Ira and Louis discuss the latest remixes from Ariana Grande and Charli XCX, plus their favorite remixes, the Netflix documentary Outstanding and their favorite queer comedians, Donald Sutherland, Michael Jackson’s legacy, Jane Fonda’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the decimation of MTV News. Hannah Einbinder joins to discuss her new standup special Everything Must Go, her favorite Jean Smart performances, and more.

Subscribe to Keep It on YouTube to catch full episodes, exclusive content, and other community events. Find us there at YouTube.com/@KeepItPodcast

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Ira Madison III [AD

 

Ira Madison III All right, we’re back with an all new Keep it. I’m Ira Madison the third.

 

Louis Virtel And I’m Louis Virtel, and I’m in the throes of summer. And as you can tell on this video by my unbelievable tan, it’s going extremely well for me. I really just don’t relate to people who don’t find this the greatest time of year, even though, you know, the prestigious movies come out later, the prestigious life living occurs now.

 

Ira Madison III You know I love the summer. Yes, but but I have been holed up in my home the past few days. I don’t know if it’s summer depression. Oh, I don’t know if it’s just because it is the day the earth stood still hot outside. It was a nightmare to leave and go anywhere the past few days in New York.

 

Louis Virtel Oh well, you’ve got those. Those Lana Del Rey is we call that the, the summertime sadness is.

 

Ira Madison III I’m talking 100 degrees. Yeah, that’s that’s not.

 

Louis Virtel Fun. No. New York Heat also is a particular version of. The only way you can make yourself any happier is to kill a stranger. Like there’s just nothing you can do about that kind of human.

 

Ira Madison III Death wish reboot.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Like it’s not like, fun. Santana featuring Rob Thomas type of heat. Or even I’m a slave for you heat. It’s just. We’ll be dead soon. Heat.

 

Ira Madison III And people still like doing things. You know what I will say about LA when it is when it was hot. When it was, when it be cold. When it be raining.

 

Louis Virtel Are you Gwendolyn Brooks? Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Just when, just when people didn’t feel like it, they wouldn’t. They don’t leave their house.

 

Louis Virtel Sure.

 

Ira Madison III Here. Yeah. Here. It’s scorching. It’s Rob Thomas. Yeah. Out here. Okay. It’s Rob Thomas and Santana. People are still like. So I’ll see you later.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Well, whatever you do in New York, if you leave your house, you’re immediately on a treadmill. Like you have to go somewhere. Like you go to five different places or something. Whereas in LA, you might just get the Starbucks and recede back into your home. This is all part of our amazing bicoastal stand up act. We’re doing zoom where we compared the two cities. It’s simply never been done. So pay attention.

 

Ira Madison III You know what? I will say that I am lucky to be in an area where I’m by the peers, so that’s nice. Morgan.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay. Kind of. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III He’s. He’s always lurking. Yeah. So that’s also why I don’t leave now.

 

Louis Virtel It’s like Sound of Sam.

 

Ira Madison III Except that it’s Piers Morgan. I’m by the piers. You know, there’s there’s the Chelsea Pierce. There’s the other piers, just basically, you know, by the West Side Highway. It’s it always goes viral during the summer because someone shares a video of just a hot people jogging by the West Side Highway. So it is nice to walk over there and view this every day. But, you know, on my walk there, I always pass by Magnolia Bakery. Oh, sure. And where I used to work, and this is just a segue into the fact that when I was at Magnolia Bakery, when I worked there in 2009, that is the place during my shift that I found out Michael Jackson died on this day, oh, 15 years ago.

 

Louis Virtel I was working my first blogging job in LA, and I remember it was the space in which I was working was so treacherous. It looked like the the.

 

Ira Madison III Was this hit fix.

 

Louis Virtel Way before that way before that it was okay. What was then called Hollywood life, which I believe still exists now under Bonnie Fuller. She took over soon after I was there. But anyway, the office environment I was in remained. It was exactly Being John Malkovich. So like that kind of grim cubicle environment. And I remember I said it to the whole office and like, no one reacted like, almost like, oh, him. Like who? Who is that again? Kind of. Anyway, not a good environment for a pop cultural person to be in, really. But, it was a confusing time though, too, because it was like we were all clear on certain things about Michael Jackson and, you know, but the songs are the songs. And now we’re in this universe where there’s a hit musical about him written by a Pulitzer winner. So we’re still kind of celebrating him. In a way, it continues to be one of the most confusing aspects of pop culture.

 

Ira Madison III You know, there’s this really great piece by Greg Tate that I read, recently. I mean, I’ve read it years before too, but it was it was about, you know, going to the Apollo, after Michael Jackson died and then sort of celebrating with black people. And there was this sort of idea, I guess, that over time, because Michael had it’s a very interesting essay about how Michael. Because he was famous. He started sort of melding his private life and public life too, together in a weird way that, like celebrities don’t do now. Right. And it’s it’s. It’s like we didn’t need to know about the buying elephant bones or bubbles or, you know, like sleeping in an amusement park, like shit like that. Like, cause you wouldn’t find that shit out about a celebrity, like, now. Yeah, right. But it was thinking, like, I’m so famous I can melt these weird parts of my life together. And then as his face started changing and then it became like late night punchline, etc., whatever. The piece sort of describes this sort of collective sort of, I guess, relief, I guess, you know, when he dies, you know, because then you can sort of make Michael Jackson the Michael that you’ve always loved, like, like the point when you thought like it was getting too weird for you, like you revert right back to right before then when someone dies.

 

Louis Virtel Well, I think that’s like a something that happens with celebrities who die young anyway. You know, I think I think a part of what is crystallized about Marilyn Monroe is she died so young. You get to just think of the apex of her career and sort of just like the onset of sadness and the sort of like, glamorous melancholy we associate with her now, actually, you know, even though obviously her end is extremely tragic. Also, I want to say, regarding Michael Jackson and the weird things, he would buy something that goes underrated about that Martin Bashir documentary from 20 years ago, or where really things got weird and we were up close and personal with his weirdness was his. And this is not news to anybody. His horrible taste when shopping, like he would just walk into like some circus, like antique store and be like, definitely give me the sarcophagus. And like, just like pointing around at weird artifacts and just blankly choosing them again. After reading the Barbara Streisand memoir, I thought for a while maybe she was our superstar with the worst taste or blandest taste. But I will take bland over the P.T. Barnum Esq, bandleader jacket version of glitz and glamor that Michael Jackson was into. It was just so eventually not just over the top, but then not just tacky, but just repetitive, like, oh, you’re still into this fucking gross esthetic.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it’s I don’t know. It’s so interesting to me to think about celebrities as collectors. I think we talked about this. We talked about Kim Kardashian, right? Yeah. The idea that she going back to Marilyn Monroe collecting, like, a Marilyn Monroe dress or, you know, collecting the outfit that Janet Jackson wore an F, and it’s just like, there’s a weird thing about a celebrity who is just sort of like, I am collecting things. And what is your house? Just a museum.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, well, especially with Kim Kardashian, it’s like you’re not just collecting the things. You’re a part of the thing now. Like you are wearing the dress. Yeah. Very strange, but like. Like Madonna’s a very well-known art collector, for example. That’s one way to be a very rich celebrity, because that pays off. You know what I mean?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I’m sure she has some Basquiat stolen away. Oh, she plays Oprah, opens one room in her house and looks at them and speaks to him for a moment and then leaves the room.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. No. You think I absolutely know she makes her kid. Rocco, who’s a budding artist himself, draw Frida Kahlo like pictures of Madonna. I absolutely know there’s a Unibrow Madonna mural somewhere in the home.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. A lot of other weird death recently. I say recently, as of my Michael Jackson died yesterday, it still feels that way.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah, it’s still fresh.

 

Ira Madison III It still feels that way sometimes. 15 years doesn’t feel like 15 years, you know? But Donald Sutherland died recently, and obviously everyone’s minds went to Klute. And. Don’t look now, which is there’s a beautiful monologue about Don’t Look Now in Stereophonics on Broadway. So I’m sure that’s having, like, a lovely, you know, stirring audience moment when Juliana Canfield delivers that monologue. But, you know, I went to some of his goofier movies, like, I started thinking about Buffy. Oh, yeah, The Vampire Slayer, the original. I mean, I started thinking about him as presidents now. You know, the fucking Hunger Games, which, I mean, everybody’s in those movies.

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean, like, just to be clear, I’m. I feel like I’m misremembering this. Viola Davis is in these movies. Correct?

 

Ira Madison III She’s in the new one, right? Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel What? God, no. Move it along.

 

Ira Madison III Think about these, by the way, when you are playing the matrix for vulture.

 

Louis Virtel And by the way, if you listen to this podcast and don’t play the cinematics every day on vulture, we have nothing in common. You’re at the wrong podcast. You’re disinvited from listening to the podcast. Cinema is what I talk about every morning.

 

Ira Madison III I did today’s already and let me tell you. When you throw people like Andrew Garfield and like Ryan Gosling in there, it is very hard to sort of, like, not be lazy, I know. Right? You have you really have to take a moment and be like, what the fuck else are they in?

 

Louis Virtel Yes. You have to think of the one thing where they maybe they were fourth build or something. I’ll start right now. I believe Andrew Garfield first movie is Lions for lambs, that weird Meryl Streep movie that nobody talks about. You talk about that anyway. This is just an inside look at how we play cinema. I know this is why you tune in here. Donald Sutherland, I mean to say, he was dependable in so many rules. First of all, just that kind of, resting seriousness about him, that kind of Easter Island statue vibe he had. I would compare it to an actor like Jason Robards or something. He was, first of all, fabulously funny in certain movies. Mash, which is not my favorite. He is amazing in, I always talk about him in Ordinary People, one of the definitive father roles of all time, where he’s sort of torn between two characters. He has a son who is coping with the death, the accidental death of his brother, and then Mary Tyler Moore plays the mother, and she’s unbelievably stony and stoic, and he is sort of weighing those two worlds because they are like a chasm apart in the movie. It’s it’s my favorite family drama ever. But also, let us not forget, he is so fucking good in the 2000. Pride and Prejudice I love that movie, one of the rare movies where I think you could rank ten performances in it that are an A, and I’m talking about not just Miss Kira, who is, of course, fabulous Scott, your Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench, Carey Mulligan. It goes on and on. Matthew Macfadyen come on. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I am always trying to. I mean, after after I found out, you know, that he passed. I was trying to think of earlier movies of his that I hadn’t seen just because what you said, he always has a sort of, like, stately. Yeah, presence to intimidate. Yes. And I’d like to find. And I want to find something that’s good of his to watch before he developed that. Or did he always have that?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. And by the way, do not forget about how he starred in the wacko video for Cloud Busting by Kate Bush, which he was convinced to do because she came to his door truly, like the the weird short person. And don’t look now just showing up and, he opens the door and he doesn’t even see her. She’s so short. And he looks down and she convinces him to do it. That is my favorite Kate Bush song. Talk about stately. It has just a regal kind of British atmosphere about it. And her cookie ness is, you know, Bjork level, as always. But yeah, and also, of course, I have to speak a bit in these terms. He was never nominated for an Academy Award. And that feels I mean, like, I rarely believe in things like conspiracies, but I mean, what is going on? He was in so many, not just award able but awarded movies, you know, like he costars with so many people who won Academy Awards for acting themselves. He was good recently in The Undoing. If you remember him with Nicole Kidman, Mickey K yes.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. K oh, who is that?

 

Louis Virtel If I honoring Nikki K.

 

Ira Madison III Viola Davis calls out Nikki K now that.

 

Louis Virtel Would be fun. Yeah, and I would concur. It’s a good move.

 

Ira Madison III Also, him and Gina D and Commander in Chief. Yeah, that’s for our older listeners out there or our, you know, our, procedural listeners. They’re there.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. You’re you’re talking about the television series with Gina Davis where she played the. Yeah, she was the president of our country, America. And, yeah, I completely forgot he was on that, too. Also, it’s always good to hear Jim Davis. His name, Gina D. We’re you know what? We’re speaking in Ariana DeBose English right now. To boasting the English language.

 

Ira Madison III And lastly, I mean, we cannot forget, dirty sexy money.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, what a weird time when that could be on, just like, network television. And you had Candace Caine was on that show, right? And, like, one of the lesser Baldwins, but the ones we still like.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Absolutely perfect. Television show only 23 episodes, which is very annoying for a show of that era on ABC. But you know.

 

Louis Virtel Where things accidentally ran 277 episodes, correct? Yeah. Look up Becker. Yeah, it’s still on, I think.

 

Ira Madison III All right. What do we have coming up in this episode, Louis?

 

Louis Virtel Okay. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about queer comics and which ones from our history, from our years of absorbing comedy and laughing at comedy, as we always do, we grew up with. Because there’s a new Netflix documentary that’s so outstanding called outstanding, get it outstanding. And it’s about stand up comics and what basically queer comics have been up against since the dawn of time. We’ll get into that. We also are going to talk about remixes this episode, our favorite remixes ever. You’ll notice there are some remixes popping off right now. There’s the Boys Mind remix, that’s, Ariana Grande. As with Brandy and Monika, who have decided to put generations of malice aside for this, and it sounds like I’m productive for the both of them. So we’ll get into that. Which is weird, the a topic we have not discussed on this show ever, so I’m really psyched. And also, by the way, we have a guest today who is a queer stand up herself and, just love her. She’s the star of hacks, has a cool resting. Want to be friends with her energy. So Ira and I will try in vain to befriend her. Hannah Einbinder is with us today.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So we’ll be right back with more Keep it .

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III I know it’s wrong for the music industry to pit women against each other, but the boy is Mine remix is what we get out of it. Maybe we can let the patriarchy do its thing, although we’ll get into it. But this remix with Ariana Grande and Brandy and Monica. I feel like I do not love as much as I did initially.

 

Louis Virtel I think it’s okay. Like I’m glad it exists. I’m glad to spin it 100,000 times. You know that again, I don’t. Of course. Really? Stan? Ariana Grande. So I’m not like the best critic for this. But yeah.

 

Ira Madison III That’s one of your problems.

 

Louis Virtel I just feel like she sings to a vibe as opposed to things to bring like a full artistry out of a song. This is a problem I have with music in general. I feel like everybody is writing to a specific emotion or a specific playlist that already exists, as opposed to creating art that has a lot of emotions in it. Anyway. Sorry.

 

Ira Madison III Great singer. Yeah. Good performer. Downs. So first of all, this song, was originally a single on Ariana’s album Eternal Sunshine, and it’s called The Boy Is Mine. I don’t I feel like it’s samples. The boy is mine, but I could never really hear the sample in it.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, no, I mean, it doesn’t sound like The Boy Is Mine, which is, of course, one of the great duets of the late 90s and actually sort of a definitive song for getting me into pop music altogether. It was very in that torn time where it’s both alternative radio and R&B is happening. Like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is about to happen. Just a lot of good mainstream stuff.

 

Ira Madison III The Boy Is Mine, torn, and also, Ray of light were constantly in rotation on VH1.

 

Louis Virtel I mean, the flag of VH1 should be the denim coat Madonna is wearing and the Ray of light video.

 

Ira Madison III But this that song. Then, of course. Ariana, a month later, I thought she forgot about this album, to be honest.

 

Louis Virtel Eternal sunshine, temporary sunshine. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Right. What’s weird? Because I actually really love the album, and I’ve been listening to it quite a bit, since it first debuted in March. But she did that thing that all the pop stars have been doing this year where they drop an album and then we don’t hear from them ever again.

 

Louis Virtel They’re like, I’m actually sick of this, and you’ve had enough from me.

 

Ira Madison III Remember? Promoting music? I’m not going to do that. Remember videos? I’m good interviews. Maybe with a friend of mine.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. And that. Yes, exactly. I have to know a really cool queer person who will talk to me in interview magazine. That’s it?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But she announced this remix and it has Brandy and Monica in it. They actually made a little cameo in the first Boys Man video. And now, they’re on a full remix, and I wonder if a remix video was coming or if we just have the remix, but the remix to the song. It’s good. It’s nice to hear their voices again. What I really love in the song is the bridge. We’re sort of Brandy and Monica get to let loose themselves, and it’s sort of like come up with their own lyrics. It’s sort of like, you know, I don’t get with affairs, you know, like, like commenting on the whole boys mind drama, etc., but. The remix is a lot like the Mariah Carey remix that she released last year. To yes. And where it’s just this R&B legend that she’s collected who is singing the lyrics that we already have.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, playing along.

 

Ira Madison III Not really a they’re not remixes. They, they’re coming across as covers.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Which reminds me of the Latto remix of Big Energy that she had Mariah Carey on, where she just is singing fantasy again, you know, which is.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel A song I enjoy, but I already knew you were referencing that song on this track, so I don’t really need to hear it again here.

 

Ira Madison III It’s sort of this dive into nostalgia as a remix, which is so weird to me because I feel like, listen, Mariah Carey originated the remix, okay?

 

Louis Virtel Like, I won’t get into that.

 

Ira Madison III Mariah Carey would get would have a pop song and she would have a like whether it’s David Morales popping in and giving you a whole new fucking beat in her rerecording vocals. Even if she was giving you like a hip hop version of it, she would have new vocals as well, where she’s singing along and sort of like adjusting, you know, how she’s supposed to sound to the beat, you know? Because she’s very musical in that sense, you know? But, I mean, if you there’s this documentary of, Mariah working on, like, caution and where she was, like, trying to figure out, like, a specific sound to make, etc. and it’s just like, it’s so interesting when you look at people’s versions, I guess what their songwriting is. Yeah. You know, and like, Mariah’s songwriting is sort of like, there’s, a clip of her. I forget the exact song, but clip of her with, like, a full band. Right? And she’s creating a song and she’s, like, humming like and singing like what she needs, like each instrument to do to create this sound that’s in her head. And I’m like, it’s just so fascinating how, like, some people, you know, like their songwriting is just writing or they’re, you know, strumming on guitar and hers is sort of I hear the entire thing in my head. I just need to get these instruments to sound how it is. Right. But her remixes, when you got a Mariah Carey remix, like they’re completely different, you know, Loverboy, the all the remix is a different heartbreaker. The remix is different. These remixes and like you mentioned with Lotto, right? It seems like the whole music industry now is on this thing of if we’re going to give you a remix and it’s a remix that’s like sampling an older song, for instance, how about we just sing that older song because people just want to hear the song, you know? It’s like they don’t want to even mix it up too much, because then that might stray away from people just being able to absentmindedly stream this remix over and over.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Or if you we sing the original song, then people will also stream that song, which is, I’m sure. Yeah, a big impetus for why someone like Mariah would participate. Yeah. I mean, if we’re talking about the greatest remixes ever, I still think the Morales remixes of the Mariah Carey songs are probably the top of the list. And the reason for that is one. I mean, she respected the fact that you could basically not just spin off into an entirely new song, but put an entirely different vibe on a preexisting song. Like, if you listen to Dream Lover, which I was shocked to hear David Morales himself say that he hated the original song and found it to be, like too cute and poppy. Which kind of makes sense, because what he does doesn’t really pop. Yeah, but Mariah always took, remixes as an opportunity to do two things. One, make a song way more sexy, or two way more danceable. And the Morales remix of Dream Lover, is still probably my favorite remix of all time. We were talking once about the greatest dance songs ever, and how it’s hard to justify picking anything else, but I feel loved by Donna Summers, the number one of all time, because it’s the rare case of something that feels like such an original and still maintains its power. Now it’s like the Beatles or something in terms of disco, you know? And I feel like in the remix world that to me is still the I feel love that is still the beat for. It’s just it’s ten minutes long. It takes you on a journey. It reminds you of the original song while also adding this completely like, saucy, danceable thing. And she has, of course, tons and tons of amazing remixes. There’s the honey one. My oh.

 

Ira Madison III Taste of Honey yes.

 

Louis Virtel Goes on and on. But now.

 

Ira Madison III If you’re talking about like, the echelon of, the remixes ones, I’m sure you know what the other two are that would compete with that dream lover with them.

 

Louis Virtel As a they not by Mariah Carey.

 

Ira Madison III Not by Mariah Carey, the other two remixes that are the remix.

 

Louis Virtel I’m going to go with Whitney Houston Thunder Puss it’s not right, but it’s okay. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. And the third.

 

Louis Virtel I feel like this should be obvious to me. What is it?

 

Ira Madison III We don’t even listen to the original anymore, to be honest. You only listen to this dance version? It’s of that same ilk.

 

Louis Virtel Damn it! Oh, is it Deborah Cox?

 

Ira Madison III Yes. How did you get here?

 

Louis Virtel I’m like a lost time.

 

Ira Madison III Anyone has to listen to the original version of. How did you get here?

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean, it doesn’t. Right, exactly. Also, when that comes on, any pride is suddenly left. I mean, Deborah Cox, she should pop up like. Like the goddamn wizard. Wherever she goes. I just log worth or whatever I want to say also. I mean, I kind of feel that way about it’s not right, but it’s okay. The original version of the song is okay, but it’s it’s not right, but it’s okay. I mean, it’s, a loungy version of the song, but then once you hear the dance version where she’s being a detective and discovering that this guy cheated, going through all the receipts and stuff, Colombo shit pops the hell off.

 

Ira Madison III What does that show?

 

Louis Virtel She would have been great.

 

Ira Madison III Or movie? It would have been so good. When it comes to remixes two with David Morales, did you hear Rainbow’s End?

 

Louis Virtel No.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, so Mariah, for the 25th anniversary of rainbow rereleased it. And what I love about Mariah when she’s rereleasing these, albums. So their anniversaries, she’s giving you vault tracks, she’s giving you new shit, and or she’s recording new things and Rainbows in which was a interlude on the original album, is now a full length dance track from David Morales. And it sounds great. Oh, it was a regular version and an extended version.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, now, I mean, that is fabulous. I also want to give props in a way, to Jennifer Lopez, because she invented the idea that you could call a song a remix, and it’s just a lie, and it’s a totally new song together. It’s called Ain’t It Funny because ain’t it funny? I love your ass about this being a remix, bitch. No, it’s.

 

Ira Madison III Not.

 

Louis Virtel The same song.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, there is a difference from taking a remix and making it different. Different enough so it sounds like a new song. And then. Yeah, Ain’t It Funny is a completely different song.

 

Louis Virtel As if people don’t know the original song, which is a fun kind of like Spanish tinged. So yeah. And in the tradition of great J.Lo singles, I cannot hear her on the chorus. But. The funny with Aja Rule is the one you hear. You know, I’m really original, has more to do, has something in common with the I’m real with Ja Rule but ain’t it funny is just a complete lie.

 

Ira Madison III You know what? I will also, by the way, shout out the fact that, the album That Ain’t It Funny is on self-titled. Yeah. J-Lo. J.Lo 2001. That is a completely underrated J.Lo album. If we’re talking about, you know, anything that’s underrated. Obviously it had Love Don’t Cost a thing on it. Play on real but and play. But yeah, I mean people seem to forget about play. Play came on maybe a year or so ago at a party and someone thought it was new. Oh that’s unacceptable. There’s. Yeah, there’s walking on sunshine. That’s not me. Like I’m gonna, you know, that’s, that’s a pretty good album. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel I’m an on the six devotee, but I do like the singles on J.Lo.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, yeah. Now, another remix, that came out this week was, a remix to Charlie Z’s Girl. So confusing. Which in invented the phrase let’s work it out on the remix, which.

 

Louis Virtel Has already in my entire Twitter feed. Like there’s it’s like the alpha and the omega of gay phrases right now.

 

Ira Madison III You know how we are with a phrase, right? You know, once, once there’s a quick thing that you can make a several like Twitter memes about or like, use it as an Instagram caption. It’s just it’s not going away.

 

Louis Virtel No. If we can microwave and reheat a phrase and then use it to be a little bit sassy, you better believe me. Well.

 

Ira Madison III So this comes from. And I guess we can also get to the Brandy and Monica beef of it all too, because this was sort of serendipitous that these both dropped on the same day. The Charli and Lorde thing is basically that, they’ve always been compared, in their careers. And so they have dark hair. Yeah, they’re dark hair, you know, and, there’s this interview, actually, I’m sure you’ve seen it before where an interviewer, tells Charlie acts like she loves her song Royals. The, Carly plays along with it and sings a bit of royals. But it’s from years ago. And since then, though, you know, Charlie has just sort of always had this, like, insecurity in her brain about, because royals were so fucking huge, you know? Right. Just this real sort of insecurity about, comparisons to Lorde. Then come to find out that Lorde had her own insecurities. You know, people, there’s a line in the remakes, where, you know, she talks about her, own insecurities and, like, I don’t have beef with you, diva. I’m mentally ill, basically. You know, and basically, it’s just sort of like when I was ten, people told me, I walk like a bitch, you know, like, I have my own stuff going on. And apparently Charlie just left her a voice note. And then Lorde woke up to it and was like, yeah, let’s hop on this remix. And like, I think, like, fans of both women had been very excited, to hear the song and, it’s good. You know, they worked it out on the remake.

 

Louis Virtel I would say it’s the song that I would call like, it’s quality and adorable. Like, it’s.

 

Ira Madison III Both like, yeah, a.

 

Louis Virtel Bit lighthearted and, I don’t know, like not going for Grammys is the way I would describe it. And yet. Yeah, like, it’s fun to see them have this actual, like real dialog. There’s like Frost Nixon moments on this reimagining.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it’s that genre of music. And I’m sure you can think of other. Ones that are, really just a song between two people wanting to be in conversation with one another. It’s not really about, like you said, it’s not about the Grammys. It’s not about radio. It’s like, let’s just do some shit together in the studio, right?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. And, you know, vault each other, like, say that we’re big fans of each other, you know, and put this weird energy to rest otherwise. Yeah. No, it’s it’s successfully done. And also, it’s nice to hear Lorde play music that we’re all playing again and again. It feels like that solar power just came and went, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Well, you know, Jack Antonoff.

 

Louis Virtel oh. You’re enemy.

 

Ira Madison III You know what I hate to say this to I hate you. You know how much I hate admitting when I’m wrong? Sure. Please. Please, please.

 

Louis Virtel It’s a grower. I’m sorry. I knew this would happen to you.

 

Ira Madison III You know, it’s a fucking bomb. I, I you know, you know how it happened to. I was in Fire Island. I feel like where songs go to, seep into your brain. Oh, right. Right. Exactly. Because you’re. Yeah. You’re in a house with different people, with different music tastes. For them, you’re all fagots with, like, sort of the same music taste, but then there’s different, varying degrees. Right? And when someone has the aux and is constantly playing, please, please, please. And honestly, everyone has the aux these days now because Spotify lets you create jams.

 

Louis Virtel Right.  Mmmhmm.

 

Ira Madison III So people are continuously adding songs together. Anyway my friend Jordan, kept playing please, please please. And then days later, off the island, being stalked by Jack Antonoff, by the way, because I went to the kind of kindness premiere. Oh, of course, Yorgos new film, which I fucking loved. It’s weird in the way that, like, lobster is. Yeah. But it’s good. It’s not commercial, like poor things. And the favorite were if you could call poor Things commercial, but, Jack Antonoff was at the movie, at the premiere, and I’m like, this man is stalking me. And then I go home and I have please, please, please stuck in my head and it feels like some sort of conspiracy.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, that’s way too much. That’s way too much. I also just, like, sometimes I wonder, like, how many classic pop songs really are quote unquote good or just we’ve heard them so many times they become, this is just a song that’s coming to mind. Losing My Religion is an unbelievably strange song to pick up culturally, just like the.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel The chill guitar of it, like where it belongs in time. Like that’s, that’s that’s happening alongside like grunge and stuff, you know, but Madonna, things like that. And yet I don’t know, like, the lyrics are unbelievably baffling, like it’s a song where people are still asking Michael Stipe, what’s it about? Even though he has answered the question 10,000 times. That’s one of my huge pet peeves, when people can’t just listen to an answer that a celebrity gives.

 

Ira Madison III But yeah, but like.

 

Louis Virtel We’ve heard that song a million times, you know, it’s a classic and I do love it, but it’s also how did that happen? I wonder about that sometimes.

 

Ira Madison III You know what I was gonna say? There was this guy that I was into in LA years ago, and I was never really into, like R.E.M. or The Smashing Pumpkins, and he got me into the Smashing Pumpkins by giving me a playlist, and he gave me an R.E.M. playlist, and I listened to it, and I was like, I hate Michael Stipe’s voice.

 

Louis Virtel Mmmm. Interesting.

 

Ira Madison III I just can’t listen to R.E.M.. Yeah, like for some reason, there’s nothing about it that sonically appeals to me. But I do like losing my religion and shiny Happy People because I feel like I’ve heard those fucking songs so much.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I do think he kind of. There’s a bit of a wine in the voice, in the melancholy he’s going for, which I could see going either way on. Before I wrap up this conversation, I just want to say I got to bring up Madonna remixes quickly. The William Orbit remix of Justify My Love turned a song that was my least favorite on the Immaculate Collection into one of my favorite Madonna songs. So if you don’t know that, listen to that. It’s a long, sexy, very erotic remix.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, baby. Madonna remixes. I mean, that’s another bridge. Okay, listen to, Junior’s luscious remix of secret.

 

Louis Virtel Of of secret itself is. I mean, that should be just its own genre of music. Remixes of Secret Bedtime Stories mixes. Nothing Really Matters is great one. So anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Speaking of to segue off of, and then wrap this up, did you see this recent interview with Cardi B where she talked about how she’s making her new album? Yes, etc. and she has to make hits for, you know, the radio and the like, continue her career, whatever. But she was like, bitch, you know what I would love to do? Just like make a Madonna like erotica album because that’s what she loves listening to. It’s like one of her favorite albums. I’m like, girl, just make that album.

 

Louis Virtel We love it, do it. Yes, right. Because also erotica, if you don’t know the album really well, like it teases a raw sexuality and there are songs that are like that, but it really is more of a sultry album. So, yeah, it’s a it’s about sex, but there’s a come hither kind of cabaret quality to it that I think would really speak to Cardi B and would be a good it wouldn’t even be a pivot. It would just be a fun new direction for her.

 

Ira Madison III Also, like, you know, Madonna is doing her usual quote unquote rapping over songs like this, right? You know, her speak singing, and to have an actual rap trysts, you know, doing something like that would be great. Also, like, she could totally get Madonna to be on a remix with her. That’d be fucking great. Artist. Read you like one of the most annoying songs on erotica. Did you do it but do it with Cardi B and Madonna? You can save that song.

 

Louis Virtel That would be fun. Also, I mean, like the the last Madonna concert I saw, Cardi B was the voguing guest too. So they.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, clearly.

 

Louis Virtel Are already familiar with each other. Anyway, great conversation, I enjoy remixes. Send us your favorites. I’m sure they’re somewhere forgetting.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. All right. When we’re back, Hannah Einbinder joins us. Keep It is brought to you by Wonder is podcast The Big Flop?

 

Louis Virtel The early 2000 was a wild time for reality TV. I was there, I remember there seemed to be an endless supply of shows that delivered entertainment for us, but trauma for children like Dance Moms, the infamous Lifetime network show where the studio owner screamed at children and their moms over several seasons. On each episode of wonder podcast, The Big Flop, comedians join host Misha Brown to chronicle one of the biggest pop culture fails of all time and try to answer the age old question who thought this was a good idea?

 

Ira Madison III They recently looked behind the scenes of what was really going on at Abby Lee Miller’s dance studio. Well, we know that someone created the beast known as Jojo Siwa.

 

Louis Virtel You think we see the the lab workings that created just.

 

Ira Madison III One.

 

Louis Virtel Pigtail, two pigtails.

 

Ira Madison III And chemical Ex. Abby’s biggest misstep actually wasn’t screaming nonsensical catchphrases or throwing chairs on television, but instead she was choreographing financial fraud in plain sight.

 

Louis Virtel Well, follow the big flop wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Ira Madison III Keep It is brought to you by helix. Everybody is unique, as Beyonce says, and everyone sleeps differently. That’s why helix has several different mattress models to choose from, each designed for specific sleep positions and feel preferences. Each mattress has a hybrid design combining comfort and support, and if you’re nervous about buying online, you shouldn’t be. The Helix Sleep Quiz takes into account your individual sleep preferences to match you and your partner. With the perfect mattress for you.

 

Louis Virtel Helix knows there’s no better way to test out a new mattress than by sleeping on it in your own home. That’s why they offer a 100 night trial in a 10 to 15 year warranty. To try out your new helix mattress. Helix has been awarded the number one mattress pick by GQ, and wired magazine is even recommended by multiple leading chiropractors and doctors of sleep medicine as a go to solution for improving your sleep. I’ve noticed something about myself recently when I sleep in my helix mattress that I own. I sleep now on my side with my knee up a bit more. I kind of look like a hurdler or something, and I believe the reason for that is I am so fucking excited about Sha’carri Richardson and these Olympics. Oh my God, she nailed that 100 meter dash. Sha’carri can’t wait to see you out in those tracks and fields. Getting it in your carrying.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, carrying! I am.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III So I would say that Keep It has officially become a hax household. We literally just had Meg Stalter on, and this week we’re joined by a breakout talent who can not only go toe to toe with Jean Smart, who we also had on back in like 2020, I believe the Dark ages.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

But she can also make it look easy. Of course, we’re talking about Emmy nominated comedian Hannah Einbinder here to talk about her new Max stand up special. Everything Must Go. Hannah, welcome to Keep It.

 

Hannah Einbinder Thank you for having me, guys.

 

Louis Virtel I love your new stand up special, by the way. But you were just honored at the last Cultural Reset Culture Awards, which is like. It’s like the Kids Choice Awards for adults. Basically. I’ve just never seen that kind of screaming in my life. But yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder Gay adults. But yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Gay Adult Choice Awards. That’s correct.

 

Hannah Einbinder Totally.

 

Louis Virtel Watching your special I mean, like you’ve talked about this recently, but I love the juxtaposition of how you have this chill approach to telling jokes, and then suddenly you will pop with like 700 words in a single phrase. And I feel like when you are preparing your standup, is that the stuff you spend the most time on? Intuitively, that would be my guess, but it seems incredibly difficult.

 

Hannah Einbinder I, I take the Noah Baumbach approach. Okay, not a comma out of place, you know what I mean? I really am writing a script that I in no way deviate from even to one single word or syllable. So it is definitely a I mean, it helps that I am the one writing it. So it’s it’s easier to memorize. But, I definitely do spend a lot of time getting every single word just right. I mean, I all like, write performance notes for various words, like in the body of the text. It’s a pretty. Yeah, I take a kind of a surgical approach to that stuff. So it does take take a while.

 

Louis Virtel I think I want to say about that approach, though, that I appreciate it, because what it means is you’re not wasting a single second on stage. It’s like down to the moment, like you are. There’s something to be said about not deviating or not improvising. Like, no, this is all material. Not just, yeah, you know, we’re hanging out together because we’re not.

 

Hannah Einbinder Totally, totally I there is nothing conversational about what I’m doing up there, but what I will say is live performance on the road. I will sometimes improviser when I’m in the initial stages of writing a joke, and then when those lines do well, if they do well, they do become a part of it. So sometimes those are the finished product as a result of various improvization along the way. And then, you know, if they are, if the if the improv is worthy of, you know, making the cut, so to speak, then I will integrate it. But yeah, I appreciate thank you for thank you for saying that. I’m glad you are seeing that. I’m happy to know that’s translating.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I really think that’s what I love about live performance in general. You know, I think that, you know, as a person who loves theater, you know, I think that when you see someone have a great performance, especially an actor who is just like, they hit their mark, they know exactly what they’re doing, right? As a person who works and writes in theater, like when you see someone improv something or an audience laughs at something different, it’s so fun to then be like, okay, I can now tweak this because I feel like it’s working a little bit differently. How would you say that that translates then to working on hacks, you know, where, that is a script and you’re filming it. But are you as surgical with that, with trying to remember everything, but do like Jen and Paul and like Lucille, like, do they care? Are they those type of people when you’re on set?

 

Hannah Einbinder I mean, the truth is, like, there’s very rarely anything better than what’s on the page. They’re so gifted. And so, you know, we but they are so egoless like, when it comes to improvization and adding jokes, like, I’ll come to them before I’ll improv in the scene when we’ve gotten it and Lucille will be like, okay, I’ll go off, like to add whatever you want. Just if we’re not running against the clock, you know? But if there is something that I feel like, oh, I, we could add, like, I’d love to add a joke here. I’ll give it to them. They like it. They’re like, great, throw it in, you know, so they’re not as precious. But like, the truth is what we’re starting with is such a is of such a quality that, you know, it’s just kind of all there to begin with.

 

Louis Virtel I think, something else I really enjoy about you is that even though on hacks, your character is supposed to be maybe a definitive millennial character and the genes from this other generation, and that’s meant to be the interesting juxtaposition. When I talk about this show with my friends and specifically my close circle of like, comedy writer friends, you to me, are one of the rare people of this generation who is very Gen X, and I don’t feel like you have many Gen X type feeling who have like a resting sort of like I don’t know if like eyeroll culture is. Just gone away. You know what I mean? Like. And you’re somebody who would do an eye roll. Well. And do you, do you connect well with, like, 90s comedy? In a way?

 

Hannah Einbinder Totally. I’m like, what is this, the freaking compliment our every, like you guys.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. This is so.

 

Hannah Einbinder Nice. You guys are literally I. I’m feeling seen. I will be honest. Yeah. I mean, so my mom had me when she was 42, so I was socialized around much older people. I mean, my dad’s 12 years younger than her, so, like, he was, you know, that vibe, but, like, you know, I think my mom, being an older mom, just kind of made me, like, you can always spot fellow, like, kids of older moms out there. They just have back like that. Like, almost like wisdom. Just in, in in imbued in the vibes. So I would say that I would attribute maybe some of what you’re picking up on to that and, and yeah, my, my, my comedic education has been, I would say predominantly older stuff and especially the 90s, like the alternative comedy comics of the 90s, like Janine Garafolo, Dana Gould, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Zach Elephant, I guess like Brian Post saying, all of those guys like, you know, the Sklar brothers, they they all have influenced me a lot because they were like the LA comic, not all of them, but most of them are like the LA comics of the 90s. So, yeah, I definitely I definitely feel that, that’s been a big place that I’ve been inspired by.

 

Louis Virtel You know, actually, I’ve not thought about it until this moment, but even, like, thinking of the original cast of Saturday Night Live, like, even though that’s a lot of, like, boomer aged people, your mom is kind of like Gen-X in a way, to like, like her resting energy and like, she loves, like, raves and stuff like you weirdly, both are like, not in the next generation, but around it kind of.

 

Hannah Einbinder Like Freaky Friday situation. Which I’m so excited for. Oh my God, did you all see the pictures from this?

 

Louis Virtel That? Oh Jesus, they look sensational.

 

Ira Madison III That has been. It feels like a thing that has always been like, you know, those movies like, I feel like we’re waiting for Legally Blond three to write. Like it’s one of those things where they’re always asked about it. Oh, it’s coming, oh it’s coming. And then when they not just took the photo together, but it was also like, oh no, we’re also we just started shooting today. I was like, oh, this is actually coming.

 

Hannah Einbinder It’s rare for me. I felt so like I just felt so except like I haven’t felt that that excitement in a while. And I’m not like Mrs. Reboot. Like I’m not even necessarily like about that. This just felt so like, so exciting. So two gifted women. My god.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Well, so even thinking about your excitement for that and like, you know, you have this sort of like, 90s sheet cool about you. What’s something that you are, like, very into makes you, that maybe doesn’t even make it into your comedy and doesn’t really, like, inspire it. Or maybe it does, but people would be shocked that, like this, this is something I’m into. Like, I don’t know, like you, you love Adam Sandler, Netflix movies.

 

Hannah Einbinder I mean, I love Sebastian Maniscalco. I think he’s one of our one of our great performers. I appreciate the way that he uses the instrument of his body. I, I would say that, like, I guess people would be surprised to know that I like more mainstream comedy as well. I think there’s, like, really great stuff over there. I, I, I feel like, you know, because my, my, one of my, like, number ones is Jim Carrey. And like, I do appreciate physicality and I do really appreciate physical comedy. And I feel like Sebastian is one of the only people who has really that is at the forefront of his performance. And and I love it. It has. I’ve learned so much from it. It has freed me to incorporate that as well as, of course, the many, you know, physical comedians before him. Not that not to say that he like, invented it by any means, but like it is a really huge part of his performance. So I think maybe people will be shocked to know that I actually really love Sebastian. He makes me makes me laugh.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I remember when he hosted the MTV VMAs or something, I know I did it, I did, I didn’t know who he was yet or something. I’m like, who chose this? And I’m like, oh, wait, this is not I don’t know.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I yeah, I know.

 

Hannah Einbinder That was, that was that was tough. That appearance was tough. But like some of those early like Sebastian bits, he has one bit about companies coming and like how your mom back in the day would like put out the cake this and that. And now when people come over, it’s like he’s like, got this. Everybody’s like Swat team. Like they’re they’re like army military style. Like getting on the floor, like trying not to make a set. Like he does this crazy act out. That is so. And, you know, it’s always awesome when someone explains a joke.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, that’s what I.

 

Hannah Einbinder Try to do that as much as I can, but, just YouTube that shit. It’s funny as.

 

Louis Virtel Hell. Also, I mean, like, something that must be said about hacks is now it’s like. The definitive television show for a variety of queer performers, like how many times does a comedy on any platform have multiple queer people on it, let alone these, like up and down from Pat Regan’s now on the show, who’s a hilarious comic and podcaster who writes on hacks. Guy Branum, who writes on hacks, is now on the show, too. What is that environment like? What’s hanging out with these people like?

 

Hannah Einbinder Well, it’s basically like the universe from Wonder Woman where everybody’s walking around and they’re all gorgeous and everybody’s in the in the perfect society. It’s like, oh, this is what it could be like, you know? It is pretty much perfectly. Lives are awesome. Everyone’s nice. Literally. It’s like, I am so fucked up from here on out, like, I, I, I, I mean, the standards set by this environment mostly run by women, you know, filled with queer people. And, you know, we all kind of took to each other pretty, pretty instantly. It’s it’s a, it’s a dream scenario. It really is. And, you know, I mean, Tim Badgley like all of these wonderful queer, you know, character actors who come in and like really are such pros and such legends, you know, and yeah, I mean, Paul, Jen and Lucia, really, they just their casting is truly like, who is the funniest? And, you know, it just happened that all the queers were the bias.

 

Louis Virtel You don’t say, wow.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I really I mean, like, we love Jean smart, obviously, you know, but I just feel like you’re we’re always sort of discovering new depths about, like, her. I mean, I think that she had this great interview. What was it with Kelly Clarkson recently? And Kelly was talking about, like, how much she loves moving. Jesus. Like, what you do when you’re moving. And, it’s just sort of like, what’s it like working with her? And, like, have you had a moment where you’re just sort of like you really, I don’t know, just crack you up or you learn something from Gene. You were just sort of like, oh, this is a brand new way to be funny or, like, approach and acting, seeing that I’ve never thought of before.

 

Hannah Einbinder I mean, she is so effortless, like it really is. She’s not that she is like truly the opposite of method. Like we are talking and gabbing and gabbing and laughing and she’s like, you know, like, okay, everybody said she’s like, yeah. Anyway, okay, I’ll tell you after. And then it’s like she’s right in like it’s there’s no there’s no moment like she’s in like that is something that I feel, my, my approach has been a little different at times, just in, just in terms of like more dramatic scenes. I do have to kind of go by myself for a second, but she’s really, you know, right there, which has been like, really interesting to watch. I mean, I learn from her, not so much, directly as indirectly. She’s just. I’m just watching and observing. She’s not going, honey, you should do this, this and this. You know, she’s just leading by example so that that pertains to, you know, how she approaches getting into the scene when she’s in there, the physicality, you know, various continuity that she’s keeping track of while also being really loose. You know, there is it’s she is such a fine tuned, well-oiled machine racehorse Ferrari like top of the line. She’s like just a stallion, you know? And so, that is something that I think, you know, she’s probably always been that way. She’s just a naturally gifted actress. But I think also it’s the effect of a career of impeccable work, you know? So.

 

Louis Virtel We talk about on the show my theory that instead of the Zodiac, people should identify by what Fleetwood Mac song they most identify with because, like, it says something about like which which member means the most to you? Whatever. What? Jean Smart performance is your favorite pre hacks? And because that’s another mélange of things that are seemingly completely unrelated, some of the stuff she’s done.

 

Hannah Einbinder I have to say. I mean, I thought Watchmen was so badass. I really loved seeing her in that role, because that is, you know, I can see in various performances, I can see pieces of her. And that one felt like a different person, and I was like, so glued to her in that. And I just loved her and a little bit of a red leg. So I’m always telling. I’m going, honey, you gotta go read it. Looks good on you with the blue eyes, please. She’s stunning. But, yeah, I think Watchmen probably. And then, I mean, it’s like designing women, obviously. It’s like. So I can, like, all timer untouchable. But. Yeah, I would say maybe Watchmen or. I mean, mare was. She was holy. Oh, yeah. Yes.

 

Louis Virtel And Mare of Easttown, right? Yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder She was so funny. And, and like, just those little, like, so much of so many of the best moments she’s just doing, she’s literally it’s just her in her face, like she’s not even. It’s not even in the, like, the dialog so much as it is in her like physicality, which is exciting to me, being able to do so much just visually. So I love those moments. And of course, like her character in mare is so awesome. But yeah, I don’t know.

 

Ira Madison III I’m very Samantha who was also 24.

 

Hannah Einbinder Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, she was it on 24. And I also just want to say that you like designing women of it all. Yeah. This is just like an this is a call to arms for drag queens across America. Yeah. We are constantly like, I am tired of the. And that is the night the lights went out in Georgia. Speed like we’ve seen you do it.

 

Louis Virtel We love it.

 

Ira Madison III Like. Like what? Like watch. We love it. But like, we’ve seen it. Go and watch some Designing Women old episodes. Somebody find a Jean smart monologue and let’s let’s get that in rotation. You know, like I, they all had monologues because it was like, you know, like in the blood work. So like, she wrote it like it was a play, right? Each episode. So I’m like, I’m sure there’s some great, like, iconic Jean smart like monologues and nuggets that somebody can do on stage and give us in drag form.

 

Hannah Einbinder I don’t know where we were. I think it was, I think it was Vegas. Just when we were doing a little bit of that, and she saw because we went to Drag Race Live, but I think she went to a different drag show maybe the night before. And they did the they did that monologue and she was just crying. She was so moved and she was so touched, and it was so nice to hear that she, like, had that moment. I think she really like.

 

Ira Madison III Enjoyed it.

 

Louis Virtel And she, at the WGA Awards performed it because it was a tribute to Linda Bloodworth. So that is on tape somewhere. And I know that because I took some of the footage. So just be aware that your.

 

Ira Madison III Boots on the ground. Yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder Thank you for your service.

 

Ira Madison III No. I mean, like, obviously the beautiful thing about a show like that, too, you know, is that it’s been so important to queer people for years. And then also, like, we’re now, that’s one of the good things about the internet, you know, like we are in an age where we can rewatch that show, and she can, you know, see how much that means to even like younger people because what Designing Women aired and then you would never see it again, right?

 

Hannah Einbinder I believe it’s on Hulu now.

 

Louis Virtel Oh it is.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel What’s an old TV show you are likeliest to find yourself rewatching on any given night?

 

Hannah Einbinder Define.

 

Louis Virtel Or anything that’s like, I’ll say ten years or older.

 

Hannah Einbinder Or, I would say maybe madmen.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. That is somehow the most rewatchable show of all time because you’re sure you miss something. There’s so much detail in it, you know?

 

Hannah Einbinder Oh, I mean, I’ve seen it. A lot of times I feel like probably madmen. And then I gotta be honest with y’all. I’m watching typically docs and movies, maybe. Okay, I’m seeing movies at the theater, like. Like the local indie theaters. And then I’m probably watching documentaries, mostly nature docs, just in terms of like, oh, what’s my, like, comfort thing? Like, I’ll just watch, like, footage of the desert kind of.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, Lily Gladstone told us last week that she’s thinking about soil acidity right now. So your other piece with our other guys.

 

Hannah Einbinder Yeah, yeah. We’re gonna. Can you get me on email with her? I have a lot to discuss on that.

 

Ira Madison III I gotta say thank you for people who watch, like, I love a documentary, and so. But, like, thank you for people who watch that stuff, too, because I feel like that also enriches your comedy. Because sometimes you’ll watch a comedian and they’ll go off on like, this, like whole rant about like, dinosaurs or like some fucking thing that you’ve never even thought about. And it’s like, yes, because they’re watching other things besides all the comedy that everyone else is watching.

 

Hannah Einbinder So yes, oh my God, last night. It was at Largo. I’m trying to do this thing about, pesticides and plastics and, it’s phenol a the BPA is and various, chemicals and, it’s it’ll be funny. Of course, you’re thinking.

 

Ira Madison III But I yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder I, I, I’m like, reading like, medical journals and like, FDA stuff and like, watching like Ted talks with, like, 260 views and being like, you know what I mean? Like, that’s that’s I that is my philosophy where I’m just like, I have to go elsewhere for my stuff.

 

Louis Virtel So I’m glad the, well, the Largo is like two hallowed ground to me. I’m two obsessed with Amy, man. I feel like she’d show up there and I’d be like, I can’t be around this person. It’s too amazing.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it is.

 

Hannah Einbinder It is. It is such an institution, I can’t the first time I put like I have it has become a home for me, which is. So I can’t even believe that. But yeah, we’re coming up in LA like just as a comic, like trying to get in and see shows there all the time. It’s fucking so legendary.

 

Ira Madison III We used to record there upstairs. Crooked Media’s offices were above the Largo.

 

Louis Virtel Oh that’s right, we did a right above it. I, I forgot the coronet.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder So above that parking lot there’s like.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Oh my God. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel We were like ghosts haunting it.

 

Ira Madison III We also started there Louis.

 

Louis Virtel Yes that’s right. Never mind. Yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder Couple of club girls. We started in the theater. You’re talking about the office a beyond a beyond Largo.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you so much for being here, Hannah. I mean, you’re great. We love you.

 

Louis Virtel And congrats on the special. On. My God.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you. Yeah. Thanks. And honestly, like, I mean, you’re worried about, like, having a great, like, set or something like after hacks, but all this, like, pesticide and everything, like, I feel like you will be great when they reboot, like a CSI or something, you know, like, give us a quick CSI.

 

Hannah Einbinder Because you guys see me, I’m pulling up the caution.

 

Ira Madison III Tape.

 

Hannah Einbinder Or zipper. Yeah. Nasty stuff.

 

Ira Madison III Those shows are funnier than you give them credit for to, you know. Yeah. Like.

 

Hannah Einbinder Oh, yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Every every time David Caruso took off his sunglasses, I was cackling.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, please.

 

Hannah Einbinder 100% You know what it would be for me that I would love is is more so a Dexter type role. You know what I mean. Where we got that like cool saturation that Miami Heat you know I mean that feeling. And then it’s like it’s like a queer Dexter I could be sick.

 

Louis Virtel I would love right now. So I want Julia Stiles in that one too. So.

 

Ira Madison III Oh yeah. Oh my.

 

Hannah Einbinder God. Love her major.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Hannah Einbinder Thanks guys I appreciate ya’ll.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III In honor of Pride Month. The unwavering LGBTQ ally known as the Netflix comedy department recently dropped outstanding A Comedy Revolution. The documentary, one dives into the history of queer comedy and the queer comedians thriving today. And two. Shout out to whoever fucking came up with the title of this documentary, because when I was thinking about it later, not just outstanding because they’re out, queer comedians, but also stand up comedians. So I love a good title.

 

Louis Virtel They should work in ad copy, you know, they should write commercial jingles or something.

 

Ira Madison III This was, you suggested, that we watched this, and I, like, turned it on later that evening. And, this was really good, and it was just really good. And really, it was, first of all, very funny. It didn’t really show, like, obviously everyone stand up stats, but everyone in the documentary who they chose to speak, I thought, spoke very eloquently on queer history and comedy. I thought they spoke. They’re all fucking funny. Two and I felt like were giving us bits of stories, or at least anecdotes that we haven’t sort of been, hammered to death with over the years, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Totally. I mean, like, it was very educational to me to see Richard Pryor on stage in the 70s. Talk about.

 

Ira Madison III I’d never seen that.

 

Louis Virtel Talk about giving head to a guy just fully in front of an audience that is blown away to hear it and going into specifics. And then he also sort of curses out the audience for like, being, lazy white people. And it was it’s very cool to see just all of that juxtaposed together was news to me. In addition to there’s a, lesbian comedian who’s been going since the, I believe, early 70s named Robin Tyler, who would get Anita Bryant’s face. I have to say footage of Anita Bryant is so lol every time I get that she was a legitimate menace and she was this singer and like, commercial pitch person who also hated gay people and made it her mission to be anti-gay and she was famously played in the face. I’m sure you’ve seen footage of that, but, just to see this, like, villain, like she’s she’s like the kind of villain you would see, like in an earbud movie or something. Just like, what are where are you coming from? As comedian Robin Tyler, who was so sharp, like, really, went up against her and, she’s in the documentary now, and it’s like there are so many queer comics of the past who were terribly underrated, and that was cool to see. But it must be said also, I have the people in this movie are like friends of IRA in mine, and not only are they fabulously funny in the movie, but also it is still pretty new to be a queer comic. You know, like even though they’re all these like figures sprinkled through the past who have been doing it for years, like it still feels like people have to chart their own ground and, you know, figure out how to make a relationship with an audience that is sustainable. And they feel like, you know, they have a friendly rapport with the audience. And that’s not something that was always possible for queer comics who were relegated to being objects, particularly black people like trans people, relegated to being objects that like establishing themselves as like thinking creative people whose point of view you’re going to value. That still feels like, very bold, very rad. And I’m very proud of the fact that when we had Margaret Cho on this show here years ago on the show, of course, being one of the great stand ups who ever lived, something that I think changed my life about what she was doing is that not only did she talk about queerness as in her own, she would talk about how you would want to hang out with queer people because one, they were fun to they did not accept being bored. And when you’re like growing up in the suburbs, you were dealing with a lot of boredom. So when you hear her talking about these people, you’re like, oh, queer people. That’s how you go and have an entertaining, vivacious life before you can. Even before I even associated that quality with myself being gay or entertain the idea, I knew that there was something you got the most out of life by being around gay people. And she, I think, taught that to me.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I saw this recent tweet, you know, about how I was sort of getting a little bit of pushback because obviously, you know, not everybody can just go out, and make a queer community. And that is why the internet exists, to sort of connect people. But I don’t know when you’re on the internet and you’re constantly just policing people about things or fighting constantly, you know, or like, like having these like, didactic arguments, like there’s just something to be said about the fact that you will be a happier person if you were just around queer people IRL, you know, and it’s like and also community of not just not just the big breath of queer people, but like also queer people who are just like you, you know, you know, whether that’s, you know, black queer people, you know, like, are the trans people. It’s just sort of like, because then you are living your lives and obviously there are things that you are going through that are, struggles. You know, you watch this documentary, you know, like the political shit of the 70s and you see the Aids crisis, you know, and then even the 90s or recovering from that. But then like all the shit that we go through now, but like. You’re also just being funny people. Fun people. Enjoying life, enjoying culture, commenting on culture. And it’s. It’s a good reminder of why queer people used to have the, you know, sort of stereotype as cultural tastemakers. Right. You’d be hard pressed to find that now. Yeah, but.

 

Louis Virtel We deleted that. It’s over now. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III You know, everyone’s working that album of remakes, you know? But, I don’t know, it was just such a great, documentary. And, obviously one of my favorite people in it. You mentioned, like, friends of ours. Fucking guy Brad. I oh, Jesus. I need a guy. Brad. I’m talking about everything. Always. And if you haven’t read Guy Branum, book My Life as a goddess, please read it. It’s like it’s a book that I was reading front to back, when I was working on my own, essay collection. I’m just like, I always want to hear what Guy Branum says about any topic movies, TV, film, history, anything.

 

Louis Virtel In the age of, you know, everybody having a podcast, us included there. I feel like there’s a quality that, is going away, which is a lot of people speak even when they are not authorities on things. Guy Branum when he speaks. And of course, he is primarily a comic and not, say, historian. He speaks because he is an authority on these subjects. You can hear that this is somebody you should be listening to at a trivia night, or in an academic lecture hall or whatever. Owns the mic. Obviously he’s he’s been on the show in his, co-hosted several crooked things over the years, but he is just unmistakable. I mean, he’s he’s a resource unto himself. Several other comics in the movie are very impressive, too. I love Solomon Georgio, keep it guest host talking about what he does with queerness on stage and like wearing outfits. And then you get to comment on the outfit and talk at one of his lines in the movie is, as you can see, I’ve been incredibly gay this past year or something like that, but just the, the fierceness and and yet, the drawing, this with which he says it is so, enchanting. There’s so many versions of funny in this movie, too. And of course, I think queer people and what they consider funny is routinely, kind of considered a monolith in a way. And just a lot of these people have nothing in common other than we are on the same team in a way.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, I mean, I even really like Joel can boosters like moment where he talked about Margaret Cho sort of helping him and then the idea too, about, you know, talking about, sex on stage, you know, like, there always used to be that idea of, you know, like you’re reminding people, like how gay people have sex, but, you know, it’s I don’t know, what do you think about moments like when you when you see comedy and maybe it’s cringe to you, or maybe you’re like, I’m tired of hearing about a certain thing. But then you think about the people who haven’t heard that shit before and like how revolutionary that is for them. And you just constantly are reminded, you know, that queer comedians we now are, even when we talk about shit on this show, you know, like you run into people who are who tell you like. How much that means to them, or how much they’ve never heard someone like just discussing. They haven’t heard two gay people fucking yapping. Yeah, right. Except for when they listen to us. Right? And it’s like, girl, I’m tired of hearing goes, yeah, but our friends are tired of hearing us yapping. But, you know, there’s someone in fucking, Idaho who only hears two gay people talking about this shit when they listen to this or when they go online to see, one of our queer comedian friends doing, like, a standup set on TikTok or something, because, you know, it’s not like they can readily travel to see a gay comedian whenever they want to. You know.

 

Louis Virtel I just want to say that I was in Puerto Vallarta recently, and I met a bunch of Boise guys. So I know there are gay people in Idaho. I just want to say that right now, you respect you. From Boise to Coeur d’Alene to Sun Valley. I understand you exist. Cetera.

 

Ira Madison III Is that one of the cities J.Lo visits? Yeah, I’m on my floor currently.

 

Louis Virtel Somebody else who’s impact. I loved, discussing the movie with Sandra Bernhard, who, obviously she was associated with Madonna in the 80s, and actually, Margaret Cho was at one point called the comedy Madonna. And I feel like something all three of those people have in common is they both they love laughing in men’s faces. I think a huge part, like Sandra Bernhard would go on a talk show, namely David Letterman and just out of nowhere, jolt out some exclamation of some point to scare David Letterman. Truly like a part of what she did was like, I’m entertaining everybody, but also thought this. And also, you know, I know I have to play a character. It’s just like there are so many layers to what she’s actually doing, even though it just seems rambunctious and wild. You know, I feel like what she was doing was on television, navigating, having a vision of you of your own and also demonstrating it in front of people who otherwise wouldn’t care to know you existed. You know, it’s like I just very triumphant to me. And if you haven’t seen her stand up movie without you, I’m nothing. What a weirdo piece of theater. Moviemaking matters.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I think when you think of Madonna, too, what I love about seeing those earlier clips of hers, right, is is she is playing a character, too, you know, and she is. I like when she is in interviews, you know, being sort of a bitch. You’re being canny and, I mean, especially when she’s interacting with men, you know, but even something where it’s like. Oh, you I mean, like, I, we opened this episode talking about how fucking hot it is in New York. Right? So like I was that clip was circulating amongst New York gays of her being like, turn on a fan, Clarice.

 

Louis Virtel I’m trying to turn on the fan.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, yeah. And that’s just so fun, honestly.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right. Yes. The defiance was always a key part of what she did. And of course, it’s always awesome to revisit Lily. Her name is Tomlin. And of course, it’s always awesome to revisit Lily Tomlin story where she was offered the cover of time magazine if she came out in the 70s, but she wasn’t prepared to do it, so she turned it down. Also, Lily Tomlin, a one woman resource, has been in every kind of movie, every kind of production, and one woman show, whatever. And there’s no second one of her, even her partner, Jane Wagner, her writing partner. They are an unmistakable team. I it’s awesome to hear from them, too, I really. Oh, by the way, this is a 90 minute documentary. It is swift and they cover everything. Eddie Izzard, that was another fabulous part of it.

 

Ira Madison III Lily Tomlin has been everywhere, right. But then I feel like she was everywhere with like Grace and Frankie and her friendship with like, Jane Fonda, etc., like in a new way for younger people. But I still feel like we haven’t really reached the late depths of honoring Lily Tomlin and excavating, like.

 

Louis Virtel Just her career. No, I agree, I mean, like, people remember 9 to 5, for example. But like, she was in this, amusing, crime caper called The Late Show with Art Carney. That’s worth revisiting. She, of course, was a legendary actress on Laugh-In. She’s an I Heart Huckabees. If you want to see the backstage footage of that and have a laugh, it’s a bit fraught for everyone except Isabel Hooper, who was on her phone texting during that unbelievable breakdown.

 

Ira Madison III But, yeah, Isabel Hooper disassociating or just being French.

 

Louis Virtel She’s like you. You can’t stir me. Sorry.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But, no, I mean, even to think about that time covers shit, right? To get up. Lily Tomlin isn’t in 9 to 5 if that happens.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Definitely. Right. Or it’s I mean, like, maybe with someone like Jane Fonda running the show, there’s a prayer, but it takes someone like Jane Fonda running the show to make that okay.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And just just a little reminder of how I don’t know when when you see people sort of being political. Now on whether it’s Instagram, you know, like Twitter or in their posts or everything like it, it may seem like a lot in your hearing, just like comedians or. You know, people be activists, right? And it’s just a reminder that when you were a queer comedian back then, like you had to be one. Yeah. It wasn’t a thing of like, am I going to tweet about this? It was no, you literally had to be one because existing meant that you had to talk about it. You know, like people were coming up to you on the street still being like, are you a fagot?

 

Louis Virtel Right.

 

Ira Madison III You know, was.

 

Louis Virtel Like, I want to add to that. If I have a criticism of this documentary, it’s that I wish someone would just say and they express it in so many words, but just to be direct about it. Something that queer people are up against is that straight men only admire other straight men. That is the world we live in, you know? That’s why we’re still using phrases like chick flicks or being like, if a woman stars in a movie, it all depends on that movie. Otherwise we don’t get that movie ever again. What we’re actually saying is that there’s a limited interest in these people, because half the human race only admires itself, and that is straight men who find other straight men funny. They’re friends only with when they’re with their friends. They’re not talking about like, whatever that lady led drama or whatever. They just want to talk about other guys like sports. And it’s of itself. It’s like this world of we’re championing other people who are like superhero versions of ourselves. And I feel like something queer comedians are always up against is not just getting straight people, straight men, to pay attention, but to consider them like hilarious and valuable resources. You know, I just it’s a painful thing.

 

Ira Madison III And. I don’t know. I mean, like not to give people pats on the back, but it’s just like you. You really it really makes you appreciate more when when you just hear a male, especially like a celebrity or something, expressing just how much they enjoy, something that starts like a woman or like queer people I.

 

Louis Virtel Know totally right. And how much I’m still burnt by like that one interview Quentin Tarantino gave where he’s like, I don’t know if people are talking about movies like notes on a Scandal or Philomena, bitch, do you think it’s because they star women? Do you think that’s why people aren’t fucking talking about them? Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Hahahahaha. Someone was literally talking about don’t sort of scared girl at the pier.

 

Louis Virtel Where else do you talk about it?

 

Ira Madison III I know right? But it was me and their boyfriend telling them that they needed to watch it. They had never seen it and their boyfriend was like, you’ve never seen this movie? And I was like, you got you got to go home and watch it tonight.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. It’s one of the great head to head battles in movie history. And also they waste no time in that movie. It is swift.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Oh okay.

 

Louis Virtel Points oh no. And Judi Dench Judi Dench eats the movie fucking alive. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Do you see Cate Blanchett’s recent head to head battle.

 

Louis Virtel With.

 

Ira Madison III Sitting in the audience? A barrister.

 

Louis Virtel I saw that, no, I, I’m assuming she’s got some teenagers, right? That’s got to be.

 

Ira Madison III What’s going on there? The the VIP tickets at the Irish tours are so wild to me, but the London one was especially wild because you have Cate Blanchett there. You have Greta Gerwig. Who, you know, I don’t forgive for screaming raucously because she was also screaming raucously, the Renaissance star. You have Andrew Scott and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. You know, because every diva needs a twink on their arm at the club, right? And. The person at the tour who really sent me for a fucking loop was Tom cruise. And when you see Tom cruise in the VIP tent singing along the songs with Travis Kelsey, what is going.

 

Louis Virtel On? That is. That’s too much. That’s like what is going on? There’s no celebrities left. It’s like. It’s like Paul McCartney’s in the tent or something. What? Two huge.

 

Ira Madison III There’s also a video of a girl exchanging bracelets with Tom cruise and telling him that their favorite film is vanilla Sky.

 

Louis Virtel What the fuck? First, he’s a swiftie. I, I just can’t believe Lauren Hubbard is above board with, like, with a bracelet. I just don’t feel like that’s something that you’re going to get audited for that. Bad, I know.

 

Ira Madison III But you know, I mean, it is just a hop, skip and a jump frog. It’s not even a job. It’s not even a skip. It’s just a hop from Scientology to Swifty.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, God. Yeah. I think Leah Remini should be taking people out of both camps. I do think she should be doing that.

 

Ira Madison III Also, Ron Hubbard. I mean, the sanitizing is probably okay with Tom being there, right? Because some people would be like, oh my God, this is so cool. What’s that? Scientology?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And he’s got a pamphlet and his back bootcut jean pocket. Absolutely. The style of Jean he wears. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Is is she big? If Taylor Swift became one, we are we better ready the camps because we are all becoming. We’re all becoming.

 

Louis Virtel Scientologists know we’re all going to be scrubbing that boat with the toothbrush or whatever was going on and going clear.

 

Ira Madison III All right. When we’re back. Keep it up. And we are back with our favorite segment of the episode. Let’s keep it. Louis, what’s going on?

 

Louis Virtel I have foreshadowed it a couple times already, and she’s already come up this episode. But I read in deadline the other day that the New Hollywood Walk of Fame class has been announced for 2025. I’m talking about the stars on the Walk of Fame, where you walk down Hollywood Boulevard and see the names, and it will include David Beckham, Fran Drescher. The late Prince will be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Alan Cumming and also Jane Fonda. It is 2024 and you have not put Jane Seymour Fonda’s fucking name on the Walk of Fame. No, I’ll say this when you walk down the street, the Walk of Fame is mostly replete with very, very old stars and like radio personalities and people and names you don’t recognize and stuff. So you could almost be fooled into believing. Oh, it’s a comprehensive list of stars. But the fact of the matter is, most of the time when someone’s getting a star on the Rock of Fame, they’re using it to promote something else. They have a new project coming out or something, and so they get the star in conjunction with that PR campaign. Could you make an exception for Jane Fucking Fonda, who has seven Oscar nominations, two wins? Maybe, like the premiere celebrity activist who ever lived? I just want to say I work on Hollywood Boulevard. That’s where Jimmy Kimmel Live is. So I walk down that street every day so I can tell you from firsthand experience that the rug rats have a star on the Walk of Fame. Now, I was Chuckie Finster, the star of Coming Home. No, he wasn’t Angelica Pickles. That was not her. And then they stood horses, don’t they? No, it wasn’t. It was Jane Fonda.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, well, you know what? We will not. We’re not going to disparage the rug rats Honaker special over here, okay? Because that’s cinema.

 

Louis Virtel That is true. Oh, by the way. And you’re going to learn something. Do you want to hear about the Maccabees today? Get ready. Anyway, it’s just mind blowing that Jane Fonda does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In fact, at this point, I wonder who’s going to, introduce her. Could be Lily Tomlin, could be Mr. Michael Douglas. There’s lots of options.

 

Ira Madison III You know what I just learned here? I did not know that her middle name was Seymour.

 

Louis Virtel Isn’t that so silly? Yeah. Her name is Jane Seymour. Is she because she’s related to Jane Seymour? The. As in the wife of Henry the Eighth.

 

Ira Madison III Oh she.

 

Louis Virtel Is. Yes. Yeah yeah yeah. Back. Back in. Back.

 

Ira Madison III That’s really taking that poor baby to a new level. Has she seen six. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel She’s like oh my pants.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel And also her name is actually Jamie. And bizarrely as opposed to the Jamie we’re familiar with.

 

Ira Madison III But not related to Jane Seymour, the bond.

 

Louis Virtel Girl. No. Or Doctor Quinn. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Doctor. Quinn. Yeah. The medicine woman. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel The star of Wedding Crashers. Correct.

 

Ira Madison III She that Jane Seymour came to BuzzFeed once, and, she was doing something about, like, falling in love. I don’t know, but it was, I think, like, teaching me, Sam Stryker, like, how to how to flirt. Okay, I think that’s I think that’s what she was doing at the time. So anyway, shout out to Jane Seymour.

 

Louis Virtel Luscious long straight hair among the great. Even though we’re even though for years we put it in braids, which I think is a crime.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, Doctor Quinn should be streaming somewhere because I feel like. I feel like Jonesy would have a field day with that.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. I’m sure she was always right. I’m sure her methods were always, you know.

 

Ira Madison III Socially aware. I’m sure every episode was, well, this is his ailment, and this is how to solve it. Shut up. Woman. Yeah. And then at the end of the episode, well, let’s try what that woman said. What was that.

 

Louis Virtel Medicine woman talking.

 

Ira Madison III About? Let’s give it a go. Also, how touched by an angel.

 

Louis Virtel I was gonna say. I’m picturing the same hair silhouette as Roma Downey as we’re talking about this. By the way, IRA, what is your keep it this week?

 

Ira Madison III My keep it this week goes to, MTV.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I know exactly what you’re about to bring up. This is so tragic.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. MTV obliterated MTV news literally yesterday. Yesterday, I’m online discovering that, MTV news.com. All the archives are absolutely gone from the internet. If you go to the website and type in mtv.com/news, it direct you to a page on Teen Mom.

 

Louis Virtel Absolutely unacceptable. That’s the ridiculousness I won’t stand for.

 

Ira Madison III Hahahahahahaha. But you know, I mentioned Greg Tate earlier who was like an amazing music critic, Pulitzer Prize winning critic. I obviously used to work at MTV news during one of the incarnations of it. It had so many incarnations. But, you know, that was, sort of seen as like the Grantland revival of it. Amazing people, you know, like, Meg Garvey, you know, worked with Doreen Saint Felix, you know, like Alex Papa Davis, you know, it was fucking, you know, Amy Nicholson. It’s just like there’s so many great pieces there. Hanif. You know, so many great pieces that were on that website that are just gone now, and it’s. I have no idea why it’s deleted. You know, part of me is sort of like, maybe they’re deleting it because they don’t want some celebrity googling their name and finding out MTV once dragged their album. I don’t know, but. Yeah, it just sort of sucks, you know, to have all this great writing gone from the internet.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I mean, I think all the time about the fact that when we talk about writing on the internet or tweeting or whatever, you know, be careful, it’s forever. And I’m like, well, you obviously didn’t work in print media that had an online publication because half of my shit is not not there anymore. So go ahead and look up what I did from 2009 to 2015. You won’t find shit.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Yeah. There really are no archives of anything anymore. I would say libraries are coming back, and you have to actually go and, you know, find old articles, via the Dewey Decimal system or, like, microfilm. But they’re closing libraries everywhere, too, right?

 

Louis Virtel The library situation in New York. What the fuck is going on over there?

 

Ira Madison III The situation where they’re closing libraries on the weekends, right. To save money because the police needs more money. And yet what? During the heat this past week, they were opening cooling centers for people to go and, you know, beat the heat. Let me tell you about this cooling center that you already have, bitch. It’s called the library.

 

Louis Virtel It caused the brain to this.

 

Ira Madison III Do we need another Ghostbusters reboot? I mean, like, a real one set in New York City. Because I feel like Ghostbusters did wonders for the library. Yeah, okay. Annie Potts running away from ghosts in a library. That is iconography.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, certainly. Yeah. We need more library set things. You know, the movie clue. That was an okay library, but we don’t have many library. You know what library movie. Let me down the page, master. After Home Alone, we just put Macaulay Culkin in all sorts of bizarre shit. Excuse me. Have you looked up the movie The Good Son recently where he’s like a killer?

 

Ira Madison III I love the good son Dementor. Yeah, that. That movie where? Another one in my house. Oh, I feel like the good son was constantly on.

 

Louis Virtel I mean.

 

Ira Madison III As a kid.

 

Louis Virtel I mean, it’s like it’s one of those things where you put him in that movie, and then who would want to cast him after that? Like this. The stench in your mouth after watching a movie like that is so rough, you know? Anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Also, the page master isn’t Whoopi Goldberg, and now she sure is.

 

Louis Virtel She’s Cheshire Cat.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. Okay. Yes, that’s that’s an okay. If you’re playing The Matrix at home kids, remember the page master. That’s one of those weird like 1994 movie with like Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Whoopi, Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy, Ed Begley Jr. The fuck was going on here?

 

Louis Virtel All right. Christopher Lloyd, that’s a journey on IMDb. You won’t believe all the shit he’s done over the years. And by the way, still with us?

 

Ira Madison III The page master used to air all the time with the wizard. Oh, the Fred Savage movie.

 

Louis Virtel Oh. Oh, yeah, that’s the video game. Movie?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, the video game movie.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Where they play Super Mario three and give away half the secrets in like one three minute clip. It’s crazy.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. That deaf, dumb and blind kid short played a mean Super Mario.

 

Louis Virtel Throwback to Tommy from last week.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. All right, well, that’s our episode.

 

Louis Virtel Thank you to Hannah Einbinder for being here. What a pleasure.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, a diva, quite the diva.

 

Louis Virtel You know, we’re diva. Outstanding. Queer diva.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. We won’t see you next week. We’re telling you this time that we were taking a week off because last time the comments were rude.

 

Louis Virtel They popped off and in to my heart.

 

Yeah. So we will see you in two weeks for an all Keep It. Don’t forget to follow Crooked Media on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

 

Louis Virtel You can also subscribe to Keep It on YouTube for access to full episodes and other exclusive content. And if you’re as opinionated as we are, consider dropping us a review.

 

Ira Madison III Keep It is a Crooked Media production. Our producers are CJ “Seige” Polkinghorne and Chris Lord, and our associate producer is Kennedy Hill. Our executive producers are Ira Madison, the third, Louis Virtel, and Kendra James.

 

Louis Virtel Our digital team is Meaghan Patsel, Claudia Shang, and Rachel Gaieski. This episode was recorded and mixed by Evan Sutton. Thank you to Matt DeGroot, David Toles, Kyle Seglin and Charlotte Landes for production support every week.

 

[AD]