What’s up everybody? Welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza!

If you don’t recognize the guy in the cover photo with me, you’re clearly missing out on one of the best shows that SiriusXM Satellite Radio has to offer! For those who are unfamiliar, that my friends, is “Rude Jude” Angelini, author and host of  The All Out Show on Eminem’s Shade 45 channel!

Old school 90’s daytime talk show junkies may also recognize him from his guest appearances on The Jenny Jones Show back in the day!

Let’s pause and pay homage to just how great 90’s daytime talk shows were for a minute though (please be patient for a second kids, grown folks are talking…)!

Seriously, aside from Jenny Jones, you also had The Richard Bey Show which was absolutely insane! Sally and Ricki Lake were also pretty good. Plus, you had Springer before people knew it was fake and Maury before every episode featured paternity tests!

Trust me, these current talk shows have nothing on the 90’s (the same could also be said about 90’s hip-hop…) these shows were crazy!

Okay, rant over. But of the aforementioned shows, my absolute favorite was Jenny Jones because of Rude Jude himself!

For those who are unfamiliar, he actually started out as a guest on the show. It was supposed to just be a one-off appearance, but he was so hilarious insulting the other guests and audience members that the producers decided to give him a reoccurring featured role on the show!

In many ways, his “Rude Jude” origin story reminds me of my “Fat Darrell” origin story (Rude Jude and Fat Darrell – sounds like the title of an awful buddy cop movie doesn’t it?) …although my story hasn’t resulted in my own show, album or book deal yet so um yeah, Jude, if you’re reading this, hook a brotha up!

Seriously though, his evolution definitely illustrates the importance of seizing every opportunity. That initial guest appearance on a syndicated daytime talk show has opened a lot of doors, including the studio doors at SiriusXM where he currently broadcasts on his fellow Michigan Native, Eminem’s, wildly popular hip-hop station!

So, hey, you really never know, right?

Have any of you ever been on a daytime talk show? If so, what was the topic and how was that experience? Comment Below!

Of course, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” (yeah, I took that line from Spiderman. Again, shoutout to the kid who’s toy I hijacked last week!) so before you rush over to check out his SiriusXM show, I should probably warn a few of you that his format is non-PC and unfiltered. No topic is off limits, so the subject matter definitely gets raunchy at times!

However, while many people are quick to paint Jude in the same vein as Howard Stern and other “shock jocks,” he doesn’t really say things just for the sake of being shocking. Both on the air, in print and in person, he’s an open book who’s unafraid to take on any topic or discuss his personal struggles and demons.

In a day and age where everyone is tripping over themselves not to offend each other, it’s actually quite refreshing for someone to be willing to “go there” and keep it real at all times.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jude while he was in town promoting his second book, Hummingbird, over the weekend (warning: shameless plug for our Amazon affiliate link ahead 😉).

If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, or want another, click here to pick up your copy on Amazon (Hey, at least I warned you, right?)!

Remember, you still get the same great sales and low prices when you use our link, we just get a small commission for referring you. Thanks for your support! 

Jude chose Hummingbird as the title because much like himself, a Hummingbird has to work really hard just to stay afloat. I know, that’s pretty deep, right?

The book, much like his radio show, chronicles his various highs (both literal and figurative) and lows as he deals with relationships, drugs, depression and other surprisingly deep issues. This book is simultaneously hilarious, sad, boldly real and hard to put down!

Again, if you can get past the language and controversial subject matter, it’s a compelling read. So compelling that it boasts a 5-star rating on Amazon with nearly 300 raving reviews already!

Hummingbird is the follow-up to his wildly popular 2014 debut book, Hyena (which you can also get on Amazon by clicking here!). That book also boasts a 5-star rating with nearly 700 views!

I’ve even heard rumors that Mark Wahlberg and the producers of Entourage were planning to develop a series based on the book! However, in the midst of taking crazy photos and talking about random nonsense, I totally forgot to ask Jude about that. I also forgot to talk to him about weird alien theories since we’re both fans of Ancient Aliens (the show I told you about last post). Whoops…Next time!

Anyway, I’m not going to ramble on about the contents of the book because the preview pages are right there on Amazon and right now, it’s only $10 (even less on kindle) so you can easily check it out for yourself.

Instead, let me briefly tell you more about the book signing event that I attended and my main takeaways.

The event itself was held locally in Atlanta at Posman Book’s Westside Provisions location (there’s more than one Atlanta location…more on that later but you’re a regular here, you already know I got lost!). It was scheduled from 1-3pm, however Jude read from the book for those first 2 hours and then stuck around much later signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.

While some authors and celebrities seem distant and annoyed as they quickly rush people away, Jude genuinely loves his audience. He asked each person what they did for a living, signed as many items as requested and had genuine conversations with everyone.

When I finally left, nearly 2 hours after the event had officially ended, he was still patiently surrounded by a large group of people waiting to meet him.

He also comforted a few women who were literally shaking when they got the chance to meet him and he repeatedly offered anyone with a child waiting to come to the front of the group. I say group instead of line because it was more of an intimate free-form amoeba instead of a standard line. He was literally in the middle of the store, alone without security, surrounded by a swarm of diverse fans.

Despite being referred to as a “shock jock” on a hip-hop station, his audience was filled with people from all walks of life. Everyone got along well and cooperated which was a joy to watch. It was also amazing that many of the people in that room probably would have never visited a book store or purchased a book had it not been for him writing one, so it was great to see people expanding their minds. In fact, several thanked him for getting them into reading books again.

During one of the more touching moments, a fan who had travelled all the way from Tennessee to meet him, was having a difficult time comforting his autistic son. Jude literally stopped the autograph session, walked all the way to where the child was and hung out with him for several minutes to help calm him down.

As I’ve stated several times now, once you get past some of the shockingly brash commentary he often provides, what’s left is a very relatable guy with a heart of gold. He’s obviously not a saint, but he’s also not the villain that he might be mistaken for if you’re not paying close enough attention.

A few people asked if he’d ever do stand up comedy since he’s naturally funny, but he shot down that idea rather quickly. He actually admitted that while he loves to meet his fans, he hates feeling the pressure to be “on” in front of large groups. He much prefers one on one interactions.

Unfortunately for him, the room was literally silent as he spoke to each person because everyone was waiting to hear his next joke! He might want to have them play music at the next event otherwise it’ll probably happen again since he’s known for his wit and everyone wanted to hear what came out of his mouth next.

He mentioned that a podcast and additional video content were possibly on the way soon, but his current contract had restrictions so he had to be careful.

In another hilarious moment, he mentioned that his access card to the LA SiriusXM location that he broadcasts from often doesn’t work so he always has to wonder each time if he’d been fired for going too far on the air!

Another fan asked him about the songs that are played on the air and he shared that he actually doesn’t hear much of the music in his booth while broadcasting his show.

He was also asked if his librarian sister was proud of him for writing a book. He said that she was both proud yet sad because it hurt her to read about some of his struggles that he talks about in great detail.

Of course, regular fans of his show also shouldn’t be surprised that he had a lot of funny stories about his co-host, John. Despite the jokes, you could tell that they have a genuine friendship and respect for each other but man, he definitely gives him hell!

Oh yeah, and this has nothing to do with Jude necessarily, but shout out to the guy directly in front of me during the event who took a FaceTime call from his wife who was topless the entire time for some reason. You’re the real MVP my friend.

“Shout out to the guy directly in front of me during the event who took a FaceTime call from his wife who was topless the entire time for some reason. You’re the real MVP my friend.” -Fat Darrell

Anyway, all in all, it was a fun afternoon. Jude is the same articulate, witty and complicated guy in person as he is on the radio. I had a blast hanging with him and highly recommend that you do the same if he ever hosts an event in your town town!

In the meantime, you can check out The All Out Show with Rude Jude on SiriusXM’s Shade 45 from 4 – 7pm and find his latest book Hummingbird at your favorite book store or online retailer.

At one point, people were making various suggestions of places that Jude should check out while he was in town. Some people named bars, others named strip clubs (which he’s surprisingly not into by the way) and others named restaurants.

During the restaurant recommendations, someone jokingly shouted out this regional fast food chain Krystal, which southerners may know but others may not.

I surely didn’t know what people were talking about when I first heard about this place several years ago after moving to Atlanta from New Jersey.  However, I found the description that people gave me quite offensive. Why? Because several people down here have said that it’s “just like White Castle, but better!”

Um, what? Excuse me? Come again?

Those are strong words ATLiens. I mean, Krystal didn’t get their own movie franchise, White Castle did.

Was Krystal ever shouted out in a Beastie Boys song (Slow and Low – “White Castle fries only come in one size”)?

Are Krystals sold in grocery stores and vending machines?

Um nope, nope, and nope again!

White Castle is the big dog. The OG. History even backs up the fact that Krystal is a knock off because White Castle was founded in 1921 and Krystal didn’t come around until 1932 after the founder admittedly visited White Castle and took notes! 

Still, I’ve had this debate so many times, including on the way home from the book store that I finally decided to settle this once and for all.

Now obviously, I fully admit that I’m biased (that’s why I’m currently even rocking my NYC hat to represent the “home team!”). White Castle was an institution for me over the years and despite my current location, Jersey is still home.

Do you know how many late night runs I’ve made to that place over the years? It’s addicting! To this day I still have these chip clip magnets on my refrigerator.

So, I won’t lie, I’m solidly rooting for White Castle. However, I will remain neutral with my judging. With that said, I just got back from visiting a Krystal location for the very first time to finally see what all the hype is about.

Of course, I don’t have White Castle burgers here in Atlanta and I’m not going to buy the frozen ones since that’s an unfair comparison, however, I’ve had enough of them over the years that my memory is still pretty solid.  So, with that said, let’s do this!

First impressions: The restaurant itself has a slightly similar feel with its bright colors and jaded employees. They close as midnight though (but the drive through is open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday) while White Castle stays open 24/7 so that’s unfortunate.

Take along a sackful? Ha!  That’s what…nevermind.

As for the menu, I haven’t gotten to White Castle in a few years now, but unless things have drastically changed, Krystal definitely has more options. Their breakfast menu in particular has a lot more to offer.

They also had some crazy Slurpee that was made from Red Hots candy. While that’s cool and all, this comparison is about one thing only: the cheeseburger sliders. So, your egg scramblers and biscuits with gravy can’t help you here Krystal!

The smell of the sliders was very similar though. They place mustard and pickles on each one and use the same tiny containers to hold each sandwich so it really does have the feel of White Castle…but does it have the taste?

Of course, there’s only one way to find out so with that said…

The Taste: I’m not going to lie, these are pretty good. I personally won’t put them ahead of White Castle, but they are tasty.

The commercials brag about there being more beef on theirs but I really didn’t think so. If anything, it felt like less beef because the bun feels thicker.  See the photo of their $3 Meal Deal as proof. 

Don’t get me wrong, because you know I always appreciate some thick buns, but not on my sliders… 😉

Some may like that though, especially bread junkies. In my opinion, that causes it to taste a little dry compared to White Castle’s. Had I not gotten cheese, it would have really been an issue. Oh yeah, they also don’t include the signature chopped onions so it’s close but not quite.

The Final Verdict: Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t bad but they’re definitely not as good as the OG. Even the frozen White Castle burgers I’ve tasted have been more impressive than the Krystal version. I am really curious about some of the other menu items though, so I wouldn’t be opposed to going back someday.  

It is cool that Krystal doesn’t give you explosive diarrhea like White Castle tends to afterwards though!  But hey, that’s part of the unique charm the White Castle dining experience provides.  You have to take the good with the bad, ya know? 

Anyway, my final words for the “Krystal is just like White Castle but better” crowd?  Um, no.

Debate closed.

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all check out? Tell us about it in the comments below!  Also join our Facebook foodie group, Phenomnomnomenal, by clicking this link!

That Krystal versus White Castle debate felt good to finally check off my Georgia Bucket list. Actually, I accidentally ended up visiting a few other places in Atlanta that I’ve been meaning to check out as well.

Apparently the book store that Jude held the event at has 2 locations. Of course, if you’re a regular reader, you know that I went to the wrong one first (that’s why I’d never go on The Amazing Race! Unless my partner has strong enough navigation skills to make up for my lack of direction).

The other location is in this cool shopping center, Ponce City Market. I didn’t realize I was at the wrong spot until I walked all the way to the store and some weird chick was standing outside awkwardly playing the violin instead of Jude talking smack and telling stories.

The roof of that market also features an old school amusement park (Skyline Park) with mini golf, ski ball, rides and more though so I definitely plan to go back! That unexpected pit stop already cost me a half hour though, plus I had to pay for parking so I left without checking it out.

Besides, my girlfriend already stated that she wants to go there with me and as you know, I always try to avoid getting exiled to the couch, so I figured it would be smart to wait.

As I rushed from one book store to the other though, it took me directly through the campus of Georgia Tech which was actually a pretty cool experience.

Besides, even typing the sentence “I drove through Georgia Tech to visit the book store” makes me sound ten times smarter than I actually am! …even if this is the “mature, intellectual outfit” I’m currently wearing…

Oh yeah, and I forgot to announce this several months ago, but we did it!

That’s right people, if you go back reread my very first post, I was heavily lobbying for a giraffe emoji and several months ago, this popped up in the Facebook update!

I told you we could make it happen! Power to the people! Now, where’s that kangaroo emoji I also requested?

Anyway, today’s fitness tip picks up where Rude Jude’s origin story left off. Just as he seized the moment on the Jenny Jones stage, you should sieze the moment to improve each and every time you work out.

Some people brag about being in the gym for 4 or 5 hours straight but half of the time they’re talking, texting or hanging out in the locker room!

This one dude last week came in, took pictures in front of several machines, most likely posted “working out #beastmode” on social media, then went to hang out in the café for the next 2 hours.

Even a 20-minute workout that you give your all to is much better than wasting 4 hours doing nothing. If you’re going to be there anyway, you might as well get something out of it, so as the saying goes, “go big or go home.”

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Wait, hold up! I know we’re running long here but if you’re a regular reader, you know there’s no way I wasn’t going to go back and try that Red Hot Slurpee right? Come on now, who are we kidding here? So, with that said, BAM!

First of all, since I’m rocking his throwback jersey in the pics, shoutout the my second favorite NBA player of all time (MJ is still the G.O.A.T.), Kobe Bryant, for winning an Oscar on Sunday! Man, his trophy case must be a crazy sight to behold!

Also congrats to Get Out for winning Best Original Screenplay as well.

No shoutout to the lame Krystal employee who only filled this thing to the brim of the cup though!  Whisky. Tango. Foxtrot?! 

Every experienced Slurpee drinker knows that you put the lid on and top it off! What is this crap? First day on the job lady? Rookie.

Anyway, enough about all that, let’s try this thing before it melts.

The Verdict:  Hmm, okay, I’m actually feeling this. One of the other Krystal employees said that it was nasty but I like it. I also like Red Hots candy though and this tastes exactly like it.  So hey, whatever.  It’s all good in the hood with me.  I’m down.

Obviously, Krystal is only a southern regional chain, but based on what I’ve heard, Pepsi is rolling this flavor out as a drink and slurpee option at other locations as well.

If you’re a fan of Red Hots, I’d recommend giving it a shot. The rest of you, I dunno, stay home I guess.

Okay, NOW cue the soundtrack!

 

Today’s Soundtrack

Cleaning out my Closet – Eminem (Jude’s Boss!  Mr. Mathers)

ATLiens – Outkast

Slow and Low – Beastie Boys (“White Castle fries only come in one size…”)

Finesse (remix) – Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B (unlike Krystal, this remix is much better than the original)

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that doesn’t, but is so hot we should check it out anyway? Tell us about it in the comments below!

So, before we go, can you believe that I forgot all about National Pancake Day last Tuesday? Man, I’m slipping lately. I can’t believe I missed out on free iHop!

Last year’s National Pancake Day post was pretty crazy though! That was also the debut of my infamous pancake tank top (that you can purchase with a 10% discount! Check out our #DoubleFML Deals and Discounts page for all of the affiliate hookups we’ve set up for you guys!)!

Here’s the link to check out last year’s pancake celebration if you’re interested.

If you celebrated this year, make sure to comment below and tell me all about it so that I can live vicariously through you.

Actually, even if you didn’t get your free short stack, don’t you dare leave without dropping a comment below first! Seriously, don’t be shy. You saw that Fred Sanford shirt I had on earlier, I’m not messing around this week!

Also, make sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more but clicking the social media icons on the side panel.

Thanks again to Jude Angelini for taking the time out to chat. Next time I’m in LA, I definitely need to come check out the studio in person!

Oh yeah, and last but not least, Happy Birthday to my niece LaNaya who’s celebrating her birthday this week!

Anyway, this Slurpee isn’t going to finish itself, right? So yeah, that’s a wrap for this week people. Thanks again for dropping by! I’m out.

Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“I want you to know that someone cares. Not me, but someone.”