Don't Alert The Stans is a music and pop-culture podcast with a marked focus on stan culture. Join your hosts Nic (@IAmNtyrell), Sope (@SopeSoetan) and Eden (@EedsMcKenzie) as they examine the trending topics of the week, new releases and mercilessly debate your favourite artists. Controversial and wild options aplenty, no artist is safe. This isn't for the faint-hearted or easily triggered. Get involved in the conversation at #DATSPOD

Welcome back to Don't Alert The Stans!

For this week’s episode, the boys are joined by Gerrick Kennedy. Based in Los Angeles, Kennedy is an award-winning journalist + cultural critic.

A former staff writer at the LA Times, his writing has appeared in the likes of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, GQ, Wall Street Journal Magazine, Men’s Health, Variety, NPR Music, Billboard, Spin, Playboy, Teen Vogue and Shondaland. He is also the author of 'Didn't We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston’.

In a very short news agenda, Eden and Sope share their thoughts on Isaiah Rashad who during his 2022 Coachella set, addressed the frenzy that ensued when he was unfortunately outed by way a sex tape that showed him with two other men.

Rounding out the episode is an animated and illuminating conversation with Gerrick Kennedy. His guest appearance starts off with a lengthy rumination on the ways the internet has contributed to the ongoing plight of black journalists.

The discussion then veers into a focused analysis of his new book where Gerrick and the boys partake in an extended conversation on the life and career of Whitney Houston. Highlighting how the demands of her career and the doors she opened would force her to be at odds with her blackness and her queerness.

While also looking at the necessary creative rebirth that came with her ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’, the social complexities surrounding her iconic rendition of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’. The boys also dive deep into how Whitney’s death personally affected Gerrick and led to his own modes of internal and professional transformation.

Please Note: This content may include explicit language and references which may not be suitable for young listeners.

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