Alondra "Alo" Mendoza and Brianna Cooper

[00:01] ALO MENDOZA: My name is Alo Mendoza. I am currently 22 years old. I use all pronouns. Any pronoun you can think of. For me, I will use it. Today's day is February 1, 2023. We're here at the University of Texas at El Paso. This is my friend, Brianna Cooper.

[00:20] BRIANNA COOPER: My name is Brianna Cooper. I am 20 years old. I use she her pronouns. Today is February 1, 2023, and we are at the University of Texas at El Paso. I am here with Alo. She's my friend.

[00:33] ALO MENDOZA: Ah, okay. I have a question for you, Brianna. This is a little. It's a little deep about the pandemic. Are you ready for this?

[00:39] BRIANNA COOPER: I'm ready.

[00:40] ALO MENDOZA: When did you first realize that this pandemic was going to affect your life?

[00:46] BRIANNA COOPER: So when the pandemic hit, I was a senior in high school.

[00:49] ALO MENDOZA: Oh, that's tough. Oh, yeah.

[00:52] BRIANNA COOPER: I was getting. I was actually getting ready to do ambulance rotations with the program that I was involved in.

[00:59] ALO MENDOZA: Okay.

[00:59] BRIANNA COOPER: And the week before my scheduled rotations, they were like, oh, spring break is going to have an extra week. Like, have fun. And in my head, I was like, well, that's weird. Like, this has never happened. Like, there's never been an extension. And that week of spring break, I had family come over, and they were like, oh, have you been hearing the stories of, like, Covid and how it's spreading and what's happening? And I was like, yeah, but, like, I don't know. Like, it'll just pass over. It's just another, like, flu, like, virus. Like, we'll be fine. And that week here in El Paso, we have the poppy fields. And we went out to the poppy field, and that's the last time I went out. And that was rough, because the pandemic, like, really affected me.

[01:49] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. I mean, being a senior in high school, it must have been tough. You got that whole year basically, like, that whole half year taken from you.

[01:55] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, yeah. So, like, all the commemorative, like, super celebrations like that you get at the end of the year, I got no. Think of that. Everyone's like, oh, you're just. You're being overreactive. And I was like, well, I don't know. Like, you had your prom, you had your graduation. Like, how would you feel? And they were like, it's not that big of a deal. And I was like, well, kind of is, because here in El Paso, most kids only make it to high school graduation. So at that point, I was like, well, I don't know. What if I don't go to college? What if I don't graduate. Like, I don't know. We'll see what happens.

[02:29] ALO MENDOZA: I remember you told me a story of how your graduation worked, where they had you single file in the gym.

[02:33] BRIANNA COOPER: Do you want to tell that story? So basically for that, it was maybe about two months after they announced the pandemic. And they were like, well, we're going to go ahead and have you guys come in to record your graduation. So in my head, I was like, well, since there's still all these precautions going around, they'll probably just have one by one, come in at separated times, and then you'll record your video to minimize contact with each other and then be on your way. And what actually happened was they put us all, mind you, my school was also getting rebuilt at the time. So they shut down half of the school.

[03:11] ALO MENDOZA: That's right.

[03:13] BRIANNA COOPER: And we went into the. The way the school was set up is the auditorium was connected to the science building that had a lot of stairs. And they basically shoved us all into the stairwell and made us, like, where there was only supposed to be ten people, maybe, in the room. There ended up being, like, 60 of us in the room. And they crammed us in, made us wait in there for about an hour, and then had us slowly start single filing out, like, record our little graduation video. And then they essentially kicked us out after that. So my graduation entailed a YouTube video at home.

[03:51] ALO MENDOZA: So did you get your diploma in the mail?

[03:53] BRIANNA COOPER: No, I still had to drive by and pick it up.

[03:55] ALO MENDOZA: That's so sweet.

[03:55] BRIANNA COOPER: Which I don't. Yeah, I don't understand, but it was whatever.

[03:59] ALO MENDOZA: Oh, my God. That's crazy. What? Oh, my God. I was. It was around that same spring break, I think I was a sophomore in college. I lived in Houston at the time, so you can imagine how big the city was. And I remember my professor just sent an email that was like, you guys are going to get an extra week of spring break. And then the university sent an email that was like, a campus wide announcement of, like, they're closing down the dorms, that your stuff can stay in there until the end of your lease because you paid for it, but you can't come back to the dorms. It's like a super spreader if you're here. And then we had informational videos about COVID Go out. And I remember thinking at first, I was like, oh, cool. I get to spend more time with my family because I came back here for spring break. I was spending time with my mom and my grandpa, and they're both high risk people. So I was like, okay, no, for now, I'll stay here with my family. And then we went full online, like, two days after spring break was supposed to end. My professors were like, okay, this is zoom. You have to download it. Here's everything. And I didn't even get a chance to go pack up my dorm or anything. It was just, like, thrust into this semester of fully online, and it was super confusing. Now we know that it's, like, it's not that bad, but at the time, it was so confusing. I had never taken an online class before, for sure. It was just a lot of, like, professors trying to catch up with what was going on. It was a lot of students being confused about what was going on. It was super. I remember I had a zoom lecture with one of my professors for psychology. I won't, like, doxx them or anything, but he goes, he's like, yeah, I tried to drop my daughter off at daycare today, and they refused me, even though there was, like, workers. And I had to be like, yeah, because I worked at the. At the. On campus daycare. I was like, yeah, it's. It's because we have to shut down the daycare. Like, we're in there cleaning and sanitizing everything. Like, we have to shut it down. No one's gonna be able to come in, like, at all. And he was like, well, I think that's stupid. And he went on this rant, and I'm like, would you rather your daughter get sick? And then he got real quiet.

[06:07] BRIANNA COOPER: Well, yeah, we didn't know at the time. We didn't know how that was affecting people. We didn't have a vaccine. Just seeing the amounts of people that were dying from this, I don't think anyone expected it to get to them that it did.

[06:20] ALO MENDOZA: No. Oh, my God. And especially, like, I think in the United States, there was so much denial about how serious something like this was.

[06:26] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, yeah.

[06:27] ALO MENDOZA: Especially under our previous administration. It was just a lot of, like, well, it's not that bad. Nothing like this is even real. Like, you don't even need anything. Like, just. You don't even need to follow the rules. And I remember thinking, like, people are gonna die. Yeah, people are gonna die.

[06:41] BRIANNA COOPER: And look what happened.

[06:43] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. And, I mean, we had that potential for an outbreak of ebola. What was it when Obama was in office, right, and it was in Dallas. There was, like, an ebola outbreak in Dallas, right, in one of the hospitals. And that was contained super quick. And I thought that this would be something like, that I was like, a week, maybe a month off. Right?

[06:58] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[06:58] ALO MENDOZA: And then we go back to our lives with, like, new precautions and. Nope, it's gone on for, like, what, three years now?

[07:05] BRIANNA COOPER: Yep.

[07:06] ALO MENDOZA: Jesus.

[07:07] BRIANNA COOPER: Thinking about it makes me so angry.

[07:11] ALO MENDOZA: Angry because so many things were stolen from so many people. Like, your graduation was completely taken. Yeah, because people just refuse to see something like this is important.

[07:17] BRIANNA COOPER: And other than that, I just think people need to be more aware of the people around them. Like, at that point, it wasn't even, yes, it was taking care of yourself, but at that point, if you had, you didn't know if the person next to you was immunocompromised, you didn't know how you were gonna affect them if you were carrying it, and you didn't know how were they gonna protect themselves. They didn't know who you were, what you were carrying.

[07:39] ALO MENDOZA: Absolutely. I do think that there's something about the compassion of people that happened during this pandemic. I found that people were either one of two extremes, right? That they were deeply compassionate about what's happening. They were donating to, like, food drives. They were helping people that were sick. They were donating masks and stuff if they could get them. They were donating time to volunteer and help people out. And then on the polar opposite side, it was a lot of, like, well, it doesn't matter. It's not affecting me, so whatever.

[08:06] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah. I think that just kind of shows the selfishness. Of what? Of how people actually act and what their true intentions are towards people. Because you could have people donating money and still be like, oh, well, that's not my problem. Like, I donated it, I'm fine. And that's just not. I don't think that's the type of people we should be.

[08:24] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah, I mean, those super spreader events in LA where people, like, we're going to parties without masks and even being told, like, you can't film in here. We don't want to get canceled.

[08:34] BRIANNA COOPER: Influencers that ended up, like, just exposing themselves just to have a good time and later would end up being like, oh, I'm so sorry. Like, I didn't realize the impact this was gonna have. And it's like, well, no, because you were thinking of yourself. You're not thinking of, what if that was your grandmother's house?

[08:49] ALO MENDOZA: Yes. Like, other people.

[08:50] BRIANNA COOPER: Like, yeah, no, I completely understand.

[08:52] ALO MENDOZA: That made me thinking about it makes my skin itch in a bad way. Cause it just. It makes me so frustrated that this could have been a lot smoother, you know, if I guess we had taken it more seriously from the beginning.

[09:07] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[09:08] ALO MENDOZA: Covid can meet me outside. Actually, Covid and I are going to square up in the parking lot of Wendy's at three in the morning, and then it'll be over, and then you'll get to senior year again. Yeah, totally.

[09:18] BRIANNA COOPER: Come back. I think. I don't know, because I think some good. Well, not good things came out of it, but, like, in the sense it would be good things. Like, for example, I think TikTok. If TikTok. I don't think TikTok would have blown up the way it did if Covid haven't happened as a success for that app, like, that just wouldn't have happened. I also think, like, concert culture also wouldn't be as big as it is now than what it was prior to pre Covid, even Coachella. If we look at Coachella prior to Covid and Coachella after Covid, those are just two different extremes that just. Everything changed.

[09:57] ALO MENDOZA: You bring up TikTok, which is really interesting.

[10:01] BRIANNA COOPER: What do you want to ask?

[10:03] ALO MENDOZA: So I noticed that you post on TikTok a lot about Harry Styles.

[10:07] BRIANNA COOPER: I do.

[10:08] ALO MENDOZA: Right. Does it feel like you are still part of a fandom here, like, in TikTok? I think it's really interesting in TikTok.

[10:14] BRIANNA COOPER: Okay, so, yeah.

[10:15] ALO MENDOZA: Like, is it, like, a community the way that it used to be? Like, on Twitter or, like, on Instagram?

[10:19] BRIANNA COOPER: I think there's a point of it being a community. I just don't. I don't identify myself with that community to a certain point, because there are very. I've noticed TikTok has become a place of very toxic people, and there is a lot of toxicity and hate and people, again, like, since the dawn of, like, technology, people just like to hide behind a screen. And I think a lot of people don't realize, like, I post to share what I'm doing. I use it as a virtual journal. I don't necessarily use it to get followers. I mean, it's cool if I get likes and stuff or, like, it spreads, but that's not necessarily my purpose in posting. Same thing, like, with my instagram. I've posted a lot of Harry related or even concert content on my instagram, and it's more of a journal for me than it is to try to, like, connect with the community. And, I mean, I've made friends through there. Not to say that it's all bad. I just think there's a girl who brought up the TikTok ification of concerts.

[11:23] ALO MENDOZA: Oh, my God.

[11:24] BRIANNA COOPER: And how she's noticed that not even at, like, Harry concerts, but any concert that she's been going to, whether it's Greta Van Fleet, whether it's the 1975, whether it's Taylor Swift, like, all these people are going now to or not all of them. There's a lot of people who end up going. So they can either get the best videos or get the best content or get a great interaction. Like, that's not what concerts were for. Like, concerts are there to enjoy live music with the artists that you like and to have, like, that experience with if you're going with people or if you're going by yourself. And I think that creator who brought up the term of TikTok, TikTok ification of concert, is, like, she's really making a point because, like, I look at, like, okay, Harry just finished his residency in LA, right? That was 15 consecutive nights of shows. And I've seen certain creators who go to every single show, and they're all in the pit. That alone is who knows how much money, like, thousands of dollars. And then they're going. So that way they can be, like, number first one in line. And then he sees the same people over and over again. And at these Palm springs shows that are happening, they did a lottery system for the pit, which allowed new people up in front. And the people who had been getting barricaded for, like, the past ten shows were super upset. And I was like, why are you upset? You're still there.

[12:58] ALO MENDOZA: Like, I heard about that.

[12:59] BRIANNA COOPER: There is so many people who don't get. Don't even have the opportunity to go to concerts because they can't afford them. Like, yeah, I don't. Excuse me. So, like, to be able to have even just the money and just the experience to be able to go and the opportunity to go, I think, is, like, something that should be valued over this new idea of, like, well, I need to get the best pictures and videos, and I need to get an interaction and, like, yeah, I need to.

[13:27] ALO MENDOZA: Use this to.

[13:30] BRIANNA COOPER: Take on that.

[13:34] ALO MENDOZA: Thanks. I don't know. I think it's really interesting. I go to a lot of local shows here in El Paso because it's one of my favorite shows, which I've.

[13:40] BRIANNA COOPER: Seen, and you look like you're having a blast.

[13:43] ALO MENDOZA: So much fun. Like, I went to battle the bands recently, and I went with, like, a group of people. It wasn't just me and, like, yeah, my friends, but I remember thinking, like, I miss when concerts were like this. Like, I also wanted to get tickets to the Rebella tour, right?

[13:54] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[13:55] ALO MENDOZA: Nope. Do you know how expensive they are? Yeah, I've heard expensive. And it's because of, like, resellers and stuff. And I think resellers are kind of banking on the fact that people will buy these tickets to get that sort of content. And it's like, I paid, what, $7, like, with parking and everything for my ticket for Battle of the bands. And it was so good. It was so genuinely good. Like, the bands that played were really good at interacting with the audience, which I thought was really interesting. Like, they would be like, okay, I know you guys don't know us, but we need you guys to sing along with the song. This is all you have to say. And I thought that was really cool. We had bands from, like, Ciudad Juarez that came in, and I remember thinking, like, this is my favorite band now. Like, I have to. I have to see them.

[14:36] BRIANNA COOPER: I am gonna see them.

[14:37] ALO MENDOZA: I have to see them again. And I just remember, like, the artists got down and into the pit with us, and we were just, like, whirlwinding with each other, and it was so cool. Like, I remember thinking, like, why aren't, like, other concerts like this anymore? And it's like, I don't know. It makes me really sad because I want people to be able to experience that.

[14:56] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[14:56] ALO MENDOZA: I want people to experience that joy.

[14:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Of, like, having that concert experience, like, the genuine concert. Like, cuz don't get me wrong, I look at. I record all my concerts. It doesn't matter, like, if it's a shaky video or whatever, like, because I have. I have really bad memory problems. Excuse me. So to, like, go back and to be able to see that I was there and, like, relive the memories, like, that's what works for me.

[15:19] ALO MENDOZA: Mm hmm.

[15:19] BRIANNA COOPER: So I have shaky videos of, like, yeah. Conan Gray and Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, and I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, I was actually there. Like, this is something that I made up in my head.

[15:29] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.

[15:30] BRIANNA COOPER: But they're being there just to take videos is what I think is, like, where it draws the line.

[15:35] ALO MENDOZA: Okay. I think that's really interesting. I hadn't thought about the implications of, like, I guess, influencing on concert culture.

[15:43] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[15:44] ALO MENDOZA: I hadn't. I had never thought about it in, like, the grand scheme of things. I was like, I guess, influencer. Because I would always see, like, Britney Broski.

[15:49] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, yeah.

[15:49] ALO MENDOZA: And, like, Sarah Schauer. Like, concerts, which, by the way, I love them, but I would always be like, I guess just people go to concerts, right. But I had never thought of, like, how they've changed the layouts of concerts.

[16:00] BRIANNA COOPER: And I don't even think, like. Cause Brittany Broski is an influencer, and I would identify her as an influencer, but these people that are going to take these videos and try to get the most interactions and likes end up being people that only have maybe, like, three or 4k followers. Like, they're not what I would consider. Like, they don't get PR brands. They don't packages, they don't get, like, sponsorship videos. And I'm like, I don't understand. Like, I get that there's a way to become an influencer, and I can understand if you're starting out small, but I don't understand, like, the idea of them sending out, or if they do something wrong, they end up sending out, like, an apology the way, like, Brittany Broski would if she did something wrong. And I'm like, I don't understand where you think you're an influencer to that extent when you're just making videos. Yeah. Like, and, like, Brittany Broski does us, like, a large scale of things. Like, I do not, like, denounce her influence.

[16:56] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.

[16:56] BRIANNA COOPER: Her influencing a career, but, yeah, that's, like, the difference, in my opinion.

[17:03] ALO MENDOZA: Can I ask you, go for it. On some TikTok drama? I think it's super.

[17:06] BRIANNA COOPER: Go for it. So let's see if I know it. I may not be on that side of TikTok.

[17:10] ALO MENDOZA: Okay. So it has to do with this TikToker who does makeup and stuff, who lied about wearing falsies.

[17:17] BRIANNA COOPER: Do you know what I'm talking about? I know exactly what you're talking about.

[17:19] ALO MENDOZA: How do you feel? There was this wave of predominantly, and I will say predominantly white people that were attacking this influencer, and then we're also trying to bring back from the dead one of the worst influencers to have existed. And I mean that in a way, that this influencer was incredibly racist. It was to the point where they were calling black women gorillas. It was bad.

[17:43] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah, I know who you're talking about.

[17:45] ALO MENDOZA: It's like, how does that to feel? Like, I feel like the first influencer, right? The one that had that whole mascara situation go down. We have to give people some grace. Like, yeah, I feel like in a situation like this, obviously, I feel like the bands, at the bands, the brands, at some point, like, approve these messages going out. Yeah.

[18:04] BRIANNA COOPER: And most of the time, even, like, some influencers have posted, like, I'm doing this because they specifically told me to post this, not because like, I was doing this on my own. Yeah. So I think with. In their situation, I think maybe it could have just been a misunderstanding of what was written within her contract for what she was supposed to post, and people were just automatically trying to bash her. I think bringing up their weight was really a really bad decision on everyone's part. Like, you should never judge someone on their way. You should not judge them by their looks. And people were calling them a catfish. And I just think I, in my opinion, that's so wrong. Like, I don't understand why. What did her looks have anything to do with what she was saying about the product? That was not the point of her video. Why were you bringing that up as something to continue to bash her with? And I think trying to bring back that old influencer, I don't know. He made it sound as if it was his revival. And I just don't get where. Why would. I don't understand how people just forget what people say or, like, the amounts of evidence of, like, why they were gone in the first place.

[19:26] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.

[19:27] BRIANNA COOPER: And, like, yeah. I don't know. I just. That was very wild.

[19:32] ALO MENDOZA: Thinking about it makes my head spin.

[19:35] BRIANNA COOPER: Just the Internet makes my head spin.

[19:38] ALO MENDOZA: As a fat person who also enjoys doing their own makeup, thinking about, like, the idea that these people have of what fat people can exist as is, like, insane to me. And I'm not saying that the first influencer is fat at all. I think that she is mid size. She's, like, size twelve or something, which I think is normal in the United States, especially, like, isn't that the average size?

[20:01] BRIANNA COOPER: I think an average size is ten to 16.

[20:03] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. So it's like, yeah, mid size. But, like, as someone who is fat. Right? Like, my face is fat. I see a lot of people, especially react in a different way when I do my makeup. They're like, oh, you finally put yourself together. Like, you're finally like, yeah. And it's so weird to me because, like, hello.

[20:24] BRIANNA COOPER: Like, I think when people bring up, like, okay, fashion. Right? So when people bring up, like, fashion that fat people can't do fashion. I'm like, why?

[20:32] ALO MENDOZA: Because. Why?

[20:34] BRIANNA COOPER: Why? Like, is it because you think that they don't look good? Like, that's not the case. Because there are so many plus size influencers that. Or even just plus size people in general that they dress so well. Like, they're fashion. Like, I could never compete. Like, I could never. And I don't understand what being. If you have extra weight on you, what that. How that defines, like, that you can't do this or you can't do your makeup or that. You can't. You're not going to succeed at doing this.

[21:03] ALO MENDOZA: Like, why? There's still a person, I think a lot of it has to do, especially in fashion, right. Is the availability of clothing for fat people. Because, like, being like, well, I was, like, a junior in high school, and I think I was a size 14 and I was wearing business casual. Yeah.

[21:22] BRIANNA COOPER: Like, why?

[21:22] ALO MENDOZA: Because there were no options. Exactly. And it's like, I'm a size 14.

[21:26] BRIANNA COOPER: You are. I am a yemenite.

[21:28] ALO MENDOZA: What?

[21:28] BRIANNA COOPER: 1617 year old.

[21:30] ALO MENDOZA: Like, I don't want to dress, like, working at an office, but I remember thinking, like, oh, I guess this is what I'm gonna have to dress, like my whole life because, like, I never saw anything else. And I think now it's really interesting. There has been a plethora of, like, options for fat people in fashion. Like, I myself, I personally love skirts. I love wearing skirts. I love them. I think they're so cool. And besides making my own skirts, I find a lot of good. Good, like, skirts at thrift stores now, which is a whole other thing because, like, something that really gets to me is these really, really, really skinny people going to the thrift stores and buying clothes that are so big on them, and they're like, I'm so dainty, I'm so small. I just like, I don't get it.

[22:18] BRIANNA COOPER: Like, you're like, leave the clothes for me. Why are you taking them?

[22:23] ALO MENDOZA: Need these clothes. Yeah. And thrift stores were started as a way for people to get good clothing for, like, cheaper money, which. Let's talk about the upcharging in thrift stores for a second. Oh, my God. Jesus. I went thrifting with some friends of mine, right? And I remember thinking, like, I saw this beautiful skirt, there wasn't a tag on it. And I was like, this is beautiful. It was like a plaid skirt. It had, like, chains across. And I was like, this is perfect for local shows.

[22:54] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[22:55] ALO MENDOZA: I looked at the price tag. Guess how much it was.

[22:58] BRIANNA COOPER: 30 up?

[22:59] ALO MENDOZA: 23.79.

[23:00] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, my gosh.

[23:01] ALO MENDOZA: And I remember thinking, like, still, this skirt was probably $20 when it was new. Yeah, right? Cause I'm like, this fabric doesn't feel great. This is probably, like a shein skirt, right? And, like, the label has fallen off. You see in right now, the label has fallen off, right. But I'm like, this is perfect for shows because I don't want to wear good clothing to shows. Cause I get, like, beer drinks on me, sometimes people will hit. Right. And it, like, you get spillage.

[23:27] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah. You get spills and liquids and sticky stuff.

[23:30] ALO MENDOZA: I don't want my good clothes to get all, like, icky.

[23:34] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[23:35] ALO MENDOZA: So I take what used to be, like, thrift store clothes. Right. But now I'm like, these are like.

[23:42] BRIANNA COOPER: This is too nice to be thrift store now.

[23:43] ALO MENDOZA: These are so expensive now. And I remember thinking, like, what if someone really needed the skirt?

[23:49] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[23:50] ALO MENDOZA: Like, what if. What if they came to the thrift store and they were like, I really need to find something. Or, like, if they needed, like, a school skirt.

[23:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[23:57] ALO MENDOZA: Or, like, a business or jeans, even for work. And 23.79.

[24:03] BRIANNA COOPER: That's a lot for a thrift store. That's a lot.

[24:06] ALO MENDOZA: We went to a thrift store.

[24:06] BRIANNA COOPER: So that's the same price you would pay at Walmart.

[24:09] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. And it's like, at that point, just go to Walmart and then you're contributing to fast fashion because it's a more expensive to buy clothing secondhand now in a lot of places than it is to buy, like, firsthand.

[24:20] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[24:21] ALO MENDOZA: You wanted to get into Shein.

[24:22] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, I did. I think so. You're talking about how for plus size individuals, it's harder to find clothing, especially just in general, to find clothing in general. And I think the argument of when people say, like, oh, well, don't swap, Shein, because it's fast fashion. But then I. That's the only option for a lot of. A lot of plus size individuals who need cheap clothes.

[24:45] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.

[24:46] BRIANNA COOPER: And I think that argument is, like, it's crazy to me because I'm like, well, can't go to thrift stores anymore because that's too expensive.

[24:53] ALO MENDOZA: And all the clothes are gone because, like, skinny people are cutting and talking to me. And it's like, what's going on here?

[24:58] BRIANNA COOPER: And realistically, what are you gonna do? You need clothes. It's not like you're gonna go out naked in the world to go do what you ever, whatever you gotta do. Like, this is not a nudist community, man. Like, what are you gonna do?

[25:10] ALO MENDOZA: I think it's super interesting. First of all, I'm gonna tell you something really important right now. In situations like that, there's no ethical consumption under capitalism. There is, like, as a fat person, right. I'm telling you, it is hard to go to a thrift store and find that, like, sections of clothing that is for you is gone because of this whole, like, baggy trend, which I love. I believe you. I'm not hating on the baggy trend. I'm currently wearing a baggy trend.

[25:39] BRIANNA COOPER: No, I believe you.

[25:40] ALO MENDOZA: It's like, and then what? And then what? Yeah, and then where do I turn? Because they. A lot of people don't sell above an 18. And it's like, I think one of the.

[25:50] BRIANNA COOPER: Or if you do, it's online. And then it takes.

[25:52] ALO MENDOZA: You need it now.

[25:54] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[25:54] ALO MENDOZA: And a lot of people are gonna be like, well, just. Just lose weight. And it's like, do you have an idea?

[25:58] BRIANNA COOPER: So how hard it is to lose weight?

[26:00] ALO MENDOZA: Like, not only that, but, like, especially.

[26:01] BRIANNA COOPER: People, because our body stores fat differently, and. Yeah, and there are so many underlying conditions that people don't even realize. Like, PCos makes it so difficult for you to lose weight.

[26:10] ALO MENDOZA: I have a thyroid problem because of my PCos. The hormones in my body are just completely insane, out of whack. I don't know what's going on, and I prefer not to know, you know? Cause at that point, it's a little scary. Osmosis Jones is gonna have to figure something out. But I'm sitting there like, you know what, dog? You just give me what I need to. Just give me what I need, and then don't tell me about it. I'm sitting there, and I'm like, I work out pretty regularly.

[26:42] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[26:43] ALO MENDOZA: I go to the gym pretty regularly. I would believe you. Yeah. I think I go, like, five out of the seven days, and I give myself the weekend, because that's when I have to do homework. Yeah. And I go after work, and my work, like, where I work is manual labor. Like, it's not just, like, in and out all day. No. So it's like, I also was, like, a swimmer in high school. I was active, and it was so hard even then, trying to lose. I'm an athletic, but it was so difficult to lose any kind of weight. And it's like, why? Why? Biologically, I know. I know that our bodies have to store fat a different way because of, like, pregnancy and stuff like that, whatever. But sometimes I look at. I look at these, like, fitness influencers, these dudes, right? That are like. Like, there's this one guy on TikTok, and I don't know if he's just on TikTok, but he's, like, a personal trainer, and he's like, I gained 135 pounds, so I would be the same weight as my client, and we lost the weight together. And I'm like, but do you have any idea? Men breathe and lose weight.

[27:54] BRIANNA COOPER: But the way men and women lose weight is completely different. And I don't think a lot of people understand this, because if you. Okay, let's say you are with a man and you are a female, and you both are like, well, let's do a weight loss journey together. Yeah. That man is gonna lose more weight than you in six months, than you will in a year.

[28:15] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.

[28:15] BRIANNA COOPER: And people don't understand. They're like. They're like, well, why. Why we're doing this? You could be eating the same. You could be doing the same exercises. You could be having the same protein intakes. And he will still lose weight faster than she will.

[28:27] ALO MENDOZA: I don't know. I think there's something also, like, ancestral in my body that's like, epigenetics, man. Like, why are you doing all this to yourself? Right?

[28:36] BRIANNA COOPER: We, like, bring up the topic of epigenetics.

[28:39] ALO MENDOZA: My ancestors are like, you will survive this. I promise you. And I'm like, I'm just running a mile. I'm running a mile. There's nothing to survive.

[28:50] BRIANNA COOPER: It brings out, like, activates, like, survival mode in your brain.

[28:55] ALO MENDOZA: It's like, I'm going for a job. Nothing is chasing me. There is no family. No stress factor.

[29:04] BRIANNA COOPER: No stress factors right now, actually, there.

[29:07] ALO MENDOZA: Is a stress factor because I run with zombie noises at home. Actually. It actually works. Okay. It works so well.

[29:15] BRIANNA COOPER: I'm very intrigued.

[29:17] ALO MENDOZA: So I. There's this playlist on YouTube, okay, that has, like, zombie noises, and they'll put, like. It's. It works. I don't know what it is. It works. But it's so good because you're like, there's something about it that, like, gets your blood pumping, and you're like, I gotta go. I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go. And so you're just running? You start running? Yeah, I just. I was telling my friend Meg earlier this week, and I was like, listen, if a real zombie apocalypse happened, you're running? No.

[29:52] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, you're not running?

[29:53] ALO MENDOZA: No, I'm not running. I am spending as much time as I can with my family.

[29:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, okay.

[29:58] ALO MENDOZA: And then.

[30:00] BRIANNA COOPER: Makes sense. Yeah, it makes sense.

[30:02] ALO MENDOZA: Cause, like, what are you gonna do? What? What are you gonna do?

[30:05] BRIANNA COOPER: I did.

[30:06] ALO MENDOZA: What's your. What's your zombie survival plan?

[30:10] BRIANNA COOPER: I have none. I am not prepared. If a zombie, a poplite apocalypse comes up, I am Sol on that one, man.

[30:19] ALO MENDOZA: Oh, my God.

[30:19] BRIANNA COOPER: I have no. You know what? I work best under pressure. So it's fine. We'll figure something out.

[30:25] ALO MENDOZA: I think you would figure something out. I really think. I have full faith in you.

[30:28] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, thanks.

[30:29] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. I full absolute faith, I feel like you would be one of those, like, people that makes it. I would be gone in first wave. First wave. And violated. I'm out of. That's so.

[30:45] BRIANNA COOPER: That's so funny.

[30:46] ALO MENDOZA: I just. I don't know. There's something about it that I'm like, no, maybe not. Living in a world without wifi.

[30:54] BRIANNA COOPER: That's your concern.

[30:56] ALO MENDOZA: How am I gonna watch anything? Anything? What am I gonna do? Sit around a campfire and tell stories?

[31:03] BRIANNA COOPER: It's not as bad as you think.

[31:05] ALO MENDOZA: Oh, no, trust me, I know. We used to visit some family in, like, rural Mexico. Yeah, right. And that's all we used to do.

[31:13] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[31:14] ALO MENDOZA: Sit around campfires. I'm so sorry. Oh, my God.

[31:16] BRIANNA COOPER: I didn't hear things. Okay, you're fine.

[31:20] ALO MENDOZA: We sit around campfires. We sit around campfires. We tell stories. And I remember thinking, like, as a kid, like, this is so cool. Like, I genuinely enjoyed it, but to the point where it has to be, like, a necessity.

[31:32] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[31:33] ALO MENDOZA: I. Like, I tell my grandpa all the time. My grandpa is 92 years old. Okay? He turns 93 this year. First of all, that's insane.

[31:39] BRIANNA COOPER: Congrats to him. Thank you. That's a long time he's been alive.

[31:42] ALO MENDOZA: A long time. And he's like, yeah, no, put the tv on.

[31:46] BRIANNA COOPER: Aww.

[31:47] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. All these stories are great, but sometimes you're just looking for, like, something to take your mind off of it.

[31:54] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah, no, I got you books exists.

[31:56] ALO MENDOZA: And I love to read, baby. I love to read.

[31:59] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah, we know. We know. Okay, so real quick. We met last semester in a women's studies class, and she would come in to every class with a new book or, like, the synopsis of a book that she read.

[32:15] ALO MENDOZA: Mm hmm. Yeah, it's true. It's true. Me and my little books is taking everywhere. I was like a book boy. I just had books.

[32:21] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[32:21] ALO MENDOZA: I was like a little library. I actually, last semester, the only things I carried were a pack of pension and a book. A book. And my notebook. Oh, for, like, notes during class.

[32:31] BRIANNA COOPER: That makes sense.

[32:31] ALO MENDOZA: That's it. I carry my wallet sometimes if I. If that, if that. But also, like, apple pay dink, you.

[32:38] BRIANNA COOPER: Know, lifesaver, because sometimes makes sense.

[32:40] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. Super good. But, yeah, I don't know. I love books, but sometimes you just want a giant picture that's moving to distract you from what's going on with pretty music. Pretty music. Yeah, pretty music. God, I love it. I love.

[32:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Beautiful.

[32:59] ALO MENDOZA: How did we get onto the zombie apocalypse again?

[33:01] BRIANNA COOPER: I really don't know.

[33:03] ALO MENDOZA: How does this always happen to us?

[33:05] BRIANNA COOPER: I don't know. I don't know.

[33:08] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah, I think it was. Oh, I mentioned the running.

[33:11] BRIANNA COOPER: Running.

[33:11] ALO MENDOZA: I mentioned the running.

[33:12] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[33:13] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. You should try it. I really think that. Thank you for the fitness test. It's gotten. It's really, really gotten my endurance up, because for some reason, I'm like, I don't want to get bitten.

[33:22] BRIANNA COOPER: You know what helps? Have you ever heard of the Mario Kart theme song theory?

[33:28] ALO MENDOZA: No.

[33:28] BRIANNA COOPER: Okay, so there's this study theory that, like, when you're studying and you need to get a bunch of work done before, like, your midnight deadline, if you put the Mario Kart like, theme track in the back in the background while you're doing stuff, for some reason, it makes you. It makes you want to do your work and try to finish it fast. And I've. I've tried it, and it works.

[33:52] ALO MENDOZA: I'm gonna try.

[33:52] BRIANNA COOPER: It's really bad because you'll hear, like, the theme song, get faster and faster and faster, and you're like, oh, my gosh. Yeah. I mean, it works, but I don't know how if I'd recommend it, but it works.

[34:03] ALO MENDOZA: I studied to this one song that was, like, a TikTok craze a while ago, where it's like, you play it.

[34:10] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[34:11] ALO MENDOZA: And then I. I studied the first time I listened to it. No shit. I studied, like, 16 hours in a row.

[34:17] BRIANNA COOPER: Wow.

[34:17] ALO MENDOZA: And I memorized that. I got an a on the exam that I had the next day.

[34:22] BRIANNA COOPER: That's impressive.

[34:23] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah, it's. I don't remember what it's called, but it's so. It's. Every time it was there. Yeah. It's like a pavlovian response. Now that I'm like, I have to study.

[34:31] BRIANNA COOPER: Your brain is, like, rewired chemically.

[34:35] ALO MENDOZA: I don't know. I just. I'm gonna try the Mario Kart one, though, because that's fun. It's stressful, but it's fun. I mean, I think Mario Kart is kind of stressful.

[34:43] BRIANNA COOPER: It's stressful, but it's fun.

[34:45] ALO MENDOZA: I'll be honest. I've played once. I've played the once.

[34:48] BRIANNA COOPER: That's not that bad.

[34:49] ALO MENDOZA: And I was the pink one.

[34:54] BRIANNA COOPER: Princess Peach.

[34:54] ALO MENDOZA: That one. I think there's something so interesting about the baby girlification of Princess Peach. Right?

[35:06] BRIANNA COOPER: That's not where I thought this conversation was going.

[35:12] ALO MENDOZA: I don't.

[35:12] BRIANNA COOPER: Listen.

[35:13] ALO MENDOZA: Everything you could have said. Listen, I'm gonna drop that bomb, and I'm just gonna say I think it's super interesting that the Internet has taken these characters and, like, ran with them in their own directions. Like, did you know that there are some people that want Bowser and Luigi to have kids together that.

[35:27] BRIANNA COOPER: No, it didn't.

[35:29] ALO MENDOZA: It exists. And you know how I found out?

[35:31] BRIANNA COOPER: TikTok?

[35:32] ALO MENDOZA: Twitter.

[35:33] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, Twitter's an interesting place.

[35:36] ALO MENDOZA: It was one of those, like, recommended ones. And I was like, first of all, what did I like to get this record? Yeah, no, I think I. Cuz, listen, I played Mario a lot as a kid, but I just never played Mario Kart. The Mario like levels that you create your own. I used to do that for my cousins and I would create, like, little mazes for them. I was a nerd. I still am. It is what it is.

[35:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah.

[35:58] ALO MENDOZA: And it was just like, why does the. Why does the Internet want this dragon and this plumber to get together? There's so many questions. There's no answers. There are no answers. But I have so many questions.

[36:08] BRIANNA COOPER: It's just like the universe, man. There's so many questions, but no answers to anything.

[36:14] ALO MENDOZA: Do you know what's at the center of the universe?

[36:16] BRIANNA COOPER: Me.

[36:17] ALO MENDOZA: You. The Leo. The Leo? Listen, I'm a Gemini, and I'm not even that self centered.

[36:23] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah, but I have a Leo. What do you expect?

[36:25] ALO MENDOZA: You're so right. You know, one of my best friends is Leo.

[36:28] BRIANNA COOPER: I have a lot of fire energy.

[36:29] ALO MENDOZA: That doesn't radiate off. Right now she has the Leo thing tattooed right before. Oh. And when I first met her, I was like, do you have a sperm tattooed behind your ear? Oh, my God. I was like, do you have. First of all, when I first met her, I was flirting with her.

[36:46] BRIANNA COOPER: Oh, yeah.

[36:48] ALO MENDOZA: And I don't know why, but I was like, what is that behind your ear? And I remember, like, and, like, looking, and she was like, it's the Leo. And I was like, that's a sperm.

[36:56] BRIANNA COOPER: Okay. But I don't have a Leo tattoo, so that shows that I have to.

[36:59] ALO MENDOZA: Get a Leo tattoo.

[37:00] BRIANNA COOPER: I know. I want a sun and a moon. Oh, my God. I'm not. At least I'm not getting a lion, actually.

[37:06] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah, that's kind of true. I want to get, um, or like.

[37:08] BRIANNA COOPER: The little, like, astrological, like, that's the sperm. Yeah, that sperm. Maybe.

[37:12] ALO MENDOZA: I'm telling you, I thought it was a sperm.

[37:13] BRIANNA COOPER: Maybe.

[37:14] ALO MENDOZA: I really want to get more tattoos. I want to get so many more tattoos. I only have tattoo right now.

[37:20] BRIANNA COOPER: I only have two.

[37:21] ALO MENDOZA: What? Let's go get a tattoo together.

[37:24] BRIANNA COOPER: Butterfly. I have to think on that one. I have a butterfly, and then I have one on my arm that says, we'll be all right.

[37:31] ALO MENDOZA: I have a carnation on my arm, and then I have a chest tattoo. So that was a wild pain experience. First of all, of going from, like, getting your bicep done to getting your, like, sternum tattooed. Your sternum, stuff like this whole area.

[37:44] BRIANNA COOPER: Sternum, stomach.

[37:45] ALO MENDOZA: I told my tattoo artist, I was like, I think my body's on fire. I'm just like. And she put lidocaine on me. I want to be clear. She was like, yeah, no. Like, I let the lidocaine sit, and, like, for a good 30 minutes, I was great. I was. For a good 30 minutes, I was great. And then there was. She was doing one of the lavender. Yeah, that's, like, on the sternum. She got in there, and I remember thinking, like, why are you pressing so hard? And she's like, I'm literally not. Like, well, I remember I was like, I'm gonna cry now. You keep going.

[38:17] BRIANNA COOPER: That's okay.

[38:18] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. That was insane. How was your. How was your pain level for your tattoo?

[38:22] BRIANNA COOPER: Mmm. Like a three, maybe for both of them.

[38:27] ALO MENDOZA: Extremities are pretty good. Yeah. I do want to get another piercing soon, though. That's piercing. I have to go get a nose piercing with my friend Meg.

[38:35] BRIANNA COOPER: You should.

[38:36] ALO MENDOZA: We actually met this really good idea. Broista at Dutch Bros. That wants to go get a broista.

[38:41] BRIANNA COOPER: That is the worst term I've ever heard in my life.

[38:43] ALO MENDOZA: I didn't come up with it. Blame dutch bros. But I remember telling them that they had cool nose piercing, and they were like, yeah, I want to get the other wood piercing. I was like, let's go. Let's go together. So I guess we're gonna go. I guess we're gonna go get our nose pierced and tattoos after this and tattoos after that. That's a vibe. Yeah. I think that's really cool.

[39:01] BRIANNA COOPER: That is. Well, Evandra, this is a great conversation.

[39:05] ALO MENDOZA: Thanks for spending time with me. Like, I had a blast. Yeah. I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever. Wow.

[39:09] BRIANNA COOPER: It's been, like, we've learned. It's been, like, five weeks.

[39:12] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah. I feel like we've learned so much more. More about one another.

[39:16] BRIANNA COOPER: Yeah. We're just connected like that.

[39:18] ALO MENDOZA: You know? I actually want to ask you something very important.

[39:20] BRIANNA COOPER: No, absolutely. Just fake proposed to me.

[39:27] ALO MENDOZA: You don't want to get married?

[39:28] BRIANNA COOPER: No.

[39:30] ALO MENDOZA: For the Fafsa?

[39:31] BRIANNA COOPER: No, not for the.

[39:32] ALO MENDOZA: And also because we're deeply in love with one another. Absolutely not. I'm also joking.

[39:37] BRIANNA COOPER: I get up, I leave I walk the door.

[39:41] ALO MENDOZA: Well, this is great. You're welcome. At least you can say that you've been proposed to now. Yeah. You can tell people that you were proposed to on air.

[39:50] BRIANNA COOPER: Wow. Yeah.

[39:52] ALO MENDOZA: Who else can say that, right?

[39:53] BRIANNA COOPER: I don't know.

[39:54] ALO MENDOZA: I brought this ring with the sole purpose of proposing to you today. Yeah. You're welcome.

[39:57] BRIANNA COOPER: Thank you.

[39:58] ALO MENDOZA: I wanted to give you, I wanted to give you good memories of today.

[40:02] BRIANNA COOPER: But today was great. This conversation was very informative.

[40:06] ALO MENDOZA: We've done, we've talked about a lot.

[40:08] BRIANNA COOPER: Did a lot.

[40:08] ALO MENDOZA: We did. We started with COVID and ended with tattoos. Beautiful and piercing.

[40:13] BRIANNA COOPER: That's just the way it goes.

[40:14] ALO MENDOZA: I feel like that's so slay. Thanks for talking with us.

[40:18] BRIANNA COOPER: Thank you. I appreciate it.

[40:20] ALO MENDOZA: Yeah.