Ira and Louis discuss Charli XCX’s new album BRAT, Kim Kardashian and Chloe Sevigny’s Actors on Actors, Glen Powell’s rise to leading man, Sabrina Carpenter’s new single, the Practical Magic sequel, and Will Smith’s box office return. Plus, Meg Stalter joins to discuss her new film Cora Bora, her theatre nerd roots, and more.

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III And we are back for an all new episode of Keep It. I’m Ira Madison, the third.

 

Louis Virtel And I’m Louis Virtel. And it wouldn’t be Pride Month if I weren’t apologizing for something. And here I am. Apologize that my voice is effing shot. The rasp in my voice. I don’t know if it’s a cold or a condition or what, but I’m giving you pure Kim Carnes this week and so. Well, I may launch into a Betty Davis Eyes, reprise at some point.

 

Ira Madison III You know what? I’ve seen at least 1 or 2 trivia things where people cannot remember who sings that.

 

Louis Virtel Kim Carnes. Well, every time I watch USA for Africa, We Are the World, I’m like, where the hell is Kim Carnes? She’s still alive. Her rasp is probably raspy, or than ever, she should be at the top of her craft right now.

 

Ira Madison III Maybe they invited Kim Asada.

 

Louis Virtel Maybe. Oh. To what? What was that joke?

 

Ira Madison III Carne Asada.

 

Louis Virtel I see, I need to leave. I need to go that to do anything else in this podcast.

 

Ira Madison III My worst job. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Does that even count? Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Well, it is pride month. There’s a lot going on already. I feel like I look at my calendar and it’s. I want to go back to sleep.

 

Louis Virtel I buy a lot of tickets and then forget I buy the tickets, which is a new radical millennial version of dementia that everybody else should have to know.

 

Ira Madison III I was, I was at this live taping Sunday of Vibe Check podcast, the one that, Sayeed and Zac and Sam Sanders, host. And they were talking about dating apps in the context of this. And I feel like it sort of applies to gay tickets for things, too. They were talking about how a lot of these apps and general apps on your phone are battleground capitalism. That’s what they’re described as. And it’s sort of things where you have automatic recurring charges and you just sort of forget about them. And it’s like when you find out, why have I been charged $10 a month for something and you’ve forgotten about it? And then by the time you realize it, you paid like $90 this year, right?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, no. I was just thinking about, some trivia app that I signed up for during the pandemic so that I could write questions for my friends. Still being charged for that? What? They just kept right on going.

 

Ira Madison III Adobe is always charging me. I do get my $60 back from Adobe. And, tickets for that, though, feel the same. Whether it’s concert tickets, whether it’s like gay pride, things that someone drops a link in the group chat and you’re like, oh yeah, I’ll buy this just because you’re like, maybe I’ll be going to this, and then you either forget about it or you don’t use it, or you have to resell it because you don’t want to be the person hunting for tickets to something, right?

 

Louis Virtel It’s a fear of that. That’s why you buy the ticket right.

 

Ira Madison III On the day of to have to do that Instagram post. Hey, anybody got a ticket to insert party?

 

Louis Virtel Right? And then I, you know, murmured to myself, he seems broke, you know.

 

Ira Madison III Like I did today to try to get a friend, not even myself, because I have a ticket, a friend ticket to see Miss Charlie X’s Brett concert tonight in New York City, which is coming to L.A. this weekend.

 

Louis Virtel That’s where the queens are going to be this weekend. Wow. We had LA pride this past weekend where Ricky Martin brought out the Bon Bon shook it for us. Everybody was thrilled. Then last weekend was Kylie Minogue, who performed, and Kesha, among others. And of course, I realize that LGBT stands for let’s go bully Tinashe. Lots of Tinashe folks.

 

Ira Madison III You know what? There should be less Tennessee jokes now, especially with nasty ratcheting up the charts. She is. It hit 90, I think, on the hot 100 that.

 

Louis Virtel You said that with pride in your eyes. I mean.

 

Ira Madison III She’s I.

 

Louis Virtel Am proud of her. I love the song, I love her, I’ve always loved her. We’ll get into her during the Charlie segment. Anyway. What is going on this episode?

 

Ira Madison III Well, I mean, speaking of Miss Brat herself, we are going to talk about her brand new album, brat.

 

Louis Virtel And talk about how, like, the chokehold she has over a certain hemisphere of the gay community. I really think people are, like, as intense as pop loving gay fans can be. They really are directing a lot of their energy at her right now, and we will maybe solve why.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And also it seems to be escaping that sphere for really the first time with how well this album is being reviewed and how well this album is just doing on the charts so far globally, to be honest. But especially here in the States. And it also feels like people are paying more attention to her because she did. Shocker. An actual album rollout, right?

 

Louis Virtel Oh yes. She decided to be a part of the biz as opposed to sort of rolling alongside it.

 

Ira Madison III She promoted her actual album instead of sending out a tweet saying, hey, my album’s dropping tomorrow. Oh, okay, let me rush out and get that.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, relatable self-promotion I find to be like a horrifying and skeevy process. So I sort of do get it, but it’s nice to see her family get it together. And then also, we’ll be talking about actors on actors because this rarely happened. Somebody came up to me, my friend Tracy, and he said, please tell me you’re talking about Kim Kardashian and Chloe Sevigny this week. And I said, well, now that you requested it, it’s all I’m thinking about. It is a fascinating interview, and we’ll be talking about what we get out of the Actors on Actors video series. The best ones, why they’re good, why they’re sometimes so bad. There are a couple that I’m thinking of that make me so upset, but the Kim K and Chloe one is provocative for new reasons and we’ll get into those.

 

Ira Madison III It’s provocative. It gets the people going provocative.

 

Louis Virtel Of which is a word that, as you know, Christina Aguilera used to describe herself for about ten straight years when no one was being provoked at all. So that’s very interesting.

 

Ira Madison III It was also my spy name, Agent Provocateur.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, right. And they were like, that’s already a thing. You can’t call yourself that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I was I was always getting mad. Also, we have, the fantastic and hilarious, Ross Matthews with us. No. I’m kidding. Get out!

 

Louis Virtel Good guess.

 

Ira Madison III Next alter is joining us this week. I feel like you always have to say Ross Matthews have to say hilarious, right?

 

Louis Virtel No. His name is little hilarious. Ross Matthews. Now. Okay. Couple years ago, when my daughter put out that video that began with hi, Gay. I don’t think I have ever seen two words take over a party scene like that in the past 15, 20 years. Everywhere you went was, hi, Guy. So I’m here to punish her for putting that in my ears for that long time. This will be an intervention.

 

Ira Madison III You’re bringing her to the red table?

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Oh, my God, the red table. Oh, I missed that.

 

Ira Madison III Jada’s not using it anymore.

 

Louis Virtel I know they should have it on PBS for talks.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Is it in the Smithsonian?

 

Louis Virtel Right next to, like, Fonzie’s jacket?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And cortisone cream that they put on Chris Rock’s face.

 

Louis Virtel Despite people getting tearful walking by it.

 

Ira Madison III We’re also going to talk about that shit. I know you’re tired of the slap, but when we get to my keep it, believe it or not, I have some more things to say.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, no. A conversation about the Academy Awards, I hate it.

 

Ira Madison III All right, when we are back. More. Keep it.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III Can you hear that, Louis?

 

Louis Virtel I can’t actually.

 

Ira Madison III Hear the sound of my heart. It’s going boom clap.

 

Louis Virtel Palpitations.

 

Ira Madison III I’m boom clapping over this album. Oh, Charlie heck’s the album. Brat. Which is. There’s a lot going on with this album. Yeah. First of all, great. Let’s put that out there. And I want to know specifically how this album has seeped into your life. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel First.

 

Ira Madison III Because it’s expected for me to be devouring, like, all things Charlie. But for you, like, how is this come to you? Right?

 

Louis Virtel I walk in a wizened old matron, and, you know, I expect nothing of anybody, let alone the children. And I pick the album up. There are a couple songs I enjoy, but to be honest, I’m not positive what people are finding so revolutionary about it. To me, her feel is very sort of Kim Petras, you know, just like there’s an ambitious, there’s a literal I mean, the album is called Bratz and that is the esthetic of the album, but otherwise I was sort of missing the delicious hook. I was missing the the thing that’s really like just that espresso thing that will, like, pull me back again and again and again, like candy that I have to keep getting. That said, there are a couple songs I fucking love on this album. I love Apple, I love, sympathy is a knife.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, but.

 

Louis Virtel In general, like songs like Von Dutch, I Think You’re There find that bratty ness endearing or frankly, a little fucking annoying. And I kind of do find a lot of the album annoying.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, I would say songs like a Von Dutch is very much just the kind of shit I like to hear in the club. You know, at a rave. Yeah. You know that. That is why I’m into it. That, like 360. First of all, I think it’s one of, like, her best pop songs ever.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, and I like B2B, too.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Yeah. That’s a really good one. And then 365 at the end, like it really closes it out. What’s interesting about this album for me is that she’s returning to her roots in a way. But I don’t know, this one feels like a statement album from her in the way that sort of, self-titled was for Beyonce to get out just because she’s done so many genres. The last album was the, main pop duo album that was crash, and that one was very much she was giving you choreography. She was giving you hooks like she it felt like mega pop girl presents. Yes. You know. And before that, though, you know, she had had how I’m feeling now her a pandemic era album. And then, you know, we had part two. And I think that she’s really sort of been a lot of like dance, electronic, hyper pop music before. And then she went nat pop arena, which and she’s obviously written pop songs for other people, before, but this was her being like, I can be one of those main pop girls. And it’s always this interest in fame and the deconstruction of it and, singing about it and sort of acting famous, acting like a star vibe that she’s always taken on. She embraced that fully with crash. But then with this album, it’s like she was sort of rejecting it and, sort of embracing me. I don’t have to be that famous because I’m cool, you know, like I’m a star, right? And I think that in this era of her career, it feels like she’s taking all of those things and putting them together. I think that’s what I’m seeing in the album. I mean, there are some, like, really good. Club bangers on this. But then there are also some sort of quieter moments from her on the album, like. So I. Which is of course, samples some Sophie and references her relationship with Sophie and, Sophie’s death and how, you know, she still thinks about her friend who inspired her. But then also, you know how it’s hard to sing those songs that Sophie had written for her when she’s performing live? I really love sympathy as a knife. As you said you did to. Which feels very, I don’t know. There are a lot of ways to interpret that song. One, people were interpreting it as, a Taylor Swift egg.

 

Louis Virtel Which somebody’s got to be putting those out there. You know, people are like scared. But it’s like, if you’re a pop star and this universe, like 25% of your time, is probably devoted to thinking about how this person is a one person industry. So I think that’s just valid.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And the reason people think that, it is a Taylor Swift dig, which I’m going to read you these lyrics first. This one girl doubts my insecurities. I don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiraling. One voice tells me that they laugh. George says, paranoid says he doesn’t see it. He’s so naive. And then she says, don’t want to see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back. I hope they break up quick because I couldn’t even be her if I tried. And this, of course, seems to be referencing when Taylor Swift was dating Matty Healy. And Charlie actually is, of course, engaged to George Daniel from the 1975, and she would have been backstage at the show when she came out at that one, 1975, concert to perform Anti-Hero.

 

Louis Virtel Well, thank you for stringing that all together for me. You should really get a ticket, went on like Taylor Swift fans.

 

Ira Madison III That’s one way to interpret it, obviously. And honestly, it’s not even really a dig. It’s sort of just examining your own insecurities with having to be around the biggest fucking pop star in the world, right? And then also when you think about their history, Charlie opened for, Taylor back on the 1989 tour. So she opened for her, you know, and like, there have been plenty of people who’ve opened for Taylor Swift and have gone on to sorry, you know, Shawn Mendes choice of also, and Camila Cabello, I would say, you know, Camila Cabello, is probably the one who’s gotten the biggest career since then. But then you have like a Sabrina Carpenter even recently having, you know, this big sort of like explosion in her career post that, but Charli XCX is still sort of, you know, on the other side, as she says. So I could see being insecure. Yeah. And I don’t feel like any of those lyrics are a dig at her. I will say, if you don’t interpret it. In that way. One way that I first listen to the song was, you know, don’t want to see her backstage on my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back. I hope they break up quick. I was sort of seeing that as like, you see the boy that you are really into already in a relationship with someone, and you’re hoping that they break up so that you can have them.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right. Yeah, I know that those lyrics I think are palatable, etc.. By the way, before we get further into this conversation. You do not like the new Sabrina Carpenter song.

 

Ira Madison III Girl is bad.

 

Louis Virtel I’m so surprised to hear that. To me it sounds a little bit like like an ABBA ballad. We’re talking about please, please, please. This is the second single from Sabrina Carpenter of this upcoming album, which I think is going to change lives, namely mine. The swimmy sense of it. I said it sounds like a mermaid fluttering her eyelashes like you are fully in the throes of summer cartoony iconography when you listen to the song. And it also sounds to me a little bit like something that would belong on the Xanadu soundtrack. So something very early 80s dreamy, with a great vocal that she spits.

 

Ira Madison III Now Jack Antonoff has nothing on ELO. Okay, baby, let’s not ever go there to something like a murmur. It sounds like she’s drowning. When you listen to the song. I just, I don’t know, I’m just so sick of his production.

 

Louis Virtel It’s funny you say that. It doesn’t sound to me like anything he’s ever done before.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. When you listen to the song, it’s not going to sound like anything that you ever heard before. Okay? You’re like you got to listen a second time. You’re like, oh what is that? What. I don’t know, it just didn’t hit me. And maybe I don’t want to call it a grower because when will I listen to it again? I just I feel like I was just sort of balking against following up espresso with this. Right?

 

Louis Virtel Which is such an electric kind of teenage dream type. Yeah. And then this is, you know, something much more soothing and much more Asmr. Really?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. It’s not even dream pop. Okay? It’s. It’s dream snap and crackle.

 

Louis Virtel Wow. I love those boys. The Rice Krispies girls.

 

Ira Madison III The Rice Krispies are wet, and they they’ve been in the bowl of milk for far too long, and now they’re just soggy. That is what the song is to me.

 

Louis Virtel Rice Krispies has to be the most unpleasantly soggy material you could ever put in your mouth. Yes, it’s just fully cardboard after a certain time. Anyway, back to Charlie. What’s interesting is you talk about this being like Beyonce’s self-titled, that there’s clearly a declaration of a new kind of style or just a, amalgamation of all her styles put together now. But to me, I like the album best when it reminds me of previously released Charli XCX songs, the songs that remind me most of 1999 and the good ones I think are the most successful on the album, and there are several reviews kind of touting how there’s more vulnerability in the lyrics. And I mean, I guess that’s probably true if you literally sit there and read the lyrics, but as delivered, I feel like they get lost in the business of the vibe. I would say in a way, she’s kind of like the Rachel Sennott of Pop, which you get this sardonic character who has an eyeroll about her, but then also there’s a lightly, I feel like a reject vibe that she adds to, like a vulnerable vibe, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I do get that because when you think about the vulnerable, sort of like reject vibe, you have to remember that she is a Leo. And I.

 

Louis Virtel Have mean Jesus.

 

Ira Madison III I’ve come to this theory actually, though, that it is only really Leo pop stars who feel the need to respond to criticism of them, particularly like the critics.

 

Louis Virtel Is Lana Del Rey.

 

Ira Madison III One does a lot of really respond to criticism that.

 

Louis Virtel She got in the ad powers phase? She said, don’t write my name down again.

 

Ira Madison III She is a cancer. But that wasn’t responding to bad criticism like it was actually good criticism of her that she didn’t understand.

 

Louis Virtel That’s cancer behavior.

 

Ira Madison III She can’t read.

 

Louis Virtel You’re dumb and talking back. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III No, it just reminds me of, like when Phineas, a few weeks ago was angry at a review of Hit Me Hard and Soft. It’s like the album’s beloved. Like, why do you have to respond to the one person who doesn’t like it? And Charlie has been quiet about the critics this go round because, you know, the album has been getting glowing reviews, but we cannot forget last year her wearing the, they don’t build statues of critics shirt that she was walking around in. Someone did point out that, as many as her fans were sort of loving that shirt, right? And, agreeing with the sentiment that they should now be able to celebrate like, great reviews for brat because they were claiming that reviews didn’t matter before.

 

Louis Virtel Right? It’s very defensive and sort of childish, by the way, there should be some statues of critics if I walk past, like Leonard Maltin, holding up like a real live film every day as I walk to work, I’d be thrilled.

 

Ira Madison III Isn’t there literally a statue of Roger Ebert in Chicago?

 

Louis Virtel I mean, it would be weird if there were a. I love watching those girls fight every night. Now, I’ve talked about how I’m obsessed with Siskel and Ebert. Recently, you and I talked about that book that came out about them recently. I know literally watch them every night before I go to bed, and I literally cannot sleep until Roger is so fucking pissed at him that he goes, oh, come on, like that. Like they truly, it feel like a married couple. It’s such a shocking. It’s so shocking to revisit because when you watch him with Richard Roeper, the malice goes away. It’s a completely more sedate. It’s something about Richard Roeper. He is fucking. I’m sorry. It’s something about Gene Siskel he’s fucking pissed with.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, I mean, they were rivals, you know, like real rivals that give us that feud, right?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, fuck. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Like that would be a great feud season.

 

Louis Virtel And you can probably get Tom Hollander right back into it. Who cares.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Not really want that to happen.

 

Louis Virtel I think that should happen.

 

Ira Madison III Come on, Ryan Murphy.

 

Louis Virtel That’d be.

 

Ira Madison III Cute. I do want to say that my favorite song on this album is Everything Is Romantic.

 

Louis Virtel That’s one of my least favorites. Why is that your favorite?

 

Ira Madison III I just sort of like this idea of, you know, the the image of being in Capri and running away from it all and, you know, falling in love like, you know, at some far flung party and like, the romance of it just feels like it feels very epic in scope. And then when the dance break happens at the end, too, I mean, that’s that’s just the kind of shit I love.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Cute cute, cute. I actually do think I will be listening to it again and again, but I do think it is missing just a couple of crackling pop hooks that would make it an essential summer moment.

 

Ira Madison III You’re going to get parties, so of course you will hear it again.

 

Louis Virtel I feel like it’s not really pre-game material. I kind of camp. It’s it’s too frantic.

 

Ira Madison III That’s true. I will say that you will hear, especially when you come to New York, though, you’ll you’ll hear it more in New York. Probably. Right. But someone was actually playing it at a party after it. It came out and I turned to them and I was like.

 

Louis Virtel The whole album. That’s right.

 

Ira Madison III Because I love the album, actually, but it feels like, I don’t know, putting on all of lemonade.

 

Louis Virtel Right?

 

Ira Madison III You know, at a party, you know, it’s like that. It’s like, that’s not the vibe for the whole party. It’s not like throwing on Renaissance. I would just say that I also feel like maybe what some people are barking up against, who’ve been sort of casual fans of her, is that she’s always noticed this party girl, and she has albums that you can play like front to back at a pre-game, and the whole vibe is there, like crash, number one, Angel, pop two. But this one is sort of like the vibe slows down quite a bit, right?

 

Louis Virtel Truly. Yeah. There’s just nothing really candy coated about it, you know? Whereas like, I still feel like when you go to a pre-game, the queens are saying, put on Houdini, which, which is like a song I still think is like a B-plus, but it’s more appropriate for just hanging out and like, oh, we have sort of a sexy yet we’re zooming into the night vibe going on it like propels you into the night as opposed to makes you feel like you already did too much coke, which is how I feel about this album.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Can never do too much, baby.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. Famous last words. Belushi at the Marmont over here.

 

Ira Madison III One of the bad kids from Pinocchio’s island. When he gets there. You can never do too much coke, baby. And then he turns into a dark.

 

Louis Virtel Pinocchio. Finocchiaro coming to Mac’s.

 

Ira Madison III I got to make this movie happen.

 

Louis Virtel I know.

 

Ira Madison III I gotta I gotta do it. I we’ve had enough of them, but I gotta make the game. Pinocchio, pitch!

 

Louis Virtel Pinocchio is on your mind. I don’t think you have any choice but to make this.

 

Ira Madison III He is. I mean.

 

Louis Virtel I’m Jim Patton, okay? You got a bowl of stromboli going on right now.

 

Ira Madison III But you got to find the right creativity, because in the wrong hands, the Blue Fairy is Billy Porter.

 

Louis Virtel No, there’s a lot of dangers of casting. After a while, certain character actors lose the very thing you want from them, which is novelty. They appear in too many things, you know, and then it’s like, well, I know what you’re going to deliver. After a while. It’s like you saw Helena Bonham Carter into many things, and it wasn’t special anymore.

 

Ira Madison III Right? I mean, well, it was sort of like, okay, work with someone besides your husband, right?

 

Louis Virtel Mean he spent two seconds casting you in that fucking Alice in Wonderland thing. He’s like, sure you’re fucking out to say.

 

Ira Madison III You know what else I will say about this being a whole brat weekend? I was not there to witness it. Because for some reason, I didn’t get an invite from Andrew McCarthy. But brats, the documentary of the Brat Pack came out this weekend.

 

Louis Virtel I need to watch this. I’m so excited to see it.

 

Ira Madison III It debuted on Friday night at Tribeca Film Festival the same day that, brat came out. And, I got tweets from people. They were like, IRA, we loved you in it. Truly, I didn’t know this movie was ever going to come out because I filmed the talking head for this. And I want to say 2021.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, Jesus.

 

Ira Madison III Like, I was here in New York at some point and I. I got an email or something from Andrew McCarthy. I was like, would you like to talk about this? Because we’re shooting it in New York. And I was in New York. Yeah. I used my friends, Charlie and Jared’s apartment in, Chelsea. They came with the camera crew I talked about, the Brat Pack. It was. I remember it being very hot that day because I was sweating.

 

Louis Virtel Wait, what was the. What was your take? Did you have a Brat Pack favorite or whatever?

 

Ira Madison III I think they were specifically asking me just about the context of the Brat Pack in popular culture, and particularly whether or not. They or like those films sort of resonate with like people our age now.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. Definitely. I mean, like, I mean, I sort of grew up watching them, but at the same time, like what I like about John Hughes. I’m sorry, this is not the conversation we were having a second ago, but I he believed that, like, kids could have like a cynicism about them and could have really, like, arresting adult ness while still like learning not to be immature or having, like, sort of primitive experiences. But like, yeah, Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club, I just fucking adore. I love the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink. Suzanne Vega’s left of center. One of the great songs.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, I mean, I think I pointed out in it that, Saint Elmo’s Fire, the soundtrack is much better than the film, which is horrible.

 

Louis Virtel We do not like the film much, as I love Miss Mayer fucking Winningham. And I would sit through girl From the North Country for her, and that’s saying a lot.

 

Ira Madison III I would watch a remake of Saint Elmo’s Fire. Actually, I feel like maybe it would fit as a period piece, but at that specific time it just wasn’t working for me. I mean, those kids, it’s interesting that you bring that up. We’ve gone such a different way and how we represent kids now, in media. But I feel like that is a lot in line with sort of, Dawson’s Creek. With how they felt sort of like adults, in just the way they talked and their references and everything in the cynicism that they would have sometimes. But we don’t really have a lot of, like, the John Hughes sort of, archetypes anymore.

 

Louis Virtel No, I don’t remember the last time I saw, like, I was really impressed with the movie Edge of 17 with Hailee Steinfeld, but that wasn’t really a portrayal in the way of John Hughes, I will say. Speaking of remakes and sequels, where getting a sequel to a movie now that was announced the other day and I will get to it in my keep it.

 

Ira Madison III But I figured you would.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, you know what it is. I’m just going to preview it now, but certain things should be remade and I’ll get into why they should be remade anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. And I think I have a surprising thing to share when you get to that. Keep it.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God, this is like Ricki Lake. You won’t believe what’s happening after the break.

 

Ira Madison III All right, when we’re back. Max, doctor joins us. Keep it is brought to you by Hedge Hedges, the dating app designed to be deleted.

 

Louis Virtel If you’re really good at it, that is. I’ve actually met several really good friends through hinge. I’ve used it. I can’t believe this over a decade now. Woof! What a life I’ve had.

 

Ira Madison III Well, you know what they’ve added within a decade of us being on hedge is their new LGBTQIa plus prompts, which are designed to help queer daters better connect based on similarities, interests, and compatibility.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III This week’s guest has had a truly meteoric rise in comedy, going straight from Instagram improv sessions to her breakout role in Hacks. She then turned that into a leading role in Lena Dunham’s upcoming series Too Much, and a lead role in the new comedy film Cora Bora, which hits theaters this week. Please welcome to Keep It, Meg Stalter.

 

Meg Stalter I think you’ve found some really amazing intern. I was making me smile and, blush.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, there’s no other way to describe you. I mean, I feel like you are. People just light up seeing your face, you know?

 

Meg Stalter That’s so nice.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, have you experienced that? I mean, it’s so funny. I think that. I know you gave an interview about this recently about how people still come up to you on the streets and say hi, gay to you, which is, I want to say, personally, a sort of like, I get chills from it now, just with how many people say it at a, party or on Fire Island in general. You maybe not this summer. I don’t know, I think maybe people still say it.

 

Meg Stalter They still have a lot of summer. People still throw it out there.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, but how does that make you feel? Just like being out in the world and having people recognize you from. Do you feel like people recognize you more from Hacks, or do they still recognize you from your, you know, Instagram videos?

 

Meg Stalter I think that there’s a mix, definitely. But I think that I get hi gay and hacks probably the most. Yeah. But I also get people being like oh I love Big bitch, real tea or whatever, like some of my Instagram stuff. But I think I get and it’s you’re, it is less hi gay this year but still hi gay. I think last year people were really saying hi gay. But I see hi gay so a lot. And then people love Miss Kayla. Crazy, crazy girl.

 

Ira Madison III I know. When you were. I want to take you back to when you were doing these before, you know, the hacks and everything else. What was your first impetus to be like? I’m picking up the phone. I’m doing something. Like what? What even goes into your brain when you’re like, this is going to be funny? Or do you just put it on and you just talk because for you, it always seems so natural. You have this very, like, naturalistic, vibe to your comedy, which, you know, and it feels almost like you are improvising as you’re going along.

 

Meg Stalter I definitely improv in my, my videos, and I there’s nothing more fun than, there’s nothing more fun than improv. And I know it’s kind of like, also nerdy theater girl, but I am definitely a nerdy theater girl. But I love to improv, and I think the first two things that I put on line that did really well are, there’s a video where I’m in a blond wig and I’m talking about like, it’s like, girl if girl, you see, right before you run after the love of your life or something. And I’m like, about to take my shirt off and I’m like, go get her. And then like, go to her. And the the real love of her life. So there was also a clip where I was like, doing a stand show. Knows having the person read the script with me, but I kept giving them a lot of tips and like I was coaching them, like as their acting coach. I think that I was just putting stuff online for fun. Like, I definitely like, always wanted to get paid to do comedy. But I also like during the pandemic when I put the most of online and it was just because we couldn’t perform live on stage. So I just, I’ve been making my own videos since I was a little kid.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I want to go to the nerdy theater. Grow apart. Because I think of myself as a nerdy theater person to literally in this episode, I was describing to Louis how I went to see, Titanic the Musical last night.

 

Meg Stalter Oh, my God, I would love to see Titanic the Musical.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. And I had no idea that, first of all, that I hadn’t listened to it really before. And I was, you know, people are always enamored when they find out that it has nothing to do with the movie. And it’s like.

 

Meg Stalter I’ve never seen that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. It came out in 97. It was sort of obviously overshadowed by the movie, sort of.

 

Meg Stalter On the same time as the movie.

 

Ira Madison III A little the same time. Won Best Musical, by the way. There’s a there’s an old clip of Rosie O’Donnell on her show, like, be like, I love this show. It was so big. But then the movie sort of overshadowed it and now it’s back at New York City Encores for a couple of weeks, so.

 

Meg Stalter They should have Leo be in it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Meg Stalter And Kate. That would really get. People to be like, okay, it has a little something to do in the movie. It has the yeah.

 

Ira Madison III A little bit. It’s very Le Mes so if you haven’t listen to it like it’s, it’s very it’s operetta. It’s nothing but sing it good. It’s really good. Yes.

 

Meg Stalter Yeah. What’s like the uplifting ending? Because like in Titanic they have, you know, Rose throwing the to the gym into the ocean. There anything like that happen in the musical? Nothing nice. Okay. No. They’re like done.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Well, you see the women who get off, the women and children who get off the boat, and they talk about how they’ll always remember the people that they loved. That’s it.

 

Meg Stalter You know, I have, a real fear of, like, uncanny valley stuff. So whenever I see a TikTok video of, like, the filming of Titanic, it scares me really bad because it’s like, you know, like it’s the ship. It’s a ship in water. It’s real water. But like, you see cameras and it’s not like it’s like isolated group of water, like it’s scary to me. Like sometimes when you’re on set and you realize, like, you know, the lights come on, you’re in a studio and you realize it’s not just the fake apartment like you already know that, but to see that the apartments build on set and you see like the warehouse that you really are in, it’s so scary.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. That’s scary to you.

 

Meg Stalter Yes. You have to look up the TikTok, TikTok filming of Titanic. It is so scary. You see them in the water, it’s filming. It’s not real, but it looks so real. It’s so creepy.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I always imagine that with people filming in water in general, I think I’m trying to remember. I’m trying to remember which film it was. But, I mean, maybe it was Natalie Wood who then eventually drowned. But, so I think there was a shooting like of a film where they had to shoot her, like in the water or something. Just anything shooting in water, just sort of like creeps me out. Because I can’t swim, by the way.

 

Meg Stalter Even if you can touch the bottom, it’s scary to know the to to. It’s a real, real dangerous situation. What is that movie where, one of the actors was really drowning in the tank, but like, they they had to, like, pretend drowned on screen, so they didn’t know that she was actually drowning. It’s like a magic movie. She’s like in a dump tank and she is drowning, but she’s fine. She’s okay. She made it. But like she was trying to signal to the, the director that she, like, needed air. But like also in the scene she’s kind of drowning. So like.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Like was it one of the now you see me’s I feel like I’ve seen both of those. Speaking of like I’m gonna watch this TikTok and I also want to know like what do you consume that. Like what what stuff interests you that you’re like you’re at home watching when you’re not working.

 

Meg Stalter That’s a really good question. I, love to rewatch sex in the city. Okay. I am obsessed with. And just like that. Is that what you mean? Like, what kind of movies?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, movies, TV. Like, you know what TikToks you watch? Like anything. I mean, everybody loves. And just like that, even though it’s not very good, but I enjoy watching it.

 

Meg Stalter It’s so good. I mean, Che Diaz making Miranda come in the kitchen screaming the screen so crazy, like it’s unreal. I’m watching that. I’m watching, I’m rewatching. I rewatch girls all the time. I think it’s the floodgates show. I’m always obsessed with watching. I love all the TikTok trends that it feels like when you’re on TikTok that yes, you’re, addicted. But also you’re kind of like a part of, like a bunch of inside jokes or something.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, the whole thing about the inside joke is sort of there are so many times where I guess the algorithm will give it to you, right? Once it knows that you’re watching something, but you like. TikToks that are referencing other TikToks or they are using like the voice of something that I always said. It’s like my brain understands what is going on here and I think that no one else does.

 

Meg Stalter And then you hear people reference it in like real life, like the, do you know that TikTok where it’s like, show me to me, show me.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, show it to me, Rachel.

 

Meg Stalter So like, it’s someone’s saying that if you didn’t see the TikTok, you know, like, what are they doing? But everyone knows it. Like, everyone know it’s kind of like sweet and cute.

 

Ira Madison III Well, yeah. I mean, I feel like you were part of the early trend of that, right? You know, like people saying hi gay to you is very much I’m with my friends and someone will just say, show it to me, Rachel, please. And I’m like, I get up with someone next to me.

 

Meg Stalter To me, Rachel is the new. Hi, Gay. I love it, I it’s so cute.

 

Ira Madison III I love how you talked about rewatching girls because I’ve, I’ve tried I haven’t rewatch girls fully.

 

Meg Stalter I mean, it’s incredible. It’s the funniest first show.

 

Ira Madison III I absolutely love it. I think it’s amazing. I love Lena Dunham’s work. I was rewatching it and. And forgot that, the show was a little depressing. And then by the time you get to the end of the series, it’s like none of them are friends anymore. But watching this series and loving it, then what was it like being cast in, Lena’s new series and getting to work with her?

 

Meg Stalter It’s so incredible. Like, it’s so strange because I watched girls, like, when I was the early, early 20s. Like, I don’t even remember what I was so, like, obsessed with the show and just so, like, oh my God, what is this? And I rewatch it all the time, and then now I’m like, oh, she’s my friend. She’s like, I’ve always thought that I would. We would hit it off. So to know that we do and we have like similar sense of humor and like laugh so much. And it’s just been, really crazy because she was like someone I’ve always wanted to work with. And there’s so, like, she’s just so amazing at her job. Like, she’s so good at writing, directing, like acting, like everything. And it was just, I’m really excited for people to see the show. It’s really special. And yeah, I think one of the things I love about girls is that like it, it is so funny, but it also feels really real. Like it feels like real horrible people that, you know, like, oh, we’re like the girl that you went to college with or like, you see yourself, you know, everyone’s like, which girls character are you like? I think people see themselves in those characters even when they’re bad girls has everything. Like, there’s stuff that makes me cry. There’s stuff that makes me laugh. And I feel like this show, like she put everything in it. Like it’s so sincere and earnest, but also so, so funny. Her writing’s just really incredible.

 

Ira Madison III I love that, and, I want to ask now about Tora Bora, which is premiered last year, at South by Southwest and now is being released. Why this weekend? You know, this is you leading a film. You know, it’s you, going to try and get your, ex-girlfriend back. And, what was it like to, I guess, you know, you’ve gone from making, you know, viral videos to then being on hacks in more of a supporting role. I think when you were filming, Cora Bora, before we got into, like, the current season where you had, meatier scenes on hats, you know? So what was it like being I’m supporting character and now here I am leading this film.

 

Meg Stalter As like a theater girl who never got the parts that she wanted or even, like, any part that wasn’t like. Chorus.

 

Ira Madison III I get it.

 

Meg Stalter I did play Helen Keller’s mother in The Miracle Worker at one point, which was my biggest role senior year. But it was really amazing, if you like, trusted and thought of.

 

Ira Madison III The one speaking role Yes.

 

Meg Stalter Yes. Yeah. I was like one of the, nuns who had one line in The Sound of Music, and I was like, but I wanted to be Maria. But they were never going to give me that part, and I school like but, it felt really amazing to even be thought of. And then and I mean, the is like, it’s so funny and it’s like sad and it’s like gay and really, like, perfect for me. And, Hannah Pearl, the director is just. I’m so in love with her. She’s incredible. And she wrote me such a nice letter asking me to do the movie, and, it’s such an amazing script. Like everyone that made it is just so incredible. And I can’t believe they asked me to do it. And it also is like, yeah, the first thing I ever did that. So my drum dramatic, I guess. Like, I mean, it’s a comedy, but it’s has everything and. I was just so excited every day there’s I could have done it, kept filming that movie. If there’s retakes, I’d be, like, so excited to get to film more of it.

 

Ira Madison III What do you what do you find there, like different, I guess, like acting muscles that you use then because, you know, there’s it has to be different when you are. Okay. I’m here on a set and I’m filming and preparing for something that’s dramatic versus even just doing a scene on hacks, where you’re mostly interacting, you know, off of Paul Downs, who was so fucking funny. Or versus just doing something yourself on camera where you are, you’re sort of, acting off of your own energy. You know.

 

Meg Stalter I think, like if I, when I started making videos or even when I started doing improv class, I was like, what’s the funniest thing that I could say? And, that also feels real to this character. And I think that’s a really good, way to start. But then, like when you’re acting, it feels like what is like the real thing in the moment, right? Like, I think, it’s good to have in your back pocket, being able to say the weirdest, craziest thing that you can think of, but sometimes it just doesn’t isn’t right. But, I mean, with Hannah, I was able to do takes. Ray did that. And then, I mean, when you have a good director who’s invested so much emotionally, they could be like, okay, that was like, let’s pull back. Let’s get let’s let’s get what’s on the script. Let’s, let’s get a tape version or, you know, like, let’s do a crazier one. I think it’s just like what I’ve learned through acting is that if you are really connected to the character and story, that nothing you do is like wrong. I mean, if you’re supposed to cry in a scene is upcoming, then maybe your character isn’t like isn’t supposed to cry like I think to put some of the pressure off is like just being able to connect to whoever’s in the scene, in the story, in the moment. Whereas like the improv videos, I mean, if I’m playing like a crazy, you know, Christian mom yelling at a Starbucks worker, it’s kind of like, I think something that’s in common with the videos and, and like, and like this movie or Kayla from hacks is that, even when you’re saying something crazy, I want it to feel really real, because that’s what makes me laugh is like, so I think you connect to what’s real in the scene or the improv video. Are you try to have the skill of like, okay, what’s the crazy thing I can say, but what comes first before that? It’s probably connecting to, like, whatever. It’s real in the moment.

 

Ira Madison III Absolutely. Okay. Well, lastly, I want to say, okay, you didn’t get Maria in high school. I mean, I relate to, like, being the theater kid who’s not getting cast in anything, but now your Meg Stalter. And I feel like people are thinking people are literally coming up with roles where they’re thinking of you first now. So dream theater thing, like, what would you love to do on the stage?

 

Meg Stalter You know, it’d be really cool to. I really would love to be in something scary.

 

Ira Madison III Okay.

 

Meg Stalter But it would also be cool to do some sort of really freaky weird, like camp musical or something like. But whatever character I be, she’s not going to be an amazing singer, but she can be loud. You know, when I was first starting in Chicago with my friend, we wrote this really, like, Strange Musical. It had something. We were like the villain, and it was like a sex blob, like gooey guy that, like, wanted to have sex with all of us. So I didn’t like that. That’s scary. And funny would be really fun.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, great. Yeah. I love that for you. We need know. We need that. We need, like, your version of. Like you’re like a bat boy. Like something like that. Something scary and crazy.

 

Meg Stalter Something scary and funny would be so fun on or off stage. Like, yeah, I love scream so much. Scream is so good because it’s actually funny and actually so scary. And something like that, like on stage or off would be so fun to do.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, great. I see them a future. I’m gonna pray for it um and Meg, thank you for being here.

 

Meg Stalter Thank you so much for having me.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. No, you’re a delight to watch. And you’re so funny, so.

 

Meg Stalter Thank you that means so much coming from you. I really appreciate it. And I appreciate you having me.

 

Ira Madison III [AD]

 

Ira Madison III You can call Kim Kardashian a lot of things, and we have.

 

Louis Virtel I mostly stay mum on the subject to be honest, but go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III I call her a bitch, a mother, a lover.

 

Louis Virtel You’re whipping out the Meredith Brooks for this. The whole every verse and chorus.

 

Ira Madison III Now, according to variety, actor is one of those things that we should call.

 

Louis Virtel Well, technically, I have been on IMDb recently, and I can confirm she’s doing some of that.

 

Ira Madison III Listen, if I’ve called myself an actor before, I’m gonna let him do it.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Exactly.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. Like, who am I to judge?

 

Louis Virtel I was in the King and I in high school, and I don’t know what was going on there, but we’re all acting.

 

Ira Madison III Together on my face.

 

Louis Virtel Right? That to, that to.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, yeah. I want to see the photos.

 

Louis Virtel No, I know I need to have a. Please. God, no.

 

Ira Madison III People keep asking us to break down this interview. Literally, you’re stopping Louis in the streets to ask him to talk about Kim Kardashian sitting down with Chloe. Seven year for Variety’s Actors on Actors. So let’s get to it. I liked it.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, what did you like?

 

Ira Madison III I mean, honestly, I feel like the thing going into this, the internet was, like, aghast on Chloe’s behalf, thinking that she would just sort of, like, hate the whole endeavor. And I don’t think that she hated it. I think that she had fun. And I think that people sort of forget how fascinated. Other celebrities are with the Kardashians in general. You know, I think that everyone. Because because we’re not celebrities. And in that world, you can be exhausted with the Kardashians and you sort of hate them. And I get that, like, there are obviously some celebrities who are like, Fuck Kim Kardashian like you. They hate them so much. But I think for people who like, don’t care about fame, fame, really, and are just sort of like cool vibes, like a Khloe or maybe fascinated with them. Like, I think that honestly, Cate Blanchett would probably enjoy a conversation with Kim Kardashian. You know.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. My feeling about that is I think Khloe 70, loves people who are social, like she’s she herself is like this, like party girl and like fashion girl. And obviously Kim Kardashian is a fashion plate herself actually, during the interview. And like if people are like, oh, Khloe, so embarrassed to be there, that’s not true. Khloe is like asking, peppering her with questions and fascinated and if anything, like kind of eagerly giggling a little bit too often, like trying to, like, get into her good graces, I think. Yeah. That said, I kind of related to Chloe Sevigny in this interview because you can sense that she wants Kim Kardashian to be fabulously interesting in addition to just fabulously Rich. And yeah, she’ll say things like, were you a cinephile? And wait for her answer. And then Kim Kardashian, all she can say is, oh my God, we finally watched two Beverly Hills! And I have to say, it is pretty gangster how she can do that with a straight face. Just say like, yeah, that cinephile. Yeah, I remember a movie. And then Khloe, who was like a straight up nerd, says things. She’s like, yeah, well, I grew up obsessed with Anna magnani. It’s like, did you just fucking bring up the rose tattoo to Kim Kardashian? And girl, you’re not. The returns are not going to be what you want. Excuse me, do you think you got a Tennessee Williams fan and Kim Kardashian? And then. And then Kim, dead eyed, says, oh, yeah, I like old actors, too. I really like the looks of them. Like their hair. Like their lips. It’s like, whoa. Like leaning even harder into just really the look of their face is what I remember from those movies.

 

Ira Madison III Here’s the thing, too. When you think about what people are attracted to, right? I mean, Kim says that her dad used to watch, black and white films with them every Sunday, and I think that what was drawn to her was obviously like, I don’t think she ever really wanted to be an actor, you know? I think she was always just put on to the imagery of these people and like, I think she can remember probably old Hollywood actors, names, but she probably remembers, like who they were wearing or like, who designed something of theirs. Like, that’s where her brain goes to, you know, like, I’m sure she could pull out designers and all these things, like, at the drop of a hat and. Yeah, it’s just so interesting the way some people consume movies versus some people, who consume them. Just sort of like the way Khloe does. And honestly, you know, it’s not different from talking to regular friends about film sometimes. We all have friends on the spectrum. Literally, but on the spectrum of, you know, film enjoyment, you know, like you have the people who will sit there and, nerd out with you.

 

Louis Virtel And then there’s other people whose mean to comment is so pretty or whatever regarding Roberta’s.

 

Ira Madison III And then there’s the people in the center who I sort of enjoy, who are just sort of like, you know, they go to the movies every once in a while. They watch movies at home a lot. But they also are, like, inquisitive. Like, if you tell them this Almodovar film is really good, or, like, this thing is playing at IFC and you have to see it like they will go see it because they appreciate your recommendation. Sure. You know, so like there’s people on all those sort of levels. And I think that Kim, as a person who I think it’s you told her to watch a film, she’d watch it, but I don’t know what she would get out of it if it’s not the sort of thing that she loves. Like a rom, right, right. You know.

 

Louis Virtel I think there are different versions of these actors on actors conversations that are interesting for different reasons. And the kind I am least interested in is when, like Leah Woodall and Nicolas Guillotine are talking, and they’re those kind of young actors being young actors together. What I like is something like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, where I am always trying to parse that relationship like they’re allies and they hang out because they both are like in Nashville or Tennessee, wherever they live. But at the same time, they are not the same personality. And also like, Nicole at one point in this interview randomly snaps at her and says, I hate when you call Laura just dern. And then Reese Witherspoon does. Well, you know, my name’s Laura too, so I don’t want to get us mixed up, girl. Ain’t nobody calling you Laura. What is making shut up? I’m.

 

Ira Madison III Like, I want to know the people who call Reese Laura in her real life.

 

Louis Virtel Also, by the way, the extra gag of that interview is then they go back to talking about Reese on the morning show, and she has to be serious about acting. And she’s like. Yeah. You know, I flew a helicopter into the Great Pyramids or whatever the fuck is going on on that. So just Romania.

 

Ira Madison III I know about the morning show. I did not realize I had scoop because I would have brought it to keep it instead of letting it hit the trades. But I went to maybe a month or two ago, to dinner at consulship, Brioni, in New York. And, at the table next to me was this gaggle of white women, Mario Canto and, Julianna Margolyes.

 

Louis Virtel Oh.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. Julianna margulies.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III She was talking to these women loudly, about how she was not going to be on the morning show in the next season because they only offered her one episode and she found it pointless.

 

Louis Virtel Wow.

 

Ira Madison III To do that.

 

Louis Virtel Which had to have been a technique, right? Like she won’t take the show does leave.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. And so that she was like, you know, I think they’ve told all they need to tell, you know, with me, you know, also, she talked about how Reese and Jen hate New York because, you know, they’re not used to it.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, good take. Good take. Good take.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But no, there was there was an interesting take from her. And I mean, I mean, you know, as someone who played a lesbian on the morning.

 

Louis Virtel Show, she’s so funny. The reason is, like, I love that kind of actors who’s like, half like some. Sometimes she’ll say something that I think is just true and insightful. And then other times, you know, they say something crazy every once in a while during this very interview, she said, I think some of the best actors are just imitating other actors they like, and it’s like, who’s to say that’s not true? You know what I mean? Like, if it makes you feel comfortable during a scene, why wouldn’t you do it?

 

Ira Madison III I mean, I think that more actors do that than we really just sort of acknowledge. I mean, singers do that.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. In fact, I mean, that’s something I kind of can’t stand about a singer when all they can do, like, I’ve always sort of had a bone to pick with Elvis Costello because he always sounds like he’s imitating Randy Newman.

 

Ira Madison III You think he should have been on a plane instead of a buddy?

 

Louis Virtel I don’t have that kind of a problem with him. Yes I want Elvis Costello. Mr. Diana Krall dead.

 

Ira Madison III I’m just. Yes Andrew.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Sure, sure.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. What if it. No, I get that. But even in sort of the, sort of less harmful ways is sort of, obviously like a mick Jagger, right? You know, so much he’s knowledge, like so much of it’s like dance and movement comes from, like Tina Turner.

 

Louis Virtel Sure. Right, right.

 

Ira Madison III Just think that people take on things of people that they are, you know, enamored with. This is so many writers who sort of imitate, like the writing styles of other people that they love, and then they start to form their own. But yeah, I mean, plenty of actors. There’s the actors who are sort of, sort of themselves, like Kim Kardashian in American Horror Story. And I honestly wish that she would emulate someone that she loves.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, maybe it. Right. That would be a good angle. Why not? Yeah, yeah. Be contrived if it’s going to give us more energy on the screen. Absolutely. Another type of actors on actors thing I love is when there are two actors who have had kind of parallel careers, but you don’t think of them as ever having worked together or having really a reason to interact in. One of my all time favorites is Julia Roberts and Patricia Arquette, who have basically been famous for the same amount of time but were never even in the same types of movies, like Julia Roberts would never be in Ed Wood, and Patricia Arquette would never be in whatever. Pretty Woman or My Best Friend’s Wedding, just these things, but at the same time, like, the same things are asked of them and they are the center of these movies. So it’s interesting watching them sort of come together and just be like, yeah, I’ve watched everything you’ve done necessarily, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I know I was thinking about that recently in terms of I just, you know, even like queer actors currently, you know, because I think that they’re always doing these articles where they’re like, here, like the queer actors or here the queer comedians or something that are like, save the industry or doing this, etc.. Right? And I still feel like people are breaking out and doing their own things. Right. But I still feel like the industry is still sort of even thinking like you can just place any one of them in a certain thing and it would be fine.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. You’re saying, like all the same gay actors go out for the same one girl? I do have to say, even among my own friends, it feels like they all audition for the same, whatever, 1.6% of parts that are available to them.

 

Ira Madison III Right? And that’s what I mean. You know, it’s like it’s just interesting to think of that world where it’s I like those pairings of like a Julia Roberts and Patricia Arquette and like, who else is someone from that era? Juliette Lewis.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Precisely. Yes. Right.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. Like like they’re all in that same sphere. But like, I would be surprised if they were ever auditioning for the same role.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Yeah. Juliette Lewis. Yeah, right. At one point, maybe Juliette Lewis was up for, you know, I mean, she dated Brad Pitt, you know what I mean? Like, you know, she was considered, you know, a more a. There are more figures in those days.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Or they went out for those same roles initially, and then their careers diverged. Once Julia gets it, then it becomes a Julia type. Right?

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Right. And that’s all that people are going to look for.

 

Louis Virtel Precisely. Yes. And the other version of actors on actors I love is when it’s two grand masters sizing each other up, when you’ve got, like, Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen, who are just two, I believe, actual, woodland creatures. And I know they were in those, like, whatever movies together. I don’t watch them. Lord of the I don’t remember but.

 

Ira Madison III Now grow.

 

Louis Virtel Era. Nothing about an Aragorn, nothing about any of that is my language. But anyway, those two together, it’s like. They just have a lot to probably teach, you know? I mean, like, these are people who went in in, like, a previous life, teach at, like a British acting academy or something, you know, so in that way, I feel like you actually get something right out of those people.

 

Ira Madison III She’s still my.

 

Louis Virtel Right. She feels so Teacher Li, like, I can’t believe she hasn’t played. Done. I know we’re about to get the Angelina Jolie Maria Callas story, but something like the play masterclass. Oh, I guess what am I saying? Tara is like that. Never mind. Tara exists. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, I would love for her to be my teacher. Okay. I’d write some notes on this. Carol.

 

Louis Virtel Still in her top five. And definitely. And Judi Dench is top three.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Okay. So thinking of just pairings like that, by the way, not even just actors on actors, but an acting roles like, pairing Cate Blanchett with, like, with Judy, that was just a revelation. Like, it was fun to watch them go against each other. I’ve come up with the idea now that just because they have the same first name, I knew Glen Powell and Glenn Close in a film together.

 

Louis Virtel Now, I saw you say that. And what would the context be for this cinematic experiment, which I don’t. I’m not turning it down.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, so I’m trying to figure out what kind of film it would be, though, because you could go a lot of routes you could go with, like a Devil Wears Prada kind of film where it’s a comedy and, you know, he’s sort of under her tutelage or something. You could go with sort of a thriller, you know, something where she’s like more of a Patty Hewes character again. And, he’s, like, bucking up against her or something. You could be in, like, Nancy Meyers is kind of like the intern movie, where, like, I love that’s obviously, by the way, a perfect film. Like, very.

 

Louis Virtel Enjoyable. What an unusual character for Robert De Niro to.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And so I just think that, like, I don’t know, I think that we should be pairing people like that more because. When you talk about creating stars. To be honest, I forget who I was talking about this recently with, but like Anne Hathaway, right? You put her in The Devil Wears Prada, and then she becomes a bigger star because you’re pairing her with Meryl Streep. You know, and I think that what we’re kind of missing right now is a lot of these younger, like, buzzy actors right now are just sort of being paired with each other.

 

Louis Virtel Right, like challengers, etc..

 

Ira Madison III Yes. You’re not pairing them with or even Dune, right? You know, to an extent, you know, you’re not pairs India with viola or Tom cruise or Will Smith. You know put Timothee we’ve done it with Timothee. a little bit I mean nobody wants to see beautiful ball.

 

Louis Virtel I did I love that movie. You know I love that movie.

 

Ira Madison III I’ve never seen it.

 

Louis Virtel he is so good on it. So good but I concur. It’s like but at the same time, like, we want new brat packs, right? Like, we do want them to work with each other. But you’re right. There would be sort of an entree to greater fame if we knew how to pair old stars with young more often. And I think, by the way, Patty Hewes is the best angle for them to work. Glenn Close calling like trembling, chattering young man love that damages is still the best role of her career. Which I mean almost makes me sad to say, is somebody who defends movies above all else. But TV really gave her a role where she could unleash all of her power. I would actually compare it to on that same series. Keep it. Guest Marcia Gay Harden was on season two, and just what she could bring into a room on any given moment. Like when she, like, you know, buttons. The blazer walks and puts the briefcase down, even though you’re just in like a pseudo John Grisham thriller situation. It was so much power the actors got to bring. I missed that show so much.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I don’t know a yeah like that, like John Grisham, like a firm. Yeah. You know, like Glen Powell and like the young Tom cruise role.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. That’s kind of.

 

Ira Madison III Like Glenn Close and let Glenn close be the villain.

 

Louis Virtel I want to defend you, by the way, on Twitter recently, you were responding to a tweet about Glen Powell saying we only have him because Armie Hammer went away. Excuse me? Glen Powell is five times the actor that Armie Hammer is. And I say this as a stand up, Call Me By Your Name, which is, generally speaking, a brilliantly acted movie. He is the weak link. Yeah. And he his character benefits from his stilted ness in the movie because we were sort of analyzing him from afar and like the sort of nervous elitism of the character that comes across, I think is not really the product of brilliant acting, more just a stilted performance, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, yeah. No, he is he is the weak link in a lot of films, and he’s always just sort of elevated by either another actor of the material. I mean, he’s nobody was really thinking about, the man from uncle because of him.

 

Louis Virtel No, no, I do think the acting is across the board. Atrocious in that movie, even though it looks amazing.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I watched that movie so many times. Sometimes just on mute. They look great.

 

Louis Virtel And I know at least if a counter was like, well, that’s it for me for four years. Sorry. Going away.

 

Ira Madison III She became an actual Tomb Raider.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right. She’s like, I’m getting my anthropology degree.

 

Ira Madison III Anyway. Glen Powell. What a man. A quiet I’m just I’m very I’m very happy for him. I would say just because I feel like, I don’t know, there’s another tweet about him to where someone like Colin Powell just popped up out of nowhere. And I hate nothing more than when someone gets on the internet and says, well, where did this person come from? They just popped up and it’s like, I don’t know, search their name.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Like we maybe you weren’t there watching Scream Queens, but like, you’ve seen the GIFs.

 

Louis Virtel Get on Wikipedia. Bring a lunch, learn something. Come on. He was also great in. Everybody Wants Some. A movie I keep touting. But just such a fabulous summer movie. It should be a definitive summer movie. And you never get it. Never gets brought up.

 

Ira Madison III That’s a very underrated Richard Linklater. Yes, but I, I should rewatch who else is great, not. Brody.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, you’re talking about Blake Jenner. May he rest? Dunno what happened to him. And by that I mean I do. Melissa Benoist I saw that interview.

 

Ira Madison III At this point. I don’t have been on Glee.

 

Louis Virtel But fair warning. Also, I love Zoey Deutch on that movie. And of course, she was prepared with Glen Powell later on that set it up movie where they played assistance.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, that’s actually the main reason I would say that Glen Powell had his Glen Paulson. Yes. You know, like maybe you forget that era pre the pandemic. But when set it up dropped that’s truly all people were talking about.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah I definitely watch that movie that Netflix has like a real stranglehold on movies you watch and then don’t even bring up a gun. Yeah. It’s not like everybody is talking about them necessarily. It’s just that you did see it, you know, like, I didn’t really have much to say about that movie. Bird box. Did I fucking see it? Yes. Did I wonder if John Malkovich was broke? Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Sandy beach. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Sandy bay.

 

Ira Madison III I had a hell of a time the other day, by the way. Playing vulture sent a matrix thinking of Sandra Bullock movies. It was, I think it was from like, 1990 to 2004 or something, was the cutoff. And trying to think of films that everyone wouldn’t know.

 

Louis Virtel That’s a that’s a tough ass, because those are basically all successful movies. Like her first big role was speed, you know, so she didn’t really have too many. I know you’d have to do something like Love Potion number nine or something.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, baby, I think only 3% of people pick Demolition Man.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, very good, very good.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. A movie that was always on in my grandmother’s house. For some reason.

 

Louis Virtel Grandma had some dubious taste.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, what do you think? You got it right.

 

Louis Virtel Look at you now. Dubious,

 

Ira Madison III That’s why eraser is one of my favorite action movies.

 

Louis Virtel Sick.

 

Ira Madison III All right, well, we’re back. Keep it up. And we are back with our favorite segment of the episode. Keep it. Before we get into our individual keep, it’s. There’s something I want to say.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. For once.

 

Ira Madison III Fuck you. Rihanna. I’m not doing this with you again. Meaning what? So she is in New York. I heard from a real estate friend that she was looking for apartments. Okay. Allegedly to, quote unquote, record an album. And she has been spotted in my neighborhood. At the Electric Lady studios, which I live near. And the paps have been, like, outside, like, mobbed to catch her. Do we think she’s recording an album there or what? Is she doing a Fenty podcast?

 

Louis Virtel I you won’t believe the depths to which you can be disappointed on this front. I mean by that. And by that I mean you can because we’re on like year 8 or 9 of this or something.

 

Ira Madison III I know, but part of me wants to believe that she wouldn’t wear a shirt that says I’m retired unless she actually was planning to drop an album, and she was caught wearing a shirt that said, I’m retired by the paparazzi last week.

 

Louis Virtel I have to say this about Rihanna. Funny girl.

 

Ira Madison III Funny girl. Was she I she’s hilarious.

 

Louis Virtel She loves to agitate. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, honestly, 30 years from now, if she was just like.

 

Louis Virtel Oh.

 

Ira Madison III Here you go. Write the funniest thing ever.

 

Louis Virtel Precisely. Now, like, we’re never correct about her. Like, she always brings us the thing and we think we got it. And then, like, she dodged us and did something wrong. Anyway, it is pretty funny.

 

Ira Madison III And I’m now obsessed with the hair wars going on between her and Beyoncé.

 

Louis Virtel Oh. Who’s winning?

 

Ira Madison III I don’t know. But just like Fenty Hair and Sacred, it’s it’s it’s giving you like, you know, I want a movie about. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel That’s fine. Like, what’s that Broadway musical? Warpaint. Like these two. Diane’s up against each other.

 

Ira Madison III Which we just need a Beauty Shop sequel where Queen Latifah is fighting against some other woman.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, did we not discuss that Queen Latifah was dancing on stage with Janelle Monae at, we Hope, pride last week? All right.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, I did not learn this.

 

Louis Virtel No questions from anybody. All right, moving on.

 

Ira Madison III I think Queen Latifah has just started bringing her partner to things and was just like, figure it out.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, she’s very over any discord. She’s just like, I up here, I don’t approve whatever.

 

Ira Madison III Because what would you even say at this point? Like.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, okay. Unfit. Why about. Start with that?

 

Ira Madison III You know, I’ve. The only thing I have to say about Queen Latifah is that more people should listen to her house song. Coming to my house, a perfect song.

 

Louis Virtel I don’t even think I know it. I will listen to it.

 

Ira Madison III You’ll love it. It’s very you.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, IRA, why don’t you start with your keep it this week.

 

Ira Madison III Okay? My keep it this week goes to everybody who was wondering if Bad boys would do well at the box office this weekend. Because our audience is ready to embrace Will Smith again after the slap. I don’t know, bitch. I really don’t think anybody gave a fuck about it, except for the white celebrities who were aghast, like Zoe Kravitz and Judd Apatow, and then media companies who were like, let’s get some clicks by continuing to write articles about the slap, because as it turns out, the box office was fucking huge because no one gives a fuck.

 

Louis Virtel I will say also, in general, if you’re like a huge star and go away for a while and then come back, I think that is just the best thing you can do. Like just not to oversaturate people. I mean, I’m not saying I support, like, every studio canceled celebrities like, jumping back on the main stage necessarily, but like, he literally just went away for like three years. We haven’t had anything from him. And we love when he stars in movies, generally speaking.

 

Ira Madison III Right. And I feel like the last few movies that weren’t doing well were sort of like, like I’m After Earth or shit like that. It’s we didn’t really care about him being in those movies, and they felt like they didn’t feel like reverence. And I don’t know, that voice has always done well as a franchise, and I kind of think that I haven’t seen the new one yet. But, the previous three I think are all great. I don’t think there’s been a bad, bad boys film.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I’m sure he’s good in them. I mean, as you know, I’m always craving the return of The Prestige, will Smith. I mean, obviously he won an Oscar a couple years ago, but the six degrees of separation. Will Smith, give me the alley. Will Smith, you know, I and not that he was bad and King Richard, I just thought he was like, the fourth best performance. And then he won for that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, but, I don’t know. I think this is like his 12th or something. Like number one, I think it’s Martin Lawrence’s eighth, you know, so I think, like, well, now we’re back in an era where we can get over that slot bullshit. And maybe he can do another fun movie like a Ali or a King Richard. You know.

 

Louis Virtel That would be nice. That would be nice. Okay, Mike, keep it. This week is to people who are shady to me and also to you about the release of a sequel to the movie Practical Magic. The words that I saw were sorry IRA and sorry Louis because we famously do not love the original film. Excuse me, keep it to you. These are the kind of movies we should be remaking because they’re fucking bad. Literally. You watched that movie. Like, what is going on? I understand that there are some stills in this movie that are delicious. Do I want to see Nicole Kidman on a red carpet? You bet. Do I want to see it? Diane, we like dancing around a table. If I saw her in person, I would literally tell her to do that. Yes, but the movie is just not that good. It’s really long. It’s really like long stretches without anything going on. Really. The plot is not what you want for a movie called Practical Magic. So I am very excited for those girls. And by that I mean Nicole and Sandra Bullock. To get back on this, I’m so psyched to see them. Sandra Bullock. Obviously she has star power, but there’s just such a commitment to seeming real that I think she brings to every movie that I am. I guess to me, Sandra Bullock is what Tom cruise is to you. I just am immediately signed on to the character she is playing.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, listen, I watched it last night and I love it now. I’m I’m kidding. It’s still sort of like ho hum.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Ho hum. Precisely.

 

Ira Madison III I was watching it and I don’t know, maybe I was high while I was high. That sounds correct because I got hired, saw Titanic the Musical last night, which was great, by the way, is that cities that are on course and, it’s a musical from 97 that came out around the same time as the movie and won Best Musical. It has nothing to do with the movie whatsoever. So I was impressed. It was very like a Titanic story, but like, lame is no.

 

Louis Virtel I always think about that because that was a very popular musical at the time and like epic and now it has no legacy. Like nobody ever brings it up. It just feels like something that happened in the shadow of the movie phenomenon, to which it was unrelated.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I was seeing it last night and telling people how good it was, and people are like, oh, what is Rose in it? Etc. I was like, no, is this musical? And truly no one I know, even people who are musical theater sort of diehards like, don’t even know the music. So, I’m impressed by it and I hope it has a little renaissance. But anyway, after Titanic, I got home. All the practical magic chatter. I figured we were going to talk about it today. I put it on. I’m watching this movie and I. During random scenes I keep wondering what is happening, right?

 

Louis Virtel It’s like off track.

 

Ira Madison III Because it feels like there were so many rewrites for this film. There’s like scenes just happen, like in the beginning when obviously it’s epic to watch Sandra Bullock run and jump and her lovers are as well. Faith Hill’s This Kiss is playing, one of my favorite songs to put on that flaming saddle.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, please, I, I that’s a good genre we should get into sometimes. Like, vaguely country things we can stand.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, but, I have no idea how this relationship formed between them.

 

Louis Virtel No, it also, it’s one of those movies that feels like it’s a hodgepodge of, like, eight different scripts, like where it landed as it started in this one place, and then it turns into this other movie, and there’s no way somebody sat and wrote them together.

 

Ira Madison III But I think that preparing them for a sequel would be fun. So, I mean, we’re getting it. It feels weird that none of this was announced in the trades. It feels weird that, the TikTok of the studio was just like, Practical Magic two is coming. And then we hear Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are in talks to appear in it, but also produce it like, well, sort of feels like you announced this to, bully them into starring in your sequel.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I see, yes. Which which I guess works sometimes, so who knows? And also, anytime we get Nicole off the small screen and back onto the big screen. Yeah, God’s happy you put the Nicole in the cinema and it’s. And it tastes good.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, speaking of Netflix movies, I mean, she has this one coming out with Zac Efron, right? Yeah, I love a Paper Boy reunion. But in true Netflix fashion, it’s just premiering on Netflix. I would love to watch a Nicole Kidman Zac Efron rom com on the big screen, right?

 

Louis Virtel Excuse me. Yes. If Zac Efron, who is like, basically our generation, isn’t considered a cinematic star, then we like have very few of those left. Like who like we are hurting the 37 year olds.

 

Ira Madison III You know, if he had gotten nominated for Iron Claw, might have gotten a theatrical release.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I hate that. You are probably right. That is very annoying.

 

Ira Madison III Anyway, it’s your fault.

 

Louis Virtel Academy voters, my people. I love trashing my business.

 

Ira Madison III All right, well, that’s our episode this week. So thanks to Meg Stalter for joining us. And, we’ll see you next week. Hooray for us! 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 “Siege” Polkinghorne and Chris Lord, and our associate producer is Kennedy Hill. Our executive producers are Ira Madison, the third, Louis Virtell, and Kendra James.

 

Louis Virtel Our digital team is Meghan 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.

 

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