Episodes

  • Beyond The Surface Level 11

    Beyond The Surface Level 11
    Dec 3 2025
    Damon, Jordan, and Tony are curious – are you ready to go beyond the surface level? We’re winding down our 11th (!!) season with the classic tradition of responding to questions from our Surface Level insiders. We’re also starting a new tradition of the Surface Level Commenter Awards! This episode is a fun little after party where we crown the messiest commenter, hottest take, most confused comment and the biggest award, most curious commenter. Plus, Jordan and Tony try their hand at guessing Black famous trivia, and we all know how that goes with those two. So buckle up and come have some fun with us to close out the year on a high note. You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Black Famous

    Black Famous
    Nov 26 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Is being mainstream famous better than being Black famous? In today’s social media era many are in pursuit of some type of fame. But while some rise to new heights, they often get questions and judgement about who they’re in it for and why. The Surface Level crew sits down with multi-hyphenate creator Brandon Kyle Goodman to dig into identity, visibility, and whether mainstream approval is overrated. You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    54 mins
  • The Gay Cousin

    The Gay Cousin
    Nov 19 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – How much can you respect your family members who don’t respect your queerness? Being Black & Queer in a place like New York, it can be very easy to curate our lives to only interact with people who respect our queerness. But we can’t always do that with family, and in Black families respecting elders is important too, sometimes regardless of how much they respect your queerness. The internet’s favorite viral queer chef William Coleman joins us for this intimate conversation about how to survive the cookout. The group talks about the moments they’ve let slide, the moments they’ve had to stand up to family, and how they each approach this tricky question of respect. You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    47 mins
  • Blue Eye’d Soul

    Blue Eye’d Soul
    Nov 12 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Can white gay men ever truly belong in Black queer spaces? Now this one’s gonna have the girls fired up! We’ve all seen them. They pop up from time to time. Sometimes causing confusion, sometimes controversy, and sometimes delight. White gays are at the Black functions, so how do we feel about them? In this episode, the hosts talk about their feelings on this white presence, what white allyship looks like to them, how to tell the good ones apart, whether some spaces should be homogenous, and yes, who they think is Blue Eye’d Soul. Join us for this ki and feel free to chime in online too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    47 mins
  • Black Joy vs Black Resistance

    Black Joy vs Black Resistance
    Nov 5 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Is prioritizing Black joy really an act of defiance? “Joy as Resistance” is a nice catchphrase that’s been taking the Black internet by storm. The phrase has mass appeal and some say political strategy to it too, but in the face of extreme threats to personal liberties and even freedom of speech, is it the strategy really appropriate for this moment? Brooklyn’s powerhouse viral city councilman Chi Osse joins us to dig into these questions. He talks about his strategy for this moment as an elected official, while the hosts question their level of involvement as citizens. The conversation even delves into questions of personal liberty vs collective liberation when thinking of the growing movement of Black people going from escapism to actually leaving the US altogether. You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • Sex, Secrecy, and Survival

    Sex, Secrecy, and Survival
    Oct 29 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Does hiding sex make us safer or is it more dangerous? Many people hide sexual encounters in order to control and manage public opinion, or just because they’re a private lady. But does that secrecy open us up to more trauma? In this especially dynamic episode, the hosts dive into this topic with a pastor and LGBTQ ally, Kristian A Smith. They get into the up and down sides of being private about sex and Kristian opens up about his thoughts on why the church should heal its relationship to sex and sexuality. We getting vulnerable y’all! You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    52 mins
  • Too Black, Too Queer, Too Much

    Too Black, Too Queer, Too Much
    Oct 22 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Can you be too loud and proud? We’ve all either had those moments or seen those moments where we or someone in our orbit is wearing their queerness out loud but very hyped up. They’re usually causing a scene of some sort, whether in person or online. And for some that’s always an expression of freedom whereas other queers feel it works against the community. On today’s episode, Broadway and reality TV star Robert Hartwell joins us to unpack the dilemma of if it’s possible to be too loud and proud. Respectability buzzwords aside, the question forces hosts and our guest to outline what freedom looks like to them, what they consider obnoxious or harmful representation and why. Buckle up for this one! You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • Say Less | Why does everyone online have a "Blaccent"?

    Say Less | Why does everyone online have a "Blaccent"?
    Oct 15 2025
    Damon, Jordan and Tony are curious – Who’s to blame for the mainstreaming of Black language? We’ve all seen the ways that Black slang and especially Black queer lingo becomes everyone’s slang on the internet. Non-Black people have been monetizing off of our twang and sass, and now Republicans are even coopting and weaponizing words like Woke against our communities. All of this can feel like some inevitable uncontrollable charade at times. But there are still people behind these choices. In this unmissable season opener we’re digging into who needs to be stopped in this exploitative system and how. You can join the conversation on socials and let us know your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    45 mins