Desus & Mero and Abbott Elementary's Janelle James Launch a Non-Motivational Hotline

Abbott Elementary may be over for the summer, but Janelle James can't quite get Principal Ava out of her system. On Thursday's episode of Desus & Mero, James helped the late night hosts launch the "Keep It 100 Hotline" by recruiting New York City school children to record discouraging messages. As the kids reminded callers that they "do look bad in that Instagram picture" and "smell really sad," the Abbott Elementary star gave them helpful pointers from her experience playing the ultimate roast master (and Step Master). Ava would be proud.

New episodes of Desus & Mero air Thursdays at 11:00 PM ET on Showtime.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.