Ira and Louis discuss Jennifer Lawrence’s R rated comedy turn in No Hard Feelings, the return of And Just Like That, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, 20 years of Liz Phair’s self-titled, and more. Plus, Dewayne Perkins joins to discuss his new film The Blackening.

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

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Ira Madison III And we’re back with an all new episode of Keep It. I’m Ira Madison the Third.

 

Louis Virtel You sound a little congested today. I’m Louis Virtel. I also woke up very sniffly and the last time we went to Fire Island and I’m going back this weekend, I had the worst cold of my life. I cannot do this again. I cannot be sneezing on that fucking ferry looking like the tubercular kid from the Secret Garden as I try to vacation.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, I don’t feel sick at all, so.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, now, all right.

 

Ira Madison III I think you’re projecting, Louis.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, all right, well, there’s just something about you. You have that sick essence.

 

Ira Madison III Well, you know, I have been traveling. I did just get back from a trip. I was touring the Shein factories in China.

 

Louis Virtel Excuse me. Go on.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, You know, Shein?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I guess every time that company comes up, somebody says at one of five different ways and I just throw my arms up and I. It’s like Lacroix. It’s like, can we simply agree? Can we simply just say it the one way.

 

Ira Madison III She say.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, like the character on Sex and the City. Yes

 

Ira Madison III Yes, no. I was in Amsterdam seeing the Renaissance Tour.

 

Louis Virtel Through a cloud of smoke, I assume.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, Yes. I hit the I hit the meth pipe.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, a good move for you. A little spring in your step at the concert.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I’ve said this before. I was avoiding everything having to do with the concert because I wanted to, you know, take it all in.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III And I took it all in, and it’s fantastic.

 

Louis Virtel There’s a lot to take in.

 

Ira Madison III And then I saw it again.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, you’ve seen it both times in Amsterdam.

 

Ira Madison III I saw it both nights as I both nights, which was fantastic because it was Juneteenth weekend. And the second show, the Sunday show, you know, she wore outfits, completely new outfits.

 

Louis Virtel Mmmm.

 

Ira Madison III And she’s been doing that, by the way, which is really sort of like a treat for people. Like, you know, when you’re getting content constantly from like a concert, you’re seeing like the same thing over and over again. I think it’s kind of nice when you’re on social media now and you’re getting like, oh, new outfits, so it feels like you’re getting something new.

 

Louis Virtel No, it’s.

 

Ira Madison III Enticing you to see the show.

 

Louis Virtel There’s a sense of occasion to the actual concert. It feels like you’re not just watching a YouTube video that you could have seen any other place. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But she was wearing outfits by all black designers on the Sunday show, including herself, because she wore, like, the new Ivy Park line.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay. I thought you were talking about the House of Dereon for a minute. I was like, I want her back. And that burgundy jumpsuit from the Lose My Breath video.

 

Ira Madison III The Dereon jeans.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III No, it’s. It’s also a friend of mine was telling me that I believe, you know, the top three grossers of the year concert wise, you know, like Harry, Beyonce and Taylor and Beyonce is probably.

 

Louis Virtel Taylor Dane you mean, right? Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, of course. Tell it to her heart.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, right. Tell it to the bank account. Yes

 

Ira Madison III The three of them. Of the three of them, I would say that probably Beyonce is the highest earning like taking in the most. But. She’s lower than them overall because of the budget for her show. Like, you know, the changing the outfits, which reminds me very much of like Michael Jackson, the musical MJ is sort of about like, you know, how the Dangerous tour was like overblown with budget and about how he had to, you know, like take out a loan on Neverland.

 

Louis Virtel Well, also, every one of his outfits was like, oh, here’s a band leader jacket lined with emeralds or whatever. Truly among superstars. No one had gaudier I also say it, worse taste than Michael Jackson.

 

Ira Madison III It really did.

 

Louis Virtel Michael Jackson was straight up gross. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III But, you know, it’s this, you know, perfectionist thing. And Beyonce saying, you know, with wanting like it to be visually different each show, which eats into the budget.

 

Louis Virtel Well, from what I’ve seen, which is, of course, very little, there’s some sort of sci fi contraptions she is in at one point that is giving, you know, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark or something, tendrils and things launching out of the edges. I don’t know what was happening.

 

Ira Madison III So when the Renaissance show starts are and I have to clarify the Renaissance show because Beyonce is her own opener on this tour.

 

Louis Virtel It’s never been done. It’s simply never been done.

 

Ira Madison III Simply never been done. But what happens is the show starts and, you know, an announcer says, ladies and gentlemen, Beyonce Giselle Knowles Carter. And she comes out, you know, in like a dress. There’s a woman playing on the piano with a microphone as she does Dangerously in Love to the audience and then, you know, sings some things like Flaws and All and like some other songs from IV as sort of like, I’m giving you the vocals that you want from me, right?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I see. I see.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And then she leaves and then the screen says, Welcome to Renaissance. And then.

 

Louis Virtel Wow.

 

Ira Madison III The show starts.

 

Louis Virtel That’s very.

 

Ira Madison III It’s like a dance party completely after that.

 

Louis Virtel It’s like Asteroid City. Here’s the view outside of the movie, the making of kind of the, you know, and then we get into the Wes Anderson movie you expect.

 

Ira Madison III Which I kind of love, because even though, you know, there’s like a Love on Top moment and stuff like later in the show, obviously this show doesn’t stop, you know, to give like ballads, which is always sort of a problem when you’re sort of having like fun at a concert, right? And then it’s like, Oh, well, here’s does like stops and starts and like, how do you blended together? And it really sort of stays a dance party. But when the Renaissance part starts, she’s like, locked into this, like, yeah, this like sci fi contraption which opens up, you know, steps out.

 

Louis Virtel You know what it looks like the villain from Wild, Wild West or the big Spider-Man. That’s what it looks like. That thing that. Oh, it’s that guy. Jon Peters, former paramour of Barbara Streisand and Lesley Ann Warren. Yes. Insisted there be a giant mechanical spider and Wild Wild West who tried to get it in some other movie, I think a Superman movie or something. And lo and behold, that ended up there. And poor Kevin Kline, poor Will Smith.

 

Ira Madison III There’s also a point where you go in the visuals into a robot’s vagina. So, you know.

 

Louis Virtel Really.

 

Ira Madison III Take that row.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, that seems very old school Lady Gaga to me.

 

Ira Madison III You know, because they share a designer who come to work with Beyoncé on this tour. Stephanie, She’s busy hawking medication.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Oh, yeah. And what and like, there’s, like, discarded Babylon visuals. She associates with this medication now or gave her.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So she was hawking Nurtec, a migraine drug, right which okay bitch you’ve given us migraines, but you should be giving it away for free. But. After she did that and the backlash, did you see her like post video, like the black and white photo of her sitting like in a studio with like some like chromatica visuals behind her and this long post about how, like, I’ve been working really hard for you guys and I’m like, in the editing bay every day working on like the Chromatica tour video. It’s like, Okay, girl.

 

Louis Virtel Also, the backlash couldn’t have been that extreme, you know what I mean?

 

Ira Madison III It wasn’t that extreme. People were making fun of her.

 

Louis Virtel Right, Right.

 

Ira Madison III It’s like, do you need the money? But then also. What I just said about the Beyonce tour and it like being expensive and shit. I mean, like, maybe she does need the money, tours are expensive.

 

Louis Virtel I do remember once upon a time, Lady Gaga. This is right at the beginning of her career, 2009, 2010 time when she would perform absolutely everywhere. She was saying how broke she was because of all of the effort. And I mean, at that time, costuming that went into her everyday life, she would leave a hotel room and would have to be head to toe, you know, like Vivienne Westwood explosion.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, if you’re doing couture outfits all the fucking time and she’s wearing them all the fucking time, and that was probably even before she was being gifted shit all the time, you know? And then if you’re changing shit on tour constantly, like Beyonce is, you know, like, these are these are superstars, you know, like Beyonce and Gaga can’t just go up there and do a little shimmy, okay? You know?

 

Louis Virtel No.

 

Ira Madison III I’m not calling anybody out by name. Yeah. Go out there and do like, a little shimmy, you know, and then have people be like, Oh, it’s an amazing tour, You know, like they will get critiqued for that.

 

Louis Virtel Can I just say about Dua LIPA since I think that’s what was going on here? You know, like sometimes when there’s a pop artist, I dread having to see white people dancing to these people, you know, just so you don’t really want to see it. And then Dua LIPA, I think, made it worse because white people are even worse at sexily sauntering. Like, we can’t even do that. You know what I mean? It’s it’s not built for our frame.

 

Ira Madison III Really? Yeah. I mean, you look like curse of the Spider woman When you dance.

 

Louis Virtel I’m all elbows. Limbs. I’m the mechanical spider from Wild Wild West.

 

Ira Madison III I’m just saying, you know, if your dancers are out dancing you, we have a problem.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right, right. That’s even a problem with Madonna on the recent tour. She’s like, Oh, here comes like parkour experts, like, sprinting up around me while I moan songs from Ray of Light.

 

Ira Madison III Overall, though, I would say the tour was like really fucking fun, you know? We got a glimpse of the visuals.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah? Which exist.

 

Ira Madison III They are a part of the show. Uh huh. And you have that to take in. There’s so many stages. Like the stage is very intricate. Like it’s S. Delvin who’s done, you know, to The Weeknd’s After Hours tour. You know, she did Kanye a sort of big stage that he had had at Coachella before. So, you know, it’s very like futuristic and like intricate and there’s a lot of stages there. There’s the main stage. There’s, you know, the catwalk where she walks out. But then there’s also two other sort of catwalks where people are dancing and doing business. So there’s a lot to take in.

 

Louis Virtel Mm hmm.

 

Ira Madison III So seeing a second night helped me take in a lot more.

 

Louis Virtel Were there any other songs? Maybe Destiny’s Child songs that you were surprised to hear?

 

Ira Madison III No, there was really no like Destiny’s Child.

 

Louis Virtel That is a surprising artistic choice. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And the song stayed pretty. There’s renaissance, you know, There’s formation, obviously. You know, there’s love on top, you know, like, um, single ladies of Halo. That’s all gone.

 

Louis Virtel I have to.

 

Ira Madison III Applaud the track. We were very happy. There’s, like, deejay dance breaks and stuff during transitions. And when single ladies was playing during one of them, we all, like, turn to each other and we’re like, Thank God, nicely done.

 

Louis Virtel Like, Oh.

 

Ira Madison III God, they got that. This is all we get out of it. 30 seconds.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. No, Beyonce is like, You’re not at CVS today. Sorry.

 

Ira Madison III Um, yeah, but the show is really I’m looking forward to hopefully a remix album of this just because, you know, it leans more into, you know, like ballroom, like vibes, you know, like the Cozy, which I always loved on the album is maybe my favorite live because there’s more of Kevin Prodigy doing sort of like ballroom chants and stuff, and there’s like very intricate, like robot arms, like acting is like, you know, a picture frame surrounding her a lot. America has a problem is great. There’s like, there’s really good remixes and sort of re-imaginings of the songs, which is I guess, really fun to see because we haven’t seen music videos, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Right?

 

Ira Madison III So also it’s our first, our first site. So it’s our first image of, you know, how she has interpreted these songs.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right, right. Also, if she’s going to give us ballroom type interpretations, I better see her inserted into that cats thing we’re getting on Broadway Ballroom.

 

Ira Madison III Which actual ballroom people are involved in. So like.

 

Louis Virtel Well you would think.

 

Ira Madison III Excited?

 

Louis Virtel I mean, like the nerve of this entire enterprise? If there weren’t actual ballroom people there, I think they would just burn the building down.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So I can’t wait to see it again. Okay.

 

Louis Virtel I know. And you will be. I’m not worried about that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Again, I still love the gag of. My friends being like, you know, because they didn’t get to see her in Los Angeles. So they want to see her elsewhere first. So everybody’s flying out to everywhere. Like somebody will be like, Oh yeah, I’m seeing Beyoncé, of course, in Saskatoon just because she’s out on the prairie today.

 

Ira Madison III It’s really been this weird phenomenon of like, I ran into friends who I didn’t know were going there. I’ve seen people who I didn’t know were going like their Instagram is popping up now, like they’re in like Barcelona or they’re in Frankfurt seeing her. And it was nice, like sort of finding other Americans to dance with in the pit. Because let me tell you something.

 

Louis Virtel You’re a zenophobe

 

Ira Madison III The Dutch.

 

Louis Virtel The Dutch are not really moving.

 

Ira Madison III They’re not really moving.

 

Louis Virtel Well, the shoes are.

 

Ira Madison III Imagine that yeah, they created the slave trade. They didn’t pick up a beat.

 

Louis Virtel They’ve got windmill arms, if you know what I mean. Yeah. It’s a little mechanical.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, the Europeans are a little more stiff, so. But we had a good ass time.

 

Louis Virtel There’s no shade to Dutch. Wild, Wild West Star Frederik Van der Walt. I hope you’re listening.

 

Ira Madison III You know everyone who was in the movie, Wild Wild West.

 

Louis Virtel I have to say I do.

 

Ira Madison III I’ve seen that movie once in person. In person, like it was. It was a live production. Oh, yes. I’ve seen that movie once in theaters and maybe one other time on the TV, muted at a bar.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Right. Well, it shouldn’t be watched. So you’ve already failed twice. Okay. What’s going on with this episode?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. What is going on with this episode? Let me figure out. What should we talk about? I’m kidding. No. So we have got, first off, Dwayne Perkins here.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, my God. Love him. And also love this movie, The Blackening. Definitely. Go see this in the theater. It is the horror, parody and legit comedy you want from this movie. So efficient laughs the entire time. Actors I didn’t know before him, whom I love in this movie.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, there are jokes. There’s fantastic actors in it. I really enjoyed the film and Dwayne is fantastic to talk to. Yeah, he’s so funny.

 

Louis Virtel Very funny. Yes, yes, yes.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And then, speaking of comedies, No Hard Feelings came out this past weekend. It was supposed to tout the return of the R-rated comedy. So we’ll talk about that.

 

Louis Virtel Very well.

 

Ira Madison III And then also, speaking of comedies, I’m kidding. The show wasn’t a comedy at all anymore. And Just Like That is back and I have finally watched it.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, good. We’ll get into this. My friend Lew Wilson, who is the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live when the show came out, he goes, Oh, yeah, what’s the name of that show? I guess we’re all here. I just heard something about the title where it does not stick. You’re like, It’s a sequence of small words. So I always think of, I guess we’re all here.

 

Ira Madison III That’s so weird because I feel like I’m constantly around gays just going well, And Just Like That.

 

Louis Virtel That’s your choice of friends and you shouldn’t be bragging about that.

 

Ira Madison III So that is our show this week. Before we kick it to the rest of our episode, I do want to sadly say that a friend of mine passed away this week. You’re friends with him too. Adam North, he was a playwright, a very good one. It’s hard to find a good playwright these days.

 

Louis Virtel I’m going to say. I can think of two. So.

 

Ira Madison III All right. A good a good playwright is Hard to Find was the original name of that poem.

 

Louis Virtel I believe it was a short story, but okay. Yeah. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to mention his name because I loved him and he was a really he was a really good friend. And actually one of the first people that I hung out with in 2020 when, you know, we were allowed to be with people.

 

Louis Virtel Right.

 

Ira Madison III I remember going to the park in Brooklyn and, like, hanging out with him and drinking White Claws with masks on our face.

 

Louis Virtel No, I think often about the times I’m at like a picnic table outside of the restaurant. I used to hang out and we’re in masks. I was like, What is this post-apocalyptic scenario? It’s just so joyless in many ways. Yeah. Adam North was a rad, very smart, erudite guy. I can’t believe he passed away. It’s just safe to say you love your friends. Hang out with your friends, enjoy your life. Life is a luxury, etc..

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. The smartest thing he did was move from L.A. to New York too.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. That’s your take. We all have a fine time here, but. All right.

 

Ira Madison III All right. We will be back with more. Keep It.

 

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Ira Madison III Jennifer Lawrence has returned and she is back to being funny. Thank God. I was tired of that bitch running around killing teenagers.

 

Louis Virtel In.

 

Ira Madison III Hunger Games.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, that’s right. Right. She’s in those. You’ve been thinking about her career completely forget about that. All I know is that Gina Davis is like, Oh, we love those movies because it’s a female protagonist, and she’s an archer like me. Gina Davis.

 

Ira Madison III Well, that and X-Men, like she was she was that she was literally trapped in like two different franchises for well over a decade.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Because she has like, her six prestige movies. And then she made those 50 other ones, which, I mean, not that they’re poorly rated or anything, but, you know, you’re not going to see Hunger Games in the main categories at the Oscars.

 

Ira Madison III They’re better rated than those David O. Russell movies.

 

Louis Virtel No fucking joke. I’m going to get into the David O. Russell of it all with Jennifer Lawrence momentarily, but go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III We saw No Hard Feelings this weekend, a movie that has been touted as a return to the era of R-rated comedies. But I have some thoughts about that.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Too. I loved this film. I thought it was really funny. I thought it was really sweet. I thought it was really unexpectedly heartwarming. I think that the trailer and the entire thing about R-rated comedies are back. Raunchy comedies are back was a little premature because this movie was barely raunchy.

 

Louis Virtel No, I think if you went in expecting Porky’s or whatever, that’s the only way you’ll come out disappointed, because I think the star of this movie is the chemistry between these two actors, which is unexpected. You have Jennifer Lawrence playing somebody who is hired by these uptight parents, Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti, who I believe was handed a list of all the Kristen Wiig performances. And they said to do this.

 

Ira Madison III Do they tell you that it took me half the movie to realize that was Laura Benanti. I was like. Is this? What? I thought it was Kristen Wiig At first.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. It could be like five different people.

 

Ira Madison III I also just had to afterwards had to Google like Laura Benanti’s age because it was very odd to see her paired with Matthew Broderick.

 

Louis Virtel Right. They are not the same age. Correct. But Jennifer Lawrence is hired to bring their introverted, nerdy son out of his shell, give him a social life, basically, and have sex with him ostensibly. And the beginning of it is her courting him and being very obvious about it and showy and flashy. But what an obviously she ends up kind of falling for him. That is expected. But what’s unexpected is he is a really good actor. He’s barely been in any movies before and he is a veteran of the Jimmy Awards, which first of all.

 

Ira Madison III Andrew Barth Feldman. We stan Jimmy Winters on this podcast.

 

Louis Virtel We’ve not talked much about the Jimmy’s, the Jimmy’s are a competition for high school theater. So people go on and the boys compete as a group. The girls compete as a group because they believe in the binary, which is very upsetting. Well, we’ll work on that. But Andrew Barth Feldman won the Jimmy’s one year and he does this fabulous performance from the musical Honeymoon in Vegas. And you see that not only does his voice sound great, but the acting is you can tell the acting is a priority for him because it’s so charming, so realistic. And he brings that to this movie. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III So adorable in this film. And like, you truly. This is casting that works because Jennifer Lawrence is like back to being like fucking amazing as usual. And he the chemistry that they had together, like I felt bad for him in this movie as it’s going on. Like I fell in love with him during the movie. He’s like a really good actor and it reminds me of him. He looks a lot like Mike Feist.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, he’s in that category of people. Like he’s sort of the Jay Baruchel we deserve, you know what I’m saying?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Jay could have been the Jay we deserve.

 

Louis Virtel I know. He was lovely.

 

Ira Madison III Undeclared declared that.

 

Louis Virtel He’s got How I Met Your Dragon Money or whatever the fuck that’s called.

 

Ira Madison III He’s rolling in it. But anyway, great cast.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, Jennifer Lawrence. There was some trepidation for me because I knew going into this movie she’d be giving us Emma Stone 29 and I wondered if we needed more of that. You know, as you know, I’m not like an easy stand. Emma Stone also, like, fabulous in her own right. I don’t know if we needed a copycat version of that. She is great. And also, I love all the jokes at her character’s expense in this movie. She’s 32 and in real life and in the movie and the jokes they make about her being old compared to him or like Andrew Barth Feldman makes the joke when they’re in a big fight. He goes, Well, we have one thing in common. We’ll both be seniors in four years.

 

Ira Madison III There’s a really funny joke where she crashes the party that he’s a hat because he’s mad at her and she makes a joke about these two guys like fucking each other, and they’re offended that she’s made, like, a homophobic joke. I really get like, parents to come after her as she’s, like, aghast. She’s like, Oh, I can’t be here because of the joke. And then the parents are like, No, you shouldn’t be at a high school party, you old bitch. So for people who are also like, we’re pre-judging this movie because she is an older woman pursuing like a younger man, despite the fact he’s 19 and going to college. The movie’s about that and it makes jokes about that and it’s very aware of the situation.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, definitely. Also, I think the movie goes to great pains to establish she is 19 years old, I guess not economic situation. She’s not 17 or 18. He is a 19 year old. Yeah, there is. So a movie like this, even though it’s about kind of a quaint romance, it wants to have these larger comedic set pieces that are broader zanier. And I think the ones early in the movie work, namely the one that makes it an R-rated movie which contains, yes, nudity. I found that to be very funny.

 

Ira Madison III I cackled at I don’t want to ruin it too much, but I cackled at Jennifer Lawrence emerging full bush from the ocean for the funniest scene of the movie.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. No. I mean, and looking having Swamp Thing energy as she did it. As the movie goes on, they obviously it needs to ramp up the comedy in the movie. So they have a couple of crazy, you know, movies that I don’t want to say they accommodate an explosion, but that sort of thing. And I find those to be less successful. But the final moments in the movie where they, you know, they’ve established what their relationship, I guess, will be going forward and how she ends up. I won’t spoil it, but it’s an incredibly sweet moment. It ends perfectly, I think.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t like I can’t remember like a movie in recent history that’s just been. A really funny comedy to watch, but also like, made me feel like. Some of the best movies that like, you know, we watched when we were teenagers, you know, that like, just made me feel like, hopeful about the characters in the film. Yeah. Made me feel hopeful about my own life. Like, I just thought it was like a reverse graduate.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, I was. Yeah. There’s. There’s that, like, radiance about it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, It ends with them, you know, alone together. But the way the Graduate ends, like, very uneasy. If this is the opposite of that, it is very hopeful.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. And because both of these characters have a listlessness throughout the movie too. And then that kind of goes away by the end. And and it’s very earned.

 

Ira Madison III I think I will also say that the character development of both of them and their traumas that bring them together feels very honest in this film and doesn’t feel like. Tacked on down trauma just to like sort of make you relate to them, Right.

 

Louis Virtel Especially since every comedy nowadays has some drama or grief element or something. So that can feel very obligatory at times. It does not feel this way here. They’re both. It’s both. It’s really well acted. Also, this movie has a really low metacritic score. It’s like a 56 or something. This movie is definitely better than that. I don’t know where people are coming from. I mean, I guess it like it.

 

Ira Madison III I think, is the expectations. I went in expecting a completely different movie but was pleasantly entertained.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. And by the way, we want to establish this is a star vehicle for General Jennifer Lawrence. You like you see what she can do in this movie? I would actually probably put this in my three favorite movies of hers. Yeah, well, I think it’s still Winter’s Bone for me. And then if I had to name a second one, I might go like, I’m not a Silver Linings Playbook. But that’s another weird thing about Jennifer Lawrence. I think she’s established herself as this, you know, prestige actress. She obviously has a handful of Oscar nominations and Oscar win. I don’t think a lot of those movies really hold up like who wants to see American Hustle Again, a movie that you could not explain the plot of if you tried. You know, Joy was fine. I enjoyed her Enjoy. But the movie felt inessential. Yeah. So my, Mother, might be my other favorite performance averse Mother.

 

Ira Madison III Mother is my favorite Jennifer Lawrence film. This is this probably ratcheted up to second. Yeah, I would put Silver Linings as my third. I really do enjoy Silver Linings Playbook. It was the last film where I was drinking the David O. Russell Juice. Yeah, right after that it’s over.

 

Louis Virtel But I mean, I also love Jacki Weaver getting an Oscar nomination for, I believe, holding a tray of snacks. That’s.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, It’s just nice to have her come back. Really be a fucking great film and a great performance. And also introduce us to another new actor who is going to have hopefully a wealth of amazing performances in his filmography.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, you definitely want to see him again and again after watching this movie. Ira, Do you have favorite R-rated comedies? Because by the way, not that there’s a ton of them, honestly.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, people were like, Is this going to be like, you know, like, is the American Pie era back? You know, and I have to say, I don’t see that era coming back anytime soon. But I would like it to because, you know, I sort of hate this weird puritanical like, you know, like shit that’s been happening, like on social media and like sort of in our film and TV lately, you know, like, people aren’t fucking anymore. People aren’t making funny jokes anymore. And it reminds me of a review of Roger Ebert from 2000 of one of my favorite films made my favorite film, you know, Bring It On.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, everyone, I thought you were about to say Requiem for a Dream. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III Now, 2000, It’s Urban Legends. Final Cut.

 

Louis Virtel Obviously. Alicia Witt, please. Come on, Keep It. Where are you, Alicia? Anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Probably holding people captive.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I believe that character is her.

 

Ira Madison III She was not.

 

Louis Virtel Acting. She turned into that after starring on the show. Sybil. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III So, in Roger Ebert’s review of Bring It On, which is PG 13, by the way.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III He calls out what he believes to be, you know, the MPAA sort of getting R-rated content into PG 13 films at the time, you know, because teenagers couldn’t go see R-rated films. But in the 2000, it was very much like we got to get like teenage boys and girls, like in the seats, but we need to keep them there with raunchy content. Let me read you some passages from this review. He mentions, you know, the lyrics to the opening cheer in Bring It On. You know, the like. You can look, but don’t you harm a major I raw. I swear I’m not a whore. Those are the lyrics from the opening musical number of Bring It On. Yet another example of the most depressing trend of the summer of 2000, the cynical attempt by Hollywood to cram R-rated material into PG 13 rated movies.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Tipper Gore. Jesus Christ.

 

Ira Madison III This is not to corrupt our children, but even worse, we complete indifference to their developing values. The real reason is more cynical. Younger teenagers buy a lot of tickets and are crucial if a movie hopes to, quote unquote, win the weekend. The R-rating is a penalty at the box office, so movies that were born to be in are like gone in 60 seconds. Coyote Ugly and Bring It On are trimmed to within a millimeter of the dividing line and released as PG 13 so that any trial torn off to push Dallas to the ticket window is cheerfully admitted with or without an adult.

 

Louis Virtel Is giving Phyllis Schlafly.

 

Ira Madison III He says he would have enjoyed the movie more if it had developed like along the lines of an Animal House or American Pie. But instead we got a strange mutant beast, half Nickelodeon movie, half R rated comedy. And the ending of it is truly, maybe one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen to him write. As an entry in the PG-13 category, it’s not as appalling as Coyote Ugly, which basically instructs young girls that there’s money to be made in the bimbo business. But it illustrates the same point the MPAA is rating system, having first denied American moviegoers any possibility of a workable adult category. It’s now busily corrupting the PG 13 rating. The principle seems to be as long as we act sanctimonious by creating a climate in which legitimate adult films cannot be made, we can get away with maximizing the box office by opening up the PG 13. The MPAA, in the summer of 2000 revealed itself as more willing to peddle smut to children than allow adults to make their own choices.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God.

 

Ira Madison III He was carrying.

 

Louis Virtel He was worried about society. It was failing at that moment. Also, by the way, to use the word bimbo, sincerely, is so rude. Take that Piper Paribo. Fuck you.

 

Ira Madison III I did. I know you hated Coyote Ugly that much.

 

Louis Virtel Also, I mean, Can’t Stop The Moonlight is still that girl, so he needs to reconsider that from beyond in the in heaven where he, I assume, is listening to soundtracks from the early 2000.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, by the way, he did give Bring It On a thumbs up, though.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, that is good. Because Bring It On. By the way, as you know, very hilarious. Holds up. Yes. Yeah, I’m.

 

Ira Madison III Watching it back. Speaking of this, like R-rated comedy, like American Pie is staying, watching it back. There are obviously some jokes, you know, that like, don’t fly, you know, like they they throw Tiger around a lot, you know, like the word retarded gets thrown out about the cheerleaders. But. It’s actually not as. It’s actually not as crazy as like I thought it would be. And I mean, honestly, I mean, like, comedy is kind of maybe tamer now.

 

Louis Virtel Right. No, it’s. I just watch Party Girl recently, the Parker Posey movie. That’s a movie where she throws the F-word around. And by the way, she does it fabulously. Oh, my gosh, Don’t fag out. She’s just a perfect performance. When I watch old comedies, they’re both, I would say, like they take these big leaps in terms of like vulgarities, but then, like, the content usually isn’t as crazy or it’s not as sex sexual as you remember.

 

Ira Madison III It’s just the jokes. It’s just it’s and it’s just using specific. The problem with bringing I was like watching that the jokes that the jokes are fine, the jokes are crazy, the situations are oversexualized. It’s really just language we don’t use anymore.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right, Right. Totally. Something I want to say about American Pie and also Judd Apatow movies, namely, Knocked Up. Something I love about those movies is there’s a full cast of great characters. It’s not just there’s the one funny person like American Pie from I love, like not just Jason Biggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas, I think is a great character in that you’ve got, of course, Jennifer Coolidge and that you’ve got Eugene Levy in that. Knocked Up I thought was a similar situation where you had people who I wouldn’t even pair together in a movie like Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen. That’s an odd pair. I guess that’s the whole thrust of the movie that they’re an odd pair. But I love both those characters, you know, and everybody else who shows up. Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, whomever.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, I hope we’re sort of moving towards like an era of I hope that what we’re really moving towards is an era of comedies that feel like that again, which are ensembles where everybody is fucking funny.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, and you get to pick a favorite character too, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You can’t have it carried by like the two comedians in the lead and then the rest of it sort of falls apart. Oh, I mean, do you remember what that Kumail and like Issa Rae thing, right? Lovebirds. Like, they’re great. And then what else is going on? Movie.

 

Louis Virtel You know, very little. It feels very static in that way. Yeah, It’s just about these two characters, and everyone else on screen just happens to be on screen. John Hughes was good at this, too, by the way. You know, they’re like, there’ll be an entire ensemble of really good characters. Like when I watch Ferris Bueller, I mean, I enjoy everybody. But then my favorite is, of course, Jennifer Gray. You know, I like when you get to pick an avatar for yourself in a movie, and they’re not necessarily the main character.

 

Ira Madison III Also, what a great trade off of, you know, not really sort of passing the torch, but whatever, you know, of like Matthew Broderick being in this film. Yeah, it feels very sweet and Ferris Bueller esque. I could see this film becoming like some teenager who’s watching this the same way. You know, like we watch Ferris Bueller as a kid in 20 years or so. Being like, No Hard Feelings is one of their favorite films.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, And just like you can tell, they’re everybody in it is cast for the the charisma they have with each other. You know, it’s not just only stars, whatever, you know, because John Hughes would routinely break new actors also, you know.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I’m sad that I didn’t see it till Monday because I ran into Matthew Broderick on Sunday.

 

Louis Virtel Did you really?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. He was at Andy Cohen’s Pride party, and I told him that he was the first episode of TV that I’d ever written on that show, DAYBREAK on Netflix.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. I don’t even know if I can pick my I’ve never seen Matthew Broderick on stage. And that’s something I lament since that’s, of course, where we started with him.

 

Ira Madison III And then, of course, I got to meet SJP.

 

Louis Virtel No, you didn’t.

 

Ira Madison III I did. She was right there with them.

 

Louis Virtel I’m sorry. That’s. I can’t believe you just threw that at me. I’m sorry. Some people are so unapproachably amazing. I would normally not bring up this kind of thing. I obviously wrote on Billy on the Street years ago, and I hang up. I’m like, I know you know, SJP tell me she’s the best. And he’s like, She I fucking love her. And he’s like, We would do that. We would do Billy on the Street. And she’d be like, I want to know what’s up with this Mike situation? Like, she’s like a producer, mind. You know what I mean? And that’s exactly what I fuck. I just. She’s one of my favorite celebrities.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. No, it was a it was a nice hello. And like, I worked with your husband thing, but that’s about it. You know, I was like, I didn’t want to. It was a Pride party, obviously. So, like, as soon as SJP appears, you can see, like, every faggot in the room, like their heads cock, and they’re all sort of swarming and buzzing around, you know, to, like, get a chance to talk to her. So I was, like I said, my hello and kept it moving.

 

Louis Virtel Good, good, good. By the way, still one of the best 73 questions. We haven’t top the SJP one, and she was one of the first.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, that sort of 73 questions is pretty dead. Yeah. At this point, I think there’s been a good one in forever.

 

Louis Virtel And when I see parodies of them which still exist, I’m like, Oh, we did that too. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Ru Paul was basically a parody.

 

Louis Virtel RuPaul having that weird wrought iron structure where he meditates and he goes, Just something simple. I was like, This looks like it’s from the Deep Blade Runner future.

 

Ira Madison III All right. When we are back, we are joined by Dwayne Perkins, creator and star of The Blackening.

 

Speaker 3 <AD>

 

Ira Madison III Our guest today is establishing himself as an icon, which is good because we have an icons only policy at Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right.

 

Ira Madison III A comedian, Emmy nominated writer for The Amber Ruffin Show and Brooklyn Nine-Nine saved by the bell. The list goes on. You can catch him this month in The Blackening, the horror comedy that you wrote and start in yourself. Please welcome to Keep It, Dwayne Perkins.

 

Dwayne Perkins Hello. I’m so excited to be here.

 

Ira Madison III I’m excited to have you here. I am so excited for you with this movie. Finally being out. I remember like seeing the sketch so long ago, and now it’s a real ass movie. And it’s a great movie.

 

Dwayne Perkins Thank you. It’s crazy. Everyone’s, like, been telling me, like, this has been so quick, and I’m just like, This has been so long. I finally come out. Yeah, I’m grateful. I’m so grateful that it has transpired the way that it has.

 

Ira Madison III Quicker than Zola. So, you know, I feel like we’re conditioned to, like, eight years. Ten years between something.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, it’s been about that long.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel This began as a Second City sketch, which, by the way, already feels. I don’t know, the last time we had a movie like that, it makes me think of, like, the Blues Brothers or something, which I don’t even know if that actually started at Second City. But when did you start performing this?

 

Dwayne Perkins In 2016.

 

Louis Virtel Mm hmm.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah. And then 2018 was when 3Peat filmed it for Comedy Central. And then yeah, then we so did that year. And then we filmed it in 2021. Yeah. Then I went to Tiff and then it’s just been like quite a bit of time. But it’s crazy that it snowballed in that way because when I originally wrote the sketch, I was really just high and on my couch like, I got to write a sketch for this show.

 

Ira Madison III That’s how the best things start, though.

 

Dwayne Perkins It is.

 

Ira Madison III I want to ask about so the movie, you know, The Blackening. It is about this group of black friends, obviously, who go to a cabin in the woods, some real white people stuff, and then they discover this board game, which is, you know, makes them play this game, The Blackening, in which has questions which determine how black they are, etc.. I would like to know what was the idea when you, you know, made the first, just the Second City sketch, and then how did that change to when you’re like, okay, we’re going to shoot something for Comedy Central? And then what was that like when it was like, Oh, this is a movie now. Now I have to actually figure out how this ends, who the killer is, etc..

 

Dwayne Perkins Yes. And it’s very funny because I am like, well, like, you know, like as a writer who had written movies and who have written things that are not movies, people ask this question often and then they’re like, what’s the biggest difference? I’m like, The amount of work.

 

Ira Madison III Right.

 

Dwayne Perkins But when I when it started as a sketch, I was in a all black sketch show at Second City, and we needed like, an opener. And I thought I was sitting. I remember the moment I was sitting on my couch, I and I was just thinking like, okay, what is a fun environment that like week I’ll be in? I was like, Oh, it would be like, really dope. We were in like a horror movie. I was like, Oh, the first person that usually dies like a black person. And I was like, Oh, but if we are black, how would they figure it out? And I was like, Oh, that’s fun. That’s like a little fun premise. And so. I wrote it. We did it. It was the opening for that show. And then we did a bigger theatrical show and DC, a wooly mammoth, and that was the opening for that show. So we had like their lights, like a set. So that was like the next version and be like, okay, we’re like growing. And then when $0.03 got our Comedy Central web series down. We had to pitch sketches, and that was the first sketch that I pitched because I was like, Oh, I think this would be really dope film, because then we actually like add the horror that we can’t do on stage because we are on stage. And so when they picked it and we filmed it, we filmed it in upstate New York and like 3 a.m. it was very late, but I was able to get the tone of like what I envision from like the sketch being on stage. So that was like the next level. Maybe like, Oh, this is like, what a tree? Like, what a win. Because like, as a stage sketch, I was like, Oh, this is cool. People like it. They were like, What I needed it to do. And then when we filmed it, I was like, Okay, well, this is cool because at least more people can see it if it’s online. So we filmed it and went viral and I was like, Oh, I never had to go viral. This is great. I’m really out here killing it. I’m like, Wow, I’m that girl. And then Tracy Oliver called me and was like, Hey, I saw this. I saw the thing that you wrote, I think this could be a movie. And I was like, okay, well, you know better than me. Like, let’s do it if that’s true. And so we came up with a pitch and basically what we wanted to do was like, keep the sketch in the movie. Mm hmm. And then build the movie around the sketch. And so that was the biggest. Kind of challenge. So what we realize is that we just have to, like, make show grow. I guess what? We really had to, like, make the characters real because in the sketch it’s like one joke and just like a fun running bit. So we’re like, okay, we have to make this like a road friend group. Who are these people? Like, why do we care? And then in terms of like the game, we were like, okay, we have to like, make this visually appealing and fun. Like, what’s the entertainment factor to this? And so writing it was just like a lot. There is so much more space that. I think this is a movie at least an hour, 35 minute sketch. But I feel like the sketch really gave us. The direction. Like we really knew the game was just a matter of figuring out who the characters was and then adding as much more fun that fits within the tone of the sketch. I already said.

 

Ira Madison III Hmm.

 

Louis Virtel Obviously this movie lampoons so many horror tropes. And one of my favorites that obviously is a part of Scream, the subsequent sequels and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is trivia as something the the killer is like leveling at these people in order to like for them and stuff. The trivia in this fucking movie is so funny. I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a specific question about a particular season of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And I’m wondering, like, did you have lots and lots of, like, trivia questions planned for this like that? You had to, like, choose the best ones from because that feels like that might have been a really fun part of the movie. The right.

 

Dwayne Perkins We had like a couple more, but they’re actually very hard to write because they have to be on a certain line of like. Not too niche where nobody would actually know the answer, but not too common to wear it, because then it kind of defeats the purpose. So we were trying to just like really figure out like, what’s the best way and what’s the best joke while still like making it still feel high stakes. And that was very difficult because it’s a very silly movie in particular is silly. It’s just like, okay, that’s some of my favorite jokes. There’s a what is the ACP stand for it? That is just a very fun joke. And so, yeah, that section was hard, harder than we expected it to be. But yeah, we’re we’re very glad it turned out the way that it did.

 

Ira Madison III I want to ask a bit about, you know, just like making a war movie with black people. Were you, like, a fan of horror movies in general? Was Tracy? Was it was the idea of like, okay, we’re making a horror movie with black people and they always die first, etc.. Was there an attempt to, you know, want to not giving away anything but, you know, to sort of like subvert this and be like, you know, like we also don’t want to give like people a movie where it’s like, you know, black people just having grisly murders on screen, too. Because I feel like it’s not it’s not that you’re not about you’re not seeing like black people at least, like sliced and diced like you’re watching Scream.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, that was intentional. That would kind of take away the comedy. We’re like, So we were really just trying to like me and Tracy both really love horror as a genre, and we’ve seen so many movies that like if they had a black person ensured that most of them didn’t even have black people, and we were so in it, we’re like, Oh yeah, this is fine. Like we like, recognize this. And so the idea of just making everybody black was that was it was just very easy to know, like what that movie is. And we felt like there was like a whole just having like an earnest movie where, like the characters are black is not like a spoof is not it’s an actual horror movie with a bunch of black people who just, like, move differently because they’re black. And that part was the part that was like so much fun. Because it is like if I myself was in a horror movie, what would I do? And really being very true to that, there’s like very subtle things like doors opening. You’re just like, No, why would I go out there? I didn’t open it. So I’m gonna go this way. I am making like a movie for the people that, like, scream at the screen was the goal, and I think we did it.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, it’s funny. Start to finish, too. There’s not like, there’s not, like, a slow section where you drift into just genuine horror or something. It’s like constant. The jokes. It really feels like it had to have originated with a live show in that way.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, that was yeah, I think horror and comedy are just like very close. And so if you’re going to scream is a laugh is going to be very soon after that because like if the tension and the release of tension and also we really wanted it to be fun because, you know, entertainment should be entertaining. And something like something that Ira was was talking about, like the dicing up of black people and like that kind of vibe would be like, Oh, if black people came to watch this movie, is this going to be fun for them? And I think that is kind of a different lens. We’re like, There are certain movies where. Some of the horror is very based in trauma, which is like a for sure. Like, that’s a point of view, but it’s not one that like I personally am like gravitating towards and this very moment in time. And I think we really wanted to attack horror from a place of levity. I mean, like, yeah, I do with a lot of trauma through inappropriate jokes and that just like that’s where I live. I’m not really leaning into the sad. I’m just trying to like, get through it and the best way possible with a little smile. And I think like that was the goal because, yeah, I think it would be so shitty to be like, we make this movie for black people and then black people come and be like, Oh, is just niggas dying? How is this for us?

 

Ira Madison III That is always my sort of eternal question, though, you know, because I feel like and I’m glad this movie exists, you know, and then it’s when you want black versions of other films, whether, you know, it’s like, wow, it’s a fucking fucking ghost house movies. Vera Farmiga One of those conjuring comedy. Yeah, The cards, if you want. Those are like, even if you want to, you know, like something like I saw, like it’s all black people because people are always like, or is the black version of this, you know? And I’m like, well, those verses are going to involve somebody who sawing open black people. So do you actually want to see it?

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah. And I, I do hope that like with more films, that that could be a thing. But I’d say because there’s so few that would feel like such a statement because there’s just not enough to pad out that because and there’s yeah, there are some niggas that die. Half of them that don’t. So like just like kind of balancing that out or like. Who dies first. It doesn’t matter if evrybody black because everybody black. You got some left. It’s not taking away an entire identity from movie because one person died.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

 

Louis Virtel Now, speaking of comedically slicing and dicing, you are now also involved with spearheading an animated version or prequel. If I’m getting this right, maybe of the 1985 movie Clue, which Ira and I just talked about. And in thinking about this, it’s very interesting that it’s being adapted as an animated situation because a lot of the content in the movie, even though it’s a silly whodunit, like Miss Scarlet’s a madam, the maid is a prostitute. Like the characters are like in pretty adult scenarios. Is this a movie you grew up with cared about, and how did you how did you get involved with it?

 

Dwayne Perkins Yes, I loved Clue. My family played the game quite a bit and then the movie was great. I just always thought it was like very weird. And that was the thing of like, this feels very grownup. Also, like there’s like a weird, childlike sensibility to wear where it does feel like heightened and campy and like a way that I was very attracted to as a kid. And it came to be because Tim’s company had, I believe, they were talking to. E one and Fox. They had the rights to clue and they were looking for someone to like, come on. And I was just talking to the head of Tim’s company and I just like mentioned, she was like, Hey, do you like Clue? And then I said, Bitch, do I? And then I just like, kind of like how much I like Clue. And then she was like, Oh, you should do this with us. And I said, Do what? And she said, Oh, like we have the right. It’s like Fox. They’ve been trying to figure it out for quite a bit of time and they haven’t. So if you have like a take, let us know. And so I said, Yeah, I think it should be an animated mockumentary. And they said Sure. And I said, for real? And yeah, then we sold it, and Fox said that yeah, that sounds like a great idea. And they basically was like, Oh yeah, I like what you did to like The Blackening. Like we saw a certain like tone and we like that. Can you do that for Clue? And I say I can. And then I stopped because we on strike.

 

Louis Virtel I cannot fucking wait to see that. Oh my God. It’s also just like that movie just exists in time and has not been like, remade or anything and people are obsessed with it. It’s just so weird. You’ve not seen like a second coming of that movie yet, you know?

 

Dwayne Perkins I agree. Well, there is a movie coming with like, I think Ryan Reynolds, because people keep asking, Are you writing the movie? And I said, No, I’m not. That’s a different thing.

 

Ira Madison III Hearing how much you love Clue. It’s you hearing about horror movies that you like to. I’m just sort of wondering, like, where did your initial spark of like comedy come from? You know, what was the thing that like, you know, little Dwayne, you talk like where I hear little Dwayne that is sitting at home watching something like, what was that? What was the first thing that sort of like sparked your interest that you were obsessed with? And then you were like, Oh, I want to emulate this or I want to do this.

 

Dwayne Perkins Um, it’s interesting because, like, I never consider like, the arts or like acting or comedy, like a career choice until, like, late in high school. But I remember being very young and being obsessed with, like, Nickelodeon and Disney and being like, these kids, They do it all. I want to do that. Like seeing like a Raven and be like, Oh, wow, She really has like a whole show where she’s playing. It’s like. Like that. Like so far. And she has albums out. Cheetah Girls just kind of seeing the power of the youth. That was like a big Disney child. I like, loved Radio Disney. I was just like, These kids are really doing it. Like they are living a life that, like I. Is so fantasy to me. And then when I was in high school, I play football off like a while. I was like, oh, I’m a a jock. And then I said, This is actually, yall care too much. I don’t care about this stuff. Hit me. This is crazy. We did a run in and I hate like that’s the whole game now. So I joined my school’s dance team, but at the time I was in the closet and there was only two men. It was me and the only gay boy in the school. And I said, They’re going to know. I have to quit that. Well. You know, I love quitting is one of my love languages. So I quit. And then my junior year, I found, like improv and sketch, and I did like my first comedic play. And that was very fun. I was like, Oh, this is really dope. I just never considered doing this because I was always told that, like, as a young black man in Chicago, you have to be as smart as possible to survive. So I was like, math and science. AP Like, I was like, Oh, I’m going to be a mathematician. Do something just like that. I found improv, and the director of the improv group was also the director of the musicals, and she was like, Come to these musicals. And I said, Oh, baby, we sing and dancing. And at the same time, like, This is really good for my brain. And so I became obsessed with that. And then she was like very much like Sandra Bullock in the Blind Side. And she was like, You should do this. Follow your dreams little black boy. So funny. I saw her on the streets, like a couple weeks ago. Her name is Sarah Miller, and I was like, Sarah Miller, this little tiny, little white woman who convinced me to go to acting school. Yeah. So then I went to, like, acting school, and that’s kind of. And then I got cut from DePaul University’s acting school.

 

Louis Virtel I am always so curious about people who get cut from that program. What happens after you just start doing your school?

 

Dwayne Perkins So there was this like pattern, right where Tyrone McRaney He was an acting program. He got to the next year. Jimmy O’Hare is the magnet program and he got cut. And then a year after I was in the program and I got that and we were like, Oh, they really just don’t know what to do with black women.

 

Louis Virtel And Oh my God.

 

Dwayne Perkins And then we all decided to become the most successful people of our class.

 

Ira Madison III I would love to see that that movie, that mockumentary, that whatever you get out of the three, the three are black gay, DePaul rejects it because who are the others? Yeah, but I’m also like, if there’s others, if there’s others that we’re kind of like, they’re probably pressed about 50 of y’all.

 

Dwayne Perkins Probably. And then.

 

Dwayne Perkins They’re.

 

Dwayne Perkins After me. They got rid of it and I said, Girl, but because I got it, it made sense. It was not my jam. I was like 17. I had just come out. I was like, I’m so young and fun and funny. I was doing improv and sketch and they were just like, This is serious. You are going to play angry, Sad Black Man. And I was like, Is not fun. Why? My plan is 50 year old father, This is not real. This is not done yet.

 

Louis Virtel When I think of that program, I think of like The Grapes of Wrath, things like that.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, it was really just like a lot of August Wilson and just yeah, we up in here crying and maybe like, can I tell a joke? But the fact that I got hurt and I said, Yeah, that makes sense. And then that’s when I started writing and I went to Second City and I only started writing because, because of being cut. And then like, I’d like going and be like an actor and seeing them like, Oh, the roles I want to play are simply not there. So if I want to be more than just like a sassy assistant, I have to figure out how to write. So then that’s when that’s when I comedy started. Hard for me.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. And let me tell you, you were so good in just like the scenes you had in Saved by the Bell. And I love the writing on that show, too. We’re friends with CHris Schliker, like, obviously. And we would talk to. About that show. It was I loved it so fucking much that I wanted to I wanted to go down to Peacock with a gun.

 

Dwayne Perkins I agree. I thought it was really good. It like. And I was like, that was one of the best jobs that I’ve had. I that was the first job that I had that was ran now. Yeah. The first narrative job there was like had a woman showrunner. And the difference I was like, Oh, like crazy Wakefield first her like it was really great. Like, I really enjoyed it. I was going to play a high schooler wearing a hat. It was a fun little bit. It’s like. And it was just like, very clever, very funny, like a lot of jokes. And that’s kind of the stuff that I gravitate towards. So it was very like it was quite a shame when it got canceled because I said, Do you not see what we’re doing? This is.

 

Ira Madison III I know because Tracey coming, you know, from like for 30 Rock you know school at it’s like it was really one of the few comedies on show that felt like almost like it was like living in that universe. It was so funny. And I just wish more people do about it. I was literally hanging out with someone this weekend who was younger at a party and I made like a Jesse Spano joke and they didn’t know what it was. And I said, Saved By the Bell. And they were like, Oh, I keep hearing that reboot’s really good. I keep meaning to watch it. I said, Well, it got canceled. So that’s your fault?

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, I did not.

 

Ira Madison III Watch it when you first heard about it.

 

Louis Virtel But now you also were nominated for an Emmy for writing for Amber Ruffin Show. And I guess she basically pushed you through the packet circuit to make sure you got on that show from what I hear.

 

Dwayne Perkins She helped me get my very first job, so when I moved to New York, I think at that point I had she asked me to. I’ve written for the WGA awards for her, I think, and she knew that Michelle Wolf was getting a Netflix show, The Break with Michelle Wright. She was like, Hey, shooting this show, you should turn in a packet. And I was like, Shout out to you. Thank you. I’m trying to pack it in. So I turned in my my packet and then she called me a couple of days later and was like, Hey, I talked to Michelle. She says, I get your packet. And I was like, I turned it in like, I don’t understand why she wouldn’t. And then I found out that my lit agent quit the same day that I turned my packet in. I was like, Oh well, no one was gonna tell me. And they did it. And I was like, See, I would fire you, but you already quit. And she was like, Hey, just send me the packet and I’ll just give it to her. So she did that, and then I got an interview and then got my first job. So without Amber, I would not have a job. So then when it came around for her show, she just came to me and was like, Hey, I know you’re like doing, like, narrative stuff, but like, I really would want you to work on my show. And I said, Anything for you, my baby girl. And so, yeah, me, Shantere and Demi was like that. That time was like, so cool. I just thought, I’ve never been a part of a show from its inception. And so it was just like, very special that that first season. And then we got nominated and we were like, This is like, that’s really cool. So yeah, I’m such a big fan of Amber.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, Amber is fantastic and some like It Hot was fantastic, so I really can’t wait to see what else she does on Broadway.

 

Dwayne Perkins I mean, baby, she. She’ll be guy.

 

Ira Madison III Yes.

 

Dwayne Perkins Look. She got the tenacity.

 

Ira Madison III Well, thank you for being here, Dwayne. I mean, I’m just so happy for you for this movie. I was cackling last night watching it. Thank you.

 

Louis Virtel Also, one of the few movies I can think of where the tagline alone, like reels you when like you like if you laugh at that tagline, you are going to get that fucking movie. You know, It’s just. It’s so funny right off the bat.

 

Dwayne Perkins Yeah, I agree. Shout out to Lionsgate. This is the first time I’ve worked like a studio and, you know, they did. I don’t know, maybe Lionsgate, The water. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Lionsgate making it rain. All right. Well, we’ll remember that when negotiations start up again.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right.

 

Dwayne Perkins This is doing the actor talking, doing like, give us more. Give us more of what we deserve.

 

Ira Madison III All right. Thank you. This is great. This is great. Thank you. You look great, bitch.

 

Louis Virtel Jesus Christ, You look great. Jesus Christ.

 

Ira Madison III You’ve been looking real good on the like these outings for the movie.

 

Dwayne Perkins So thank you. Thank you. Shout out to having a stylist shouts out Brian. Yeah, but thank you.

 

Speaker 3 <AD>

 

Ira Madison III Well, speaking of me mentioning that, you know, I just happened to me. SJP Yes. On Sunday.

 

Louis Virtel I can’t believe it came up. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Season two of And Just Like That has finally premiered and the streets are talking, the block they’re talking, people are typing their opinions. And I finally have some because I think, as you all know, I did not watch the show last season because I didn’t care to. But then I started rewatching Sex and the City, and then once I got to the end of it, I was like, Well, now I have to watch And Just Like That. So I’m caught up and now I am in. Season two of the show. And I have to say. Maybe I shouldn’t have.

 

Louis Virtel Mm. There’s just something about the dynamic. Literally the speed of the show that does not compare to Sex in the City. When you’re rewatching the original show. I am just shocked how the hours fly by. Like you can’t let go of these people. It’s so engaging. All the women are just comedy. Yeah. Acting their asses off. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they like they’re dating these weirdos every episode, and then it’s over and you move on. So there’s almost, like, a procedural quality to the show.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. In this one, there’s nothing like that. It’s just like the moments linger too long. Do you know what it feels like to me? This show? It feels like a commercial. Like you’re watching. Like people. Like, you know, like. Oh, we have this problem, and then they solve it, and then there’s a long smile, you know? It’s just like it’s lacking the whiz bang of the original Sex and the City.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, the original Sex and the City having just rewatch, you know, it was very funny because it did feel like a procedural, but it also was it was obviously based on Candace Bushnell’s, you know, Sex and the City column in The Observer, and that was about her friends in New York City. It was about the men that they dated. It was the fact that they were single and they wanted husbands, you know, they wanted good jobs. You know, they wanted to be fashionable. They wanted to be at fun parties. And that is what the show was about. And I’m rewatching that show. It still feels, you know, for however, you know, like non-diverse it is, you know, for however sort of retrograde, some of the jokes are, it still feels very relevant. As someone who just moved back to New York, it feels inspirational. You know, the this dynamics in New York society have not changed much from that, you know, but they haven’t changed since The fucking Great Gatsby, you know, like New York is New York and watching this show and like, where the fuck is this set? Because it’s not New York.

 

Louis Virtel Right. It doesn’t it doesn’t nail the feeling of New York the way the original show did. Definitely. You know, it’s just like you’re you’re inside. There’s no sense of, like, soundtrack or motion or. Yeah, it feels like the direction is the worst part of the show.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And it feels like season five or six of a prime time drama, like season six of a soap opera, like Melrose Place or something where half the cast is gone and we’ve got a bunch of new people who are just here and they’re involved in storylines, but they’re not really connected to the characters that we care about because. Without Kerry’s narration more?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III It doesn’t really make sense to me. What’s going on? What these stories are about. When the show was a comedy. You know, it was very much like a network comedy in that way. Even if it was on HBO, it was still very much like each episode sort of had a theme, right? You know, and like there’d be one Charlotte story would lead into a joke about, you know, whatever Samantha was doing, etc.. And here like, you know, the extra women Niya, who, you know, was Miranda’s professor, like W who’s Charlotte’s friend, and then Seema, who was originally Carrie’s, you know, real estate agent. These women just pop up.

 

Louis Virtel And they feel tacked on in that way, too, just randomly. Also following these people whose lives are not that intertwined with the characters we know and love.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. What’s also weird about it is that these six women aren’t hanging out.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Right.

 

Ira Madison III Carrie is friends with Seema. LTW’s friends with Charlotte, Niya friends with Miranda. It’s really like all three of these white women got a new best friend of color that they’re hanging out with all of a sudden. And it’s just wierd.

 

Louis Virtel And just like, God, I have a new best friend of color.

 

Ira Madison III But hang out with your friend.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I don’t know that. Yeah, the hang out vibe is really missing, too. You don’t even see many scenes between Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis and SJP.

 

Ira Madison III Right. And I’m like, I don’t like It seemed like there are some budget cuts. And I guess in the premiere, you know, they’re going to the Met gala, but they have to call it the Met Ball, which is very weird because like Vogue has been on the show before.

 

Louis Virtel It’s like when you do a promo for the Super Bowl, but you’re not directly involved with the Super Bowl and you have to call it the big game.

 

Ira Madison III I’m like, did Kim Cattrall  call up Anna Wintour?

 

Louis Virtel I do have to say about Kim Cattrall, and of course, we’re getting some cameo from her later in the season. And I was actually sort of pleased to hear Cynthia Nixon say she’s worried it will be anticlimactic because, you know, it’s going to be a short scene, you know, not really tie anything and just feel kind of tacked on. But the wrinkle I’m always interested in with Kim Cattrall is that Pat Field remains in her corner. And in fact, she’s doing the costuming for her cameo on the show. I think their friendship predates the show, so they’ve just known each other a long, long time. But Pat Field It’s crazy if she’s still active. She’s in her eighties, but.

 

Ira Madison III Actually Pat Field also has been doing I think was doing the costumes on like the Star show Run the World, which I think I want to start watching now because I’m in the mood to like, watch like a Sex and the City Vibe show. And that one’s about black women in New York. And I just feel like this isn’t giving me the vibe. I just finished rewatching Sex and the City and I feel like. I’m missing that even for my Desperate Housewives. You know, I’m like missing that era of just, like, fun women on TV and crazy, wacky storylines and then, like, also hanging out together, like, since Insecure went off the air, that doesn’t exist anymore.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Yeah. No, I agree. I also think you’re right that we underestimated the heavy lifting the narration did on that show, because that really delivered you from one person storyline into another. Like you’d never had to question it. You never had to be like, Why are we in this scene so long? Or, you know, who is this person? Like Carrie’s narration, like hokey, though it was was exactly what you needed.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And it it just feels so disconnected from New York. It doesn’t feel aspirational. I don’t know what the show is about, per se. And let’s get into the Miranda of it all, because Miranda’s character sucks.

 

Louis Virtel She’s. She’s down bad. She’s down bad.

 

Ira Madison III She is. She’s a fucking mess. And also, Shay Diaz sucks as well. And I don’t understand why we are watching Shay Diaz scenes without Miranda in them. Like, when have we ever gotten one of the women’s love interestsP some .O.V.?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like.

 

Ira Madison III It made Shay seemed like a main character, and I’m like, No. Where Miranda dumps this bitch, I don’t want to see, Shay, Diaz again?

 

Louis Virtel No, you should just show up to set and start screaming. This, by the way.

 

Ira Madison III With the P.O.V., it makes it seem like even if they do break up, we’re still going to be seeing Shay Diaz scenes and then watching what Shay Diaz date some other like dike. I don’t know.

 

Louis Virtel I just have to say also the stand up scenes with Shay. Now let me just say.

 

Ira Madison III They’re so bad.

 

Louis Virtel But okay there are stand ups who do do material like this and you do have to grind through them and they’re probably successful in some regard. But for Shay to stand up there and say L.A. is crazy. I took an Uber from my bathroom to my living room and not only say it, but end the set with that, say you need another career. No.

 

Ira Madison III I’m starting to wonder if we’re supposed to think that she is bad.

 

Louis Virtel I mean, mission accomplished.

 

Ira Madison III Because Miranda keep saying they’re so good. But then also there’s so many young. Like, they keep selling out stuff. But this shift with Tony Danza appearing in episode two and Shay, changing their identity from Mexican to Italian just for the network, I’m like, Are they supposed to be a bad sellout? I don’t know what’s happening here, but also I don’t care.

 

Louis Virtel The the addition of Tony Danza is inspiring. It’s nice to see that. Tony Danza looks good. The person that Carrie is dating, her podcast producer is unbelievably gorgeous.

 

Ira Madison III He’s so fucking hot. But that’s over after episode.

 

Louis Virtel Two, right? Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Which was one of the only things that felt like classic Sex and the City. Right? We got she was still dating him starting the new season, and then we got like a two episode arc with him.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III And I thought that was like, Great. Can we get back to the short arcs? Charlotte’s funny again this season.

 

Louis Virtel Right? But you’re right. I do think Charlotte is funny this season. I love that joke she had about she asked what somebody’s dick was like and they compared her to Samantha or something. She handled that really well.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, but I still feel like we need a connective tissue in the show. I don’t know. Like the Met gala. The Met gala episode. Right. You know, it didn’t end with ?all the women together.

 

Louis Virtel No.

 

Ira Madison III Walking into the Met gala in their looks. That would be That’s classic Sex and the City. It was like. If you like Sex and the City.

 

Louis Virtel One by one that were leaving their houses. It was the opposite of a met gala. It was. We didn’t even add a new set.

 

Ira Madison III I feel like Sex and the City invented the whole these four women walking side by side power, walking down the street or into an event thing that we get from so many other TV shows now. And we don’t even get that on the show. Yeah. You know.

 

Louis Virtel I fear for whoever has to do the scheduling on this show because, you know, it’s like one should it come on, get them all together.

 

Ira Madison III And it’s unfortunate that Carrie’s podcast got canceled in the second episode because I felt like that should have been the connective tissue. She’s podcasting all up. Like, if anyone should be a podcaster, it would be Carrie Bradshaw. And I thought it never made sense last season. The first her first foray into podcasting was on Shea’s show, because she would have won. Someone would have hired her to, you know, have her book, her previous columns, like spun that into a podcast. I guess she would have been on one before. Like, it just makes no sense because I’m also like, what happened with these women? They all made a bunch of money and then they were like, frozen in time for 30 years.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, they don’t they don’t do a good job of explaining what they could have been up to in the intervening times.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I don’t know what Carrie did besides, like, lay at home and wait for Big to come back.

 

Louis Virtel And also, I want to say also at the end of the episode where she go to the Met gala met Ball excuse me, she is in a dress from the original Sex and the City, and that was just depressing when it reminds you of the original show and she’s wearing an old look. I’m like, That doesn’t leave me inspired. It’s just, Oh, you found this in the closet and you’re trying it out for us.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Not fun. Gotta love SJP, though it was still one of my favorite clubs.

 

Ira Madison III I still got to keep watching the fucking show because now I’m hooked. But it’s like a train wreck that I can’t turn off, right? And. I also want to shout out, you know, we brought up Kim Cattrall. She is great in Glamorous, which our friend Jordan Nardino created. Yes. And Miss Benny, who plays the lead in it, is like a star.

 

Louis Virtel Miss Benny, Miss Benny’s performance is so much fun. It’s also it’s human. There’s like there’s an insecurity about that character, like entering the company and being around these dynamic personalities. It really works.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And I’m sorry. Penn Badgley just walked past the studio. Oh, so, yeah. Shout out to him.

 

Louis Virtel Literally took your breath away. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III He took my breath away. Uh. I’m Kelly McGillis. Anyway, what are we talking about? We’re talking, Glamorous.

 

Louis Virtel Do you need some water?

 

Ira Madison III Let me sip. Anyway, like, I. Like I didn’t share a scene with that. The TV show. But just seeing him, I was like, Hey. Anyway, I’m. The show is great. Obviously, there’s the Ugly Betty comparisons. But, you know, and but like what you said about Ms.. Bening’s performance, I think is sort of what made the early seasons of sort of Ugly Betty work like American Ferrera was. So. Honest and sort of real and made that character feel like relatable, even though she was supposed to be, you know, this like, stupid dork.

 

Louis Virtel Actually, it’s a major credit to America Ferrera that she was so relatable and fun. And that show without being cloying since the character was supposed to be such a naive, you know, And we forget that she won an Emmy for that series.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And I also credit the series with. Making the character of Marco that he plays being very like honest and real, but also sort of naive, you know, like they’re the Marco he’s learning about, you know, actually dating, you know, with this Parker character, you know, who’s sort of like, not ready, you know, to, like, date someone like Marco who’s like wearing heels and stuff like, in public, but, you know, doesn’t feel like they don’t know things about the gay world. I think that there’s a good balance. Like, does it feel like you’re watching Jonathan Groff and look where it was like, what’s an uncut dick?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. You can Google that. Come on now. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III It feels very real. Um, you know, I’m not done with it. I hope it gets a second season. And because I’m also very interested, just from an acting standpoint, you know, maybe he just did an interview where she comes out as a trans woman. Yes. Now, so I’m interested to see, you know, where that takes the direction of the show next year. You know, can I.

 

Louis Virtel Give a word of advice to Kim Cattrall, though? I feel like a problem she has is she is somewhat obsessed with not seeming like Samantha. Girl, just let it fly. Let it fly.

 

Ira Madison III Yes.

 

Louis Virtel Give me the broad comedy.

 

Ira Madison III She’s doing a lot of like calm pauses, is doing a lot of like knowing glances. It’s like business isn’t House of Mirth.

 

Louis Virtel No. Okay. Yeah. Like.

 

Ira Madison III Give us Samantha.

 

Louis Virtel I would say, Nor, are you Diahann Carroll. Like, you’re not commending like that. You know what I mean?

 

Ira Madison III She did the same thing on that Fox show where she was wearing, like, the dishwashing gloves, every scene.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, that’s right. We also she oh, she was in Queer as Folk to over. She tried to be from New Orleans. She sure wasn’t. She sure  wasn’t.

 

Ira Madison III I know. I’s tell you baby, when someone’s from. I’s tell you baby when someone’s from N’Awlins. I know someone’s from N’Awlins.

 

Louis Virtel The Princess and the Fag.

 

Ira Madison III Alright, when we’re back.

 

Louis Virtel If we’re back, we’re canceled actually.

 

Ira Madison III Come over back. Our favorite segment of the episode. Keep It. And we’re back for our favorite segment of the episode is Keep It, Louis. You want to go first?

 

Louis Virtel Sure. So it’s been 20 years since one of the crucial albums of my life came out, and that is Liz Phair self-titled, which if you know Liz Phair, I’m obviously an obsessive fan. I bring her up all the time in the podcast. Was the album where she went pop and the reaction to that album was like Dylan going electric where people thought, you know, God was dead and you know, Pop was the devil, whatever, and that she abandoned her. What was understood to be her core thing, an indie sound, a rocker type vibe.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, hip hop, street rat. You know, she was hood. Oh, yeah. And then she went pop and it was like Liz Phair. You were just talking about cap and dudes, and now you’re like, Why can’t I?

 

Louis Virtel No, nothing says hip hop, like being from Winnetka, Illinois, and going to Oberlin College. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III And I discovered Liz with that album.

 

Louis Virtel Was on.

 

Ira Madison III That album.

 

Louis Virtel Well, that’s when she became popular, basically. You know, she was always a like something you had to read about in Spin magazine before that, or unless you hung around Wicker Park and knew her from performing then. But anyway, at the time, like Pitchfork gave it a 0.0. And actually the writer of that column has since recanted it. And it’s an interesting album for me to listen to now, because one, I’m the Age she was when she released that album. And at the time people treated it like, who is this old whore putting out pop music that sounds like Avril Lavigne and listening to the music now, it does not sound to me like teenage. It really is like the lyrics are funny. It sounds like somebody with experience talking about like pitfalls of dating, like the weirdness of disappointing your your kid. Like she there’s that great song called Little Digger on it. And I just want to say in general, Keep It to how we treated that album at the time. It’s a perfectly listenable, very fun album all these years later. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, listen. If I can’t be an old whore at 36.

 

Louis Virtel That’s what I’m saying, girlfriend. We’re in our prime. The prime of Ms. Jean Brody. Brody. She’s 35 in that movie.

 

Ira Madison III No, I feel like that’s also the whole point of, like, that’s also sort of why Sex of the City was revolutionary, right? Yes. They were in their thirties in that series, and like, Oh, you’re still fucking all these men. It’s like, Yeah, what else are we supposed to be do for 36?

 

Louis Virtel There’s that famous magazine cut out of Madonna at 31. And the the writing on it says, Okay, Grandma. It’s like, it’s like there’s no 31 year old grandparents. What are you talking about?

 

Ira Madison III Bristol Palin.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right. Yes. Listen, let’s name all the Palin’s actually track gestalt for the asphalt. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Asbestos. Palin is my favorite confederacy.

 

Louis Virtel Palin is my favorite.

 

Ira Madison III Ludwig Von Palin.

 

Louis Virtel Wendy O. Palin. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Anyway, I love that album. And shout out to the movie The.

 

Louis Virtel How to Deal.

 

Ira Madison III That introduced me to Why Can’t I. No, Win a Dat4e with Ted Hamilton

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Win a Date with Ted Hamilton. Yes, Ted Hamilton, where are you? That’s a that’s a question for another episode, Ira. What’s your Keep It?

 

Ira Madison III Well, as you know, I left you all without a dope beat to step to last week.

 

Louis Virtel Should I leave? I’m going to actually go ahead and take a step out of the podcast.

 

Ira Madison III But but also shout out to Angelica, Jade Bastien and Solomon Georgio, who were. We had a blast. I listened on the plane.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, wow.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, you listened on a plane. Wow. Humblebrag. Okay, go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III I boarded an aircraft carrier. Ah, that actually is a humblebrag this week, because apparently nobody can fly anywhere.

 

Louis Virtel I am worried. I’m supposed to fly out in two days, and maybe I won’t. We’ll see.

 

Ira Madison III But I decided to come in with a quick fire Keep It this week because I got several.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. I’m going to hold on to the table. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. Start the timer. There’s no timer. Oh. My first Keep It goes to Angela Bassett’s honorary Oscar.

 

Louis Virtel It hurts. Sometimes you get an honorary Oscar to someone, and it’s supposed to feel great, but instead, it’s just. It’s giving consolation prize. It’s giving a.

 

Ira Madison III It’s a slap in the face.

 

Louis Virtel It’s giving third place on Wheel of Fortune. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III They’re playing in my mom’s face. Okay. I also like to do it the year after she just lost her second nomination. Ever really feels blatant.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. And also, to lose to that Jamie Lee Curtis performance. I’m sorry. It was the worst in the category that year. It’s just such a brutal loss. I, of course, love Jamie Lee Curtis. I just don’t think that’s an Oscar winning performance.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. My second Keep It. The Barbie marketing team.

 

Louis Virtel They are, shall we say, lit.

 

Ira Madison III I had enough. I’ve had enough. Okay. Like, there’s a there’s a Barbie dream house in Malibu that you can rent out. Now. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Keep It brought to you by Barbie next week.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Wait for it.

 

Ira Madison III They are everywhere. And I’m like, Baby, we know the movie’s coming out.

 

Louis Virtel And also, I’m getting a little sick of the Barbie Oppenheimer juxtapositions, even though I will be seeing both movies definitely the same day. And I just want to say I finally figured it out. Cillian Murphy looks like a Funko pop. Of Christopher Walken. Thank you.

 

Dwayne Perkins Sir.

 

Ira Madison III And obviously you have to see Oppenheimer first.

 

Louis Virtel Why?

 

Ira Madison III Well, I mean, like, I can’t see, like, the fun, frothy movie Barbie and then just, like, depress myself with Oppenheimer. Also Oppenheimer is 3 hours.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I did not know that. But that does sound like Chrissy Nolan, so.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So, you know, Chrissy Tiegan’s sister.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Right. That’s crazy.

 

Ira Madison III Chrissy Nolan. And what’s she up to this week? Releasing  three hour movies? Obviously, we will be Boots on the Ground reporting the Barbie versus Oppenheimer War on Keep It the week after the films drop. Speaking of Barbie, my next Keep It goes to the new Charli XCX song, which comes out on the soundtrack this week, which clocks in at one minute and 57 seconds.

 

Louis Virtel It’s like that.

 

Ira Madison III Are you fucking kidding me?

 

Louis Virtel That Nicki Minaj song with Ice Spice, that’s like a Minute 42 guys. We used to have real like the last person to have songs that were a minute and 40 long were like, was like Jerry Lee Lewis, Can we not beat 1958?

 

Ira Madison III How long is the Barbie soundtrack at this point? 10 minutes.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Oh, upsetting. What is wrong with the long song. Padam Padam. I’m I’m even mad at.

 

Ira Madison III You know the songs are supposed to be longer than the scenes that they’re in.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah right, right, right. It does it save money or something? I have no idea what’s going on there.

 

Ira Madison III The next Keep It goes to the person from grad school that I have not seen in 12 years who put me on their mailing list this week.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. Because you needed updates.

 

Ira Madison III Now I don’t want to see your play. Hmm. I feel offended.

 

Louis Virtel There’s like a very short list of people where I’m like, Oh, I want to see the play. I’ll go and see it. But beyond that, be reasonable.

 

Ira Madison III I think 12 years is a little bit too long to be digging back into the archives.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right, right, right.

 

Ira Madison III For people to put on your mailing list. My next Keep It goes to taking videos of people in public. Obviously you know this is related to Summer recording Andy Cohen at a party in New York called The DL, which is a great party, by the way. You know, obviously, there was a man sitting in his lap, you know. And like he was getting near.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I saw that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, he was getting cozy, like in the Agatha Christie novel, you know? Sure. Yeah, he was on the Orient Express.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I see. In the sleeper car, if you know what I’m saying.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But whatever conversation came out of that afterwards, which was very obnoxious. I think the whole concept of like, filming celebrities or people in general in public is it’s it’s got to go. And we need bigger penalties for people who do it because the amount of people who will just like.

 

Louis Virtel Right.

 

Ira Madison III Even gays know. Like I’m recording this guy that I think is hot as a gym. It’s like, can you not?

 

Louis Virtel It’s it’s pathetic. Yeah. Yeah. And then to post it, it’s like for clout. It’s people are obviously disgusting online, but this is a particular version where it’s like, No. Right now, as I’m looking at this, this is so there was like a viral moment where somebody took a picture of like seemingly gay men having like an all naked party in like an apartment. And then they posted it online. It’s like, what the fuck? You should be in jail. That’s disgusting.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. Although I personally know some of the people who are in that apartment, and they should be in jail.

 

Louis Virtel Well, that’s different. Yeah, Case by case basis.

 

Ira Madison III But no. Yeah, I think that that taking it for clout, taking it, you know, to make fun of people even doing it, sneak into like a celebrity. It’s like it’s dumb y culture. I just think it’s gross. I mean, if you’re taking a video and holding your camera underneath a table. You know, so the person can’t see you like you’re the ops.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Sick narc, narc world.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, like we need to bring back the mafia. Okay? Because we know, you know what the Mafia will. You know, we do it to the rats.

 

Louis Virtel Well, also, you know, what’s interesting is, like, obviously, like, gays have a kind of rowdy party culture. And I’m always shocked that I don’t see more people like that get reported on online, you know, since everybody has a phone. And you’d think, like for the most part, I feel like we do a pretty good job not doing that to one another. So when it happens to someone like Andy Cohen, I’m like, Man, this must be somebody who’s not in the know at all.

 

Ira Madison III Right. Well, I mean, because like, you know, like we obviously go to like parties and clubs, you know, like and it’s varying, you know, like, even like European cultures are like techno or like rave clubs, right. Where it’s like, you know, like you cover your phone, like you’re not taking videos. Yeah, etc.. You know, because that’s like your people are supposed to be having fun.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I just think it’s loser behavior people and my last Keep It goes to whoever decided to hire Ryan Seacrest to host the Wheel of Fortune instead of you.

 

Louis Virtel I am right here. Am I not, like one of the nicer people you’ll meet? I’m just saying. And then additionally, my passion and fervor for game shows. I will say that I think I’ve checked his Wikipedia. He does have a bit more television experience than I do. I will. I The hours do stack up in his favor. We’ll say that.

 

Ira Madison III We’ll learn more about his TV experience right after these commercials.

 

Louis Virtel If you want Louis to host Wheel of Fortune, call 1-800. Yeah. I have to say I have to say Ryan Seacrest is a good pick for this show. He is. He’s got that daytime sensibility. He’s also very much like Pat Sajak, and that moves it along. There’s an efficiency to everything he says. And then also, did you just make a bastard joke? Anyway, on to the next commercial onto the next game. You know, he has that humor and just polished that. A game show because you have a lot of responsibilities in that show. You have to like tell everybody their options. And at every given moment you say something to Vanna, you say something to the TV, you’re talking to the announcer, and he is obviously extremely capable of that. It’s just crazy that they nailed this down so early after the, you know, Jeopardy fiasco of the past couple of years that went on for months and months like they couldn’t solve it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, he does sort of have a dead in the eyes quality, but I think that’s sort of what you want from a game show host because, you know, if you’re going to do that for years.

 

Louis Virtel Stay dead. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Stay dead. You know, dead and loving it.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Right. Well, it’s sort of like Steve Harvey or something, you know, doing the show again. But like the react, the numb reactions to everything only add to the humor of it, you know?

 

Ira Madison III I’m not happy to see anybody.

 

Louis Virtel Precisely. Let alone five shows a day.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, wait. I have one more.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Huge day for you.

 

Ira Madison III What the fuck is this show The Claim to Fame on Hulu?

 

Louis Virtel I have to watch it because I know exactly the clip you’re talking about. This is a very weird ABC game show where it’s all people who are related to celebrities and it’s their job to figure out what celebrities the other contestants are related to. And in this one particular, it’s season two now, this girl gets outed for being Tom Hanks’ niece. And so she loses and she leaves. The meltdown, this woman has. Chet Hayes is looking responsible today. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III It is not getting picked on The Bachelor style level of a meltdown. She’s screaming, shouting about how the clue is so fucking obvious. I got a show like a still from the fourth poster.

 

Louis Virtel Which, by the way, it sounds like she might have a point. Like on episode one, you’re showing a Forrest Gump clue about Tom Hanks. Like, start Easy. What about the movie Volunteers? Or, pardon me, start difficult. What about the movie Volunteers or Lady Killers or something lesser known about one of the world’s most popular actors?

 

Ira Madison III I just have to say. I don’t know what deal with the devil Tom Hanks made in his youth to have this Chet Hayes and now this girl. What’s going on in the house of Hanks?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. This woman is shrieking in this club, freaking the fuck out. She even. She literally says I deserve more screen time. Like she’s fucking Gloria Swanson and Sunset Boulevard.

 

Ira Madison III Mr. Demille, come back. Um, but also shout out to the fact that this show is hosted by Kevin and Frankie Jonas as well, Right.

 

Louis Virtel Just to on the wheel of Jonas is not the two you would expect, but fine.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So I’m definitely tuning in

 

Louis Virtel I can’t imagine there’s another meltdown on that level, but my God, it was so funny and the people reacting to it who, by the way, are seemingly 100 yards away from where she’s screaming, still hearing every word. It makes no sense.

 

Ira Madison III All right. That’s our show this week.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. We did it. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you to Dwayne Perkins for joining us. We will see you next week with a special bonus episode of Keep It. It’s not a clip show, so you better listen to it. Keep It is a Crooked Media production. Our senior producer is Kendra James. Our producer is Chris Lord, and our associate producer is Malcolm Whitfield. Our executive producers are Ira Madison, the third, and Louis Virtel.

 

Louis Virtel This episode was recorded and mixed by Evan Sutton. Thank you to our digital team, Megan Patzel and Rachel Gaewski, and to Matt DeGroot and David Toles for production support every week.

 

Ira Madison III And as always, Keep It is recorded in front of a live studio audience.

 

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