I just turned 30.
This is not a story of a fashion epiphany, but one of a slow, if self-indulgent and expensive burn (also, of reading my comment history lol).
From November 2016 to January 2021,
I have taken 566 outfit photos. These are
my fave outfits of each year.
I was 25 when I first posted in FFA - Posted on 6 November 2016,
this was my first ever WAYWT post, just a bit over 4 years ago. FFA has changed a lot since then, and so have I. I used to post religiously, however, I’ve been on and off over the last couple of years, which is not unlike my relationship with fashion.
In that time I have moved countries, developed a horrifying shopping habit and then dropped it, had a few different hairstyles (always messy), travelled, gained and lost weight, and now a pandemic with numerous lockdowns (yay, UK). All of this has had an impact on how I dress and how I feel towards fashion.
2016 - 2017 (26 & 27 years old) - Started off with casual, relaxed silhouettes before gravitating towards more structured, feminine silhouettes in 2017
- Almost exclusively wore skirts and dress for the better part of a year and didn’t start wearing pants and jeans until second half of 2017
- Started off wearing more colour before going more neutral by the end of 2017
- Became more exposed to fashion via social media and increasing my consumption
2018 (27 - 28 years old) - Style leaned towards trendy and boho during S/S, no idea what was going on during A/W (I blame this on a shopping addiction, as expanded below)
- Actively consuming fashion content daily, paying close attention to trends and was purchasing clothes on an almost weekly basis
- Went on 2 holidays that had an impact on how I view my wardrobe later on
- Changed my hair colour
- Near the end of 2018, tried to curb my excessive shopping habit (failing more than succeeding)
2019 (28 - 29 years old) - Moved to London (as well as moving flats 4 times)
- Started re-wearing clothes more (especially during the first 6 months as I was mostly living out of a suitcase)
- Started focusing more on functionality of my wardrobe (i.e. sneakers and outerwear)
- Decreasing how much fashion content I follow
2020 (29 - 30 years old) - Stable living situation
- Covid has actually allowed me to experiment more
- Subconsciously lost weight, so now dressing to a different(ish) body
- Style now has more retro elements
- Buying less, buying smarter and buying second-hand more (a lot of my wardrobe is at least 1 year old, was bought second-hand or as direct replacements for old items, and I can go a couple of months without wanting to buy anything)
- Completely stopped following any fashion content
- First time I feel like S/S me matches A/W me, whereas I’ve always felt disjointed across seasons in previous years
Some things remained unchanged, such as I’ve always enjoyed both short and midi lengths, I love a cinched in waist, I like playing around with texture, I obviously love a good turtleneck, my hair was almost always messy and I still enjoy Isabel Marant.
4 years doesn’t seem like a lot, but it sure looks like a lot when I see how I used to dress versus now, my mindset related to that and lessons learnt.
(If it wasn’t obvious, this is mostly tongue in cheek, and it’s very much based on myself).
Lesson 1: You’re Very Dumb When You’re Young (But Who Isn’t?) First of all, this happens to so many people.
I had just started my first full time job that year. Ever since I left high school I’ve always loved clothes (I even had a short-lived blog in the early 2010s), and now suddenly having more disposable income than ever that I could spend on my biggest passion (fashion, if you didn’t already realise after clicking on this post while on this subreddit), my already high consumption went positively exospheric. How much I was wearing was not in line with how much I was spending, aka a fucking excess of clothes.
It started with expanding a work wardrobe, which was innocent enough. Previously, I only went to uni a few times a week where didn’t see the same people all the time, and I worked part-time jobs requiring uniforms. Buying extra clothes
was reasonable. Then I discovered how easy online shopping was, and how addictive pressing ‘checkout’ was, which then led me onto re-sell designer sites like The RealReal and Vestiaire, and suddenly previous designers I’d always dreamed of wearing were now attainable…to me?! I’m an
adult, who makes
money, and now I wear
designer.
Looking bad, it’s not like I didn’t look good. I rate a lot of my outfits and for the time and place I consider them stylish. But looking at what I used to wear before 2020, the thing that sticks out most isn’t how nice a colour looked on me, or how well I wore a leather mini skirt. The thing that sticks out the most is how completely unsatisfied I always felt after that moment of that ‘new clothes thrill’ wore off - I always thought I could look better, which, of course, meant I needed to buy something else to make sure I did. I used to think about my next purchase immediately after buying something, like someone looking for the next hit. It sounds unhealthy because it
is unhealthy.
There were so many items of clothes that I only wore for 1 season. And then there were the clothes I wore just once or twice. This snowballed for the next almost 2 years, and season after season I was virtually buying a new wardrobe because my old clothes seemed too ‘boring’ and ‘old’. The number of times I posted on the weekly Recent Purchases thread is actually appalling thinking about it. Instead of actually thinking of the versatility or functionality of clothes (can this be worn for numerous occasions/seasons? Does this go with enough of what I already own?) I was instead buying clothes in terms of creating specific looks - and if that meant buying a whole outfit, worth it (it’s not, FYI. Ever.) And the thought of re-wearing an outfit? Not a chance.
The amount I dropped on clothing I barely wore during this time is most likely the equivalent of putting down a sizeable deposit on a flat in a decent area of a major city. And when you come to that realisation years later, it will make your stomach drop.
And as another aside, get rid of this habit before you move out. It will save you a lot of stress. And it can take years to drop this habit.
Lesson 2: Unlike What That Guy Says on Hinge, Don’t Be Spontaneous There isn’t anything wrong with being spontaneous - Like any healthy habits, in moderation it’s not harmful. The thing is, when spontaneous is all the time there’s another way to phrase that. A Really Bad Addiction.
That’s not to say every purchase has to be thought out meticulously to an analytical degree (seriously, that would be stressful in itself) - I genuinely have had some great impulse buys. But these have either been sentimental or have made me feel so amazing in that moment as if that piece of clothing had been made only for me. A kimono-esque robe I bought on sale in Tokyo, a vintage silk midi dress that paved the way for a style that I wear years later, a leather jacket that feels as great as it looks, a sweater that’s both basic but not really, a dress I joke is my wedding dress (I’m not actually joking).
But these sort of spontaneous purchases can only exist as good buys when you otherwise think practically about what you buy. The impulse items mentioned continue to work for me because the rest of my wardrobe is thought out, versatile and thus, those impulse items can be worn again and again with the rest of my wardrobe.
A spontaneous purchase
only because you have a discount code, or you need to meet a minimum order, or because it was on sale or because you feel like you have nothing else to wear or to chase a thrill will usually end up as a regret.
Continually impulse buying is just bad consumption, pure and simple.
Lesson 3: If You Love Fashion, Don’t Work in Corporate Retail I’m half kidding. However, there is a good chance you’ll become disillusioned with anything related to fashion the longer you work for retail companies (both on the floor and in corporate). Especially for big companies.
It started off positive - I was surrounded by clothes and by people talking about clothes. I found similar-minded people who felt the same way about fashion as I did.
I had people to discuss the things we wanted to buy, the designers and labels we loved, Paris/New York/London/Melbourne fashion shows, the sample sales coming up, outfits to gush over (consisting of new purchases, naturally). It was 9-5 of just fashion.
It was also 9-5 of tiring. Especially when I’m discussing how to make people buy more, to consume more, to waste more. Then the stress involved when deliveries miss deadlines due to awful circumstances and senior management are freaking out (a ship capsized and the crew are MIA, but
where is the product?), working for companies that churn out clothes every week, for companies that stock problematic brands, for companies that thrive on shopping tourists.
And then there are
those moments, like when someone senior comments that the Paris bombing will be good for the company because no one will want to shop in Paris.
You see the ugliest side to the retail industry and there are times when you truly hate fashion.
(FYI, you absolutely can have a fulfilling career in corporate retail, however, I find the people that do are the people who can separate their personal views on clothing and consumerism from their work. I couldn’t.)
Lesson 4: Instagram is Aspiration, Not Inspiration You are the product. Emily from London and Olivia from Melbourne might seem like your style twin and you just seem like the exact same things, but the reason they listed every brand on their aspirational outfit photo isn’t to help you out - it’s to help them out.
I was so obsessed with consuming anything fashion related on Instagram. I felt like I had to be aware of every single high street brand that existed, follow every popular British influencer (I just felt like British style was Exactly My Vibe, you know?), look like I myself would be the type of person who
could post on Instagram.
Nothing I’ve bought because I saw it on an influencer I have kept. No style I modelled off someone who’s taller, skinnier, boobier, blonder than me I have retained. The only thing I got out of looking on social media for fashion inspiration were mountains of garbage bags of donations, moments of feeling shit because it didn’t look the same on me and a lean bank account (remember, I could have bought a flat by now).
Instagram is an amazing platform to express whatever you want. But don’t ever use it as a tool to copy something or someone because no good can come from that.
I look at what I wore in 2017-2018, which are the years I consider the eruption in my Fiery Spending Volcano, and I know I based my outfits on certain influencers thinking, ‘Yes, this is an outfit [insert whoever] would wear,’ or specific items I bought because I saw it on someone. The thing is, I honestly can’t remember who these people were. I genuinely don’t feel a connection to a lot of those outfits, as if it wasn’t actually me wearing it. Now I look at what I’ve worn end of 2019 to now and I know exactly who my outfits were influenced by. Me…I’m influenced by me.
I no longer have Instagram.
(And Nanny Fine will always be the only acceptable influencer.)
Lesson 5: Labels Should Only Come From a Label Maker Boho chic.
French girl.
LA vibes.
Timeless.
Off duty model.
It’s meaningless. Don’t box yourself in. That’s all.
Lesson 6: Size Absolutely Does Not Matter (in This Case) Capsule wardrobes are not for me. I need options
An entire room stuffed with clothing is also not for me. I don’t need
that many options.
I used to have the mindset I had to have every kind of variation of an item. Take the white t-shirt for example - I
needed a cropped white tee, a longline tee, a v-neck, a crew neck, a scoop neck, a dressy tee. Outerwear also used to be a huge problem for me. I mostly live in Australia…I don’t need that many outerwear options because I legitimately will not be able to wear all of them. Variety is nice until it becomes hoarding.
I credit travelling with helping me realise I can easily survive on a smaller wardrobe. I look at what I wore when I went to the UK/EU in 2018 and still love those outfits. I had so much fun in Japan dressing with the 17 items of clothes I packed (braids certainly helped too). Dressing just became easy and I didn’t often have that ‘I have nothing to wear’ feeling because I had purposely packed both clothing that I loved
and were versatile. A smaller wardrobe has actually made me feel more creative when putting outfits together. No amount of buying new clothes will ever match the feeling of discovering a new way to wear an old thing.
Not to mention, the fact that I used to think repeating outfits was the biggest fashion crime is as fucking ridiculous as you’re thinking it sounds. If an outfit made me feel so amazing the first time I wore it, why wouldn’t I want to experience that feeling again?
Nowadays I get a lot of comments on how much I re-wear and re-use my clothes and it’s genuinely a great compliment. How much I can see myself re-wearing something is a major factor in my shopping habits. This doesn’t mean I aim to have a classic, timeless style (I personally believe no clothing is truly timeless) nor do I completely avoid trends, but I aim to have clothes that easily go multiple seasons and years. I’ve learnt to become patient with shopping and now routinely wait at least 3 weeks from the first time I see something to gauge how I really feel about it. More often than not, I don’t follow through with purchasing. This also works well for me, as by waiting I then have a chance of purchasing it second-hand, which has become something I do more and more these days beyond just shopping vintage.
Also, no one actually knows nor cares if you repeat outfits. No one is that special that people remember every outfit that person ever wore. They will probably repeat compliments though (because you definitely repeated a great outfit).
My relationship with fashion has been messy. I’ve been obsessed, I’ve been frustrated, I’ve been ambivalent. Now, I’ve calmed down. I used to let my shopping habit define my style, whereas now I’m at a stage when it’s the reverse - It’s no longer a case of ‘I’ll make this purchase work’, but ‘this purchase needs to work for me’. I now consume less fashion news, have a smaller wardrobe, but am probably the most satisfied with the way I dress than I ever have been.
EDIT: It appears this has resonated with a lot of people, which I'm pretty chuffed with as it's things I've increasingly been thinking about over the last year or so. I'm glad people have learnt similar lessons and that people will come to learn similar lessons. To everyone who's already made the step to being a better consumer, keep going, and to those who want to start doing so, it doesn't happen overnight and that's okay. We may not all become the perfect, cleanest consumer, but there are numerous little steps we can take to be better than we were before. I'm in my late 20s and I've graduated high school and college and I would say that both were pivotal to me being the person I am currently. However, when I look at pop culture aimed at younger people, it's 90% set in high school, with shows like Riverdale, Euphoria, Vampire Diaries, etc. I think that college is a superior setting for these kinds of shows compared to high school and I'm very confused that Hollywood (movies or television) don't think to showcase this. I'm probably missing something about college vs high school settings, so CMV!
1) A higher level of competition. A large part of high school stories revolve around a person finding what they're good at, their "thing", and using that to succeed in high school, but what happens when they go to college, especially a Big State U, and realize that they're middle of the pack in “their thing”? And that's whether it's athletics, cooking, musicianship, artistry, academics, or a hobby that you have. It can be very disconcerting at first to think that you’re relatively unique for being an All-State student athlete, only to get to college and realize that there’s 20 in your cross-country team alone, and that you’re in the bottom half. But it can also be wondrous to realize that you can be part of a passionate community in a way that you didn’t have in high school and use that higher level of competition to improve yourself and your work ethic.
2) Who are you when no one is looking (or cares). The biggest difference between college and high school is the lack of daily accountability enforced by parents or teachers. Assuming the student is living on-campus while the parents are still at home, there’s no one to tell them that it's time to study or stop watching TV, and the professors more or less don't give a shit if one random person attends their class or not. Some kids can't cope with the lack of structure and flunk out of school, when they were the top students at their high schools. This is also the time where a lot of kids will for the first time have nearly unfettered access to drinking, drugs, and non-stop partying if they choose. More than high school, college is where kids really experiment with the highs and pitfalls of drinking, drugs, hook-up culture, and partying. What happens when a religious person gets to college, and gradually realizes that they don’t really believe in God, or at least not the God they were taught in their home? How do they work through a loss in belief?
3) Greater self-expression and more diverse interactions. This kind of intertwines with point #2, but I would argue that people are more likely to be weirder in college than high school because the greater anonymity of college allows them to try a different style of dress and personality without fear of damaging their reputation. And if they do, it’s very easy to just find a new group of people to hang out with. For a lot of kids, that might mean coming out as gay or trans, people exploring their sexuality, and getting into niche hobbies that simply weren’t available at their high school like boating or hiking. There’s also the diversity of interactions that will occur. Even a non-prestigious Big State U will have students from all over the world, and certainly all over the state it’s located in. You’ll have people from all different experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, rural, urban, suburban, and exurban communities all sharing classes and dorms together and exchanging worldviews. Imo, the sheer diversity of people in college is far greater than you’ll find in a typical high school, no matter what you consider to be “diverse”.
4) Meta Reasons. Basically, most of the actors playing high school teenagers, so commonly 14 – 18, are in their 20s and they look it. They don’t look old, but they certainly look older than most teenagers and it can at times create a falseness to the narrative when I see a girl who’s clearly 20+ worried about passing algebra. However, if you take the same group of actors and make them college students, then that age problem disappears. Instead of a 20 year old worried about passing algebra, they’re worried about passing Organic Chemistry. Additionally, the narrative feels much more authentic. See Skins UK for better examples of how shooting a teen drama with actual teenagers makes everything more visceral. Another aspect of high school dramas that gets addressed is the lack of parents. Pretty much every teen show’s fandom will joke about how the parents will disappear for episodes at a time before reappearing for a scene or two before disappearing again. If the show’s set in college, parental absence makes total narrative sense because it’s more likely that the students are living 40+ minutes away from their home.
TLDR These are the largest ways that I think college offers unique and superior story points to that of high school. The combination of more adult-like freedom and apathy towards your behavior, a higher level of competition in all aspects, greater opportunities for self-expression and diverse interactions, all combined with the inexperience of youth. As an added bonus, the actors are actually playing character their age, leading to more realism in these shows.
submitted by I just got off the phone with a pharmacist who scoffed at me when I told him I had ADHD and literally started laughing at me when I told him my prescription was amphetamine based. He was joking around with his colleagues while I was still on the line about the idea of someone being prescribed an amphetamine and how he’s not some kind of fairy that just hands out meth to kids.
I already feel so much shame from my family and friends about my medication and my ADHD in general. I get so much anxiety every time my prescription runs out and I have to go to a pharmacy to ask for it.
Most of the time it’s fine and professional, but sometimes you are treated like a disgusting drug addict who’s hiding behind an ADHD diagnosis.
I can’t believe I am crying right now for asking for my medication. I am so done with it
EDIT- ——————————————
Most of the time my experience with pharmacies are nice and professional, only sometimes is it sour
What I experienced today was an exaggerated manifestation of how pharmacists can sometimes act toward stimulant medication users
This particular instance is an outlier for its aggressiveness. But, reading all the comments, I’m overwhelmed by how big a problem this is.
Having ADHD should not be shamed just because it has controversial remedies .
Also, a bit of context: I’m in a British overseas territory and only called to ask whether they would accept my UK prescription and if they supplied my particular medication. Tbf he sounded like an asshole before I mentioned the prescription. But I had to say what my Meds were to check if they had it, that’s when the laughing began.
submitted by My partner (36M) and I (28F) have no plans to get married, just against the institution and bath parents of divorce, but very much plan on having a child.
I have a little cuddly toy (let's call him Teddy) that I referred to the other day as Teddy MySurname and partner said "what about Teddy MySurname-YourSurname (ie double barrelled) and it sounded SO BAD. I don't really like double barrelled surnames anyway, in the UK they feel like a class signifier of class I'm not in. But clearly the joke about the teddy has read across to what our child would be called.
I don't want to change my name to his name even outside of getting married, but can't face the idea of having a kid that only takes the father's surname. I suggested that we both change our names to his mother's maiden name as an alternative but he is not keen.
Has anyone worked through similar? Is there an alternative solution I'm missing?
Edit since people are already asking: i dont want to change my name to my partner's name because I'm a feminist and it just doesn't sit right. I'm looking for a solution that doesnt depend on patriarchal expectations, and I also don't want people to assume that we're married. One of the best bonuses about having a PhD is not having to tick miss or Mrs! I know this isn't a big problem compared to what some people face, I'm just looking for ideas. Please don't bash on me or try and read into this some sort of agenda that isn't there.
submitted by Shout out to
u/Misanthropia for the original post — the hive needed more updated art!
This list is current as of episode 233 (2/1/21) Desus goes by numerous aliases on the Bodega Boys Podcast. These aliases are based on references to pop culture, sports, and hip-hop. The long and ever-changing list of aliases or "AKAs" are one of the many running gags on the show. During an interview with Method Man on Desus and Mero, Desus explained that the idea for aliases was based on the alter-egos of the rappers in the song "Wu-Gambinos" on the album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. (info via Wikipedia)
Desus & Mero no longer record from Milk Studios (moved indefinitely) and have been recording the podcast remotely from home due to the pandemic. Most of the AKA’s now mention social distancing, hot takes on covid and store closures.
Desus
Desus is extremely consistent with his aliases, almost always presenting them in the exact same order and without any exclusions:
Desus Nice — In a Hot 97 interview on April 13th 2017, Desus explains that people started calling him Desus as a play on his government name, "Daniel", and "Jesus", because he worked miracles with people's computers
Young Chipotle — Desus’ original alias, he explains in one podcast that it originates from when he was broke and buying Chipotle was a genuine treat
Pockets stay fat like Terio (Pockets stay fat like 'here we go') — A reference to viral star Terio, a young, obese African American boy whose videos of him dancing launched him to very brief viral fame. Recently, Desus added the more politically correct and kid friendly “here we go”
Eli Litby — A play on Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin
Boutros Boutros Gully — A play on Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the UN, “Gully” being Jamaican Patois for an impoverished area
Slobodan Might-know-ya-bitch — A play on Slobodan Milosevic, former President of Serbia and important player in the Bosnian War
Young Day Party — I believe this was adopted in the summer of 2016 after Desus recounted the story of a day party in D.C., which seemed to invigorate his love for partying during the day
Young Hot Take — He has hot takes, pretty obvious here
Desus H. Fuego — Another moniker to describe his hot (“fuego”) takes on topics
Mr. Nandos with a rando — Nandos is a portuguese chicken restaurant chain which originated in South Africa and is big in the UK and Australia. Rando is slang for random person. Having Nandos with a rando is eating chicken with a random person (credit to
u/deweez)
Mr. Mil Novecientos Noventa Y Cuatro en Nueva York — In later episodes Desus rarely adds the “en Nueva York” bit, but it translates to “Mr. 1994 in New York”. "The Knicks team in 1994 made the finals and is a legendary team amongst all Knicks fans who were around at the time. That team got to game 7 of the finals against the Rockets. NYC rallied around that team hard body because that team absolutely embodied NYC to a T with guys like Ewing, Charles Oakley, Mason, Starks, and Derek Harper." (credit to
u/Okieant33)
Mikhail Goin-off — derived from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (credit to
u/GhettoFob) converged with an allusion to losing ones temper in an act of random violence.
The Jouvert Boss — “Jouvert” is a carnival held in Caribbean/West Indian culture, involving a lot of partying
MC Likkle Gungo Pea — Gungo pea is a type of peas (also known as pigeon peas) often used in Jamaican dishes. Reference to his Jamaican heritage (credit to
u/hopelessromcom)
"Pullin' up from 40 with your shorty" — Desus will “pull up”, or make a pass at, your girl even when the odds are slim or unlikely, much like a 40 foot shot in basketball
"Don’t talk to me in the Uber Pool, I don’t know you" — Uber introduced a service where you can share rides with other Uber users for a discounted rate. Desus has expressed his reluctance to engage with strangers when he is using it
The original “my plus one got a plus one so don’t make a fuss son” — When Desus shows up to an event with a girl, he brings two, and he's intimating that the host shouldn’t have a problem with that
Desus Rothstein, the Jamaican Jew — Originated around when Mero began his house search in Bergen County, NJ where a number of wealthy people of Jewish descent live. Desus envisions a version of himself who would fit in there
Jermaine Avocado Toast — Desus has gotten more cultured as a result of their success, and as such he has been able to indulge in things usually enjoyed by privileged white people, a stereotypical example of that being avocado toast. This is Desus’ gentrified, hipster persona
Young PA — Possible reference to the sound of small amount of air being expelled from a loose butthole, which is an impression Mero occasionally does (credit to
u/jimsternub). This is also a reference to Brooklyn rapper Young MA.
The Ghost of Mufasa — A reference to Lion King, but beyond that I have no idea why he adopted it. Still hilarious though, and the nickname that most often makes Mero laugh
Young Charcuterie without the coonery — Charcuterie is considered very hip and trendy right now, and Desus is again saying he has a taste for the finer things, but is no longer interested in “coonery”, a derogatory term used to describe stereotypical African American behavior
Chile Limon, the left handed reliever for the Yankee’s (Que lo que?) — A fictional persona that seems to be a Latino version of Dock Ellis, who famously threw a no hitter while high on Acid. Chile Limon is also a popular seasoning/flavor with the Latino community
3 Phone Jones — Desus originally adopted "2 Phone Jones" after he reluctantly bought an iPhone to go with his Samsung Galaxy. He then received a Google Pixel, making it 3 Phone Jones (credit to
u/ArtSorr0w)
Desus Ex Machina — A play on the common plot device “deus ex machina”, or “god from the machine” in which an unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved by some unexpected intervention. Desus also used to have a tumblr entitled "Desus Ex Machina" (credit to
u/hardcore9)
Jay Chuckles — Revealed in episode 55 to be a reference to a now-defunct shoe store in NYC. Did Desus read this thread?
Stanley Cups — Desus' former rap alias, as revealed in episode 53.
The Human Dr. Bronner’s Label (Dilute! Dilute! Dilute!) — A reference to the concentrated soap Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, which needs to be diluted. I didn’t quite understand how Desus applied this to himself, but it came from a joke in Episode 51 or 52 about Sean Spicer trying to defray controversy surrounding President Trump's decisions
Dionardo DiTrappio — A play on “Leonardo DiCaprio”, the actor, but referencing “trapping”, a slang for selling drugs.
Mr. 240p because I like my Pino blurry — Desus longs for the days of very low resolution pornography. 240p refers to the resolution, which is extremely low by modern standards
DJ Woolite AKA You're listening to Washed FM up next we got 24 hours of — The host of the fictional station “Washed FM”, a fictional radio station that is sometimes referenced along with “WSMK, Smack City Radio”. Woolite is a brand of fabric softener. Desus said multiple times on the podcast that now that he's single and living alone, he washes his clothes with extra fabric softener. As a kid, his clothes would get washed and be hard as nails. Again, he's got a taste for the finer things in life. (credit to
u/Okieant33)
The Curried G.O.A.T. — A double reference to Desus’s Jamaican heritage, where Curried Goat is a popular culinary item, as well as referencing the phrase “G.O.A.T”, short for “greatest of all time”
Desus Spicer — A play on the former White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, who is often referenced on Desus & Mero as “spicing up” or “adding spice” to his takes
Jamal Hashburn — A play on Jamal Mashburn, a former NBA player, about Hash
The Bronx Celine Dion — Refers to the fact that Celine Dion is very popular in the Jamaican community, and so Desus is like Celine, but from the Bronx. (credit to
u/chefboyardu) This is especially present with foreign and immigrant culture which means he is of mogul or iconic status for the Bronx (credit to
u/courtofdacrimsonking)
Wray and Nephew's Nephew — A play on J. Wray and Nephew rum, which has its origins in Jamaica like Desus. Also, Desus drinks a lot, which you probably should have figured out by now. Introduced in episode 58
The Moreno you can't contain-o — A play on "moreno", a Spanish term for someone with dark skin
The Human Meme, Word to Ja — A play on Ja Rule's infamous mistake of believing that the word "meme" is pronounced "may-may"
Young Erewhon — A reference to a bourgeois health food store in LA, which makes this nickname in the vein of "Jermaine Avocado Toast", demonstrating Desus' taste for finer things now. (credit to
u/a-1-since-day-1)
The Racist Provocateur — Desus flipped an angry tweet from April 28th 2017, in which someone called him a "racist provocateur" into a new alias
Henrik Bud-qvist — A play on NHL goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who currently plays for the New York Rangers
Nelson Bang-dela — An old alias resurrected in episode 65, a play on South African civil right's icon Nelson Mandela
Sergio Can't-see-me — A play on Sergio Tacchini, an Italian fashion designer and former Tennis player
Vladimir Boofin' — A play on Russian president Vladimir Putin, "boofin" being a reference to smuggling something by sticking it inside one's rectum
The Human Werther's, melting in your mouth — A reference to Werther's Originals, a brand of caramel hard candies favored by old people. Not really sure what this one means otherwise.
Mr. Becks on Deckington — The first time Desus introduced this one, he accidentally said "Mr. Becky's on Deckington" which was an incredible Freudian slip since Desus has been accused of not being into black women, and "Becky" is the stereotypical white woman name in pop culture. This is a reference to Desus always drinking Beck's, a cheap beer he favors along with Heineken. Adding "-ington" to words is New York slang, as Mero explains at some point.
Rikki-Tikki-Squad-bi — A play on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a character from the Jungle Book
Greg "Paaa"-povitch — A very meta play on San Antonio Spur's head coach Greg Popovich and the onomatopoeia of spreading butt cheeks apart (according to Mero)
Morris "Say it with your chest"-nut — A play on actor Morris Chestnut
Mahatma Gone-B — A play on famed pacifist Mahatma Gandi
Not Macka B but I got the cucumber — A reference to a viral video in which Reggae artist Macka B raps about healthy food in his "medical monday" series, Desus is unsurprisingly referencing his penis
The juices are pressed but your boy never is — Being "pressed" means someone is applying pressure to you, and no one would do that to Desus. The juices he is talking about are probably the morning drink he has with lemongrass and cayenne pepper that he makes reference to many times in recent episodes of the podcast.
I am the Art, dammit! — Not sure if this is a reference to anything specific or just a Kanye-esque line a crazed creative might yell out at some point
The Don Dada Ganoush — I believe this is a reference to the Meditteranean dish Baba Ganoush, "Don Dada" is Jamaican Patois slang (I believe) for “top pimp” or “big player” and a sort-of homophone for "baba"
No more Cup of Noodles — I don't know if this is a reference beyond the fact that Cup of Noodles is a struggle meal and Desus is no longer struggling
The Prince of Peckham — A reference to Peckham, a diverse neighborhood in London
The Fashion Nova Casanova — Fashion Nova is an online clothing retailer that specifically targets curvy women that Desus and Mero reference pejoratively (saying it's for bottle waitresses), Desus is saying here that he excels at seducing these kind of women ("Casanova" is a term of a man who excels at seducing women derived from the name of Italian Giacomo Casanova)
"William H. 5 Cent, 10 Cent, Dolla... Forget the small change, give me the the big money wine" — A reference to Soca Boys song "Dollar Wine (one cent, five cent, ten cent, dollar)" which apparently was super popular in the West Indies. "William H Holla is something Jay-Z used to call himself back in his hey day. It comes from the fact that Bill Gates' full name is William Henry Gates. Jay-Z used to give himself nicknames back in the day. J-Hova caught on but he used the term William H Holla because Jay-Z also coined the phrase "Holla At Me" and "Holla Back" and just shortened it to "Holla". So put the two together and you have William H Holla. He first said it on the song "Stick to the Script" off the Dynasty album. So Desus took it and made it his own." (credit to
u/Okieant33)
The only anthem I salute is Dipset — A reference to the ongoing national anthem protests in the NFL, Desus is saying the only anthem he salutes is "Dipset Anthem" by Harlem rap legends The Diplomats
Mister Sauga, Catch me at Square One Top Left. Mans is marved. (Dont cheese me bro) — Finally a Canadian-centric reference, which makes sense given that the Bodega Boys have performed there multiple times. This is a reference to the Square One Shopping Center in Mississauga, Canada (where Desus alleges his mysterious wife and kids live), and "top left" is Greater Toronto Area slang for "truthful" or "seriously". "Mans is marved", means "I'm hungry" in Toronto slang (credit to
u/Fortehlulz33)
Trill Rizzuto, holy cow! — A reference to former Yankees player Phil Rizzuto who would later go on to be a commentator, where his trademark expression was "holy cow!"
Mister Soft Palms because all I do is count checks and jerk off — I don't know if this is a reference to anything except Desus bragging about his lifestyle
"We got OJ, uh purple stuff, soda, and it's me! Sunny D!" — A reference to an old Sunny D commercial (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQE3jWYuGiw), and a play on the fact that people likely used to called Desus by the nickname "D", so "it's me! Sunny D" would be like saying "it's me, Desus!". Also kind of ironic since Desus is not a particularly sunny person (cue Dark Desus).
David Yerp-man — A play on David Yurman, an expensive jewelry company, and NYC slang exclamation "yerp"
Desus-expensive, Desus-Red Bottoms, Desus-bloody shoes — A play on a lyric from fellow Bronx native Cardi B taken from her song "Bodak Yellow"
Smo-a-kim Noah — A play on NBA player Joaquim Noah who played for the Knicks
Andrew Coooooool-nanan — A reference to serial killer (most notable for killing Gianni Versace) Andrew Cunanan
The Junior Energy God, come sit down 'pon me charger — Originally just the "Energy God" until Desus realized that that was fellow Jamaican Elephant Man's aliases. I thiiiink this is referring to the phrase "bring the same energy", the idea that if one is saying something behind someone's back, when confronted by the individual they should stick to their original statements. This alias started after the infamous Desus & Mero visit to the Breakfast Club, in which DJ Envy accosted the boys about a joke they made about his wife. Desus & Mero didn't punk out and therefore "brought the same energy". Someone tell me if I'm reaching here.
Call me PetCo cause I got your bitch-on-freeze — A play on words for the dog breed Bichon Frise
The Topic of Gossip in Syosset (Shout out to 11791 ah ah ah) — Syosset (zip code 11791) is a town in Long Island, NY. it's real bougie and suburban so Desus is saying basically he's got reach and is known not just in the hood but in the wealthy burbs too (credit to
u/terminal-chillness)
Grandpa Joe, When you see Charlie you see me don't touch that golden ticket — A direct reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Grandpa Joe) and Desus's cats name (Charlie)
Dead Eye Desus (Mornin’ Sherrif) — Dead Eye Desus refers to the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2. The game features a gameplay mechanic called "Dead Eye" that allows the player to slow time to achieve easy head shots and kills. The game is also set in the late 1800's, early 1900's in the old West, which is why Desus typically references a Sheriff after saying Dead Eye Desus. (credit to
u/biggak)
Mr. Shopping at StreetEasy with a bad breezy like I'm Yeezy, please believe me — Another one of Desus' tongue twisters, this one is in reference to shopping at StreetEasy, a NYC real estate website with an attractive woman like Kanye West might do
The Black Asiatic who will crack your back like an automatic craftmatic — Added in episode 54 after Desus' continuing gag about "big Black Asiatic men" (often referencing their penises). Here Desus is implying that sex with him (a Black Asiatic man) is very vigorous by saying he will change your posture like a Craftmatic mattress, which is a brand of mattress whose shape and orientation can be controlled electronically
Mr. La Marina in a mesh Merina with a fresh misdemeanor and a cold demeanor — This one is a doozy, but was adopted after Desus mentioned his frequent trips to La Marina (a bar on the water in Manhattan) in episodes released in the summer of 2016. A mesh Merina is a a mesh tank top (I think). The other two parts are self explanatory. Not sure how he always gets this one right without mixing up the words.
The Sheet-Mask Killer (No one could be iller) — ??
The Black Zack Morris of Port Morris — A take on Zack Morris for his problematic schemes on Saved by the Bell. (credit to
u/justic3bon3r) Port Morris is a neighborhood in the Bronx (credit to
u/m9rockstar) home of The Bronx Brewery and Bodega Boys Beer
Young KPI — Desus recites lyrics by Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus” (1989) More than likely this is a play off his main alias (Personal Desus)
The Pelé of Peleton — Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) was a former Brazilian soccer player and considered one of the greats. Desus is an avid Peleton user so much he deems himself the greatest of all time
Your problematic bae — Desus occasionally says problematic things, but you still love him, hence him being your “bae”. He always ends with this one, followed by an exaggerated kissing sound.
*After Desus's last aka he gives some sort of problematic advice sometimes followed by explosions*
Mero
Mero (
u/THE_KID_MERO) is far less consistent with his aliases. Depending upon how smacked he is, he will often exclude or repeat some of his aliases. He also adds them far less frequently than Desus.
The Kid Mero — In a Hot 97 interview on April 13th 2017, Mero explained that this alias comes from the fact that his father and uncle wanted to name him "Ramiro", but his mother vetoed it and named him "Joel". His father and uncle continued to call him "Ramiro", which was shortened to "Miro" as a nickname. When Mero started tagging, he changed Miro to Mero because he found E to be a nicer letter to write (credit to
u/atorMMM) as well as he just didn't like how the "i" looked. Also tagging the name "Ramiro" that long would get you arrested
The Human Durag Flap — Mero’s original nickname, and a reference to how hood he is and his uncircumcised status, something that gets referenced very often (credit
u/ZeddyG2 and
u/chandlersokay)
Curve Gotti — A play on “Irv Gotti”, former boss of Murder, Inc. records
Donovan Mcdabb — A play on former NFL player Donovan Mcnabb, in reference to dabbing, which could have two meanings (smoking THC oil or the dance move created by the Migos)
Trizz Khalifa — A play on “Wiz Khalifa”, but substituting the first part of the name with the slang “Trizz”. Usually said in a fake patois, imitating Popcaan's cry of "Fuck Wiz Khalifa!" at a Mixpak event
SKKRRRT Loder — A play on “Kurt Loder” former host on MTV News and editor at Rolling Stone
James St. Fatdick, I'll Ghost on you shorty — Originated right around the premiere of season 4 of Starz hit show "Power", here referencing the main character James St. Patrick, whose street alias is "Ghost"
Tiger Backwoods — A reference to pro golfer Tiger Woods and Mero’s love for smoking backwoods
“I no fucking baby, I fucking man!” — A reference to the viral video that sent friend of the brand Pioladitingancia to fame
“Check the guest list again because my name is definitely on it, and no I’m not stepping to the side while you check! ” — Not so much a nickname but something Mero might have said back in the day when he was broke and had to lie about being on guest lists to get into clubs
CC Dab-bathia — A play on Yankees Starting Pitchers name, CC Sabathia (and close friend of the brand)
Goldman Shm-achs — A variation of the phrase made popular by Bobby Shmurda and a reference to Goldman Sachs.
Mensch Montana — An alias borrowed from French Montana (who is from South Bronx) and popular artist with the Bodega Boys. They have mentioned his classic Mac and Cheese mixtapes numerous times on the podcast. Also this is a nod to his Jewish family connection; Mensch is Yiddish for "good guy." (credit to
u/chefboyardu)
The Da-da-da Dad of the year — A play on a lyric from ScHoolboy Qs song "Man of The Year" (credit
u/ZeddyG2). Mero already has three Mero Jr’s and the bodega princess, and as far as we can tell is an awesome dad, thus earning such a title. Confirmed to be a ScHoolboy Q reference in episode 56
Been-Smacked Biyombo — A play on “Bismack Biyombo”, a professional basketball player on the Charlotte Hornets
Di-Yayo Maradona — Reference to Argentinean soccer legend Diego Maradona and slang for coke (credit to
u/terminal-chillness)
Dick-in-ya-bae Mutombo — A play on Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player. Mero now respects the woman’s agency and asks for permission first before entering
Barlos Santana — A play on famed guitarist Carlos Santana and Xanax bars
The Dominican Don Dada — Jamaican Patois slang (I believe) for “top pimp” or “big player”, and as we know Mero is of Dominican descent, hence “Dominican Don Dada”. The phrase "Jamaican Don Dada" is used by the character Lennox in the movie "Belly", which is a classic in hip hop culture (credit to
u/a-1-since-day-1) He follows this up with "catch me at Locksmith throwing up on myself". Locksmith is a bar on 192nd & Broadway in Inwood, which is a REALLY Dominican NYC neighborhood (credit to
u/terminal-chillness)
Some variation of "swipe my card again, put the bag over it, there's definitely money on it!" — A reference to a familiar experience for anyone who has been broke, in which you lie and act like it's the store's fault when your card gets declined
Romeo Xantos — A reference to famed Bachata artist and Xanax, Bachata being a dance and music style originating in the Dominican Republic. Also the added "Sooo xanny, lemme black out" is a play on Romeo's adlib "sooo nasty, lemme find out" (credit to
u/terminal-chillness)
Light-an-L Dutchie "Hello? Is it weed you're looking for?" — Another weed double entendre referencing Lionel Richie and his famous song "Hello"
Papa Sushi, The Dyckman Don — A reference to often-referenced MamaSushi, a fusion sushi restaurant on Dyckman Street in Manhattan
Tom Brazy, your girl got my balls deflated — A boastful play on the Deflategate controversy surrounding Tom Brady and the New England Patriots after the 2014-2015 AFL Championship game
Feel-da-ass Tyson (CONSENSUALLY WITH YOUR PERMISSION) — A play on “Neil DeGrasse Tyson”, a well known physicist
Lil’ Snoozie Vert— A play on the name Lil Uzi Vert. This is also in reference for when Mero actually ‘tapped out’ on Instagram Live
Fry-an-L Messi — A play on Lionel Messi, a famous Argentinian soccer player of Italian descent, and smoking an "L", slang for blunt
Joe Hookah "I dare you! To smoke with me! At MamaSushi!" — A reference to rapper Black Rob's song "I Dare You" that features Joe Hooker on the hook. MamaSushi is a high-end restaurant chain located in New York
Ben Barson my hands are gifted — During the 2016 election cycle, famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson engaged in a brief campaign for the Republican nomination. Mero took to doing impressions of him, exaggerating Carson’s urban upbringing by saying he was “Ben Barson”, in which the “C” was replaced with a “B”, as a Blood gang member would. Unlike Desus, who almost never fumbles his nicknames, Mero has maybe said this one correctly one time
Xaniel Bedingfield — A play on Daniel Bedingfield followed by Mero playing "I Gotta Get Through This" a popular song by the artist Daniel Bedingfield with lyrics that are about Xanax (credit to
u/KTTeal)
Some variation of “I’ll open your medicine cabinet and take all of your Benzos” — This is self-referential in two ways: 1. The earlier reference here is to when Mero admitted to Desus that he will unashamedly go through people’s medicine cabinets in order to snoop on their lives and 2. After the boat party story in which Mero got drunk and took some Xanax’s, he added “I’ll take all of your benzos” bit to express how much he enjoys the feeling Benzodiazepines create
The Xandman — This is a play on the musical artist “Scatman John” who was most known for his song “Scatman’s World”, the chorus of which Mero imitates with this name and the accompanying vocalization
Rico Sabroso — Spanish for “Rich Tasty”, but I’m not sure what the reference here is beyond that
Baby Newport — I assume a reference to Newport brand cigarettes, stereotypically popular in urban areas
Niño Brown — A reference to the main character of the film “New Jack City”, in which Wesley Snipes plays a crack dealer named Nino Brown, but pronounced like the Spanish word for "kid", giving it some Latino flavor (credit to
u/Okieant33)
The East Tremont Stevie B — East Tremont is a predominately Hispanic area of the Bronx, while Stevie B was a recording artist from the 80’s with some incredible Jheri Curls. Sometimes sings "I want to be the one your Titi is fucking" after
I met Mike Francesca im never gon’ fail — A direct reference from when the Bodega Boys actually met Mike on the last episode on Desus & Mero on Viceland. In translation, this means after finally meeting with the iconic Sports Pope this makes him unstoppable. This is also a reference to Kanye West's song 'Ultralight Beam' where Chance the Rapper says "I met Kanye West, I'm never gonna fail" (credit to
u/RemyDWD)
The Plantain Supernova in the Sky — A reference to the Oasis hit “Champagne Supernova”, but changed to reflect Mero’s Dominican heritage, which often uses plantains in its cuisine. Occasionally he will sing an extended version, which goes “One day you will find me, smoking weed on Tremont/in the Plantain Supernova in the sky”. How does he hit these melodies so perfectly every time?
Tom Petty and the Ball Breakers — A play on the rock band name ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. Mero sings the chorus from Tom Petty’s solo project “Free Fallin’” as “Free Ballin’” suggesting that he feels free doing his Zoom calls without pants
Barmelo Xanthony — An incredible play on the Bodega Boy’s favorite NBA player, Carmelo Xanthony, and Mero’s beloved Xanax’s. (credit to
u/terminal-chillness) Most recently, Mero has changed his references to him making sound financial decisions and balancing his portfolio since the interview with Carmelo himself on Desus & Mero on Showtime
Some variation of “If you see me in Target approach me like a bear” — Originates from Mero’s love of getting really high and hanging out in Target. Being high sometimes makes him paranoid, so he doesn’t like people just running up on him. Desus suggested people “approach him diagonally, like you would a bear”. Mero interchanges “bear”, “Ursine Mammal”, and “Oso” (Spanish for “bear”) at random
Benzo the Clown — A problematic clown for kids that ruins birthday parties and not refunding your $50 deposit. Originated on Episode 96, Desus starts talking about rolling up to Mero Jr’s bar mitzvah smacked. (credit to
u/outtaspite) Benzo’s antics are normally cut short by Mr. Fun Fun (voiced by Desus) normally ending with the problematic light
I sold fake Lean to your favorite SoundCloud rapper — Not sure this is a specific reference other than the fact that Lean is pretty much a guaranteed accessory for any SoundCloud rapper and Actavis discontinued their codeine/promethazine cough syrup in 2014 due to abuse, so a lot of people are drinking fake Lean.
"Llego el hijo de Tito y Fifa papi"/"The son of Tito and Fifa has arrived, papi — In later episodes, Mero began to include some Spanish phrases at the end of his list of aliases, usually beginning with this phrase and building off of it. When Mero does this he also says "Hassan tira me lo pita" which is slang for "Hassan drop me a beat". Mero is making pretend that he's a DJ on NY's Spanish Radio Station 97.9 La Mega. Mero from here goes on to talk all kinds of shit about how hard and gangster he is. (credit to
u/bobbuddha and
u/Okieant33)
Please correct me if you have ideas or see mistakes!
Discontinued aliases: Desus - Young Green Room
- Desus Vice
- Vice-K Matsuzaka
- Kristap Por-sling-dick
- The Human Jerry Curl
Mero - Blem de la blem
- Young Pap Smear
- Metro Bloomin' Onion (credit to u/raybegleiter)
- Fry-an-L Messi (Mero at one point said this instead of "Light-an-L Messi", he'll probably go back and forth)
- Papi Shampoo
- Lucious Lyon-ass nigga
- David Trizz-Dale
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