"Sora & Riku" (w/ Matt & Bowen)

Quit making out in the back of that Uber, you menace! It's a new ep of Las Cultch with your hosts, those bedroom starfish you know and love, Matt & Bowen! They're here to talk Selena Gomez unlocking something with her new tunes, Joan Baez's impact on culture, and Final Fantasy. Name another podcast that's gonna give you that topic trifecta, as well as a Nyad discourse? You can't! All this, Pedro Pascal, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Wendy Williams and, finally, Normani (kinda).

Bonus episodes are available early for subscribers to Big Money Players Diamond on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/lasculturistas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Look mare, Oh, I see you my own look over
there is that culture?

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yes, wow, lost cult.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Dat lost Culturista calling.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
We are bathed in the morning light.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
We've been doing this series of Morning Time on Tuesday
mornings to get you that episode fresh on Wednesday with
all the latest hippis cutting edge culture that you deserve, Readers.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Did you ever catch those commercials for that store Tuesday
Morning that Lauren Boocall would do, like a somewhat older
Lauren book call. This is after high Point Coffee, high
Point Coffee, way after high Point Coffee, so after she
was already a commercial icon. Absolutely, My favorite time of
day is night. What is it about the high Point

(00:55):
Coffee commercials. It's just that she's like delivering with such
vim gusto, gusto. Yeah, it's coffee, but there's no caffeine
in it. High Point is just decaf right.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
To be honest with you, I don't know much about
high Point, and you know that I learned about this
commercial on this podcast. Yes, on Greta Titleman's first episode.
I didn't even know about this, and then it was
a culture untold, which is the culture most alluring type
of culture.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh, is that potential early title of EP contender culture untold.
Let me just do a quick google. Yes, Tuesday Morning.
She's in the back of the limo with her dog
in her lap sometimes, or she's just sitting on a
couch just being like, that's.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Why I go to Tuesday Morning. See what you're getting
exactly as advertised with MS Mama. You know she shows up,
Miss Lauren Becall is going to give you grand dom
in the cleanest, most official sense.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yes. I think she is the model for grand dom
in a lot of ways. And we need to actually
broaden our scope sometimes when it comes to culture. I
think if you listen to this podcast RINOs Katie's Publicist Finalists,
you know that our point of view is as very
specifically gay millennials, we're not going to know too much

(02:19):
about stuff before and we're not going to know now.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
That's not necessarily true, because sometimes you whip out some
facts and I'm going to pat myself on the back
enough to say, sometimes I whip out some facts from
yester year. Yes, yes, yes, don't patch the ball onto me, honey,
you're at one half of culture is what's your favorite
fact of yesteryear?

Speaker 2 (02:40):
What is your favorite cultural fact of yesteryear. Go on, Well,
I'm on the spot now. My favorite cultural fact of yesteryear.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yes, of any fact, well, this is.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I'm still obsessed with this whole thing. Speaking of Lord,
but called slid Keith discovered her. I think, are you
still watching food? Is this something you really put into
act as per your research? No longer. I was mostly
motivated to consume as much Truman Componi material as possible
with the hopes that I would get to do him
on weekend. Yeah, that was all now, and I'm being

(03:14):
transparent about it. And now I don't think I'll keep
watching that show, even though I really commend.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, honestly, you have seen more than enough, clearly because
you bodied Truman. You really embodied embodied.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Thank you, girl.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
I just wish I was there to play Slim to
destroy me. No, I would have been an excellent babe,
like just shaking in a corner like Naomi watsing all
over the place.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
I do love Naomi in that show, you do. I'm
very happy to see Naomi back in action, weren't you.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well, she never really left, you know. I just think
the thing with Darling May is she often picks a
project that's like Darling Ney. Why this Like remember her
Netflix sheild like a sexy thriller on Netflix, which, by
the way, I tried to watch me a oh my gosh,
and it was unreal. It's just how boring it is.

(04:06):
But there's a show on Netflix that fully starred Naomi
Wats and Billy crud.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Up, the two most beautiful people in the world.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Gypsy. Gypsy is what it was called, okay? Gypsy was
an American drama thriller series created by Lisa Rubin for Netflix.
Naomi Watts stars as Gene Holloway, a psychologist who secretly
infiltrates the private lives of her patients. Yeah, so I
think the way she this psychologist is like a kooky lady.
The way she thinks she can help her patients is
by like getting in their lives.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Of all good things with the name entitled Gypsy, which
we can't even get into, just like the weirdness we've
just accepted.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Gypsy is this like name of things? You know what
I mean of one hundred percent? And you know what
else I'm reading in this Wikipedia Stevie Nicks re recorded
an acoustic version of her fell Gypsy just serves the
show's theme song.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
I'm sure didn't deserve that.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
Not only is this using the word gypsy, it's got
Stevie back in the booth for one season.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
But to reconfigure one of her best songs for the
show that I guess no one remembers. That's really sad
to me. And I don't know if all the things
named gypsy, that's you have to come in with the strongness,
the strength if you're gonna have a title gypsy.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Wait, you did this come out in? This came out recently?
This was twenty seventeen. Oh okay, well like eight years ago.
I guess that's wow? Is that not recent? Seven years ago? Seventeen?
Twenty eighteen is a tough era for me. Viv deciding
if that was just recently?

Speaker 2 (05:43):
I love your silent s's on viz a V.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Is it not supposed to be Viv? It should be
Visa V.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
You can say it?

Speaker 1 (05:50):
He re won well who says the French In the
words of Selena Gomez, who says, yeah, have you heard
Selena's new song love on not Wait?

Speaker 3 (06:03):
Wait?

Speaker 1 (06:04):
It's crazy? She and I really do share a brain.
I think like that's the song I would write. Really, really,
why are making for soon over this steak tartar when
we could be That's one of the lines. Wait, hold on,
I want to read the lyrics to you because you're
gonna love this love on lyrics. Okay, ready, Yeah, Why

(06:25):
are we conversing over this steak tartar when we could
be somewhere other than here making out in the back
of a car, or in the back of a bar,
or we can make a memoir. Yeah, on the back
wall of the last stall in the bathroom at the Bizarre.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
The Bizarre has the bathroom with stalls. I don't know
about that. I don't think The Bizarre has plumbing.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
I know about it. Honestly, these are lyrics. I very
rarely listen to people who cannot sing. I listened to singers,
and I listened to writers, and we love Selena. She
continues to release songs.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
I'm sorry, I sometimes would rather be conversing over steak
tartar with someone instead of making it with him in
the back of a car. It depends on you made
out with someone in the back of a car.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
Wow, that's a really good question. And I never was
one of those people that liked making out in ubers
like it actually really makes me feel very uncomfortable for
the driver me too. I don't like when people act
in a manner that would suggest that person that's driving
us isn't there, because it's just simply not true. Like,

(07:36):
and you're in their car, you're in their space, they're
providing a service for you that like, you know, you're
getting their car dirty, their office dirty. Well, I don't
get things dirty around me when I make out in them.
I don't really know a big pen over here.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
I just mean like, you're being a little floppy and
it's beautiful. I'm not saying there's anything gross about two
people that kissing.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
I think there is sometimes some times. Yeah, you ever
see people kissing, you're likew.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Iw oh, wait, I can answer this question. I had
a recent thing where it was and I wasn't proud
of this, and I kind of felt pressured into it.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
What making out in the back of a car.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yes, and I'm not saying this was like probably nothing
was violatory, but it was.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
So.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Kyle Muna used to have this stretch Limo that would
come and that would be his car after every.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
Show I've heard of the legend of this.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, at the Christmas show, I think for some reason,
like it's been a couple of seasons since Kyle's been
on and the Stretch Limo has been sort of out
of rotation. But for some reason, at the Christmas show
this year, the Stretch Lomo showed up again and then
our lovely transport coordinator after the show is like, bo,
you want the limo tonight? I was like, I was
with Jared and our friend and it was basically like

(08:53):
we were like, let's take the limo and it was
such a funny vibe. And then on the way home,
Aron took his own car home. Then I had someone
who lived by me, someone kind of glombed onto the
limo because they were like, I live by you. Can
I hit you right? I was like, yes, I have
a stretch Limo please. And then one thing led to another,

(09:14):
and then on the way back, like it was driver,
roll up the partition please, which we'll get back to
because the year is twenty thirteen, huh, And then like
things started happening and I was like, wait, this feels crazy,
and not even in like a fun, sexy, dangerous way.
Like things happened in the back of the limo and
I was like it was fun I don't feel icky

(09:36):
or bad or anything, but I was thinking about the driver.

Speaker 1 (09:38):
But you just know that someone was on the other
side of the partition, please, and that made you feel.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Self conscious a little bit.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, I think that's totally fair, right. I mean, look,
I just know, well one time I was told by
an uber river one time, no romance, and that made
me feel well. First of all, I never forgot that
he said no romance in the back seat because then
I picture what I was doing in the back seat
is like being so Rachel, so Rachel McAdams, Like I

(10:06):
pictured myself like making out with whoever the fuck that was,
just like looking so stunning, like my auburn locks, like
in my hair like I've just burned my hair askew
like but still in my eyes. You see the star quality,
you know what I mean, Like very Rachel McAdams. It's
the poster for the Val that movie, The Vaal And
just like a couple buttons like unbuttoned, like a tousled really,

(10:29):
you know what I mean, like me just like sort
of like in the back room of a bizarre like
sort of just like being very sexy, and you know,
just guys like being a sort of like unable to
resist me, and then I think about this guy no romance,
I'm like, oh shit. And ever since then, I've not

(10:50):
been able to really connect to that part of me
that is tousled Rachel McAdams in the back room of
a bizarre I just haven't been able to connect to
her and she lives inside me except through Selena obviously.
Well thank god for Selena and her most recent releases, really,
because I don't think I can ever feel sexy and
flirty again. Until Selena Gomes released these songs, something broke

(11:10):
inside me. And only until recently when I heard Selena
coole these songs have I been ready to really tackle
the world again. And her releases well do you.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
By the way, I just want to quickly shout out
to James Anderson, famous legendary SNL writer known for his
insane names for characters.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
One of my favorites is a fictional name.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
Rohnda Releasings and the last name of releases Releasings as
the last name. If your last name is releas Things,
that's incredible. How did you come up with that? But
also I think one way to heal if Bilena had
not come out with these releases. One way you could
have healed was if you had romance to the driver

(11:53):
at some point, and you still can't.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
I've never been able to pull that off either. I've
never had this thing where like me got last night,
so like that's never people would people talk like this happens.
I can't believe people do that.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
They're in a pornography.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
These people need to get their heads out of the
clouds and their bodies out of pornographic films period period.
Have you ever ever ever felt like you've been in
a situation where you could take it to the next
level with any driver or deliberty person or someone you encounter.
In a situation like that, I would feel just beside
myself with worry that this would go left. Yeah, there's

(12:33):
always the potential.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
I guess you and I are pretty like, Oh yes,
Anna producer Anna is bringing up a great recent pop
culture sort of bit which is sutten on Beverly Hills.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
She hooked up with her She made up with her driver.
But that's like her driver that drivers are all the time.
Like some of these people out here will really say
things like, oh yeah, I really got into it last
night with my Uber driver, and I'm like, huh, if
you looked up with an uber driver, I want to
know about it.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
I want to know the play by play, like how
like what how did it build up?

Speaker 1 (13:08):
What was the aftercare? I would just my thing is
just like I would always feel like it was. I
guess it would be too inappropriate to be sexy for
me right on the outset. Like one time, years ago,
years ago, an uber driver asked me repeatedly if I
liked sex, and I felt like it was awful and

(13:29):
a violation from the second he started talking, so I
couldn't even engage in whether or not he was attractive
or not, Like that was not computing for me. It
was like I had an opening with an uber driver
one time, and I was just like, h fixated on
the fact that it was my Uber driver, you know
what I mean. I was like, just get me to
and fro. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
Some people can maybe transcend the transaction of it all
or they like that, which I love. We're not here
to shame that.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
If it's get your nut off wherever in the back
of a bizar, in the back of a car, wherever
Selena Gomez could rhyme, I want you to fuck there
if you feel empowered to do it.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
I couldn't even do it in a stall, to be honest,
speaking of Selena.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Because not for nothing, but I'm not great at having
sex standing up right, Let's just say it's not my angle.
I want some cushioning, that's all. Yeah. Are we proud
members of the starfish community.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
I am a huge starfish. Although I'm known to move,
I'm known to to get a little spry, but I
love starfishing absolutely.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
I don't think anyone here, meaning the two of us,
doesn't love starfishing. I mean, like, I think you'd be
lying to say you didn't enjoy a little starfish action
now and then. But sometimes, you know, it depends on
who I am that night, what persona I am sort
of putting on, because sexually I can be so many

(14:54):
different people. I really can.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
So it sounds like your driver could have really known
it all this. It's a simple question. Really, it's a
simple question. Really do you like sex? Will do you?
What is that?

Speaker 1 (15:07):
From?

Speaker 2 (15:07):
You?

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Absolute menace? I don't know you are a menace. What
do you mean you are? You have a menace? You
are a mini I have known this, but I don't
know about this. I am leaning into trickster energy.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
I want to be.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
I don't know what your vibe is today, but you
got on the zoom and you've been a menace all morning.
I have done nothing of this sort. Are you returning
to your improv roots. I'm returning to my improv roots.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson are doing Bellhouse improv shows,
three prop shows. It's the two of them plus the
guest every month. I'm sure you're gonna do one with them.
Sometimes No, because I think that, well, we'll talk about that.
I have the same hang ups about improv, like it's
so funny. It's like it was my first love and
now it's like truly an ex I've forgotten about for

(15:55):
years on purpose.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
Yeah, and it's like if the next if you saw again,
you'd be like, oh, like it would be like a
whole thing. I saw improv against tonight that was so weird.
It really brought me back so weird.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Improv like is jogging and looks really healthy but not good.
Does that make sense?

Speaker 1 (16:14):
The thing about you though, with improv is you had
like a long term relationship with improv, and I think
you guys broke up in a way that was very healthy,
and like you agreed that the relationship was good for you.
Me and Improv like had bad sex five times and
just kept trying. And now it's like we see each
other and it's just like hey, and I just feel
like I'm such a better different version I was when

(16:36):
I was having sex with Improv and it didn't go
well that I almost feel like I feel like I
have something to prove to Improv, but like I don't,
like I've done so many other sexual activities with so
many other like artistic outlets, and like I feel like
I've really had like fulfilling relationships outside of Improv. But
there's something about, like I do want to fuck improv

(16:57):
and like have it be mind blowing. That's what it's about.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
Improv is not that good at improvably. I think what
happened stuck too many fingers in you.

Speaker 1 (17:08):
At the same time, I think I my problem was
I said too many fingers were okay, And that's the
disability I'm going to take. The accountable I'm gonna take
is I knew I couldn't handle three fingers in my
hole from improv at nineteen years old. I should have
known that but I think this is what happened.

Speaker 3 (17:27):
Matt.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
You said three fingers, three fingers, and then improv went
four flat karate chop hand inside, and you would.

Speaker 1 (17:37):
See, I have to tell you something. I wish that
that were true, But improv never tried to take it
too far with me. I said I was ready for
something that I wasn't just stepping outside of this. Do
you remember early early early sexual experience.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
You're about to say where, like where you where you're wait?

Speaker 3 (17:55):
Where?

Speaker 1 (17:55):
What did you say?

Speaker 2 (17:56):
I thought you were going to bring up a specific
improv group that we were in for like two seconds?

Speaker 1 (18:01):
No, I'm actually I'm sort of floating away from the improv.
Well le's we gotta float away from it. But you
can see Bowen to improv with Josh and Aaron next
month March eighteenth at the Bell House. Two shows.

Speaker 2 (18:13):
They're both sold out. A calm, there should be standby experience.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
Stay in line if you're in line for Bowen Yang
and Josh and Aaron. Stay in line. If you get
in line now, they will let you in. That will
be pathetic. Eaddn't what were you gonna say? Oh? Sexually?
Like you remember like being like eighteen nineteen years old,
like whatever it was that you had your first sexual experiences.
I'm assuming that was around that time, right, same as me. Yeah,
and just remember being like yeah, put it in yeah,

(18:38):
like without knowing what the fuck that was gonna feel like,
and then feeling what that felt like the first time,
and you're like, I remember the screaming I did, like
a little bandsheet. It should be so much easier than
it is.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
There is just to at least in the time that
we were growing up. There's too many unknowns, too much.
There is this YouTuber now who God lessons.

Speaker 1 (19:08):
I hope he does what I think he does, which
just like teaches people how to have anal sex.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
He teaches Okay, it's the Bottoms Digest. It's a YouTube
channel called the Bottoms Digest. It's this wonderful person double entendre.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
Right.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
It's very fun, right, very clever, and he just like
does these great videos about like how to wash your
douche bulbs, like how to avoid hemorrhoids, how to take
big dicks, like yeah, and it's really educational and informed.
And I can't seem to find his name, but he's
this really wonderful person and every video he's like how

(19:42):
could you possibly have known this? The education on this
is nonexistent. Don't feel bad about not knowing this. I'm
gonna tell you. And like this is exactly what like
any kind of queer sex is, specifically like anal sex
with a pani. Like it's not that it's like wrong

(20:04):
or bad or crazy, it's just that like we don't
know how to go about it.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
Yeah, you need instructions on how to do it at all,
do it successfully, do it enjoyably, you know what I mean?
Like there needs to be a roadmap when it comes
to this type of thing. And I remember, like when
I was first having sex or trying to have sex,
I felt like I made like two or three attempts,
and because it was so painful and I just couldn't

(20:30):
see like a path forward to me enjoying it, I
kind of just stopped. I kind of just stopped trying.
And I you know, I make a joke now, like
I used to frot all around New York City, but
I really was humping everything in sight. I was the
frat king because you know, I was sort of a
side icon. I was just like you could not put
it in me, you could not do it, and it's

(20:52):
a shame because those were our prime year those were
our prime years. Enough for nothing. I'm proud of what
I have now. But I had like a rock and
like huge, like twink ass when I was like in
my early twenties that I really wish I could have
blown the city away with.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
I don't think it went anywhere. I think you can why.

Speaker 1 (21:13):
Looking at my butt? I I'm not lucky. God do
you want to blow through the city.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
I think that ass can still.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
Godzilla can still boh damage. You can't look at my butt.
It's not for you, no hands.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Off, It's for society. Can I just quickly? I just
want to share this. I really wanted to share this
on the podcast. I was really lucky to be asked

(21:53):
to be part of this benefit concert that Philip Glass
does every year, and it.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Was just really special.

Speaker 2 (22:02):
Every year he has on these wonderful musical performances that
support to Beethouse US and it's just all about like
anti war and pacifism and it's all about just like
coming together. It's all these things that like I've gotten
so jaden on but just with the way that news

(22:23):
has been lately, I forgot that, like this was always
there that this is like a network that has existed
and is trying to like make things good in a
very humanist way. And Joan Baez was there, and yeah, you.

Speaker 1 (22:38):
Got a picture with Johan Bayez.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
I just got to dance backstage with her, I got
to talk to her, I just got to like soak
in her energy. She is eighty three years old. She
has a vibrancy and a youthfulness and just the energy
is incredible. This woman is like so just a completely
sharp and serene and so like alive and it's just

(23:03):
like cracking jokes with me and like she just this
woman is in her damn thirties. It seems like energetically
not that like the number really matters, but like this
is someone who has seen a lot of life and
a lot of tragedy and a lot of hardship and
has seen her friends get arrested for like protesting wars
and has seen MLK like up close and personal and

(23:27):
has had to suffer through that loss and just these
different movements kind of coming and going, but she has
been so steadfast and wavering in all of them. And
she is an incredible musician on top of that. And
you know it was her. It was Laurie Anderson, who
is this like legendary performance artist basically like invented the

(23:50):
votecoder as far as I'm concerned, not really, but like
her and that French guy anyway. But it was Laurie
running this with Philip. Matthew Rogers was there. I saw
Maya Hawk, Christian Lee Hudson, just an incredible energy of
just amazing artists. And then Philip Glass himself showed up

(24:10):
just like taking it all in. He is he doesn't
play the piano anymore, but I think he still just
like understands that, like he created this thing that his
work stands for this and Hal Wilner used to read
Alan Ginsburg poetry. They've had like Colbert read it, like
Keanu Reeves. Wead all these random people now me among them,

(24:31):
random guys reading this Alan Ginsburg poem and Carnegie Hall
it stirn auditoriums really spad. It was at night I'll
never forget, and it just it came off of the
heels of like a really weird couple months at work,
I'll say, And it was just very life affirming in
a way that I need.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yeah, it sounds very fortifying. Yeah, that's really really really nice.
I'm happy you got to have that experience. I'm like,
that is it's really important. I think in like such
a in a goal time, I'm incredible to be around
people that are still pushing forward and still singing the
same song as the words they have been for decades,
which is, you know, one of peace and you know

(25:12):
that that actually there's like a group of people which
is the focus is the positive and how to move
forward and how to move out of a time of
violence and anger, and it's just really beautiful.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
We all literally sang the same song that they have
been for decades, which was we all sang we shall overcome.
At the end, Joan Baiez like leading the audience of
thousands to saying we shall overcome. And I was like,
I can't believe. And I like thanked her afterwards. I
was like I never thought that would happen. I'm so honored,
blah blah blah blah blah. And then Joan says this

(25:45):
thing now we're like I think she was on Colbert
the past year where Colbert was asking her like what
did you make of things happening now? Like how do
we get through this time and she's like, you know,
like everyone now says, oh, I wish I could have
been part of the sixties or all these different movements,
because you guys had all the music and the politics

(26:06):
were you know, very specific and tense, and it all
paired together nicely with that. But she goes, what we
had back then was the glue, and what we're missing
now is the glue that the sense that we can
all do this thing together.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
And I don't think we have that. And I think
but for a.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Fleeting moment you can see it sort of like within
reach on a night like last night, and it was
just a huge honor. So I was very grateful to
be a part of that. I mean, Joan Biez is finalist,
you know.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, I was just thinking to myself, like what if
she was, like by the way I identify as a finalist.
I used to like her podcast, but I don't like
it anymore.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
You guys are too filtered now.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
Yeah. No, I was just thinking like her talking about like,
you know, there used to be like an assurance in
the sixties that there was this glue, and you know,
wondering if we still have it now. I think we
do have it now in that like, you guys could
all gather at that event last night and like have
such an almost unspoken common purpose and you really all
know why you're there. I think that that is still there,

(27:11):
like it's always been there. There are people that want
to see change and positive change. But I do think
that there are so many pockets of distraction now and
so many ways in which we can get discouraged because
of the Internet and because of the way that media
thrives now, which is in that push and pull in

(27:31):
between pessimism and optimism, between like I guess like conservative
and progressive. It just feels like there's so much tug
of war going on that it can feel really distracting.
But I think even the fact that you guys were
able to gather last night and we still can like
think about, you know, the hope that we felt, you know,
generation to generation when it comes to these songs, when
it comes to these people, when it comes to these

(27:52):
ideas that obviously, like you can't leave a night last
night and think, well, hope is lost because you literally
were a part of it in the moment, And I
think that's the one thing that maybe is something to
pull from that is to not get distracted because there
are like minded people with the goal of peace, and
that is going to be something I think that's really

(28:13):
important to hold dear and remember as we move forward
into you know, potential darker times in darker months, which
I've really as of late, I feel like I've been
trying to wrap my head around the fact that they
might you know, rear their ugly head again.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yeah, I think I really want to move forward with
that mindset and also quickly want to talk about say it.

Speaker 1 (28:40):
A big video game release. Oh yes, I thought you
were going to mention something else, but this, I know,
this is huge culture. What did you think I was
going to say? I just wanted to say shout out
to Adie Bryan for her Independent Spirits Awards hosting. That
was so good when you said to Natalie Boorman that
you were going to start roasting the crowd. Hey Natalie,
you stupid bitch.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Immediately something in that moment, something like field in the culture.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, because we saw an award show hosted by a
funny purse.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
With the help of funny people Cudie Green, Frank Gillespie,
Peach Duck pattent Celestian.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
You already know the casts and crew. I mean, that
is the job done perfectly.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, you know what I mean. And like the later
bits were great too. They did like a Q and
A thing or was that in the top it or
is that later on? I may have only seen the monologue.
Oh they did a whole like host and they're like,
you know, so like a lot of you guys are
indie filmmakers, you guys understand a weird part of promoting
your film or screeting your film is the audience Q
and A after, So let's just do some of that.
And then it was like different people coming up and

(29:47):
then Farrell at the end, our boss, no less, our boss,
my boss twice though, your boss twice. Farrell coming up
and being like eighty, I love the swag bags for
this show. Look at this and he brings them like
a giant purse and he's like, I've got like little
men's I've got like some used contact lenses.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
I've got like someone's sunglasses. And she's like, no, no, no,
that's my that's my purse. Will like, that's just very.
It's my first.

Speaker 2 (30:11):
It's very.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
That is eighty. Good job. Bring back Dumb, Bring back
comedy comedy. Yeah, she was great, But talk about your
big video game release, because I know this one has
been tickling your fancy.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
Well, we connected over this on FaceTime the other day.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
We did.

Speaker 2 (30:29):
We did of Lauren Alred.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
Yes, who has been slaying america'scott talent. I guess, so
this is the backstory. So Lauren Allred is the singer
of never Enough. The gays know this because this became
like a moment, a whole moment. You may have danced
to the club version, or you may just have gotten
wrapped up in the power of never Enough from The

(30:52):
Greatest Showman in the film, which I know I certainly did.
When I saw this movie years ago with Sudi Green.
We were so high in Times Square Eagle watching Greatest
Showman and never Enough was happening, and I turned to
Suny and I was like, this is the best song
of all time, and she was like, you are so stupid.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
You might have also familiarized yourself with the club remix
of this song that was playing when two circuit queens
were fighting each other in Mikinos. I think in twenty
fifteen sixteen.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
This song has a place in the culture, and stay tuned,
stay tuned because it might be a nominee for Record
of the Year. Are you serious? We have not discussed this.
Oh my god, you are crazy. The cat might have
gotten out of the bag there, but it might be
a front runner for Record of the Year that and

(31:43):
single soon.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
Oh my god, I'm sorry, And I said twenty fifteen,
twenty sixteen. Greatest Shoman came out twenty seventeen, so I
just want to correct.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
That that year. We're not sure as long as ime
ago or not.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
You are nuts.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
Okay, I'm not for that one girl, But what I'm
saying is that this song was sung Lauren already. So
now flash forward years later. She never really gets the
credit because Rebecca Ferguson lip sync for her life in
the film.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
And she did make it seem like she's saying it.

Speaker 1 (32:08):
She Rebecca Ferguson, great actor, and I had no qualms
about that lipsyn performance because it was from the heart.
It seemed like mama was the singer, and she was
in that gorgeous dress, that gown, no notes, no notes,
but she was not singing like the rest of the cast.
Lauren Alrup was singing years past. Now she's on America's
Got talent slay ying like best singer alive vibes. And

(32:34):
then I bring this to the attention of my sister
and he says to me this information.

Speaker 2 (32:40):
That she sings the new Final Fantasy Sevin Rebirth theme
song that Eric sings. When I guess she is in
a very greatest showman like setup, like never Enough setup,
where she's just kind of on a stage in a
white dress, like belting her tips off.

Speaker 1 (32:59):
How's this?

Speaker 2 (33:00):
It's okay, It's okay, okay. Final Fantasy has a very
queer slash gay circuit girl slash La fag West Hollywood
slash Chelsea Hell's kitchen sensibility when it comes to We've
talked about this before, how Leona Lewis sang the song
for Final Fantasy thirteen. Yeah, and fey wong to Final

(33:24):
Fantasy eight. That's a pretty gay girl or girl for
the gays, and it's just a pretty queer I think
they've really leaned in. Maybe they've always known. Maybe I'm
just kind of catching up to this like very intentional
thing that this very weird, kooky video game series has
like stuck to for many decades now.

Speaker 1 (33:42):
Final Fantasy and James Cameron have always known what the
faggots want, and that's actually where the colts are number
forty nine. Final Fantasy and James Cameron have always known
the fact baggots want Leona Lewis in both of those franchises.
Oh my god, all I'm saying is Leona Lewis. The
only thing that was wrong with uh see you is

(34:04):
that she wasn't blue while she was saying it. She
should have been an avatar like look in through the
Dream so I know every word too. She should have
been blue as hell, then it would have been better.
Should have been blue as hell. Does Lauren already appear
in the video games singing?

Speaker 2 (34:20):
She does not appear in the video games singing the
Rebecca Ferguson and this is many many people's first girlfriends,
Eric Gainsborough. So she is this, Matt, Oh my god,
you would be obsessed with er. She is the last
of the ancients.

Speaker 1 (34:36):
What come again?

Speaker 2 (34:37):
So basically I want a quickly summarized Final Fantasy seven
for people who aren't aware this game comes out in
nineteen ninety seven. Okay, just think about that big year,
big cultural year, huge cultural year. But the game basically
takes place in like a dystopian cyberpunk fantasy world. You
start off in a city called Midgar and it is

(35:00):
run by a corporation. The government is the corporation. Is
this like fascist nineteen eighty four vibes, Well, it's They're
called Shinra and they're an electricity company. And what they
do is they take energy from the planet. They basically
suck the life force from the planet into maco energy
and that's how they make their money and that's how

(35:21):
they run things. Is cracking, well, it's destroying the it's
fracking its oil, it's all these things. It's like sucking
the life out of the planet. And you play cloud Strife,
a mercenary who is working with an eco terrorist organization
called Avalanche. It like it makes a case for like
eco terrorism being the only way forward. And but Final

(35:43):
Fantasy seven was doing this in ninety seven, where you
basically play this mercenary and then after you blow up
one of the reactors, you meet Erith, this girl who
is the last of the ancient. She sells flowers in
the street. What she lives in an abandoned church.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
Who plays her in a movie?

Speaker 2 (36:02):
Here are the people who have played her so far. Okay,
you're gonna fucking lose your mind.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
I can't wait too.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
The girl who's playing her now is a wonderful voice actor.
But in Kingdom Hearts, when they first gave voice to
these people, Erth was voiced in Kingdom Hearts IWO. She's
voiced by Mina Suvari dag terribly. I might add, I'm sorry,
Mina Subari, we love you, but you were not a
going to Erath. Okay, I just have to say that.

(36:30):
But Kingdom Hearts won, and this was the perfect voice acting.
And I do want to ask her about this when
she is on the pod. Mandy Moore, you better shut
the fuck up. Mandy Moore was I was gonna say
that as a joke. No, it was her. Look up.
Kingdom Hearts won, Mandy Moore, Eirath.

Speaker 1 (36:46):
Why didn't she return? We have to ask her.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
I don't know, we have to ask her. But then
so basically she is this like Serene just pressed. She
like heels you back to life. But she's like funny
and cue she flirts with the She's like, don't flive
with me. I have a boyfriend.

Speaker 1 (37:02):
You know. The front runner for title of that for
Mandy Moore's episode is the last of the Ancients, the last.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
Andy Moore is Oh my god, I totally didn't even
mention that.

Speaker 1 (37:13):
Last week, like I call okay. And then the person
who voiced the villain in the I want to be him,
Oh my god, separo Kingdom Hearts one Lance Bass whoa Okay,
So it's possible for me.

Speaker 2 (37:30):
Absolutely, this is the thing, so square Enix, this is
so Kingdom Hearts is I know, Disney Final Fantasy, Final
Fantasy like casting Hayden Pannetier Britney Snow Jesse, Oh my god,
what's that guy's Oh my god, I love him and
I want it in the pretty face and I want
Jesse McCartney plays Roxis Hailey, Jolasmer plays Sore like the

(37:51):
voice cast is stacked and also gay yay, Matt, I
think you really? I think Kingdom Heart is a perfect
way in for you for video games. Can I do
it on my switch? Yes, you got me a switch.
I got you a switch. But I think I don't
know there's something there. It's Disney and it's all these

(38:12):
fucking gay actors, all right, gay as in like they
appealed to a certain audience.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
Now, yeah, like you said the words Mina Samari and
I had no other questions.

Speaker 2 (38:21):
David Borian as anyway, Oh yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 (38:26):
Wow he was a hunky Hatty. Huh yeah, Hunky Hotty
is Chad Michael Murray in the game.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
He is not? He is not else's in the game.
Hold on Kingdom Hearts voice cast. There are some true slays.
David Gallagher cal in Titanic plays as them of the
villain in the first game, Willa Holland.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
From the Ocua.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Willa Holland slays in Kingdom Hearts three is Aqua. Oh
my god, you know what teen actor.

Speaker 1 (39:01):
I have questions about where he is? Where is Simon
from Seventh teven?

Speaker 2 (39:06):
Oh yeah, no, oh no, no no, I'm sorry David Gallagher.
They just had the wrong headshot on Google. David Gallagher
is Riku. That's Simon from Seventh Heaven right.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
Wait is that true?

Speaker 2 (39:15):
Billy Zane is Anthem and he's Calulm Titanic.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
That's what I meant. Sorry, I got my headshots mixed up.
But David Simon Camden was played by David Gallagher.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
And David Gallagher is Riku like the main your rival
in Kingdom Hearts Matt like this game is made for
you with me.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
Is there anyone in the culture from back then that's
more Matt coded than David Gallagher. No, I'm going to
send you a picture of his Wikipedia photo. Tell me
this is not me if I'm famous in two thousand
and three. Just literally, I'm sending this sea right now. Okay.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
I shuddered to think about what I would have looked like,
the vibe I would have given off if I was
famous in two thousand and three.

Speaker 1 (39:55):
Just take a look at that and tell me that.
Tell me that is not me. I just said it
to you. It probably went through.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Oh my god, that is so you Look at his easy,
broken bang.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
With the bean, so handsome. I loved him. I used
to have such a crush on him when I was
like litter. Oh my god, he was such a heart throb. Absolutely.
What's he doing now? Is he still acting?

Speaker 3 (40:18):
Well?

Speaker 1 (40:18):
He was in an episode of Swat in twenty twenty.
They're making a Kingdom Hearts for whoa He's in all
the Kingdom Hearts is He's like a huge, fucking he
is Riku. You're gonna jerk off to Riku if you live.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, oh yeah, Riku like starts off like as this, like,
you know, tough kid and kind of like bullies you.
But then he becomes the ages. Well, Sora doesn't really
age well. The main character, sore I played by Hailey
Jo Lasman, iconic character, doesn't really grow up, but Ricu
grows has to grow the fuck up because he gets

(40:53):
possessed by some dark way whoa maleficent captures him and
corrupts his his mind.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
You're kidding. I'm gonna to get into this because I
might see myself in Riku. You are Riku.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
Sometimes this is a Glenna alphabet situation where it's like
you and I are both Riku and Sora, but it flips,
it switches every now and then you are Sora down
on a lot of days. I'm Riku down a lot
of days, but sometimes we trade those off, you know
what I mean? Should title that be Sora and Riku?

Speaker 1 (41:22):
Yes? Oh my god, Matt, you don't know what's about
to come your way.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
The readers Katie's public is Finalists who love Kingdom Hearts
are out there. I believe that they are, and they
will be reaching out to you.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
If you could do one other podcast about your niche interest,
what would it be? Final Fantasy. It would be Final Fantasy.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
Including Kingdom Hearts, including Dragon Class like these video games
Persona like these are video games that are queer coded
and have been since the dawn of time immemorial. Yeah, anyway,
Final Fantasy seven Rebirth, it's like the most money squares
ever put out in a game. It's like basically like

(41:59):
making a meta commentary on like fan culture and rebook
culture too, in the cleverest way, Like it's within the
story that like there's this force called the Whispers, and
you kill them off in the first game, and then
the timeline starts to diverge, and then it becomes like
they're telling the story in a way that has been
told before, so you kill them off, and it's like
killing off of the fan base voice that says things

(42:22):
should be a certain way. Isn't that brilliant?

Speaker 1 (42:24):
Yeah? Why haven't they done more like these movies of this,
Like it feels like they have and they they're all
pretty bad. Why do you think that is?

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Because the people who produce and direct and write the
movies are the people who produce and direct and write
the video games, and it's just a different medium, Like
they're able to they don't have a sense of the
pacing and of the way the story is told. Like
video games, you kind of like, I would say, it's
kind of harder in video games to like unfurl a
narrative because so much of it is about the player's

(42:56):
control and how they choose to end up hitting certain
beats in Some of the games are very linear, and
some of them are more open ended Zelda, for example.
The recent ones that I've talked about have been open
world where it's not linear at all, and it's very
hard to tell a story that way because you can't
quite get the player to land at certain places as
the story is told. But I think the movies are
really rough and I wouldn't watch those. Don't pay those

(43:18):
much attention.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
So do you think that when the worlds are more
expansive and more open, that's just a much more difficult
adaptation than something like The Last of Us, which follows
a storyline.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yes, And I'm literally playing The Last of Us again
right now. I never beat the first one, sorry to admit,
So I'm finally like I want to beat it. I'm
really loving it. And that is a linear game, like
you are on a track because you're running away from
these fucking mushroomies right right, right, right right, And it's
kind of That's the brilliant thing about The Last of
Us is that it's sort of built in. It's cinematic

(43:50):
because the story is completely on the rails in a
way that doesn't make the player feel like they're just
clicking buttons.

Speaker 1 (43:56):
Got it read a story so in a way that's
less interesting because there's less to discover, But it could
be more compelling if the story they're telling is that compelling. Yes,
and it happens to be extremely compelling, by the way.
Congrats to Pedro. Rats to Pedro on the sag lead win.
I realized that something about Pedro Pescal. If I am

(44:18):
ever having a hard time or a bad day, or
have ever doing something I think is hard, I can
just think of Pedro Pescal smiling and laughing and it
will make me feel bad.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Oh I know, I know. It's a really important smile
and an important laugh.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Yeah. I feel like he carries the light. And it's
less about him being like super fucking hot or super
fucking talented. It's just I enjoy him. He's a nice person.
I like his presence a lot. I liked watching him win.
I liked watching him be so you know, befuddled in
his win. I liked watching him backstage, Like I just

(44:54):
I just like him, Like I don't know what it
is beyond that, I just really enjoy him as a
celebrity presence.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
He's very winning.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
Yeah, And I also I like that he seems to
be really comfortable with himself. That's what I'll say about it,
is that, like he wins this award, he seems like
really genuine and then he's vackstage doing his thing. And
I just think he's emblematic of like people having to
be less of a platonic ideal of what a leading

(45:25):
man is and acts like. And I'll leave it there
because I don't know what's cool to say, but like
I just really appreciate and admire him. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
Oh and he's also a perfect model for like there
is no right way to go about a career in
something that is so uncertain as like acting or Hollywood
or whatever. You know, It's like his big breaks were
like late late.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
No guarantees, and you know what I'm saying, Like maybe
that's also part of it is I'm just like that's
someone who really fucking hung in yeah, you know what
I mean, because even I guess I don't know, like
when did things really start turning around for him, Like
probably I guess like ten years ago Game of Thrones
whatever it was, but Thrones, Yeah, before that, like he
probably could not even get people to even like perk

(46:15):
up at the sound of his name, you know what
I mean, Like he was not what he is now
really recently. And then it feels like it's that one
thing that changes the other thing that changes the other thing.
But apparently it was like the Sarah Paulson in him
saga goes way back and I guess she knew the
Game of Thrones people and was like, you should definitely

(46:36):
see my friend Petro Pescal for this, and they were like, well,
we don't know who that is, and then they like
kicked around on it for a while, and then he
obviously booked Game of Thrones and was like so memorable
and sexy and great and met Game of Thrones that
why wouldn't you book him for so many other things?
But you know, it just feels to me like that's
someone that really hung in. Yeah, we gotta hang in, y'all,

(47:00):
and good thing because he makes our landscape like our
like pop culture landscape, like so much more interesting, you
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
Like he's like such a cool a list member of
the the whole.

Speaker 1 (47:15):
Thing right now.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yeah, well he's one of the few people who like
gets people really worked up in like a pop star
way almost. Yeah, you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (47:24):
How was he not sexiest man alive? Like he is
the sexiest man alive?

Speaker 3 (47:28):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (47:29):
Yeah? Y? Who was it again? I forget who?

Speaker 3 (47:33):
Literally?

Speaker 1 (47:33):
Was it a no? I know that they were like
behind the times in terms of who they picked, but like,
I don't know if it was afflic Oh it was Dempsey. Yeah.
That's my thing is I'm like, you're twenty twenty three.
We picked Patrick Dempsey in twenty twenty three, when like
Pedro Pascal is right there, like that man is he's
so sexy.

Speaker 2 (47:54):
He is beyond off the charts.

Speaker 1 (47:57):
I can't think about it. I mean, I get it.
It's overwhelming. It's overwhelming. Now should we do you want
to talk about the year of this episode? Do you
do you want to? Wait?

Speaker 2 (48:17):
I don't know if I do, you know what I mean, Like,
I'm just it's a big one.

Speaker 1 (48:20):
It's a big one, and I feel like you guys,
just you know piek behind the curtain. I'm not feeling
that well.

Speaker 2 (48:25):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
I woke up this morning, like and last night I
tried to like sneak up on me. It must be
some sort of like tiny little cold thing going around.
Are you did you say you don't feel good either?
I feel something too.

Speaker 2 (48:35):
I woke up. The seasons are changing now officially because
I'm waking up with like iboggers and shit, and I'm like, yeah,
here we go.

Speaker 1 (48:43):
I really had like a park it on the couch.
I also like, I've been working out a lot, and
so I think my body is just like telling me
to relax a little bit. Maybe just because I've been
I tend to I don't know, like the pist season me,
like the addictive personality roars out sometimes. And when I
find something that works for me, like especially something healthy
and I feel positive about and I do feel like

(49:04):
I'm getting results from going every day and working out
and stuff like, I tend to push it a little
bit hard. So I think my body is just trying
to tell me, like, hey, remember moderation. Remember we made
like a promise that things would be about moderation this
year wouldn't be about extremes. Like that's something I'm really
trying to hold to throughout this year, is like not
dealing with things in extreme so much, just trying to

(49:25):
be you know, more intentional about Like it's not like
know this or you have to do this, it's like,
try to do this, try to do that, like get
yourself in a healthy place with it. That's very good.
So I'm trying to slow down right now and just
listen to my body. But I had like a park
it and watch movies moment yesterday and I watched a
couple of things, one Old one New Balance. But I

(49:46):
wanted to tell you I watched Eternal Sun China The
Spotless Mind last night.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Again on Valentine's Day.

Speaker 1 (49:52):
But I know and I think the reason why I
did that is because you had done that. And I
also think I'm you know, anticipating our honest ol, what
a movie.

Speaker 2 (50:01):
What a really fucking good movie. Yeah, it's so great,
like and like one of those movies that I will say,
and I'm sure I'm my knowledge of movies is not
expansive enough, but it's like it's one of those movies
that's like anyone can be like that's my favorite movie.
And no one can really poke a hole in that.
It's like, oh, it's like Charlie Coffin, like Gondry film,

(50:24):
but it's also like it has mass appeal. It's telling
this amazing story very elegantly conceptualized, but like funny performances,
emotional performances. Obviously, Kirsten, Oh, Kirsten rocks man like, she
just rocks.

Speaker 3 (50:42):
Like.

Speaker 1 (50:42):
She's so good in it. Kate's so good in it.
Jim is so good in it. I love Mark Ruffalo
so much, Tom Wilkinson Rest in Peace. Elijah Wood, Elijah Wood,
I mean, so good enough, He's so good, he's so
cute like and also Mark Ruffalo in any era. I'm
just a total super fan. That was.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
That was a cute era for him.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Oh so cute.

Speaker 2 (51:04):
Deirdre O'Connell, by the way, plays the wife who shows up.
Oh yeah, that's a really good performance too. You can
have him you already you already did you did? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
don't be a monster.

Speaker 1 (51:14):
Tell the girl.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
Oh so good. Deardroconna, tony legend, Deardre O'Connell. I saw
her in that play.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Anyway, what play she was in?

Speaker 2 (51:25):
Dana age, and she wanted Tony for that, And can
I just brag real quick?

Speaker 1 (51:29):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (51:29):
So Celeste chok me to go see Celestium. Friend of
the podcast, one of our best friends took me to
see this play that Lucas Nath wrote and it's her.
It's Deirdre O'Connell sitting on stage basically lip syncing tapes
of Lucas's mother. This like really crazy incident that happened

(51:51):
to Lucas's mother where she was basically in Florida and
was kidnapped and kind of like does an interview about it,
and just like it was recorded and it's Deerdre O'Connell
lip syncing the entire interview basically, and she wanted Tony
for it. She was amazing, and they were trying to
talk Deirdre into doing it and she was like, no,
I don't know the lip sinking things. That sounds like

(52:12):
such a weird gimmick, Like, I don't that doesn't sound
like anything to me, And I have on good authority
that the producers showed Dana videos of me lip sinking,
and then she was like it can be art.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
I'm gonna do it.

Speaker 3 (52:27):
Well.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
She literally was like Okay, I'm seeing this person do
it in a way that is like a funny of
course and like joking and gimmicky, but like, there is
a way to be so precise about this. I'm not
saying whatever she's like, there's a way to be precise
enough about this to make it to elevate the material.
Let's do it how much zero zero. I'm not saying

(52:51):
that I take any credit. I'm saying that one of
my greatest accomplishments is doing something that ever even showed
up in front of Deerdre O'Connell's eyes.

Speaker 3 (53:00):
Hm.

Speaker 2 (53:00):
That's all and anyway, this is all to say, eternal sunshine, okay.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
And then what was the new thing? I watched Naiad?
And I have to tell you it's so much better
than I thought it was gonna be.

Speaker 2 (53:11):
Like, okay, good, then I'll watch it too.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
I really like there had been months ago there had
been this goofy clip of Naiad where they're playing table tennis,
and Annette and Jody were so bizarre in this clip
and out of context it was so it didn't seem good, okay,
So I was kind of like, no way. And then

(53:35):
when I kind of in my mind had like solidified
on what I thought we're gonna be like the Oscar
Contenders and stuff, and then Annett and Jody really stuck
in there. I was like angsty about it. Then I
finally watched the movie. I loved this movie. Like I
think it's obviously you know, the best thing about it
or the two of their performances, but really winning sports movie,

(53:56):
Like it's kind of a classic story of just determine
nation and everyone telling you you can't do something, and
you being a very specific type of person because she
was not really a nice person. She was not necessarily
like someone you root for, Like she was very one
track minded, and I would say, like the movie really
needs Jodie Foster to like take to some of the

(54:19):
edge off. But their performances are great. Jody is so
great in this and that been for some reason, I
thought like if Annette had won for this, it would
feel like a light wind or like it would feel
like a career. Yeah, like we were just tossing her
a bone. It wouldn't feel like that at all. Like, really,
it is really hard to play physical brutality, like in

(54:42):
terms of like when your body is going through something
and your body has to fight against elements and you're
literally like your interior is taking over in a way
that is really hard to act. It's one of the
reasons why I'm such a huge fan out of Sandra
Bullock's Gravity performance is because she was playing so much

(55:04):
of the physical reality of what it means to be
suffering or fighting for your life in that way. And
a lot of that is here in this bending Naiad performance,
like the elements wearing away at her in the water,
there's no question when you're watching it that she's actually
going through this. I mean, it had to be a

(55:25):
wild shoot. She's in the water a lot, you know,
it doesn't appear to be very cgi ish. It appears
like she's doing a lot of practical work here. And
by the end when she's gone through her like fifth
attempt at doing this Cuba to Florida Keys swim, which
really like it's if she did actually do it, And

(55:46):
there is some dispute whether or not she actually buy
the book by the rules in terms of what they
say is an actual achievement here of the swim, like
did it ten out of ten? One hundred percent above board?
But like this story of determination like is one thing
and it would be a winning script and winning performance anyway.
But what puts it over the edge for me, and

(56:07):
really it makes this nomination worthy is the really just
very raw depiction of what it is to be worn
away by this physical feat and these elements. There is
a jellyfish attack that is one of the scariest moments. No,
I'm not watching Bowen. These jellyfish come for and net

(56:30):
in some way they need to. We need we need
an Andy Cone reunion with a net jellyfish center couch,
center couch and Jody's the fair friend of on the
side like one anyway, but like, this movie was great

(56:51):
and the performance is great, and Jody's super winning in it.
They're just stars. And yeah, I feel like I was,
you know, poopooing these nominations because I didn't know better
and I saw.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
The movie and well, the voices you listen to, the
to the punditry of it all, it wasn't even that.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
It's just with the oscars, you guys. I know I
sound nasal today. I'm really sorry because I don't. I
don't like listening to people's voices when they're sick and
doing a podcast. I apologize. I don't like the way
I sound right now. But what I'm saying is I
think that I really don't like it when it feels
like we're just throwing an oscar at someone because we
feel bad like that. And this is not that at all.

(57:33):
It just is not that at all. Like it is.
It's worth a watch, even if some part of the
movie is like a little bit goofy. It's a little
bit of a goofy story, Like goofy is good. Like
her getting attacked by jellyfish on her attempts to cross
the sea. That was a real thing that happened. It did,
it did, and she had to be like resuscitated and

(57:53):
like all these things. Not goofy, No, but it's goofy
because it's a ned betting versus a jellyfish in the water,
you know what I mean. That's power line, that's power line.
He plays this mean, mean lesbian who's like I'm getting
back on the water, and then the jelly fish takes around.
She's like oh, and then they're like get back and
Jody's like so gay in it, so she's like get
up here, come on, and then they're they're like resustinating her.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
She's like Jesus Christ, let my friend live already. And
then and that's like, I'm going back into the water, babe,
and she's like, oh Jesus. And it's just these two
lesbians going back and forth like you and me. Honestly,
in many ways, I don't know who's Naiad and who's Jody.

Speaker 1 (58:31):
Although you're a ni Ad and I'm Jody, Let's I'm
the coach.

Speaker 2 (58:35):
No, you're Niad. I mean, can you believe this bitch's
name was Diana Niad a nymph of the sea. That's
a palindrome of a name. The A is the center letter,
Diane Niad, Diana Naiad. It's the same spelled backwards. Do
you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (58:54):
It's one hundred percent something that I know what you mean.
Oh my God, I thank you. I do So.

Speaker 2 (59:01):
Should we move on? I don't think so, honey.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
Yeah, can you explain I don't things, honey while I
blow my nose.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
Yes, I don't think so, honey. Is our segment where
we each take one minute to rail against something in
the culture. I mean, I think I have an idea
of what Matt's might be. He is really having a
rough time with this congestion, and it's almost March. You know,
it's like, I thought we were done with this.

Speaker 1 (59:26):
So did I, sister. I haven't feeling this is going
to be like a twenty four to forty eight hour thing.
I think this is not gonna be a big deal.

Speaker 2 (59:31):
Great, I'm happy for you, but I do have something
okay makes one of us. Oh god, this is Matt Rogers.
I don't think so, honey. His time starts now.

Speaker 1 (59:42):
I don't think so, honey. The Wendy Williams documentary. I
really feel like this is not the move and the
family being like, she's an executive producer on this, so
you know that's about board. It's like, guys, she is
by definition not in her right mind. And these you know,
stories coming out now about her having like dementia, and like,

(01:00:04):
you know these this has obviously been something wrong with
her for a while, way before you decided to do
this documentary. And now what you have is you have
her devolving on television and you're out here promoting it.
You didn't even see the result of what you would
put together here and say, guys, you know what, we
have to really work to make sure we're protecting her. No,

(01:00:25):
you saw the product that you had and then continue
to promote it for your own gain. And I'm sorry,
but anytime you have something that's in the entertainment industry
and promoted this way, you are doing it till people
watch it and so you gain from it. I don't
think you protected her here. There's a reason we haven't
seen Bruce Willis. There's a reason we didn't see Barbara Walters.
It's because when you put someone out there like this

(01:00:46):
at the end of their life, this becomes their legacy.
And shame on you for doing that to your family member.
I don't think so funny, that's one a minute, one
hundred percent. I think that the family member that who's
gotten a lot of screen time is I think the niece,
the niece, and there's something so dark there because I
think she's also a journalist or something. There's something off
about the whole thing. And I don't think there's any

(01:01:06):
position that these people could have that justified what exactly
is going on here, because unfortunately, now what you have
is you have someone who's very sick with dementia and
potentially other things on television not acting like themselves. You know,
she's saying things that are very offensive, very dark very
nasty and she looks unwell and you got a camera

(01:01:28):
in her face. It's a phase.

Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
It's like she can't even register communication or even express
it in the way she wants to. It's brain damage.
It's literally brain damage. Like she's not okay, it's exploitation.
And I remember when we did our first Culture Awards, right, like,
Wendy Williams was like a leader in the nominations because

(01:01:51):
there were moments. There were just so many moments.

Speaker 1 (01:01:53):
You know, she's iconic and she's she's done so much
in the culture, and she always provided like some thing
to talk about. But then when it became clear that
something was really wrong, yes, and when it was clear
it was clear, you take a step back and you
have some respect and the fact that this is coming
from her family and these photographs of her. I don't

(01:02:16):
care what awareness you think you are bringing. You know,
the way you bring awareness to an issue like this,
you say, our beloved family member and pop culture icon,
Wendy Williams is dealing with these issues. If you are
someone you know are dealing with these issues, you're not alone.
We are dealing with it. Here are resources, Here are
you know, places you can donate. Here are positive memories

(01:02:38):
of our family member. Not we documented what the reality
is and are putting it out there, don't lady, she's
okay with it. She doesn't have the wherewithal to be
okay with it. And at this point it's like it's
like a catch twenty two too, because then it's like,
if you weigh in on something like this, it's like, oh,
trust the family, they know what's best. We don't fucking

(01:02:59):
know that way. If this is what's best for Wendy Williams,
then I really am adrift out here because it seems
like the best thing for her would be to focus
on her treatment and to give her privacy because we
did not need this to understand the reality that she
was in trouble or a picture of what this type
of mental illness looks like. We did not need it.

(01:03:29):
Bowen Yang Yevin, I don't think somebody needs to share
with us. I think so, well, that's good? Are you ready? Yes? Yes?

Speaker 2 (01:03:41):
This is Bowen Yang's I don't think so, honey. As
time starts now, I don't think so, honey, Normani with
this Dopamine release, like I love this album, I love
this title.

Speaker 1 (01:03:51):
Already you can't make us wait longer? What do you mean?

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
What's another like two three months? I want this and
now you should have dropped this on us and we
would have there would have been no notes.

Speaker 1 (01:04:04):
That would have been a perfect release strategy. Because we
love you. You're able to.

Speaker 2 (01:04:10):
Coast on this thirty seconds good will that we've built
up over the years. But I think this is kind
of a middle finger to us, and maybe we deserve
it because we have been hard on you, but also
you haven't delivered on what you've promised would be coming
for such a long time. Again, I actually love Normania
second MONI here, but I'm.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
Like, just put out the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
I do love this cover that where she's writing this
fucking rocket, tough imagery, tough today, but she looks good.
And if I stop thinking about current events, then I
guess it's a sligh But just just drop the album.

Speaker 1 (01:04:44):
Why make us wait longer? That's one minute? Well. I
think if one thing is clear about Normani, it's that
it's not up to her. I think if one thing
is very clear about Normani over the past five, five,
six years, it's that ain't up to her. This to
me feels like another story of talented artist and of course,

(01:05:07):
of course label or a situation where they can't figure
out exactly what the rollout is or can't seem to
get the material together or get their ducks in a
row to actually put out music and have her fans
like this artist. Yeah, And I've never understood why that
seems to happen. It must be some sort of bureaucratic,
like political thing, because I've never understood why if you

(01:05:28):
have a huge single like Motivation, or a huge artist,
or like someone with a platform already or who already
has like a huge like way in for an audience, like,
why you wouldn't just like put an album together even
if it wasn't like you know, I get that people
are really want to create the best body of work possible,
but like, I find it really hard to believe that

(01:05:49):
you couldn't find eleven or twelve songs like Motivation that
could fill that sonic landscape and create an introductory album
for Normani, which makes me feel like it has to
be more now, There's got to be something else going
on ultimately with what we've landed on here. I do
like the album title a lot. I like the images
a lot, I think now. Unfortunately, what she's up against

(01:06:13):
is the fact that, like the expectation is so high,
we have been waiting so long, the expectation is so high.
Whatever song comes out now has to hit hard.

Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
Yeah, otherwise it a lot of all been for not.

Speaker 1 (01:06:26):
That's like the corner they've painted her into, you know
what I mean. It's like it's like, we got this
one song, we have this one group that she was
a part of. We know she's capable of a lot,
but that almost feels like, you know what I'm saying,
It's like if Beyonce dropped the Renaissance visuals now, I'd
be like, okay, Han, well we're onto your new thing now.
Mm hmmmm hm. We still might get it though, maybe maybe.

(01:06:51):
But I'm looking for and I mean, Normandy's fucking good.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
No, she's amazing, She's amazing. That was just the I
don't think, Sonny, that I pulled out of my big
app No.

Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
But I'm happy you brought it up because I didn't
want to talk about it because when I saw that
she actually was released in the album, and then it
was like the date and it's like it's like she's
playing games with us with the date. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I'll give her two weeks of these games.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
Oh yeah, No, I see the games like the labels
like she I know it's not up to her, but
she does have some power here to push back and
be like, let's do this this way.

Speaker 1 (01:07:26):
I feel strongly I don't think she has any power.
I really don't think she has any power. I think
unless they were like actually to leak something or like
really forcibly taken away, this cannot be the way she
wanted it to go. And I also don't think she
is necessarily like jazzed about like announcing amidst every other

(01:07:48):
pop girl right right, like packed here. What is going
on with Gaga right now? Is she also coming out
with something? I no, I think she's just in this
studio because the behavior on Instagram has been a little sus.

Speaker 2 (01:07:58):
I think she's just having fun. And I think she's
just having fun in the studioing back for herself.

Speaker 1 (01:08:03):
I really do.

Speaker 2 (01:08:04):
I think she was like, let me do this fortnite thing,
get the girls wild.

Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
Up, going back to herself. But this is what.

Speaker 2 (01:08:12):
Gaga always has been, which is like let me, let
me sow the seeds of confusion in the funnest way
and when it's actually ultimately harmless, like she can do her,
she can do all of her like pharmaceutical commercials and
her like oreos, Like this is Gaga. You're right, it's
supposed to be chaotic but fine in the end. Yeah,
this is why we love her.

Speaker 3 (01:08:36):
I love.

Speaker 1 (01:08:39):
The Perfect Delusion justice for that one, And since you
brought up John Wayne a couple weeks ago, I have
been listening to it NonStop. It's so good. In that video,
Jared said that should have been the single, and I
was like, maybe I kind of think Perfect Delusion was
the right single. I like, Perfect Delusion.

Speaker 2 (01:08:57):
Hold on, let me just look at the Joe annetrack
one more time. It's so Gaga.

Speaker 1 (01:09:04):
It's so Gaga.

Speaker 2 (01:09:06):
I mean, just out of nowhere.

Speaker 1 (01:09:11):
She's always done. She'll just stand there with her mouth
open and her eyes wide.

Speaker 2 (01:09:19):
It should have been an angel down that single.

Speaker 1 (01:09:23):
No grecio, girls, I need Joanne.

Speaker 2 (01:09:26):
Well, do you always have to appreciate Joanne for giving
us greaseiow, girl.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
I never have said a negative word about Joanne ever
in my life. I think Joanne is one of the
great Lady Gaga albums period.

Speaker 2 (01:09:38):
Go back and look at the tapes. I've never said
a bad word about Joeyne either.

Speaker 1 (01:09:41):
Look at the tapes. You will find nothing negative for me.
You'll only hear my rendition of you'll give the meal
meal that you now.

Speaker 2 (01:09:53):
I'm so glad we're going to table this twenty thirteen
conversation because there's a lot there. We got to talk
about Beyonce self titled we got to talk about art pop,
We gotta talk about Miley at the VVAS. I mean,
that was a big year and this one got away
from us, guys, but you have to understand it's because
there's a lot there. There's so much there, and we
can't wait to talk about it.

Speaker 1 (01:10:13):
But for now, Well, so Ra and Rico have really
killed this episode.

Speaker 2 (01:10:17):
Matt, you please consider Kingdom Hearts.

Speaker 1 (01:10:20):
And playing it. I will consider. I think you would
really enjoy if I can only figure out this dim contraption.
Sure the switch. It's for little children, so you should
be able to We end every episode with a song
on that note.

Speaker 3 (01:10:56):
Oh my god, my funny crap.

Speaker 1 (01:11:00):
The cartoons. Bye,