"Hennessy Tastes Like Liquid Pennies” and Other Topics Black People Aren’t Ready For

In my opinion, one of the strengths of the African American community is our ability to enhance just about anything. Black people have long been the tastemakers and final selectors of what’s trending and “hot” in fashion, music, pop culture, sports, and the list goes on. And, when it comes to social media banter, we’ve also snagged the No. 1 spot there (they don’t call it Black Twitter for nothing!).

Since Black people have continuously enhanced social media platforms, it’s understandable why one TikTok user took to the platform to highlight the “tough” conversations Black people refuse to have with one another. The TikToker’s list was incredibly hilarious, and several valid points were made.

One of the ways Black people worldwide connect is through pop culture. Unfortunately, even today, there still isn’t enough Black representation on television and in the media, thus causing Black audiences to dissect current projects.

In September 2023, a TikTok user named Gina (@chasinggina) posted a stitch TikTok from another user. The video began with the other user saying, “Conversations Black people aren’t ready to have, number one.”

The stitch then turns to Gina, who is resting in a chair while she gives her audience some of the “conversations” she’d love to have with someone. While there are many conversations the Black community has a hard time discussing, such as mental health and being Black and in the LGBTQIA community, Gina chose to keep her 46-second TikTok pretty tame yet equally entertaining.

The first “conversation” Gina opens with is, “OJ Simpson did it.” Once I realized we were going THERE, I continued watching the video to see what other hot takes she had for the audience. Gina certainly didn’t disappoint, adding more controversial conversations that needed discussion.

“Hennessy. Nasty as f---,” Gina stressed in her video. “I've never tasted pennies before, but I'm almost positive Hennessy tastes like liquid pennies.”

OK, fair sis. Hennessy definitely has an acquired taste that is usually masked by the fact a few sips will have you feeling warm and fuzzy in no time. Gina adds harsh “truths” like “Pam looked better than Gina,” referencing actors Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell’s iconic Martin characters.

The TikToker also pointed out that “if Baby Boy came out today, it would be a Tubi original” and that Larry “Jazz” Anthony of the popular '90s group Dru Hill could’ve been the band’s lead singer had he not been “overweight” which was honestly shade to Jazz and Dru Hill’s real lead singer Sisqo.

Gina then ended her video with a nod to Soul Food, stating that the eldest sister in the movie, Terri, played by Vanessa Williams, was far from “the real villain” of the family.

“Terry wasn't the villain in that movie Soul Food,” Gina said. “Her toxic a-- family was.”

Surprisingly, I agreed with all of Gina’s tough conversations Black people don’t want to have. I also think she could’ve kept going with more takes, like how it was Joan, not Toni, who was the villain in Girlfriends, and that the first Sister Act is better than Sister Act II: Back in the Habit. I said what I said!

Underneath her video, Gina received multiple comments from TikTok users who also felt she made many valid points. Several users agreed that Hennessy does taste a little like loose change, while others argued against Gina’s OJ statement.

“We gonna leave OJ outta this,” one commenter wrote, and another replied, “Nah.”