December 18, 2024 • 42 mins
Get ready to laugh, reflect, and be inspired as Loni Love joins Black in the Green Room with host Keith L. Underwood! In this lively and insightful interview, Loni talks about:
🎤 Her upcoming comedy shows at The Ice House in Pasadena
🍰 Her sweet journey on The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday
💖 The importance of giving back and making a difference in the community
This interview is packed with laughs and wisdom you don’t want to miss! Tune in now and share your favorite moments in the comments below.
📌 Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more inspiring interviews and hit the notification bell to stay updated on all things Black in the Green Room!
🎧 Listen to the full episode now on your favorite streaming platform!
#LoniLove #BlackInTheGreenRoom #KeithUnderwood #ComedyInterview #GreatAmericanBakingShow #IceHouseComedy #givingback
🎤 Her upcoming comedy shows at The Ice House in Pasadena
🍰 Her sweet journey on The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday
💖 The importance of giving back and making a difference in the community
This interview is packed with laughs and wisdom you don’t want to miss! Tune in now and share your favorite moments in the comments below.
📌 Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more inspiring interviews and hit the notification bell to stay updated on all things Black in the Green Room!
🎧 Listen to the full episode now on your favorite streaming platform!
#LoniLove #BlackInTheGreenRoom #KeithUnderwood #ComedyInterview #GreatAmericanBakingShow #IceHouseComedy #givingback
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You are black in the green room with me, your host Keith Underwood.
(00:05):
And this is your spot for real talk about entertainment with entertainers, creatives,
and showbiz professionals.
Today we're joined by the one and only Lonnie Love, Emmy and NAACP award-winning comedian
Actress and author from her holiday show Lonnie Love and the Love Itts at Pasadena's
(00:25):
Ice House to the great American baking show Celebrity Holiday and her hit podcast
grown ass women talking, listen up.
Lonnie is here to spread love, laughs, and a little wisdom.
What's up Lonnie Love?
Welcome to the room.
Thank you, Keith.
And thank you for the invite.
(00:46):
This is the holiday season.
So who better to spend it with than you Mr. Underwood?
Well, thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
That's very nice.
Thank you.
Lonnie, how you been?
I've been good.
You know, we just got off of this election.
I've been working in and going door to door doing the voter drives and it wasn't the
(01:12):
outcome that we wanted, but we have to keep on pushing and just took a little break from
that and now back into the holidays.
But I've been fine.
Yeah, good, good, good.
What was it?
What was it like campaigning during such a volatile election season?
Well, it was bittersweet.
(01:33):
I mean, you know, when you go door to door, you never know who you're going to get.
And when you have, when you got people that, you know, understood it and understood the
power of voting, it was great.
There were a lot of people that were confused that, you know, had questions and had concerns
and, you know, the only thing that you could do is try to lead them to the right information.
(01:58):
There was a lot of misinformation out there, a lot of rumors.
So, you know, you just try to quill that and especially in our community in the Black
community, there was a lot of misinformation and, you know, you just tried your best to
give out the information, encourage them to go vote.
And, you know, that's what we tried to do.
(02:20):
Yeah, where some people shocked when you showed up at their door.
Of course.
You know, I forget that I was on TV every day that I was on.
You know, so it's like, to me, I'm just this normal Detroit girl, but, you know, people
get so excited and, you know, things like that.
So it's nice that people, you know, get excited, but the message was really there.
(02:43):
So it really does help when someone that, you know, like a celeb does that kind of work because
it does encourage people and it gets their attention just a little bit more.
Yeah, yeah.
What's a normal Detroit girl, Lonely Love?
A regular girl, a brown-lick of drinking.
Come on.
Getting ready for Thanksgiving.
(03:06):
Type of girl.
I mean, you know, we're real.
Detroit people are real because we've been through ups and downs.
You know, it's times like, you know, we're real.
It's times like these that, you know, this, these next four years, they're going to be,
you know, some moments, but, you know, I always tell people I say, I know what it's like to
be broke broke.
I know what it's like to be okay.
(03:26):
I know, like, to live under, you know, I grew up through Reagan.
So, Reaganomics, I grew up in that.
So I'm like, you know, I'm ready for the fight.
I'm ready to, to, you know, now and then I'm adult.
I kind of know what's going to come down the pipeline and we can get through it.
(03:47):
It's just going to be a little bit of a fight.
Yeah, yeah.
What are some of your suggestions for making it through the next four years?
I think that you have to allow space for yourself.
I mean, people start getting on your nerves.
You're consuming a lot of stuff online.
If you're seeing stuff of you're hearing people, you know, just reserve some space for
(04:10):
yourself.
And sometimes you just got to go where you belong, you know, I would say if you feel
frustrated, read articles that are encouraging, go out to the comedy clubs, go out to a movie,
you know, watch something totally different.
And that's the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing with my holiday shows is to kind of
(04:34):
like give people some hope.
But definitely in times like this, you're going to have to allow yourself some space.
I'm going to have to allow yourself some peace.
Don't get consumed.
And when you see things, I would suggest you don't necessarily have to glow about it because
there are a lot of things that are going to be happening.
You don't, don't go.
I told you so you knew it was going to happen.
(04:57):
We all know what's going to happen.
Right, right, right.
No shock, no surprise.
Right.
So it's right.
You know, you just sit there.
No, no, no.
Outside of the comedy club, where's Lonnie loves space?
Where does she go when she wants to get away from the troubles of the world?
(05:18):
You know, I really do like just traveling because I am without kids.
I do have a boyfriend.
I have a companion.
We travel when we can.
And I feel that traveling allows me to appreciate this country a lot more.
I love that because there are a lot of other countries that don't have the democracy and
(05:43):
the freedoms that we had.
They don't have the wealth that we have.
And sometimes when you travel, you're reminded of that.
So I really do like to travel and I try to do it as much as I can.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
So what's your family doing for the holidays, Lonnie?
Well, you know, I'm out in California.
(06:05):
The majority of my family is in Detroit, steel.
So I'm not going to go out there with them until Christmas.
And unfortunately, my mother passed this year.
Oh, I can do one too.
Thank you.
But I still have this host of cousins and I have aunts and uncles.
(06:25):
So we still get together.
We usually pick a holiday.
So it's not going to be Thanksgiving.
It'll be Christmas.
So I'll go back there.
We'll just get together, cook, make it a big family reunion and just enjoy each other's
company.
And I know a lot of families this year that are canceling.
(06:49):
Yeah.
They're canceling because of this whole voter situation.
So I would tell anyone that's in that type of predicament to definitely plan.
If you can have a friend's giving or a place where you can celebrate, I'm saying don't
let the holidays get to you.
(07:12):
What I do do everything's giving is I like to get back.
So I work with Project Angel Food.
I work with LA Mission here in California.
And I like to spend the day in Thanksgiving making a meals for the homeless.
And that makes me feel like I'm giving something to people that really need it.
(07:33):
And then usually right a couple of days before Christmas, we all have a meal at the LA Mission,
which is here in Los Angeles where we serve the homeless.
So I'll also do that.
So I really like to give back.
And that's what I plan to do for my holidays as well as my comedy shows.
Right.
All right, Lonnie love doing the good work.
(07:56):
I got to help other folks that keep me from drinking.
You know what I'm saying?
And wait a minute.
Sometimes we can drink while we help another folks too, right?
That's true.
That's the best time away.
Let's get into this Lonnie love and the love that you guys are bringing to funny this December
at the Pasadena ice house.
(08:19):
What can fans expect from this show Lonnie love?
Oh my goodness.
If you just want to have a good time, I decided I wanted to do something to give back to the
community also to help some wonderful funny comics that you've seen on Netflix and HBO.
You've seen them on television.
So I said, why not?
(08:39):
Since the holidays, every Thursday meet up at the beautiful ice house.
The ice house in Pasadena has been renovated.
It is gorgeous and they have like two or three different comedy rooms.
And it's just a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.
And I have some wonderful comedians.
(09:01):
We're going to be giving away prizes.
Everyone that comes to the show will get a raffle ticket.
So we're going to be giving away gifts.
We're going to have a great show, laughs and I call them my love ads.
Yeah.
And they love it.
Right, right, right.
Like the Ikez, it's up with us, what else up it off the beat and the slapping and the
(09:21):
fines.
Exactly.
I'm just not Ike Tardar.
I'm just like, oh, so it's a wonderful show.
We invite people to come out like maybe if you have an office party, you don't have something
to do for the holidays or maybe you want to do a nice little date night before the holidays
(09:42):
will be there every Thursday at 8 p.m. at the ice house.
Yeah.
What's the space like you said the ice house has done it up.
They renovated.
What's it looking like up in their Lawny love?
I mean, it has come a long way.
The Lakers owner bought the place and refurbished it.
(10:03):
And I mean, they got like real wood, you know, it's like, it's like, woo, this is nice.
This is nice.
And you know, you want a place that is comfortable, that has great, cool, great drinks, you know,
and that's what the ice house is.
(10:23):
I was so impressed.
And they have a sister, her name is Penny toll, toll, and she is the manager.
She's such a nice lady.
She's so easy to work with.
And when I told her I wanted to do these every Thursday, she was like, sure, you know,
we just got to make sure that we have people come.
So this is a good way to give back.
(10:44):
It's a good way to see wonderful comics, all different types of comics, you know, we have
his Spanish, we have Blacks, you know, I'm looking for some white people, maybe.
But we just have a good time.
And you know, something to get our mind away from what's happened and maybe in a year on
a laugh.
(11:05):
What?
Yes.
What's going to be refreshing about the show, Lonnie?
You said you want to bring some laughs.
You want to bring some joy.
You want to take people's minds off of all the crazy that's happening right now.
What's going to, what's it going to be like?
Well, you know, the thing about stand up, stand up is that the last art form of free speech.
(11:25):
And so, you know, people, the comics that I have, like Vanessa Grattick, she is a wonderful
up and coming female comics.
She talks about, you know, the perils of dating or you have Willis Turner who talks about
he's married and he's dealing with what he has to do with Francisco Ramos.
He just released his Netflix special and he's talking about his family and things.
(11:50):
And then of course, you know, I host, but I also do my observations about comedy.
And that's what makes it refreshing because there's so many different comments that you have
that, you know, make it and every week we'll have special guests that pop through because
of course, have lots of Liberty friends.
Of course.
We're making it a family funny, get together, something that you don't want to miss, especially
(12:16):
for that area.
Yeah.
Let's chop it up a little bit about the great American baking show Celebrity Holiday.
You know, how did you handle the heat and the kitchen and did any of the celebrity co-stars?
Did they surprise you with their cooking skills or lack their of?
Well, we had Susie S. Men from Curvea, Fusiasm.
(12:39):
We had Anthony Anderson.
We know him.
That's my brother.
Right.
We had Rob Riggle, who is an actor and then we had Vanessa Bear, the former Saturday Night
Live sketch artist and then myself.
So it was five of us.
They flew us all the way to England.
We're in an English countryside and the great-
(13:00):
Wait, wait, wait, Lanya.
I got a message with you for a second.
I saw an episode of the show where you found out you were like, what, three percent, five
percent English?
Yeah.
How was it to get home?
It was like, I went to Bucketham Palace to say hi to my cousins and then we didn't even
let me in.
I'm like, hi.
(13:21):
I am here in Charles.
But yeah, and so the great American baking show is a actual baking show that's been on
for quite some time.
But this is a special holiday edition featuring celebs.
None of us knew how to bake.
I am terrible at baking and people see that on the show.
(13:45):
It blew on comedy.
I mean, but they had us baking things key.
They wanted some type of gingerbread house.
So I was all elaborate with my eyes.
I'm going to, you know, do glue in Paris.
Right.
It's, yeah, you have to see it to believe it, but you have three types of baking dishes and
(14:08):
it's a challenge.
And I really do things like this because they give us money for our charity.
And so I sit here and humiliate myself in front of millions of people so that I can make
money for project angel food.
And I'm proud to do it every year.
Yeah.
(14:28):
I mean, what does, what does it mean to you, Lonnie?
I mean, you know, we've been talking about all this good work that you're doing.
What does it mean to you to use your platform to help other people?
I mean, it's so important in there.
And there are some that don't.
Why is this so important to you?
You know, I feel like when I was growing up as little girl in Detroit, I saw people on television,
(14:52):
the Diana Rosses when I saw Gladys Knight, when I saw Smokey Robinson, when I saw Michael
Jackson.
And they really impressed me.
And I knew that maybe one day I never thought I would be on TV, but I would see some of the
things that they would do as far as giving back.
(15:13):
And I wanted to make that my mission.
And once I decided because I wasn't an engineer at Pervue, any university, I spent eight years
as Xerox and I was the worst engineer in I say something.
So I was a win-win for Xerox when I left because I was horrible.
(15:36):
And I became a standup.
And I never thought that I would get to this point.
But now that I am, I realize that there are so few black females.
I mean, we think that it's a lot of us, but it really isn't a lot of us, especially when
it comes to standup comedy that has this type of platform.
(15:58):
So I wanted to use my platform to entertain, to inspire, and to inform.
And that's why I do what I do.
I can't focus on what someone else does because everybody has different missions and paths
in life.
But I do mine to really give back to the people.
And the people love it.
The people also give to me because even when I go to the live shows, just seeing the looks
(16:24):
on their faces, sometimes, you know what black people keep, it can be hard.
They like this.
I ain't go where.
By the end of the show, they've loosened up.
So I don't know if it was my jokes or if it was the liquor, but who cares as long as they
are happy and fulfilling.
(16:46):
And you know, we have these huge platforms, Keith.
We supposed to provide information.
We are supposed to inform.
We are supposed to inspire because we assume, you know, I'm like a news junkie, but everybody
isn't into the news.
And everybody doesn't know.
So I'm like, well, I feel like it's my responsibility.
If I see a story that's interesting or something that maybe I feel people need to know, I feel
(17:11):
like I should post about it that I should talk about it.
And it's amazing to me how many people will comment or they come in, they appreciate what
I have to say.
And so that's what I do.
And I've been doing it for years now.
And I'll continue to do it because this is what I love to do.
Yes.
And speaking of platforms, grown ass women talking.
(17:35):
Where did the idea come from?
Why was it important to you to, you know, to do this podcast?
Because all broads need a place to talk.
Okay, everything is young, young, young, young, young.
I know that's right.
You know, there's no space for women that are 40 and beyond.
(17:58):
They act like once you 40 and beyond, you put out the pasture.
It's like, do you realize we have my girl Shirley Ralph?
She won her first Emmy at 60.
You have Nese Nash who's in her.
Okay, I'm gonna say 40s, but that's my girl.
You know what I mean?
She won't get you, Lonnie.
(18:21):
I'll see you next year.
She's got all my sisters.
I mean, Sherry Shepard, my girl, she didn't get her talk show until she was in her 50s, for
own.
So there is still a space for women 40 and beyond when you think of someone like the beautiful
Biole Davis, I tell you, Spencer, you have all these sisters.
(18:42):
And women who are just, they're blossoming and they're past 40, but we don't want to recognize
it.
And so I wanted to give a space for them to come on and for each show, we have a topic.
So maybe dating after 40 or dating younger or, you know, there's this big thing now about
(19:08):
menopause, it used to be a time when we didn't want to talk about menopause.
Right, right, right.
Really were old.
Well, you got these women all here sweating and steaming up because of hot flashes and, you
know, and there's a way to cure all of that, but a lot of women don't know.
So here again, using my platform, I'm like, well, let's put, let's have a doctor come on
(19:34):
and let's talk about it. And that was one of our highest rated episodes so far, but we
got to talk about pop culture.
We also talk about what's happening in the news, pertaining to grown ass women.
So that's why we call it grown ass women because we want to focus on grown women.
And I have a lovely co-host, her name is Erica Montafo.
(19:55):
She is a showrunner.
And I'm like the writer producer as well.
And we just have a good time and it's been so successful.
And I'm just so happy that I started a project like this to, you know, give exposure to women
and, you know, the things that they go through 40 and them beyond.
And it's funny because even the young girls are called, you know, I, T, I've been listening
(20:19):
to the pop cats and I didn't know that this, that, we were talking about sexual positions
and they were like, I don't know.
And that's a girl.
You can learn a lot from a old broad.
You gotta learn today.
Lolly, tell me one of your, yes, you, I love doing this.
I really, really love talking to folks.
(20:39):
What's been one of your favorite moments doing the podcast?
You know, we've had some really great guests.
And one that I really like enjoy, I enjoy them all.
I really, really enjoy them all.
But my sister Sheila E came on the podcast.
(21:00):
And this is another example.
Sheila, who's, you know, in her late 50s has now been nominated for Best Grammy for her
new Latin album.
And this is the thing we've known Sheila E since Prince.
Yes.
So, she, you know, and, you know, she's been in this music game and it just shows you how
(21:25):
she reinvented herself.
She does her first salsa album and it gets nominated for a Grammy.
And then we also get the stories about Prince and stage to Prince.
And, you know, what happened when they were doing, when we are the world, when they were filming
that and how they tried to kind of use Sheila E for, to try to get Prince on the world.
(21:50):
And when you hear Sheila actually talk about it, you go, wow, this is like music history.
So, that's what I love to get, you know, peel back the layers and get their experience.
And that's what happens when you are talking to grown-ass women.
They have experience.
They have these wonderful stories.
So, that's one of my, my favorite episodes is talking with Sheila E. She's just a great
(22:15):
phenomenal woman.
And you know, we've had people like Lynn, Sesson, Talbert, people that maybe you don't know
that because they're behind the camera, but she and her husband, David, E. Talbert, have
produced so many great movies, you know, like Jingle Jangle, which is currently one of the
(22:37):
only animated black feature films on Netflix.
It's like just to hear her processing when she goes through as a woman and how she was able
to navigate Hollywood.
It's like, it's just a travel trove of advice and it's great.
And I just love doing it.
Between comedy shows, podcasts, helping folks, just everything that you do.
(23:03):
How do you balance all of that?
I sleep.
I tell people, get your rest.
Get you some rest because you can't do all of this.
If your energy, if your health is at there, you can't do that.
And especially now, what we have going through, if you have health care, get everything checked,
(23:28):
the room, the tutor, start taking your vitamins, your teas, get your mental together.
You need to go see a therapist, do all of that.
And so that's what I've been doing.
I take care of myself.
I got a peloton that sees me maybe once a month.
(23:50):
Hey, that'd be the best 15 minutes on that peloton.
Tell them, "Lady love."
It's like, you know, I'm getting old, Keith.
I know I'm getting old because my doctors are getting old.
I went to the eye doctor because I'm very loyal.
(24:12):
I'll keep you brief, doctor.
I've had the same doctor for 20 years.
Well, I'm 50.
He's 70.
We argue in over the eye chart.
He's like, is that a T?
That's a no, that's an M.
That's an M dot.
So now I got to go find an eye doctor for me and my eye doctor.
That's what happens as you get old.
(24:36):
You need an eye doctor for the eye doctor.
Yeah.
Oh, gosh.
You know, you know, like me, I have a, I'm juggling a lot of moving parts, like just like you are.
And sometimes it's hard for me to sleep.
But what's your secret to getting a good night's sleep?
Get you a nice neck, night cat.
(24:57):
You know, there are different things.
Some people take melatonin, some people take this new thing.
It's gummy mushrooms, things like that.
I don't necessarily do all of that.
What I do is honestly it works for me and I would suggest if you're having problems is
to try meditation.
(25:18):
And it's a form of, you know, like right before you go to bed while you're laying in the
bed, kind of close your eyes, try to relax, turn off all the lights.
And then you have to mentally, like try to do a body scan and you start at the top of
your head.
And then you move all the way down.
(25:38):
This is mentally like as you're closing your eyes and usually that relaxes your body.
You know, you're tense stuff, things like that.
And I tell people, even when you wake up in the morning, do five minutes of just nothing,
just if you, you know, there are a lot of apps out there for meditation.
Quest love is, is the person that got me on meditating.
(26:02):
And, you know, there's different apps, but there's the calm app that is really good.
It does 10 minute exercises of meditations.
There are different things that you need.
And it really, and I really stress this to people because what we're about to go through
in four years, going to need to find a way to be able to make sure your mind is okay.
(26:26):
And so for me, meditation has really, really worked.
And of course, a lot of prayer because sometimes you got to pray that this person is getting
on your nerves will stop.
[Laughs]
I want to jump.
[Laughs]
So let me go over here, pray.
(26:47):
Right, right, right, right.
Set it down, get on the knees.
All of that.
Yeah, love it.
Lower half of mercy, but, you know, mentally, and you can't do all of this if you don't
rest.
So you have to make sure that you get the proper rest.
You know, try going to bed at the same time.
Try getting up at the same time.
(27:08):
Try making sure that you get at least seven hours of sleep.
That really helps too.
I know as we get older, some people, I don't need three hours, you know, you need seven.
You need at least.
At least.
Don't be telling yourself that.
Right, right.
Right, right.
We talked a little bit about the holidays earlier.
(27:29):
What's one of your favorite holiday memories and traditions that you like to observe?
You know, when my mom was alive, being able to go back home to Detroit during the holidays,
usually there's some snow on the ground.
You don't have that out here.
It was always nice to go back and there's a certain type of quiet at the holidays because
(27:53):
everybody is out of the city and they're with their family and friends.
And something about that piece, one of being able to go back home, two, to have some really
home cooked meals.
Like, you know, my mom and her and her sisters, they, those black women cook, cook, I mean,
(28:13):
just everything.
And you would just see this spread.
And some of the recipes I was able to get from them and some of them, she, you know, she
has locked away.
And I was like, really, mama?
You locked away the recipe.
Yeah.
So, but yeah, one of my favorite memories is is able to go home and just, you know, be
(28:36):
with family, be with friends.
And I tell this to people, if you don't have, family is what you make it because I know a
lot of people, you know, feel like it doesn't have to be a huge family.
It could be, you know, two or three of your close friends and you all get together and
you just share this moment in time.
(28:57):
That's the holidays are for.
The holidays to me and for us to all kind of slow down and go somewhere, be somewhere,
be with somebody, you know, or even if you're by yourself, make yourself a little meal.
Like, but I used to have to go out on the road right before holidays.
(29:18):
I would sometimes be by myself when I was single and I would make sure that I had some
type of meal just make myself feel, feel special in that feel, you know, empty and
alone.
So definitely, but and also the giving back part, I can't stress that enough.
If you can go volunteer somewhere or if you can do something for somebody else, it really
(29:41):
will make you count your blessings.
Absolutely.
Well, some of you go to dishes, Lonnie love.
What can you throw down on?
Oh, I can make a main pot of water.
Okay, touch me when it comes to water, Keith.
(30:02):
What's going on?
Can you imagine somebody come and he's my water?
And I'd be liking there's the door.
It's okay.
You know, it's some people don't keep you just assigned them.
You say, you know, it just bring the napkins and some paper plates.
I've never been one of that.
(30:24):
I really do like making like a casserole.
I like of course the mac and cheese and I love making greens.
I have perfected making greens as I've aged.
I've tried different things, you know, because I have friends who are vegan, so I can't put
in my ham hot to turn.
And funny, you can't, I live by the beach.
(30:47):
You cannot find ham hot to buy the beach.
You say ham hot, they're like, whoa.
You gotta go to that.
It's like, it's right there, you know, it's right there.
So it's funny how culturally there's some areas where they're like, we don't have that.
(31:08):
So you have to, you know where to go.
Right.
You need to get it.
Yes.
What's it like when Lundy love comes to the hood to get our ham hot?
I like.
I like it.
It's like a homecoming in a way.
(31:28):
Sometimes I just, I don't even wear my wig.
I just wear my hair wrapped up and put all some glasses because I'm like, okay, I have time
to be talking to everybody.
I'm trying to get my ham hot.
Yeah.
I want to come get the ham hot.
And when she saw me post a thing and I love that.
(31:52):
I appreciate it.
But I got to get back and cook because I need to get the ham hot.
So but it's definitely, you know, definitely it's something that's a treat for me when I go
to the hood.
And I always feel welcome and at home.
You know, it's always good to remember that those people and I do a lot of work with the
(32:16):
children and the different public schools, especially in Compton.
And so it's always good to go back.
Yeah.
What's one of the programs that you do in Compton with the kids?
Well right now, what we're trying to do is a film program.
I do a radio show called Cafe Mocha Radio.
(32:37):
Very familiar.
And thank you.
And so we started a film festival based on HBCUs called the HBCU First Look Film Festival.
This is our second one that we had this year.
And so what we're trying to do is extend it to high schoolers because now these kids are
doing everything.
They're shooting movies off of their phones.
(33:00):
That's right.
So we want to give exposure to black filmmakers.
And this is a way of doing it.
And we get the sponsorships and things like that.
So I'm going back to the communities in the high schools in Compton and just running
a little high school film festival.
So we'll be working on that for 2025.
(33:22):
And that's another way of giving back, especially to the young kids.
That's right.
That's right.
You're key.
Are you related to Blair?
Wait a minute Blair says we're related.
So we don't have to go into that DNA show that he was hosting and find out if we're actually
related.
>> That's, I saw him up in San Francisco.
(33:46):
They had the soul of the soul playing, not the soul playing, that was the movie I was on.
They had the soul train musical.
And so we all went up there.
And it's always nice seeing Blair and Compton Domingo was up there supporting Dominique
Morecy, the creator of that and Quest Love.
(34:08):
He was also a producer.
So that's why I said, I'm like, you relate it.
>> [LAUGH] >> My being just better now.
>> You know, it could be a thing.
We're going to look in today.
You got to hit up Blair and say, make sure Keith is your cousin.
>> [LAUGH] >> And so, Lani, tell us about the love ads and
how they become a unique part of the show that you're doing.
(34:33):
>> Well, I didn't want to just do a regular show where I had my, I wanted to do a very special show because it's the holidays.
And also, I wanted to give a variety of comedy because comedy is so subjective.
I wanted to pick some of the funniest comedians that were different.
And so you have this host of comics, Kyle Embry, you have Willis Turner, you have Francisco,
(35:00):
Rames, you have Orlando, Labay, and Vanessa Gratic.
And other surprise comics will be coming through.
>> Okay.
>> And we're just gonna do old style variety type of comedy where we welcome everybody.
We're gonna be giving gifts throughout the whole night, through our raffles, which is completely free.
(35:25):
You buy a ticket, you get the raffle.
And we just want people to come out and have a full show.
I think we need to get back to that where we're having full variety shows.
It's not just one person, but like a variety type show.
And that's the whole idea of holidays at the ice house.
(35:48):
With Lonnie Love and The Love Ants.
And The Love Ants are just great.
They let me call them Love Ants.
And most of them are men.
I only have one one.
And I'm like, you want to be a love that?
They're like, sure.
>> Why not?
>> Yeah.
>> But that's the thing back in the day when I was coming up in comedy, we would do these type of shows.
(36:09):
We would have, we would just all come together.
And it's a great way for us to give exposure to each other and the comedy and
we help each other and sit there and laugh.
And like I said, the room there is going to be in the legendary room at the ice house is beautiful.
I mean, really beautiful space.
(36:31):
You're not crowded in, it's new, it's clean.
It's just something like I said, if you have an office party or
if all my divine nine brothers and sisters will bring everybody, bring the AKAs,
the Delta, the Omega's just, no barking Omega.
>> [LAUGH]
(36:53):
>> This is going to be a great space for us to all be together.
>> Yeah, let's see, the great American baking show, Paul Hollywood,
what's your boy, Paul Hollywood?
What's he like in person for real, for real?
>> For those that don't watch the show, Paul Hollywood thinks he is the man of the man.
(37:18):
He has these steel blue eyes.
He knows how to cook.
So you know all the women love a man with steel blue eyes and know how to cook.
But he is a real judge.
I mean, he's going to judge your stuff and crack up about it.
>> [LAUGH]
(37:38):
>> So with our men Paul, it was a fast, but
I wasn't intimidated by Paul at all.
I was like, let him know, no, this is-
>> [LAUGH]
>> Maybe my designs didn't come out 100%, but the cookies was right.
>> [LAUGH]
(37:58):
>> Longer show cookies are right.
They wasn't dry.
>> [LAUGH]
>> So nobody like nothing dry.
>> Nothing.
>> [LAUGH]
>> Nothing dry, no dryness.
So you get to see all those shenanigans and you get to see me and
Anthony Anderson clowning.
(38:20):
I've been doing Anthony Anderson for years, that's my brother.
And you know, just working with him is always fun, is always about jokes.
He couldn't roll his cake, we had to do a roll cake.
And I was trying to help him roll the front of the weekend.
We were a mess, we were a mess in that kitchen.
(38:40):
>> How are some other ways that you want to use your platform to help folks in the future?
>> I just want people to ultimately be happy.
And so what I try to do is make sure that I entertain them.
With entertaining post, entertaining shows,
(39:04):
live events or things on IG.
I try to just, I'm going to continue in 2025 to do that.
I'm going to continue to, I'm developing shows right now that in 2025.
(39:24):
Right now, the whole scene in Hollywood has completely slowed down.
But 2025, I'm pretty sure it's going to pick back up.
So I have a bunch of projects that are up for production in 2025.
And that's all I want to do is just be an entertainer.
(39:45):
Ever since I was a engineer and I left and I told my boss,
I am saving you by leaving this God for taking job.
I've never looked back and even in the times where work is slow,
I don't let that slow me down.
I continue to make sure that I do what I'm supposed to do.
(40:08):
And that's entertaining to people, make the people laugh and
make the people have a place to escape.
And we're going to need that now more than ever.
So make sure you check out your girl, Lonnie Love.
And you know what, I'm going to check back in with you next year,
she's going to see, because I'm going to be like,
now let's talk about what has happened this year, Keith.
(40:30):
Right.
And you are welcome back anytime, Lonnie Love.
Lonnie Love, where can everybody find you?
Well, first off, give us all the dates for Lonnie Love in the Love X.
And then also where everybody can find you on social media.
We need everybody to come out to the ice house in Pasadena.
(40:52):
Lonnie Love in the Love X every Thursday in December, that's the fifth,
the 12th and the 19th of December.
And you can get tickets at the icehouse.com or LonnieLove.com.
Also LonnieLove.com has pictures of me.
I'm always on red carpet.
It's a wonderful little thing.
(41:12):
We also, if you want to get my newsletter and sign up for it,
or if you have a comment or a question, I do answer go to LonnieLove.com.
Also, Comic Lonnie Love on IG.
There's a variety of things that we're doing on IG.
My IG show is called, say what?
(41:32):
We do that every Wednesday.
And there's also a bunch of funny clips and interesting clips.
So we want you to be part of our community and also on Facebook, LonnieLove.com.
And thank you so much, Keith, for this time.
This is so sweet of you and I appreciate your support.
Absolutely.
Like I said, any time LonnieLove, anything for you.
(41:54):
So--
All right, Blair Cousin.
[LAUGHTER]
And everybody, please follow Blair's cousin on IG and Mr. Keith L. Underwood.
You can also follow me on F.B. at Keith L. Underwood and follow Black in the Green Room
across all platforms on Black in the Green Room.
(42:16):
Until next time, this has been Black in the Green Room.
Thanks, Lonnie.
Talk to you again soon.
Happy holidays, everybody.
Happy holidays.
You are black in the green room with me, your host Keith Underwood.
(00:05):
And this is your spot for real talk about entertainment with entertainers, creatives,
and showbiz professionals.
Today we're joined by the one and only Lonnie Love, Emmy and NAACP award-winning comedian
Actress and author from her holiday show Lonnie Love and the Love Itts at Pasadena's
(00:25):
Ice House to the great American baking show Celebrity Holiday and her hit podcast
grown ass women talking, listen up.
Lonnie is here to spread love, laughs, and a little wisdom.
What's up Lonnie Love?
Welcome to the room.
Thank you, Keith.
And thank you for the invite.
(00:46):
This is the holiday season.
So who better to spend it with than you Mr. Underwood?
Well, thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
That's very nice.
Thank you.
Lonnie, how you been?
I've been good.
You know, we just got off of this election.
I've been working in and going door to door doing the voter drives and it wasn't the
(01:12):
outcome that we wanted, but we have to keep on pushing and just took a little break from
that and now back into the holidays.
But I've been fine.
Yeah, good, good, good.
What was it?
What was it like campaigning during such a volatile election season?
Well, it was bittersweet.
(01:33):
I mean, you know, when you go door to door, you never know who you're going to get.
And when you have, when you got people that, you know, understood it and understood the
power of voting, it was great.
There were a lot of people that were confused that, you know, had questions and had concerns
and, you know, the only thing that you could do is try to lead them to the right information.
(01:58):
There was a lot of misinformation out there, a lot of rumors.
So, you know, you just try to quill that and especially in our community in the Black
community, there was a lot of misinformation and, you know, you just tried your best to
give out the information, encourage them to go vote.
And, you know, that's what we tried to do.
(02:20):
Yeah, where some people shocked when you showed up at their door.
Of course.
You know, I forget that I was on TV every day that I was on.
You know, so it's like, to me, I'm just this normal Detroit girl, but, you know, people
get so excited and, you know, things like that.
So it's nice that people, you know, get excited, but the message was really there.
(02:43):
So it really does help when someone that, you know, like a celeb does that kind of work because
it does encourage people and it gets their attention just a little bit more.
Yeah, yeah.
What's a normal Detroit girl, Lonely Love?
A regular girl, a brown-lick of drinking.
Come on.
Getting ready for Thanksgiving.
(03:06):
Type of girl.
I mean, you know, we're real.
Detroit people are real because we've been through ups and downs.
You know, it's times like, you know, we're real.
It's times like these that, you know, this, these next four years, they're going to be,
you know, some moments, but, you know, I always tell people I say, I know what it's like to
be broke broke.
I know what it's like to be okay.
(03:26):
I know, like, to live under, you know, I grew up through Reagan.
So, Reaganomics, I grew up in that.
So I'm like, you know, I'm ready for the fight.
I'm ready to, to, you know, now and then I'm adult.
I kind of know what's going to come down the pipeline and we can get through it.
(03:47):
It's just going to be a little bit of a fight.
Yeah, yeah.
What are some of your suggestions for making it through the next four years?
I think that you have to allow space for yourself.
I mean, people start getting on your nerves.
You're consuming a lot of stuff online.
If you're seeing stuff of you're hearing people, you know, just reserve some space for
(04:10):
yourself.
And sometimes you just got to go where you belong, you know, I would say if you feel
frustrated, read articles that are encouraging, go out to the comedy clubs, go out to a movie,
you know, watch something totally different.
And that's the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing with my holiday shows is to kind of
(04:34):
like give people some hope.
But definitely in times like this, you're going to have to allow yourself some space.
I'm going to have to allow yourself some peace.
Don't get consumed.
And when you see things, I would suggest you don't necessarily have to glow about it because
there are a lot of things that are going to be happening.
You don't, don't go.
I told you so you knew it was going to happen.
(04:57):
We all know what's going to happen.
Right, right, right.
No shock, no surprise.
Right.
So it's right.
You know, you just sit there.
No, no, no.
Outside of the comedy club, where's Lonnie loves space?
Where does she go when she wants to get away from the troubles of the world?
(05:18):
You know, I really do like just traveling because I am without kids.
I do have a boyfriend.
I have a companion.
We travel when we can.
And I feel that traveling allows me to appreciate this country a lot more.
I love that because there are a lot of other countries that don't have the democracy and
(05:43):
the freedoms that we had.
They don't have the wealth that we have.
And sometimes when you travel, you're reminded of that.
So I really do like to travel and I try to do it as much as I can.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
So what's your family doing for the holidays, Lonnie?
Well, you know, I'm out in California.
(06:05):
The majority of my family is in Detroit, steel.
So I'm not going to go out there with them until Christmas.
And unfortunately, my mother passed this year.
Oh, I can do one too.
Thank you.
But I still have this host of cousins and I have aunts and uncles.
(06:25):
So we still get together.
We usually pick a holiday.
So it's not going to be Thanksgiving.
It'll be Christmas.
So I'll go back there.
We'll just get together, cook, make it a big family reunion and just enjoy each other's
company.
And I know a lot of families this year that are canceling.
(06:49):
Yeah.
They're canceling because of this whole voter situation.
So I would tell anyone that's in that type of predicament to definitely plan.
If you can have a friend's giving or a place where you can celebrate, I'm saying don't
let the holidays get to you.
(07:12):
What I do do everything's giving is I like to get back.
So I work with Project Angel Food.
I work with LA Mission here in California.
And I like to spend the day in Thanksgiving making a meals for the homeless.
And that makes me feel like I'm giving something to people that really need it.
(07:33):
And then usually right a couple of days before Christmas, we all have a meal at the LA Mission,
which is here in Los Angeles where we serve the homeless.
So I'll also do that.
So I really like to give back.
And that's what I plan to do for my holidays as well as my comedy shows.
Right.
All right, Lonnie love doing the good work.
(07:56):
I got to help other folks that keep me from drinking.
You know what I'm saying?
And wait a minute.
Sometimes we can drink while we help another folks too, right?
That's true.
That's the best time away.
Let's get into this Lonnie love and the love that you guys are bringing to funny this December
at the Pasadena ice house.
(08:19):
What can fans expect from this show Lonnie love?
Oh my goodness.
If you just want to have a good time, I decided I wanted to do something to give back to the
community also to help some wonderful funny comics that you've seen on Netflix and HBO.
You've seen them on television.
So I said, why not?
(08:39):
Since the holidays, every Thursday meet up at the beautiful ice house.
The ice house in Pasadena has been renovated.
It is gorgeous and they have like two or three different comedy rooms.
And it's just a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.
And I have some wonderful comedians.
(09:01):
We're going to be giving away prizes.
Everyone that comes to the show will get a raffle ticket.
So we're going to be giving away gifts.
We're going to have a great show, laughs and I call them my love ads.
Yeah.
And they love it.
Right, right, right.
Like the Ikez, it's up with us, what else up it off the beat and the slapping and the
(09:21):
fines.
Exactly.
I'm just not Ike Tardar.
I'm just like, oh, so it's a wonderful show.
We invite people to come out like maybe if you have an office party, you don't have something
to do for the holidays or maybe you want to do a nice little date night before the holidays
(09:42):
will be there every Thursday at 8 p.m. at the ice house.
Yeah.
What's the space like you said the ice house has done it up.
They renovated.
What's it looking like up in their Lawny love?
I mean, it has come a long way.
The Lakers owner bought the place and refurbished it.
(10:03):
And I mean, they got like real wood, you know, it's like, it's like, woo, this is nice.
This is nice.
And you know, you want a place that is comfortable, that has great, cool, great drinks, you know,
and that's what the ice house is.
(10:23):
I was so impressed.
And they have a sister, her name is Penny toll, toll, and she is the manager.
She's such a nice lady.
She's so easy to work with.
And when I told her I wanted to do these every Thursday, she was like, sure, you know,
we just got to make sure that we have people come.
So this is a good way to give back.
(10:44):
It's a good way to see wonderful comics, all different types of comics, you know, we have
his Spanish, we have Blacks, you know, I'm looking for some white people, maybe.
But we just have a good time.
And you know, something to get our mind away from what's happened and maybe in a year on
a laugh.
(11:05):
What?
Yes.
What's going to be refreshing about the show, Lonnie?
You said you want to bring some laughs.
You want to bring some joy.
You want to take people's minds off of all the crazy that's happening right now.
What's going to, what's it going to be like?
Well, you know, the thing about stand up, stand up is that the last art form of free speech.
(11:25):
And so, you know, people, the comics that I have, like Vanessa Grattick, she is a wonderful
up and coming female comics.
She talks about, you know, the perils of dating or you have Willis Turner who talks about
he's married and he's dealing with what he has to do with Francisco Ramos.
He just released his Netflix special and he's talking about his family and things.
(11:50):
And then of course, you know, I host, but I also do my observations about comedy.
And that's what makes it refreshing because there's so many different comments that you have
that, you know, make it and every week we'll have special guests that pop through because
of course, have lots of Liberty friends.
Of course.
We're making it a family funny, get together, something that you don't want to miss, especially
(12:16):
for that area.
Yeah.
Let's chop it up a little bit about the great American baking show Celebrity Holiday.
You know, how did you handle the heat and the kitchen and did any of the celebrity co-stars?
Did they surprise you with their cooking skills or lack their of?
Well, we had Susie S. Men from Curvea, Fusiasm.
(12:39):
We had Anthony Anderson.
We know him.
That's my brother.
Right.
We had Rob Riggle, who is an actor and then we had Vanessa Bear, the former Saturday Night
Live sketch artist and then myself.
So it was five of us.
They flew us all the way to England.
We're in an English countryside and the great-
(13:00):
Wait, wait, wait, Lanya.
I got a message with you for a second.
I saw an episode of the show where you found out you were like, what, three percent, five
percent English?
Yeah.
How was it to get home?
It was like, I went to Bucketham Palace to say hi to my cousins and then we didn't even
let me in.
I'm like, hi.
(13:21):
I am here in Charles.
But yeah, and so the great American baking show is a actual baking show that's been on
for quite some time.
But this is a special holiday edition featuring celebs.
None of us knew how to bake.
I am terrible at baking and people see that on the show.
(13:45):
It blew on comedy.
I mean, but they had us baking things key.
They wanted some type of gingerbread house.
So I was all elaborate with my eyes.
I'm going to, you know, do glue in Paris.
Right.
It's, yeah, you have to see it to believe it, but you have three types of baking dishes and
(14:08):
it's a challenge.
And I really do things like this because they give us money for our charity.
And so I sit here and humiliate myself in front of millions of people so that I can make
money for project angel food.
And I'm proud to do it every year.
Yeah.
(14:28):
I mean, what does, what does it mean to you, Lonnie?
I mean, you know, we've been talking about all this good work that you're doing.
What does it mean to you to use your platform to help other people?
I mean, it's so important in there.
And there are some that don't.
Why is this so important to you?
You know, I feel like when I was growing up as little girl in Detroit, I saw people on television,
(14:52):
the Diana Rosses when I saw Gladys Knight, when I saw Smokey Robinson, when I saw Michael
Jackson.
And they really impressed me.
And I knew that maybe one day I never thought I would be on TV, but I would see some of the
things that they would do as far as giving back.
(15:13):
And I wanted to make that my mission.
And once I decided because I wasn't an engineer at Pervue, any university, I spent eight years
as Xerox and I was the worst engineer in I say something.
So I was a win-win for Xerox when I left because I was horrible.
(15:36):
And I became a standup.
And I never thought that I would get to this point.
But now that I am, I realize that there are so few black females.
I mean, we think that it's a lot of us, but it really isn't a lot of us, especially when
it comes to standup comedy that has this type of platform.
(15:58):
So I wanted to use my platform to entertain, to inspire, and to inform.
And that's why I do what I do.
I can't focus on what someone else does because everybody has different missions and paths
in life.
But I do mine to really give back to the people.
And the people love it.
The people also give to me because even when I go to the live shows, just seeing the looks
(16:24):
on their faces, sometimes, you know what black people keep, it can be hard.
They like this.
I ain't go where.
By the end of the show, they've loosened up.
So I don't know if it was my jokes or if it was the liquor, but who cares as long as they
are happy and fulfilling.
(16:46):
And you know, we have these huge platforms, Keith.
We supposed to provide information.
We are supposed to inform.
We are supposed to inspire because we assume, you know, I'm like a news junkie, but everybody
isn't into the news.
And everybody doesn't know.
So I'm like, well, I feel like it's my responsibility.
If I see a story that's interesting or something that maybe I feel people need to know, I feel
(17:11):
like I should post about it that I should talk about it.
And it's amazing to me how many people will comment or they come in, they appreciate what
I have to say.
And so that's what I do.
And I've been doing it for years now.
And I'll continue to do it because this is what I love to do.
Yes.
And speaking of platforms, grown ass women talking.
(17:35):
Where did the idea come from?
Why was it important to you to, you know, to do this podcast?
Because all broads need a place to talk.
Okay, everything is young, young, young, young, young.
I know that's right.
You know, there's no space for women that are 40 and beyond.
(17:58):
They act like once you 40 and beyond, you put out the pasture.
It's like, do you realize we have my girl Shirley Ralph?
She won her first Emmy at 60.
You have Nese Nash who's in her.
Okay, I'm gonna say 40s, but that's my girl.
You know what I mean?
She won't get you, Lonnie.
(18:21):
I'll see you next year.
She's got all my sisters.
I mean, Sherry Shepard, my girl, she didn't get her talk show until she was in her 50s, for
own.
So there is still a space for women 40 and beyond when you think of someone like the beautiful
Biole Davis, I tell you, Spencer, you have all these sisters.
(18:42):
And women who are just, they're blossoming and they're past 40, but we don't want to recognize
it.
And so I wanted to give a space for them to come on and for each show, we have a topic.
So maybe dating after 40 or dating younger or, you know, there's this big thing now about
(19:08):
menopause, it used to be a time when we didn't want to talk about menopause.
Right, right, right.
Really were old.
Well, you got these women all here sweating and steaming up because of hot flashes and, you
know, and there's a way to cure all of that, but a lot of women don't know.
So here again, using my platform, I'm like, well, let's put, let's have a doctor come on
(19:34):
and let's talk about it. And that was one of our highest rated episodes so far, but we
got to talk about pop culture.
We also talk about what's happening in the news, pertaining to grown ass women.
So that's why we call it grown ass women because we want to focus on grown women.
And I have a lovely co-host, her name is Erica Montafo.
(19:55):
She is a showrunner.
And I'm like the writer producer as well.
And we just have a good time and it's been so successful.
And I'm just so happy that I started a project like this to, you know, give exposure to women
and, you know, the things that they go through 40 and them beyond.
And it's funny because even the young girls are called, you know, I, T, I've been listening
(20:19):
to the pop cats and I didn't know that this, that, we were talking about sexual positions
and they were like, I don't know.
And that's a girl.
You can learn a lot from a old broad.
You gotta learn today.
Lolly, tell me one of your, yes, you, I love doing this.
I really, really love talking to folks.
(20:39):
What's been one of your favorite moments doing the podcast?
You know, we've had some really great guests.
And one that I really like enjoy, I enjoy them all.
I really, really enjoy them all.
But my sister Sheila E came on the podcast.
(21:00):
And this is another example.
Sheila, who's, you know, in her late 50s has now been nominated for Best Grammy for her
new Latin album.
And this is the thing we've known Sheila E since Prince.
Yes.
So, she, you know, and, you know, she's been in this music game and it just shows you how
(21:25):
she reinvented herself.
She does her first salsa album and it gets nominated for a Grammy.
And then we also get the stories about Prince and stage to Prince.
And, you know, what happened when they were doing, when we are the world, when they were filming
that and how they tried to kind of use Sheila E for, to try to get Prince on the world.
(21:50):
And when you hear Sheila actually talk about it, you go, wow, this is like music history.
So, that's what I love to get, you know, peel back the layers and get their experience.
And that's what happens when you are talking to grown-ass women.
They have experience.
They have these wonderful stories.
So, that's one of my, my favorite episodes is talking with Sheila E. She's just a great
(22:15):
phenomenal woman.
And you know, we've had people like Lynn, Sesson, Talbert, people that maybe you don't know
that because they're behind the camera, but she and her husband, David, E. Talbert, have
produced so many great movies, you know, like Jingle Jangle, which is currently one of the
(22:37):
only animated black feature films on Netflix.
It's like just to hear her processing when she goes through as a woman and how she was able
to navigate Hollywood.
It's like, it's just a travel trove of advice and it's great.
And I just love doing it.
Between comedy shows, podcasts, helping folks, just everything that you do.
(23:03):
How do you balance all of that?
I sleep.
I tell people, get your rest.
Get you some rest because you can't do all of this.
If your energy, if your health is at there, you can't do that.
And especially now, what we have going through, if you have health care, get everything checked,
(23:28):
the room, the tutor, start taking your vitamins, your teas, get your mental together.
You need to go see a therapist, do all of that.
And so that's what I've been doing.
I take care of myself.
I got a peloton that sees me maybe once a month.
(23:50):
Hey, that'd be the best 15 minutes on that peloton.
Tell them, "Lady love."
It's like, you know, I'm getting old, Keith.
I know I'm getting old because my doctors are getting old.
I went to the eye doctor because I'm very loyal.
(24:12):
I'll keep you brief, doctor.
I've had the same doctor for 20 years.
Well, I'm 50.
He's 70.
We argue in over the eye chart.
He's like, is that a T?
That's a no, that's an M.
That's an M dot.
So now I got to go find an eye doctor for me and my eye doctor.
That's what happens as you get old.
(24:36):
You need an eye doctor for the eye doctor.
Yeah.
Oh, gosh.
You know, you know, like me, I have a, I'm juggling a lot of moving parts, like just like you are.
And sometimes it's hard for me to sleep.
But what's your secret to getting a good night's sleep?
Get you a nice neck, night cat.
(24:57):
You know, there are different things.
Some people take melatonin, some people take this new thing.
It's gummy mushrooms, things like that.
I don't necessarily do all of that.
What I do is honestly it works for me and I would suggest if you're having problems is
to try meditation.
(25:18):
And it's a form of, you know, like right before you go to bed while you're laying in the
bed, kind of close your eyes, try to relax, turn off all the lights.
And then you have to mentally, like try to do a body scan and you start at the top of
your head.
And then you move all the way down.
(25:38):
This is mentally like as you're closing your eyes and usually that relaxes your body.
You know, you're tense stuff, things like that.
And I tell people, even when you wake up in the morning, do five minutes of just nothing,
just if you, you know, there are a lot of apps out there for meditation.
Quest love is, is the person that got me on meditating.
(26:02):
And, you know, there's different apps, but there's the calm app that is really good.
It does 10 minute exercises of meditations.
There are different things that you need.
And it really, and I really stress this to people because what we're about to go through
in four years, going to need to find a way to be able to make sure your mind is okay.
(26:26):
And so for me, meditation has really, really worked.
And of course, a lot of prayer because sometimes you got to pray that this person is getting
on your nerves will stop.
[Laughs]
I want to jump.
[Laughs]
So let me go over here, pray.
(26:47):
Right, right, right, right.
Set it down, get on the knees.
All of that.
Yeah, love it.
Lower half of mercy, but, you know, mentally, and you can't do all of this if you don't
rest.
So you have to make sure that you get the proper rest.
You know, try going to bed at the same time.
Try getting up at the same time.
(27:08):
Try making sure that you get at least seven hours of sleep.
That really helps too.
I know as we get older, some people, I don't need three hours, you know, you need seven.
You need at least.
At least.
Don't be telling yourself that.
Right, right.
Right, right.
We talked a little bit about the holidays earlier.
(27:29):
What's one of your favorite holiday memories and traditions that you like to observe?
You know, when my mom was alive, being able to go back home to Detroit during the holidays,
usually there's some snow on the ground.
You don't have that out here.
It was always nice to go back and there's a certain type of quiet at the holidays because
(27:53):
everybody is out of the city and they're with their family and friends.
And something about that piece, one of being able to go back home, two, to have some really
home cooked meals.
Like, you know, my mom and her and her sisters, they, those black women cook, cook, I mean,
(28:13):
just everything.
And you would just see this spread.
And some of the recipes I was able to get from them and some of them, she, you know, she
has locked away.
And I was like, really, mama?
You locked away the recipe.
Yeah.
So, but yeah, one of my favorite memories is is able to go home and just, you know, be
(28:36):
with family, be with friends.
And I tell this to people, if you don't have, family is what you make it because I know a
lot of people, you know, feel like it doesn't have to be a huge family.
It could be, you know, two or three of your close friends and you all get together and
you just share this moment in time.
(28:57):
That's the holidays are for.
The holidays to me and for us to all kind of slow down and go somewhere, be somewhere,
be with somebody, you know, or even if you're by yourself, make yourself a little meal.
Like, but I used to have to go out on the road right before holidays.
(29:18):
I would sometimes be by myself when I was single and I would make sure that I had some
type of meal just make myself feel, feel special in that feel, you know, empty and
alone.
So definitely, but and also the giving back part, I can't stress that enough.
If you can go volunteer somewhere or if you can do something for somebody else, it really
(29:41):
will make you count your blessings.
Absolutely.
Well, some of you go to dishes, Lonnie love.
What can you throw down on?
Oh, I can make a main pot of water.
Okay, touch me when it comes to water, Keith.
(30:02):
What's going on?
Can you imagine somebody come and he's my water?
And I'd be liking there's the door.
It's okay.
You know, it's some people don't keep you just assigned them.
You say, you know, it just bring the napkins and some paper plates.
I've never been one of that.
(30:24):
I really do like making like a casserole.
I like of course the mac and cheese and I love making greens.
I have perfected making greens as I've aged.
I've tried different things, you know, because I have friends who are vegan, so I can't put
in my ham hot to turn.
And funny, you can't, I live by the beach.
(30:47):
You cannot find ham hot to buy the beach.
You say ham hot, they're like, whoa.
You gotta go to that.
It's like, it's right there, you know, it's right there.
So it's funny how culturally there's some areas where they're like, we don't have that.
(31:08):
So you have to, you know where to go.
Right.
You need to get it.
Yes.
What's it like when Lundy love comes to the hood to get our ham hot?
I like.
I like it.
It's like a homecoming in a way.
(31:28):
Sometimes I just, I don't even wear my wig.
I just wear my hair wrapped up and put all some glasses because I'm like, okay, I have time
to be talking to everybody.
I'm trying to get my ham hot.
Yeah.
I want to come get the ham hot.
And when she saw me post a thing and I love that.
(31:52):
I appreciate it.
But I got to get back and cook because I need to get the ham hot.
So but it's definitely, you know, definitely it's something that's a treat for me when I go
to the hood.
And I always feel welcome and at home.
You know, it's always good to remember that those people and I do a lot of work with the
(32:16):
children and the different public schools, especially in Compton.
And so it's always good to go back.
Yeah.
What's one of the programs that you do in Compton with the kids?
Well right now, what we're trying to do is a film program.
I do a radio show called Cafe Mocha Radio.
(32:37):
Very familiar.
And thank you.
And so we started a film festival based on HBCUs called the HBCU First Look Film Festival.
This is our second one that we had this year.
And so what we're trying to do is extend it to high schoolers because now these kids are
doing everything.
They're shooting movies off of their phones.
(33:00):
That's right.
So we want to give exposure to black filmmakers.
And this is a way of doing it.
And we get the sponsorships and things like that.
So I'm going back to the communities in the high schools in Compton and just running
a little high school film festival.
So we'll be working on that for 2025.
(33:22):
And that's another way of giving back, especially to the young kids.
That's right.
That's right.
You're key.
Are you related to Blair?
Wait a minute Blair says we're related.
So we don't have to go into that DNA show that he was hosting and find out if we're actually
related.
>> That's, I saw him up in San Francisco.
(33:46):
They had the soul of the soul playing, not the soul playing, that was the movie I was on.
They had the soul train musical.
And so we all went up there.
And it's always nice seeing Blair and Compton Domingo was up there supporting Dominique
Morecy, the creator of that and Quest Love.
(34:08):
He was also a producer.
So that's why I said, I'm like, you relate it.
>> [LAUGH] >> My being just better now.
>> You know, it could be a thing.
We're going to look in today.
You got to hit up Blair and say, make sure Keith is your cousin.
>> [LAUGH] >> And so, Lani, tell us about the love ads and
how they become a unique part of the show that you're doing.
(34:33):
>> Well, I didn't want to just do a regular show where I had my, I wanted to do a very special show because it's the holidays.
And also, I wanted to give a variety of comedy because comedy is so subjective.
I wanted to pick some of the funniest comedians that were different.
And so you have this host of comics, Kyle Embry, you have Willis Turner, you have Francisco,
(35:00):
Rames, you have Orlando, Labay, and Vanessa Gratic.
And other surprise comics will be coming through.
>> Okay.
>> And we're just gonna do old style variety type of comedy where we welcome everybody.
We're gonna be giving gifts throughout the whole night, through our raffles, which is completely free.
(35:25):
You buy a ticket, you get the raffle.
And we just want people to come out and have a full show.
I think we need to get back to that where we're having full variety shows.
It's not just one person, but like a variety type show.
And that's the whole idea of holidays at the ice house.
(35:48):
With Lonnie Love and The Love Ants.
And The Love Ants are just great.
They let me call them Love Ants.
And most of them are men.
I only have one one.
And I'm like, you want to be a love that?
They're like, sure.
>> Why not?
>> Yeah.
>> But that's the thing back in the day when I was coming up in comedy, we would do these type of shows.
(36:09):
We would have, we would just all come together.
And it's a great way for us to give exposure to each other and the comedy and
we help each other and sit there and laugh.
And like I said, the room there is going to be in the legendary room at the ice house is beautiful.
I mean, really beautiful space.
(36:31):
You're not crowded in, it's new, it's clean.
It's just something like I said, if you have an office party or
if all my divine nine brothers and sisters will bring everybody, bring the AKAs,
the Delta, the Omega's just, no barking Omega.
>> [LAUGH]
(36:53):
>> This is going to be a great space for us to all be together.
>> Yeah, let's see, the great American baking show, Paul Hollywood,
what's your boy, Paul Hollywood?
What's he like in person for real, for real?
>> For those that don't watch the show, Paul Hollywood thinks he is the man of the man.
(37:18):
He has these steel blue eyes.
He knows how to cook.
So you know all the women love a man with steel blue eyes and know how to cook.
But he is a real judge.
I mean, he's going to judge your stuff and crack up about it.
>> [LAUGH]
(37:38):
>> So with our men Paul, it was a fast, but
I wasn't intimidated by Paul at all.
I was like, let him know, no, this is-
>> [LAUGH]
>> Maybe my designs didn't come out 100%, but the cookies was right.
>> [LAUGH]
(37:58):
>> Longer show cookies are right.
They wasn't dry.
>> [LAUGH]
>> So nobody like nothing dry.
>> Nothing.
>> [LAUGH]
>> Nothing dry, no dryness.
So you get to see all those shenanigans and you get to see me and
Anthony Anderson clowning.
(38:20):
I've been doing Anthony Anderson for years, that's my brother.
And you know, just working with him is always fun, is always about jokes.
He couldn't roll his cake, we had to do a roll cake.
And I was trying to help him roll the front of the weekend.
We were a mess, we were a mess in that kitchen.
(38:40):
>> How are some other ways that you want to use your platform to help folks in the future?
>> I just want people to ultimately be happy.
And so what I try to do is make sure that I entertain them.
With entertaining post, entertaining shows,
(39:04):
live events or things on IG.
I try to just, I'm going to continue in 2025 to do that.
I'm going to continue to, I'm developing shows right now that in 2025.
(39:24):
Right now, the whole scene in Hollywood has completely slowed down.
But 2025, I'm pretty sure it's going to pick back up.
So I have a bunch of projects that are up for production in 2025.
And that's all I want to do is just be an entertainer.
(39:45):
Ever since I was a engineer and I left and I told my boss,
I am saving you by leaving this God for taking job.
I've never looked back and even in the times where work is slow,
I don't let that slow me down.
I continue to make sure that I do what I'm supposed to do.
(40:08):
And that's entertaining to people, make the people laugh and
make the people have a place to escape.
And we're going to need that now more than ever.
So make sure you check out your girl, Lonnie Love.
And you know what, I'm going to check back in with you next year,
she's going to see, because I'm going to be like,
now let's talk about what has happened this year, Keith.
(40:30):
Right.
And you are welcome back anytime, Lonnie Love.
Lonnie Love, where can everybody find you?
Well, first off, give us all the dates for Lonnie Love in the Love X.
And then also where everybody can find you on social media.
We need everybody to come out to the ice house in Pasadena.
(40:52):
Lonnie Love in the Love X every Thursday in December, that's the fifth,
the 12th and the 19th of December.
And you can get tickets at the icehouse.com or LonnieLove.com.
Also LonnieLove.com has pictures of me.
I'm always on red carpet.
It's a wonderful little thing.
(41:12):
We also, if you want to get my newsletter and sign up for it,
or if you have a comment or a question, I do answer go to LonnieLove.com.
Also, Comic Lonnie Love on IG.
There's a variety of things that we're doing on IG.
My IG show is called, say what?
(41:32):
We do that every Wednesday.
And there's also a bunch of funny clips and interesting clips.
So we want you to be part of our community and also on Facebook, LonnieLove.com.
And thank you so much, Keith, for this time.
This is so sweet of you and I appreciate your support.
Absolutely.
Like I said, any time LonnieLove, anything for you.
(41:54):
So--
All right, Blair Cousin.
[LAUGHTER]
And everybody, please follow Blair's cousin on IG and Mr. Keith L. Underwood.
You can also follow me on F.B. at Keith L. Underwood and follow Black in the Green Room
across all platforms on Black in the Green Room.
(42:16):
Until next time, this has been Black in the Green Room.
Thanks, Lonnie.
Talk to you again soon.
Happy holidays, everybody.
Happy holidays.
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