In The Room is where culture meets Hollywood and the conversations you don’t hear finally get said out loud.
Hosted by industry insiders Ali & Alisa, this podcast pulls back the curtain on entertainment, power, race, and the business behind the headlines. From real studio politics to career pivots, creative survival, and the wins and losses nobody posts about, we’re having the honest conversations you only hear when you’re actually… in the room.
If you care about Black creatives, industry tea, real strategy, and unfiltered takes — pull up a chair.
We’ll save you a seat.
Is Hollywood becoming too cautious?
This week on In The Room, Emmy-winning showrunner Ali LeRoi and Alisa Murray break down the biggest entertainment stories through the lens of thebusiness behind Hollywood.
This episode includes:
The debate over David Jonsson's casting in Black Panther3 and whether star power should matter.
Why Disney's approach to Tiana raises bigger questionsabout investing in Black female-led stories.
Issa Rae, Hollywood's business strategy, and whether Blackwomen continue to be treated like one-off successes.
Muhammad Ali's upcoming biopic and whether familyinvolvement creates a better story—or simply protects a legacy.
In The Room with Ali LeRoi & Alisa Murray —where culture meets Hollywood.
17 Jul 2026
When Did Hollywood Become the Hunger Games?
This week on In The Room, Ali LeRoi and Alisa Murray ask one question:
When did Hollywood become the Hunger Games?
From historic Emmy nominations to thousands of entertainment professionals leaving the industry, Hollywood is changing faster than ever.
We celebrate Salli Richardson-Whitfield's historic Emmy milestone, discuss why The Ms. Pat Show continues to be overlooked, and break down the surprising story behind The Pitt actors Brittany Allen and Jeff Kober paying out of pocket to submit themselves for Emmy consideration.
Ali shares what it was really like winning an Emmy and explains how awards campaigns actually work behind the scenes.
Then we dive into Kai Cenat's Streamer University and ask whether creators are building a better path into entertainment than traditional film schools.
We also unpack Tomi Adeyemi distancing herself from Children of Blood and Bone, debate Disney's casting for The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, and discuss why so many experienced entertainment professionals are walking away from Hollywood altogether.
Finally, we react to Love Island USA, fan reaction videos, Netflix's Pop the Balloon, and Curry Barker's Obsession while exploring how audiences—not studios—are shaping the future of entertainment.
If you love the business behind movies, television, streaming, and pop culture, this is the conversation for you.
10 Jul 2026
The Culture's Custody Battle
Who gets custody of Black culture?This week on In The Room, Ali LeRoi and Alisa Murray examine the growing battle over who gets to define, protect, and profit from the culture. From Kiki Palmer joining BET's Advisory Board and Mara Brock Akil fighting for the funding Girlfriends deserves, to Oprah's controversial comments about Whitney Houston, Jay-Z's carefully curated documentary, and India.Arie's criticism of Young Miami's "Spend Dat," every conversation asks the same question: Who gets to decide what represents Black culture?Hollywood, music, media, and legacy all collide in an episode about ownership, influence, and the responsibility that comes with shaping the culture.Topics:• Kiki Palmer joins BET's Advisory Board • Regina Hall almost became a nun • Jay-Z's upcoming HBO documentary • Oprah's Whitney Houston controversy • Mara Brock Akil's Girlfriends movie • India.Arie vs. Young Miami • What Hollywood values—and what it doesn't Subscribe for weekly conversations where culture meets Hollywood
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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