Jemele Hill's new Spotify podcast, "Jemele Hill is Unbothered," debuted Monday, and it was 51 minutes of gutter language-laced criticism of Tiger Woods over his friendship with President Donald Trump, conservatives and critics of retired NBA guard Dwyane Wade's gay son.
The podcast features Hill, the former co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter 6, and two co-hosts, writer/director/comedian Cole Wiley and "vintage millennial" Michael Arceneaux, author of The New York Times bestseller "I Can't Date Jesus." Their first topic was Woods, who had battled through years of physical and personal problems to win the Master's Sunday. Hill discounted claims of those who say Trump can't be a racist because he has black friends like Woods:
"They will always use that as a reason to say this is why Donald Trump can't be a white supremacist or why he can't be racist ... because he played golf with Tiger Woods. How hard is it to be friends with rich-ass famous black people? It's not. That doesn't mean anything."
Hill said she doesn't feel comfortable weighing in on someone's blackness, but she has felt distanced from Woods because he's gone out of his way to not embrace a black identity. "And yes the Donald Trump friendship is problematic for me, especially as a person of color. ... People who support Trump will always use a Tiger Woods, a Floyd Mayweather, a Jim Brown, a Ben Carson who has been photographed in Trump's presence to counter the racist claim."
Arceneaux said he doesn't like Woods. "I'm happy he won (the Master's), but there is only so much rooting I'm gonna do for one of Donald Trump's homeboys."
Moving on to the topic of violence in black communities and the murder of rapper Nipsey Hussle in South Los Angeles, Hill acknowledged it's "horrible." Then she attacked white people, stating: "Those oppressed begin to take on the traits of their oppressors."
When the topic turned to Monday's tax day, all three talkers took on the tone of Democrats (i.e, the Clintons, Tim Geithner, Tom Daschle, et al) who don't like to pay their fair share of taxes. Hill called Monday "motherfuckin' tax day." Wiley called it "the worst fuckin' tax day. One day I hope to join you (Hill, a millionaire) in the one-percenters. I pray to God I don't end up becoming a Republican because if it weren't for the racist, sexist, xenophobic Republican phobia I would be fuckin' conservative."
As the Unbothered "gripecast" wound down, Hill announced that the last few minutes of each program will be devoted to "some shit that really does bother us."
Arceneaux said he knew he was gay at age six and it bothers him that some people on social media took issue with the 11-year-old son of retired NBA superstar Wade attending a pride event. "It's disgusting and despicable," he said.
Hill laid into conservative Candace Owens, the African-American communication director of Turning Point USA, for acting as a hostile witness a few days ago at the House Democrats' hearing on white nationalism. Owens accused the Democrats of "fear-mongering" and using charges of racism to score political points. "Her opinions are trash to me," said Hill, who was also bothered by congressmen who delved into Owens' appearance because, she said, women are unfairly scrutinized for their looks. Wiley said Owens "is a very horrible person."
One Unbothered podcast is bothersome enough, but this podcast isn't going away anytime soon. At the conclusion, Hill said, "One down and a million more to go."
