2 Dope Queens Season 2, Episode 2 recap: Nostalgia

The 2 Dope Queens, Phoebe Robinson & Jessica Williams, TBTC’d (That’s turned back the clock) with a show about nostalgia with special Guest: Daniel Radcliffe.

Man, alive! Nostalgia used to be about old stuff from the 1950s and 1960s. Now it’s about things I can clearly remember from my childhood. Father time is undefeated. But, the 2 Dope Queens turned that frown around from the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York.

What’s worse is that some of the nostalgia dealt with things from my early twenties. Like Jessica, I completely remember the new frontier that was chat rooms.

“What’s your A/S/L?” or, for those of us in a hurry, just “A/S/L,” was a simple question that often led to wild and creepy times with complete strangers. Ah, yes. The days before everyone knew how to hack were delightful.

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I identified a lot more with Phoebe. She used to make mix tapes by live taping off of the radio. Yep. That was a thing. Like her, I would drop what I was doing and cancel the few plans I had when I was a teenager if the radio station was playing a particularly excellent set list.

I, too, would get frustrated with disc jockeys talking too much over the intro or outro to a song. They would gripe, ‘go buy the tape!’ Forget that. I was dedicated.

Did you ever tape a music video off of The Box: Music Television You Control? No? Then hush! My mom wouldn’t let me order videos. Do you know how long it took me to get Madonna’s “I’ll Remember You” from the Class soundtrack? A long time, bro. A long time, indeed!

2 Dope Queens-Fashion-Courtesy of Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for HBO

While the evolution of woman-scaping is something I have no experience with, Phoebe and Jessica’s discussion did sound familiar to my evolution of man-scaping. Sure. At the beginning it was like a scorched earth policy. It all must go. But, over the years, a mild trim is what seems to have become sufficient.

Daniel Radcliffe

If you know the 2 Dope Queens, you know Jessica loves Harry Potter. She’s even set to be in the Magnificent Beasts franchise. So, it’s no surprise that she was visibly star-giddy when Radcliffe bounced on stage. He is co-starring in the new TBS surreal comedy Miracle Workers, where Steve Buscemi plays God.

After a brief chat, Jessica and Daniel played a compatibility game that proved they should totally be besties splitting a plate of fries as you read this. I never knew the future of a friendship could ride so hard on whether or not you like The Sims.

2 Dope Queens-Nostalgia-Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Post compatibility test, Jessica and Phoebe practiced their wand game in front of the grand master. Jessica had the most in-universe wand moves. She’ll be great in the movies. But if your wizarding world is something along the lines of a mid-’80s Chuck Norris flick or The Expendables, you should ride or die with Phoebe. Sure. She’ll start with a runway prance. But she’ll roll all over the floor and take out all of the big bads like a boss wizard does.

Bowen Yang

Bowen Yang is a comedian and writer on SNL. The former NYU Chemistry Major produced shows at UCB, The Annoyance, and the PIT. He’s also guest starred on Broad City. You should check out his podcast with Matt Rogers, “Las Culturistas.”

Yang makes a connection with the audience. He makes an effort to talk to the audience and float simple, easy to follow premises that are tagged with heavy punchlines. I mean, they cut so deep he knicked bone. Yang is the kind of funny that induces the low growl of laughter that lets you know the audience gets the joke and appreciates it at the same time. Is that completely necessary? No. But this dude is a pro. If he goes on tour, you should check him out post haste.

Marcella Arguello

The comedy Marcella Arguello has been featured on Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train, Last Call with Carson Daly, and The Real. She’s also guest-starred on Corporate and Take My Wife. She wrote for Bill Nye Saves the World. You should check her out on tour this spring.

Arguello gets the most nostalgic when talking about the complexities of being a feminist and a fan of rap music. It’s a fun deep dive that doesn’t beat you over the head with an idea. It’s just a funny look at both sides of the argument coexisting within a person.

Shalewa Sharpe

Shalewa Sharpe just comes out on stage and engages the audience. That’s the theme for all three of tonight’s comics on 2 Dope Queens. She’s also appeared on Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train. Her debut comedy album, “Stay Eating Cookies,” dropped in May of 2016. If you can, check out Shalewa Sharpe live.

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I love how her opening but involved getting up to come to the show. A lot of times people in the audience feel the exact same way. Should they get off the comfy couch? What if the comedy isn’t funny? Why do I ever need to go? Simple answer: to see comics like Sharpe. She’s easy going, original, and funny AF.

Next week is music week on 2 Dope Queens. I think I saw Lizzo as a guest star. This should be good.

Are you enjoying the second season of 2 Dope Queens? Who’s your favorite comic, so far? Let’s discuss in the comments!

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