The Prom (2020) dir. Ryan Murphy | SHOWGAYS

0:01 [Applause] [Music] Join the prom. It's going to be super fun and we're all going to dance. But first, you need a dress. Or if you wear pants or if you wear a suit, you can just dance. It's time to dance. Nice. I thought you were doing I thought you were doing the Sesame Street theme song with lyrics about but then it got into a place where I was like, "Oh, yes, I do remember this song." Okay. Sesame Street, famously saved by Netflix.

0:48 Everyone saved by Netflix. Thank god we we did it. God from HBO. from Max. From Max to Netflix. Yeah. Yeah. Welcome back to Showgaz Musical Podcast where we are the Again, we've said it before, we'll say it again. We're the only podcast you ever need to listen to. Okay. Yeah. We cover everything. We cover it all. Yep. Today, today what we're covering is 2020 is the prom. A little Ryan 2020 Ryan Murphy joint. Um, so we're going to be talking about that. As always, your hosts here, uh, since you can't see us, I'm Adam. I'm R.J., I'm Molly. I'm sorry. I was checking the mail back.

1:34 And that's the three of us. R.J., while she checks the mailbag, how are you doing? I'm doing it good. It's a little I'm a little hust, you know, hustling and bustling, running around all over the damn city. Um, I'm directing a play that's opening this weekend. So, they're running they're running a final tech tonight. Um, because I had a different rehearsal for a second story show right before this. Um, I was like, can you guys just run? We did Q. We finished all of Q yesterday. A whopping 25 Q's. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay. um uh that I was like, "You guys just I think you we just need to run it." And they were like, "Got it." So, they're doing that tonight. We have invited

2:19 dress tomorrow and then we open on Friday. Very excited. Nice. Well, um Molly, how how are you? Molly, how are you? How are you? Good. It's going to be camp soon. Boo. So, just prepping for that, but we'll make it through. You did you get some sun? You look You look like sun-kissed. Oh, no. Don't tell Andrew that. He's always telling me I need to wear more SPF. I think that it's um I think it's just that the sun is setting and so there's like a lot of direct sunlight. Is that what's on the wall next to you is the sun? Yes. This strip of light. Yeah, it's a b beautiful bounce board. It is. Well, yeah, there's a lot of sun here. That's That's some news about Southern California for you. Yeah, I've heard that's a thing. Yeah. Adam, how about I feel like no one ever asks you, Adam,

3:05 how are you? I was just saying we just went to Florida. um for a few days this past weekend. And the entire time Adam and I kept being like, I don't know how we lived here. I don't know how we lived here. I The thing I'm like shocked by is that I did not come back with a sunburn. I think it's like the first time ever. He was diligently where I did parks did multiple days in a row. Industry grade 50 SPF. Mhm. Nice for you. Anyway, The Prom. Is there any Star Wars the prom? Star Wars colon the prom episode 10. Um, we do have some some emails. Uh, we have one from Lucas um apologizing for recommending this. Um, Lucas says, "I audly gagged for recommending The Prom." Yeah. Oh,

3:51 I audibly gagged when you said you were watching The Prom next. Wow. It's a pandemic era mid-century gay man's fever dream come to life. I almost regret recommending it now. And I hope I'm not the only one who let you down this rainbow uh rainbow highway. Have fun, be camp, and be proud. Also, just to be factual, Molly said Glee was a stain on the national consciousness in your cabaret episode from 2022. Look how far we've come. I hope Merryill can be redeemed in Molly's eyes. Oh, we will comment on that. I don't know what fact check we're doing with when I said stain on national consciousness. Was it whether or not I said that or was it just when I said was it truly a stain? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it was I think he's saying that because you say it, it's now a fact that that's what the collective the fabric of the country has

4:37 decided that it was a it was a stain. Yeah, I was the one who asserted that it was it's the reason we have we got gay marriage. Oh, so maybe that was Yeah. So I think what Lucas is saying that I'm saying that gay marriage is staying on the national consciousness because Trump 2020 2028. Yeah. Just reveal all of a sudden super conservative. Okay. And another from Lucas, our favorite writer. Um saying welcome back. Move over Keats. Lucas. Yeah, thank you. We we quote Lucas the most known in

5:23 every episode. Um, so this is um some commentary on Sweet Charity. Sweet Charity is such a mixed bag for FSY fans. I own the old DVD. I'm sorry you had to internet archive this [ __ ] so I watched it repeatedly growing up. I'm also so gay. I saw Christina Applegate in her limited run at age. And R.J. is correct. Applegate injured herself severely and talked about it constantly. My favorite song, Baby Dream Your Dream, sung by Nikki and Helen, was cut for the film. Yet, they added some stupid It's a nice face song and endless dance breaks in that I'm a brass band. I'm a harpsacord. I'm a clarinet nonsensical musical theater. I'm a broken record, but FSY Verden is a mustwatch for you. Seriously, just watch the first 5 minutes of episode 1 for some major big

6:09 spender backstory. That's all you need to see. I am intrigued by this. Intrigued. Mhm. Also, If My Friends Could See Me Now is such a classic song, it was used in a recent jukebox cinema musical. You should cover Joker folly. Oh no. Lucas. Lucas, your lipstick on. Um, I was playing this game with myself the other day where I could see into my neighbor's window, but from like quite far away, and I was trying to figure out what they were watching, and I one of my theories was Joker falling into I was like, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, or the Joker. Those are my three options. Um, I'm sorry. We can't gloss over the fact that Molly was like, "I was creeping through my neighbor's window the other day." Oh, they're watching something. It was It was nice. What are

6:56 we watching together, neighbors? What are the three of us watching? It was time. So, I live on like a canyon, so they're on like they're on like the corner of the canyon from me. So, they're like quite far from me. It's not like I'm looking directly into my neighbor's window, just to be clear. I get worse the farther away it is. Somehow that makes it worse. But I couldn't see the people. I could just see the screen. I feel like it was the same thing as when you're on a plane and you watch the screen of the person in front of you. Oh my god. Adam was watching a Oh my god. I was watching a very spicy BL a vampire to like cradling it on my iPad like this. And the guy behind us, he was he was like a dad. Um my like something that I had fell down and so he like tapped Adam and Adam thought, "Oh my god, this this this

7:41 homophobe is about to I thought he was about to like shoot me on the plane." Yeah. Like stop watching like gay [ __ ] Yeah. We thought he was real Carrie Washington. Yeah. Yeah. See, speaking of homophobia sprinkling in for the coming coming episode. Um anyway, look at that. I'm just kidding. Don't cover it talking about Joker Fia. I walked out after Gaga's last scene and missed the end. Iconic. Iconic to be like Gaga's not it anymore. I'm not so done. Gaga screen time is done. Okay. Bye bye. However, there is a Gwen Verden cameo in the opening short by French animator Sylvian Shome. The triplets of Belleville fame. Um Adam was on point with the Anora joke since Knights of Cabiraia, is that right? Was a major influence on Shawn

8:28 Barker and this musical. Finally, I just have to say that the Academy Award-winning Anora is just as slow, pouring, and depressing as Sweet Charity, but also kind of homophobic. Oh, interesting. I've never seen Anora. Um, and I'd rather suffer through rich man's fugue and the long elevator scene any damn day. Demi Moore was robbed. I'm assuming for the substance. Yes, Lucas is just really making sure that we believe he's a gay man. You have to convince. We believe it. We got it. And I can't believe Lucas said you called the elevator scene. He screamed as a purse fell out of his mouth. I can't believe that Lucas called the elevator scene long when I said that it had my favorite line in the whole movie. So I don't think Lucas ever likes your takes. And I think that's beautiful.

9:14 Oh yeah, that's that's funny that you would say that as somebody Adam. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like our whole dynamic is having opposite takes. So I can see that you like Adam. Any updates on if people think that our podcast is the full movie or no? Oh, we got another one that was like, "Don't bother clicking on." First of all, nobody's going to see your comment. They've already clicked on it. If they see your comment, they've clicked on the video. You don't have to be like, "Don't bother clicking on this." Because they've already done that. That would be amazing if you could leave proactive comments on YouTube videos where it was like it popped up before you opened it. Be like, "Here are my thoughts on this." before you get into it. Um I you should look and see what are you looking for what the view count is on Miss Bride and Prejudice. Oh yeah. Oh cuz people it's probably a movie that's

10:00 hard to find and so people are No, we just think there's maybe we've told Molly Molly our most viewed video on the entire Amplif is the Pride and Prejudice episode with 53,000 views. We have to talk about the prom. Speaking of gay marriage, let's do it. Speaking of gay people, let's talk about the prom. So, um, The Prom, Molly, this week you are challenged to summarize The Prom, which is the 2020 Ryan Murphy Netflix Masterpiece in a minute or less. And your time starts now. Mrs. screen. The head of the James Madison High School PTA in Edgewater, Indiana, has

10:47 announced that The School Promise canled to prevent Emma Nolan from bringing a same-sex date. The Broadway stars Dee Allen and Barry Glick are panned in the reviews of their most recent show and so Decide alongside the actor/bartender Trent Oliver and perpetual chorus girl Angie Dickinson to get some positive press by saving Emma. The clueless attempted activist pull some entirely self-centered stunts, including crashing the PTA meeting and performing a musical number at a monster truck rally. Emma and her musical loving but straight principal Tom Hawkins when a legal case that mandates the prom happen with Emma and her date included. We learn that Emma's date is her closeted girlfriend and daughter of the PTA president Alyssa Green. While helping Emma prepare for prom, the Broadway stars get to know her and become truly invested in helping her. Barry reveals that he, like Emma, was rejected by his parents when he came out at 16. Everyone is shocked when they

11:34 learn that the school threw two proms, one at the school for just Emma and one offsite for everyone else. Emma is distraught at the humiliation, but particularly that Alyssa will not leave the prom to be with her. The stars convince Emma to tell her story, including by booking her a talk show appearance, but she chooses to instead spread her story through a viral song and an invitation to teens everywhere to attend an inclusive prom. The stars fund another prom, Dee somewhat reluctantly, and they are thrilled with the turnout. Alyssa comes out to her mom, who's eventually accepting. Barry's mom comes to apologize for how she reacted to his coming out, and Dee and Principal Hawkins fall in love. That was a minute and a half. Great job. I knew it was going to be too long, but I had to weave in some of those other plot threads. There's so many things. This is such a complicated film. It's really not. I'm sorry. Sometimes the less complicated it is, the harder it can be to summarize for

12:21 some reason. Yeah. A promise thrown for gay girl. That's that's Yeah, that's what happened. I just feel like because I think also with the more classic ones, I kind of assume people actually have a sense of the plot already, but this one I'm assuming people are probably going in fully blind. I mean, it's nice to even mention Angie Dickinson as a character because she's worthless as a character. Like, she does not She has no I loved her. Oh my god. I'm excited to talk about that. She's great, but like she's great. Why is it Nicole? She's played by Nicole Kidman. We can't not mention Nicole Kidman in this. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Um Molly, what's your uh what's your history with Miss Prom or your own prom? Feel free to tell your own little prom story while we're here. Tell me what story of my prom. Um I don't know. I went to prom. Here's what I think is

13:07 actually really funny about anything about like allowing you to bring your date to a prom. I went to an all girls school. So like I don't even understand the mechanism for somebody like checking that someone is your date. Like there was never like a check-in of being like and this person is my date. Like we all just went together to prom. I can tell you I can tell you exactly how and why this is a plot point because my school had the exact same thing. But we'll get to it. Oh, interesting. Okay. So my point is like people went SAG, people went with a group, people went whatever to prom and you just like people did invite also dates, but it just didn't it I feel like even though I went to a very conservative Catholic school, you could have brought a samesex date because nobody would have been able to tell that that's what you were doing. Um I don't know. I went to prom. It was it was fun.

13:53 I don't really have any stories about it. This musical uh it's I heard it was coming out. I thought it looked terrible and I didn't watch it. And then I watch it for this and should I say my opinion or should we I liked it more than I thought I would. I had the same reaction. I didn't love it. I didn't love it, but I didn't I had a good time. I had a real I had a fun time. I had a nice pleasant plane experience. Yeah, R.J. Yeah. I didn't know anything about the show. I saw I remember it coming up. I saw it happen and but I just was not interested at the time. Um, I don't know why, but I was just like, "Oh, that's happening." I just knew that in the original Broadway, uh, Beth Levelvel was

14:43 DD. Um, and so that was kind of really the only thing I knew. And then when they announced that Netflix was doing it, I was just like, "Oh, okay, cool." But it didn't. And what about your prom? What about your senior prom, R.J.? Um, my senior prom, which lucky gal got to go with you? I went with my friend Amber. She tussle. Yeah. Um she and I competed together uh in speech and debate, so we were both drama girlies. Um and it was like a like it was just purely like let's let's like go together. Let's It was more like because she wasn't uh at the school that I go to, it was like would do you want to come to like our school's prom. So it was kind of like that. Um yeah, that was that great. them. Um, I went to prom

15:32 with my boyfriend at the time whose name was Eric. Um, we wore blue and yellow and we had like coordinating vests and ties. It was very cute. Um, I don't I don't remember. I went to I technically went to multiple proms cuz I had a junior prom. I went to I went to prom sophomore year cuz I had a boyfriend at the time who was a senior. M. So, I went to prom sophomore year, junior year, senior year, and then when Eric was a senior in his high school, cuz he was a year behind me, I came back from college and went with him to his prom. So, I went to prom four times. Yeah, some kind of a big deal. Yeah. I We also cuz like the boy school had military ball, which like their prom. So, I went to like multiple cuz we had like junior and senior and then also like you would go to the boys school

16:17 prom and it was Yeah. A lot of dances. Lots of dances. Um the movie pretty much the same. I don't remember I didn't remember anything from the show on Broadway and when I realized how long it ran then I was like oh that makes sense. And then the movie came out and I didn't watch it cuz I was like this seems I think we were all at this point we were very all in an anti-James Gordon kind of space. And so I think that um and you know what we're boy will we be talking about James Gordon today. I'll tell you what, he will definitely be coming up. Mhm. Uh but I just didn't watch it, but it was like it was good. Just good. Yeah. So, let's talk about the history. So, this is an original concept that is

17:03 inspired by true events. Specifically, the 2010 It Womba County School District prom controversy. That is the title of the Wikipedia article if you want to go look it up. Here are the quick facts about the 2010 It Womba County School District prom controversy. In 2010, Constus McMillan, who was a lesbian in high school in Fulton, Mississippi. 2010. That's our That's our senior year. Oh, yeah. I think she's a I think she was a junior um because she ended up transferring to another school. So, I think she ends up graduating 2011 is my guess, but I didn't check to be sure. She's either junior or senior. Uh she wants she asks in December of 2009 the school principal if she's allowed to bring her girlfriend to prom and the principal says no. Um

17:49 and we had the same rule. So the reason like you could buy couples tickets to prom or you could buy single tickets to prom. And if you bought a couple ticket, it was less than if you bought two singles tickets to promote people going as couples cuz we like really want to make sure that teenagers are coupling up. Like what a weird set. I don't know. But that was like the same thing in our high school too. So it was like it was like 60 bucks or like No, I think it was like 50 bucks for a couple's ticket and then like 30 bucks each for singles tickets. Wow. Okay. So, um, because of this, you couldn't, the rule was is you couldn't bring a friend. Like, you couldn't be a same sex cuz you weren't supposed to bring friends because they wanted to get the money out of like whatever. It's all very stupid when you

18:34 think about it. But we rule. Yeah. I also brought a friend to my prom. I brought I brought a boy, but it was somebody I was just friends with. So, like in this rule, I would have broken the No, but I would have been allowed cuz he was a boy. Yeah. Because I think like my sophomore year for mid-inter we had the same rule and s no the prom the prom my sophomore year that I went to I didn't go with my boyfriend at the time I went with his girl his friend who was a girl because she had to like put my name down and it had to be opposite gender. So like we still went as a group and everything and it was fine but like it's very weird. It's very weird. So um yes. So that was the reasoning from the beginning. She still ends up inviting her girlfriend. In March, the school board shuts down the prom. Um, and due to her trying to get a ticket and being

19:21 told no. Okay. And then, uh, in on March 10th, the ACLU filed a free speech lawsuit on her behalf. So, First Amendment girlies, Rita, Rita, um, ACLU, ACLU, Rita, Rita's not doing ACLU, honey. Um, and then on March 23rd, a judge rules in favor of the plaintiffs, but does not rule that the school board should reinstate the prom because by this point, a private prom had already been scheduled. So then the private prom ends up being cancelled due to parents who were funding it not wanting to be sued for not selling her the tickets even though it was a private event. So they canled the prom. It was like March 30th. And then the next day, the new prom

20:08 was planned and like announced in the in the town paper that it was going to happen at the Fulton Country Club. And when that date arrives, uh, Constance McMillan, her girlfriend, and five other students, two of whom had learning disabilities, all attended that prom. And there was a second prom held in a separate town that was like a private event. So, this is all real, which is insane. Yeah, it's like gross cuz like in the in the movie you're like god that would be so horrible if that truly happened but luckily it's a movie and this has never happened and then you're like oh god so a separate prom is held in the community of evergreen and although publicly students who attended lot or like had stories of saying oh it was just a birthday party or oh it was just a private little party

20:53 we had Facebook posts and albums referred to the event as prom so obviously they were all thinking about as prom. For younger listeners, there was a time when high schoolers used Facebook and albums were a big part of that experience. There was nowhere else to put. You would take your digital camera, you take all your photos, and then you just batch upload them all in one time. That photo album was the entire encapsulation of your identity in that week. You tag every single person in every single photo. Oh my god. So, um, later, McMillan ends up transferring out of the school to a high school in Jackson, Mississippi due to the controversy and the students blaming her for the events around the prom. Um, and then in July, the school district settles out of court, paying $35,000 to

21:40 Constance McMillan. And then on the celebrity side of things, this like kind of blew up. Dan Savage talked about it on his um, Sex Advice podcast. Ellen, she went on the Ellen show and was gifted a $30,000 scholarship. Wanda Sykes um was winning a GLAAD award, I think, that year or something like that. And you can apparently at the glad awards the winner of the like the winner of the like the best best gay of the year award, whatever, whoever that is, they get to pick whoever presents them at the award. So, Wanda Sykes reached out to Constance and Constance present her the award. Um Perez Hilton invited her to his birthday party and like on his dime like he flew her out and then um Lance Ba she ended up like meeting

22:25 with Lance Bass to do like this documentary about gay people in Mississippi because Lance Bass is famously from Mississippi and then she was also the grand marshall of the 2010 New York City Pride March. Wow. So she had a real experience with this whole situation. What a what a who's who of the 2010s celebrity landscape. And sorry young listeners, this is when we still liked Ellen. Big Ellen. We were still in big Ellen culture at the time. Yeah. Yeah. We were all watching her, you know, videos of uh her her staff going into haunted houses. You know, we were all laughing at all those compilations she was having on. Um what are those? Yeah. This or no, what was the guy with the shoes?

23:11 There was like a vine of like the white and the white bands. Yeah, they had him on the hot target. She had Yes. She would always pick out the the hot moments. And by she, we just mean her producers. Producers. Yeah. Okay. So, that's the backtory. So, then the prom uh is music and lyrics are by Matthewclar and Chad Beulan. The book is by who also did um by the way they had made uh the wedding singer and elf at this point the musicals. The book is by Bob Martin and also Chad Bulan. Bob Martin had done the book for the had co-written the book for the drowsy chaperone and he was also the man in chair in that original cast. Oh okay.

23:56 Um and then I'm getting the gay sensibilities of this. Yes, I do think the book is the strongest part of this whole thing. But, uh, the premiere, it premiered in Atlanta originally in 2016 at the Alliance Theater for about a six week run and then it moved to Broadway in 2018, was only open for a year, and then had a 2021 US tour and a 2022 Mexico City uh, run. And, um, at the Tony's, it was not it was nominated for a bunch of stuff and didn't win anything. Best direction of a musical. Best leading actress for both Beth Levelvel and Caitlyn Kenunan uh who played um Emma. Best leading actor in a musical for Brooks Ashmanskis who plays Barry. Uh best

24:43 original score, best book of a musical, and best musical, but again did not win any of them. And then the general criticism of the show on Broadway was that it has a very uneven second act, but it's very funny overall. The book is pretty good. Um, a lot of positive reviews, mid middling to positive. Um, it wasn't it wasn't like anyone's favorite show, but they were like, "It's good, it's sweet, it's an original concept, blah blah blah blah." Mhm. I do have to also point out this timeline that this debuts uh in Atlanta in 2016. So, this is we're we Trump has not won the presidency. Um, and then it opens on Broadway in 2018, kind of post the MeToo wave. I just think there's a lot of things that happen between probably when this was like originally developed

25:28 obviously even and then like when it gets to Broadway and then obviously even when it gets to become a film. So cuz it feels even though this movie comes out in 2020 it feels like an Obama era show. Mh. And so when I was looking at the timeline, I was like, "Ah." Mhm. The idea that you could just go to a mall and be like, "The Bible says a bunch of things that you don't follow." And they're like, "You're right, diva. We're going to have to We're going to have to talk about that scene. We're going to have to talk about it." It does in in the year of our Lord 2025. It feels like such a small potatoes issue. Like it just is so Yes. Yeah. Not the thing that we need to be worried about right now, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so The Prom, uh, the film,

26:17 it's directed by Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee, creator of Nift, creator of Pose, creator of the American Horror Story, creator of Feud, creator of American Crime Story. Mhm. I think that's pretty much all the big ones. Um, what was that? Nene Leak show, the new the new normal. Creator of the new normal. Uh, creator of Hollywood, which was that Patty Leone show on Netflix. Okay. Screenplay by Bob Martin and Chad Bulan. So, it's the same uh bookw writing team. Um, produced by Ryan Murphy, Alexis Martin Woodall, Adam Anders, Dory Baronstein, and Bill Damashi Damashka. Stars Meyer Street as Dee Allen, James Cordon as Barry Glickman, Nicole Kidman is Angie Dickinson, Keegan

27:03 Michael Key as the principal, Mr. Hawkins. Andrew Ran is Trent Oliver. Uh Joe Ellen Pelman, the newbie as Emma. Uh Ariana Deose plays Alyssa Green. Tracy Alman is Mrs. Glickman, Barry's mother. Kevin Chamberlain plays um Oh, I missed that one. Harold, the agent. The agent. I don't I didn't write his character name down. I missed that one. Mary Kay Place plays Mrs. or Grandma B, who is Emma's grandma. and Carrie Washington plays Mrs. Green, the head of the PTA. Uh, cinematography is by Matthew Libertique. It is edited by Peggy Tajian and Daniel Wang. Music is by Matthewclar and David Clots. Uh,

27:48 production company is Ryan Murphy Productions, distributed by Netflix. It was released on December 11th, 2020. It is 131 minutes and the box office says it made $187,000. Um, but it was released in like just a couple theaters the way Netflix does just to like qualify for awards, but it was just released on Netflix, so we don't have any actual facts about that. Allegedly, it was like the second most watched thing on Netflix in the first week of its release and then dropped to number 10. Okay. But also, I don't even know if those numbers are ever. Those are all made up. Um, Ariana Grande was initially cast as Alyssa. Interesting. Oh, and she was also supposed to produce the soundtrack, but ended up having to drop out due to the Sweetener tour uh conflicting with the uh production.

28:34 Aquafina was originally cast to be the manager, the agent that feels more of like a Hollywood agent move than like a Broadway producing agent. Yeah. Um and she ended up dropping out for We Don't Know Why. And so that's when they brought in Kevin Chamberlain. And then filming began on December 11th, 2019 and it was suspended on March 12th, 2020. But only 2 days were left of shooting that resumed in July. And it was only second second unit stuff. So all the none of the leads, so it wasn't wasn't anything too crazy, but they did technically get suspended. Wow. They almost made it at the Golden Globes. Um I don't remember. Was this the Golden Globes where we canled them or were they still going or I don't remember. Was it which I don't know. I watch. It was one of the pandemic ones, I think. There was

29:20 one that was like they didn't have the the Golden Globe. It was the one that Do you know? Yes. Yes. Yes. It was the one where um MJ Rodriguez won for pose. Oh, I didn't. Yeah, cuz they just awarded her, I think. So, this was nominated for best motion picture musical or comedy and best action, best actor in a motion picture musical comedy was nominated to for James Cordon. So his his performance was so delectable to the Hollywood Ford and Press Association that they nominated him for this award for this performance. So um with all of that background established, let's talk about the prom. Why the [ __ ] is James Cord?

30:08 Okay, wait. So I think that at the beginning of this movie this is a good use of your cordon. I think I think that this is the kind of role in some parts of it that is very good for him. Haming comedic performance big performance big where I think it we lose this and I suspect you agree with me is that James Cordon is known for being a very flamboyant straight man and This is a story about a man ultimately reckoning with the trauma of how he was treated during his coming out. And that's not an experience that James Cordon has dealt with. And I think that that is where you

30:54 say, hm, of all the actors, why would we pick the one straight man that would be appropriate in the role otherwise? Yeah. The problem I mean genuinely I think it's like I I think my issue with it came I definitely the issue is for sure that he has to like go through this like trauma or whatever which I didn't know was going to happen. I didn't know that that's where this character was going to go. When it started I was like okay I you know what I like Cordon in this role whatever he's gay like I you know that that's fine. I didn't realize it was going to turn into like a real heartfelt plot line about that. Yes. and he started using it, relating it to Emma, and then having to go through it himself because it's like after Emma, I would say the next main story line of like of like dealing with with the trauma. He's for sure the second lead. Yeah. It was

31:40 like, oh, I don't know. Because every time I looked at him, it I was like, I'm watching you pretend. And I'm I'm a person that like I don't need obviously like someone who is that specific identity to portray that a thing, but because it's so pointedly about that experience that I was like you could literally cast any other I don't even think it's that I mean it's so complicated because while I agree I think like more people who are gay should be allowed to portray gay roles and I think it can get exhausting when we like remark on how remarkable it is that a straight person was able to like be sad and gay or be mitt and gay. Like incredible that they can do that. I I get frustrated, but I I understand that there's not one reason why you cast

32:26 someone, right? Like there's there's a multitude of factors. Okay. My issue with this casting, and I think it I started feeling frustrated from the beginning, is a Andrew Randles is right there. Let Andrew Randles play the [ __ ] role. Yeah. And B, it's that they're all the actors are stereotypes of those performers, those top stock Broadway performers. So, we have the diva, we have the effeminite gay guy, we have the guy who won't shut the [ __ ] up about Giuliar, about his like training, his classical training, and then we have um theor everlasting chorus girl. Yeah. Yeah. This is supposed to be funny. My issue is like it does a little bit. It it makes sense why Ryan Murphy is tapped to direct this because it has a lot of that Glee sensibility of like we're

33:12 taking the stereotypes but we're like finessing them and see what seeing what else is there underneath because obviously these are all people at the end of the day. The issue is like I he is like playing the stereotype and then has to it's it's that they want him to play the joke of the stereotype but then also have the heartwarming experience. And I was like, if he was just playing the stereotype, I could be like, fine. But it's it's that it's that they want him to do both that I'm like, well, you can't that's not how this, you know, that's I didn't agree to this. Like he can't make fun of the the flop floppy gay guy, but then also be like, but he's got a heart of gold. Yeah. I don't And that he's such a he's such a celebrity, too, that like that was I'm sure one of

33:58 the selling points was him. And that I know that you could get like Neil Patrick Harris in there. Like there are so many other choices that are gay men that couldn't like there's so many there's so many out gay people in Hollywood now. Like and also I mean you can still get the original like you could get Harvey Firestein to do this who I would like you know like the people who were kind of this stereotype and like made their career being kind of a big a big character like that in real life. I mean it doesn't it doesn't we're this is post cats so there is definitely like we're in the full we're at this point when this comes out we are in the full backlash to James Gordon like it fatigue well that's the thing there it almost feels now like oh this is kind of like a redemption for him to be like look I am

34:45 in this if this is post cats do you know what I mean like casting James in this is like a there's a redemption quality of him like being coming I suspect that he got cast in this before cats came before it was already kind of like in the works. I don't think it was cuz I think if we're trying to do a comeback, this is not because of the she's going to put it out the world that you want to pick. No, I could see James Gordon having a comeback. I don't I He is He is away from me now and so I'm ready for little of him again. He's physically. Yeah, I did with that, but like I think that at the time of Cats, I was like, he's everywhere with these like crosswalk musicals, blah blah blah. And now I'm finding him very grading in Cats and there's like there's too much of this man and he he needs to be a little sprinkle on top and not the full Sunday. But it's not the role for

35:31 redeeming because of this problematic element of us all being aware of the fact that he's like known for being a flamboyant straight man. Mhm. You know what I mean? Like it's also a thing he's known for is part of the problem. If he just happened to be a straight man, maybe that would be a little bit less grading. I don't know. We are on the four. This is the fourth Meyer Street movie that we've covered on this podcast. Wow. This is the fourth James Cordon movie we've covered on this podcast. This is the second Nicole Kidman. Nine was the first one. Oh, I'm sorry. Third because Mulan Rouge. Oh, right. Mulan Rouge and nine. Yeah. And now this. Keegan Michael Key ones. Have we done? I think he's at five. That's the crazy one. I think he's like is the lead. I've said this, but I think he is an unsung hero of the resurgence of

36:18 musical theater in film and television. really likes musical theater. Yeah, he loves it. I'm so here for it. I think he's this character in real life. Yeah, I know. I think he wasn't acting. Um I think my to finish this bit about Cordon cuz you don't want to talk about him. I really don't want to talk about him anymore, but I'm sure I'll bring him up again. Um I just think that like my biggest issue, let's let's put aside the casting decision of it all. I just don't think he's like having there's not enough gay joy. There's not enough gay wit that's like it's all he performing like he I can see him performing. He has a lot of funny lines and he's very good at delivering comedy. I'm not I am not arguing that. I'm not an insane person,

37:05 but I think there's a way where like especially like I I would let me speak for myself. I feel like when I joke around with girls, I'm always trying to get them to like laugh and like giggle because I just like making women laugh. Like I that's the only people I talk to are women. It's fine. But I feel like there's an element of like he's he's never trying to like it's the gay the gay the character that he's portraying is that kind of gay guy who always just does a bit to like make the people around him laugh, but it doesn't feel like that's part of his character story. like he's just like saying the funny lines because they're coming to him off the cuff. It's not because he's like like there should be a part for me that feels like there should be a part of that element to that character that like reaching for the connection with another

37:52 person reading the reaction especially with like Emma especially Yeah. Yeah. because I don't know why she's like she ends up saying like you're the only person in the world I would want to take to prom at some point in this movie. And I'm like you've had three conversations and like granted like suspend the disbelief, right? They've had other conversations that I've not to, but like I don't find him trying to like be charming enough with her because while yes, him and Dee are both supposed to be characters that are narcissists, his turn is supposed to be much earlier than Dee. Like he's supposed to kind of realize it even before like cuz Dee has the moment when they realize that it's the wrong prom where she's like this is actually this is bad for me in my publicity. So, she's still on the like publicity train, but he's already

38:37 started to be like, "Oh, I feel so I'm going to like cry." Like, he's already started to have that change of heart. I do think Dee is like starting to have the change of heart. It's just that he's kind of fully turned by then to be Yeah. You think that it's totally still publicity for her when I don't think it is, but I think she's still she's holding on to it more. It feels like as soon as he meets Emma that he's already like, "This is all about I'm gonna make your dream the person." And it feels like it's when he it's when he finds out about her not being at home. That's when he like is like, "Oh, she's she's just like me." But I never felt that connection of like they're like each other. I I want to take this opportunity to talk about the decision plotwise to have Emma have been kicked out when she came out. Sure. I want to make the case that

39:23 I think it would be strong stronger dramatururgically if Emma's parents had maybe been not totally on board but ultimately accepted her so that then her conflict was with Alyssa could be a little bit more heightened of oh maybe Emma doesn't quite get what it's like to have a parent who like truly wouldn't accept it when you come out because I think I think that Alyssa just comes across Ross is this like horribly selfish character basically because she's telling Emma like you don't understand how much pressure I'm under and how perfect I have to be and blah blah blah and we see that like her literally been kicked out a lot but like Emma literally got kicked out when she came out to her parents like Emma 100% understands this knows the potential consequences and like lived her life

40:08 truly regardless of that and I think it would be more interesting for Emma. Emma's kind of like a little too perfect. I feel like it'd be more interesting for her if she was having trouble empathizing with Alyssa because she had had a smoother coming out process. I wish that they had made the visual characterization of Emma more butch because then I feel like then it's there's then it gets less into the being like oh well she just decided to come out and more that it was like it was painfully obvious that this is not the child you think she is. And so like there's like an element. Yeah. I that was like my big thing. I so the girl who plays um Emma Joe is that what her name? Emma Pel

40:54 Joe Ellen. So she's I actually really like this performance. I think she's wonderfully charming in this. Um and she is actually uh queer in real life which is cool. And the original um from the from the music from the Broadway version is also uh queer. So I'm that's I love that. Very happy that that I guess Joe Ellen her she's queer and her mom's are her mom is gay. Like her mom's a lesbian. Wow. So, she's like very like I guess she had her audition and told her little story or whatever and Ryan was like, "We don't have to audition anymore, people. This is this is the girl." Yeah. Um, but I agree that there is I mean I think there's something I'm like I I still like am trying to like process through with the Carrie Washington of it all. Like I think it's miscast. Like I

41:42 think Carrie Washington's good in this. I don't think she gives a bad performance obviously. I don't think Carrie Washington has the ability to give a bad I don't think she can, but I don't know why they made her black. I'm sorry. The I'm sorry. And I don't want to like be like this is about race, but like the head of the PTA in Indiana anywhere in the state is going to be a white woman or like someone who is white. Like, and I think maybe they were trying to not wade into those waters and so they were like, "Anyone can be homophobic or whatever, but like sure, but that's not I don't know. I just felt like I was like, is it because they wanted I was like, oh, it must be because they wanted there to be like an interracial it's an interracial couple in the middle." I don't know who that I

42:28 mean, I know the the mom in the original one was white, the Mrs. Green in the Broadway version. Um, but I think they just ended up I mean or they just wanted Ariana Deose. Well, it was originally Ariana Grande, which is insane, by the way. They probably cast Alyssa before they cast Mrs. Green is my They did. They did. I do think we should make sure that the listeners know that Adam did in fact grow up in Indiana. I think we forgot to include Adam. Adam has the subject matter experience. So, when he's saying that the head of the PTA is going to be white, he's not just stereotyping about the Midwest. Um, no. I'll st I mean I can stereotype about Indiana. I mean it is every day. Yeah. Uh there's part of this is very true. Um it was very funny this whole movie being set in Indiana because I

43:14 don't know how I was trying to think about how many musicals are set in Indiana and I couldn't Gary Indiana is referenced in music. Did it feel like New York types writing about a town that they didn't really actually know like or did it feel to some extent? Yes. There's a bit of the like, oh, the general heartland kind of narrative, but in the like in defense of New York or whatever, a lot of the Heartland is the same. Like you can go to Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio and you're going to get a pretty equivalent experience across multiple places in those states. So, like I'm not saying that it's like not Hooser specific or whatever, but I do think this movie I do think what is very strong about this story and I originally was like, "Oh, no. Is it really just the

44:01 the New York liberals are right right and the the people in the middle of the country are wrong." And because they have these characters who are like a mess and like Barry and DD are like narcissists or whatever that there's like enough enough in there that it's like it doesn't feel like it's a comment on an entire region. It's just like a because the story is so narrowly focused on this one instance of this one prom. like it doesn't feel like tribe like middle America has a lot of conservative issues it's also very frustrating as someone who's from there when people love to do the like oh they're just flyover states and it's like people have full lives there guys like well and I

44:47 think that the character of the principal really kind of saves that because he is he's this guy who appreciates art and is on M's side and is uh and and he's actually the one that solves the problem initially like like they're very clear to be like we start off with the PTA meeting and he's like I'm going to be bringing this as a civil rights issue and like like they're they're like solving the problem and dealing with it without the intervention of the Broadway stars and like the Broadway people are basically only useful in paying for the third prompt all they end up doing and and also in kind of like talking Emma up a little bit to like get her to tell her story. Um and so I think that it's effective her about Zaz and Zaz. Um, I think it's very effective in skewering those characters and skewering this sort

45:34 of like I mean it's the whole first act is just making fun of them for their like extremely out of touch misplaced efforts to like save this girl assuming that like nobody here supporting her which was it was fun hi jinx and I think that I appreciated as a former Midwestern liberal um formerly from the Midwest also formerly liberal as I did come out as the next now she's a 2028 Yeah, she's a SoCal conservative, honey. Yeah, a SoCal conservative. Um I I really appreciated having a nuanced character who was from the same place and still understood understood tolerance. Yeah. Yeah. He's able to be like, I I'm still here because I do feel like I have a calling here that I want to like serve the people from from here,

46:21 but I also can see like going to Broadway, going to theater is my way of coping. So that way I feel inspired enough to like live my daily life of where I am. And Emma's grandma, Emma's grandma takes her in when she gets kicked out. Like it's not this feeling of like everyone's against Emma. It's like and conflict. Yeah. I really liked when when um Mrs. Glickman comes um and she has which is insane that it's Tracy Man, but um what a wig. Let me tell you, Tracy Man will only just like Nicole Kidman. He read Nicole She read Nicole Gibbons's writer and was like, "Oh, let me get in on that. I am only performing in movies if you put a wig on me." Look up. I was like, I think that's Tracy Man, but I need to confirm that on Google. I need to look closer. Um,

47:07 remind me, I have to send you the link to this sketch Tracy Man did where she pretended to be um Dame Judy Dench and she like goes into a pottery shop and like throws everything. She like smashes everything and then she's like I can't believe it. Molly would know evil so that she did. Mhm. Um but I did like in that scene that I think there's there's some parts of this movie that I'm like it's simplifying this so much and it's very frustrating. But like to uh yeah to serve a purpose. To serve a purpose for sure. I'm they're not going to condense the entirety of gay gay rights in America in a 2-hour musical. No, that was Glee. That's what Glee did. Correct. Because it had seven seasons to do so. Um, no, they I really

47:54 liked when he was like, "Where's dad?" And she's like, "He's not there yet on this." I really liked that addition of being like, "I'm here. I'm reaching out. I know that he's not like it's it just felt like real and I was glad that it wasn't like and now we've both just come around even though you haven't talked to us in years." Like like the like the school kids who are like, "Oh, oh my god, the Bible is a fallacy." in the Bible. The Bible number. Um, okay. I liked I agree that I really liked I liked Tracy Olman's part of that scene. I didn't love the scene. Yes, I liked half of that. That monologue that lovely monologue scene. Yeah. But so this go this is so it's we had to talk about every everyone's talking about Jamie in this. So this is sort of like this. We have the same like we have a final prom where like everybody's dancing and it's

48:39 like which villains get to be redeemed and which don't. I felt like her being the at the prom though and him being like I'm so excited for you to be my date mom. I was like this is too much too fast. Like I'm glad the scene is here. I also don't love that like Dee basically like you know surprises him with this and he's like been very clear like I'm not interested in reconnecting with my parents. Yeah, but I was like I liked that the scene was like complicated and he was rejecting her at first and they come to sort of a place but like I don't know even like her being there but like a a more like you know hesitant kind of like maybe you're dancing but there's kind of this feeling of like but I'm not sure I can trust you. Do you know what I mean? Instead of like mom you're my favorite day to the prom. Like it felt like it went so fast

49:27 with the healing. I mean, this was the gay fantasia like turned on cuz it's it's the hairspray ending where it's like everyone everyone realizes their mistakes. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, I mean halfway through this movie screen also turns around which is like she was the literal person canceling. She was the literal person putting a stub to this. There was something about this. I mean I was watching this and I was like oh it's a hair it's hairspray bag. Yeah. Which is fine. Which is hairspray. Which is hairspray already. But I was like, that's fine because also like Hairspray also wraps up very neatly and like the Broadway musical specifically like the Von Tussles just are like we can we're dancing now. Like we're part of the fun. Like so dancing made us not racist anymore. Correct. Like that that is part of the charm of Hairspray. And I will

50:14 admit that that is like what is nice about seeing something so neatly wrapped up even though we all are aware it's like not real. I think there's two things. Weirdly because it's like a a contemporary piece. Like it's like very hard to be like I think it's easier with hairspray because it's like oh the 60s like it's a different time. They figured it out. We we wrote the civil rights bill and then we did we did the damn thing. Um and it's harder to do it when it's like contemporary because you're like well these are people that I know feel this way right now. And then also it there is no weirdly there is no What I think helps Hairspray in people being okay with the fact of its just like neat ending is the the uh what is

51:01 that song called? There's a road we must travel. The gospel number uh There's a light in the darkness. Queen Latifah number. The Queen Latifah number. Um because we get that like very somber serious tone of that like I know where I've been. I know where I've been. because we get that song of like we're striving for a better future and that's what we're all hoping for. You're allowed to have that ending because you've acknowledged that it is going to like be serious at some points. But I don't think there's like a moment there's like little moments for individual characters, but there's no like on mass everybody comes together and acknowledges like the seriousness of whatever. And I'm not saying that like a girl going to prom with her girlfriend is on the same level of like Jim Crow in the South, right? I'm not equivocating

51:48 those two things, but I think it would have been helpful to have like a serious like more intense moment. And I think this is what they tried to do with in a light-hearted version with the like Bible song. Okay. Yeah, we got to talk about the Bible song. People love the Bible song. The letter box reviews are all Bible song pro. I I I want to say you you criticized that Anthony Rand is right there, but I think we know why he's in this. I'm sorry, Andrew. I don't know why Anthony is there. Tony ran. Tony Tony ran sorry Book of Mormon is there and Tonyy's talking to the kids and so Tony look he's obviously famous for Book of Mormon. He's doing this gospel number like this is the kind of stuff very much an elder song. Yeah. Yeah. It is an elder song.

52:35 However, in the course of this song, he convinces four homophobic teens to stop being homophobic by giving them like three examples of ways that they're being uh hypocritical. Yeah. Which is true, but which is true. And as someone who has tried to have this conversation with people, people will never acknowledge that they are hypocrites. Like that's not how this works. It's not a good tactic. And they completely flip around. They apologize to Emma for bullying her. They go to the inclusive prom at the end. They're like they're they're at drag brunch. Like they're completely they're tipping Sasha Colby. It's a whole thing. Absolutely. Yeah. So I just it was like it was like they made fun the whole time about like these

53:22 silly Broadway liberals think they can just come here and tell people stuff and then it's like but he actually should just come here and tell people stuff because then they are going to listen to him. And they they make it at the end they make him the drama teacher at the end. I like I like the line of being like you don't have a drama department. No wonder there's no you have no empathy or whatever. I liked that cuz I was like that's true. But like but I was like this is that one was so neat that I was like I like listen the energy is great. I love the dance at the mall. love setting a mall food court like number Yeah. What? This isn't You're not convincing a teen anything. You're not convincing a teen. I think that they could have had him convince one teen. I think he could have had this group of four and the like

54:09 first girl who comes around, I think she could have gotten into it and had the rest of them be like, "I'm not sure about this." And then maybe by the end they show up at the prom and then you understand like okay she was the one that was the most kind of like had some questions about like is this really right and then she gets convinced and then maybe she talks to her friends and eventually she brings them around like that I could buy but like to get all of them is yeah I almost wish that it was like and I don't know what cuz I've never seen the original production. I know like some things obviously changed for this. Like I know like the grandma and Barry's mom aren't in the show in the stage version. They don't they aren't characters. They were added. Um but I I wonder I was like this would have been a great opportunity to Nobody

54:56 knows it's Alyssa. Only only they know it's Alyssa or the two of them. The the people who were Emma and Alyssa know it's Alyssa. So if Alyssa had been with them at the mall and he had been like included her and then she had been able to be like, "Wait, now's my chance to like agree and try to persuade them and then they tag team the song together." Interesting. Like that could have been interesting because then it's like another teen telling them and it's also a chance for her to like get confidence of like it's going to be okay. Explain why she ends up being able to help tell the story of her eventually coming out. Yeah. Because in the movie we see that the two cheerleaders who um are friends with Alyssa that they have figured it out and they're also kind of bullying Alyssa for it. But you could cut the idea of them figuring it out that it's

55:42 Alyssa and just have it come through this song. And then I think that I think that's a really smart idea. I mean they like they they only set it up that way so that they can't tell Alyssa of what happened of the second prom. So then she had she so then Emma doesn't know. But I think it could be more interesting that it all happens and she does know and she still doesn't tell Emma because she's still so scared to come out. Like I think that could still be interesting and like a valid like a teen thing to be like Yeah. It could just be like my mom is the organizer of the prom and she just drove me to the prom. Like I didn't realize like I feel you could have a pretty excuse still that she doesn't you don't need the friends to be lying necessarily. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um well let's go back. Okay. Well, let's listen. We keep talking about this Bible song and everyone is, you know, your mother

56:28 is like, "What Bible musical?" I think my mom has seen this actually. I think she told me she had. When you're lost, it always helps recortal words that Jesus said. There's one rule that trumps them all. Love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor trumps them all. Love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor trumps them all. Listen, it's a great song. You know, it is it is there. Sit down. You're rocking the boat. Why they chose the word Why they chose the word Trumps. I really wish that they would maybe do some metic on that one. I feel like

57:15 there are some synonyms we could just slip in there potentially cuz you can't even like use I just you only you don't only think about it but like now you definitely do think about it. Yeah. It's hard it's hard to just totally toot that out. I also think that this is maybe a song that works better on stage that that the what we're complaining about of the idea of turning the teens like might work better if they've been more of caricature villains on stage and not people that we've seen up close in the way that you do in a film, right? you know, so I'll give them I'll give them some potentially this is just the adaptation's fault uh leeway on this part of it. Yeah. So that's the song. That's the tea on the song. Good song. Um okay. So uh I want to talk about we

58:01 have to talk about Merryill Street. Yeah. Is she redeemed? My eyes is a question on what she did rejection from. Oh, come on. She's a mother. Grow up. Grow. Grow up. Molly. Out of you talk. And then I'll tell say if she's redeemed. I think that when this started I I she does not have the voice for this role. Unfortunately, she needs like a full belt and she sounds good, but it's not. I watched I looked up Beth Levelvel's um It's Not About Me from the original production and it's just it's so I should just I should just play it. I should just play it. Yeah, play it.

58:49 [Music] I want to tell the people of whatever this town's called. I know what's going on here. And frankly, I'm appalled. I read three quarters of a new story and knew I had to come. And unless I am doing the miracle worker, I won't play the the lyrics of I Googled three or I read three quarters of the news

59:37 article. It's so This is what I was like, "Oh, okay. Okay, they're going to do this with them." Yeah. There's There was like a The Broadway campiness of the actors really sh like they know exactly the references that they're going for. It's so specific and it just works cuz it's so like full on. Mhm. I wish that I could see this uh live now, seeing how much fun. Yeah, I know. I know. Um Um Okay, so then So, let's watch which I think I think she still does a a good job. I mean, Merryill can [Music]

1:00:25 play. Listen, you bigoted monsters. Just who do you think you are? Your prejudice and your repression won't get past this Broadway star. Seeing the right of a girl who is an LGBTQ I'd be far too angry to Google what mean. [Music] It didn't save it from Ali. She's not vindicated. She's not redeemed. Look, I I agree with R.J. that my critique is not the voice. I actually think her voice is more suited for this role than it was to Mam Mamame Mia. Mamia. Mamia. I can't even It's so so obvious

1:01:13 to me. I can't even say it. It's a national stain on Molly's just my personal consciousness. Um I I think that she has an over-the-topness she's bringing to the role that I think really works. Mhm. I enjoyed her chewing of the scenery. She is too old for this role. She's so old. She's so old. And then she has a she gets with Keegan Michael Key and I was like, there's 30 years. There's 30 years. There's it's it's like 20 maybe 25. I You know, Jenz hates that they think that you could do it, but then you need like a line where somebody acknowledges the age difference is the thing to me. Like it's not it's not like impossible, but like no one comments on

1:01:59 the fact they're like, "Wow, he really likes you." even though like a little bit of a cougar like something something to acknowledge. He is 54 right now and she is 75. I mean I assumed he was like 40. I assumed he was like in his Yeah, he kind of reads younger I think is part of the problem too. Um so probably they were like 50 and 70 when this was um happening happened when they were filming. Um but yeah, it's it's weird. It's weird that it's not. It kind of works because she's supposed to be like this kind of longtime Broadway star. She has two Tonies, so like you understand she's had a long career and everything, but it's it's just weird that nobody reads her age. It reads Sunset Boulevard. It reads like he is like so much younger. It doesn't read that it doesn't read that much younger. Let's calm down. But but it does feel like

1:02:44 she's from a different era cuz like the way she talks about her h her ex-husband or whatever like it feels like she was like a like an Elaine Stretch type. Mhm. And like she looks 70. She looks her age and like Mel. She looks like a 70-year-old. Yeah. Yeah. And she's move hustling around that set and she looks like she's Mel strip Mel strip looks great. This is an insane thing for me to be showg like obviously Merryill's incredible like she's one of our greatest living actresses. I can't say anything new. My favorite thing about Meil Stre and this has also been talked to death about with from other people since the dawn of millennia, but like I love the way Merryill will read a line

1:03:30 unlike anyone else would ever deliver a line. Like the way she delivers is so uniquely Merryill Street, but it doesn't it still feels like real people talk and it doesn't feel like a delivery. Like it's just like off the everything is so off the cuff. That's why all of her jokes are so funny because they're so understated. Yeah, I just Yeah, it was I was like, why are you so old? Here's the other thing I found

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