Your Favorite Auntie

Auntie (host Marjon Carlos) first encountered artist Arthur Jafa through his seminal work Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death nearly ten years ago—and she was immediately struck by the seven minute video excavation of Black life. One of her favorite artists, Jafa has built a body of work that interrogates Blackness, challenges the conventions of filmmaking, and questions the power structures that shape the art world. On this episode of Your Favorite Auntie, Auntie welcomes the acclaimed artist, filmmaker, and cinematographer into her proverbial living room for a conversation about the life experiences that shaped his eye, from growing up in Mississippi to shooting Julie Dash’s landmark film Daughters of the Dust—and the work he passed on.

The two get into the artist as outsider, the politics of the image, and what it means to make work that can move people to tears without necessarily changing how they undo systemic structures of inequality. Jafa reflects on his complicated relationship with Hollywood, the contradictions of success, and what his own rise reveals about race, power, and recognition in the art world.

It’s a sprawling conversation about the Black creative experience, artistic ambition, and the politics of being seen—with one of the most important and uncompromising artists working today ahead of his historic survey, Arthur Jafa: I Am Tony, now on at the New Museum in New York.

Subscribe to Your Favorite Auntie on Substack to follow along this season.

In this episode:

* How growing up in Mississippi shaped Jafa’s eye and his understanding of the world

* Howard University, Black intellectual life, and the experiences that formed his artistic vision

* The griot, the artist as outsider, and the responsibility of telling stories about a community

* Shooting Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust and confronting the hierarchies of the film industry

* Why Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death remains such a powerful and unsettling meditation on Black life

* The difference between being moved by images of Black suffering and confronting the systems that produce it

* Black artists, YT supremacy, and the contradictions of institutional recognition

* Jafa’s relationship to success, ambition, and the importance of not believing your own hype

Credits:

Executive Producer: Annie Gottlieb of HiHello Media

Production and Editing: WSA

Follow Us On Social!

Show IG: @yourfavoriteauntieshowHost IG: @marjon_carlosTikTok: @yourfavoriteauntieshowWeb: www.yourfavoriteaunieshow.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

On this week’s epi of Culture Unzipped, Auntie weighs in on the biggest stories in the zeitgeist: what the City Girls crash out teaches us about friendship breakups, why the Tom Brady/Joan Smalls/Candace Swanepoel love triangle is giving “Summer House” all over again, why Black women are flocking to Ulta Beauty to get our hair done, and ofc RHONY and RHOSLC hot takes!

Pour yourself a glass and tune into APR (Auntie Public Radio) lol.

Thank you Curious Detours, Humptykunty, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Auntie’s back, bbs! And this season, we’re done making ourselves smaller.

After a difficult year that included being doxxed, retreating from public life, and watching professional opportunities pass her by, Auntie (host Marjon Carlos) is getting candid about what happens when protecting your peace starts to cost you your visibility. In this solo episode, Auntie opens up about reclaiming her voice, returning to her purpose, and why she’s no longer willing to let other people determine the size of her life.

Then it’s on to the culture. In signature Auntie fashion, the journalist unpacks the debate surrounding Nikole Hannah-Jones’s New York Times Magazine essay on her daughter’s education, interrogates the politics of identity and proximity to whiteness in The Cut’s “Wasian Generation,” and weighs in on the age-old question dividing the group chat: Are you betraying your single friends when you tell your partner their business?

Plus, in Ask Auntie Anything, Marjon shares hard-earned advice on navigating social life when you’re no longer drinking, making a career pivot without the traditional credentials, and learning to put yourself out there before you feel ready.

IN THIS EPISODE

* Auntie gets candid about being doxxed, professional setbacks, and finding the courage to be visible again.

* We get into Nikole Hannah-Jones, the “Wasian Generation,” and the question of who gets to claim proximity to whiteness.

* Auntie weighs in on navigating your social life without drinking and making a career pivot before you feel qualified.

Subscribe to Your Favorite Auntie on Substack to follow along this season.

Credits:Executive Producer: Annie Gottlieb, HiHello MediaProduction and Editing: WSA NY

Follow Us On Social!

Show IG: @yourfavoriteauntieshowHost IG: @marjon_carlosTikTok: @ yourfavoriteauntieshowWeb: http://www.yourfavoriteauntie.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

What if your breakup isn’t the end of your love story, but the beginning of a glow up? On Your Favorite Auntie’s Season 3 premiere, Auntie (host Marjon Carlos) sits down in her proverbial living room with James Beard Award-winning, Emmy-nominated chef, writer, and creative force Sophia Roe to talk heartbreak, dating after 35, and believing the love you want is actually possible. Inspired by Sophia’s journey from the end of a long-term relationship to a fiancé and a family, Auntie unpacks her Glow Up Theory: sometimes losing the life you thought you wanted is what makes room for the one you deserve.

The two friends get into the difference between loving someone and being right for each other, confusing chaos with chemistry, trauma bonding, and why you should believe people when they tell you what they want (or don’t). Sophia opens up about knowing when a relationship has run its course, the guilt of walking away, and the freedom of starting over.

Consider this your reminder, bbs: you are allowed to want more, you are allowed to start over, and you have no idea what’s waiting for you on the other side. This is the Glow Up Theory.

Subscribe to Your Favorite Auntie on Substack to follow along this season.

In this episode:

* The Glow Up Theory and learning to believe a better love story is possible

* Dating in your 30s and 40s, and getting clear about what you want

* Knowing when a relationship has run its course—even when nobody did anything wrong

* Halfway promises, mismatched goals, and the cost of settling

* Trauma bonding versus building a relationship rooted in stability

* Letting go of guilt and making peace with an ex

* Starting over, dating with intention, and finding the courage to expect more

* Releasing the pressure to struggle for everything and allowing good things to happen

Credits:

Executive Producer: Annie Gottlieb of HiHello Media

Production and Editing: WSA

Follow Us On Social!

Show IG: @yourfavoriteauntieshowHost IG: @marjon_carlosTikTok: @yourfavoriteauntieshowWeb: http://www.yourfavoriteauntie.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

Ok, so auntie is BACK after a week hiatus—sorry ya’ll! I had to go get my hair done and shirked all my responsibilities…

This week on Your Favorite Auntie, we’re embracing one of my favorite topics: summer dating.

From vacation flings (which, yes, I fully support) to navigating the abundance of dating in New York City, we’re answering your questions about romance, commitment, effort, and what it actually means to date with intention.

We get into:

* Why summer is the perfect season to fall in love

* The magic (and limits) of dating while traveling

* How to know when it’s time to stop exploring and start building with someone

* What REAL investment looks like in relationships

* What it really means to find a “man of value” in NYC

* And finally, I answer one of the most personal questions I’ve received: What’s your dream right now?

Spoiler: it’s less about achieving more and more about becoming the woman who can hold everything I’ve been praying for.

Pour yourself something cold, take a walk, or throw this on while you’re getting ready for your own summer adventures.

If you have your own Summer Dating woes that are keeping you up at night, feel free to send them to me at askyourfavoriteauntie@gmail.com. And if you loved this epi, be sure to rate and review (5 stars for 5 stars!) and send to the group chat.

Until next time, Auntie sends her love.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Juneteenth weekend, bbs! Auntie is back with another epi and I am offering up my FINAL thoughts on “Summer House.” I know, I know—I have dedicated weeks of epis to this topic, and it’s time for me to touch grass. But before I do, I touch on:

* Auntie’s theories on the Amanda/West timeline

* Amanda’s redemption arc - give her a year and a Call Her Daddy interview…and she’ll be back with Kyle!

* Why Meija’s presence creates more questions than answers

* My own reservations about Lindsay and the entire “In The City” enterprise

* West’s firing and the future of the show

* My prayer for Ciara’s discernment

I ALSO discuss the 2nd anniversary of my not drinking. I know, madness! I am mourning the party girl I was, while meeting the woman I am becoming, and it’s an interesting middle to be in. Especially when a chilled glass of orange wine and an order of half-a-dozen of oysters would cure so much. But GROWTH!

Let me know in the comments your thoughts, theories, and coping mechanisms.

Until next time, Auntie sends her love xx

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

This week, Auntie is just back from Martha’s Vineyard, slightly exhausted, deeply moisturized, and wondering if everyone forgot I was a writer or something. Hmmm..

We’re talking family vacations, introducing your boyfriend to your relatives, billionaires turning the Knicks game into Met Gala 2.0, Dua Lipa’s inspiring wedding, and the Bread/Topicals beauty controversy that had Black beauty Twitter in a chokehold.

Something keeping you up at night, and you need Auntie’s advice? Send your dating drama, friendship mess, career confusion, family chaos, or existential spiral to: askauntieanything@gmail.com. I’ll answer the best q’s on next week’s show.

I’ll also be going LIVE this weekend to discuss Summer House Reunion pt 3! I know I’ve been doing a big deep dive here at YFA (real boots on the ground journalism, babes) but I thought I’d save my theories for a standalone moment.

Until next time, Auntie sends her love.

1 Slutty Founder article referenced in the epi

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs and Happy Summer!

How are we?! The city is hopping rn: between the Knicks, the humid-less weather, Mamdani, and the Summer House reunion, it’s going up around here. These are halcyon days* (in the epi, I say “bastion days” and meant halcyon lol).

Auntie is fresh off my move-in with bae (who makes a very funny appearance this epi) and I’ve learned the cathartic nature of giving things away and starting a new chapter. I’m still obsessed with Summer House reunion theory tho, so this episode is full of my takes on the second part of this three-parter reunion. Also, I chime in on RHORI/RHOA drama, but I think we’re gonna need a separate episode or a Live for that…

I also break down how Alexa Demie’s recent Hollywood Reporter interview brought me so much clarity around acceptance and manifestation. Trying to force less these days, trust the God/the process, and find my flow state.

Anyhoo, have a listen and let Auntie know in the comments what you think. Until next time, Auntie sends her love xx

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

Our Eastern Conference Playoffs are here: the Summer House reunion! Did we watch? What did we think? I’m still reeling and woke up at 5 am to rewatch, take notes, and record today’s epi.

Some things that stood out to me:

* Ciara owns her voice and it’s splendid to watch! Not only is she staying on Amanda’s neck, but she’s a woman who clearly is doing the work in therapy…

* Amanda’s victim-mentality and lack of remorse are shocking, but not totally surprising.

* West is dead in the eyes and a fraud, letting Amanda take the heat, while he and Amanda lie about the timeline to our face…

* KJ’s mental health journey broke me but I am so happy to see he’s found real friends.

* Bailey may have unpacked something about Ben we didn’t all see…

* I pick up on a small but telling detail about West that tells me everything I need to know about this man…

I also dig into some personal updates on the move + the closet sale this past weekend! Thank you for all who came out, supported, and showed me love. I love you guys and want to have more in-person events this summer, so hang tight…

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and until next time, Auntie sends her love xx

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Your Favorite Auntie, we are diving headfirst into the chaos of Summer House and In the City—and I have THOUGHTS.

We get into:

* My s/o to Black bougie/suburban girls everywhere!

* My theory that Amanda and Kyle’s separation storyline feels way more produced than people want to admit…

* Realizing that Ciara was the last person to know West was not trying to be her boyfriends was genuinely heartbreaking to watch

* The suspiciousness of Ciara and West’s infamous 5 AM kiss

* Amanda, narrative control, and the performance of “not being enough”

* The Lindsay and Carl exhaustion of it all

Plus in In the City:

* Andy Cohen’s fascination with the hyper-curated “New York influencer” era that sanitizes, whitewashes, and gentrifies a city built on multiculturalism

* WHO are all these people?!

* Danielle constantly feeling like she’s trying to keep up with Lindsay

* Why Amanda and Kyle’s therapy storyline feels more symbolic than transformative

A little Bravo sociology, a little mess, a little emotional damage. Just how we like it.

Listen now on Substack and wherever you get your podcasts + sound off in the comments your thoughts/hot takes!

What You May Have Missed This Week

* Auntie’s Live on Monday where we unpack RHORI, RHOA, and Drake’s new album!

* New Substack: “Auntie’s Rules On Surviving NY RN” - it’s a guide from a 20 year vet in the game on how to circumnavigate a new city that has changed drastically

* On Notes: “If you wanna do big things, you gotta do big things…” and the reality of executing on your ambitions before you feel ready

* IRL: Closet sale + Auntie community hang this Sunday, May 24th at SAA! More details to come…

Until next time, Auntie sends her love xx

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

Auntie is back with another episode, and this week we’re moving through a few very different threads that somehow all circle the same question around being a Black creative, making it big, and separating yourself from the pack…

We get into:

Pixie cut energyNot just the haircut, but the feeling of wanting a reset. Identity shifts, aesthetic decisions, why it’s hard to keep this lewk, and when your boyfriend hates it LOL

Being copied (and why it hit a nerve)I talk through a recent moment that irritated me more than I expected: seeing my work + IP echoed elsewhere. Less about ownership, more about emotional reaction—why it felt personal, and what that says about boundaries, recognition, and self-authorship in today’s increasingly optimized creative ecosystem.

The “good girl” performanceThe quiet pressure to be agreeable, polished, quiet—and how that can flatten your instincts over time. Especially when you’re building something creative and public-facing, this performance can become second nature without you noticing it.

Euphoria (what is going on there?)A loose unpacking of what the show is currently signaling culturally—style, excess, emotionality, fragmentation—and what Sydney Sweeney and Sam Levinson’s creative partnership says about sex work and race.

Sound off in the comments and let Auntie know what you’re thinking too.

Until next time, Auntie sends her love xx

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Met Tuesday! Is that a thing?! I’m making it one…

I woke up this morning, moved to speak to my girls about “fashion’s biggest night”…and the utter disappointment it was. Let’s get into it shall we?

The Met Gala, as we know, isn’t just a red carpet—it’s a cultural ritual, a branding exercise, and a high-stakes performance disguised as a party. In this episode, I break down what we’re actually looking at when we watch the Met: who it’s for, how power moves through the room, and why some people understand the assignment while others… absolutely do not.

We also get into the politics of the evening and contextualize the fundraising affair against the backdrop of a sociopolitical crisis such as America’s. How do celebrities and fashion cabals actually dress for rooms bought by billionaires?

In This Episode, We Cover:-How the tech oligarchs took over this year and what it did to the red carpet-My honest take on this year’s standout looks—and the ones that tried it-What it means for Beyoncé to be at event like this-What was missing from the evening…

Key Takeaway:The Met Gala is at risk of being completely overtaken and overrun by tech oligarchs, and their push to automate “taste”—despite having none of their own.

Listen If You:–Are obsessed with fashion but skeptical of the industry–Love cultural analysis with a sharp point of view–Want to understand how influence actually works behind the scenes

Let’s Continue the Conversation:What was your favorite look this year—and more importantly, why? Leave a comment on Substack or DM me your takes.

Links:https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/why-tech-bros-are-now-obsessed-with-taste?_sp=d1ab405e-8462-4bfc-994d-451bf271c0d1.1777928190072

Subscribe to Your Favorite Auntie for weekly episodes that decode culture, media, and the moments everyone else is just reacting to.

Ed. Note: I completely forgot to mention Kim’s look, but maybe that’s a good thing…lol

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Ayoka, Doru Loboka, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

With a new haircut, Auntie is back to wax prophetic on the foibles of being a reference to many but never credited…it’s exhausting, as you can imagine! We delve into the realities of content creation, building a brand, why “Devil Wears Prada 2” wasn’t necessary, and yes, the Meg/Klay breakup. Grab a drink, brew some tea, and pull up a chair for a listen…xx

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

First things first: thank you. Truly. The messages, the reposts, the “I needed this” DMs about last week’s epi—I don’t take any of it lightly. I feel it, and I appreciate you!

This week, I’m coming to you as a full-blown lover girl (???). Who is she? We unpack that, along with a small but meaningful life update: making a new friend at 43. It’s possible, it’s a little awkward, and it’s actually kind of beautiful.

Then we get into something that’s been quietly irritating me—the tired narrative that Asian men and Black women “don’t date.” Please. We are very much in a SternTao era, and I’d like the discourse to catch up.

And of course, we have to talk about Summer House and ALL the new drama…

Ciara’s glow-up isn’t just aesthetic, it’s energetic. There’s a clarity and self-possession in her recent interview that feels like a shift. The kind where you stop over-explaining yourself and just…stand in it. As she put it: “I’m not really thinking too much about the seating arrangement because I know that this is a moment for me to stand my own ground wherever I’m sitting.” Exactly.

We get into:

* The timing (and tone) of West and Amanda’s relationship announcement—and what it says that Ciara found out alongside the rest of us

* The emotional labor dynamic that feels all too familiar: a Black woman extending grace and communication to a YT man who is clearly capable of showing up…just not for her

* Why we’re so quick to blame women for “not seeing it sooner,” when men are often curating who they are in the early months

* That Yankees game kiss…which felt less like romance and more like a PR maneuver to redirect attention away from Ciara’s moment

* The “cool girl” performance of Amanda Batuglia, and what it costs

* The leaked reunion audio (yes, I woke up to chaos) and the question of who benefits from it being out there

We also talk about what happens next. Because if we’re being honest, West will likely land on his feet—men’s media tends to make space for this exact archetype. And Amanda? We’ve seen the culture rehabilitate worse, so nothing is off the table.

As always, this isn’t just about them. It’s about the patterns, the optics, and the way women—especially Black women—are expected to absorb, translate, and tidy up emotional messes that aren’t ours to carry.

Pour a glass, take a walk, text your group chat—whatever your ritual is. I’m glad you’re here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

Hey bbs!

Auntie is back with another podcast epi and this week we’re clocking behavior—both spiritual and social.

We start with a personal check-in on “monitoring spirits” (yes, we’re going there), what that phrase even means in a modern context, and why sometimes it feels like your life has an audience you didn’t invite.

Then we get into the internet mess:

* Emma Grede/Keke Palmer podcast fallout: I see where she’s coming from BUT Emma has a HUGE trust issue with her brand positioning I’m surprised she hasn’t caught onto yet…

* Noah Lyles/Junelle Brumford and the “first look” controversy: Babes, you just married your biggest hater!

A Part 2 will follow, because I need to weigh in on Ciara Miller’s “Glamour” cover and ofc West and Amanda’s spon-con NY Yankees game diversion tactic…

Let Auntie know in the comments your thoughts xx

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Thank you Kehmari Norman, Office Romance, Dawn Joyce, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Fresh off a bout of food poisoning, Auntie gets her footing again and digs back into the Summer House Industrial Complex, the body and beauty politics of Real Housewives of Atlanta, why Real Housewives of Rhode Island means so much to her, and what she REALLY thinks about that V*gue cover. You won’t want to miss this 2-hr jam-packed weekend edition!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://yourfavoriteauntie.substack.com/subscribe