resource to continue because the
Plus Bus lives beyond me, It lives beyond Jen. The
Plus Bus has really at the end of the day,
it will carry on as long as it can. And

(01:06:12):
I always say, whether however my career ebbs and flows
or whatever happens with the Plus Bus, as long as
the Plus bus can break even, I will continue to
run the Plus Bus. It might not mean I'm there
every day if it doesn't start to pick up, but
you know, we will always have the Plus busts open.
I wish I could have like a lock box on
a QR cote on Venmo and you could just help yourself,

(01:06:32):
But you know will I am committed to continuing to
provide this resource and I'm going to continue to try
to be better. And as we are now in our
fifth year on York and our tenure in business, fingers crossed,
it gets better. But we do definitely need for the community,
those that are local that didn't know any of this

(01:06:52):
beef exist or don't. We need our regulars to be regular.
We need people to come and think of us before
they go to Amazon or Asos or Eloquy or wherever
it is. And I do need people that have had
a bad experience of the Plus bus, to understand and
accept that I'm sorry and that I would like to
move on, and to please stop basically spreading yell at gossip,

(01:07:17):
rumor's malice because the Plus bus ending is really actually,
like you said, quite harmful for a lot of fat people,
and I know that, but I can't say that. John.

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
Well, yeah, I know, I know you and I know
you can't buy. So I'm gonna say this and then
we gotta go to break. But I'm gonna say this
real quick. So I got two events coming up, mainly
you know what you talking about, And I'm thinking to myself,
I have a little bit of extra coin in my pocket,
so I'm a slide through tomorrow and try to give
me a look, not only one for this glad event
I gotta go to, but also for my for my

(01:07:48):
actual book event. I'm gonna wear something new, So Marcy,
if you're in store tomorrow, you will be seeing me.
And the other thing I'm gonna say real quick before
before we go to break and pay pay bills that
we ain't got money for or you know, y'all, I'm
gonna say, you know, I know we're in a mixed company.
But I'm gonna say it because this is the way
we say. Y'all niggas will have a bad experience at Target.

(01:08:09):
Y'all niggas will have a bad experience in Starbucks. Y'all
will have a bad experience experience at McDonald's. You'll have
a bad experience at a Chick fil a. You'll have
a bad experience at what's that other? What's that other one? Uh,
the the with the ice cream because their ice cream
is disgusting?

Speaker 3 (01:08:28):
What is it?

Speaker 1 (01:08:29):
No? Not dairy queen? Come on, keep going? They see Coldstone? Yes,
the Coldstone ice cream always tastes like a back of
a freezer. Y'all niggas will have a bad experience at
the Stater Brothers, the Ralphs, the Albertsons. Y'all niggas will
have a bad experience even at Macy's. And you know
what you do, You go back. You will always go

(01:08:51):
to a different You may not go to the one
you have the bad experience with, but you will still
keep supporting the brand. And the reason why I say
that is this, I think it is. You know, I'm
not just saying this because Marcy is here. I'm saying
this because I've been in this predicament, right, I've been
in this predicament where people constantly you know, and I
still get it. Yoh, John, you've changed, and you know,
John's canceled and John doesn't. John doesn't speak about activism

(01:09:14):
the way that they used to do that. Okay, But
what I'm also saying is give people grace, give people
the opportunity to say I did not do that, but
I will take accountability for that thing that happened, and
let's move from there. And I just I just you know,
I say that, Like I said, it's just it's frustrating
to me because and me and a few of my

(01:09:34):
other friends, you know, we keep it in the check
because I ain't gonna tell everybody on my bases on
the street, but we text because it's like, what the
this again another episode that we really need to do? Joho?
What the fuck? Can Like there's if you do right,
you're still doing wrong. And that is the frustration that
I have in this moment, not only just with like activism,

(01:09:55):
but just like with our world. It's like we are
all fighting to stay alive at this point, whether it
be in a career or whether it be just to
stay fucking alive in a world where where cis gender
white men are trying to kill us and it is,
it is. It's just it's very frustrating.

Speaker 3 (01:10:11):
So yeah, Like I also I think that it's also
like I think it's also different.

Speaker 2 (01:10:19):
Like I think a lot about the idea of reputation
and what people say, right and like you know, like
and like it's some case it's important in some ings
it's not. But like I think the case of the
pus bus, right, like you have to have a place
where I could literally name him, like handfuls of people
of black folks, trans folks, queer folks, folks like and
intersexual folks who have had nothing but amazing experiences, right,

(01:10:41):
Like I like the thing like like I have a
friend last year who who messaged me frantically like I
have a friend I have about trans friend.

Speaker 3 (01:10:50):
Who was looking for clothing for like for interviews.

Speaker 2 (01:10:53):
And I was like, try the pus bus when the
plus bus And I don't know if it was you,
Marcia was there something like that?

Speaker 1 (01:11:00):
Who were you?

Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
You were give them like four free outfits for like
that that that they they could bring two interviews and
then they.

Speaker 3 (01:11:08):
Got and then they got the job that they were
interviewing for. Right, Like I I can tell you like
physical data of how to experienced people have had.

Speaker 2 (01:11:16):
Right, It'd be different if every friends I've ever heard about,
you know, like like about the Blas plus was bad, right,
Like I have only.

Speaker 3 (01:11:22):
Had positive great ones.

Speaker 2 (01:11:23):
I've always seen positive, great ones, and I've seen ones
that have not been life for for not just the
life for ring, but like and somebody's like life saving, right,
like people giving people access having them be dressed for
a job is life saving that helps people.

Speaker 4 (01:11:38):
Yeah, and I have to acknowledge. And my dear friend Pucks,
who runs the fat Con, which is one of the
most impactful events I've ever been to, and y'all need
to put it on your calendar or January January sixteenth
in Seattle, meet me there, Pucks always says and has
taught me, only the most marginalized person in the room
can say whether the space is safe, right, And so

(01:12:01):
I acknowledge that, And it hurts me to my core
that anyone has ever felt that. Right. But as you said, Jordan,
whether I did it or not, I acknowledge it, I
accept it, and I want to move forward and do better,
and so I just you know, I haven't really been
able to talk about this with anybody, and it's mostly
been call outs or you know, gossip or when I

(01:12:25):
have had the opportunity to mention like, hey, we should
talk to someone recently, they basically denied me that. So
I think it's just felt really scary and good to
be able to like know that we would be able
to address this, and it feels just like safe for

(01:12:45):
me as a small business owner who has been just
trying to do this, like this is all an accident.
The plus us is all like literally smoking mirrors and
we're just trying to keep it going, you know what
I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:12:55):
I think you're you're just saying you're you're human, You're
and I think that you know maybe and again I
don't know you personally, but I'm like, I know, I
we we I we. Our producer are screaming, we got.

Speaker 3 (01:13:07):
Us.

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
Yeah, I know, I know our producers are screaming, we
gotta go to break. But I was just say this, like,
and I know we're feeding into segment the next segment,
but I'm just saying, like I genuinely believe in my
heart of hearts like this conversation needed to happen because
I think people need to hear folks say I'm fucking sorry,
and I yeah, I fucked up because I'm not Jesus like,

(01:13:29):
I'm not you know, I don't. I'm not perfect, and
I keep saying Jesus regardless if you believe them or not.
It's because the world expects you to be so perfect
when you're not. And we're talking about fatness people, We're
talking about being imperfect and imperfect bodies and trying to
love these imperfect bodies and in the process, we're harming
each other. And so I'm just I'm really on a

(01:13:49):
I'm really on a tangent. I know, I'm on a soapbox,
but it's just it's so frustrating to me because it's
not just the fat community that's doing this shit. The
black community is doing the same thing, the queer community,
he is doing the same thing. We are all literally
targets right now. And I'm I'm I'm like, if there's nothing,
no one hears, and I'm getting really passionate about it
because no, I like, I don't. I also don't have

(01:14:11):
anyone really to talk about with this, but we are
all sitting ducks right now, and we cannot operate this way.
We just can't. So just give people grace that we
that that's that's where I want to leave it. We
really have to do better at that because they're already
coming for us, and we really we really don't need
to give them anymore. And I hate saying this, We

(01:14:32):
don't need to give them any more, ammo.

Speaker 2 (01:14:34):
So as we find our soothing circle for for our
loved ones and pay our haters some dust, we gotta take, yeah,
another break along the bread this time, and we come
back with jump into our yes man and.

Speaker 3 (01:14:47):
No Man PAMs more than just a second.

Speaker 1 (01:14:57):
All right, y'all, So we are back with the segment
that y'all love and also some of y'all love to hate,
Yes ma'am and No Man Pam. And this week I
openly want to start off by saying my yes ma'am.
This week, I genuinely so I was gonna name a name,
and I'm actually not going to name a name. I'm
just gonna say any person, any brand, any anybody who

(01:15:18):
is doing anything to make bigger bodies feel beautiful. I
genuinely want to say yes ma'am to them, And what
I say by that is if you are a designer,
you know, I I forget who does Kecky Palmer. But
I've heard her talk about how, like when she gained
weight with her pregnancy, there's been designers that had helped
her feel beautiful, like any body who's doing anything to
make big bodies feel good. I dream of the day

(01:15:41):
that I get to work with, you know, a a
really high fashion person who's like, you're you're still a
big girl, but we're gonna give you glam. You know,
the days that me and Jojo get to walk a
red carpet together, you know, in la culturista fashion, you know,
and get to just be out there making uh, making
the girls eat it. I dream of that day that
we can do that. And so also I also want

(01:16:03):
to say too with that, you know, I also want
to say big ups to companies and orgs that are
suffering because the big girls are not giving them the
love that they deserve. And yeah, and that kind of
folds into this this NOMNPAM that I have. You know,
I'm really frustrated, but just you know, so I'll say
this for my NOMNPAM. I am semi frustrated with the

(01:16:25):
way that folks have not been holding the industry specifically
accountable for the ways that they are continuing to make
people hate their bodies. It. It's extremely frustrating to see
celebrities that I know, even personally celebrities I know, go
on record and say really heinous and hateful shit now

(01:16:45):
that they've lost weight, right, And and that's been the
biggest frustration that I have is just you know, I
really don't think people recognize how feeding into this wave
of whatever ozempic whatever they call those g one p's
or whatever the fuck it's called. Like anybody who's feeds
into that, you're still feeding into this culture of self hate.
And so I openly wanted to say this week, for

(01:17:05):
my no man Pam, I wanted to say fuck you
to the people who are applauding Lizzo's weight loss, because
I feel like you are the reason why fat people
can never get any rest or be happy. Y'all are
the ones who make it impossible to just be in
regardless of how you feel about it. Right, There's some
people who've been like, oh, what Lizzo is doing is
her body. Okay, that's fine, But there are people who

(01:17:26):
are entertaining that there are people who made Lizzo feel
like regardless of if she's on Ozimpic or not, there
are people in her circle, There were people in her life,
there were people online who made Lizzo and other fat
people feel like they had to do something extensive right,
whether it be stopped eating, whether it be ge get

(01:17:47):
the like. Literally, Lizzo could not just be Lizzo right.
It was something in her circle pressured her to lose weight.
And I want folks to really sit with that, because
whether you know it or not, you are making it
imp possible to just be regardless of how you talk
about it. And so I'll just say this as a
fat person who is extremely frustrated in this moment with

(01:18:10):
the way the world is moving, with the ways that
we're talking about fatness, the ways that we're talking about
people's body. You are the reason why so many fat
people have issues with their bodies. And whether you want
to acknowledge that or not, right, whether you want to
lean into that or you want to say, John, I
want to push back, you can push back. This is
actually a time I invite you to jump into my
inbox and we can have that conversation because I think

(01:18:32):
there are a lot of us who are sitting around
and are like, oh, we could do whatever we want
with our bodies, but you are still pushing people to
lose weight, and I think that's fucked up. So I
just wanted to say that on record. Joho, what do
you got this week?

Speaker 3 (01:18:46):
I'm gonna keep mind sweet and simple and political. Yes,
ma'am to reversion of Jodz and Crockett.

Speaker 1 (01:18:53):
Yeah. I just love her.

Speaker 3 (01:18:54):
Fuck off, I love it, fuck off and either she
called she called that man in office. She called him
Putin's hoe. She said, miss.

Speaker 2 (01:19:06):
Allegedly posted of Congress. She has said I would someone.
Someone asked, what would she say to him? Is your opportunity?

Speaker 3 (01:19:14):
She said, I would tell the girls spine and stop
being Putin's hoe. And I I pray it's true. I
pray it's true because I actually live. I just live.
She makes her heavy. But no, man, Pam is to
I can't say that anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:19:29):
Just get just Governor Gavin Newsom because I used to
be that new some train, but say I'm not. Unfortunately,
I fear because why are you?

Speaker 3 (01:19:42):
How are you gonna launch your first podcast? How you
launch your podcast? Your first episode?

Speaker 2 (01:19:47):
And you come out talking about yep, you that you
that you think transphot do you think trans folks playing,
particularly trans women playing in female sports is unfair? Like
I want to just one underline, like the attack of
trans women is constantly, constantly baffles me.

Speaker 3 (01:20:04):
You were literally, sir, you were literally mayor.

Speaker 2 (01:20:08):
Let me just make sure this is correct, because if
I believe this is true, if I know my Bay
Area history, fucking mayor of San Fraan fucking Cisco, you were,
and you were there for several terms and then you
became you made your career on the box of trans people,
your career on the backs of queer people like that, Like.

Speaker 4 (01:20:32):
Who even cares about sports?

Speaker 3 (01:20:35):
I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (01:20:38):
About sports like girls?

Speaker 3 (01:20:40):
Just like what just no man him?

Speaker 1 (01:20:44):
But you know what, why if there's one thing white
men are gonna do, they're gonna be white men. I
just want to put that.

Speaker 4 (01:20:50):
Unfortunately, I thought you were gonna say they're gonna love sports.

Speaker 1 (01:20:54):
No as also also that, But I'm just saying, like
I always always wait, like I there, I have a
lot of my best friend is white. I love white
like white men. I just I please prove, like, just
prove me different. That's all I want. That's all I want,
you know, because I know a lot of white men
who listen to this podcast, and I'm like, please just

(01:21:17):
just just prove us wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:21:19):
Just please please anyway, that's all I want. That's mine.

Speaker 2 (01:21:22):
F you Newsome, I mean, please, don't suck up our
state for a lot of reasons, but know that you're
my shipless with this one.

Speaker 3 (01:21:28):
Shipless. Yeah, Marcia, how about you love?

Speaker 4 (01:21:32):
Okay, My I'm gonna do my no first. So my no,
man Pam is Nillo wafers. Like unless you are under
ten layers of banana pudding and whip topping, you don't
belong here and you're gross and nobody wants you. And
when they include Nillo wafers in the like mixed snack

(01:21:52):
pack of cookies, I've been working with children lately and
I'm telling you, no one wants them. No one wants them.
It's a waste of money. And all the Nilla way
for bags are left. Now.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
You don't like Fredos, like the like the corn FreeDOS,
like delicious, nobody but nobody wants them.

Speaker 4 (01:22:12):
I do.

Speaker 3 (01:22:12):
I want?

Speaker 4 (01:22:15):
Let's not get onto chips. That's a whole other.

Speaker 1 (01:22:20):
My.

Speaker 4 (01:22:20):
Uh yes, ma'am Oh, yes, ma'am is, I'm so proud
to be on this podcast today that has black fat
femme as the title fat needs to be discussed more.
We need to continue to take it back everything that
we do. I speak for myself, but it seems like
what y'all are up to, especially having the word fat
and the title of your podcast, is about fat liberation

(01:22:42):
and removing the stigma and what it means. So ozempic
or no zempic, Lizzo fat, Liza thin, whatever it is,
it's that we can continue to hope and fight for
a future where the stigma of being fat no longer exists.
It can just be a descriptor, it can be a
part of your genetics, it can be a part of
your body and who you are art and it doesn't
have to weigh so heavily on people as a constant

(01:23:06):
sort of source of whether it's stress or things something
they want to change, or something that is wrong with them.
So I'm just proud to be a fat liberationist and
to continue to fight in this activism, in this in
this sector of activism because for me, I've never really
been As I get older, I understand the importance of

(01:23:26):
politics and the importance of activism, and as this being
my platform the fat activism. Every single day, I see
the plus bus as my act of fat liberation and
being open, you know, paying the rent there. It is
an act of radical activism to be on a major
retail street and say fat Fat fashion for all to see,

(01:23:49):
and everyone that walks by does comment on the title
and comment on the word fat and on our little
sign that says the rules of being in a body
positive space. And so I just make you really proud,
and I'm proud to be here in this conversation with y'all.
I think these conversations are needed, talking about ozempic, talking
about taboo, talking about how painful it is to see

(01:24:11):
Lizza's weight loss, and also that I you know, if
she's happier or it's been good for her and John,
as you said, it's somebody on her team, but I
don't know, it's somebody somewhere, you know what I mean.
It's like she's also I don't know, or maybe she
just I don't know. I don't know that I agree
with that, but we all know the voices that are
in our heads and the voices that are in our society,

(01:24:34):
and so I'm just I'm really happy that somewhere like
this exists to have these conversations. And when Tisha Campbell
comes on invite.

Speaker 1 (01:24:42):
Me back, it will be a with a co host state, just.

Speaker 4 (01:24:48):
Like you know, just like Kimmie on The Keys, I
could like, yeah, definitely. Gavin Newsom was the governor of
San Francisco nineteen.

Speaker 1 (01:24:59):
What the fun? Where do we even live anymore? My god? Anyway,
with that being said, I know y'all gonna have a
lot of thoughts this episode, so go ahead and send
them on our way. Chah. Send your thoughts, your feedback,
your email to Blackfeffnpot at gmail dot com. You can
also send us your thoughts for your social media, we
definitely check them Instagram, Blue Sky as well as the

(01:25:20):
Tick of the Talks. Honey, we be over there posting
things and you know, trying to comment and all of
the other stuff. But anyway, all that to be said,
we know we can find you at the plus Bus, Marsie,
but where else would you like to be found?

Speaker 4 (01:25:32):
Instagram is the plus bus boutique, the TikTok is plus
the Plus Bus. I'm the Marciminute and have been for
many years online plus bus dot com, the plus bus
dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:25:43):
Thanks you guys, I love that so much. Queen joh,
where can the dots find you?

Speaker 2 (01:25:46):
As usual, loves, You'll find me at Jojo Jails across
all the socials my mobsite jr jails dot com, or
if not, you will find me in person March twenty
fifth at the plus bus Boutique. I'll bring my girl
John and seeing my girl marciam person here, some big
old hugs, some good little schnatchy snacks and seeing and
seeing the tzar herself say the house down boots with
her book.

Speaker 1 (01:26:08):
Yes, my god, I can't offer yes bitch yes. Well,
with that being said, say yes please come through March
twenty fifth. It is a free event. That is one
of the questions I've been getting from people. People, is
it it is free? You can go ahead, head over
to the plus bus boutique website. You can go ahead
and sign up, go ahead and come on through. I
will say this that if you're one of those people

(01:26:29):
who wait to the very last minute to get their stuff,
I cannot guarantee you that there will be a spot
for you. So this might be the time if you
can spend time browsing TikTok, Instagram, audio, go get yourself
a ticket, because I'm gonna tell you right now, once
they're gone, they are gone and I will not be

(01:26:50):
able to help you. Outside of that, you can go
pre order my book. It is everywhere you find your
favorite books. I'm not telling people where to get their
books because everybody again a politic. But as for me
and my household, you can find me in someone's room
full of hey talking to rumpel Stiltskin about how I
can make my book a best seller in the meantime. Please,

(01:27:12):
in between time, make sure you support I cannot say
this enough with the pre launch. Please, it's not even
just me, other black and queer writers. Please support them
because we are at a time now where things are
getting banned and publishers are looking for any and every
reason to not give us a second book deal. So
it is very very important that you support not only

(01:27:34):
just me, but other black, brown, bipoc whatever however you
see in the diasporus, please support them. All that to
be said, we want to thank our producer Bei Wang
for handling all of the logistics and getting amazing people
like Marcy on the show. Thank you Bay for helping
us with that. But we also want to shout out
everyone over at iHeartMedia for keeping the show up and running.
It has been and continues to be a blast. We

(01:27:57):
also want to shout out our wonderful editor Chris Rodgers
because without him, we wouldn't have show or visuals. You
can go down to the tubes of you and watch
this episode. Yes it is free. This has been another show.
Stay black, fat, femine, fabulous, and remember what joho.

Speaker 3 (01:28:15):
We may not be your cup of tea.

Speaker 2 (01:28:17):
It's okay girl, but begains Massitch okay.

Speaker 1 (01:28:22):
But beat us mass Agua. Come a lifelong love us
for real bite

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