On Langston Kerman’s podcast My Momma Told Me, he and his guests break down popular Black conspiracy theories like whether or not there’s a Black Illuminati, or if Wesley Snipes intentionally made Billy Blanks miss his big break. On this episode, he and his guest, Quinta Brunson from A Black Lady Sketch Show, talk about the one superstition Quinta just can’t shake: that you can never put your purse on the floor, or you’ll go broke. They talk about the origins of this conspiracy theory – and who's really to blame – and get into religion vs. folklore, feeling free to enjoy watermelon-flavored White Claws, how even racists keep halal in Philadelphia, why white people are so obsessed with Jeffrey Epstein’s death, and what’s really going on with Kanye West.
Quinta grew up in a household where money was always tight, she says, with five kids to feed and clothe, which might be why the purse superstition stuck so hard with her mother. They were Jehovah’s Witnesses, a sect of Christianity that doesn’t celebrate holidays, or believe in magic or fairy tales – the idea is to live a simple life, make enough money to get by, and work hard to get into heaven “because there’s limited seats.” There weren’t many sayings or old wives’ tales floating around their house, so when Quinta’s mom told her that putting her purse on the floor meant she’d lose money, she believed it. She still keeps her bag on her at all times, even taking it on stage when she does stand-up.
Langston did some research into this superstition: It originates in feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice that purports to manipulate energy by harmonizing our environment. “A purse on the floor is money out the door,” Langston discovered; because it’s on the floor, the lowest place it can be, it means we don’t care about it, so therefore we won’t have any. But all his research ended with things you can buy to keep your purse nice, like bag covers and hooks, or wipes to keep the leather soft – which makes sense, because the resale value of brand-name bags is 63% of its original value, or even more if it’s a limited edition that’s no longer being made. But Langston thinks something more sinister – namely, capitalism – is at play. They talk all about his theory, as well as sustainable fashion, Drake's Balenciaga "severance packages," what separates Trump supporters from more traditional conservatives and Republicans, and much more; hear the entire hilarious conversation on this episode of My Momma Told Me.
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