(instrumental music)
- I was in a meeting today,
and someone threw out
the, okay, we need
African-American influencers,
we need someone of color who can sell.
And literally, everyone sat in the room,
and they're like, uh, nobody.
And I was, like, this is so uncomfortable.
(funky instrumental music)
- Hey guys, it's Kat, and we're here again
with another episode of
Intersect, and I'm here with Andy.
- Lalwani.
- Is that how you say
your last name? I know...
- You were doing a great intro.
I didn't want to run into her.
- I actually, I figured
that was how you pronounced
your last name, but I didn't
want to assume or whatever
and then get it wrong.
- It's great.
So, we're here to talk
about intersectionality,
and so I want to start out
this conversation by asking you
in what ways do you view
yourself as intersectional?
Either identities that you see
that you have that are like,
that are impacting the other.
- I mean, like, I'm gay.
Full blown gay, like lots of
it streaming out all the time,
and like...
- Work it, girlfriend.
Yeah, I do.
And I play this
intersectionality of like being
in this cross-cultural
connection of I'm half white,
and I'm also Indian, and
there's a lot of things
I should do as a multi-cultural person
that I don't always get to practice.
Like my family is very Americanized,
so people are like, oh,
your dad must be so cultured
because he's from Hong Kong
and stuff, and I'm like, nope.
He's just a standard
suburban dad in Virginia.
- Oh.
So do you ever feel like,
as a person that's mixed,
that you have to pick a side?
- Yeah, I mean, like people
always ask me growing up,
they're like, so what's
your religious preference?
Like, do you like the think
with the dot on your head,
or do you practice Christianity?
And I'm like, I'm very
free-spirited, so I practice
whatever comes my way,
and I kind of enjoy that,
being not told what to
feel, speak, and I chose,
like I know there's a higher power,
and it will judge me for my indecencies,
as Amanda Bynes would say.
But I'm very free-spirited.
I'm not like, no, because
I'm gay, there's no God
and anything else, because
some people are like,
LGBTQ plus people do
not believe in religion.
They don't have anything going for them,
and that aspect, and I'm like, stop making
me feel like I'm a stereotyped gay.
- Do you ever deal with
people, I mean on the subject
of you being basically pushed
into a certain category,
do you ever deal with people
having certain expectations
of you as a man of color who is gay?
- I get a lot of expectations.
People are like, why don't
you do more with queer people
of color in your university?
Or why don't you speak
up more about your race?
And, I do speak up a lot
about it, but the thing is,
I'm also still learning
a lot about my race,
so I'm trying to learn
more and more every day.
And just because I'm not
involved with something
on my university level,
like I go to college,
if none of you know that.
I'm a YouTuber in the
colleges, getting my degree.
But people sometimes wonder.
They're like, yo, you're really great,
but why don't you do anything on campus?
It's because it's not
always your responsibility
to take over everything.
Maybe someone else
could take on that role.
Or I'm very busy, and I
want someone else to have
that opportunity to speak
and do their own thing.
I'd be more than happy to help them.
- Is there a part of you
that feels like because
you're mixed, that you
feel like less of a need
to be that voice?
Do you feel like maybe you --
'Cause I know, from
people that I've spoken to
that are mixed, they
sometimes deal with having
to kind of go in between.
Like feeling like you're not quite here,
but you're not quite there,
and so you don't want to be
necessarily the loudest voice in the room,
but you want to be a voice.
Do you feel like it's more
important for you to take
a step back, or do you feel
like it's really important
for you to speak up?
Because I know you say that you're busy,
but in the best case
scenario, I guess the question
would be, would you?
Or is that something that
you don't really feel
because you are someone
of multiple identities?
- No, I get what you're saying.
I feel that.
I feel like there are times where I really
want to say something,
and there are times where
I would love to say
something, but I don't feel
like I'm 100% confident
in what I'm gonna say.
You know what I feel?
- You want to collect your thoughts.
- I want to collect my
thoughts, and then sometimes,
I just miss that gap.
I'm really bad at
comebacks, that's one thing
with why I don't always speak up,
but like, there are pits in my stomach,
going, wow, I really
wish I'd said something.
Or people will ask on my
channel, if you want to go
to my channel, feel free to
click the link in the below.
We did a video on my channel
as well, and check it out.
You know, like people say
you're really different
because I don't see a lot
of mixed or Indian gays
on YouTube or in life in
general, and I'm like,
that's really cool.
But also that's when I
speak up and say, okay,
that's also a problem.
Why don't we see more people?
Or multi-cultural or
identifying as more than one
cross-sectionality of their life?
- Yeah, so you do a lot
of work with Playlist,
and I know from my
experience working with a lot
of people that worked at
Videcon, one of the issues
was a lack of representation
of certain groups of people.
As someone who works in
the same sort of area,
do you see yourself trying
to find more person,
not more person, more people who are
part of marginalized minorities so they're
more of a colorful, so to speak,
presence at Playlist Live?
Yeah, I'm always looking for people,
I even said to you, like I
said you should totally come.
Like I always look for people..
- As long as I have the invitation.
- As long as I got the hookup.
I always look for people
to break the standard,
and people will always talk about,
like I was in a meeting
today and someone threw out
the, okay, we need
African-American influencers.
We need someone of color who can sell,
and literally everyone sat in the room,
and they're like, uh, nobody.
And I was like, this is so uncomfortable.
And like, they're trying, but
it was kind of a sad fact.
It was true, because there
were not a lot of popular
YouTubers who identified
as non-whites or that had
that standard going for
them as some other ones,
and I was like, this is kinda sad.
I know a lot of really
cool influencers out there,
but the fact that some
people are saying that they
can't sell, they can't
promote, they can't --
Like they were putting
this barrier behind,
and if you just get behind
somebody either way,
they're gonna do great things.
- Well, it's funny,
because there are a lot,
at least I know a lot of black influencers
who were very marketable, I would say.
But I guess the barrier
is that they're seen
as not marketable because
really they're not
considered to be marketable.
So I guess, when you're
in a situation like that,
my question to you is, do
you sort of feel like, huh?
Do you speak up in those
situations, where you're like,
wait a minute, I understand
that we're all talking
about Playlist Live,
but I'm a man of color,
and I feel like I'm marketable.
Why are you not giving people that chance?
'Cause I feel like a lot of the times,
people, this issue is
that they're not even
given the chance.
- Right.
I mean, it's not, I'm not
saying it's with Playlist,
or not specifically pointing
out any company I work with.
- Oh yeah, it's every.
It's not just Playlist.
- It's everything.
So there are company
meetings I sit at side,
like Playlist happens every so often,
and so I help out people there,
but there are times
where people are pitching
certain products, like
is this product gonna
work with this person?
Is this product going to perform
well with their audience?
And sometimes products
I'm helping out with,
people are like, it doesn't work.
And I'm like, how, though?
That person is the same
dynamic as a person
we just worked with, and
if you're trying to say
they're not gonna work
because they're black,
or they're identifying as anything
on a LGBTQ plus spectrum,
then to go fuck off.
Whoops, can I say that?
- You can say that.
- We curse here all the time.
- But, I don't know.
I always say fair chances and
opportunities for everybody.
- Yeah, and I think the
problem is often that people
don't, I mean, I know,
everyone always asks me.
- I know.
I'm just gonna put it on out there.
- I mean, I know I can sell shit.
I don't try to sell shit,
but I know I sell shit.
So it's always interesting
what I hear from people
that they don't think that
black people or people
of marginalized minorities
can sell or are marketable
or could be mainstream,
because I personally know
that I'm doing that right now.
- You're so cool and hip and trendy.
- You know I don't want
to say that about myself,
but it's not not true.
So it's always really,
it's interesting to me,
especially when I see that
there are people of color, even,
I mean, you're not doing it, but they're,
I know, just from working
with YouTube and Google
and all these different
people that there are people
of color at these tables
and sometimes it's like,
even, oh, they're not gonna even sell...
- Like there's YouTubeBLACK.
That's so cool that was put up.
- Shout out to Katie.
- Shout out, yes!
- Katie's the one who
organized YouTubeBLACK.
But a lot of the criticism
of YouTubeBLACK was that
there are brands that just
won't give them a chance.
And the reality is there
are so many people that
are willing to work.
I mean, there are a lot.
Listen, I don't want to get out on my area
because this is about
you, but we have a whole,
we start trends on the internet.
We make dances.
We make songs.
We make shit work, and
then people come to us,
so it's interesting to
even hear that people
in a Playlist Live are just like,
we just can't think of
anyone, when in reality,
we start a lot of these
trends that make a lot
of white YouTubers famous, so, you know.
- Exposing YouTube right now.
I guess that's the title of the video.
- Just do it.
YouTube exposed.
So, speaking of that, how do
you feel as somebody who also
has a YouTube channel who works
with a lot of influencers?
- It's a lot.
It's good, though.
You can't tell that right now other people
are watching this in the room.
You never know what
happens behind the scenes,
and Nick just gave some side eye.
- SoundlyAwake is in the background.
- It's fine.
- [Offscreen Male] No, she's not.
- It's just weird to see what
happens behind the scenes
on the business side, and
what happens behind the scenes
or even in front of the
camera, and influencers,
and you know, you know, you know, girl.
You know what is real,
and you know what's not.
You can kind of see through it.
Sometimes you're just
completely blindsided.
People on the business side are like,
oh, I didn't know that
that person was like that.
I really they they were genuine,
and like, well, yeah,
because they're trying
to suck yo' dick to get yo' money, right?
- Yeah, I mean that's business.
- Suckin' dicks?
- Yes, that's also business.
You know, sucking a good
dick, and sometimes.
- If you get paid, that's your own.
- I mean, listen, you
gotta do what you gotta do
to make some coin, and I'm not trying to.
(crosstalk)
Listen, that's what you gotta do.
But so do you ever feel sort
of like you are learning
things through other people's fuck ups?
- Oh, my gosh, like all of yours.
Kidding.
I am learning so much,
and I consider myself,
I'm like, I'm a business woman.
I'm Nicki Minaj.
I'm a business woman.
- You're about that shit.
- I'm about that shit.
I lock it down.
I know how to market somebody,
how to market myself,
and I know that if you're willing
to put in the work, it will happen.
And if you're willing to
just be nice to people
and not be problematic, and not assert
your dominance in a
space that's not yours,
then you're fine.
- You know, sometimes
you gotta suck the dick
and also the balls, and
you know, that's it.
That's just how it is.
- That's hairy.
- Sometimes it's, but you know what?
Don't assert your dominance in this space.
You gotta do what you gotta do.
- And if there's a dollar down there,
you gotta holler.
- And you know what, you can take it
from the tan and you're done.
You know, whatever.
- Take if from the tan.
I think we're gonna move on.
- That's my tee-shirt,
take it from the tan.
- [Offscreen Male] Please
make that the title.
- It's gonna be take it from the tan.
Andy, teasing.
No, we're not going to do that.
We're not gonna do that at all.
- Oh, my God.
- Anyway, though.
- It's called the gooch, for you guys.
- The gooch.
So anyway, so speaking
of marketing yourself,
where can people find your shit?
- People can find me all over.
People can find me on the
Twitter's @andylalwani,
on the Instagrams, and
on my YouTube channel,
YouTube.com/andylalwani.
- Nice, okay, well
thank you for joining me
for an episode of Intersect.
- Thank you for having me.
- I'm glad that we could intersect.
- I'm glad we could be on
this big, red, old comfy
couch with it's nice legs and everything.
- I know, right?
I bought a studio, so, hey it's mine.
We're in Hollywood right now.
Did I tell you that my
pilot got green light?
Did I tell you that?
- Really?
- Yeah, we're gonna, but you know what,
you gotta present yourself.
- You gotta present.
- You have to.
I would lift, I would do that, but.
- I would leg lift, but it's a Tuesday.
- I don't want to show you
all my cooch or whatever.
Anyway, thank you for joining me
and go check out Andy.
He's amazing, and he's really fun,
and I'll see you guys
next time on Intersect.
All right. As per usual, always remember
and never forget that you are beautiful.
- Yeah, you are.
- Very loved.
- Bye, friends.
- Bye.
- [Kay Voiceover] If you like this video,
you can support my work
by becoming a monthly
patre on Patreon.
