Ratchet & Respectable

Ratchet & Respectable is not the average pop culture podcast with witty social commentary. The host is Demetria L. Lucas. She is otherwise known as Demi. She's also a multimedia personality, award-winning author, editor, life coach, and journalist. She's a screenwriter, too. Demi turned her self-help book Don't Waste Your Pretty into a TV movie.

Demi is a credible source on pop culture—Black pop culture, in particular. But what makes Ratchet & Respectable unusual? Part of it is the catchy podcast title. She says she is "sometimes ratchet" and "sometimes respectable." But it also has more to do with the effort that Demi puts into it as a show. As well as giving her astute opinions, she goes out of her way to learn more about the subjects. The podcast covers pop culture topics that interest Demi and her listeners.

In keeping with learning more on podcast topics, she has visited Africa several times. Several of her 2022 episodes featured her trip to Accra, Ghana. Her curated itinerary highlighted the best there is to see in this city. From sightseeing to dining, shopping, and entertainment, Demi discussed all the good things to find in that nation's capital. The Ratchet & Respectable podcast also features what she calls "good Black news." In those segments, she shares some positive feelings and love.

Her podcast episodes are not all fun chats and amazing travels, though. Shenanigans get set aside once in a while for serious conversations. The "Men Will Embarrass You" episode discusses the harsh realities of relationships. She explains the expectations of relationships with men, from Will Smith to Sean Combs. She talks about women's issues, too.

With the huge variety of topics on Ratchet & Respectable, it's an enticing choice as a podcast. New episodes premiere several times a week.