Despite having 24/7 access to the world’s biggest stars thanks to social media, those feeds are often curated and edited to present the “best” version of the celebrity. Authentic moments are hard to come by, which is what makes First We Feast’s Hot Ones such a phenomenon. After all, it’s difficult to keep your composure when you feel like your tongue is on fire, and the results are predictably hilarious. To put it simply, we will never get tired of watching celebrities being interviewed while eating mouth-meltingly hot chicken wings. So when we heard that Cardi B would be interviewed on the popular YouTube series, we were naturally excited.
While Cardi B is a superstar with more number-one singles than any other woman in hip-hop history, she remains down-to-earth and authentically herself. But while most people know Cardi as the rapper behind “WAP” and “Bongos”, she is also a major history nerd. She shared her love for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt during her appearance. While most guests laugh, cry, and get teary, Cardi had some political knowledge to drop! And I was here for it!
The host, Sean Evans, asked Cardi about a variety of things. But what really got the internet talking was Cardi’s passion for the 32nd president of the United States. I was not expecting that! Now to be fair, I do not expect most celebrities to be steeped in political history. But given how Cardi has been portrayed, fairly or unfairly, I was even more surprised! Which I hate saying because it encompasses so many stereotypes; many of these, I am sure have been levied onto me, as a woman of color, who likes rap and has 20+ tattoos myself. So hearing her speak about these issues really made me take a step back and realize the tropes I was perpetuating.
Aside from that, Cardi’s love of these two towering political figures was quite evident. The video shows her at the “Hot Ones” table, and as she’s snacking, she starts talking about visiting FDR’s house. She says that anyone who knows her knows she loves FDR. She talks about some of his accomplishments, like getting America through the Great Depression, and World War II, and how he was the only president elected four times. My little political heart was so happy! She goes on to talk about Eleanor, saying she had a very “sad life.” She wanted her own space and often lived separately from her husband. Cardi was most excited when she talked about visiting the room where FDR and Winston Churchill were discussing “the nuke.” Cardi’s passion is so endearing and relatable to history nerds everywhere.
I remember when Cardi B first broke out on the hit reality series Love & Hip Hop: New York. I was so excited to see her career take off when she exploded onto the scene with “Bodak Yellow.” I was astonished but in a good way! So many people start their careers on reality shows but fail to cross over. As a woman of color, I tried to pay some attention to the debates around shows like Love & Hip Hop because there are always so many opinions regarding their portrayal of Black and brown people and women in particular. Cardi was considered kind of a wild, zany character, with haters even calling her “ratchet” or “ghetto.” I always thought she was down-to-earth and really ambitious. She did have some struggles with her speech and fighting, but she had potential. It’s awesome to see her so successful and living her best life.
Clearly, if this episode taught us anything, it’s that Cardi B’s next collab should be with The History Channel. Let her host or narrate a historical series or documentary film! Give us famous historical events from Cardi’s perspective. I would definitely watch that, and I’m not alone. Even the History Channel’s X account agrees!
How many times do we need to hear the white male viewpoint? Cardi clearly has a passion for history and has a dynamic personality. I will continue thinking of show ideas and maybe pitch them to her! But right now, we can just continue to live for her interviews and her music.
(featured image: screenshot/First We Feast)
Published: Oct 1, 2023 06:32 pm