Rebooted
Four film majors finally put their degrees to good use. Join us as we dive into revived cult classics, modern missteps, and live-action cash grabs in an attempt to tackle the single most important question in modern cinema: Did that really need to be REBOOTED?
Rebooted
Mean Girls
Ever wondered how the iconic "Mean Girls" would translate into a musical set in 2024? You're in for a treat! Join us as we embark on the premiere episode of season three, with a critical and nostalgic tour of "Mean Girls" and its latest musical remake. We'll dissect the film's essence, from Tina Fey's timeless humor to the intricate dynamics of high school cliques, while also debating the role of characters like Janice and Regina. Is the new musical a worthy successor, or does it fall flat? Tune in to find out!
Ready to see your favorite "Mean Girls" characters in a new light? We've got you covered! Listen as we analyze the nuanced portrayals of Gretchen, Damien, and Janice across both the original film and its reboot. Our humorous comparisons, like likening "Mean Girls" cliques to "Star Wars" factions, add a fun spin to our discussion. From costuming and sexualization to social media's role in modern bullying, we'll break down how these changes impact the story. You'll also hear our light-hearted reflections on the iconic moments that the reboot missed and the implications of these omissions.
In our final segment, we delve into the central conflicts that drive the "Mean Girls" narrative. We dissect the motivations behind Katie, Regina, Janice, and Damien's actions, pondering whether Janice's anti-hero role was by design or circumstance. As we compare the musical adaptation to the original, we reveal our mixed feelings about the casting choices and the changes introduced. Wrapping up, we share our excitement for upcoming releases, including some promising films and TV shows. Don't miss out on this entertaining and insightful episode that blends humor with thoughtful critique, sparking nostalgia and curiosity in equal measure!
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Welcome to Season 3 of Rebooted, where four former film majors making a podcast about Hollywood's favorite pastime rebooting, recooling and nostalgia-milking every movie except Back to the Future. I'm Andrew, former film major and now a director of marketing.
Speaker 2:I'm Jessica, former film major and now a barista.
Speaker 3:And I'm Rob, former film major and also a director of marketing.
Speaker 4:I'm Mike, former film major and now I'm a software engineer.
Speaker 1:In this episode we've returned to high school, befriended some plastics, avoided the band nerds and narrowly avoided getting hit by a bus in the Tina Fey penned double trouble, double feature, double mean girls.
Speaker 2:You go, Glen Coco. What you go, Glen Coco? Did you watch the fucking movie?
Speaker 3:I mean, I could barely tell what you were saying there.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry you go glenn coco glenn coco get in loser.
Speaker 1:We're going shopping which they didn't say in the reboot no, it's also not october 3rd loser.
Speaker 3:Also not October 3rd was it supposed to be for the movie release or just in general she gets excited because he asked what day it is and she says it's October 3rd.
Speaker 2:On October 3rd he asked her what day it was and she said it's October 3rd.
Speaker 1:I find it hard to believe he didn't know the day by the time he got to calculus.
Speaker 2:Okay, listen, you know. I don't know if she says it in the original, but in the remake she says you're in AP calculus. You know more math than 85% of the people. And I'm like then why is he here? Because he's dumb? Why is he in AP calculus?
Speaker 4:Well, he's smarter than 85% of the kids in the school. You can be dumb by AP Calculus standards and still be pretty damn smart.
Speaker 1:That's true, that's right, right. What do they call?
Speaker 4:a person that graduates bottom of the class in med school.
Speaker 2:Doctor.
Speaker 4:Doctor Seuss, all right, well, I want to welcome everyone to what we're calling.
Speaker 1:Season 3. We realize this means Season 2 was only like 13 episodes or some unlucky number like that, but we've got several big changes so it felt right to start a new season. The first change, as I'm sure you've all noticed from the intro, is the old boy Shaken. Jake has stepped back for now. Shaken.
Speaker 4:Jake Shaken Jake.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I can't wait till he hears this Also in line with that, we are reforming ANDAC into a new company named Jammer, which is spelled J-A-M-R. You'll be able to find us online at jammerfun. We'll talk about more of these exciting developments at the end, so make sure you stick around after I give my scientifically accurate pH ratings.
Speaker 1:We're not doing that anymore. That's one of the changes we're doing. That's what you think I'm editing. You're just doing that anymore. That's been cut. That's one of the changes we're doing. That's what you think I'm editing and you're like no, you don't understand.
Speaker 3:It's in the script. I have all the power here.
Speaker 1:I kind of do so. Anyways, Jess, why don't you go ahead and kick us off with a summary?
Speaker 2:step into the halls of North Shore High, where high school politics are as cutthroat as they come. Mean Girls follows Katie Heron, a new girl from Africa, who quickly learns that fitting in is more complicated than she imagined. She finds herself tangled in the world of the plastics, a trio of fabulously cruel queens led by Regina George. With fighting humor and sharp social satire, the film reveals the intense dynamics of teen cliques, popularity and the perils of trying to climb the social ladder. Fast forward to the 2024 version, where the high school drama gets a whole new twist. Literally, the musical adaptation takes the classic story and jazzes it up with catchy songs, eye-popping choreography and a fresh, vibrant energy. While it keeps the core story of Katie's journey through the plastics and the social minefield of high school, it adds a new layer of musical magic to the mix. In both versions the message is clear Navigating high school is tough, but with a little self-awareness you can turn the tables on the meanest of clicks.
Speaker 1:All right. So, kicking off Season 3, we're going to go ahead and take a little bit more of a question and answer through our protagonist-antagonist, central conflicts, points of nostalgia, kind of building on what we did with Season two and what worked and what didn't work. So, starting off, I want to talk to you guys about our protagonists and our antagonists and in our notes, you know, both Jess and I, as we're watching the movie, I made what I'm certain some, including, I'm sure, the writer Tina Fey, would consider a hot take. You know, this is the old dead meat Hot take in quotes Regarding the antagonist in the films. I mean, obviously Regina is the primary antagonist, but I would postulate that Janice is the other antagonist. You know, not only does she set up Katie as a spy but refuses to call her by her name, at least in the, in the remake, um, and participates in many of the, you know mean girl s qualities. So I kind of want to what you know. What are your guys thoughts on this characterization?
Speaker 2:I've definitely seen people on, like the internet, you know, go that route. But yeah, I feel like that's something that's really even. That's especially. It's not brought up in either movie. Um, I mean, katie kind of says it, but then she's like, oh, yeah, she's like well, because she says about you're obsessed with me, which is yeah, but it is. It is something that like, in the end it's just like she's the quirky girl who you know got taken advantage of by both her friends. It's like no, but she is the one that started all this, like she's the one that encouraged Katie to be friends with them so she can get dirt and stuff. And she does like she is mean to people and stuff and it's like you can't.
Speaker 4:And Andrew said me and Andrew were talking about it earlier it's like she took the naivete of Katie and just manipulated her into getting what she wanted and, of course, it backfired because they're teenagers yeah, I think the like you know I'm gonna call you katie like that that seems harmless to me, like that's just, you know, a quirk of her personality, is my opinion there and the rest of it. I think the argument that I would make is it's sort of leaning into the point of the story, which is, you know, nobody's innocent, right, like that's like a huge theme of the movie, especially with the like, the culmination and the big group apology and the one kid that doesn't go there.
Speaker 2:You know don't even go yeah, you don't even.
Speaker 4:She doesn't even go here. Um, like that's, like that's. The whole point of the movie is like nobody's innocent, everybody's a victim.
Speaker 1:Like figure out how to be nice to each other yeah, but wouldn't you say, though, that what janice did does in in that scene where she basically outs katie, as the, you know, tries to make her out to be the villain, isn't that in itself, uh, almost like the kind of thing that regina herself would? She's?
Speaker 4:not really trying to make katie the. She's not trying to make katie the villain there, she's just trying to expose the problem like she's had enough. She's at a breaking point, right, because she doesn't say katie did this, katie did that. She says we did this, we did that, like she's not throwing katie under the bus really, or at least not under a bus that she isn't throwing herself under as well I know a poor choice of words, given what actually happens.
Speaker 3:No, she didn't get thrown under the bus, that's the whole point that's true, but janice shares that, knowing that katie is the one with everything to lose, like janice knows that regina hates her already. And so janice being able to share all that stuff is is basically saying, yeah, you're who you thought was your friend, regina.
Speaker 1:Katie, she was the one, katie, as being oh yeah, one who put the burn book out there or whatever. You know, like I mean it really is an aggressive like. And then she sits there, says I have nothing to apologize for and flips them all off, at least in the musical version, and it was kind of like she does that in the original too. Whoa I? You know, I think you do have something to apologize for and you're not being a great person or friend either, but you know.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I just Janice is definitely like driven by revenge, which is not normally like a protagonist kind of thing. Right, not normally like. Sometimes it works that way and I think she throughout the movie, the new one, especially she what was that?
Speaker 4:what not driven by revenge?
Speaker 3:Anakin Skywalker says hello oh, how did it end up for Anakin, did he?
Speaker 4:did he start on fire?
Speaker 3:he might have killed children at one point he pretty clearly did kill children because Padme was all like my dream. I mean, you see, him go to the and bring his lightsaber out.
Speaker 2:He definitely killed them is there debate about that.
Speaker 3:I'm joking, it was.
Speaker 4:I was making it a little less to make a Star Wars reference at a group of nerds like it was going to go off the rails. That's on me.
Speaker 3:That's, that's my fault. I'm sorry everyone.
Speaker 2:Anakin Skywalker, a mean girl. Let's discuss.
Speaker 3:Yes, he was, yes, he was.
Speaker 2:Let's argue about whether the council were. His lightsaber is pink. Yes, he was. Let's argue about whether the council were a bunch of men or not?
Speaker 4:His lightsaber is pink.
Speaker 3:Yes, and I do see Janice pushing Katie towards revenge Because she knows how Regina does stuff, she knows her MO, she knows that she does things in her own self-interest and she knows eventually, even though in in her own self-interest, and she knows eventually even though in the in the meantime katie's not really spying like to hurt regina that eventually regina's gonna do something and it's gonna make katie just as mad as she is and I will tell you I don't remember specifically in the original, but I I will.
Speaker 1:I will say, the thing that really kind of like turned me against janice was earlier in the movie. Actually, it was when katie said no, I don't want to do anything to gretchen. You know, gretchen is, is fragile, she's gonna be, she's broken and and uh, janice like no, no, you need to keep this going. And and it was just like she pushed her against Gretchen, who probably really was or could have been a friend, an actual friend to Katie's in a different circumstance. And I thought to me, I was like it really made me like oh, I really don't like Janice. She's kind of like the other side of this. You know, there's the plastics and then there's the I don't really know what. Click Gretchen and Damien, they're the outcast, click.
Speaker 2:And I and it's it's definitely more actually confirmed in the second one. But like they're, like, I think, the queer outcasts.
Speaker 3:And they were kind of artists. Yeah, that was like their theater and Janice's art stuff, physical art.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was a theater clique though their own theater clique.
Speaker 3:There was a theater that had their own clique, which Damien was, you know. He liked someone from the theater clique, so maybe he lived in both those worlds. He was actually part of that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then in the original they were kind of, they were like goth.
Speaker 2:I would say Janice is kind of emo it was kind of indescript.
Speaker 1:Well, I feel like that was mainly because of Lizzie Kaplan in the role. And she just embodies that emo not so much goth, but that emo chick in almost every role she does. It was funny because Jess kept telling me she goes. You can't be mad at Janice. She was Moana I did. That doesn't actually mean anything.
Speaker 2:I was actually way more forgiving of this Janice, because she was Moana.
Speaker 4:It's a Disney princess, damn it.
Speaker 2:It's a Disney princess.
Speaker 3:She's all grown up now and causing trouble, just like every other Disney princess. Damn it, it's a Disney princess. She's all grown up now and causing trouble.
Speaker 4:Just like every other Disney princess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. That tracks for Disney princesses. From the little I know of Tron.
Speaker 4:Or at least the child stars, I guess.
Speaker 1:Star Wars. Now Princess Leia is a legit Disney princess.
Speaker 4:Han Solo is more of a Disney princess than Leia.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of Star Wars in this episode.
Speaker 2:C-3PO. C-3po is the princess of Star Wars.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, very much Passenger princess and a fan of Spaceballs.
Speaker 4:Guys which Star Wars character has a humanoid animal companion that he talks to? That's true, han. Solo Han talks to and that's true, han Solo. Han talks to and understands Chewie.
Speaker 1:I don't think Han is calling him an animal.
Speaker 3:Because technically Chewie is much older than Han. So really, han is the puppy dog in this scenario.
Speaker 1:The big droopy eyes puppy dog.
Speaker 3:Chewbacca is the owner. Palpatine would have a burn book.
Speaker 4:Anakin has a burn book, robin's. Right there, anakin is Gretchen, this is a third degree.
Speaker 2:Anakin is Gretchen Wieners because he has all this pent up stuff, but he's like the second.
Speaker 3:Or is Anakin sometimes. Karen, all this pent-up stuff, but he's like the second, or is he just.
Speaker 1:Or is anakin sometimes karen I I I felt bad for, uh, the actress in the in the remake because they made her really dumb like did you see the original?
Speaker 2:really dumb I feel like she wasn't as dumb.
Speaker 1:So just to clarify I didn't get to watch the the original as a to re-watch it for the episode. So I'm going back a few years remembering the film. I watched it. You know, I did see the the new one obviously, because it just came out this year, I don't know. I just I felt really bad for that actress. I was like, oh she's acting very stupid.
Speaker 3:I also felt like in this ep in this not this episode in this film versus the original, like I don't know if this is just because I'm older, but I felt like they were sexualizing the actresses a lot more in this one. I don't know if they were it's, if it's the costuming or whatever, but it felt a little weird and that may just be because I'm pushing 40 and I'm like more, like oh, yeah, I do think that's just a changing fashion, because the original did take place in 2004 and this one definitely took place now.
Speaker 2:So I think it's mostly I think it's what kids actually wear, but I actually think it's less sexual because they did remove a lot like. So they don't say boo you whore. They don't have that whole storyline with the coach having sex with the asian students and stuff, because they remove stuff to not have those in your face actions, but like still no.
Speaker 2:But like going back to saying about karen, not is like she was more stupid, that that was one of the things I was disappointed that they removed from the remake, where she didn't have espn and she didn't use her boobs to tell the weather. That didn't happen in the remake and I was very sad because that was a big part of karen.
Speaker 1:Karen, that was like maybe a part of karen I, you know, for me I think it was well. Fortunately, knowing that all these actresses are like in their mid-20s doesn't make it as awkward. So they're trying to. They're playing with their juniors, right? So that's like 16, 17, right? What age are juniors? I don don't remember anymore.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'd be like 16 or 17. I was 16.
Speaker 1:There was more of me thinking about my daughter as she's approaching. She's 10 years away from that right, but still I'm going like man. If people treat my daughter like this, there's going to be some heads on spikes at the high school. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I it, it's being a dad, more me being like, oh, if they're whatever well, I will say as the only woman here I will say even, especially as teenagers, but even as an adult, women are a different kind of mean than guys.
Speaker 2:Men insult each other to their face and with actual, just like blatant insults women are very women are very passive, aggressive and catty and they know what to say, to do the backhanded compliments. Like women know how to get in there and dig their nails in and do something, say the things that will really hurt someone but disguise it as a compliment or something. But like we know, we know.
Speaker 3:We know what's going on yeah, I do think that the new film really highlighted the new cultural landscape with social media and how people will just like dogpile on somebody once they've like been shunned yeah, I thought that was interesting with the uh, the the failed uh christmas routine or the the failed uh talent show routine.
Speaker 1:Is that, like you notice that all these people that were afraid to look at regina in the eye suddenly felt empowered to post stuff on social media? You know, again, still not looking her in the eye, but they felt empowered to make those comments then? And I think that was the other thing too, because kind of to me, being a almost 40 year old male, when she dropped the burn book in the middle of the floor and the girls picked it up and they're like, oh my gosh, it says that I put, you know, vodka in my flask or whatever. I was just like that inhaler in my hand. It's like. It's like okay. So some dumbass kid wrote something about you who gives, or why are you putting that on Twitter, or formerly known as X, and I?
Speaker 2:I would think that was tick tock whatever I mean.
Speaker 1:my, my point is it's that, like I guess it's because I'm so far outside of the you know giving a shit, I guess. But I'm like, oh okay, if you're so worried about these people saying this thing in a book, they probably said it on their tiktok about you already.
Speaker 2:You know this. It's not like it's good point in a book. It's suddenly more damning. You know it's interesting, though I did like you saying that, just when you realize I was like one of the things I noticed about that is in the you know the original. She makes a lot of copies of it and just like dumps them all out, like you know, from the top of the like whatever floor, and like just lets everybody get like a copy of it. But in this one it's just the literal book and then people are just like looking through and like putting it on TikTok. I'm like, yeah, that's it had to be. Like you didn't have I mean, people kind of had cell phones in 2004 but they didn't have this mat. Like you couldn't group chat and stuff.
Speaker 2:Or you know, like facebook wasn't a thing even like a school email, but yeah that was like right at the beginning, though then, like my space would have been more the thing. But yeah, so you did like. The way to do it then is to make a billion copies so everybody could see. And this is like you literally just have to have the one book and it spreads like wildfire.
Speaker 1:Although I will say speaking of 2004 versus 2024, I was just curious and I didn't see any trivia on this, so I'm guessing it's not true. But I noticed that Aaron Samuels had one of the new motorola razor flip or, uh, folding phones. I was like it would have been so great if aaron samuels would have, in 2004, had a razor phone and then now he had the razor back. Yeah, but I did.
Speaker 1:I could not find if that was the case, but it would be amazing, it was just crazy that 20 years ago those were the premium phones, but yeah yeah, I don't know, I the the thing like.
Speaker 4:So I went into this like kind of hope, a little bit hopeful, because I didn't really, I don't really like mean girls and I think you whore, you can't sit with that there it is I like I just are you wearing pants, mike? Yeah, no, I hate no shorts, gym shorts, which is basically like the shorts equivalent of sweatpants.
Speaker 2:But whatever, that's the men's version of sweatpants, no, I.
Speaker 4:So I think part of it is I saw it too late. By the time I saw it had been hyped up by a bunch of people that I know and people who like the same kind of movies that I like. They're like, oh, this movie is hilarious, it's great, I love it. I'm like like, okay, I'll go watch it. And then it was kind of just like whatever.
Speaker 4:But I actually kind of wonder, like there's part of me that wonders, like in hindsight, if part of my like dislike of this movie is that, like most of the humor is it revolves around like bullying people, like like that's where most of the humor comes from, is like this, like caddy game of revenge. And so I yeah, I don't know if I don't know if maybe there's like some subconscious thing there like it's not funny to pick on people and like if that's why I don't like the movie, I don't know. But and so I went in and did this once again, like maybe I like this better because I love musicals and you know, maybe that'll, like you know, liven it up, be something new. And then I found that myself the whole time watching it going. But why, like did? Did we really need the remake?
Speaker 3:why can't you people just get a?
Speaker 4:log. It's like why do we need the remake and why did it have to be a musical? And yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Tina Fey needed more money.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Because Tina Fey was trying to say that war, war never changes.
Speaker 4:War never changes.
Speaker 2:Teenage girls will still try to destroy each other. What disappointed me about the remake is that the original had that epilogue that showed you where everybody was. Karen got to be her the mace. She grabbed her boobs there's a 3% chance that it's raining right now and she's getting down for it on and then you see Regina playing lacrosse because she's able to get her anger issues out.
Speaker 2:You see that Gretchen actually made friends with the um, with the, like asian uh click, because I mean I don't know why, like that was connection. But like you know, she actually made friends with them. But it was like they also showed where the sophomores or that were going into the junior year were basically the new plastics. And then they got hit by the bus, even though they didn't really. But you see, like oh yeah, the cycle keeps going because even though they all resolved it in their junior year, like yeah, it's gonna keep happening. I mean like high school, when I was in high school, I mean it was all cattiness and stuff and it's still like that. It's not gonna change, no matter what what happens. And I was kind of disappointed that they didn't have that epilogue in there.
Speaker 1:I will say I was thinking about this as we were watching the movie. I, I know, throughout my entire high school career, many kids came and went. I never remember them standing them in front of the class and being like this is the new kid from this area and it's like it's like Hollywood has this area and oh yeah, that's a totally like it's like hollywood has this the worst perception of what high school is. Yeah, that was never done, never.
Speaker 1:All right, well, moving us along here, I want to uh talk about the central conflict and uh, you know we're talking about. Central to the story, um, really is not only the conflict between, you know, katie and Regina, but it's the Janice and Damien versus the plastics. And you know, one could argue that the introduction of Katie exposed the war that was brewing, I guess, but behind them. And so do you think that Regina or sorry, janice sought out Katie to use her as this final regent Regina, or do you think it was more happenstance than that? What do you guys think? Because it wasn't like she just plucked the new girl out of thin air. That was announced to everyone, because schools are weird in movies. She has this history with Regina and then she's able to use Katie to her nefarious means.
Speaker 4:I think Katie saw a potential friend in Janice and Damien's right because like their interaction was like you know, we're going to show you the ropes. And then she said why can't I just hang out with you guys? And I think that was the intention. And also, like, when like Regina showed up and you know was sort of like starting to like pull Katie in right, janice and damien were trying to like call her off that right, they were trying to pull her away, trying to stop that from happening. So I don't think she sought katie out. I don't think it was a deliberate I'm going to use this new girl to sabotage Regina George. But I think once Regina latched on to Katie, then Janice saw an opportunity to go. I can work with this.
Speaker 1:It's more of a circumstance than a plot right, it's more of a circumstance than a plot, yeah, so, building on that and talking about then our what I would call our second central conflict is between regina and katie herself. Do you think that by, uh, essentially having regina pitting her prodigy against herself, rita, uh, regina inadvertently sows the seeds of her own downfall?
Speaker 3:I think so. So she basically gets back with her ex-boyfriend just because Katie likes her Right.
Speaker 1:Just because.
Speaker 3:Just because and that is what sets Katie in motion, that's what makes her go back and go to Janice and Damien and say, Nope, we're going to. I'm mad at her now Like I don't. I've seen what, what you were talking about Janice, and now I'm going to burn her to the ground and sets in motion the whole plot.
Speaker 2:You know why Gina Regina did all that.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:You guys know why, why Regina did all that? Why? You guys know why she's a mean girl. Boom Piked her up.
Speaker 1:Roll credits.
Speaker 4:Roll credits that didn't even occur to me.
Speaker 3:Are you?
Speaker 4:going to play the.
Speaker 1:Dean, dean, but that's the thing, though, right. So did Regina not realize by, I guess? Did she think Katie was too weak to like? What game do you was? Was Regina trying to play, was it you know? Did she actually like Katie? Did she actually think Katie was pretty, or does she playing her from the beginning?
Speaker 2:She was the new girl who was, I mean, exotic and all that, and I think she was threatened by her and so she wanted to befriend her but to put her down in what she thought was her place yeah, I think that.
Speaker 4:I think that's what it is like. Regina thrives on having control and she saw somebody. And she saw somebody who, in her mind, fit with the group but was, you know, an outsider like katie, you know, especially in, even more so in the reboot, I think came off as very like, timid and, you know, reserved and like it. So she saw somebody who could, you know, fit in their but also fit very neatly under her thumb.
Speaker 1:But to what end? It ended up costing her her popularity.
Speaker 3:That's true, it was a miscalculation.
Speaker 2:I think she thought that she could take away. I think she thought that Katie could be more popular than her or whatever, and so she brought her in to you know, have her be part of the group, but also so she can keep her put, uh, put her down a notch anytime, that any, if she was ever gonna, you know so it wasn't so much as just being cruel, it was an intentional, uh way to corral her and control her, you think?
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it's like if she's going to be popular, if she's part of my clique, then her popularity is my popularity too.
Speaker 2:I also wonder if she saw her hanging out with Janice and was like Janice used to be my best friend, you're not going to have that. It's like with Aaron. She's like I don't want him, but I don't want you to have him either.
Speaker 4:So yeah, I would think about that angle. But yeah, that's, that's a good point, Jess.
Speaker 3:I'd also point out in that scene where she goes back up to Aaron and says that she that katie has a crush on aaron because I think in her face you can see that her expectation is that aaron's gonna laugh at that yeah and when he doesn't and he looks more like interested and intrigued.
Speaker 1:That's when she flips it because she realizes, okay, she's a threat yeah, but aaron's a slime ball if he bailed on katie to go make out with her just because she, whatever walked away he was never with katie.
Speaker 2:That was the part that.
Speaker 1:Okay, that was the part I didn't like. There were parts in the musical version where it was like I wasn't sure what was actually happening, what was part of the musical numbers, because they really blurred the lines in the movie between the musical and what was part of the story. You know, people breaking out numbers and dancing and things that don't actually happen in real life. Yeah, I think it's like the move, except maybe in Mike's head, except maybe in mike's head. But I did.
Speaker 1:I did really enjoy that one when they were staying on the stage and they were like telling why they were sad about each other and the one's like well, she didn't uh she didn't.
Speaker 4:I'm sorry for dragging in.
Speaker 1:Yes in the revenge song I was.
Speaker 4:I audibly laughed at that there were a couple moments like that, that like that were like very like self-aware fourth wall, like self-referential stuff that I thought were genuinely funny. Like you know, lindsey lohan's comment in the math competition of like I don't know your life, like that was, that was amusing to me, right? Or?
Speaker 1:Or this only happened one other time, you know yeah.
Speaker 4:Right, or, like you know, the first time they throw out like fetch, fetch, what is that? Oh, I don't know, it's from a really old movie, Like you know, like, yeah, there were like like subtle things like that that I thought were, that I that that I thought were that I thought were funny like one-off things, but like, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really love the fact that um tina fey and tim meadows were actually together in this one, because he kept like pursuing her original or at least dating, yeah. So it was nice seeing them back in their roles, but then actually being together. Because when she said, when he was like you owe me for this and she's like, all right, well, I'll walk the dogs when I get home, like, and they're like I love you, like, I was very excited all right?
Speaker 1:well let's, since we're talking about tina fey, let's talk about some points of nostalgia here. So, with tina favor, prizing their writing credits and shifting the music, the movie style, to musical, many of the same story beats existed really in both films. So what were, if any, of the big points that you felt were missed, or that you felt like they missed out on or that they had to change because it was a musical?
Speaker 2:I think it was pretty. Note for note. I think it's just it really did miss some of those classic jokes. Uh, I think when they when katie cut regina's shirt so her like bra was exposed, that was a much funnier scene than them like, oh, I got the wet look, it's like, I'm like that's been there, done that. And they even said, oh, she's bringing back the wet look. I'm like, eh, that's not as iconic as the cut shirt with the boobs and everybody was doing that. And that was funny when, because when they were doing the have everybody close your eyes and raise your hand.
Speaker 2:If this happened and like regina's, like um, I shouldn't be here because I'm the most perfect and I've never done anything. And then in the original she says if anybody's ever been affected specifically by regina, george, raise your hand. Everybody raises their hand and ten medals raises his hand too. That was I'm like that was something that was. I was sad that they left out oh, man. And and then my favorite line that they left out, which I'm so mad because it would have been so hilarious to see hear Jon Hamm say it was don't have sex because you'll get pregnant and die. And I can't believe they didn't say that because I wanted to hear that come out of Jon Hamm's mouth and it didn't happen, and I'm so sad about it.
Speaker 3:He did start writing w-h-o-r. That was so funny that was so funny.
Speaker 1:Don ham is the national treasure he was really funny.
Speaker 4:I think that like this question of like what, what did they leave out? What did they change? Like, yeah, they left out maybe a few like key lines and a few like one-off scenes, but I think that that that sort of like bleeds into what felt so unnecessary about the musical reboot is that they really didn't change stuff. It was like beat for beat, the same movie with dance numbers.
Speaker 3:They took out the shopping mall Mike.
Speaker 1:And they took out her dad.
Speaker 3:They removed it. There's no shopping mall, it's over. Yeah, the shopping mall, it's over. Well, there's.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the shopping malls have been over, for I don't know if you're paying attention there, rob, but like shopping malls have not existed for 20 years do this to me.
Speaker 4:My entire reality is crumbling around me now no, but like, like, aside from like that kind of stuff, like updating stuff to like modernize it and make it like fit, like current, like culture, they they really didn't change anything at all and like that, just like, like why why bother doing this thing? Like why, like, why bring you know tina fey back to redo the same thing?
Speaker 2:and I, I feel, like that's part of our podcast because we needed content right because they did it for us.
Speaker 4:They didn't have to do that, but they did it for us. No, but like laura and I were talking about it, I was like I feel, I feel like this remake would have landed better with more of those like self-referential jokes, like lean into the fact that, like you know, this is the same movie, like if unnecessary.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I get that, I get you saying that, but Busy Phillips, busy Phillips, as she was really good she was Jenna Fisher as Katie's mom. They looked like they could actually be parents I did.
Speaker 1:I said that when we were watching.
Speaker 2:I was like she looks just like jenna fisher and I would say renee rappy looks more like busy phillips than kate looks like jenna fisher I agree and like that to be fair.
Speaker 3:The the whole reason why we have this reboot is so that we could have an entire song number about math and math related puns.
Speaker 4:Like I feel, calculus Magic number.
Speaker 2:I will say at the beginning of the movie, when they in that song, when she was like the limit does not exist, I was like. I was like, oh, this is like. I get like the nostalgia thing that was just too in your face, like that's such. You know, that's a, that's a line for the end of the movie, you don't put at the beginning of the movie.
Speaker 3:You don't need it, it's all in, it's all in our face all the time.
Speaker 1:I was confused why she suddenly didn't know anything about the limits when that was like the first thing that Tina Fey was teaching and she was like spitting out all the answers. Then all of a sudden she at the math-a-thon. She's like I don't know anything about limits. I was staring into the milky eyes.
Speaker 2:She had the whole movie making herself stupid and not really focusing so she could look stupid for that. And I also think there was that like thing in the original where she was going up against the girl and like all she could think about was the mean things about her. And she's like why am I thinking these things? She's not. Like she's not my competition, like the school's my competition. But I don't need to like belittle this girl too. And they kind of did that in the remake.
Speaker 3:But more like the girl said to her and she's like I don't need to make fun of your hair.
Speaker 4:And the girl was like cause she hadn't said that I was like well, and also you were just thinking to your point, andrew, like the whole like song, like reprise in the math competition was. You know, I'm good at math, but stupid at love, right, it was like it wasn't, like she didn't know it, it was like she was remembering. Like wait a minute, I do know this shit. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Let's go yeah, but it was just the final question. She was like like I don't know anything about it.
Speaker 2:And then lindsey lohan's like I don't know that about your life, girl which is so funny, because you would not have that back and forth between a moderator.
Speaker 1:Right, I'm like I'm like hold up, but she knew everything about the limits when they first showed up, or whatever. Whatever, as say, opinions are like apex predators cutting it cruel, but just as soft and gushy on the inside. Michael, you're up first.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think overall my opinions have sort of filtered through throughout the episode. I don't really like Mean Girls and I didn't. I didn't think the musical was necessary, Like, I don't like Mean Girls either.
Speaker 3:I don't like it either. I mean, I don't.
Speaker 4:I don't like Mean Girls in my life, but I also don't like I just I don't like the movie. I don't hate the movie, like there are movies that we've covered that I hated and regret watching. I don't hate the movie like there are movies that we've covered that I hated and regret watching. I don't regret watching mean girls and I don't regret watching a musical either, but they're just like I. You know, whatever it is what it is, it's okay, it's not bad. But yeah, and the musical, like, yeah, fine, it's a musical, that's fine, I love musical, but this one was just kind of unnecessary, didn't, didn't need to happen.
Speaker 1:All right. So, rob, you tell me what, what, which movie did you like better? And what's your, what's your gushy insides?
Speaker 3:So I will say that, for whatever reason, I didn't get the memo and did not understand that the remake was going to be a musical. I don't normally enjoy musicals. This movie was was pretty good. I would say I still enjoy the original more, um, but I do like Jon Hamm's coach character in the new one and I love the that there's. He's the.
Speaker 3:I don't know why the gym teachers are sex ed teachers. I don't know, I don't know how that happens or why. Um, but one of my favorite asides is I feel like it's a joke that gets passed over really quickly, but he's uh like introducing the sex ed curriculum and he's like the first semester is going to be abstinence and then the next semester will be condoms and choking and I just like had to stifle myself because that was hilarious, um and so and then the other day where he, where he rewrites the whor, and it's like, oh my gosh, john ham is a good comedic actor and he, just like I think we all think of him as like Don Draper, and so he I've never watched, mad Men.
Speaker 2:I don't think it was that.
Speaker 3:It's Mad Men.
Speaker 2:Rob likes Mad Men.
Speaker 1:I've never seen Mad Men, those Mad Mad Boys, so for me he is just a comedian. First because I've seen a lot of things as a comedian, so that's who I see him as.
Speaker 2:He's been in a lot of British talk show stuff which me and Andrew watch a lot of.
Speaker 3:He was so good For anybody who's seen Mad Men. Jon Hamm is like kind of got a pigeonholed in that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's like kind of a serious character and so I I love seeing him in all these comedic type things and he's a really small character but I he's like he was like the standout for me. Both of the Mrs George's we're great and I forgot to bring that up Busy Phillips and then the original Mrs George's, amy freaking polar, amy freaking Phillips, and then the original Mrs George is Amy freaking Poehler, amy freaking Poehler. She's great at everything.
Speaker 2:I'm a cool mom.
Speaker 3:A lot of the main cast in the new movie is just not as strong as the originals, Especially Regina. As much as the singing. There's some talent there with the singing parts but it's like Rachel McAdams just to me, epitomizes the mean girl, even though she like spent the rest. She spent like the rest of her acting career trying to get as far away from being a mean girl as she possibly could by playing like every plain sweet girl that she could. Yeah, she really captured that role and I it just felt really hollow, Even like the original like song where they introduced regina wasn't regina in the remake, wasn't she regina in the original?
Speaker 2:like broadway run he wasn't the original original. She was in the run like right before covid oh, okay so like she had a year contract but then she only did like eight or nine months and then hit but she was her first act acting, acting on date. Yeah, on uh in film I think she's like a pop, not I don't pop star. Like I think I don't really know much about her pop stars jess, what do you think?
Speaker 2:boom. Yeah, I agree a lot with what rob said about rachel mcadams, but I think that about all the plastics, like lacy shover was amazing as gretchen and I was like I was disappointed when they had katie say you can't sit with us at the end because her manic you can't see us was so good in the original. And amanda sifreed is like so good as karen, like when she's just like a mouse and just everything I saw.
Speaker 2:But like I love the original plastics, I think that damien and janice were really good, but still the original damien janice were better and I will say that I think that the original is definitely better. But I did like the remake. There was like I did like some things that they did in the remake, like having the hyena scene be a music number instead of like in her head, and that's like kind of how they did all those things instead of being her head doing music number. But like I was like, oh, they're not gonna do the hyena scene. I'm like, oh, there's the hyena scene, but it's a musical instead. And but I did miss some of the. I did I brought like about some of the things before. But like the, when they're doing the trust falls and Gretchen's like I'm just so sorry that I'm so much better than all of you and like all the girls except Karen walk away and she does the trust fall. She just falls on Karen because no one else is there to catch her. Like that was pretty great. But yeah, like I mean I saw the original in theaters with my mom which that's a weird person to go to see this with but I really liked it, but then I didn't really see it again until I was like maybe like eight, nine years later, and then I really liked it a lot more as uh, when I saw it later too.
Speaker 2:But I think I think the thing is with. I think this is definitely more of a girl's movie and I think guys definitely like it, but there's just unless you're a girl who went through that, or maybe like a gay guy I really don't know but you don't understand the mean girlness that happens in high school unless you're there. Like I had when I was in like my freshman year of college. I made friends with a guy on campus and he had a friend that was a girl from like a friend that was his from like high school and stuff, and she was a total mean girl about it.
Speaker 2:Like we would just be hanging out and she'd like come over and be like hey, are we gonna go out to the mall later? And he'll be like yeah, and she's like just the two of us, right? And he'd be like yeah, just the two of us. And then she'd look at me and give me like a little smirk and then like walk away. I'm like okay, and then she like spread this really weird rumor about me saying like I was calling her all these nasty names and stuff, when I didn't even talk about her at all, like I did not care about her, I was not friends with her, I didn't even know her and like she, but she was just so jealous that I was hanging out with her friend and so she like started all these things about me his name this was the time of mean girls like we're starting a new bird book, baby right like you watch the movie going you watch the movie you might think, oh, this kind of thing doesn't happen, and maybe it's a little exaggerated.
Speaker 2:But this kind of stuff literally does happen all the time, like the rumors, like the ridiculous things girls say about each other and girls.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know if andrew remembers this scene, because it's true I don't know if Andrew remembers this scene because it's been a long time since we've watched the original but Regina's little sister, who's not in the remake. There's a scene where she's watching commercial for Girls Gone Wild and she lifts her shirt up and I remember Andrew was horrified the first time and he was like what did she just do? And it was so funny because he was just like absolutely horrified. But I think you know, and mike said that he doesn't like it because it's mean girlness. But I, that's the point is that it's not saying, oh, this is cool to be a mean girl.
Speaker 2:It's like at the end of saying no, it's not cool to be like this, and and I think almost two on the head with the remake, though, like they literally had uh damien and uh janice come up and be like hey, bt dubs, it's not cool to suck I mean they did that in the original too, which I think that was a good, that was a funny thing that they changed is that in the original he comes up like they're in the car and they're like driving next to her slowly as they're talking, and he's like, yes, we got to go, I've got curfew, I can't stop the car. But then in the rear she comes up to him and I'm like I do the car, but then he's on a scooter.
Speaker 1:And he's like the scooter, and then she just jumps on at the end.
Speaker 2:That was funny.
Speaker 1:You know what? That reminded me of, jess, when our daughter jumped on the back of your damn scooter at walmart recently. She's riding around, she's just hanging on so I think I would give these movies about a five on the ph scale oh boy uh that's about the ph of you can't kill the ph scale um no you whore you can't use that more than once.
Speaker 4:I'm trying to make the ph scale happen.
Speaker 1:It's never going to happen yes, I have two seasons of it happening, mike, so uh, anyway so for me, I think you know again, it has been a little while since I saw the original, but I actually really enjoyed the musical. I'm not normally a person who likes musicals of contemporary stories. When it comes to musicals, I like the the more fantastical stories, things you know like, like wicked or the lion king or or you know just the the more epic and fantastical it seems, the more I enjoy it. So it's funny to be like, yeah, I enjoyed this musical, but there was part of me kind of like kind of watching it, going like I would love to actually have seen this on you know, broadway in chicago and seeing how they did these sets and seeing how they they did this and there was just some some ways it was directed I thought was done really well and I enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:So from a technical and film side of things, I enjoyed it as a movie, from understanding what these girls went through obviously I have no frame of reference for that and I'm so far removed from high school at this point the story means even less to me. So I can understand it and I understand the central message of you know, don't be a douche, like that's a pretty clear message. But like the rest of it from the standpoint just didn't speak to me.
Speaker 4:So, that being said, I I think I like the the remake better yeah, I think you kind of hit a good point there, saying like you would like to see it on stage, and I think there's truth to that. My wife said the same thing when she watched the movie, because she actually watched the like when it first came out, and she said the same thing she's like if this. If I saw this like on stage somewhere, I feel like it would land completely differently, and I think I think there's truth to that. I think the way the musical was written lends itself well to the stage and seeing it on screen with so many of the actresses like actors reprising their roles, it felt unnecessary. But I think on stage it would have.
Speaker 2:It would have hit totally differently for all the reasons that that you called out apparently james franco had auditioned to play, uh, samuel aaron samuels in the original and didn't get it, and so that they were going to cast him as the coach in this one and he didn't get it. And I think it's funnier that he was gonna be, it's funnier that he was gonna be in the two movies but then didn't get in either. Then it would have been if he would have been in both movies.
Speaker 2:I thought you were going to say they almost cast him as aaron samuels in the reboot and it's like I did see also someone said when, when they said you go glenn coco in the remake it should have panned a glenn coco and it should have been, uh, paul rudd. He's just a 54 year old looking the same as he did in the 90s, just chilling in school.
Speaker 1:I would be really interested to see how they have the ensemble playing out the rest of the school. I would be very interested to see this musical and how it's done from a technical standpoint.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no, yeah, I completely agree.
Speaker 1:And it better be on one of those turntable stages, because I love those. Let me tell you what you send me to a musical and you put it on a turntable stage. You already star up my book, lazy susan the musical.
Speaker 4:Oh stop, the shit writes itself.
Speaker 2:I went to a local production of les mis with my mom, like several years ago, and it was a turntable stage, but it was not greased and it was so loud and all you could hear you think that'd be the one thing they'd make sure was like, yeah, taking care of you know this core mechanic of of the entire production it's like, either either grease it or don't like if
Speaker 4:you put this on on stage like broadway in chicago, like I'd go, I'd, you know, be inclined to go see it. It could be a lot of fun and and it's funny to me that you have such these, such like distinct personalities in some of these characters. But, like, I think the musical will land really well, whereas, like you have, like um, elf the musical, or like school of rock the musical, that I think like don't land as well because, like those stories thrive on the energy of the main character and the actor specifically, like School of Rock without Jack Black is not School of Rock, right? Elf without Will Ferrell is not Elf, and it's like an interesting, it's an interesting realization to to go, like you know, if I saw this on broadway, it would land differently. Whereas, like with elf, like if I saw that on broadway, I'd be like where the fuck is will ferrell, right? School of rock where the fuck is jack black, like you can't do school of rock without jack black but what if it was school of rock with kyle glass?
Speaker 1:I don't know who that is kyle glass rob, save me, he's the other member of Tenacious D.
Speaker 2:Thank you oh my goodness. Mike we need to take our nerd cards away, wow that's funny, because I only know him, as I'm surprised you know that, andrew alright.
Speaker 1:Well, our king of listeners has returned, robert, you know the horns are blowing right now for you, do we?
Speaker 3:have you can. Are you gonna add some in in post?
Speaker 1:that's how? Have you not listened to our episodes, rob? We have the william tell overture horns.
Speaker 2:He has a five minute horn.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to like make him quieter behind this part, because they's going to go on way too long. William Tell speed it up, my dude. Get that arrow through your head and let's go, All right so. Rob Rob's this kid's head. Do we have any questions from listeners today?
Speaker 3:Yes. So, as king of the listeners, I have three very important comments and questions that were brought up for us to answer today. Now you may be wondering, gee Rob, king of the listeners, how did you come about getting these comments and questions? Well, good and faithful listeners, to operate within the kingdom of Rebooted, you must follow these very important instructions. You must follow these very important instructions, one of which is that you can always email us, rebooted at jammerfun J-A-M-R dot F-U-N. Always, we will be there, we will answer and we will provide these questions within our episodes. You can also go to our Facebook group, the Podcast Rebooted Facebook group, and also on our Twitter, because I continue to call it Twitter, I don't care what anybody says it will never be anything but Twitter.
Speaker 3:It will always be Twitter to me. You can go there and find Podcast Rebooted there as well, and we will gladly take any and all questions, comments or fun factoids, or if you just want to post cat gifts, we will also share those online as well.
Speaker 4:But if you're going to send the cat, gifts also send me some Benadryl.
Speaker 3:Mike needs Benadryl with that. Okay, so for today. Today we have three listeners. The first one is from Meg3Gan. If you are going to adapt an amazing musical and first movie into a reboot, trash, wow, coming in, hot, meg3gan. Why would you pick such a weak ass actress to play Katie? Wow, further, further. She couldn't sing for shit. Wow. Why would you pick such a weak-ass actress to play Katie? Wow, further, further, ooh, she couldn't sing for shit. Wow, she's getting much angrier, megan, much angrier, and her acting was even worse. Ooh, and she certainly doesn't have. I'm not even going to say the last part. There's an insinuation that she's not a natural redhead and I will get. That is as far as I will go with that down down there. Uh, just stop mike. Uh, meg three, can I? I don't know where this, this hostility, comes from. It. You sound a little like a mean girl, so we, you may need to work on this. As the king of listeners, I would ask that you maybe work on that.
Speaker 2:But what does anybody else?
Speaker 3:think about what she's, what she said I will agree about the singing part.
Speaker 2:I think she was the weak lincoln singing, which she is the lead of it, so I think that is something that they should have changed. I will say she was Betty Brant in the Spider-Man movies.
Speaker 4:Very much so MCU tie-ins. I'm going to say, if you think the original was an amazing movie, maybe we're not worried about your opinion. Wow, wow. If you're going to take shots in the questions, I'm going gonna take shots on the questions.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna take shots on the answers come at me, unless, unless she wants to support our patreon, then you can say whatever you want that then, yes, yeah, support our patreon and everything I said and you're wonderful and we love you and thank you moving along, emily m asks what do you make of the decision to make Janice lesbian in the reboot?
Speaker 3:Is it patronizing, pandering maybe? Is that, I don't know Actually good? Is it necessary Either way, and how does the 2004 version hold up, given cultural changes, including how it's now less acceptable to slut shame or fat shame people?
Speaker 4:I think the original holds up because it was written at a different time. Like I, I feel like we're, we, like culturally, we, we. This is one of the things that that bugs me a little bit around, like going back and like looking at old movies and saying, well, this like would never be remade today. It's like, well, it wasn't made today, it was made back then. And like and like it, yeah, fine, it, it. It doesn't land as well by modern standards, but like the standards were different back then and I'm not necessarily like trying to make an argument for like it was okay to be a dick in you know 2004, because we didn't know any better. Like that's. That's not the point. The point is that like things were just different, right, yeah, like, like, except the fact that they were different then, and they're different. The point is that like things were just different, right, yeah, like, like, except the fact that they were different then and they're different.
Speaker 2:I think there's also like there's this difference, though, also between things like Breakfast at Tiffany's, where they cast Mickey Rooney as an Asian character, and like when doing blackface and stuff like that's something that yeah, was wrong then too. Face and stuff like that's something that yeah, was wrong then too. But like thinking about just our generation, like how many of us, even like in school, said the r word just left and right and it was just something that was common and not that it's okay, it was not okay at all. But you know, like people we said mean things like that to each other, we didn't have people telling us, hey, this is wrong. You know, I'm, I was, you know, like there's, especially now we have google, we have, you know, influencers, we have like all these things that can tell us, hey, this is why this is wrong and you should, you know you shouldn't act, you shouldn't say these things, you shouldn't do these things.
Speaker 2:But we didn't. I mean, like it was just in all of our pop culture, it was just around our schools, and like we didn't really have people telling us, oh, this is wrong. And yeah, to look back, like I do watch things and they say these, you know slurs and stuff that were more acceptable at the time. But you would never say today and I cringe, but at the same time I'm not gonna look at the movie, like never gonna watch that movie again because they said these things, because it was a different time and it was and like I think about like friends is one of the biggest ones I hear nowadays and saying about how homophobic they were and transphobic and all this stuff.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yes, if you look at it through today's lenses, but I remember like when um carol and susan got married, that was like the first gay wedding on television and it that was so progressive at the time and it kind of paved the way for shows like Will and Grace to be able to be made. And it's like you can't, you can't. You know, yeah, they, they paved the way and look back and say, hey, today that wouldn't be good.
Speaker 4:But you can't really look at it at today's lenses and be like let's cancel the show because it's not what it's not, it doesn't have the same views as today I think we're on the tail end of like a pendulum swinging too far and too far in one direction, of people being like so afraid of a, of offending someone, that they won't make a joke. And I think we're like in that phase of like finding that, finding that balance of like we've been too cautious and now we're sort of like coming back to the middle where it's like let's like let comedy be comedy a little bit, you know, like the. It's like we're starting to find that that like that sweet spot, like because part of like, part of comedy, is being a little bit, you know especially like.
Speaker 1:You know like taking shots at people sometimes, but like you could take shots at people without being, you know, aggressively, incentive, insensitive and dickish choice to make janice a lesbian in the reboot, noting that we are all straight people, so where it's not necessarily speaking to any of us, what do you think? What do you guys think? Was it a necessary change? Was it a good change? Was it a patronizing change? Was it? You know what about it? Because it did change her and Regina's story as well.
Speaker 4:It's not. It wasn't necessary. It wasn't a necessary change. I don't think it impacts the story in any meaning. I don't think it impacts the narrative in in a meaningful way but do we know that janice wasn't actually?
Speaker 2:I mean because she could have still been gay in the original, because they don't say, they don't not say, but she know, not that this makes someone gay, but she did wear a suit to prom and have her hair slicked back in a masculine way.
Speaker 1:But the difference is, though, is that, in this one specifically, her lesbian relationship affected her relationship with Regina. She was interested in Regina and was rebuffed Right I don't think she was necessarily interested in regina.
Speaker 2:She just I think regina knew she was gay and she used that to hurt her when she decided hey, this is gonna make me more popular there was no.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there was no. She was interested in regina. They were friends like that. Yeah, that wasn't and that's and that's why I think it's.
Speaker 1:That's why she, maybe I, maybe I misremember.
Speaker 2:I thought that was why she set her backpack on fire well, she was calling her that and saying that she was obsessed with her and it's possible that she had a crush on her, but that wasn't like. I think it was the obsession part.
Speaker 3:I think it was the obsession part and so it was in. Maybe in Regina's mind it's oh, she's obsessed with me because she loves me, rather than just oh, she's just as Regina, yeah, and that's and that's kind of why.
Speaker 4:And that's kind of why I think it was unnecessary. It's like it doesn't. It didn't like you could have that exchange of oh, she's obsessed with me without the like she's obsessed with me because she's in love with me. It was. I think it was an unnecessary change. I don't think it. I don't think it had a meaningful impact on the story. It wasn't a thing that it wasn't a change that had to happen. It wasn't like oh, they obviously like they. They hinted at, hinted at it at the in the original, and now it's like socially acceptable. So now we have to do it because that's just, you know, it's the OK, it's OK now, like it was.
Speaker 2:I mean Damien was gay in the original.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was. It truly was not like necessary. Was it bad that they did it? No, like whatever. It is what it is, but it wasn't a necessary change.
Speaker 2:I don't think it changes anything, I mean I don't think it matters whether it's implied or not. So it does also show how Regina hurt her in a way that she used maybe her biggest secret against her in order to boost herself up too. So I think it's not necessary. But it's not necessary, it does add a layer to their relationship.
Speaker 1:Well, it does make Regina that much more of a villain, to out her.
Speaker 2:Right, you know, yeah, that's true, like if she wasn't actually out.
Speaker 1:She did out. Her doing that, all right, uh, mike, move or rob, sorry you two look so similar. Uh rob, move us on.
Speaker 3:We all look alike third and final question yes. Third and final question comes from anna. Many sequels or reboots want to have the same feeling of nostalgic vibe as the like original, the OG, while attracting a new audience. Sometimes the reboot happens too late, or they're trying too hard or they just miss the mark. Does the musical succeed or fall short of what it set out to do?
Speaker 4:Fall short.
Speaker 2:We didn't need this, you know direct to video musical yeah, I'm gonna say I'm a sucker for musicals being turned into movie, like I'm. Even though I don't like ariana grande, I'm super excited to go see wicked. There's something about non-broadway people who do musicals, who they just don't have that energy that you see on stage, and I think it's because you have to have a different energy on stage than you do in a musical but the interesting thing there is like in some, to some extent, acting for film is different than acting for stage.
Speaker 4:Right, like like not everybody who right, like the same way that you're saying, not everybody who succeeds on film is going to succeed in a musical. Not everybody who succeeds on broad is going to succeed in a musical. Not everybody who succeeds on Broadway is going to succeed on film. Like there's a little bit of a, there's a little bit of a balancing act there. Like the medium is is totally different, with like multi-camera, multi-camera setups and stuff. Like like staging a scene on the stage is very different than staging a scene for film I think the one other thing, though, it's to answer anna's question directly.
Speaker 1:You know she says does it have the same feel or nostalgic vibe as the og and I? I think to me that's part of what I struggled with trying to figure out why. Again, why did tina fey come back to this other than a paycheck, like I mean, I'm sure she's not hurting for money, she's a successful comedian and actress. So I'm like, why did she come back to this?
Speaker 1:And I think it must be that feeling like she wanted to modernize something that she thought was important, an important story to tell, especially in the age of cyberbullying that we're in now, and so I think that in that way it it does, and jess even said it feels very like shot for shot kind of, or or even, you know, pull for pull, punch for punch, whatever, um, beat for beat, bus for bus. It is important in that way that that you give something that people, a new audience, are going to want to watch. They're going to, they're going to, you know, the outfits, the, whatever the, the, not the cell phone technology, but whatever you know like, people are going to watch this movie who would not necessarily have gone back and watched the original mean girls. And I think that makes it worthwhile, because it is a good, worthwhile message, especially considering how much justice said yeah, this, this is how terrible high school girls really are.
Speaker 2:And I want to put it that way. Um, I forgot to mention this, but you saying that made me think. I will say at least tina fey knows where her talents lie, because that was funny when she was almost starting to sing in the gym and she's like nope, yes, that was, that was like brilliant.
Speaker 4:I thought that was brilliant.
Speaker 2:Nope, not doing that.
Speaker 4:I thought that was very funny.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, anyways, I think to me does it miss the mark? Sure, maybe for us, for us oldies. I hope it hits the mark for the intended audience, the people that the new generation that she's trying to reach. At least, that's what I think her goal is, if her goal was just to make another paycheck, then I guess go cash that paycheck lady. If you happen to be a younger person listening to us thanks for listening.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry that we're old I'm very shocked that you're.
Speaker 3:But let us know these old people.
Speaker 1:Tweet us on the twitter. Shoot, we're old, we're calling it twitter. Uh, tweet us. No, we just know what's right.
Speaker 4:Tweet us on the instagram still call it the sears tower too and that's true.
Speaker 1:And yeah, I don't know. I'd be curious. I'd be curious if any of our listeners would say, yeah, I, I'd prefer to see this as a musical with more fashion, that I'm used to the idea that people were posting stuff to Instagram or TikTok.
Speaker 3:I do think that social media fundamentally changed bullying. That might not be something that we truly understand until our kids are at that age where they're in high school. Kids are at that age where they're in high school. Adding that element into this movie is important because it shows teenagers who are growing up now. I think the core behavior is still the same. Like Jess is saying, it's like and now it doesn't just stay in the classroom or in the cafeteria or at the gym.
Speaker 2:I do think that was something important that they did kind of address, and it was just a tiny little thing. But with the whole Gretchen thing I'd be like no, she's fragile, Don't mess with her.
Speaker 1:And actually that's what I was just going to say. Honestly, it made me really sad. It almost broke my heart when Gretchen was in her closet and she pulled out that little music box and she was singing that piece and I found myself thinking about about my daughter and I was like. I was like is is she going to give away something that I've given her, that was important to her, to one of her friends to try to win some kind of stupid popularity?
Speaker 1:thing from someone and it's honestly, like it broke me a little bit to think about that like something that is super enriching and important to her as a kid. Will she feel the need to give it away to try to win the love of someone?
Speaker 4:I think that's one of those things about this movie that feels unnecessary. It's like you have moments like that. They never came back to that moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, came back to that moment, yeah, except when they had uh katie, then say, no, let's destroy gretchen as well. And I, and, and honestly, that's one thing that makes you really feel like no, no, yes, destroy gretchen as well.
Speaker 4:But then they never came back to that like moment of gretchen being like am I broken? Like what's wrong with me?
Speaker 4:yeah and I think that's one of the things that they did do in the original is like you had this level of closure of how everybody moved on and like grew from the fallout of taking down Regina George. Like everybody sort of like grew and moved on from that and you saw that like road to recovery for people who kind of been like victimized by this. Like you know, the plastics, like in high school and the the reboot didn't, didn't do that like they didn't, like they didn't revisit the like like gretchen feels broken and say she's not broken. They never did that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, and I will say like also it's a missed thing.
Speaker 2:Even from the original.
Speaker 2:The part that always kind of like made me sympathize and actually feel bad for Regina was when they're saying you can't sit with us because you're in your sweatpants and she's like this is the only thing that fits me right now, because girls are sexualized and bodies are commented on, since from the day they're born and you know, for some girls, their bodies are the only thing that they can control in a way that they can be like okay, well, look at my body, this is something that's great, so that you can like me.
Speaker 2:And so I always that, even no matter how nasty and mean Regina was, that line always breaks my heart, because that's something that pretty much every girl goes through, whether it's family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends just somebody is always commenting on a woman's body, girlfriends just somebody is always commenting on a woman's body, and it's the one thing that's like a lot of girls try to control, to just, you know, be seen as a human, and it's really sad and I I do wish they would have focused on that more too. Like just you know, I kind of like how they made regina like a little bit more likable in the end because she was on drugs and was like I am sorry and I like you, but yeah, that's something that always hurt my heart a little bit all right, well, not to go out on a downer, but I mean it is, it is uh, you know, it is true, there is a lot of like emotion.
Speaker 1:That comes even in a comedy sometimes, you know, and I think that's always good when they can pull that out of you and make you feel something and not just the laughs and the goofs. So, you know, grabs your heart by the balls. No, so Rob will get us some great Twitter gifs for Instagram and TikTok Before we go. We haven't done this in a long time and actually the things we're saying now will be long out by the time this episode comes out. So you're like in a time warp.
Speaker 2:Time capsule.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're in a pocket dimension, don't worry.
Speaker 1:You're in that little tiny pocket on your denim jeans. You're in a pocket dimension, don't worry. You're in that little tiny pocket on your denim jeans. You're in that dimension.
Speaker 3:The one that's for coins, but we don't carry change anymore.
Speaker 1:See, I thought it was for pocket watches, which we don't carry those anymore either, we don't wear penny loafers, and now it's for your iPod minis, which we don't carry anymore, we don't carry carry anymore either.
Speaker 2:Huh, I still have my Zune. I never had a Zune. I'm lying, I was going to say that's a lie. I love putting a prize All right, well, anyways.
Speaker 1:so let's start out. Rob, what are you looking forward to? What are you looking forward to watch? What's coming out, what's on your list? Just give me one movie, maybe one tv show I would say deadpool and wolverine.
Speaker 3:I'll say deadpool and wolverine.
Speaker 1:I said one movie.
Speaker 3:It might be one movie it is one movie, oh that's the title is is deadpool and wolverine uh just because it's gonna be bonkers and like fun, it's going to be bonkers.
Speaker 4:It's going to be fun, it's going to be amazing.
Speaker 3:Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are like good friends and so I know it's going to be like a fun time.
Speaker 2:There's a rumor that Taylor Swift's going to be in it Alright, perfect, michael, what are you doing?
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, deadpool and Wolverine, it's going to be so good. Cannot wait, cannot wait.
Speaker 3:I'm going for my birthday. It's gonna be amazing. We're gonna have to come back in and re-edit this when it's bad and we're like I'll tell you it's gonna be bad it won't be bad.
Speaker 4:It will not be bad. Mark my words it will be nothing but cinema.
Speaker 1:It will be cinematic perfection oh no, mike's getting a fucking woody here, dude, yes.
Speaker 4:I'm not even gonna deny it.
Speaker 3:There's a snake in my boots.
Speaker 1:Jess, I don't know how you come down off that energy.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to add to it because, for TV, I am so excited for the second half of Bridgerton, season three. The carriage scene has not left my mind, if you know. You know, and Andrew's going to watch it with me, even though he claims he doesn't like it Did Grandma get run over by a carriage. No, but Grandma Rogers would have loved that scene. I'm just going to put that out there.
Speaker 1:Mike, that's true, grandma Rogers would have been all over Season 3,.
Speaker 3:Episode 1. First mention of Grandma Rogers in the new season, it's Nana Rogers, rob.
Speaker 2:Nana Rogers sorry season. It's nana rogers sorry um for movies. I'm totally expecting it to be terrible, but I'm kind of looking forward to borderlands.
Speaker 4:I know it's gonna be bad, but I'm excited I kind of forgot borderlands was happening and that's gonna be that every time, I know, but even if it's bad, it's gonna be good talking about borderlands for like a year on this podcast.
Speaker 3:You're trying to hide it from your mind.
Speaker 4:No, even if it's bad, it's going to be good.
Speaker 3:It's in your mind palace.
Speaker 2:Jack Black as Claptrap is perfect.
Speaker 3:That's like the only casting choice that I think is even remotely good though.
Speaker 1:For me. I really thought one of you were gonna say furiosa and you didn't.
Speaker 2:So I knew you were gonna, actually I'm not because it's already out like a month out by the time this comes out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, now, this weekend it came out. This weekend it's bombed at the box office because of you, andrew, you didn didn't go.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not going to say Furiosa, okay, the movie I am actually most looking forward to that will probably be out somewhere near about the time this episode comes out is Twisters. I almost said Twisters, but I don't know, if.
Speaker 2:I'm going to like that one either.
Speaker 1:I am fully anticipating it to be a catch grab. But let's be honest what, what's, what Nostalgia? Dripping goose balls aren't.
Speaker 3:We lost two great actors from the original Twister. In this ad I'm also looking forward to well tentatively looking forward to the next alien movie.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why are like three? Out of the four movies we said, sounds going to probably be super bad.
Speaker 3:It does. I am worried just because it's just how things have been. But also it does look scary.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It looks a little more like the first two original movies.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of a movie I think we were going to get from Neil Blumenkamp.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so I think it's going to get from Neil Blumenkamp, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I think it's going to be like what that would have been so.
Speaker 3:I'm hopeful.
Speaker 1:I'm hopeful, but not Let me put it this way I'm not clenching Because it's a few months away.
Speaker 4:Yes, that's a weird choice of words.
Speaker 1:No, I chose my words correctly.
Speaker 2:I would take a reboot. My words correctly scares me. I think he's he's hugging a reboot. I would take a reboot, slash retcon and do a third one with, even if it's a new cast even though I would, it would not be the same without support with sigourney weaver and have it where, like newt and them, survive and there's a third movie that was neil bomb camp's movie. Yeah, but they're too old now, so they can't well no. Now the whole point.
Speaker 1:I mean not the whole point, but it would have worked with an older sigourney yeah, they were just gonna have the alien alien resurrection style that was. Yeah, I was gonna say that already happened oh, I only saw the first one you haven't seen aliens nope, mike
Speaker 3:oh, mike, oh mike aliens is like a load-bearing film for like all of sci-fi my oh, everything, mike this is what I'm a software engineer.
Speaker 4:I was a really bad film student.
Speaker 2:I can't believe you've never seen aliens. You need to go to bed late tonight. I've only seen the first alien.
Speaker 4:I've seen one.
Speaker 2:Terminator which one?
Speaker 4:the first one.
Speaker 2:Mike, again the sequel is better that you haven't seen. Why are you picking the ones that have the best sequels?
Speaker 3:He's like I saw the first Star Wars, never saw Empire.
Speaker 4:Strikes Back. Empire Strikes Back was a great movie.
Speaker 2:Michael.
Speaker 3:That's a joke, mike. Terminator 2 Judgment Day is the quintessential, perfect action movie. Ah, you haven't seen it? You cannot debate me.
Speaker 1:Mike, you have no ground to stand on my young man. No it's not a perfect action movie.
Speaker 4:Born Identity is pretty close to a perfect action movie. No, it's not a perfect action movie. Born Identity is pretty close to a perfect action movie. No.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:Born Identity never even comes out if Judgment Day doesn't happen.
Speaker 1:No, born Identity is All right. Well, thank you for joining us on this episode of Reputed Season 3.
Speaker 2:We'll see you next week when we talk about that one and only orange cat Gar the Field Lasagna as the Murray, bye, bye.
Speaker 1:Rob says I can't gaslight you guys the whole episode.
Speaker 4:Oh man, that was funny, though, when you did that, I loved that.
