Kristen Kish on Uplifting Community By Being Yourself

Kamau sits down with chef-turned-host Kristen Kish to talk about her stepping up as host of Top Chef after the departure of Padma Lakshmi, being kind, outrage over Netflix's Roast of Kevin Hart, and being a transracial adoptee. Kamau starts by giving Kristen her flowers for being a true natural on camera and the shoes she had to fill as a relative newcomer to television.

They talk about the surprisingly big cultural gap between Generation X and Elder Millennials. Kamau recounts his time as a guest judge on Top Chef during a particularly sauce-heavy episode.

The conversation turns to comedy vs. cooking, leading to a discussion of the broader cultural impact of the racist jokes at the Roast of Kevin Hart. Finally, Kristen discusses her experience of having white adoptive parents who supported her cultural background and made her feel seen and accepted.

Donate to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation at and City Harvest at Chapters: 00:00:00 Kristen Gets Coffee and Her Flowers 00:10:14 The Generational Divide 00:18:00 Why are you so Good on TV? 00:27:07 Kamau on Top Chef 00:36:00 Cooking Is Science, Comedy Is Math, The Kevin Hart Roast 00:55:30 Comedians Doing Damage to Society 01:00:48 Shouting Out Causes 01:03:47 Being a Transracial Adoptee Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd.

Part of the Pushkin Network. See for privacy information.