November 13, 2025 • 54 mins
We're joined by Legendary journalist Darlene Rodriguez, the proud Bronx native and longtime co-anchor of NBC 4’s Today in New York. With 30 years in television and 26 years at NBC, Darlene opens up about her incredible journey from a Bronx girl with a dream to one of New York’s most respected news voices.
She shares how her Mami found her first TV job in a newspaper listing for a Bronx station, and how watching the OGs of New York news alongside her mother at just eight years old shaped her path. Darlene reflects on breaking into communities older reporters couldn’t reach, using her Bronx roots as her strength to land a role at NBC right after college.
Together, Honey and Darlene dive into the power of community support, what it means to stay grounded when you’re on TV, and how her Abuela’s pride in the Bronx projects kept her connected to her hood. Darlene also gets candid about living up to her mother’s high standards, raising three children of her own, and the lessons she instills in them about kindness and empathy.
Plus, she opens up about her husband’s work as an immigration attorney and the challenges of serving families in today’s political climate and how we're all responsible for our doing our part as latinos to support each other.
Honored throughout her career for excellence and service, Darlene Rodriguez has earned major recognitions including El Diario’s Mujeres Destacadas Award, Hispanic Magazine’s Latina Excellence Award, and multiple commendations from the NYPD, DEA, and City of New York for her proud representation of the Latino community.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German. Welcome to
another episode of Grasses Come Again. Today, I'm sitting down
with Darlene Rodriuez NBC four today in New York.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I wanted to say that for so long.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm such a fan of yours. It's so nice to
be here.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I am a fan of yours. I'm so happy you're here.
You're like really like the epitome of like Latina in
journalism that has been killing it for decades. Oh, you're
so sweet, you know, because you've been doing this like
thirty years.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, I know. It feels crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
With the same company.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So I've been with NBC. It's going to be twenty
six years.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
How have you managed to do this? Please give me
the secret sauce?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You know, you know what I find. I think that
I didn't know. There was so much I didn't know.
Like I started, I'm from here, right, So you're born
and raised in New York City. You go to the
school journalism, your Bronx girl, Bronx girl, and they tell
you that you know, you have to start in a
small market. You have to start in you know, Toledo, Ohio.
And I'm like, no, there's no Puerto Ricans over there.
Like I wouldn't even know how to live in a
(01:06):
small market. So I had that sort of naive almost ignorance.
We're like, no, I grew up here, I'm gonna work here.
That was me.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
I started radio in New York right number one?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Never number one.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
People were like, oh, you're gonna have to move all
over the country and then you can end up in
New York, right. But there's just a thing that we
just I wasn't moving, no, and we feel comfortable in
spaces where we didn't think we had a chance. I
think that's just the way we grew up, you know,
So it just kind of made sense. But the way
I started was I had graduated college and realized.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Oh wow, yeah, you know, you can't get a job
in TV here. It is hard. And then I saw
in the newspaper at the time we had newspapers, real newspapers.
My husband actually found and it said, or I think
it was my mom, there was a cable station opening
up called Bronx Net Okay, and I thought, well, okay,
I know this, I know I know this borrow So
(02:00):
I walked in. I had no appointment, and it was like,
you know, it was a studio that just opened, and
I kind of, you know, I borrowed my girlfriends like
this skirt and jacket, and I just walked in with
a resume. I did not bring my tape because it
was so bad. I knew that it would hurt me
if I left the tape. But if I met them
in person, were like I could sell, maybe I could
make a better impression exactly. So yeah, I mean after
(02:23):
he asked me, how the hell did you get in
here security? Yeah, he offered me. Yeah, he said, you know,
I'll try you out. He said, I'll try you out.
I'll give you one hundred and twenty eight dollars per story.
And to me, that was like okay, great, You're like,
it's it, that's it. I was like okay. So I
did that for a year and then then my husband
had seen something and it was an opening for CBS
(02:43):
Radio News News Radio eighty eight.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So you always wanted to do news.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, So since I was little, eight years old, I
used to tell my mom that this is what I
wanted to do. See. She used to watch the news
a lot, and which news did you want? She watched
do you remember? Yeah? Everything, So she I was talking
to when I was a lot younger on Channel four WNBC,
Roland Smith, Ernie A. Nastis and she right, she watched
(03:10):
Peter jennings On on the you know, ABC evening news.
It was like Dan Rather, oh, yeah, the ogs, Ted
Copple late at night, Nightline, I believe it was called.
And you know, I knew that I didn't understand the
content as a little girl always, but I knew it
was important because she was so interested and glued. Yes,
(03:31):
and then she'd have reactions and she'd talk about it.
And who was there watching the news with mom? Me?
Just me?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So you saw the reaction that was it?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, because it was just me and her until my
brother was born. I was an only child for about
thirteen fourteen years. It was just me and my mom.
And mom would watch the news and you're like, I
want to do this, Yeah, I said you because I
knew like my mother valued and you look, right, when
you're little, you look at what your parents value. You
don't know that's what you're observing, but that's what you're observing.
And I remember she really vowed you'd intelligence and already Yeah,
(04:06):
and to her. It was like that was more important
than anything, more important than being pretty or being popular,
you know, any of that. And when people would compliment me,
I was a little girl. Oh she's so cute, Kellen.
My mother. Yeah, she's very smart too, you know. So
I knew that that was what that was more important
to her. Yes, And I think that's why I just
(04:27):
kind of gravitated towards it. And I talk a lot
and I'm nosy. It just works.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I've been doing research since that working exactly. It just works.
So you start working, you walk in. How long did
this last?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
So Bronxton was about a year, and then I started
with the radio gig, but again with radio. I walked
in and they said the same thing. They're like, you know,
people who come to CBS Radio have been doing this
for at least ten years in a major market. You've
been doing cable. And the way I saw myself there
was I said, yes, you're right, but I'm about half
the age of all the reporters that you have on
(05:03):
the air here because I've been listening and I can
get into neighborhoods and communities that I know they can't,
So I think I can bring you a perspective that
would be different. And again it was like, all right,
I'm gonna try you out. And I think that pay
was We're going to pay five hundred dollars a week, okay,
Monday through Friday.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
To me, I was like, okay, you're just graduating college.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah. I was happy I was unemployed. I mean, I
had the Bronx and I get but that wasn't a real,
real setty thing. So I said okay, and they said,
but it's just a trial. And it was two weeks
and then it turned into five weeks, six weeks, and
then they offered me a job and that was my first,
Like job, how did you celebrate? Oh my gosh, I
don't remember. That's funny that I sat. I remember because
this is a big deal. But you know what I
(05:47):
do remember. I remember walking into the CBS building fifty
second and six. It was called black Rock at the time.
I don't even know if it's still called that, but Blackrock,
and I remember seeing the CBS logo and it was
it's like they're expecting me, you know, like I actually
have an appointment here. And to me that was such
a big deal. And then when I went into a
(06:08):
CBS to my NBC interview. I remember walking out and
I called my mother first and I said to her, like,
I don't even know if I got it, but I
was just so emotional that I had just walked out
of the NBC building at thirty Rock and had a
real interview, like I was taken seriously, you know, And
(06:29):
that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Sometimes it takes like you said, we have to leave,
we have to go to other markets. We have to
work in Texas, we have to work in Nashville, and
then we can come here and like finish out our
careers here. So to get started here in New York
and the way that you've been able to stay on
air all these years, that's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
It is. I'm grateful. I'm so grateful, really, and I
think it's because it's because of the support that I
have in the community.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I feel like it is too. It's just like you
belong to the community, and that's your viewers.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah. They and they they they claim you, you know,
and I love belong to them. Yeah, And I feel
responsible to the community. I feel like I'm reporting on
my home, my family, my friends. This is where I
grew up, you know. So it's it's so personal to
me that we get it right. And the commercial that
you guys have where you know you're in the Bronx,
it feels good and it feels it feels.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So genuine like you're still connected because you know, sometimes
a lot of time goes by and you're on TV
and you know, you move and yeah, but it feels
like you're still connected.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Oh my goodness. Absolutely, And and you know we made
sure to do that with the kids too. It's like,
you know, with your kids. Yeah, my kids, I mean
they're my God, I say kids. My youngest is twenty two.
I know your daughter just got married. The old this
got my and she's thirty two. And then my son
is twenty four, a middle boy. So I can't even
believe I'm saying. It's like, who are these grown people?
They can't be Mike. Do they still live with you?
(07:52):
Not the married one, but yeah, everybody else, Well, at
least you're not an empty nester. No. But I'm like
Latina mom, I want them to live with me, flat,
I want them there forever.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
We're going to build them a house in the back.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah, I want them there all the time. But yeah,
I mean, you know, we we keep them connected. We
stay connected. I mean, my gosh, my grandmother. My, this
is how fortunate I am. My grandmother just passed away
five years ago. I had my grandmother for fifty years
of my life, Like, who has that? Right? She well,
she didn't want anybody to know, but she she you know,
(08:24):
said she was eighty something. Yeah, so you had your grandmother.
I had my grandmother. She lived in the projects in
Sound View.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
You were definitely connected because you was you were still
visiting the project, absolutely, and you know people you would
recognize you of way.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
How proud was she? Oh my, oh forget it. I
can only imagine, oh, no, forget it. And my mother too,
like you can't you know if as a matter of fact,
she was in the at the doctor's office in the
second we walk in, the nurse comes in, she goes,
you know that that's my daughter. You know she's on TV.
You know that, you know who she is? Right? And
helped me? Like I love that. I'm like, mom, please
don't do that. You're an only child. No, I have
(09:01):
a brother. So my brother was born when I was
almost Oh yes you did. Yes, he's a lot younger.
He's like my baby. So I was kind of raised
like an only child, and he was kind of raised
like an only child. But we're very close.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
How hard was it for him with you being, you know,
so accomplished so early, because it's not like the pressure.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting. Yeah, he he actually he
did way better than me in school. He went he
went to NYU. He graduated from NYU and he got
a degree and he actually had an interest in journalism
and then tried some different things and now he works.
He works for the New York State government. I love that. Yeah,
and he's he's doing great. He's a smart, smart guy,
(09:40):
smart guy smarter than me.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Would be that if your mother valued you know, education
and smart you both had to deliver.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, we's here because sometimes we don't owe no. And
you know what she would say, it's like you know
she she's wherever you set the standard for your kids,
they're going to rise to that. So if it's low,
you know, like my mother, I remember other parents saying
like yeah, no, you know so and so my son
he did greg and he passed everything and my mother
(10:10):
passed like that was her thing to me pass even
of course you're gonna where's the a I need the
greens on the wall. She's so difficult. You know, it
was so hard because I come home and you know,
got ninety two, could have gotten in ninety six. I
mean she was still very proud, but she always pushed
for that highest possible. Shit is exhausting. Yeah, it was exhausting.
(10:34):
But are you that same mom now? I try to be.
I think I'm a little bit weaker when it because
I think I am. I think my kids would tell
you that I am. I'm sitting here, I think like, no,
not really, yes, I think I am. I mean, you know,
if I could be half the mother she is, I
think I'll do great. Well, somebody has to be the softie,
right is it you? I don't know, is it me?
(10:55):
I don't know. I think we take turns, you know,
we take turns, you know how it is. It's like,
you know, and I'm blessed that Oh so.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You switch your rolls. Bag cop, good cop, backup, yees.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Sometimes like I'm gonna I swear I'm gonna kill this kid,
and then you know the other point, no, no, no,
leave it, I'll take care of it. So it's that
sort of thing. But we go through the same things
with our kids. You know, do you have kids? No, Oh,
that's why you look so young and beautiful. Listen that
that beautiful face. I have a gray hair for every
(11:26):
little bit of stress. You have four kids, right, three? Three? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Raising children. A lot of people that sit here say
is the most rewarding but also the hardest job.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
It is. It is because you're responsible for these people,
and you're thinking, like, I gotta I'm sending these people
out into the world. What kind of people am I
sending out into the world, you know? So for me
it was, yeah, I want you to do well. I
want you to be smart and accomplish and all that stuff,
but I want you to be a good person. I
want you to be kind and compassionate, you know. And
that to us was always number one. How you treat people.
(12:00):
I mean even when we were when the kids were
little and we go to restaurants and stuff like that,
It's like we were very conscious of how they speak
to people, how they're grateful, and how they say thank you,
and how they stop and you know, somebody brings something
to stop your conversation and say thank you respectfully.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
And the world thinks you that's the type of humans
we need.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
That's what we need. That's how we all should be because
you know, you can judge somebody a lot. Right when
you go out to dinner or to have drinks with someone,
you really can see their character based on how they
treat people who are the wait staff you're serving them. Yeah, yeah,
it says a lot. Are Your husband's a lawyer. He's
a lawyer, immigration lawyer, so you know, that's a busy, busy,
busy job.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I can only imagine. How is it being married to
a lawyer? Do you ever win any arguments?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Have you met me? I feel?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I said a lawyer, I said, do you just ar
you all day and let them when you get tired
all day you're like, I'm just gonna go.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
To bed, you know, because it thinks they know more, right,
you know, But no, I mean he's he's extremely extremely smart,
I really accomplished, and I'm busy, you know. It's it's
it's a privilege too to to be a part or
at least to be a witness to see what he's doing,
and the immigration attorneys right now and how hard they're
working under the circumstances and how things are changing.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I can only imagine, you know, an immigration attorney's office.
It's got to be upside down right now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
It is. It is, it's upside down, and everything changes
all the time. I mean, there's so much. It's hard
because you know, at work, I do a show in
the morning and it's you're four thirty in the morning, Yes,
four thirty. I don't know, and that she said, I
don't know if a morning person. I've never been a
morning person. And it's bizarre to me. You know. When
(13:42):
they wanted me to do that, choice said, no, no, I do.
I like hard news, you know, three alarm fire, you know,
double homicide, Like that's my lane. And they're like, no, no,
we think you're personable, you'd be good for the morning.
It's absolutely not. I don't you know. I don't want
to talk about like who was on the red carpet? Yes, yeah,
I didn't. You know, I didn't think I was good
(14:04):
for that. But you look good doing thank you. You
know what it is, it's about being your authentic self.
And I think that's what it was, like you were saying,
how do you do it? So long? I think it's
because I didn't know how to fit a mold. I
didn't know how to act or look or appear to
be an anchor person or a TV reporter. You can't
(14:24):
exist like that. You can't and not in New York, right,
Like people new York fake, Yeah, they see fake and
they let you know, and they also see real and
I think they gravitate to it or they relate to it,
you know. And I mean, I I try to just
be my best, authentic. That's all I got to give
you is me. You know, I can't be anybody else.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And that is what we latch onto. And you know,
that's one thing that I say all the time. I
don't want to be liked. I don't want to be admired.
I just want to be relatable. I just want you
to feel like you can count on me, right, And
you know, I'm going to also express the same things
that you're feeling.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Right, And that's what it is because people listening to you,
they're going through their day. You don't know what they're
going through. And especially radio, what I love about radio
is so intimate, right, it's your voice, and people who
are listening to you, they're in the middle of whatever.
Are they're in the car, or they're at home, are
they going through something or and it's just you and
they have to have that trust. Like I feel as
(15:18):
a journalist, the best compliment somebody gave me was I
was walking down the street and it was right after
Hurricane Sandy twenty twelve, and you know, the city was
a mess. It was a mess, right, it was crazy.
And this woman stops me and she goes, oh, Darlene,
and she said I watch. I said, oh, thank you
so much, and she goes, I trust you for me.
(15:38):
That was the biggest compliment in journalism that somebody could
pay me. You know, it meant a lot now, especially
you know, we really it's important for us to earn
the trust, to keep the trust.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You know, how do you feel mentally right now? Like
it's just like do you see everything that's happening working
(16:13):
that's you don't get to escape it like we do.
Like if I don't want to watch the news for
a week, I don't write. How do you deal with
you know, mental health and like everything that you have
to report on and what you see it's.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Heavy, You're right, and it's heavy. And I even tell
I tell my friends and family to turn it off
and give yourself a break because it's so heavy. It's
never been like that. You know, we are in a
unique time and it is a scary time. And you know,
you can look at it or analyze it however you
want or say it's because of this, because of that,
(16:45):
but it is a scary and different time and I
can't escape it. You know, we have to not only
digest it and know it, we have to talk about
it over and over again. I mean a lot of
us on the show, you know, we have our own
group where we kind of vent with each other because now,
you know, you turn around, you take a nap, you
wake up, you're like, what the hell the world takes
(17:08):
what happened? Who said? What? What do you mean? You
know is that legal? You can't do that, you know,
And then we have to to figure it out and
figure out a way to say it. The thing is
that before journalism was sort of a simple thing, and
that you said this, and then there will be somebody
that has an opposing opinion, and you know, we will
(17:29):
show both sides, and that's what Now I have to say, well,
she said this, but that's not true. I have to
do that.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That's that's my responsibility exactly.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And then you know it would appear that we're being opinionated.
We're responsible though, to say it's not true or or
you know, we have to fact check in ways that
we never had to fact check before. It's like the
work became much harder. It's it's very yes, it's very difficult.
And then you know, now you have a lot of
(18:05):
people and there's a whole kind of you know, mentality
of people not believing news because there's so much out
there that is opinion based, made to look like news
or whatever. And you know, sometimes they say I don't
know who to believe. I say, yeah, no, you you
know who to believe. It's your job to find credible
(18:26):
news sources. And you know, you know, you have to
seek it out. And if you see, if you're reading
this information, keep on reading, keep on looking, get all sources.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
But people are so in a weird space right now
when it comes to news and when it comes to media.
I was on Good Night New York last week and
people like, why are you a Fox?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I hate Fox?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And Fox doesn't like Latinos, And I'm like, that's not
the case. You guys are generalizing everything in a weird space.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I hate it. Yeah, And it's like and also like,
I mean, let's say you're you're somewhere and you're you're
at an organization or an outlet, the people feel this way.
I mean, having you there is actually a good thing
because your voice matters, your presence matter. I mean, that's
exactly what I said.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I said, we spoke about Latinos, we spoke about Bad Bunny,
we spoke about the podcast. So it's like, if you
feel this way, at least see my visit there as
dem changing or evolving if that's where your mind is
at right now. Right, But it is hard because people
are forming opinions about outlets, the news in general. Oh,
we don't trust anything anybody says anymore. But you're right,
(19:31):
it is a climate that we're in right now. And
then you're also at Latina h. Your husband works immigration law,
so your house must feel charged.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
That's funny that she's you know, I haven't. That's a
really good way to put it. That's a good way
to put it. My house is charged. It is, you know,
and we have a lot of very strong opinions. And
you know, when you have twenty some things that are
just sort of like new in the world.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Oh though they have the most opinions all forgetting forget
about it.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
They want, you know, fight the power all day, even
you know, fight me all day and fight you know dad.
But so yes, there's a lot of opinions. But I
love our family group chats because with my kids, they know,
don't send a link, don't send me some TikTok news
like it better be a credible news force. So you
(20:22):
will see, like they'll send me a link and be like, well,
the Associated Press is reporting blah blah blah blah.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Only incredible news, NBC, Wall.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Street Journal, ABC, they're reporting it. I'm like, okay, did
you check? You know, and they know that this is
what we will discuss. We will discuss. Really, we're not
going to discuss nonsense because that's another reddit. You know,
all respect to Reddit, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
So you go down a rabbit hole with right now.
But you're right with social media with Facebook, I'm like, mom,
why did you share that?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
That's not even true?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
That's ai mom.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
That's another thing. My husband listened to things. I'm like,
and I'm listening. I'm like, none, if that is real,
please turn that off. I know. And it's a lot
of people can't distinguish, and sometimes I do. We try
to have that grace because like I feel like we're
we're in the media and we're inundated with this. So
we can probably tell an AI you need a lot
quicker than you just see somebody else, right, you know,
(21:12):
But that's another thing we have to battle.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
That's what I was gonna say, like the President, you know,
the ice AI misinformation.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
It's not easiest. I do know.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Imagine you're like, please diw this bag to let's say,
fifteen years ago.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yes, it's it's well, I don't know how. I can't
believe we're here in a lot of ways, I just
I can't believe we're here. But here we are, you know.
So I think that we all just have to do
our best at what we do and keep doing it,
and keep doing it with authenticity, with accuracy and with
good intentions, you know, and with truth. You know. I
(21:49):
say this all the time, and we talk about this
with with with our producer's colleagues. You know, I say
that the truth speaks for itself. You do not need
to exaggerate, you don't need to underplay it, you don't
need to overplay it. Just give it the truth speaks
for itself, you know, as long as you find something
that's truthful, that's enough. That's the fact you were in
(22:10):
Puerto Rico with Bad Bunny. Let's let's talk. I wish
I was with Bad but I wish well, you know, listen,
I wish he was my friend. I feel like he's,
you know, my family in my head, such a fan,
such a fan. I mean, I can't even explain.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And who went out there with you?
Speaker 2 (22:25):
So it was just my husband and I, but we
had a couple of friends. You guys are a fun couple.
Oh yeah, we all the time. We do have a
good time. Yeah, So we went he's Puerto Rican also,
he's Puerto Rican too, Yeah, and a couple that's of
some friends of ours. But then you know, we ran
into people we know and stuff like that. And wow,
the experience of being in that particular concert when I'm
(22:46):
Puerto Rican but I was not born there. But it's
a thing, you know, you land in Puerto Rico and
you somehow feel at home. It's it's this poll and
connection that I think a lot of us have right
with our island or you know, I say all the time,
right and when that show when it opened and you
saw like the montagna and the flamboyant tree and the
(23:09):
casita behind all these things. I was emotional because what
he has done is so incredible. Growing up in the
Bronx in New York and with my mom, like, I
thought everybody was Puerto Rican. I thought every Latino was
Porto Rican. I don't know. I just then you realize, well, no,
we're actually a tiny little fraction, you know, of of
(23:31):
the whole Latino diaspora. But he really took us, took
the island, took this culture and made it so global,
and no one's ever done that for this tiny little
island on that scale, and he has never waivered. This
is it, this is who I am. And I'm like, damn,
(23:52):
my mother was right. Our culture is amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It's crazy that my mother in law, she's Puerto Rican.
And I asked her, I said, has anybody artists wise
been ever as big as bad Bunny?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
And she couldn't think of you.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I think she said a grand combo maybe, but that
was about it. But she was like, no, nothing like
this ever.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
And she's seventy, right, so she knows, you know, And
and like my daughter, she's at Michigan State University and
in the bars they're playing bad Bunny. You know, so
you have kids who have no idea what they're saying,
but they're singing along. What are we doing for super Bowl?
We are already at the home. I'm trying to go.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh you're trying to go to super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Oh, darling.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
He's like, I got that bad.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I don't think it's gonna Happening's gonna happen, but yeah,
I not definitely a watch party, because again, it's that
sort of thing. I'm really interested to see what he's
going to do, especially with the kind of backlash that
happened right after he was announced. Listen, there's so many
songs we're gonna own it. Yeah, I think, well, I
think it's gonna be a great show.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It is gonna be a mez, of course.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
But there's so many songs that we've listened to our
whole life that we don't. I mean, I love Andrea Bocelli.
I don't speak as Hallian, but I sing the words
to that song. You know, there's a lot of songs
afro beats right now, are you kidding? No idea? But
I will sing because music is universal.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
It's a vibe.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
It's a vibe.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
It's not about the life, you know, Like I hear
music and Portuguese and I'm like, I love it and
I even mimic the words. It's so similar to Spanish
that I'm like, I'm singing in Portuguese exactly exactly. They're
going to be all right. And I feel like he's
done work with so many different people that it can
be a show that can appease those who are not happy. Yeah,
you know, he can bring out Drake, he can bring
out you know what I'm saying, Like, he's done music
(25:33):
with so many different people. But I'm proud that it's
the Latino Show and we deserved it. When that was announced,
it just felt so perfect. I'm like, we're going through
so much shit right now, man, the way we're being
painted in the media, the way we're being attacked, the
way we're being dragged, like, it's just it was like
a gift. It was like, you know when they mic drop, right,
(25:54):
I can believe it now.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
See, Okay, that's interesting because this is your since you're
in this business. They were saying that like this is
partially or I don't know if it was holy like
jay Z's influence and decision.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Well, they say he's the boss over a rock Nation,
and rock Nation is the one that you know, puts
together these halftime shows in the last few years. And no,
and Bad Bunny said he did get a call from
jay Z, so we can definitely say jay Z had
a hand at this. But he's a businessman and he
understands the concept of going worldwide.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Yes, yes, and I mean I love jay Z, so
I was like happy to hear that, you know that
he's consecutive.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
He was, And I feel like everybody in his team
is Latino or Dominican, you know, from og One to Desiree.
Like everybody in his circle that runs rock Nation it
is Latino. So if he ain't know about Bad Bunny
they put him.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
On, they sure know. I'm happy. I'm excited, definitely excited.
But again, it just takes like the culture. It's it's
it's New York, it's Puerto Rico, it's it's Latino, it's
it's all the things, and it just kind of puts
it on this global stage. I mean, you know better
than me, right, he liked the number one stream?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Oh no, he is Bad Bunny is the biggest star
in the world right now, right, don't come from me
K pop?
Speaker 2 (27:05):
But yes, it's what about Taylor those I mean you
should be right, Okay, No, no, I should not, you know,
with respect. I was just like, you're swifted. My daughters
are swifties.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I don't know any tailor swifts bones.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Don't judge me. I'm not judging, no, no, no, But
I think it's you know, it depends on.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Like where you are right see one hundreds right here,
And I know people that work there. They cry when
she gets engaged or when something good happens for her.
Much respect to them. But I'm more of like a
bad bunny hip hop girl.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Me too, So I'm I know, I'm bad bunny and
jay Z and I got Swifties at home. So you
just a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
It's a balance, you know, everything that's going on. How
hard is it to have to know everything that's happening
in the world, Like your brain must be mad at
you half the time? Yeah, probably I am, you know
it is.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
I'm just I'm constantly absorbing reading, doing homework. I you know,
I will go down a rabbit hole, you know, over
something that happened with the Ukrainian president, and you know,
go and figure it out so that if something in
the morning when I wake up, I'm already dialed in.
But you know, I'm dialed in all the time. I
(28:13):
like it, though, I have to be honest, I like it.
I know it's kind of crazy, I know, God, but
to put your phone away, like stop reading and I can't.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
How's the phones in your house? Do we put them
away for dinner?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Like? What's the rules with the phones? We do? We
don't have the phones at the dinner table. I'm glad
to hear that. Yeah, no, it's good. And you know,
when the kids were younger, I mean would I would
cook every day, so like you know, every day we would.
Now is every man for themselves, you know it. They
look at me all sad. What are we eating? I
don't know? You have you have a car, Why don't
(28:44):
you drive and pick something up for me? But yeah,
it was important to have that dinner time. You know.
My mother did that and even when it was just
me and her and then me and her my brother,
we sat around the table and she would come home
from work and it was kind of late, and I
never felt like I didn't have my mom around because
she was always there and cooked and we sat together
and went through our day. So we tried to do that,
(29:06):
you know, with our kids. I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, do any of your children want to do journalism?
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I didn't get one journalist out of the bunch. I'm
so upset about that. Still, I'm like, come on, I
could show you that. They're like, Mom, you held it down. Yeah, no,
I know, they just you know, the oldest is director
of operations at this wonderful Yeah. I know, you're mean
(29:32):
already because I wasn't that at her age. So yeah,
she's she's great. She's in the hospitality industry and she
does great. And my boy is an actor. I love
this model. Yeah, yeah, he's a cutie pie. And then
the little one, the baby, she's going to graduate in December,
and she she wants to work with children, and she's
really good with children, and she's into the whole like
(29:55):
child psychology, education, that sort of thing. And she also
really likes charity fun racing because I'm involved with Make
a Wish of the Hudson Valley, so she worked with
them all summer and they kind of change the trajectory
what she wants to do and she loves that make
a wish work.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
She's gonna definitely do good because you know, that's something
that you feel. Of course, you know, it's not something
that like I went to school, you know, to be
a nurse, and I'm just no, no, no. When you
want to work with children, when you want to make
a difference, that's something that's a you know, just like.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
It's like a calling. Yeah, that's the good work. And
I feel like too, like you know, I always wanted
it to be important to them to think about other people.
What can you give somebody? What can you do for
somebody else? You know. We I'm on the board of
the Christian Rivera Foundation, which is another foundation, and I've
been with them for my goodness, maybe twelve fifteen years.
(30:59):
And they're thing is DIPG. So that's a brain tumor
that really only happens to children. It's inoperable and it's fatal. Wow,
and there is no way to cure it. And they've
made so many strides that we have like an actual
young girl who made it from the age of ten
(31:19):
to eighteen that's never happened before. This tumor. When your
child is diagnosed, you have about eighteen months. It's brutal.
But you know, there's doctors who are working so hard.
And there's one doctor at New York Presbyterian. His name
is Mark Sedaine. He's brilliant and he has dedicated his
whole entire career. God bliss. He's a neuro surgeon. He's
dedicated his whole career to finding a cure for this.
(31:42):
And you know, he's a big neurosurgeon at Cornell. He
could be doing a lot of other things, but it's
this And I mean, my hair stands up because I'm
just really amazed and happy to be on that on
that journey with them. So hopefully they find a cure.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Will And you know, it takes people like you and
like the foundation to not let up because it's easy
to be like, you know, like I lost my son,
you know, bury him, and then she's like you just
do an anniversary, but not to actually create a foundation
and to you know, build on it and help other families.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
That speaks value. Yeah, I think it's incredible. I don't
know that I will have the strength for that. You know,
it's it's hard to do, like you said, but yeah,
I mean, one of these days you should come to
one of our events. I should. I'm I'm gonna drag
all you guys, o bringers. We are ready.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
You just gotta give me a little notice. I gotta
make sure I get my outfit right. Can we talk clothes?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Though?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I feel like you are so well put together, really
fashion girly.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
That yes, yes, yeah, I'm looking at the right Instagram.
I I feel like I'm putting it together with scotch
tape on some days. You know, I just like I
could roll into the studio like a lunatic. No, I
think it's hard. It's hard. They do hear and make
it for you every day. Talk to me.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I always wanted to know. And do they do they
pay for your clothes? These are questions I've always had.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Let's talk about it. She used to do hair and
makeup forever until recently. You do you got to do
your own hair makeup right now? I do? Girl? I
would quit because listen, I know, I'm surprised that I
haven't been thrown out because like some days, it's just
it's it's not good. But you know that's where listen.
TV business has changed. It has changed, and I think
(33:22):
a lot of the things that they did a lot
of you know, they don't have people operating cameras in
the studio anymore. The cameras are robotic. They don't have
people operating a prompter. The prompter is automatic, it's voice activated.
You know, those are people that used to have those
jobs at jobs that are lost, you know, so that
I hate. I hate that. I absolutely hate that.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
My cousin, she's a reporter for Telemundo in Florida, and
she's like a one woman show now and I'm like,
what do you mean.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh, does she do her own camera? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Yeah, and she edits in a car and I'm like,
wild girl, what do you mean?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I know?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
She's like yeah, and I've sent stories back and I'm
like alone and she's like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Yeah, no, it's crazy, It's absolutely crazy. You know, we
there would be a whole crew in the studio when
you were doing a TV newscast, and now not really.
You know, it's me and Michael. We have you know,
there are people there. You know, we have a wonderful
stage hand, we have an audio person and stuff like that.
But it's not what it was before. It's not what
it used to be. And it makes me sad because
(34:17):
it's a lot of people that used to work and
don't anymore.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
A lot of things have changed, like even Hollywood, Like
I was reading an article about Hollywood. Things have changed,
like people like I haven't worked in a year. Yeah,
and they're like things have changed so much. I feel
like it's across the board. Like even in radio, you know,
we have cuts all the time, and I know, and
those positions go away, right, It's not that we have
cuts and then in a year we re hire.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Because I mean, you're doing a show here in radio,
Like I don't know, ten years ago, there would have
been people right helping with I don't know what to do,
but like there's a lot, there's audio. There's a lot
of things happening. And now write people do their own boards.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Oh, I do my own boards. I can do my
own boards. I can do my own editing, my own digital,
my own social mead on my own hair. Yeah, listen
and hair looks good?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
You want to do my hair? I got you. Listen.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
I can tell you the foundation, like before the show,
come on, let's set it up. I'll be like I'm
your new hand makeup girl. You're right up the block, right,
You're not far yeah, we're at thirty Rock.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I got to okay, you know we have a makeup room.
We just you know, it's just empty, it's empty. Those
are my favorite people in the world. I know, you're
like family. It's a therapy, right, It's just an intimate relationship.
You know, people are touching your face in your hand
like you just grow to love them and they become
family to you. And yeah, so that's what about your clothes?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Do you pick your own clothes? Do they pick your clothes?
You pick your own clothes. Good for you, because I
couldn't pick.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
I could lend the clothes some days. You know, it's
a fashion. No. Sometimes you know they tell you they
don't like it, but you know I was gonna my
girlfriend will call me and my mother will tell me, oh.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
After the show, talk about to burn that blouse exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Well, my mother would say to me, should go, oh,
I saw you this morning, and I would go, yeah,
you go.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Like you hate it my dress, lady, listen already I
was already on TV.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Leave me alone. I'm on my way home. Yeah. No.
My husband so he'll be like, you know you need
you need more makeup, and I said, well, because it
doesn't the show because it doesn't not yeah during the show.
Oh yeah, we have friends, my friends talking about put
on some bronzer. I said, well where and he can't.
He can't, he can't articulate it. But he's like, something's
(36:27):
missing there on my face? Where here? And then I'm
you know, So we try to, We try to, but
it's it's very helpful. I appreciate the text from the family.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
But no, things, especially when you're on there, do not
stress me out.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I've been doing.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Stuff and people like and I'm like, the camera's on,
I can't just start.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I know. See. That's the fun though, too with live TV,
because sometimes you know, why say it like things happen something,
you know.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
But that's why you're relatable and that's why we like
you because it doesn't come off phony like yeah, and if.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I make a mistake, I mean you I'm gonna act
like you didn't see it. You saw it, you know,
like we're live.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
So you ever said like a random ass word on
air that you're like, why would that word come to mind?
Speaker 2 (37:10):
So it's got to be. With my co anchor this
morning or yesterday, we were talking about, you know, the
virus that the chicken, gunya virus. It's it's very strange.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Are we talking about is it the teaching? Is it
in Spanish too, that's the same. I'm thinking of something
in Spanish.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Guna, which sounds like it could be a Spanish word.
And he just couldn't get it out, you know, like
it was like chicken gua beans. It's like typehood, right,
and then you know it'll be me the next day
who just can't say something and like I'll just pronounce
it completely wrong and awful, and you know we laugh.
(37:48):
I mean, it can't be a horrible story, but yeah,
it's gotta be a fun, chill story. Yeah, you know
we missed for now, we say the wrong thing, we
mispronounced them.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
You had Cardi b up there? How hard was it
to be around?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
I love her?
Speaker 1 (37:59):
This she throws you off. I've interviewed her before and
I'm like, why are you making noises?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Like what's happening right now? Listen? I wish I was
interviewing you know what happened? She was on the Today Show?
So Michael and I walked over because I was like,
I want to see her. I thought she was with you, No,
I wish so so we walked over. We walked into
the studio of the Today Show studio and you know,
she had a bunch of people there and she's sitting
there with Jenna bush Hager and Jenna's so sweet, and
(38:26):
Carti's saying thanks to her that I know Jenna doesn't
fully like grasp well, yeah, because she said something about
it because ID be outside, you'd be outside, and Jenna
was like, I wanted to go, Jenna, but she's like,
you'd be outside and Jenna soet She's like yeah, and
it was funny. I mean, Carti be talk about authentic.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Oh, forget about it. There's nothing bake about that.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Everybody loves her and I'm so glad and it's refreshing
because she's, you know, this is it and she's not
about like making anybody else look bad or she's in
her she's doing her Cardie don't care, but nothing else.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Like she's just gonna say what she wants to say
as loud as she wants to say it. But it's
worked out for her. The way that Carti went from
you know, just being reality TV, you know, dancing to
one of the biggest stars in the world because I
don't care what nobody has said the woman what she's done.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I'm impressed, of course, of course. I mean there's a camp.
There's a right combo that some people have for whatever reason,
you know, and it and it's if I mixture and
she has it. When she's likable, people love her. Yeah,
she really is. Michael Mike co anchor, Michael Carcia, he
loves Carti b I went over there because he said
(39:45):
he's the Cardi fan, and I got you. Don't worry.
I love her, But he really loves her. He loves her,
he loves do, he loves Lil Wayne. He's the last
person that you would expect to be playing this in
his car. You know, he's a cool guy.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
If you like, I'm glad that you like him. And
the you know, the chemistry feels good. Yeah, I mean
we're like best friends because that's important. After the show
every morning we go have breakfast together. Yes, like our
families know each other.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
That's good. I like that. I mean, all of us
on the show, but me and him, yes, and we're
very different. But I mean he's funny and he's when
it comes to being a good person, he's one of
the best people I know, Like a really good hearted guy.
It works, and you know, sometimes it's like opposites it works.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
That's like like me and Elbus Duran, we love each
other and it's like, where did this? Like I'm a Dominicana,
Yeah you know what I'm saying, Like it just where did?
Speaker 2 (40:37):
But we adore each other. Yes, but he's a couple
of times.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
He's an amazing guy. He's the godfather of radio right, Like,
but he's just so amazing. He gives back, you know,
he has his dog. Like we just connected so many
different ways. But it was just a weird ass random pairing.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Yeah. Yeah, I love it though, but that works. It works,
you know, and I think that's that's the beauty of
New York. That's the beauty of new media. But that's
just kind of what we are. I mean, where did
you grow up? One hundred and fifty First Street in
Broadway and then Long Island? Okay, so you think about right,
but you think about a community like Long Island or
any neighborhood in any of these boroughs. You know, it's
(41:16):
like I was in this house and then mister Denelli,
the older Italian man lived here, and you know, group
tomatoes in the backyard and you know, and then you
had the Dominican lady across the street, the culture Jamaican, yes,
Jewish class. It was like this, you know, my my
Indian friend who sat next to me and yes, and
(41:37):
it was It's great, you know, and you just get
so accustomed to being in this melting pot and I
think that's a good thing. And I feel very sad
that people are feeling so separated these days. I hate it.
It's really sad. It's really sad, because I mean, that's
that's that's the strength, like people always say, you know, diversity,
the phrase, the dei, and the the stigma that it's
(42:00):
getting is like amazing to me because but they loved it.
At one point it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Everybody had a department and get oh, yeah, we're allocated millions.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And then all of a sudden, well then you see
who really means it right and who really thinks it's important.
The truth is is good for business. It just is.
You know, you're a fool if you think that everybody's
got to have the same sort of way of thinking
and we're going to be able to relate or sell
or or bring everyone in. That's not going to work,
you know. So I don't know, I don't know why
(42:29):
people are so afraid of that. But we grew up
in a very diverse place, so you know, we we
know it's it's important.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
It's like here in New York, it's like like it's
just we're melting pot. It's just like, you know, you
have an Indian friend the same way you have a
Black friend. And but we understand the importance of culture,
you know, just touching different worlds.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Right and appreciation the top. You know, it's us come
from the top, and you know, and I think it's
it's it's just sad. I mean, I remember I went
to public school in New York City and man, huh
and Bronx. Yeah. I went to well c S seventy
seven in Soundview and then PS one away in the
Morris Park Pellam Parkway section. And I remember being in
(43:11):
fourth grade and it's like, you know, I learned the
Hanukah song. We all learned it by heart, and we
all sang it. You know. We learned oragami because we
had a Japanese student in the class and she taught
us al oragami and we did the tarantella because there
were a lot of Italian kids in the class. And
how amazing is that, you know, I mean, the kids
learned to say Merry Christmas in Spanish. That's good. It's
(43:33):
a good thing. It is.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
It's amazing. And again it's coming from the top. But
I hope that we're going to get back to a space,
you know, where we again love each other and embrace
our differences. And I'm saying, because we were here marrying
each other. A Jewish guy would marry a Dominican girl,
a Black guy would marry a Jewish girl. Like, it's
just we're going to get back there. I have hoped, Darlene,
(43:56):
that we are going to get back there.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, No, I hope. So,
I mean, you sound very encouraging, and I want to
hear more of that because we need to. We need to.
Is this is a rough place. I never thought that
I would get to a point where my kids, who
are in their twenties would say, I'm concerned about my future.
I never thought that that would happen. Do you want
(44:20):
me to tell you how concerning things are? Right now?
Gloria as Stefan is doing press and she's walking around
with her passport, right.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Yeah, like that is real talk, real talk, like she
is worried about getting caught.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
This is Gloria as Stephan I know. Oh no, that's
how real this shit is right now, right. I mean,
we tell my son, you know, I say, when you
drive around, you know, listen him being a brown child
in the first place. There were all sorts of conversations
that we had had with him before he got in
a car and that sort of thing. But now, no,
(45:02):
I wonder, like, what if something like that happened? What
if somebody pulls up and wants to ask him for
papers or is he a citizen or that sort of thing, Like,
you know, that's so foreign to me.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
It's so like it's just unheard of, like it is.
I never felt like that. No, I have my passport
card with me because I'm like, you don't know when
they shut down one block or a restaurant or whatever,
you just caught up in the mix.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Right, it happened to any of us, right, It can
happen to any of us. That's the thing, and I
think that's what a lot of people in our community
need to remember, that it could happen to any of us.
You know, you know, because I mean some of some
there are some people who feel like, you know, that's
not some my issue, it's all of our it's everybody's issue.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
It's all of our issues.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
It's everybody's. You know, we need to we need to
pay attention and have compassion.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
I think, you know, shout out to your husband and
he's out here doing God's work, because I can only
imagine how his firm is right now.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
It's busy. It's busy, and you know, it's scary, it's
heartbreaking because you know, there are children who will reach
out to him and say, please, can you can you
help my father? Or you know, they just took my
father and I have his phone, Please can you can
you help us? It's a little boy man. You know,
what do you say? What do you say? What do
(46:32):
you do? So, yeah, that's hard. It's hard, and it's
a tumultuous time and everything is changing. I just feel
like what everybody needs to do, and I say this
to everybody I know, please please pay attention, Please learn,
learn about the roles of government, like whatever it is.
(46:56):
Know what each branch of government is supposed to be doing.
Know what is allowed in the constitution, Know what the
law says. We don't have to be all attorneys to
know this, but there's basic stuff that people need to
know because if they knew that, they wouldn't be questioning
why is this happening? How can he do this? Who
(47:17):
can do? You know, you would understand, well, yeah, that
should not be happening. That's actually not legal, or this
is legal because this was allowed, so now they can
do this to you, you know that sort of thing.
Just keep learning and stay aware. That's the most important
thing because I talk to people all the time, people
(47:37):
I know who really don't understand certain things about the
way the government works, or the way the government's supposed
to work, or the way the Supreme Court's supposed to work.
I learn every day. I learn every day. Every day
I'm reading to figure out something new, you know, And
it doesn't it doesn't take much. We have everything in
(47:59):
our phone right now, so you can look up anything
at any time. So take a few minutes every day
when you see a news article and go, Okay, what
the hell is that about? And go do a quick
little bit of research. I love that, really, I mean
I encourage everybody to do it all the time. Before
the election, you know, people talk about Project twenty twenty five.
What is that? Right? And I would tell everybody read it.
(48:23):
It's available, it's online. I mean it's it's five hundred pages.
You don't have to read the whole thing, but read it.
Read some of it. Tell cha gpt to summarize or
do that. See that's another thing. Make it two pages
instead of twenty five. Right. So whatever the issue is, immigration,
you know, whatever it is that's going on, go and
(48:43):
look up what your elected officials are actually voting for
as opposed to what you hear them saying. See, because
a lot of times it's two different things, right, So
check it for yourself. Everything is available, and it's not
like super difficult to understand, you.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
Know, especially you know if you're listening and you're in
New York. You know, we have the elections coming up.
We got to pick a new mirror.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
That's right. Make sure you know who you're voting for.
You want to know who you're voting for, and you
want to know, you know, what what does that mean?
What do they believe?
Speaker 1 (49:13):
What their policies are? Because you know, sometimes you see
a clip on social media and you're like, oh, that's
my guy, and it could be one answer, not the
whole you know, ideation of what he's going to do
in our city exactly.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
You know, when you're voting for an entire for a person,
all of their platform and everything they want to do.
So you just you have to be informed. I mean,
even going back to basic things like you know, words
like communism and Marxism and fascism and all these words.
Do yourself a favor, right like anybody you know, read
(49:46):
those definitions. Just just learn those and then you'll see
who's talking about what and who is what and who's
leaning which way and that sort of thing and does
it work for you? And do you like that? And
are you okay with that? But learn that because that
shit's important. Excuse me, No, you're good. You haven't been
listening to God. You know it is, it's super it's important.
(50:10):
The most important thing you can do is read and learn.
That's it. Every day a little bit of something. You know,
you do yourself a huge disservice when you stay in
the dark or when you say, oh, I'm not into politics. No, bro,
you need to be into politics, okay, because this is
what is politics. Why we're here today, That's why we're here,
so you don't have to be into You better vote,
(50:32):
you know, or don't complain later. Don't complain. I don't
want to hear it, you know. And there are a
lot of people that I hear who regret or no,
I don't want to hear it because you're not political.
You're not You don't vote, you don't want to, but
exercise that right to vote. You know how hard it
was for some of us to get that right. That's
that's exactly, but not play.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
If you black, if you a female, you better get
on that exactly line and cast your vote.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Right. I remember when we went into when I remember
when Obama was running for president. My kids were little,
and I took them with me and I said, we're
going to go. It was a voting booth at the time.
I said, we're going to go in the booth, the
little curtain. Yeah, the curtain. I said, But you know,
you can't like say out loud who I'm voting for, Like,
don't come out this, yeah, you know, like you can't
(51:17):
like everybody, don't say the names. As we were doing,
It's like okay, And I explained to them, I said,
you know, the voting rights Act. This is you know,
what allowed people like us to vote and what allowed
us to be in a situation where we have a
black person running for president of the United States. And
my son, who was little at the time, he thought
(51:38):
you were either black or white. So for his little life,
his little child, he thought, in my house, everybody's black
and I was white. Oh yeah, that's what he thought.
And he goes, I said yeah, because you know, we
couldn't vote. He goes, well, no, we couldn't vote it,
but you would have been okay, right, mama, I said no.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
And then it da't know, you must think I'm a white.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
Woman many times, many times like no, like no, no,
that's not no, I'm not you know. And he would
say like when you know, he would come home with
lessons school and history and stuff. You go, yeah, you know, people.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Like you, and when it was black issues, you'd be like,
where my dad at?
Speaker 2 (52:17):
Right? You know, it's like everybody like I'm the only
one in the house who Yeah, So I explained, you know,
we're his man. This is it and this is you know,
it's a lot more to this than just the white
or black. But it was, yeah, very funny. So this
this is That was our conversation on the way to
the photing that's funny. I love that you should me
being the white woman in the house. That that's what
(52:40):
he thought. Funny, dope, man.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
I want to thank you so much, you know, for
making the time to come down here, for sitting down
with me. You're actually going to be I feel like
Paula Ramos Oh. I love her dad, but I feel
like journalists you and I love her and I'm obsessed
with her. I was so, I was just gonna say,
you're gonna be our first, you know, Latina journalist.
Speaker 2 (53:05):
No good. She went ahead. That's wonderful. I love what
you're doing. I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you, because
you you could be doing a lot of other things.
And the fact that you're choosing to amplify Latino voices
to me, it's it's like I have to do it.
I'm I'm I mean, I'm so proud of you for that.
(53:25):
I'm so happy that you're doing that. I'm happy for
us that you're doing that, because I think that's that's
what we need. We need to be supportive.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
And what you're doing. I have to acknowledge that. I
have to celebrate that. I have to let people know,
people who are not in New York. I want them
to know Darlene Rodriguez here killing it and she's been
doing it for a long time. And the way you
represent us.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
I appreciate, top tier. I appreciate you. Don't have to
say a long time with that kind of emphasis.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Oh my bad, bad bad, A long time?
Speaker 2 (53:55):
Take you that long. One time, somebody came in the
elever said, well, you're He said, I grew up watching you.
But I ain't grow up watching you.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
But you know, I don't like I've been watching you.
Talk about my grandmother.
Speaker 2 (54:07):
Used to watch you. Grew up your ass talking about
you crazy, you're grown man, going on.
Speaker 1 (54:12):
We're playing games with me about you grew up.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
No, no, no, no, you grew up watching Chuck Scarborough. Maybe
I love me. Thank you so much, thank you. I
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Are you going on a date now?
Speaker 2 (54:27):
You look so pretty?
Speaker 1 (54:28):
Let's go, let's all go out where we're going.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
Let's go. My tree is paying? Oh okay, okay, that's it,
I said, my tree, But Darling said, you paying pay
is exactly Thank you so much for stopping by.
Speaker 1 (54:40):
Darnny and I appreciate you, Grassiers and come Again. Grassiers
Come Again is a production of Honey German Productions in
partnership with iHeart micro through the podcast network
Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German. Welcome to
another episode of Grasses Come Again. Today, I'm sitting down
with Darlene Rodriuez NBC four today in New York.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I wanted to say that for so long.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm such a fan of yours. It's so nice to
be here.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I am a fan of yours. I'm so happy you're here.
You're like really like the epitome of like Latina in
journalism that has been killing it for decades. Oh, you're
so sweet, you know, because you've been doing this like
thirty years.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, I know. It feels crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
With the same company.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So I've been with NBC. It's going to be twenty
six years.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
How have you managed to do this? Please give me
the secret sauce?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You know, you know what I find. I think that
I didn't know. There was so much I didn't know.
Like I started, I'm from here, right, So you're born
and raised in New York City. You go to the
school journalism, your Bronx girl, Bronx girl, and they tell
you that you know, you have to start in a
small market. You have to start in you know, Toledo, Ohio.
And I'm like, no, there's no Puerto Ricans over there.
Like I wouldn't even know how to live in a
(01:06):
small market. So I had that sort of naive almost ignorance.
We're like, no, I grew up here, I'm gonna work here.
That was me.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
I started radio in New York right number one?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Never number one.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
People were like, oh, you're gonna have to move all
over the country and then you can end up in
New York, right. But there's just a thing that we
just I wasn't moving, no, and we feel comfortable in
spaces where we didn't think we had a chance. I
think that's just the way we grew up, you know,
So it just kind of made sense. But the way
I started was I had graduated college and realized.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Oh wow, yeah, you know, you can't get a job
in TV here. It is hard. And then I saw
in the newspaper at the time we had newspapers, real newspapers.
My husband actually found and it said, or I think
it was my mom, there was a cable station opening
up called Bronx Net Okay, and I thought, well, okay,
I know this, I know I know this borrow So
(02:00):
I walked in. I had no appointment, and it was like,
you know, it was a studio that just opened, and
I kind of, you know, I borrowed my girlfriends like
this skirt and jacket, and I just walked in with
a resume. I did not bring my tape because it
was so bad. I knew that it would hurt me
if I left the tape. But if I met them
in person, were like I could sell, maybe I could
make a better impression exactly. So yeah, I mean after
(02:23):
he asked me, how the hell did you get in
here security? Yeah, he offered me. Yeah, he said, you know,
I'll try you out. He said, I'll try you out.
I'll give you one hundred and twenty eight dollars per story.
And to me, that was like okay, great, You're like,
it's it, that's it. I was like okay. So I
did that for a year and then then my husband
had seen something and it was an opening for CBS
(02:43):
Radio News News Radio eighty eight.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So you always wanted to do news.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, So since I was little, eight years old, I
used to tell my mom that this is what I
wanted to do. See. She used to watch the news
a lot, and which news did you want? She watched
do you remember? Yeah? Everything, So she I was talking
to when I was a lot younger on Channel four WNBC,
Roland Smith, Ernie A. Nastis and she right, she watched
(03:10):
Peter jennings On on the you know, ABC evening news.
It was like Dan Rather, oh, yeah, the ogs, Ted
Copple late at night, Nightline, I believe it was called.
And you know, I knew that I didn't understand the
content as a little girl always, but I knew it
was important because she was so interested and glued. Yes,
(03:31):
and then she'd have reactions and she'd talk about it.
And who was there watching the news with mom? Me?
Just me?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So you saw the reaction that was it?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, because it was just me and her until my
brother was born. I was an only child for about
thirteen fourteen years. It was just me and my mom.
And mom would watch the news and you're like, I
want to do this, Yeah, I said you because I
knew like my mother valued and you look, right, when
you're little, you look at what your parents value. You
don't know that's what you're observing, but that's what you're observing.
And I remember she really vowed you'd intelligence and already Yeah,
(04:06):
and to her. It was like that was more important
than anything, more important than being pretty or being popular,
you know, any of that. And when people would compliment me,
I was a little girl. Oh she's so cute, Kellen.
My mother. Yeah, she's very smart too, you know. So
I knew that that was what that was more important
to her. Yes, And I think that's why I just
(04:27):
kind of gravitated towards it. And I talk a lot
and I'm nosy. It just works.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I've been doing research since that working exactly. It just works.
So you start working, you walk in. How long did
this last?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
So Bronxton was about a year, and then I started
with the radio gig, but again with radio. I walked
in and they said the same thing. They're like, you know,
people who come to CBS Radio have been doing this
for at least ten years in a major market. You've
been doing cable. And the way I saw myself there
was I said, yes, you're right, but I'm about half
the age of all the reporters that you have on
(05:03):
the air here because I've been listening and I can
get into neighborhoods and communities that I know they can't,
So I think I can bring you a perspective that
would be different. And again it was like, all right,
I'm gonna try you out. And I think that pay
was We're going to pay five hundred dollars a week, okay,
Monday through Friday.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
To me, I was like, okay, you're just graduating college.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah. I was happy I was unemployed. I mean, I
had the Bronx and I get but that wasn't a real,
real setty thing. So I said okay, and they said,
but it's just a trial. And it was two weeks
and then it turned into five weeks, six weeks, and
then they offered me a job and that was my first,
Like job, how did you celebrate? Oh my gosh, I
don't remember. That's funny that I sat. I remember because
this is a big deal. But you know what I
(05:47):
do remember. I remember walking into the CBS building fifty
second and six. It was called black Rock at the time.
I don't even know if it's still called that, but Blackrock,
and I remember seeing the CBS logo and it was
it's like they're expecting me, you know, like I actually
have an appointment here. And to me that was such
a big deal. And then when I went into a
(06:08):
CBS to my NBC interview. I remember walking out and
I called my mother first and I said to her, like,
I don't even know if I got it, but I
was just so emotional that I had just walked out
of the NBC building at thirty Rock and had a
real interview, like I was taken seriously, you know, And
(06:29):
that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Sometimes it takes like you said, we have to leave,
we have to go to other markets. We have to
work in Texas, we have to work in Nashville, and
then we can come here and like finish out our
careers here. So to get started here in New York
and the way that you've been able to stay on
air all these years, that's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
It is. I'm grateful. I'm so grateful, really, and I
think it's because it's because of the support that I
have in the community.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I feel like it is too. It's just like you
belong to the community, and that's your viewers.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah. They and they they they claim you, you know,
and I love belong to them. Yeah, And I feel
responsible to the community. I feel like I'm reporting on
my home, my family, my friends. This is where I
grew up, you know. So it's it's so personal to
me that we get it right. And the commercial that
you guys have where you know you're in the Bronx,
it feels good and it feels it feels.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So genuine like you're still connected because you know, sometimes
a lot of time goes by and you're on TV
and you know, you move and yeah, but it feels
like you're still connected.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Oh my goodness. Absolutely, And and you know we made
sure to do that with the kids too. It's like,
you know, with your kids. Yeah, my kids, I mean
they're my God, I say kids. My youngest is twenty two.
I know your daughter just got married. The old this
got my and she's thirty two. And then my son
is twenty four, a middle boy. So I can't even
believe I'm saying. It's like, who are these grown people?
They can't be Mike. Do they still live with you?
(07:52):
Not the married one, but yeah, everybody else, Well, at
least you're not an empty nester. No. But I'm like
Latina mom, I want them to live with me, flat,
I want them there forever.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
We're going to build them a house in the back.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah, I want them there all the time. But yeah,
I mean, you know, we we keep them connected. We
stay connected. I mean, my gosh, my grandmother. My, this
is how fortunate I am. My grandmother just passed away
five years ago. I had my grandmother for fifty years
of my life, Like, who has that? Right? She well,
she didn't want anybody to know, but she she you know,
(08:24):
said she was eighty something. Yeah, so you had your grandmother.
I had my grandmother. She lived in the projects in
Sound View.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
You were definitely connected because you was you were still
visiting the project, absolutely, and you know people you would
recognize you of way.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
How proud was she? Oh my, oh forget it. I
can only imagine, oh, no, forget it. And my mother too,
like you can't you know if as a matter of fact,
she was in the at the doctor's office in the
second we walk in, the nurse comes in, she goes,
you know that that's my daughter. You know she's on TV.
You know that, you know who she is? Right? And
helped me? Like I love that. I'm like, mom, please
don't do that. You're an only child. No, I have
(09:01):
a brother. So my brother was born when I was
almost Oh yes you did. Yes, he's a lot younger.
He's like my baby. So I was kind of raised
like an only child, and he was kind of raised
like an only child. But we're very close.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
How hard was it for him with you being, you know,
so accomplished so early, because it's not like the pressure.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting. Yeah, he he actually he
did way better than me in school. He went he
went to NYU. He graduated from NYU and he got
a degree and he actually had an interest in journalism
and then tried some different things and now he works.
He works for the New York State government. I love that. Yeah,
and he's he's doing great. He's a smart, smart guy,
(09:40):
smart guy smarter than me.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Would be that if your mother valued you know, education
and smart you both had to deliver.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, we's here because sometimes we don't owe no. And
you know what she would say, it's like you know
she she's wherever you set the standard for your kids,
they're going to rise to that. So if it's low,
you know, like my mother, I remember other parents saying
like yeah, no, you know so and so my son
he did greg and he passed everything and my mother
(10:10):
passed like that was her thing to me pass even
of course you're gonna where's the a I need the
greens on the wall. She's so difficult. You know, it
was so hard because I come home and you know,
got ninety two, could have gotten in ninety six. I
mean she was still very proud, but she always pushed
for that highest possible. Shit is exhausting. Yeah, it was exhausting.
(10:34):
But are you that same mom now? I try to be.
I think I'm a little bit weaker when it because
I think I am. I think my kids would tell
you that I am. I'm sitting here, I think like, no,
not really, yes, I think I am. I mean, you know,
if I could be half the mother she is, I
think I'll do great. Well, somebody has to be the softie,
right is it you? I don't know, is it me?
(10:55):
I don't know. I think we take turns, you know,
we take turns, you know how it is. It's like,
you know, and I'm blessed that Oh so.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You switch your rolls. Bag cop, good cop, backup, yees.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Sometimes like I'm gonna I swear I'm gonna kill this kid,
and then you know the other point, no, no, no,
leave it, I'll take care of it. So it's that
sort of thing. But we go through the same things
with our kids. You know, do you have kids? No, Oh,
that's why you look so young and beautiful. Listen that
that beautiful face. I have a gray hair for every
(11:26):
little bit of stress. You have four kids, right, three? Three? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Raising children. A lot of people that sit here say
is the most rewarding but also the hardest job.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
It is. It is because you're responsible for these people,
and you're thinking, like, I gotta I'm sending these people
out into the world. What kind of people am I
sending out into the world, you know? So for me
it was, yeah, I want you to do well. I
want you to be smart and accomplish and all that stuff,
but I want you to be a good person. I
want you to be kind and compassionate, you know. And
that to us was always number one. How you treat people.
(12:00):
I mean even when we were when the kids were
little and we go to restaurants and stuff like that,
It's like we were very conscious of how they speak
to people, how they're grateful, and how they say thank you,
and how they stop and you know, somebody brings something
to stop your conversation and say thank you respectfully.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
And the world thinks you that's the type of humans
we need.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
That's what we need. That's how we all should be because
you know, you can judge somebody a lot. Right when
you go out to dinner or to have drinks with someone,
you really can see their character based on how they
treat people who are the wait staff you're serving them. Yeah, yeah,
it says a lot. Are Your husband's a lawyer. He's
a lawyer, immigration lawyer, so you know, that's a busy, busy,
busy job.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I can only imagine. How is it being married to
a lawyer? Do you ever win any arguments?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Have you met me? I feel?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I said a lawyer, I said, do you just ar
you all day and let them when you get tired
all day you're like, I'm just gonna go.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
To bed, you know, because it thinks they know more, right,
you know, But no, I mean he's he's extremely extremely smart,
I really accomplished, and I'm busy, you know. It's it's
it's a privilege too to to be a part or
at least to be a witness to see what he's doing,
and the immigration attorneys right now and how hard they're
working under the circumstances and how things are changing.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I can only imagine, you know, an immigration attorney's office.
It's got to be upside down right now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
It is. It is, it's upside down, and everything changes
all the time. I mean, there's so much. It's hard
because you know, at work, I do a show in
the morning and it's you're four thirty in the morning, Yes,
four thirty. I don't know, and that she said, I
don't know if a morning person. I've never been a
morning person. And it's bizarre to me. You know. When
(13:42):
they wanted me to do that, choice said, no, no, I do.
I like hard news, you know, three alarm fire, you know,
double homicide, Like that's my lane. And they're like, no, no,
we think you're personable, you'd be good for the morning.
It's absolutely not. I don't you know. I don't want
to talk about like who was on the red carpet? Yes, yeah,
I didn't. You know, I didn't think I was good
(14:04):
for that. But you look good doing thank you. You
know what it is, it's about being your authentic self.
And I think that's what it was, like you were saying,
how do you do it? So long? I think it's
because I didn't know how to fit a mold. I
didn't know how to act or look or appear to
be an anchor person or a TV reporter. You can't
(14:24):
exist like that. You can't and not in New York, right,
Like people new York fake, Yeah, they see fake and
they let you know, and they also see real and
I think they gravitate to it or they relate to it,
you know. And I mean, I I try to just
be my best, authentic. That's all I got to give
you is me. You know, I can't be anybody else.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And that is what we latch onto. And you know,
that's one thing that I say all the time. I
don't want to be liked. I don't want to be admired.
I just want to be relatable. I just want you
to feel like you can count on me, right, And
you know, I'm going to also express the same things
that you're feeling.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Right, And that's what it is because people listening to you,
they're going through their day. You don't know what they're
going through. And especially radio, what I love about radio
is so intimate, right, it's your voice, and people who
are listening to you, they're in the middle of whatever.
Are they're in the car, or they're at home, are
they going through something or and it's just you and
they have to have that trust. Like I feel as
(15:18):
a journalist, the best compliment somebody gave me was I
was walking down the street and it was right after
Hurricane Sandy twenty twelve, and you know, the city was
a mess. It was a mess, right, it was crazy.
And this woman stops me and she goes, oh, Darlene,
and she said I watch. I said, oh, thank you
so much, and she goes, I trust you for me.
(15:38):
That was the biggest compliment in journalism that somebody could
pay me. You know, it meant a lot now, especially
you know, we really it's important for us to earn
the trust, to keep the trust.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You know, how do you feel mentally right now? Like
it's just like do you see everything that's happening working
(16:13):
that's you don't get to escape it like we do.
Like if I don't want to watch the news for
a week, I don't write. How do you deal with
you know, mental health and like everything that you have
to report on and what you see it's.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Heavy, You're right, and it's heavy. And I even tell
I tell my friends and family to turn it off
and give yourself a break because it's so heavy. It's
never been like that. You know, we are in a
unique time and it is a scary time. And you know,
you can look at it or analyze it however you
want or say it's because of this, because of that,
(16:45):
but it is a scary and different time and I
can't escape it. You know, we have to not only
digest it and know it, we have to talk about
it over and over again. I mean a lot of
us on the show, you know, we have our own
group where we kind of vent with each other because now,
you know, you turn around, you take a nap, you
wake up, you're like, what the hell the world takes
(17:08):
what happened? Who said? What? What do you mean? You
know is that legal? You can't do that, you know,
And then we have to to figure it out and
figure out a way to say it. The thing is
that before journalism was sort of a simple thing, and
that you said this, and then there will be somebody
that has an opposing opinion, and you know, we will
(17:29):
show both sides, and that's what Now I have to say, well,
she said this, but that's not true. I have to
do that.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That's that's my responsibility exactly.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And then you know it would appear that we're being opinionated.
We're responsible though, to say it's not true or or
you know, we have to fact check in ways that
we never had to fact check before. It's like the
work became much harder. It's it's very yes, it's very difficult.
And then you know, now you have a lot of
(18:05):
people and there's a whole kind of you know, mentality
of people not believing news because there's so much out
there that is opinion based, made to look like news
or whatever. And you know, sometimes they say I don't
know who to believe. I say, yeah, no, you you
know who to believe. It's your job to find credible
(18:26):
news sources. And you know, you know, you have to
seek it out. And if you see, if you're reading
this information, keep on reading, keep on looking, get all sources.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
But people are so in a weird space right now
when it comes to news and when it comes to media.
I was on Good Night New York last week and
people like, why are you a Fox?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I hate Fox?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And Fox doesn't like Latinos, And I'm like, that's not
the case. You guys are generalizing everything in a weird space.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I hate it. Yeah, And it's like and also like,
I mean, let's say you're you're somewhere and you're you're
at an organization or an outlet, the people feel this way.
I mean, having you there is actually a good thing
because your voice matters, your presence matter. I mean, that's
exactly what I said.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I said, we spoke about Latinos, we spoke about Bad Bunny,
we spoke about the podcast. So it's like, if you
feel this way, at least see my visit there as
dem changing or evolving if that's where your mind is
at right now. Right, But it is hard because people
are forming opinions about outlets, the news in general. Oh,
we don't trust anything anybody says anymore. But you're right,
(19:31):
it is a climate that we're in right now. And
then you're also at Latina h. Your husband works immigration law,
so your house must feel charged.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
That's funny that she's you know, I haven't. That's a
really good way to put it. That's a good way
to put it. My house is charged. It is, you know,
and we have a lot of very strong opinions. And
you know, when you have twenty some things that are
just sort of like new in the world.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Oh though they have the most opinions all forgetting forget
about it.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
They want, you know, fight the power all day, even
you know, fight me all day and fight you know dad.
But so yes, there's a lot of opinions. But I
love our family group chats because with my kids, they know,
don't send a link, don't send me some TikTok news
like it better be a credible news force. So you
(20:22):
will see, like they'll send me a link and be like, well,
the Associated Press is reporting blah blah blah blah.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Only incredible news, NBC, Wall.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Street Journal, ABC, they're reporting it. I'm like, okay, did
you check? You know, and they know that this is
what we will discuss. We will discuss. Really, we're not
going to discuss nonsense because that's another reddit. You know,
all respect to Reddit, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
So you go down a rabbit hole with right now.
But you're right with social media with Facebook, I'm like, mom,
why did you share that?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
That's not even true?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
That's ai mom.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
That's another thing. My husband listened to things. I'm like,
and I'm listening. I'm like, none, if that is real,
please turn that off. I know. And it's a lot
of people can't distinguish, and sometimes I do. We try
to have that grace because like I feel like we're
we're in the media and we're inundated with this. So
we can probably tell an AI you need a lot
quicker than you just see somebody else, right, you know,
(21:12):
But that's another thing we have to battle.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
That's what I was gonna say, like the President, you know,
the ice AI misinformation.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
It's not easiest. I do know.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Imagine you're like, please diw this bag to let's say,
fifteen years ago.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yes, it's it's well, I don't know how. I can't
believe we're here in a lot of ways, I just
I can't believe we're here. But here we are, you know.
So I think that we all just have to do
our best at what we do and keep doing it,
and keep doing it with authenticity, with accuracy and with
good intentions, you know, and with truth. You know. I
(21:49):
say this all the time, and we talk about this
with with with our producer's colleagues. You know, I say
that the truth speaks for itself. You do not need
to exaggerate, you don't need to underplay it, you don't
need to overplay it. Just give it the truth speaks
for itself, you know, as long as you find something
that's truthful, that's enough. That's the fact you were in
(22:10):
Puerto Rico with Bad Bunny. Let's let's talk. I wish
I was with Bad but I wish well, you know, listen,
I wish he was my friend. I feel like he's,
you know, my family in my head, such a fan,
such a fan. I mean, I can't even explain.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And who went out there with you?
Speaker 2 (22:25):
So it was just my husband and I, but we
had a couple of friends. You guys are a fun couple.
Oh yeah, we all the time. We do have a
good time. Yeah, So we went he's Puerto Rican also,
he's Puerto Rican too, Yeah, and a couple that's of
some friends of ours. But then you know, we ran
into people we know and stuff like that. And wow,
the experience of being in that particular concert when I'm
(22:46):
Puerto Rican but I was not born there. But it's
a thing, you know, you land in Puerto Rico and
you somehow feel at home. It's it's this poll and
connection that I think a lot of us have right
with our island or you know, I say all the time,
right and when that show when it opened and you
saw like the montagna and the flamboyant tree and the
(23:09):
casita behind all these things. I was emotional because what
he has done is so incredible. Growing up in the
Bronx in New York and with my mom, like, I
thought everybody was Puerto Rican. I thought every Latino was
Porto Rican. I don't know. I just then you realize, well, no,
we're actually a tiny little fraction, you know, of of
(23:31):
the whole Latino diaspora. But he really took us, took
the island, took this culture and made it so global,
and no one's ever done that for this tiny little
island on that scale, and he has never waivered. This
is it, this is who I am. And I'm like, damn,
(23:52):
my mother was right. Our culture is amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It's crazy that my mother in law, she's Puerto Rican.
And I asked her, I said, has anybody artists wise
been ever as big as bad Bunny?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
And she couldn't think of you.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I think she said a grand combo maybe, but that
was about it. But she was like, no, nothing like
this ever.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
And she's seventy, right, so she knows, you know, And
and like my daughter, she's at Michigan State University and
in the bars they're playing bad Bunny. You know, so
you have kids who have no idea what they're saying,
but they're singing along. What are we doing for super Bowl?
We are already at the home. I'm trying to go.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh you're trying to go to super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Oh, darling.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
He's like, I got that bad.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I don't think it's gonna Happening's gonna happen, but yeah,
I not definitely a watch party, because again, it's that
sort of thing. I'm really interested to see what he's
going to do, especially with the kind of backlash that
happened right after he was announced. Listen, there's so many
songs we're gonna own it. Yeah, I think, well, I
think it's gonna be a great show.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It is gonna be a mez, of course.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
But there's so many songs that we've listened to our
whole life that we don't. I mean, I love Andrea Bocelli.
I don't speak as Hallian, but I sing the words
to that song. You know, there's a lot of songs
afro beats right now, are you kidding? No idea? But
I will sing because music is universal.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
It's a vibe.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
It's a vibe.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
It's not about the life, you know, Like I hear
music and Portuguese and I'm like, I love it and
I even mimic the words. It's so similar to Spanish
that I'm like, I'm singing in Portuguese exactly exactly. They're
going to be all right. And I feel like he's
done work with so many different people that it can
be a show that can appease those who are not happy. Yeah,
you know, he can bring out Drake, he can bring
out you know what I'm saying, Like, he's done music
(25:33):
with so many different people. But I'm proud that it's
the Latino Show and we deserved it. When that was announced,
it just felt so perfect. I'm like, we're going through
so much shit right now, man, the way we're being
painted in the media, the way we're being attacked, the
way we're being dragged, like, it's just it was like
a gift. It was like, you know when they mic drop, right,
(25:54):
I can believe it now.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
See, Okay, that's interesting because this is your since you're
in this business. They were saying that like this is
partially or I don't know if it was holy like
jay Z's influence and decision.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Well, they say he's the boss over a rock Nation,
and rock Nation is the one that you know, puts
together these halftime shows in the last few years. And no,
and Bad Bunny said he did get a call from
jay Z, so we can definitely say jay Z had
a hand at this. But he's a businessman and he
understands the concept of going worldwide.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Yes, yes, and I mean I love jay Z, so
I was like happy to hear that, you know that
he's consecutive.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
He was, And I feel like everybody in his team
is Latino or Dominican, you know, from og One to Desiree.
Like everybody in his circle that runs rock Nation it
is Latino. So if he ain't know about Bad Bunny
they put him.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
On, they sure know. I'm happy. I'm excited, definitely excited.
But again, it just takes like the culture. It's it's
it's New York, it's Puerto Rico, it's it's Latino, it's
it's all the things, and it just kind of puts
it on this global stage. I mean, you know better
than me, right, he liked the number one stream?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Oh no, he is Bad Bunny is the biggest star
in the world right now, right, don't come from me
K pop?
Speaker 2 (27:05):
But yes, it's what about Taylor those I mean you
should be right, Okay, No, no, I should not, you know,
with respect. I was just like, you're swifted. My daughters
are swifties.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I don't know any tailor swifts bones.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Don't judge me. I'm not judging, no, no, no, But
I think it's you know, it depends on.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Like where you are right see one hundreds right here,
And I know people that work there. They cry when
she gets engaged or when something good happens for her.
Much respect to them. But I'm more of like a
bad bunny hip hop girl.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Me too, So I'm I know, I'm bad bunny and
jay Z and I got Swifties at home. So you
just a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
It's a balance, you know, everything that's going on. How
hard is it to have to know everything that's happening
in the world, Like your brain must be mad at
you half the time? Yeah, probably I am, you know
it is.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
I'm just I'm constantly absorbing reading, doing homework. I you know,
I will go down a rabbit hole, you know, over
something that happened with the Ukrainian president, and you know,
go and figure it out so that if something in
the morning when I wake up, I'm already dialed in.
But you know, I'm dialed in all the time. I
(28:13):
like it, though, I have to be honest, I like it.
I know it's kind of crazy, I know, God, but
to put your phone away, like stop reading and I can't.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
How's the phones in your house? Do we put them
away for dinner?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Like? What's the rules with the phones? We do? We
don't have the phones at the dinner table. I'm glad
to hear that. Yeah, no, it's good. And you know,
when the kids were younger, I mean would I would
cook every day, so like you know, every day we would.
Now is every man for themselves, you know it. They
look at me all sad. What are we eating? I
don't know? You have you have a car, Why don't
(28:44):
you drive and pick something up for me? But yeah,
it was important to have that dinner time. You know.
My mother did that and even when it was just
me and her and then me and her my brother,
we sat around the table and she would come home
from work and it was kind of late, and I
never felt like I didn't have my mom around because
she was always there and cooked and we sat together
and went through our day. So we tried to do that,
(29:06):
you know, with our kids. I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, do any of your children want to do journalism?
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I didn't get one journalist out of the bunch. I'm
so upset about that. Still, I'm like, come on, I
could show you that. They're like, Mom, you held it down. Yeah, no,
I know, they just you know, the oldest is director
of operations at this wonderful Yeah. I know, you're mean
(29:32):
already because I wasn't that at her age. So yeah,
she's she's great. She's in the hospitality industry and she
does great. And my boy is an actor. I love
this model. Yeah, yeah, he's a cutie pie. And then
the little one, the baby, she's going to graduate in December,
and she she wants to work with children, and she's
really good with children, and she's into the whole like
(29:55):
child psychology, education, that sort of thing. And she also
really likes charity fun racing because I'm involved with Make
a Wish of the Hudson Valley, so she worked with
them all summer and they kind of change the trajectory
what she wants to do and she loves that make
a wish work.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
She's gonna definitely do good because you know, that's something
that you feel. Of course, you know, it's not something
that like I went to school, you know, to be
a nurse, and I'm just no, no, no. When you
want to work with children, when you want to make
a difference, that's something that's a you know, just like.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
It's like a calling. Yeah, that's the good work. And
I feel like too, like you know, I always wanted
it to be important to them to think about other people.
What can you give somebody? What can you do for
somebody else? You know. We I'm on the board of
the Christian Rivera Foundation, which is another foundation, and I've
been with them for my goodness, maybe twelve fifteen years.
(30:59):
And they're thing is DIPG. So that's a brain tumor
that really only happens to children. It's inoperable and it's fatal. Wow,
and there is no way to cure it. And they've
made so many strides that we have like an actual
young girl who made it from the age of ten
(31:19):
to eighteen that's never happened before. This tumor. When your
child is diagnosed, you have about eighteen months. It's brutal.
But you know, there's doctors who are working so hard.
And there's one doctor at New York Presbyterian. His name
is Mark Sedaine. He's brilliant and he has dedicated his
whole entire career. God bliss. He's a neuro surgeon. He's
dedicated his whole career to finding a cure for this.
(31:42):
And you know, he's a big neurosurgeon at Cornell. He
could be doing a lot of other things, but it's
this And I mean, my hair stands up because I'm
just really amazed and happy to be on that on
that journey with them. So hopefully they find a cure.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Will And you know, it takes people like you and
like the foundation to not let up because it's easy
to be like, you know, like I lost my son,
you know, bury him, and then she's like you just
do an anniversary, but not to actually create a foundation
and to you know, build on it and help other families.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
That speaks value. Yeah, I think it's incredible. I don't
know that I will have the strength for that. You know,
it's it's hard to do, like you said, but yeah,
I mean, one of these days you should come to
one of our events. I should. I'm I'm gonna drag
all you guys, o bringers. We are ready.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
You just gotta give me a little notice. I gotta
make sure I get my outfit right. Can we talk clothes?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Though?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I feel like you are so well put together, really
fashion girly.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
That yes, yes, yeah, I'm looking at the right Instagram.
I I feel like I'm putting it together with scotch
tape on some days. You know, I just like I
could roll into the studio like a lunatic. No, I
think it's hard. It's hard. They do hear and make
it for you every day. Talk to me.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I always wanted to know. And do they do they
pay for your clothes? These are questions I've always had.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Let's talk about it. She used to do hair and
makeup forever until recently. You do you got to do
your own hair makeup right now? I do? Girl? I
would quit because listen, I know, I'm surprised that I
haven't been thrown out because like some days, it's just
it's it's not good. But you know that's where listen.
TV business has changed. It has changed, and I think
(33:22):
a lot of the things that they did a lot
of you know, they don't have people operating cameras in
the studio anymore. The cameras are robotic. They don't have
people operating a prompter. The prompter is automatic, it's voice activated.
You know, those are people that used to have those
jobs at jobs that are lost, you know, so that
I hate. I hate that. I absolutely hate that.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
My cousin, she's a reporter for Telemundo in Florida, and
she's like a one woman show now and I'm like,
what do you mean.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh, does she do her own camera? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Yeah, and she edits in a car and I'm like,
wild girl, what do you mean?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I know?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
She's like yeah, and I've sent stories back and I'm
like alone and she's like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Yeah, no, it's crazy, It's absolutely crazy. You know, we
there would be a whole crew in the studio when
you were doing a TV newscast, and now not really.
You know, it's me and Michael. We have you know,
there are people there. You know, we have a wonderful
stage hand, we have an audio person and stuff like that.
But it's not what it was before. It's not what
it used to be. And it makes me sad because
(34:17):
it's a lot of people that used to work and
don't anymore.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
A lot of things have changed, like even Hollywood, Like
I was reading an article about Hollywood. Things have changed,
like people like I haven't worked in a year. Yeah,
and they're like things have changed so much. I feel
like it's across the board. Like even in radio, you know,
we have cuts all the time, and I know, and
those positions go away, right, It's not that we have
cuts and then in a year we re hire.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Because I mean, you're doing a show here in radio,
Like I don't know, ten years ago, there would have
been people right helping with I don't know what to do,
but like there's a lot, there's audio. There's a lot
of things happening. And now write people do their own boards.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Oh, I do my own boards. I can do my
own boards. I can do my own editing, my own digital,
my own social mead on my own hair. Yeah, listen
and hair looks good?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
You want to do my hair? I got you. Listen.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
I can tell you the foundation, like before the show,
come on, let's set it up. I'll be like I'm
your new hand makeup girl. You're right up the block, right,
You're not far yeah, we're at thirty Rock.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I got to okay, you know we have a makeup room.
We just you know, it's just empty, it's empty. Those
are my favorite people in the world. I know, you're
like family. It's a therapy, right, It's just an intimate relationship.
You know, people are touching your face in your hand
like you just grow to love them and they become
family to you. And yeah, so that's what about your clothes?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Do you pick your own clothes? Do they pick your clothes?
You pick your own clothes. Good for you, because I
couldn't pick.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
I could lend the clothes some days. You know, it's
a fashion. No. Sometimes you know they tell you they
don't like it, but you know I was gonna my
girlfriend will call me and my mother will tell me, oh.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
After the show, talk about to burn that blouse exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Well, my mother would say to me, should go, oh,
I saw you this morning, and I would go, yeah,
you go.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Like you hate it my dress, lady, listen already I
was already on TV.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Leave me alone. I'm on my way home. Yeah. No.
My husband so he'll be like, you know you need
you need more makeup, and I said, well, because it
doesn't the show because it doesn't not yeah during the show.
Oh yeah, we have friends, my friends talking about put
on some bronzer. I said, well where and he can't.
He can't, he can't articulate it. But he's like, something's
(36:27):
missing there on my face? Where here? And then I'm
you know, So we try to, We try to, but
it's it's very helpful. I appreciate the text from the family.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
But no, things, especially when you're on there, do not
stress me out.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I've been doing.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Stuff and people like and I'm like, the camera's on,
I can't just start.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I know. See. That's the fun though, too with live TV,
because sometimes you know, why say it like things happen something,
you know.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
But that's why you're relatable and that's why we like
you because it doesn't come off phony like yeah, and if.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I make a mistake, I mean you I'm gonna act
like you didn't see it. You saw it, you know,
like we're live.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
So you ever said like a random ass word on
air that you're like, why would that word come to mind?
Speaker 2 (37:10):
So it's got to be. With my co anchor this
morning or yesterday, we were talking about, you know, the
virus that the chicken, gunya virus. It's it's very strange.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Are we talking about is it the teaching? Is it
in Spanish too, that's the same. I'm thinking of something
in Spanish.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Guna, which sounds like it could be a Spanish word.
And he just couldn't get it out, you know, like
it was like chicken gua beans. It's like typehood, right,
and then you know it'll be me the next day
who just can't say something and like I'll just pronounce
it completely wrong and awful, and you know we laugh.
(37:48):
I mean, it can't be a horrible story, but yeah,
it's gotta be a fun, chill story. Yeah, you know
we missed for now, we say the wrong thing, we
mispronounced them.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
You had Cardi b up there? How hard was it
to be around?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
I love her?
Speaker 1 (37:59):
This she throws you off. I've interviewed her before and
I'm like, why are you making noises?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Like what's happening right now? Listen? I wish I was
interviewing you know what happened? She was on the Today Show?
So Michael and I walked over because I was like,
I want to see her. I thought she was with you, No,
I wish so so we walked over. We walked into
the studio of the Today Show studio and you know,
she had a bunch of people there and she's sitting
there with Jenna bush Hager and Jenna's so sweet, and
(38:26):
Carti's saying thanks to her that I know Jenna doesn't
fully like grasp well, yeah, because she said something about
it because ID be outside, you'd be outside, and Jenna
was like, I wanted to go, Jenna, but she's like,
you'd be outside and Jenna soet She's like yeah, and
it was funny. I mean, Carti be talk about authentic.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Oh, forget about it. There's nothing bake about that.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Everybody loves her and I'm so glad and it's refreshing
because she's, you know, this is it and she's not
about like making anybody else look bad or she's in
her she's doing her Cardie don't care, but nothing else.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Like she's just gonna say what she wants to say
as loud as she wants to say it. But it's
worked out for her. The way that Carti went from
you know, just being reality TV, you know, dancing to
one of the biggest stars in the world because I
don't care what nobody has said the woman what she's done.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I'm impressed, of course, of course. I mean there's a camp.
There's a right combo that some people have for whatever reason,
you know, and it and it's if I mixture and
she has it. When she's likable, people love her. Yeah,
she really is. Michael Mike co anchor, Michael Carcia, he
loves Carti b I went over there because he said
(39:45):
he's the Cardi fan, and I got you. Don't worry.
I love her, But he really loves her. He loves her,
he loves do, he loves Lil Wayne. He's the last
person that you would expect to be playing this in
his car. You know, he's a cool guy.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
If you like, I'm glad that you like him. And
the you know, the chemistry feels good. Yeah, I mean
we're like best friends because that's important. After the show
every morning we go have breakfast together. Yes, like our
families know each other.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
That's good. I like that. I mean, all of us
on the show, but me and him, yes, and we're
very different. But I mean he's funny and he's when
it comes to being a good person, he's one of
the best people I know, Like a really good hearted guy.
It works, and you know, sometimes it's like opposites it works.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
That's like like me and Elbus Duran, we love each
other and it's like, where did this? Like I'm a Dominicana,
Yeah you know what I'm saying, Like it just where did?
Speaker 2 (40:37):
But we adore each other. Yes, but he's a couple
of times.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
He's an amazing guy. He's the godfather of radio right, Like,
but he's just so amazing. He gives back, you know,
he has his dog. Like we just connected so many
different ways. But it was just a weird ass random pairing.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Yeah. Yeah, I love it though, but that works. It works,
you know, and I think that's that's the beauty of
New York. That's the beauty of new media. But that's
just kind of what we are. I mean, where did
you grow up? One hundred and fifty First Street in
Broadway and then Long Island? Okay, so you think about right,
but you think about a community like Long Island or
any neighborhood in any of these boroughs. You know, it's
(41:16):
like I was in this house and then mister Denelli,
the older Italian man lived here, and you know, group
tomatoes in the backyard and you know, and then you
had the Dominican lady across the street, the culture Jamaican, yes,
Jewish class. It was like this, you know, my my
Indian friend who sat next to me and yes, and
(41:37):
it was It's great, you know, and you just get
so accustomed to being in this melting pot and I
think that's a good thing. And I feel very sad
that people are feeling so separated these days. I hate it.
It's really sad. It's really sad, because I mean, that's
that's that's the strength, like people always say, you know, diversity,
the phrase, the dei, and the the stigma that it's
(42:00):
getting is like amazing to me because but they loved it.
At one point it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Everybody had a department and get oh, yeah, we're allocated millions.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And then all of a sudden, well then you see
who really means it right and who really thinks it's important.
The truth is is good for business. It just is.
You know, you're a fool if you think that everybody's
got to have the same sort of way of thinking
and we're going to be able to relate or sell
or or bring everyone in. That's not going to work,
you know. So I don't know, I don't know why
(42:29):
people are so afraid of that. But we grew up
in a very diverse place, so you know, we we
know it's it's important.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
It's like here in New York, it's like like it's
just we're melting pot. It's just like, you know, you
have an Indian friend the same way you have a
Black friend. And but we understand the importance of culture,
you know, just touching different worlds.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Right and appreciation the top. You know, it's us come
from the top, and you know, and I think it's
it's it's just sad. I mean, I remember I went
to public school in New York City and man, huh
and Bronx. Yeah. I went to well c S seventy
seven in Soundview and then PS one away in the
Morris Park Pellam Parkway section. And I remember being in
(43:11):
fourth grade and it's like, you know, I learned the
Hanukah song. We all learned it by heart, and we
all sang it. You know. We learned oragami because we
had a Japanese student in the class and she taught
us al oragami and we did the tarantella because there
were a lot of Italian kids in the class. And
how amazing is that, you know, I mean, the kids
learned to say Merry Christmas in Spanish. That's good. It's
(43:33):
a good thing. It is.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
It's amazing. And again it's coming from the top. But
I hope that we're going to get back to a space,
you know, where we again love each other and embrace
our differences. And I'm saying, because we were here marrying
each other. A Jewish guy would marry a Dominican girl,
a Black guy would marry a Jewish girl. Like, it's
just we're going to get back there. I have hoped, Darlene,
(43:56):
that we are going to get back there.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, No, I hope. So,
I mean, you sound very encouraging, and I want to
hear more of that because we need to. We need to.
Is this is a rough place. I never thought that
I would get to a point where my kids, who
are in their twenties would say, I'm concerned about my future.
I never thought that that would happen. Do you want
(44:20):
me to tell you how concerning things are? Right now?
Gloria as Stefan is doing press and she's walking around
with her passport, right.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Yeah, like that is real talk, real talk, like she
is worried about getting caught.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
This is Gloria as Stephan I know. Oh no, that's
how real this shit is right now, right. I mean,
we tell my son, you know, I say, when you
drive around, you know, listen him being a brown child
in the first place. There were all sorts of conversations
that we had had with him before he got in
a car and that sort of thing. But now, no,
(45:02):
I wonder, like, what if something like that happened? What
if somebody pulls up and wants to ask him for
papers or is he a citizen or that sort of thing, Like,
you know, that's so foreign to me.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
It's so like it's just unheard of, like it is.
I never felt like that. No, I have my passport
card with me because I'm like, you don't know when
they shut down one block or a restaurant or whatever,
you just caught up in the mix.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Right, it happened to any of us, right, It can
happen to any of us. That's the thing, and I
think that's what a lot of people in our community
need to remember, that it could happen to any of us.
You know, you know, because I mean some of some
there are some people who feel like, you know, that's
not some my issue, it's all of our it's everybody's issue.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
It's all of our issues.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
It's everybody's. You know, we need to we need to
pay attention and have compassion.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
I think, you know, shout out to your husband and
he's out here doing God's work, because I can only
imagine how his firm is right now.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
It's busy. It's busy, and you know, it's scary, it's
heartbreaking because you know, there are children who will reach
out to him and say, please, can you can you
help my father? Or you know, they just took my
father and I have his phone, Please can you can
you help us? It's a little boy man. You know,
what do you say? What do you say? What do
(46:32):
you do? So, yeah, that's hard. It's hard, and it's
a tumultuous time and everything is changing. I just feel
like what everybody needs to do, and I say this
to everybody I know, please please pay attention, Please learn,
learn about the roles of government, like whatever it is.
(46:56):
Know what each branch of government is supposed to be doing.
Know what is allowed in the constitution, Know what the
law says. We don't have to be all attorneys to
know this, but there's basic stuff that people need to
know because if they knew that, they wouldn't be questioning
why is this happening? How can he do this? Who
(47:17):
can do? You know, you would understand, well, yeah, that
should not be happening. That's actually not legal, or this
is legal because this was allowed, so now they can
do this to you, you know that sort of thing.
Just keep learning and stay aware. That's the most important
thing because I talk to people all the time, people
(47:37):
I know who really don't understand certain things about the
way the government works, or the way the government's supposed
to work, or the way the Supreme Court's supposed to work.
I learn every day. I learn every day. Every day
I'm reading to figure out something new, you know, And
it doesn't it doesn't take much. We have everything in
(47:59):
our phone right now, so you can look up anything
at any time. So take a few minutes every day
when you see a news article and go, Okay, what
the hell is that about? And go do a quick
little bit of research. I love that, really, I mean
I encourage everybody to do it all the time. Before
the election, you know, people talk about Project twenty twenty five.
What is that? Right? And I would tell everybody read it.
(48:23):
It's available, it's online. I mean it's it's five hundred pages.
You don't have to read the whole thing, but read it.
Read some of it. Tell cha gpt to summarize or
do that. See that's another thing. Make it two pages
instead of twenty five. Right. So whatever the issue is, immigration,
you know, whatever it is that's going on, go and
(48:43):
look up what your elected officials are actually voting for
as opposed to what you hear them saying. See, because
a lot of times it's two different things, right, So
check it for yourself. Everything is available, and it's not
like super difficult to understand, you.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
Know, especially you know if you're listening and you're in
New York. You know, we have the elections coming up.
We got to pick a new mirror.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
That's right. Make sure you know who you're voting for.
You want to know who you're voting for, and you
want to know, you know, what what does that mean?
What do they believe?
Speaker 1 (49:13):
What their policies are? Because you know, sometimes you see
a clip on social media and you're like, oh, that's
my guy, and it could be one answer, not the
whole you know, ideation of what he's going to do
in our city exactly.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
You know, when you're voting for an entire for a person,
all of their platform and everything they want to do.
So you just you have to be informed. I mean,
even going back to basic things like you know, words
like communism and Marxism and fascism and all these words.
Do yourself a favor, right like anybody you know, read
(49:46):
those definitions. Just just learn those and then you'll see
who's talking about what and who is what and who's
leaning which way and that sort of thing and does
it work for you? And do you like that? And
are you okay with that? But learn that because that
shit's important. Excuse me, No, you're good. You haven't been
listening to God. You know it is, it's super it's important.
(50:10):
The most important thing you can do is read and learn.
That's it. Every day a little bit of something. You know,
you do yourself a huge disservice when you stay in
the dark or when you say, oh, I'm not into politics. No, bro,
you need to be into politics, okay, because this is
what is politics. Why we're here today, That's why we're here,
so you don't have to be into You better vote,
(50:32):
you know, or don't complain later. Don't complain. I don't
want to hear it, you know. And there are a
lot of people that I hear who regret or no,
I don't want to hear it because you're not political.
You're not You don't vote, you don't want to, but
exercise that right to vote. You know how hard it
was for some of us to get that right. That's
that's exactly, but not play.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
If you black, if you a female, you better get
on that exactly line and cast your vote.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Right. I remember when we went into when I remember
when Obama was running for president. My kids were little,
and I took them with me and I said, we're
going to go. It was a voting booth at the time.
I said, we're going to go in the booth, the
little curtain. Yeah, the curtain. I said, But you know,
you can't like say out loud who I'm voting for, Like,
don't come out this, yeah, you know, like you can't
(51:17):
like everybody, don't say the names. As we were doing,
It's like okay, And I explained to them, I said,
you know, the voting rights Act. This is you know,
what allowed people like us to vote and what allowed
us to be in a situation where we have a
black person running for president of the United States. And
my son, who was little at the time, he thought
(51:38):
you were either black or white. So for his little life,
his little child, he thought, in my house, everybody's black
and I was white. Oh yeah, that's what he thought.
And he goes, I said yeah, because you know, we
couldn't vote. He goes, well, no, we couldn't vote it,
but you would have been okay, right, mama, I said no.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
And then it da't know, you must think I'm a white.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
Woman many times, many times like no, like no, no,
that's not no, I'm not you know. And he would
say like when you know, he would come home with
lessons school and history and stuff. You go, yeah, you know, people.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Like you, and when it was black issues, you'd be like,
where my dad at?
Speaker 2 (52:17):
Right? You know, it's like everybody like I'm the only
one in the house who Yeah, So I explained, you know,
we're his man. This is it and this is you know,
it's a lot more to this than just the white
or black. But it was, yeah, very funny. So this
this is That was our conversation on the way to
the photing that's funny. I love that you should me
being the white woman in the house. That that's what
(52:40):
he thought. Funny, dope, man.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
I want to thank you so much, you know, for
making the time to come down here, for sitting down
with me. You're actually going to be I feel like
Paula Ramos Oh. I love her dad, but I feel
like journalists you and I love her and I'm obsessed
with her. I was so, I was just gonna say,
you're gonna be our first, you know, Latina journalist.
Speaker 2 (53:05):
No good. She went ahead. That's wonderful. I love what
you're doing. I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you, because
you you could be doing a lot of other things.
And the fact that you're choosing to amplify Latino voices
to me, it's it's like I have to do it.
I'm I'm I mean, I'm so proud of you for that.
(53:25):
I'm so happy that you're doing that. I'm happy for
us that you're doing that, because I think that's that's
what we need. We need to be supportive.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
And what you're doing. I have to acknowledge that. I
have to celebrate that. I have to let people know,
people who are not in New York. I want them
to know Darlene Rodriguez here killing it and she's been
doing it for a long time. And the way you
represent us.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
I appreciate, top tier. I appreciate you. Don't have to
say a long time with that kind of emphasis.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Oh my bad, bad bad, A long time?
Speaker 2 (53:55):
Take you that long. One time, somebody came in the
elever said, well, you're He said, I grew up watching you.
But I ain't grow up watching you.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
But you know, I don't like I've been watching you.
Talk about my grandmother.
Speaker 2 (54:07):
Used to watch you. Grew up your ass talking about
you crazy, you're grown man, going on.
Speaker 1 (54:12):
We're playing games with me about you grew up.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
No, no, no, no, you grew up watching Chuck Scarborough. Maybe
I love me. Thank you so much, thank you. I
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Are you going on a date now?
Speaker 2 (54:27):
You look so pretty?
Speaker 1 (54:28):
Let's go, let's all go out where we're going.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
Let's go. My tree is paying? Oh okay, okay, that's it,
I said, my tree, But Darling said, you paying pay
is exactly Thank you so much for stopping by.
Speaker 1 (54:40):
Darnny and I appreciate you, Grassiers and come Again. Grassiers
Come Again is a production of Honey German Productions in
partnership with iHeart micro through the podcast network
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