About this episodeNicole Byer discusses her health journey involving type 2 diabetes and gout, detailing her weight loss and the…AI summary
Nicole Byer discusses her health journey involving type 2 diabetes and gout, detailing her weight loss and the industry's shifting perception of her body. She recounts early career struggles with racial stereotyping in a Nestle commercial and makeup color-matching issues in Hollywood, highlighting the importance of hiring diverse crew. The conversation also covers her successful new relationship, contrasting it with past toxic dynamics, and her advocacy for supporting other women of color in the industry.
Key takeaways 5
Health at Every Size vs. Medical Reality: Byer advocates for body positivity but admits that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes forced her to lose weight, noting that 'weight does matter' when it impacts health metrics like gout and blood pressure.
Industry Stereotyping in Early Career: While booking a Nestle commercial for $5,000, Byer was instructed by the casting director to 'be as black as you could be' and by the director to 'say things that your people say,' leading her to write a satirical sketch called 'Be Blacker' to process the experience.
Makeup and Hair Inclusion: Byer emphasizes that makeup artists and hair stylists often lack kits with shades dark enough for Black women or skills for kinky hair textures, advising creators to hire people of color to ensure proper representation and comfort on set.
Relationship Standards: After a previous partner tried to undermine her performance anxiety, Byer now values partners who support her career and handle minor mistakes (like leaving keys in the car) with kindness rather than mockery.
Solidarity Among Women of Color: Byer shares a mindset shift from viewing other Black women's success as competition to celebrating it, noting that opportunities are not a zero-sum game and that supporting each other is crucial in an industry that often 'other-ers' them.
Notable quotes 5AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“I was one of them [big beautiful women] and then it caught me. Yeah, it can catch us. So, gout is like when you've um uh like it's like I I can eat shellfish and it'll flare up. Oh, like my toe will get big. My foot will swell up.”
▶ 3:00Byer explains the physical reality of her health challenges (gout, diabetes) that motivated her weight loss, contrasting it with the abstract concept of 'health at every size'.
“They want you to be a [__] [stereotype]. And if you listen to my voice, my voice sounds like my voice. And this is Hannah May Pierce. Is that what they want you to give?”
▶ 15:52Byer describes the racial stereotyping she faced during a Nestle commercial audition and shoot, where she was asked to perform a caricatured version of Blackness.
“I don't move without my own [makeup artist]. Now, now where I'm at now, I don't move without I [__] I am a [__] star. You are. I don't do my own makeup. I don't do my own [__] hair. If you want me to come and give you the show that you want, [__] I needs to be glamorous.”
▶ 24:55Byer discusses how she learned to do her own makeup due to industry neglect but now insists on professional support from trusted artists of color.
“Every time a black person or a black, you know, female friend gets a job, I'm like, 'Good. I'm happy now.' But it took a minute. It took a minute to be like, 'H, you're taking something from me.' And it's like, 'I didn't have the part. You're not taking anything from me.'”
▶ 29:46Byer reflects on overcoming internalized competition and embracing solidarity with other Black women in the entertainment industry.
“I like looking the way you like to look... I adorn myself because I'm in the mirror. I'm casting a spell over me. I'm casting a glamour spell over I like that.”
Byer explains her philosophy on makeup and beauty as a form of self-love and empowerment rather than just performing for others.
Chapters & Sections (32)▼
0:05Health Challenges and Weight Loss Journeychapter3
1:15Diabetes Diagnosis and Gout Symptoms
2:26Gout Symptoms and Management
3:47Embracing Body Positivity and Health
5:31Nicole Byer Career Accolades and Drag Interestchapter
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