Can’t Hardly Wait | 8
Show Notes:
Can’t Hardly Wait released June 12, 1998, just in time for graduation weekend! BUT before we dive in, let’s say hello to my guests: Carly Adams Becca Montes are back!
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The Show: Pop Culture Makes Me Jealous
The Host: Julia Washington
The Guests: Carly Adams, Becca Montes
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Transcript:
Julia: Hey friends, this is pop culture makes me jealous where we discuss pop culture through the lens of race or gender. And sometimes both. I'm your host, Julia Washington. And on today's show, I'm discussing the 19 90 18 school. Teen school is out movie. Can't hardly wait, Carly and Becca are back. And you know what that means.
Julia: So buckle up buttercup.
Julia: Can't hardly wait was released June 12th, 1998, just in time for graduation weekend. But before we dive in, let's say hello to my guests. Carly Adams, Becca Montez. They're back. Hey friends. Welcome.
Becca: Hi. Thank you so much. Thanks for having us back. I'm so excited about this one. Oh yeah.
Julia: So much to say there's a lot.
Julia: I can't wait. So we're gonna kick it off with a summary of the movie. For those of you who don't watch movies in a different century, from a different century on the night of graduation, everyone imaginable from Huntington high attends the end of the year party of all. Parties, but one young teen plans to profess his undying love for the most beautiful girl in school.
Julia: And he plans to do so at the party. This movie stars, all of the nineties. Heartthrobs Ethan, Emry Jennifer Love Hewitt, Peter Elli, just to name a few. This movie released the weekend of my eighth grade graduation. Naturally setting up an unfair expectation for what high school parties, especially graduation parties should look like.
Julia: And the reviews owe the reviews. The New York times said, so originality is not the strong suit of can't hardly wait, which was written and directed by Harry Elon and Deborah Kaplan. But these two whose earlier writing credits include a very Brady sequel, homework bound, two, and jingle all the way. Do show easygoing humor and the wisdom to borrow well, their film at various time recalls tender hearted coming of age comedies from American graffiti onward with strong homage to the works of Cameron Crow, Amy Heckerling and John Hughes.
Julia: Roger Ebert gave this film a star and a half and seemed pained to lump it into the category with other teen movies, like say anything, American graffiti, dazed, and confused fast times at Ridgemont high and porkies. But the SF gate said can't hardly wait, has freshness comic convention and an engaging romantic spirit.
Julia: Thank you, San Francisco. So let's start with, did you like this movie and why?
Becca: I freaking love this movie. It was the best. I remember. I think I had it on VHS. I think I did. I think I wanted it on VHS. I definitely, I have it on DVD somewhere. Um, somewhere, wherever my DVDs are they been boxed up? Cause the baby likes to open up.
Becca: Yeah. Um, also they're absolutely. So just like Julia, we graduated from eighth grade at the same time. Different schools. Yeah. Same time. Mm-hmm . At my school. When you got out of eighth grade, like when you graduated that day was a minimum day for some reason. So the plan was like the last Friday, it was like you had a minimum day.
Becca: And then it was like minimum day graduation rehearsal. And then like five hours later, you're gonna come back for graduation. So between the graduation, rehearsal and graduation, We're like, let's go catch a matte. Let's go see that new Jennifer Love yout movie. Yeah. So a group of like 10 of us went to the movies together and was like probably the first time that I ever went to the movies, just with my friends.
Becca: Um, and I definitely remember like going to the movies, watching it, like laughing, crying, like being so into it. And like, just remembering like the feeling of like, This is what I have to look forward to. Yes, this is gonna be my next four years. Like I didn't have the expectation that like that's how high school parties were going to be.
Becca: But I had the expectation that at that moment I culminated my junior high experience and I knew that in four years, that was gonna be my future. Yeah. And I was gonna be Jennifer, Jennifer of Hewit and someone was gonna profess their love to me. And it wasn't gonna be my second cousin. my marriage.
Becca: yes. .
Carly: Oh my gosh.
Becca: So gross. So gross, but also cousin could get it, like if they were cute. He was cute.
Carly: He was, yeah, he was cute, but also he, he gross. So
Becca: yeah,
Julia: also
Becca: me too. you mean you're gross too? No, me no means no, me too. I no means no. Got it.
Carly: So I love this. I don't remember exactly when I saw it for the first time, but I love movies that take place in a day. Yes. I love that like 200 cigarettes, uh, empire records. Um, so like nineties movies, one day giant cast, I'm here for it and they make me so happy. Um, but yeah, this one is like, so. Silly, but it, I feel like it just beautifully captures this moment where you're kind of leading childhood behind mm-hmm and like moving on to this big, next chapter.
Carly: And I will forever have love in my heart for this moment.
Julia: Same. I loved this movie. I was like, but also when I was watching it yesterday in preparation for a conversation, I was like, we were supposed to buy that Peter FA and, and his friend group were high school. Oh my
Becca: God.
Julia: I totally bought it 20 plus years ago.
Julia: But now I'm just like, um, that fool with the blonde hair who's dating, what's her face. Who's in also every Amy Presley. Thank you. Yeah. Clearly looks like a grown ass, man. I can't believe I ever thought he was in high school in 1998 anyway,
Becca: but like, but like, this was, this is one of the one movies, because this is the third movie we're talking about.
Becca: Now. This is one of the one movies where the actors weren't in high school because the other movies, like the old Nick was like 16 mm-hmm when she was in 10 things. I hate about you. Same thing with Julia style, same thing with like, they were like. They
Julia: were younger. They were like, they were younger. Yeah.
Julia: They were like playing someone their age. This is like the beginning of those movies where it's like,
Becca: no, but like, but like, no, you guys,
Carly: the guy who played that blonde jock, his name is Chanin Roe. I just looked it up and he was born in 1969.
Julia: Whoa. So he was
Becca: like a
Julia: 31 year old, 29
Becca: year old man. No one I didn't buy in as I'm playing.
Becca: I mean, he was Gabrielle union cause Gabrielle union, Gabrielle
Julia: union still looks like she's she
Becca: still to the
Carly: could still be cast in the movie and I would buy it. I didn't even believe Freddy Rodriguez in that, in that, um, oh yeah. He's 1975.
Julia: This is like 24, 23?
Becca: Yeah.
Carly: That's oh my gosh. Wild. Yeah, that, that whole, I love that whole group.
Carly: We'll get into
Becca: it though. Yeah, we'll get into it. I love how, when you read the, when you look on like IMD
Julia: B mm-hmm, like, they don't say their names. It's just like jock one. Two jock
Becca: three she's like her name is Rachel. She has a name. Yeah.
Carly: but that's their
Becca: credit name? Yeah. Her credit name is like they're credited
Julia: as friend, group one.
Julia: I loved this movie so much and I have to admit, I think in high school I maybe had two parties that were like this caliber that I went to. So, you know, that expectation came to fruition. So thanks. Good job everybody.
Becca: that's definitely in, in college, like I went parties like this in college. I went to parties like this.
Becca: Yes. And they always gave me anxiety. So I never liked going to parties like this. My God, I love that. And I think the only thing close to a party like this. Was, I was invited to a birthday party for like one of the richest girls in school. Mm-hmm who was like, mom and dad have a private plane. And like they had a DJ and they got a dance floor, but it was like, essentially like a wedding.
Becca: I dunno. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like it wasn't like a rager we're gonna destroy
Julia: everything. Well, I don't think the intention is to destroy everything. I think just naturally happens over the,
Becca: that naturally happens when you invite, which is why I don't invite people to come my house. Yeah. Um,
Julia: but yeah, I.
Julia: I loved this movie. I loved it. So, and Ethan Emry oh my God. I mean, you mentioned empire records, like, oh my God. Empire records love him so much in that movie.
Becca: I used to
Carly: watch that so much that we had friends specifically when they came over, say like, can
Becca: we not watch that? Can we. Can we not watch that
Carly: again?
Becca: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. And he was in that thing. You do, and I just
Becca: loved him in that. You do? Oh, I love that thing
Julia: you do, but in empire records, he's credited as Ethan Randall. He didn't change his name until a little bit later. Oh, interesting. Mm-hmm
Carly: yeah, I gotta say I didn't, uh, watch this movie to prepare for it because I'd watched it on my own.
Carly: So recently. That I was like, I mean, I watched it like a month ago. Do I need to read? I think I'm good.
Becca: No, I think I literally hadn't seen this movie. Oh, for like, probably like 15 years, maybe like 10 years watch it. That's a fresh perspective. I wanna
Julia: hear. Yeah, I watch
Becca: a funny thing is now I and friends with someone.
Becca: Who went to high school with Charlie Cormo mm-hmm the kids. Yeah. Yeah. He went to high school with him. Wow. Um,
Julia: and he is like, which he didn't even wanna do that movie
Becca: because he was like such a childhood actor guy. Like it took a lot of coaxing for him to do the movie. Yeah. Oh my God. But it was like the last movie he did.
Becca: Mm-hmm . And he's like, and I'm out.
Carly: Yes. Well, and then he, I guess he slated, I read somewhere he slated to work on something like coming up so he could be back, but he went to like Yale and I wanna say Harvard or,
Becca: or like MIT that's
Carly: right. He went to two Ivy league schools and the became, uh, like a big shot lawyer I wanna say.
Julia: Is that right? Yeah, that sounds right.
Carly: Um, amazing.
Becca: Loved him in hook. He's like, yes. And he was so good at he's like the of boy child he's doing most. Yes. Ugh.
Julia: Anyway, anyway. If you find yourself stressed by the clutter of your home and wish you could create simple solutions that are easy to maintain. Carly Adams will teach you exactly what to do in her clutter free home process.
Julia: Course, community learn the process she uses with every client tips to help you think like a home organiz. And get personalized accountability for a full year. Join the community April 28th through May 6th and receive never offered bonuses that are too long to list here. But believe me, you won't wanna miss them.
Julia: Check out tidy revival.com/p up to learn more. Friends. If you're listening to this episode after May 6th, 20, 22, still head to tidy revival to learn more about all the programs Carly Adams has to offer. The whole premise of the movie, if you hadn't been catched it yet by our conversation begins when Ethan Emery's character, Preston Myers learns that the love of his life in high school, Amanda played by Jennifer Love.
Julia: Hewitt has been dumped by Mike. Dexter the hottest football player and possibly the hottest guy in school, he does. So because he is under the impression that his life will be better in college and he wants to be free and clear with no attachments, cuz he's a fucking douche bag. Preston's best friend Denise.
Julia: Isn't so convinced that Preston's plan is a good idea and a bunch of other shenanigans are going on around them. This movie is a hodgepodge of stories that are on the peripheral of Preston's mission, and yet crucial to him achieving his goal, which leads me to favorite characters and side story. And why.
Becca: You
Carly: go, uh, I am gonna say William, will I freaking love William? I love that he is.
Becca: I have no legs. I love that. He down to the,
Carly: I like that he's like gone in with this like scientific mindset of like infiltrating the party, but he's like, no, don't worry, guys. I like calculated how much I can drink without having my impair.
Carly: Like
Julia: he printed it from the net. Which nobody from the net, the net anymore.
Becca: Yeah. Drop this off the net.
Carly: I love that he is his friends, like get stuck on the roof and are just like hanging out there. I love that. He becomes like the life of the party and then I love the three jocks and their girlfriends.
Carly: Yeah. And how they're like gonna break up. But they like actually, but they don't what they
Becca: really like their girlfriends that they
Carly: don't. I just, yeah. The, the side characters.
Becca: So good. Yeah. My favorite character in the entire movie is Kenny Fisher
Julia: because
Becca: he
Julia: is
Becca: ridiculous.
Carly: Yes. Those goggles
Becca: that green, we love you.
Becca: perfectly
Carly: cast. That's perfectly cast that character could not have been played any better by
Becca: anyone else.
Carly: He is like, yes, that's green.
Julia: And Denise, why do you talk like that? You know, you're white look in the mirror.
Carly: Um, oh my gosh. And his sex
Becca: kit, the sex backpack with like candles and boots, suture book. Cause he's gonna have time. He's like go to the bathroom when he was practicing. And he had like the leg up, this won't work and he's like, oh yeah. And I. Like, even though I hated what a douche bag he was afterwards after him and Denise get together.
Becca: Yeah. He's like, it's not my fault. You've got the flavor oh, that was so shitty. But like, couldn't stop. Hate you.
Becca: He's like the guy who hits on me. I'll have
Julia: sex with him. Yeah. The first guy who talks to
Becca: me and he's like, woo.
Carly: Um, I also love, this is just a side note, but I love the casting of Denise and Kenny, because I like that. Kenny's like a little guy and Denise isn't like this scrawny girl, she's like a, like a normal, regular or size girl. And like just, I think that, that made me really happy at the time.
Becca: And now yeah, yeah,
Julia: yeah, yeah.
Julia: Yeah. I, I, I, I can't disagree. Like I agree with both of you, like William storyline is so he is so dedicated to getting his, like, vindication with, um,
Becca: Mike
Julia: Dexter, Mike Dexter, Mike Dexter, and Mike Dex. And it just, you know, you clearly can tell he's never been into a party before this isn't his story. And he just has the best time and it makes me so happy for him.
Julia: And then, um, Oh, my God. Speaking of Kenny, you know, his two friends. Yes. Yes. One of 'em was a never been kissed by the way. But anyway, when they walk up to the group of black people and they're like, what's up Mike, but you know what? I didn't realize. I didn't realize at the time they
Becca: used the hard
Becca: really, I thought. Maybe, I mean, it doesn't,
Julia: but like maybe it doesn't,
Becca: I mean, it doesn't
matter.
Julia: It really doesn't matter. And then they're like, like the
Becca: fact that they said that, and then afterward I was the fact that afterward those guys tried to kick their ass. I was like, yeah, absolutely. That's exactly what should happen.
Becca: Yes. Cause
Julia: they totally forgot about that scene happening. And when it happened, I was like, What is happening. Cause that shit would never happen now. Like nobody would ever put that in a movie or a TV show now. Um, and you're right. The response that they had was the appropriate response with which is let's go kick these white boys asses
Becca: yeah, let's go kick these white boys who are pretending like they're black
Julia: boys.
Julia: Yeah. Cause
Becca: like they did not only did they culturally appropriate us. But then they insulted
Julia: us to our faces. So mm-hmm , which I think was very like in, you know, um, we didn't see a lot of that. Right? Like we didn't see a lot of that happening where somebody who is not of that race, say something like that.
Julia: And it's just like, oh, like there was an actual action response to somebody saying that and like, Sure it was for comedic value, but the point is it sort of reaffirmed this whole, like, you don't get to talk that way. You don't, you don't get
Becca: to say that. Yeah. Yeah. Like
Julia: it's not okay for you to say that.
Julia: Yeah. Period. Yeah. Period. The end period.
Becca: The end
Julia: scene scene. All right, well, this conversation's done. We just solved all the problems.
Becca: This episode is brought
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Becca: H U.
Julia: E S by Jules, J U L S in Roger Ebert's comparison. He likened it to things like fast times at Ridgemont high and so on. So to me that feels like comparing apples and oranges because the bulk of this film is focused on the party itself. While we do have a little bit of the at graduation, that's the build up to the scenario and we see the resolution the next day, the graduation party.
Julia: Is
Becca: solely like
Julia: this feel of this is the last night of our lives as kids. So besides the obvious reasons, how is this movie different from other teen movies of our time?
Becca: Um, I
Carly: just love how many side stories there are and they go pretty deep. Um, it felt like with like the band breaking up,
Julia: like it's like the Bren Meer.
Julia: We love you. forever. Travis bur dog. You are always the best
Becca: we stand.
Carly: We, or like the nerds on the roof, just having. Also not realizing they're missing anything and having this whole other wonderful night,
Becca: they had a wonderful time at the party, their lives. They had a wonderful time at that party on the roof of the pool house.
Becca: Yeah. Yeah.
Carly: Amanda's like the night from Amanda's point of view. Yeah. Um, the jocks, the girlfriends, you know, Kenny and Denise,
Becca: Melissa, Joan
Julia: hard, definitely trying to get everyone's signature,
Becca: even like. Can we talk about how even the letter had a storyline? Yes, yes, it did. Yeah. Like that scene where like the letter makes it from the trash to right in front of Amanda and just like how it was filmed.
Becca: Like, it almost seemed like it was one take is just like.
Julia: No, like this is fate. It will get in a man's hands. Yeah. And,
Carly: and, um, even the host of the party had her own like storyline. Yeah.
Julia: Which I love that scene where it was like somebody had drawn on the family portrait.
Becca: I like boys.
Becca: I like what she so terrifying. That's like my actual biggest. Fears like a party in my house. And like, my shit gets ruined. Yeah. Like when
Carly: she finally finds Kenny and Denise and she's like, get the, like,
Becca: get that door fixed. Um, amazing. I like you said, Carly, I think I liked that there were so many side stories and like, It wasn't like, like in previous
Julia: movies it was like, there were side characters
Becca: and that's all they were like in this movie.
Becca: Like there are so many side characters, but those side characters have so much like depth to the side character. Like even like. Can we talk about what's his face? Uh, Jason Siegel
Julia: as
the
Julia: watermelon. Oh my God. The watermelon scene. I die fingering
Becca: the
Julia: watermelon, just, just his whole mouth in there too.
Julia: Apparently.
Becca: That's his first
Carly: film too.
Julia: Yeah.
Becca: And then he's like,
Becca: Stoner. I'm
not
Julia: gonna describe to the audience what you just did. I'm going to let them
Becca: make assumptions. Just, just watch it face
Julia: in there. Just watch it, just
Becca: watch it. Yeah.
Julia: He has hair HES. Sometimes he wears t-shirts
Becca: sometimes. Yeah. But like, I just like, like there are side characters who get like, like that's a memorable moment, the memorable moment when like Denise is sitting on the couch and then like somebody comes over and sits with her and she's like, Hey, aren't you in my like, reading?
Becca: And she's like, yeah. And like, she wants to strike a convers. She's like, like,
Becca: thought that like, she didn't. But she did it for Preston and then she went and she was not having fun. You could tell she was not having fun at all. And like, in that moment she had like, like maybe, maybe I'll be able to strike up a conversation with someone and then it's
Julia: like, , but you know, like meeting every expectation Denise had about this party being terrible and awful terrible
Becca: to her.
Becca: Yes. And then she had getting trapped with like a nemesis of hers. Yeah. And bone in, down with them.
Carly: And I love the whole thing. We've all had those people who we were really close with when we were younger. And then you, the friendships faded and to have that be Kenny and Denise's storyline, and not just like a random person from your school, but like this person that you had this very close relationship with.
Carly: Um, I, yeah, I love it. Yeah.
Becca: Yeah, I think that's, that's beautiful for Kenny to have, you know, experienced that with Denise. Yeah. but then at the end, just, just fail. Not by fall. You didn't have the flavor. fail
Julia: just the fail. And it's I, what I love about this film too, is that it, you literally get the full high school.
Julia: Of the social status structure, spectrum without ha hours within 24 hours. Yes, it's so good. And I'm just like, like from the jump, they set it up with like who the groups are and what they're about. And like clearly defined without like fully, like there's an assumption that the audience is intelligent to an extent.
Julia: Right, right. Like they're not dumbing anything down for you. Like it clearly speaks to the intended audience, which is like, Teenagers and maybe early 20 something. Yes. But
Becca: it's not like, like, and she all that, like when they're doing the whole pro king queen, like balloting situation mm-hmm and, um,
Julia: Jess character's like, okay.
Julia: And the
Becca: gay club. Yeah. And the, this club, and then that club, and it's like, it was like, obviously, like these people are pigeonholed. Like these clubs is like, that's your social group. Yeah. Like this party was like, It was like the party, the ML parties. It was the party where like anybody, anybody, and everybody was going.
Becca: And what I loved, I loved the best was not
Julia: only everybody and anybody and
Becca: everyone was there. But when the cops showed up, everyone was leaving except for Jamie Presley
Julia: that bitch passed out in his chair and her boyfriend was like, honey,
honey.
Becca: And she, you gotta go. And then he's like out, I'm it for me. I was like, buddy, I don't think you're going to the concert in August if he ditch her at that party.
Becca: Right. I know her dad
Julia: in concert, which by
Becca: the go ahead. Oh,
Carly: go. I was gonna say, remember that girl, she was later in a show called, I think she was in that show called popular, popular, popular. Yeah. With the
Becca: scissors. I love that scene. I quote that scene all the time. Yeah. And nobody gets it and I'm just, oh, I would get it.
Becca: I would absolutely 100% get it. Can we just, the thing about this movie too, is that I, and what makes it different than the other movies? I almost wasn't really rooting for Ethan Emry I was just kinda like, buddy, here's the thing she's outta your league, but she's outta your league, but she's also not cause you're going to an Ivy league school.
Becca: Yeah. And she's dated the same loser for four years. And all she has is her looks. But like, she knows all, she has so much she, and she's so
Julia: insightful about that. Like she totally fully comes to terms with the fact that it's just like, yeah, like, I, I don't know what I'm doing into this relationship with this guy.
Julia: And it turns out it was probably a mistake. Yeah.
Becca: And she owns it
Carly: my whole high school career. Mm-hmm ,
Becca: I'm regretting my decision completely.
Julia: Those snippets that they do in the beginning of like each character of like what their high school, like. Careers look like in a snap. It's like prom queen junior prom, queen cheerleader, future plans, undecided.
Julia: Like she clearly doesn't have direction. Yeah.
Becca: Yeah. Whereas like Ethan Emery seems like to be like a smart guy. He's just been pining over her. Mm-hmm for years
Julia: he's like built it up in his head. Can I just say, like, I feel like if that's a very writer, author type thing to do when you're like a literary type.
Julia: Because, you know, he's a part of the literary journal and all these things and like unrequited love. Yes. Like he's totally built this thing up in his head. He's written her a letter and I'm just like, shit. Like that is such a, like hopeless romantic, but also you're in tuned with like your emotions and put things down on paper kind of situation.
Julia: Like, I feel like that's, but like
Becca: also I was her, I'd just be like, I'm cool. if you,
Julia: if you had gotten a letter from somebody in high school that like outlined all of these things, would that have put you off or would you have gone chasing? I would've been like, you're weird.
Becca: Yeah. I would've been totally like, you're weird.
Becca: I mean, I think so too. Yeah. I, I think like, and like, I don't owe you anything. That's what I would be like. I mean, cool. I be like, you don't know
Carly: me. You think you know me, but you don't.
Julia: Yeah. And that's, that's the thing. It's like
Becca: every, that's why I never really rooted for them to like get together, but I rooted for everybody else in the movie.
Becca: It's like, I rooted for everybody else in the movie enough. Like I rooted for Mike Dexter to get destroyed. I rooted for William to become the coolest kid in school. Yeah.
Carly: I rooted for the band to get
Becca: back
Julia: together. I band to get back together. Donald phase
Becca: on, he was also like 45. Um, But yeah, it was something where I was like, it, this movie was different in the sense that you weren't, it wasn't like an anti hero.
Becca: Yeah. But it was, it wasn't like, I was rooting for him as much as I was rooting for everyone else. Like, it was a truly, I think this is one of like first like true ensemble
Julia: movies. Mm-hmm , you
Becca: know what I mean? Where you're like, I'm rooting for the entire ensemble here. Yeah. Like I want everyone to win, like, and even at the end when Melissa Joan Hart and that weird guy are like, yeah, I don't what people do to a yearbook.
Becca: And it's like, it's our whole lives. These are our memories. She's like, these are our memories. And they hold hands and it's just like, it's like, no, but you two weirdos did belong together. So I'm glad that that worked out. Mm-hmm I just like, like this movie, not only like showed you like conflict, but showed the resolution
Julia: like the next day.
Julia: Yeah.
Becca: And I really appreciate that you saw all the loosens were tied. Mm-hmm except I really wanna know what happened to DMA as the angels stripper. Oh yeah. Did she get home? No. Yeah. Can we have a spinoff
Julia: movie with just her 40 years later? Jenna Elman I'm in it. Jenna Elman? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Into it
Becca: I'm into any, that was like peak Darma Greg.
Becca: I remember green, like it's DMA . Yeah. And I was like Nannie Elman's niece through marriage. So, but also I'm like why that's a really anti climactic stripper outfit?
Julia: Well, I feel like for 1998, probably. And a teen movie. It works. Yeah. I mean, this is, she had like,
Becca: why she have a har,
Julia: why she cause she's an angel angels play harps.
Becca: I know, but why does she need that as a stripper?
Julia: I don't know. Cuz she's
Becca: this first 30 seconds when she, I also love the whole Barry
Julia: man thing where she's like, if you
Becca: want him, then you get forum. Yeah. Go for it. Like if you want. If you wanna be with him
Julia: and he's like, no, that's not what we were talking about.
Julia: I love Jerry O'Connell's. Um,
Becca: I love how he's like, yeah, I'm a freshman in college. Like, no, you were not. No, you're
Julia: not. you're clearly a 30 year old man. And also thank you for. Like kicking Mike Dexter back into place because he's like, no, they don't give a shit about you. If you're a jock in college, like girls want people who are like thoughtful and yeah.
Julia: You know, they
Becca: want the Williams of the world. Yes. They want people who try hard.
Julia: Yes. Not like a party dude. Cause I loved Amanda's. Comment about Mike. Like, she's like, he's the same exact guy that he was four years ago. Mm-hmm and I'm like, yes. Call people out when or that situation is calling him out.
Julia: Yeah. When they don't go
Becca: when you need throw. Yeah. Yeah.
Julia: Hey friends, we are looking for advertising partners. When you support this podcast, you're supporting a woman owned bipo, small business. We're looking for other small business partners who want to get in front of an audience of like-minded folks looking to smash the patriarchy and make cultural change.
Julia: If you're interested, email pop culture makes me jealous gmail.com to learn more. In 2018, like any good magazine article website would do the ringer, ran an article titled the beer has not gone bad. How can't hardly wait, became a teen cult classic and had this to say. Following in clueless as footsteps can't hardly wait, helped pave the way for movies.
Julia: Like she's all that drive me crazy. And 10 things I hate about you. It is a time capsule, not only because of its loud fashion and smash mouth and blink 180 2 heavy soundtrack. But because movies like it, major studio team, wrong conflicts no longer exist as we aged. So did the concept of an all out team film?
Julia: There's a Wikipedia. I know that example is terrible. I understand Wikipedia is not a valid source in academia, but this is a podcast. So we're going with it that. Comedy movies listed from the 2010s and friends it's seriously lacking the charismatic, carefree yet worried teen comedy of the 20th century definitely had trouble moving into the 21st, but what's interesting to me about count hardly weight is this while the movie is a time capsule of an era, it's over all theme and tone is timeless and teams from any generation have found something they love about this movie.
Julia: So. How does this movie age?
Becca: Timeless classic 10 outta 10. I'm family. Fun it age like Gabrielle union yeah.
Becca: oh my gosh. Too bad. She wasn't in the movie.
Carly: I know the only movie she wasn't in from, she was too
Becca: busy. Didn't bring it on.
Carly: Um, I know that another article referenced and compared it to, um, American graffiti with the vibes, which I know is a very Modesto of me to bring it up. Um,
Julia: for listeners at home who may not be familiar, George Lucas is from Modesto American graffiti takes place during his high school years.
Julia: Where were you in the summer of 62 as the tagline. And they do an annual celebration of that film in town continue, which I
Carly: come home for. It's really fun. um, so it just, it has those American graffiti vibes the up all night, the hot summer nights. The, you know, coming of age stuff. And I think in that way, because I compare it to that movie, which took place in the sixties.
Carly: I'm like, this is timeless. Mm-hmm I love it.
Julia: I think American graffiti is a really good comparison because Ron Howard's character is on the cusp of leaving for college the next day mm-hmm and Ethan Emery is on the CU. Like he lit, they referenced that and can't hardly wait, numerous times. You're leaving tomorrow.
Julia: You're leaving tomorrow. What's the point of telling. Amanda now you're leaving tomorrow. There's nothing you can do about it. You're leaving tomorrow. Like that is so heavily played out unfinished business. Yes. And same within. American graffiti. It's a huge part of, um, Ron Howard's storyline is that he's leaving.
Julia: Like that's he keeps trying to guilt his friends into doing things with him that night because he is leaving tomorrow. Mm-hmm and if I, if, if Roger, I know Roger Ebert has won all of the awards for writing. May he rest in PE it might be a little bit of a misogynist in some of his writing, but whatever it was, the eighties it's problematic, problematic.
Julia: I think that American graffiti is the most comparable film that you could do a compare and contrast to in terms of themes for high school coming of age. One nighters. Yeah.
Becca: Yeah.
Carly: I even think like, there's like the cute, um, you know, getting like there's like the, the radio DJ kinda aspect of it too, that like comes into play mm-hmm and both, and like calling into the station.
Carly: And I don't know, I just like it's it's yeah. That's what it reminds me of. And I'm like, there, there, those are 30 plus years apart. Like it's amazing. Yeah.
Julia: But there's also just like timeless things like,
Becca: yeah, kids, this, these days go to parties, kids, these days want their
Julia: friends to sign their yearbook.
Julia: High school always is gonna come to an end. Like that's never gonna change unless that's never gonna change the structure of school. But the structure of school hasn't really changed in the last
Becca: hundred years. So even the last two years, like distance learning Z ending today, guys, I was like, you know what I mean?
Becca: Like, yeah, everything ends. And it's the idea of like, How do you want to finish? And I just, like, I liked that this movie just did the whole, like, everyone was afraid of change in some, one way or another. Everyone wanted to close. Everyone wanted to close a chapter. Yeah. Like Mike wanted to close a chapter with Amanda.
Becca: Uh, freaking Preston wanted to open a new chapter, also close chapter with high school, open a new chapter. You know what I mean? Like, uh, Kenny wanted to, you know, leave high school, not a Virgin. Yeah. Uh, everybody have things that they wanted to do. Like, uh, what wanted to get revenge? You know what I, everybody has like something that they want to accomplish.
Becca: It's a, like a bucket list kind of thing. Yeah. And I think like every good movie has that aspect that like everybody has something that they want. Everybody tries to achieve it. And then like whether they actually get it or not. That's the, like the, you know what I mean? Like that's how at
Julia: all. Yeah. I didn't feel like anything was lacking.
Julia: Like I do. I agree with you. I feel like every, every tiny little storyline got wrapped up in some way, whether it was they're getting busted by the cops. And so that's the end of their narrative or. Or, you know, the six more main characters. Like I agree, like you leave feeling satisfied with the whole story because you have resolution for everybody.
Julia: Yeah.
Carly: And the only thing that really felt time CAPY to me about it was Kenny's outfit.
Becca: Those JCOs, are you gonna walk in space? Like, are you going to the moon?
Carly: I feel like everything else. We kind of play off as a
Becca: different
Julia: moment in time
Becca: Kenny's outfit and then Jamie Presley's outfit.
Julia: Yeah. The party hurt the way her hair style, her
Becca: hair, and then her two piece. Yeah. Her two piece outfit. If y'all go to target right now, they have two BS out.
Becca: That's almost exactly like that, but in pastels and I'm like, No, we're not doing, not going back. We're not going back about
Carly: the next thing was gonna be like, you take it off the rack.
Julia: you're like, like you supposed to lived through the nineties, do not want to relive some of the style. And like, when I was watching the newest season of queer eye and some of the clothes that tan was pulling, I was like, Hmm.
Julia: Nope. Can't get me in those jeans again. Like I was forced into them in 1995. I'm not doing it in 20, 22. well, some of it
Becca: too, it's like, like I I'm sure Carly can relate because we grew up in the same house. We, our parents like enforced dressing pretty modestly on us. Mm-hmm and so like some of that fashion, I was like, When I see it now, I'm like,
Julia: I could wear that.
Julia: And I'm like, but I still don't want to. Yeah. Yeah. I totally get that. I think that it's timeless as well. Again, because you have a theme that's never gonna die. Like you have a theme that's sort of always gonna be there. And that theme is the overarching. So jury is it. High school has ended now what.
Becca: Yeah, it's the WTF mm-hmm and
Carly: everyone can relate to that, no matter what click you were in or what your plans are afterwards, you know, everyone, people
Becca: has to go through that.
Becca: Yeah. I also think that like now rewatching it as an adult. It's like, okay. So like, I'm sure Julie, you can relate, like, I'm probably gonna feel like that, like when my kids are in high school or like, like, you know what I mean? Like yeah. We can relate to that. Like, there's always gonna be those periods in our life where it's like, what are we gonna do now?
Becca: Like, We have to reinvent ourself again, mm-hmm and we're always gonna have those things. And so it's just a matter of like, are we gonna be a William? Are we gonna be a Mike ? Who are we gonna be? Yeah, we gonna be
Julia: what's interesting adventure. Yeah. This time around cuz you know, my kids 20 years after my, our high school reunion back then or our high school graduation, a um, so I'm very emotional about certain aspects, right?
Julia: Like cuz then you reflect when you have a human who's sort of like coming behind you at. Sort of the same pace mm-hmm um, watching these films this time around was a little hit a little differently, because, and when I say these films, I'm referring to the episodes that you were, you two were on with me.
Julia: Mm-hmm because there was so much like hope and promise and idealism. And I. So many ideas, you know, just these thoughts of who I was gonna be as an adult and what I wanted to achieve, none of those came true. So then to have the culmination of can't hardly wait and see it again in like that feeling of what I did graduation night, that feeling of senior year and how one, like how much fun I had senior year.
Julia: It almost makes me really sad because it was just like, I mean, I know exactly how it all got lost when it all got lost. Like I'm not gonna be delusional in that aspect. Yeah. But it makes me. It motivates me to be a better parent for my child in the sense of like, I we're gonna do everything we can. So that way you don't fuck up the way that I fucked up.
Julia: And if you fuck up, that's your business, but it's not gonna be because I didn't support you in the ways that you needed to be supported. Yeah. And I
Becca: think even like all three of us have, like, we've gone through different paths in like the last 20 years, but I think all three of us can relate to the like, oh no, that's that's, that's where I went off track.
Becca: Mm-hmm okay. Oh yeah. Like we all have like the like, oh, that's where the path skewed away from where it was supposed to go. Mm-hmm how do we get it closer to that? Or how do we help those around us? Mm-hmm . Get on their correct path. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. No
Carly: one is without the fucked
Julia: upness. Yeah.
Julia: Yeah. And, you know, we even had a conversation the other day where it was just like, I just, you know, you're gonna become an adult and being an adult is really scary and it's really hard and I'm not that great at it either sometimes. So like, just let me know how you need to be supported cuz I know how I.
Julia: In my mind, how I wanna support you, but if that's not how you need support, then I want you to be open with me and honest about that so I can support you so you can do the things that you wanna do with your life. Yeah. Um, and make those decisions and, and, you know, take the risks that you need to take. So you can have what you want when you're 37.
Julia: Yeah. Yeah. Which is not what I got. Sorry, mom and dad. Oh, is this the bonus part? Whatever. Sorry, mom and dad for listening. you're not, I'm not saying they're bad parents. I'm just saying, you know, I don't think that we spoke the same language about what it was that I wanted and how I needed to be supported at that time 20
Becca: years ago.
Becca: I also think that's a.
Julia: New things, a reflection on, on their
Becca: generations generation too.
Carly: Mm-hmm yeah. It's, it's kind of like the times they are a change in, I feel like the, the relationship that, uh, what I see a lot, and I say this as somebody, not someone who has kids, but someone who works with a lot of parents, um, is that the relationship that I see with millennials?
Carly: And later is that we are trying to have a different parent child relationship than the one that we necessarily had.
Becca: Mm-hmm I think it's also just an adult child relationship because the relationship, this is me speaking as Carly's sister, the relationship she has with my kids is not the same relationship that we had with our aunts and uncles.
Becca: Mm-hmm . Yeah.
Carly: So like some of that's geographical too, but even when a sister who's outta state, I feel like, yeah. Yeah.
Becca: It's just like, we try and be like way more present and like mm-hmm, more present and like just set the expectation that we are here. Mm-hmm also like approachable, which I don't think was necessarily like, our parents were like approachable.
Becca: Like anybody will say like, oh, your parents are so cool. I love your parents. It's like, yeah, I love my parents too. But like, It was hard to be their kids sometimes mm-hmm because they're, they were like really strict. And I couldn't talk to them about certain things, like going back to the whole party thing.
Becca: I literally had a conversation with my mom after I'd already had children where she said to me. Yeah, but you went to parties in high school. I was like, no, she like what? I was like, I never went to parties in high school mom. She's like, well, I just always thought you did. So you're saying I could have like, yeah, like what?
Becca: Well,
Carly: they were, they were really good at punishments and I was the one who got all the punishments. So I feel like everyone after me was like, yeah, that's not worth it. They're super good
Becca: at that's. At least I didn't think it was worth it. Rachel was fine with it. But I think, I think our little sister also was in, has to do with like the whole like social class thing.
Becca: Like. Our little sister was like a cheerleader and popular. So it was like, I think my parents had the expectation. Like she's gonna be like in different social situations and Carly and I were nest. It was like, what are the band kids doing? Yeah. Measuring their penises.
Julia: Like. Against their instruments. Yeah.
Julia: That's an interesting point though, because my siblings are so much older than I am. Like they're solidly gen X. Yeah. I don't think anybody could argue. I mean, maybe somebody could, but they're solidly gen X and here I am, you know, troting along. Many years later, completely different social generation.
Julia: Yeah. And the things in parenting that worked with my siblings didn't necessarily work with me. My siblings didn't have the internet in high school. Yeah. You know, cell phones, weren't a thing. Like there's just totally different generation when it comes to like that,
Becca: like
Julia: yeah. Page your friends. Right. And so this idea like this, and I think sometimes too, like.
Julia: This idea now that it exists about like parent your child, the way that your parent, your child needs to be parented because every kid's different. And in a recent conversation I had with my, one of my siblings, it was like, it all needs to be fair. And so then I started thinking like, what does that mean though?
Julia: Because what's fair for me may not be fair for you because we're different people. We have D we are very clearly different. So like economic statuses at this point. And so all three of us are very different economic statuses at this point. So. You know, it kind of is it's hard, I think. And you know, there are people out there who have a lot of kids that are all far out in age, and I just admire them for being able to handle that.
Julia: Cuz I don't think that I could. I'd be a very different parent if I had any more children at this point in my life to those children coming in. So what you're saying is we need
Becca: to get you a baby. Just kidding. what I'm, what I'm hearing is you wanna give it a shot? Okay.
Julia: Like Carly first. Listen, I just I'm like still, I'm still trying to find a partner who can put up with my weird quirks.
Julia: Okay. so hard. It is so hard. I think I'm delightful and adorable. Like I think you are too, is the. Men hear me now. No, I'm just kidding. problem is geographical. I'm just kidding. It is, it is a geographical issue and we can actually like, in our actual friendship, we can have that conversation. We're not having that conversation on the podcast.
Becca: No, I blame it on Modesto. Yeah. Well,
Julia: for me, I love to party and I love having fun. But in high school I had this facade of being okay with wild and crazy parties, which in some respects sure. But again, you know, the loud noises got to me after a while and I just, all the people and the smells, the truth is I was terrified of getting to up by my parents who clearly had no idea how to manage me.
Julia: And I genuinely did not want to get punished for anything ever. At all like my, I don't know if my parents were good at punishment, like yours were, but it was definitely terrifying to get punished. But I tell you what I have been to my fair share of parties. Like the one in can't hardly wait and they sure were fun, but nowadays I don't think I would enjoy it ever, like ever.
Julia: I don't wanna be around 500 people like ever. I wanna thank my guests for joining me today. This is the last appearance for this segment that you will see them. And it has been such a joy. And I'm so happy that my high school PS people I experienced high school with were here to talk about high school movies that came out when we were in high school.
Julia: So Carly, Becca, can you please tell people where they can find you if they wanna keep up with you?
Carly: Sure. Um, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook at tidy revival where I'm talking about all things, home organization, um, or@tidyrevival.com.
Becca: And you can find me on Twitter at beca Monte. I talk about being a mom, my love, hate relationship with this Sacramento Kings and a lot, a lot, a lot of breastfeeding content.
Becca: So.
Julia: My love, hate relationship with the Sacramento Kings gold. It's hard to love him. Yeah. Hard to love him. Yeah. But she's funny
Carly: as hell. So
Julia: follow folks. It is pretty entertaining. I do agree. Pop culture makes me jealous is written, edited and produced by me, Julia Washington. If you love our show and wanna support it, there's a few ways you can do that.
Julia: You can become a supporter on Patreon for $10 a month to receive, add free episodes with bonus content, or you can write a review. And rate the podcast wherever you find your podcasts. And lastly, if neither of those things is your style, you can find us on Instagram, give us a follow and share our video clips with your friends.
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Becca: y'all
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