TRANSCRIPT

 

Ira Madison III [AD]

 

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

 

Louis Virtel I’m Louis Virtel, and I just want to say somebody on my Instagram was like, oh, you guys went another week without telling us you were gone. If you listen to the podcast, we said we were going to go this time. Now you’re just playing games with us. It’s a gaslight situation.

 

Ira Madison III I think these are people who stop listening as soon as they feel like the episode is over.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I see they don’t go through the credits. It’s a full Marvel movie. You need to get the full cut scene at the end of stuff.

 

Ira Madison III There are tags at the end, actually. Remember what he used to do? Tags at the end of each episode?

 

Louis Virtel Every once in a while there would be like a hit. Who were we fooling? Why would we do hidden content at the end of an episode? I would absolutely turn us off before them.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. We completely said that we were taking time off. Which also makes sense because it was the week of the 4th of July.

 

Louis Virtel Right? And we both have our journalistic duties on Fire Island to attend to. And I have to say, it’s so bad for us to go to that place because no news gets to Fire Island. So when there’s a big pop culture news story, I feel like I have to hear at 35th hand from somebody who was just recently in New York, where people are actually discussing things other than, what are you doing tonight or what did you do last night? But finally we did get in touch with the news. And I guess the only real pop cultural thing worth reporting is that somebody had a terrible diarrhea sort of incident at Gwyneth Paltrow’s house, which I don’t have many opinions on the incident itself, other than there should be a series and a murder, She Wrote like way about the goop estate and what happens there. I am excited for that. Going forward, I want more stories about just what is happening around Gwyneth Paltrow, as opposed to what we get on her Instagram ski drama. Yeah, right. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Shit. Drama. Like there’s a lot going on here. Also, this is not to wait until weekly territory. Yes. But I truly had to discover who the fuck Derek Blasberg is when I read this story. Because I know the name. Yeah. You know, I know who Derek Blasberg is. He’s a professional friend of celebrities who is somehow on the Condé Nast payroll. Okay. And. He’s just always around and I never really bothered to care who this man is, but he is friends with everyone.

 

Louis Virtel In what capacity? What does he offer them?

 

Ira Madison III I really don’t know. There is a article in the cut, that was about him in 2016 and interviewed Gwyneth Paltrow as she was sort of concerned that he just seemed to be hanging on to celebrities. But then it turned out she started to like him, and he’s fine, but he hangs out with Jessica Alba. He hangs out with. I know he’s hung out with, like, Jerry Seinfeld’s wife. There’s all these rich people like Oprah as well. All these rich people. He just sort of has glommed his way into.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, but they have amazing personalities, too. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fame or the clout or anything like that. People don’t like those things.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So, I don’t know. The story is that he was staying at her Hamptons home, which is so close to Fire Island.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. We could have done more journalism. I could have gotten right over there.

 

Ira Madison III We could have looked for evidence.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, right. Full Lady Gaga at the. At the white House or with The Capitol. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Going through the laundry and. Yeah. Apparently, you know, he had explosive diarrhea in her bed. In a bed or in the bathroom and then fled. And it’s apparently ozempic related.

 

Louis Virtel And by the way, I just want. Sorry. Extremely dumb question. How did this get out? Who was like, you know what? Allow me to go to the media. Allow me to go to Twitter or whatever. Page six or wherever it ended up.

 

Ira Madison III Well, allegedly, Gwyneth told it to some friends like Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David. Oprah.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, the shrinking violets. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III You know, they be talking.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Namely, Jerry Seinfeld, whose every opinion is like Sky written over Los Angeles. At this point, you can’t avoid any of them. It’s the new Joe Rogan.

 

Ira Madison III Girl she is everywhere, and it’s like Seinfeld is perfectly fun to watch. And now I feel like he’s ruining it. No, just by talking all the time. I don’t know why he’s talking.

 

Louis Virtel I feel like nobody enjoys their money less than he does. He seems he always feels like he was cheated out of something. Or like we we don’t understand where he’s coming from ultimately. But it’s like, no, we do. We gave you all our money. Like, you have a ton of money thanks to us, the audience, the home viewer. We enjoyed you. Yeah, it’s always a little bit concerning to me.

 

Ira Madison III Anyway, I just kind of find the story funny, even though there’s rumors that this story had happened. But people have talked about this story in New York before, or rumors that it happened at her, like Montecito home or something. So it could be made up. But. He and his husband Nick Brown have not posted on Instagram in weeks.

 

Louis Virtel Wow. And this is gay people during the summer. So as you know, that means they’re as good as dead. I mean, how is that possible? I didn’t realize there were questions about when it occurred. That gives the feeling of like Roseanne’s writers rooms stories, the who Jackie situation. Go and look that up. I don’t have time to explain that right now. Where it’s like it happened at some point. Maybe.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Yeah. The maybe part is a big part of it too. And, yeah, there is something to be said about. Being here. You were talking about it earlier. And how, like, news travels so slowly. I feel like sometimes. First of all, you’re never really on your phone in Fire Island, right?

 

Louis Virtel Well, the service is also patchy, generally speaking, everywhere, depending on what your carrier is. But for mine in particular.

 

Ira Madison III Not if you got Verizon.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, well, congrats to you. Some of us aren’t in that cast, quote Isabel Wilkerson.

 

Ira Madison III Can you hear me now? Oh well.

 

Louis Virtel Spoken.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Do you remember him?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, of course I remember commercials. Yes, we would celebrate them.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Anyway, first of all, you’re never really on your phone here. And then I also go days on end. I feel like without. Yeah, looking at social media without, like, updating anything. And honestly, it feels kind of great.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. No, I mean, I will say there’s a lot of talking going on at Fire Island and yet no discourse. Those are two different things. So when you interact with that and like Twitter, like you happen to glance at it while you’re, you know, alongside a pool or walking past the pavilion, it completely changes your vibe or threatens to change your vibe. And so you shove it away quickly and get back to, you know, baking and becoming George Hamilton bronze.

 

Ira Madison III Now. There has been some discourse this week. You left early, but I got left here with, the the post Biden Trump debate discourse. And the girls have been talking a riot.

 

Louis Virtel And I have to say, like not I guess it feels sort of centrist to say I don’t really relate to where our team is coming from. I’m not saying he didn’t perform disastrously, but I also don’t have this weird fear that he’s going to, like, fall asleep at the Oval Office desk and accidentally raise half of America or something. Like, it’s more than the administration. I want faith and not like him running a half marathon of where we think he’s supposed to do. I just I don’t really concur with everybody.

 

Ira Madison III I feel like he looks like a diptyque candle at this point. Louis. Okay, an outdoor one, one of the big ones that’s half melted.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Several presidents look like that, and you need to respect that. Look up Millard Fillmore. You don’t know shit.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I think it’s less about whether or not he’s going to say something crazy, which, I mean, presidents are always say something crazy. Have you looked at Obama’s year in book list? No. But I think it’s more like. Is it giving Manchurian Candidate? Like if he if he really can’t speak, then I’m like, who’s running things? Jill and her Vogue cover.

 

Louis Virtel That would be cute. I’m sorry. She’s a teacher. I. I have faith in what she does.

 

Ira Madison III Joe Biden, this Lady Macbeth is kind of thrilling.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Oh, that would be fun. That would be fun. Also. I mean, I was fascinated when I heard that somebody reported that after the debate, like, Jane Fonda put her, like, hands over her eyes and, like, gasped in terror or something. I was like, actually, it takes a lot to get under Jane’s skin. That’s kind of impressive. She’ll tell you every traumatizing story in the book and just, like, give you that low cigarette rasp, even though I don’t believe she’s ever smoked in her life, that’s a really a gift to have that kind of low voice without any aid of nicotine.

 

Ira Madison III What’s that movie she did with her dad?

 

Louis Virtel On Golden Pond? Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Okay. This this is giving that. Okay?

 

Louis Virtel You think she’s Kamala and she’s going to accept her father’s, her father being Joe Biden.

 

Ira Madison III You know.

 

Louis Virtel Oscar, which is the presidency on his behalf. Okay? It all lines up.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, right. Yeah. This this is this is what I’m getting here now. That’s how we’ve related it to pop culture for our audience right now.

 

Louis Virtel They understand that finally they’re locked into politics. Fuck Tommy Vito and whatever he’s saying about the world, I don’t know. What is that?

 

Ira Madison III All right, well, Joe Biden, man, wouldn’t want to be in her shoes right now.

 

Louis Virtel I’m going to stay up in this coconut tree and not fall out of it with the rest of the Democrats.

 

Ira Madison III I do actually want to say that for the first time, people were like, really having fun this week with politics again, and in a way that I hadn’t seen in quite some time with all of the common memes and I, they were funny.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Oh, look, say this about the Kamala memes. This is me contributing to politics again. I am surprised that record store Kamala isn’t more of a meme sensation. When she, like, comes out of a store, she’s like, she’s talking to the press. She’s like, now, have you heard of this, guys? This is a man named Stevie Wonder. And I’m like, well, I guess I’ve been in a CVS before. I know who Stevie Wonder.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, yeah. And it’s, you know, George Clinton.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Do you know, do you know Parliament? Oh, okay. There’s some education that needs to be done.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, at that point, they need to turn the camera on the people filming this because who is she speaking to exactly? Are they, like, nodding like Parliament? Oh, off I go to Tower Records.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I don’t know. It’s it’s been funny. So that was a good respite for a week. But you know, a cab.

 

Louis Virtel Right. More importantly, in case you forgot.

 

Ira Madison III But with a K.

 

Louis Virtel Oh that’s cute. We love that. All right. What the hell’s happening on this episode?

 

Ira Madison III Well, we have another fantastic woman here this week. Honestly, I would suggest that she could play Kamala, on SNL or something, but we also have Maya Rudolph. Right?

 

Louis Virtel So there’s going to be a battle.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. They’re going to fight for the, a chance to play the maybe president. But, Rashida Jones is joining us this week.

 

Louis Virtel Surprised we haven’t had her before. And what a fascinating career. I mean, like Angie Tribeca alone, we need more shows like that with those kinds of one liners, and she provided that for us. So I’m so excited to talk to her.

 

Ira Madison III And where is the sequel, Angie from Iron Man?

 

Louis Virtel She just moves our way through the borough. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III And also, we’ve got a bunch of new music out this week. Iconic albums from iconic women. Actually, I’m being facetious here, but Megan Thee Stallion is an iconic woman who we do love.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yes.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t know if I love this album, but we’ll get into it.

 

Louis Virtel I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about it, yeah. Camila Cabello, she has an album too. She is a musical artist. If you’re not familiar with her.

 

Ira Madison III Her C XoXo is the name of the album.

 

Louis Virtel Which the vibe of that title is running a little close to brat territory for me in some way. I don’t know, it feels a little inconvenient for her. I’m sure she didn’t mean to do that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I’m gonna have some surprising thoughts about the Camila Cabello album.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, God, I’ll go ahead and duck already so I can miss the brunt of it.

 

Ira Madison III Also, I just all you can really do over the holiday weekend is binge reality TV and luckily. There’s a bunch of new reality TV that I feel like you and I both love.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, we got some The Mole coming out. There’s a gay reality show which came out a little while ago called I Kissed a Boy, starring the other Minogue, Dannii Minogue. The Taissa Farmiga of the, Minogue household.

 

Ira Madison III I am shocked the show’s not called Put the Needle on Love.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, excuse me. Do not worry. Half of her song titles and her sister song titles are incorporated into the patter throughout this show.

 

Ira Madison III Speaking of falling in love in a. What do they call this place? It’s not a villa. It’s the Maserati.

 

Louis Virtel The Masseria.

 

Ira Madison III The Masteria Right? Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Which feels like a word that should have made it into Family Affair by Mary J. Blige and somehow did not make the cut.

 

Ira Madison III Well, overpass the Massaria and King’s Landing. We’ve got, the villa where Love Island USA is occurring, and I have been riveted.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, y’all have to explain that one to me. Up behind.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. That’s our episode, and we will be right back.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III While some people were celebrating America during our dark week, I was celebrating Megan Thee Stallion rebirth as a Japanese woman.

 

Louis Virtel You say that immediately called to mind, of course, Gwen Stefani and Harajuku Girls. And then you realize that album is referenced here in the song Boa. What are you waiting for? The finest track on a very fine album.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Megan drops her new album. It’s self-titled Megan. So we’re going to get into that, plus some new music from Camila Cabello. Who is, you know, Costco incarnate because she’s given us samples. No samples down on this album.

 

Louis Virtel And by the way, before I forget, we also have to get into the cash. A single joyride.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, yes. So, Megan, this album, I want to say it’s very interesting. Sort of. You’ve been anticipating a Megan Thee Stallion album because I’m a huge Megan fan, you know? But I also will say that I don’t know that I was waiting for a new album from her, because I feel like she just released one.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. And I also would say nearly nothing on this album feels like a step in a new direction for her. Not that it really needs to be like her. Flow is very familiar and the rapping is all extremely clever. Her attitude is extremely addictive and I also just like about her in general. It always feels to me like there’s like, maybe I’m getting this from the Trauma Zone album, but it always feels like her life is kind of in disarray, and there’s like a confusion and an insecurity about life when she’s not recording and then she streamlines it all. It’s like she gets it all together. It’s like she’s collecting everything. So there’s some stakes for her when she goes into record. And you can hear that in these songs. I do like the album. I do feel like it’s a continuation of the other albums, is what I would say about it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, she’s one of our foremost SRS. Yeah. I guess if you had to put it that way. She always there’s always sort of a bullet point of everything that’s going on in her life, you know? And it’s never sort of one album about a specific, like, heartbreak or like the one album about the Tory Lanez incident. It’s always sort of a collection of all of the grievances.

 

Louis Virtel Right? And they should be collected in one place. And I will remember also, it just it reminds you it’s a way of being like, by the way, I’m well-rounded. I’m not just this one thing, this all this other shit. And I’m, I’m these old, neuroses that keep coming back, you know? So I like how it is of a piece with her other work.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So the album starts out with hiss, which was the first single from the album, which I still love, although I feel like there are too many songs on this album that have just voice notes dropped in the middle of them. She likes Jesus. She is talking like, let’s see, like you’ll be listening to the beat, and then all of a sudden it’s all right, motherfuckers. Let me tell you something about my life. And I’m like, man, I keep that on TikTok, right?

 

Louis Virtel Also, I will say about that song, I feel like I’ve known it forever and ever now. I mean, like, I know this is how albums work and you finally get the album with the single on it, but it is like I it was a number one hit at one point, you know, when we’re finally getting it on the album and it it was almost jarring to me to hear it again.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And then it’s followed up with rattle, because there’s a whole lot of snake imagery going on with this album and era. She’s she’s coming out of an egg. Yes, on the cover. Thankfully, she ditched those other David Lasso covers because they were ugly as hell.

 

Louis Virtel Is this also David LaChapelle? Yeah, because it’s kind of low octane for him. But I think of David LaChapelle. I think of every color in the book being thrown at the screen, a real like, kind of kaleidoscopic, I don’t know, summery image, maybe. And this is just he or she is busting out of an egg.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Drenched in primordial ooze.

 

Louis Virtel Which. Gross. Good. Cool.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I feel like on the album, the things that I’m really sort of responding to, we made the jokes about, you know, her being a Japanese woman, but she has this sort of affinity for Japanese culture and, anime and, their foods, and they sort of really seem to respond well to her to, they like they love her over there. So I feel like Boa, which references Gwen Stefani. Is what you waiting for? Our first Japanese woman to ever exist.

 

Louis Virtel We got it right on the first try, everybody. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Shoguns about Gwen Stefani. And then we also have, otaku hot girl and my mushi. And I feel like those songs are the ones that I’m most interested in. Who they feel the most fun, they feel the most buoyant. And honestly, if the album had been all tracks like inspired by Japanese culture and using, Japanese artist and etc., I feel like it would have been stronger. Like it would have been. It would have had a stronger point of view.

 

Louis Virtel I unfortunately hate when this happens, but we have the exact same point of view. There’s no debate occurring. I literally heard these songs. I was like, what if she did a whole Japanese album? That would be so cool. Yeah. Also, just like the way she, enunciates Japanese language, it is giving third week of Duolingo, but it sounds good and sounds good on a track like this. And also the music on particularly Mamacita is very simple. So it’s like the Seminoles hit really hard and it just creates the most memorable track on the album. That is the that’s the stuff that doesn’t sound like music she’s released previously, or even like a sentiment she’s released previously.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, and I feel like the main problem with a Megan album is that, you know, there are I wouldn’t say it’s overly long because it’s it’s only 18 tracks. Yeah. Especially, in the Tortured Poets era. I’m sure she’s released 20 new songs off of that album just this morning alone. Right? But it seems like each track is sort of designed to appeal to a different Megan Thee Stallion fan.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III You know, the ones who like hardcore hip hop, she’s got like a song with Gloria. And then, you know, you’ve got, where there’s girls out on Figueroa which are just sort of her, you know, like party hip hop anthems. And then you have, I’m sorry, one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I wonder which one is worthy. I knew you were gonna say that. Which reminded me of. Actually, this is so weird that you say that it sounds like a Lizzo song. That’s what it sounds like. Yes, and.

 

Ira Madison III It’s so psycho coded.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. And it’s. I would basically call it not hip hop, you know, just like it’s a step away from the rest of the album. I, weirdly, was reacquainted with Lizzo as Tiny Desk Concert recently, and I have to say. Lizzo is funny. I did forget that she was fun in this whole mess. Like, I’m not saying like, she didn’t treat whoever she treated terribly, but I do. As you know, I have a problem with when people are funny. I, I’m likely to say, okay, maybe they have a soul, etc.. So I’m not surprised you didn’t like where they. I’m not surprised you didn’t like it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. It’s I mean, first of all, I don’t really even like that sort of genre of Lizzo song. Yeah. And then two, it’s a bad imitation of a Lizzo song. Yeah. You know, it’s just sort of why why did Meghan make this song? Is it for Old Navy commercials.

 

Louis Virtel Which they need music, Ira. I’m sorry, we don’t have Sherman Hemsley and Kerri Donovan anymore. We need to fill them with music. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III We’ve got Jordin Sparks.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, wait. Is she in them now?

 

Ira Madison III No. There was she had that, song called Red, sang Greer. And you remember, on the internet, someone put, like, the Old Navy. They made it into an Old Navy commercial. Oh.

 

Louis Virtel That’s funny. I wish I had seen that. Yeah. No. By the way, Morgan Fairchild is still around. Because you do Old Navy commercials. Done. Thanks. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III Little Kim, you’re in the hood now, baby.

 

Louis Virtel Always happy when she gets like that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Bring back Old Navy culture. Now, actually, now.

 

Louis Virtel Speaking of music and where I don’t know, it belongs. Camila Cabello, his new album came out and I. This is an album where one question came to mind, which is could it be any worse? Could this album be? I think it is downright unlistenable. And it’s the it’s she’s somebody who I hear you’re going to fucking like this album. I can just see it on Spotify. Where are the hooks? Where are the vocals? Where are the where? It feels like a song, this mess. It feels like somebody who’s determined to say, I’m not just somebody who puts out pop songs. And then they’re like, I’m going to take a new direction. And then they forgot to take a direction.

 

Ira Madison III So I kind of think this album is a carry. I love.

 

Louis Virtel What. Wait, what do you. What’s the occasion for this album? With her waterlogged autotuned vocals.

 

Ira Madison III Well, first of all, this dropped during New York Pride and it was hot as hell. And it’s a Miami sleaze vibe.

 

Louis Virtel So you’re under the influence, is what you’re saying?

 

Ira Madison III Oh, I was very much under the influence listening to this album. Okay, you you need at least three lines of K before you can appreciate any of these songs.

 

Louis Virtel Songs again. Liberally defined. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III I just think, you know, her whole Miami sleaze vibe or whole Spring Breakers thing. It’s very try hard. Obviously it’s very a big Charli XCX and so many other people too. Like even 20 somethings has the same title as a Scissor Song, and it almost feels like she’s trying to emulate Sia’s. There’s a lot going on here. The little NAS X feature is kind of weird. I love, I love the song, but I always forget that Lil NAS X is on it because I feel like he says two eyes. And, I don’t know. It’s just something about the album where it feels listenable. You put it on at a party and people are like, honestly, it’s good.

 

Louis Virtel Well, I’ll have to go to this mysterious party you speak of where people are playing this gargling music and and living it up at the party. I’m going to. We are certainly playing Joyride by Akasha. What are your feelings on this song? Which to me is a return to form to Kesha. I enjoyed the praying era. I enjoyed the reflective time, but like something about like the whole Doctor Luke mess with her is that I feel like people kind of ended up believing that he created her personality in addition to like, her sound. And the fact is, I think when you listen to interviews with her, she has a very genuinely like, I don’t know about sarcastic but like, unpretentious vibe. And, you hear that in the lyrics to the song, which is very a zany song. It starts off with these like crashing accordions. Somebody said it reminded them of Here Comes Gwen Again. Wind it up from, The Sweet Escape. I don’t know if that’s true, but it does have a wild quality that I also associate with Kesha. Which reminds me, I think she is the best of LA vibes of maybe any pop star ever. Just like the like, we’re kind of wasted. We’re all a little sunburnt, you know, like there’s a knowing trash genius about everything going on around us. I really feel like she represents that well. And I fucking love this song as much as I love espresso this summer, as much as I love like the Normani album, to me, this gets into the like hot garbage aspect of summer that I needed tapped into.

 

Ira Madison III I love it too. I actually really love the chorus. I love the chorus. I think. I think the only part of it I really don’t like is. It’s corny when she says like, I am mother. I am tired of. I started people referencing that in Pop song.

 

Louis Virtel I will say this when she says the mother thing. It to me it could sound more contrived. I was thinking in my head, at least when I was about to call her Meghan the Trainor. When Meghan Trainor calls herself mother, you know, a part of you like, you know, your whole body moves a little bit, right? And that. But with her, with Kesha, it’s up to me a little bit knowingly funnier, a little bit like, I know this is a cliche and I’m invoking it not to be cool, but because, you know, I’m hot garbage and I’m your mother.

 

Ira Madison III I’m along with her on the joy ride. Yeah, that’s. She debuted this song over pride at. Tyson owns Planet Pride, and I thought I liked it immediately. I mean, I think it’s just a fun. It’s sort of really a fun gay club song. Yeah. When that chorus hits, you’re dancing to it, right?

 

Louis Virtel And it’s that song that in the chorus takes off, too, which is a little bit different than, like, I like again, I’m gonna compare it to espresso, the obvious song of the summer. That’s a we’re next to a pool not moving. You know, we’re on round eight of Iris. Ketamine. You ever tried ketamine? I think you like it. Whereas this, like, gets you up an atom. And I really love that baby.

 

Ira Madison III Ketamine has me Dade County dreaming. Okay. Featuring the city girls, which. Okay, you have to at least. Do you like that song? Do you like Dreamgirls on camera? No. Wow. Dreamgirls samples the dream, story is the set, which is a perfect R&B song. I don’t know, it’s going back to that album. It is very weird in that it’s such a encapsulation of 2024, because it has the last ever song that the City Girls recorded before they broke up. Yeah, because the if they’re even listed on the album as featuring JT and Yung Miami, it’s not city Girls anymore. Wow.

 

Louis Virtel They couldn’t even handle that. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III You’ve got a Drake feature followed by.

 

Louis Virtel Drake’s spoken word and why?

 

Ira Madison III Why? It’s.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, I would actually say that those two songs are when the album almost threatens to take off a little bit for me. I mean, it’s like conventional Drake material. It’s nothing new, I think would be nothing Drake would be particularly proud of, I don’t think, but it does sound like. All right, but we’re back to somebody with a commanding artistic idea here.

 

Ira Madison III But these are, of course, the songs, that, Drake allegedly did not want to come out earlier. Like, I think Hot Uptown was going to be a single earlier. But, you know, in the midst of the whole Kendrick Lamar set, it was like, I can’t be in a serious rap battle with Kendrick while releasing a Camila Cabello single. And now there’s two on the album. You know.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, this reminds me now that we’ve brought up Drake, this is something I was thinking about at Fire Island. I saw a white person wearing an alias shirt. I don’t think you can do that. It feels all wrong. And I’m somebody who, like, I’ll wear like a Megan Thee Stallion. There’s something about a where it’s like, I don’t think you can be white. I can’t explain it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Maybe it depends what kind of white person, you know going to be of maybe a little wigger coated.

 

Louis Virtel I do need to see a little bit of that energy. Yeah, yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Also, Aaliyah died so young, in the 27 club, I believe.

 

Louis Virtel No, she was 22.

 

Ira Madison III Kurt Cobain. Oh, okay. Wow.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. I’ll tell you how old she was.

 

Ira Madison III You were on the plane?

 

Louis Virtel I was not.

 

Ira Madison III You put the Chevy to the levy and parachuted out.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, my God, no.

 

Ira Madison III In Jossie and the Pussycats. No. She died so young. In the same way that Kurt Cobain died so young. So it’s sort of not even just the racial implications of being like a white person wearing an Aaliyah shirt. There’s also the implication that unless you’re sort of our age, do you know who Aaliyah is?

 

Louis Virtel There’s some of that. I mean, that just permeates culture, period. You know, if you’re like sporting iconography of someone from a past era like, am I sure you know what’s going on here? Like, every once in a while, you are sure. I was in the grocery store and somebody was wearing a a t shirt with Kate Bush, the Sensual World album t shirt. I was like, oh, here comes the fagot. No, I know that person. That’s exactly what’s going on here. Sometimes people can really nail it. But you’re right, Alia is mean. She’s so, omnipresent. Like in the way that, like, on Hollywood Boulevard, you’ll see Marilyn Monroe or, Michael Jackson iconography everywhere. She’s sort of that level where, you know, just everywhere you turn, you can get a merch.

 

Ira Madison III You know. I kept hearing working day and night, playing all weekend at parties.

 

Louis Virtel You know, I lived here on you know, I live off the wall.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, and I’m like, are we in a wearing Michael Jackson shirt era again?

 

Louis Virtel We better not be guys. I mean, I think we got we got this one, right?

 

Ira Madison III If I started, I wanted a thriller, sir. Yeah. Yeah. So there’s that. And then, of course, there’s Dreamgirls, which samples, the song by The Dream. And then, you know, the dream had his, lawsuit against him this year. So it feels like there’s all this weird 2024 shit that kind of seemed like it was going to pop while she was making the album, and the album came out and I was like, well, shit.

 

Louis Virtel Right. We made we made three wrong guesses.

 

Ira Madison III Good try everybody. I do want to say that I like the sort of the end songs to Boat and June Gloom, I don’t know, I like I like the end songs, mostly because she’s singing on them and she does a lot of not singing on the album.

 

Louis Virtel She’s doing her could use more singing. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III She’s a great fucking singer, right?

 

Louis Virtel No, please. When, she had that song, senior writer with, Shawn Mendes, I would, I would. I disliked it when he would sing. I would rather just hear her sing on that track. Not that he’s a bad singer.

 

Ira Madison III Professional Instagram model Shawn Mendes. No. All he does now is wander around New York and take selfies.

 

Louis Virtel No, no. And he also his vibe is the man in the yellow hat from Curious George. Just like I got a.

 

Ira Madison III Long rectangle.

 

Louis Virtel Face and I’m walking somewhere.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, truly, because I feel like I’ve seen multiple friends get selfies with shark, but that’s because he’s just like sitting in Washington Square Park hanging out.

 

Louis Virtel His board.

 

Ira Madison III Era. And at this point, it is his board era. And, this is sort of restless era. You know, I mean, I don’t want to get into speculation about Shawn Mendes again, but I just feel like when there was all the Izzy gay stuff coming out, I just feel like he talked a lot about his anxiety and being overwhelmed by all of it. And I just it just sort of feels like. The industry and like making music sort of broke him for a bit and he just doesn’t want to be a part of it. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel If something about him feels like it needs an eight year break. Yeah, yeah. Especially when you hit so hard of that young, too. And I feel like it’s all built on a kind of ambition. And then like, not saying the ambition runs out, but you get a little sick of being ambitious, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Especially because. What are you working towards? Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel You know. Right.

 

Ira Madison III Like, do you want to be Harry styles? Do you want to be Taylor Swift and like, take over the world, right.

 

Louis Virtel Got I have to say that about Taylor Swift. She literally always finds something new to be ambitious about when there are truly no vistas left to conquer. But like, sincerely, Jesus Christ is in second place to this girl.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. When’s her Christmas album coming out? Oh.

 

Louis Virtel That would be a good move for her, to be honest. I mean, like, or a move, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Or she just released a Bible for her followers.

 

Louis Virtel Sickening. Into real.

 

Ira Madison III I think cult leader is next. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel No, no.

 

Ira Madison III No, I’m looking forward to that. We’re Jonestown. Yeah, but, like, that’s her ultimate plan.

 

Louis Virtel Let her take that carbon footprint on a plane to Guyana. Yeah. Let’s see how that goes.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. All that’s left is kool aid and bracelets. All right, when we’re back, we are joined by the wonderful Rashida Jones.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III This week’s Keep It guest is an exceptional talent who’s cemented herself as a comedic powerhouse in shows like Parks and Rec and Angie Tribeca. But now she’s entering her mystery girl era in sunny, the new sci fi thriller series now streaming on Apple TV+. Please welcome to Keep It. Rashida Jones.

 

Rashida Jones Hello.

 

Ira Madison III Hi.

 

Rashida Jones Hi. Thanks for having me.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. About this show. I didn’t realize until watching it how little good serialized television I had in my life. At the moment, IRA and I are very obsessed with reality TV right now, which is sort of our summer want, but this takes us right back into, okay, there’s actually some intrigue going on, different genres being mixed. And also, I mean, it’s such an extreme production and I realize you had to stay in Japan for like a year in order to make this show. Like, your life is utterly transformed because of this show.

 

Rashida Jones It really is. It’s nuts. But still I was that qualifies. Okay. Transformation. But yeah, totally. So yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Talk about just becoming part of this show and what you thought of it versus what it actually ended up becoming. And it became successfully. The show is so engrossing.

 

Rashida Jones Thank you. That’s so nice. Yeah. I think actually the show was the the kind of best version of the thing that it always purported to be since the beginning. You know, things morph over time. They change, they take on a different life. But this very much kind of knew what it was when it came to me. There was a beautiful desk and scripts and a playlist like the vibe was there already, and really, they just like realized it to the nth degree, which is really nice because that doesn’t always happen. There’s a lot that can go wrong.

 

Ira Madison III Right? And this show is obviously, you know, you’re paired with a robot. It’s about AI. What is your relationship with technology and what what was what how did your relationship with technology sort of change while working on this show? Hmhm if at all?

 

Rashida Jones I yeah, yeah. No, I mean, it did I mean, I, I was like an early tech adopter, you know, I’m like Gen X and I had like a modem. I had like a dial up modem and a printer, which put me way ahead of my, my classmates. Like, I was like, really rocking the floppy disks really hard. And then something changed along the way and I was like, nevermind, I’m out.

 

Ira Madison III I think I couldn’t cope anymore.

 

Rashida Jones But, but I’ve always been really interested about about like tech and humanity and how the two things might merge one day and how, you know, we could be fooled or not fooled by, you know, these almost, you know, these verisimilitude of humanity. And I feel like the thing that I never thought about before the show is that the home for the thing, like I have a I mean, I know we’ve there’s been so many movies and TV shows about robots, but like having something next to you that like emotes and has expressions and can touch you changes everything. Like, I know, I feel like we’re everybody’s obsessed with like, you know, OpenAI and Midjourney and ChatGPT and it’s it is it does feel very scary, mainly because it’s kind of disembodied. But then it’s like maybe even scarier when it has a body because you do find yourself very quickly responding to it like it’s maybe human.

 

Louis Virtel With an actual like bone chilling moments on set making this, you know, sometimes bone chilling show.

 

Rashida Jones Wouldn’t it be crazy if I was like, yeah. One time.

 

Ira Madison III We were filming and the robot.

 

Rashida Jones Started talking to me and nobody knew where the voice was coming from. What? Would you like me to get you something? Yeah. No. You know, fortunately. Unfortunately, it still took a lot of, like, very talented people, robotics people and and voice voice actor Joanna. So tomorrow, who plays sunny to, like, make this thing actually feel real. So like, it didn’t feel so real. But I was like, man, it’s crazy. This is here and it’s here now. But there were times when like, you know, I, I was acting in scenes with this thing. So yes, I would feel I would feel things. And then the minute they would like power her down, I did I was sunny, I would feel like I was losing her. And it all happened very quickly. Like, even though, you know, it’s not real, you still kind of you get caught up.

 

Louis Virtel I also like this character is sort of a departure for you. She has a sort of resting, I guess I would say angst, really. I mean, a lot of is happening to this character in the show too.

 

Rashida Jones That’s not where I got away with that.

 

Louis Virtel Did this feel.

 

Rashida Jones Resting angst? Okay. Yeah, yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Did it feel like a new kind of character for you to play it too?

 

Rashida Jones Totally. Yes. This distance some ways is the furthest away from anybody that I’ve ever played. Like I’m not like some great method character actor. So I tend to play people who are somewhat related to my real personality, not all the way, but like this is very different for me. I’m not. I hope I’m not this difficult to be around. I’m I’m, I think less misanthropic than Susie. I think I’m, you know, I like people a little bit more than her. I’m not I don’t like I don’t seek out to be, like, completely alone. And I don’t push people away by just, like, cursing at them all day. I don’t think I have to ask my friends.

 

Ira Madison III Well, speaking about like, roles that you’ve taken on, obviously, you know, we know you for your comedic prowess and now you’re trying out, you know, the angst with this. I loved your documentary about your father, Quincy, and I just it’s always interesting to me that you, you haven’t really done a project where it seems like you’re doing music, like, whether you’re singing or like, you’re, like, immersed in, like a character. Like, it would almost make sense if you were in that High Fidelity reboot, you know, instead of Zoe, you know, and it’s like, is that something that interests you in sort of writing about the music world, or are you just sort of like you’re happy to have music in your life in one way, and you keep it separate?

 

Rashida Jones I, I love music is I mean, it’s a stupid thing to say because I don’t know, I don’t know that many people who don’t love music, but I did grow up appreciating what I think is the best music in the world. And because of that, I’m very intimidated by anything in the music thing because like when you have a father who’s a genius, like, you tend to stay away from that thing he’s a genius at because, well, you know, why would I do that to myself? But no, I love the world of music, and I and I, you know, if I could find a way to write about it myself, I would love to. And if I, if, you know, anything came up that I felt like I could do in the world of music, I would consider it. But like, I have a very high bar when it comes to that stuff and I will never reach that bar. So I tend to just like, stay away, you know, your dad.

 

Louis Virtel Is also like Prince and that you could go on and on just about what is underrated in his career. Like he literally won album of the year for an album called back on the block, which has a song called One Man Woman on it, which has, Sayeeda Garrett, double Oscar nominee. Oh, yeah, I love that song. I never heard that song. I just wondering what you think you have. You do you have favorite, like, deep cuts and your father’s catalog and stuff like that. Another song I love by him. Yeah.

 

Rashida Jones Stuff like the whole album. Stuff like. That’s amazing. And so is the dude, like I those two albums for me, I think maybe because it was like my that is my most like amazing childhood memories are set to like both those records. Brothers Johnson I think is also like that’s early memories for me. And. And then all his, like, movie scores. It’s got a lot of really incredible movie scores.

 

Louis Virtel The beginning of his career? Yeah. 32 of his career is like such a mind thug to who he collaborated with early on. Like, how was so movie oriented before it became, you know, the other Quincy Jones we know and love? Yes.

 

Rashida Jones Yeah. He’s it’s also crazy, like thriller came out when he was 50. He produced the biggest selling of all time when he was 50. I’m not even 50. That’s crazy. He had a whole career and a whole life in jazz and and pop. But then, like, you know, that’s that’s kind of when it’s supposed to happen. But these days it happens for young people like, you know, 50 and making like the you’re not at the pinnacle of your career at 50. No, no, no. Cool. Amazing at.

 

Louis Virtel 50. I don’t know if you listen to podcast, but people generally don’t get cooler when they’re moving up to 50. I’m keeping track of some of my colleagues.

 

Rashida Jones I don’t think I don’t think it’s just in podcast. I think that’s like in general, but kind of through, you know. I know that I’m I’m moving close to 50. I know I feel like less cool every day.

 

Ira Madison III It’s so interesting to me, you know, to like, you know, make it recording music for film, you know, I mean, is that’s something that I feel like. Were you a film person as well? Do you call hip, like, sort of like a film aficionado or is it just you’re making music for the film and you’re not really that into cinema in general?

 

Rashida Jones No, I love I mean, I, you know, I grew up in Hollywood in an era of Hollywood that was very different than it is now. There was no social media. There was no co-mingling between Tik-Tok and movies. You know, it was just you had film and you had TV, and that was it. So, so and it was the, you know, the 70s in the 80s, which are in some ways the best era of cinema. 70s to me is like really, you know, peak auteur, the most kind of experiments and experimenting across the board American cinema and also European cinema, Japanese cinema. So yeah, no, I love I love movies and Japanese.

 

Ira Madison III So, and then Japanese culture where you immersed in sort of any interest in Japan, before this series, like, were you sort of, had you been there before? Or was this sort of a completely new experience for you?

 

Rashida Jones I had been there before, and I think I’m not alone in saying, when you go to Japan and I don’t I know I’m not unique in this way. And you go, oh my God, this is this is where my my soul lives. I want to be here all the time. This place is incredible. I know a lot of people feel that way. And to get the experience to actually live there, is so different than just coming in and, you know, wandering around in wonderment and amazement, and, you know, having to figure out, like, where you get your groceries and, you know, how your, like, who you call when your AC breaks or all that kind of stuff is a very different experience of living somewhere that you’ve romanticized for so long. But I will say, overall, it was like the one of the most positive experiences of my life. The culture, Japanese culture, is so it’s so well preserved, like there’s a real sense of preservation, of history and tradition and also a forward motion and a and a, an innovation. Like they somehow managed to do both things and they don’t feel like they conflict with each other. And I, I’m not sure I know any other country like that. I will mention ours by name, but.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, with our past.

 

Rashida Jones And our future.

 

Louis Virtel Anyway, sunny has been likened in certain ways to Black Mirror, which, of course, you wrote an episode of. And, I was wondering, in general, what inspires you to write? Because when I look back at your projects, they don’t necessarily have anything in common. Really. Like Celeste and Jesse Forever does not remind me of Black Mirror, you know?

 

Rashida Jones Yes. No, I know, I know, it’s I know I have I have a lot of personalities. I think I just, I don’t know, I mean, Black Mirror, I was just a huge fan of Charlie Brooker, the creator. And I just was like, I whatever, I just want to be involved, whatever you do. And he called me when he was doing his first comedy episode, because that was somewhat new for him. And, and then I called make sure, because he’s like a real comedy writer. And my friend and I was like, you want to write this with me? But, yeah, I don’t know. I’m sort of like to me, the, the if there’s anything in common, maybe it’s that there’s like a relationship thing there. Like, I like the, the exploration of kind of like the, the saddest, darkest, loneliest, most human corners of being alive. So, like, you know, the Black Mirror episode is about wanting to be liked and, like, now it’s, you know, exaggerated by this rating system that makes it even harder to deal with the idea that maybe somebody won’t like you, or maybe you’ll fuck up in your, you know. Give a big, embarrassing toast at your friend’s wedding like that to me. The root of that is wanting to be liked is being codependent and needing people to like you, or like Celeste and Jesse. It’s like that relationship you have that you think is going to be the one that you’re with that person for the rest of your life, and it doesn’t work out. And it’s the most devastating thing ever until the next devastating thing happens. But just like capturing that moment in time when you, like, finally have the first adult relationship in your life, and it doesn’t work out or, you know, just I like the the kind of like humanity, the schtick, the human interpersonal dynamics, regardless of the genre, I think.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, that makes sense because I also recall that, which is wild to be like, think about it now that you had a podcast with Bill gates. Oh, yeah. Where you were just talking about, pondering like big questions with Bill gates.

 

Rashida Jones Casual podcasting?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean.

 

Rashida Jones I mean, I said yes, I was like, okay, I’ll I’ll do that. That sounds interesting.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, was there something really fun about just, I don’t know, talking to Bill gates every time he recorded things like, did you come away from it? I guess a new person learning, thinking about the world differently.

 

Rashida Jones Everything I do, I come away a new person, you know? I mean, that’s that’s the hope. But yes, it was fascinating experience. We couldn’t be more different, which was kind of fun. And we would like, get into it, you know, and and in a weird way, I think because he was kind of like, who are you? And I was kind of like, I know who you are, but who are you? We just we, you know, we had less we had less at stake with each other, you know, so just have these, like, these conversations with each other and other people. And obviously we think about things very differently. I think I come he comes from a data point of view I’m very much interested in, like the cultural point of view and how culture impacts everything science, politics, you know, socioeconomic status. Every conversation to me comes out of culture. He’s thinking about it as a data set. So it was it was kind of fun to to have this conversation.

 

Louis Virtel So, I mean, nowadays when we look back on Parks and Rec, it really feels like it now feels like what we consider Second City to be for SNL. Like all these people just popped off from it and are now every which direction. Whatever did it feel kind of like at the time? Oh, here, here it is like a meeting ground for people. I mean, obviously Amy Poehler was already really established then, but all these other people that began there, was there a sense of something percolating on that show immediately?

 

Rashida Jones We always felt that way. It felt extremely special. I know that sounds like a rewriting of history, but it the whole time we worked on that show, we were so grateful of each other. We were so grateful of like how different everybody’s comedy styles were. We were grateful of how deep our bench was. There were so many things to to play. There were so many jokes to be had. And that was really a combination of Mike Schur and Greg Daniels and the writers having a really good relationship with the whole cast and then, you know, doing a great job casting all these kinds of unknowns who obviously went on to be these like mega stars, but in such different, you know, alleys. So we were never stepping on each other’s toes, on each other’s rhythm, like we were always just playing against each other. And then, you know, there’s just the reality that we were on must see TV, NBC, and, you know, maybe it was the beginning of the end in terms of TV and ratings and stuff, but we were never like a runaway hit when we were on primetime television. I think it was really after the fact when it was on Netflix and Peacock, that people got to binge it and spend time with these people for seven seasons, that they started to love it. But we always felt like there was something special there. And we also, like, held on to each other because we weren’t ever sure if the show was going to get picked up or come back, or how many more episodes we’d have. So we really like, you know, enjoyed those those moments together. And I think you can tell by.

 

Louis Virtel The way an electric spark ran through me when you said the words must see TV. Oh my God, I miss my TV. Was excited. Oh my God, we all would agree on it and watch it.

 

Rashida Jones Right?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Rashida Jones Must see you.

 

Ira Madison III Absolutely must.

 

Louis Virtel See. It was a mandate.

 

Ira Madison III Right.

 

Rashida Jones Now you’re like, what’s TV? Yeah. What’s on it?

 

Louis Virtel Why do I go to talk about it? Yeah, exactly.

 

Rashida Jones Where do I go to see it even how many times a week? Sorry. Do you guys Google. How do I see X show on. Like where do I watch.

 

Louis Virtel And you’ll end up anywhere. I have no idea. Yeah.

 

Rashida Jones Isn’t that crazy how hard it is to figure that out?

 

Louis Virtel And yet you all see it on the same screen too. So it’s like a stupid question. Yeah. Or if it’s on one. Yes, yes.

 

Rashida Jones And then you have to download that app and pay for the or sign up for the one free week to see the movie before you have to pay for the subscription. It’s just like it’s a whole new world. It feels like. It should be really easy to watch things now, and it’s not.

 

Ira Madison III I miss Blockbuster is what I really miss.

 

Rashida Jones I miss like sitting there looking at all the titles.

 

Louis Virtel You know, like I’ll pick House sitter with Goldie Hawn again. Yes.

 

Rashida Jones Great movie.

 

Ira Madison III My blockbuster had just it for years. When I was a kid, it had a one shelf with about 80 copies of Amadaius.

 

Rashida Jones So I mean, talk about messy TV. That’s what you have to know.

 

Ira Madison III That’s right, it’s available.

 

Rashida Jones Oh, good movie by the way. A banger. Real banger. Yes.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Wait, before we let you go, I have one final question, which is, you have a fabulous father. You have a fucking fabulous mom, too, Peggy Lipton. When I look back at, like, when I watch Mod Squad episodes, I’m like, oh, my God, a television star. That’s so exciting. What a fabulous.

 

Rashida Jones Yes, an icon.

 

Louis Virtel Do you have just like any rad memories of your mom to share with us?

 

Rashida Jones She was the best, and always an icon. She, you know, she was 19 or 20 when she did the Mod Squad. I think it was, like, very overwhelming for her because there was, you know, two channels on TV, unlike now. And so everybody sat down to watch your show. So it was a lot for like, a young person. And then she was kind of just with our family. She gave it up and raised us. And then it came back just casually on Twin Peaks, which is just like.

 

Ira Madison III Perfect.

 

Rashida Jones Yeah yeah yeah yeah. She she just was. Yeah. She was like the ultimate cool girl. And it’s not even anything you can manufacture. She just had that vibe about her, you know.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I loved the Mod Squad. I got into it because, I mean, I used to watch all TV shows all the time. Thank you, Nick, at night. But I just feel like it’s so interesting you bring up that cool girl aspect. That’s a vibe of a show that doesn’t really exist anymore. And then even Parks and Rec, it’s so interesting rewatching it. It’s it’s fun to rewatch The Office or like 30 Rock, you know, but you rewatch Parks and Rec and it it really does feel like a time capsule of an America that does not exist anymore.

 

Rashida Jones It’s totally it’s hope. It’s a lot of that. So it’s a very different time. And I think it’s like, that’s the only time you could have made that show in a way. You know, we really capitalized on that. And I think, you know, comedy can be very cynical and, you know, like the sunny it’s it is it’s dark, it’s disturbing. It’s it’s it’s wry. But there is there’s a levity about parks that’s like the main characters really believe in their cause. Like they really do collectively believe that there’s good in people and there’s good to be had in the world. And that’s, you know, it’s sad, but that’s just it’s it’s hard to come by these days. You know, it’s hard to come by.

 

Louis Virtel And then that deeply apocalyptic note thanks to downer.

 

Ira Madison III Sorry. Yeah. That’s that’s terrible way to end.

 

Rashida Jones But, God, it’s possible, it’s possible, it’s possible because Parks and Rec is still hot. You can still watch it. So. And also also just to say sunny is it is a little dark, but it isn’t totally pessimistic. It’s not totally nihilistic. Like my relationship with sunny, even though you’re like, is she violent? Is she just a robot? Is she becoming sentient? Is she is she my friend? Is she not? Like it’s not. There’s not a clear answer. It’s very complicated. And I feel like that’s a little bit of, like a parable for humanity, too. Like we’re complicated too. We’re flawed. We were hard to love, you know, like it’s. We might have that problem with technology, but we’ve always had that problem with people. And like, you kind of do have to push through that because caring about people, being connected to people or robots is kind of the reason we’re here, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, thank you.

 

Rashida Jones A nice note to end on, right?

 

Louis Virtel Very, very Jerry Springer final thought.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Just somebody saw somebody get a chair thrown at them. But by the way, I have something cute to say about it.

 

Rashida Jones Fair enough. Fair enough. Yeah. You’re right.

 

Louis Virtel Thank you so much for being here. God. Also, we were saying before, can’t believe you haven’t been here before. You’re such a fabulous, interviewee. Anyway, so it’s so cool to talk to you.

 

Rashida Jones I know.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Rashida Jones Thank you. It was super fun. So fun to talk to you guys.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III The list of reality shows that Louis and I both enjoy is shorter than Sabrina Carpenter, but one of our favorites. The mall is back. And between that Love Island, I Kissed a Boy and The Heat Wave. I don’t think I left my house for days.

 

Louis Virtel No, I knew exactly where I belonged. It was on a couch with somebody’s Apple TV piping in. Reality contestants who will be famous for 11 milliseconds.

 

Ira Madison III Unless you sort of work your way into a reality show, career. You know, you can be on the trailers now. You can join the challenge. There are certain avenues where you can continue, fame as a reality show contestant, but you really have to be someone who pops, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Right? You have to basically be a disaster. Or like, the world’s most hilarious person, which I’ve got news for you. They rarely are on these shows. They’re usually fine and pretty cute.

 

Ira Madison III So the moral. Oh, yeah, you start at the moral. I watched the first episode, which is, now hosted by Ari Shapiro.

 

Louis Virtel Correct. Which I have kind of mixed feelings about. I think he he brings, like, a gravitas to the show. This is NPR personality Ari Shapiro, friend of John Lovett, I believe Ari Shapiro, he’s around, you know, gay guy. And I do believe some gay intrigue should be a part of the show. As you know, Anderson Cooper was the original host of this show, but it does feel like they looked at maybe his credentials, saw something that resembled Ac360 and thought, oh, he’ll be perfect for this show. And I feel like maybe he lacks, quality, like he it needs a little bit more intensity. I think, he’s, I think happy to deliver the spy like dialog to these contestants and offer them exemptions and, explain the rules. And he does a good job doing that stuff. But it does kind of lack the film noir quality that I think Anderson Cooper brought.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, it’s just sort of. Here’s a gay man who does the news, right? And I don’t know, I liked Alex Wagner.

 

Louis Virtel I liked her, too. Apparently, I had heard somewhat through the grapevine that she just didn’t think the show was for her. And again, if you’re a news personality, this show wouldn’t be for you. It has nothing to do with any actual urgency occurring in the world. I liked her. I again, I think I’m still addicted to the original recipe, Anderson Cooper, so I’m always harkening back to him.

 

Ira Madison III Or Ahmad Rashad.

 

Louis Virtel Host of Celebrity Mole. And he knows what it is. They come.

 

Ira Madison III First of all the Mole season two dropped and I, I feel like we always complain about this with Netflix, but I had no idea this show was dropping.

 

Louis Virtel It seems to come out of nowhere. And by the way, from the looks of it, to me it’s an extremely high budget show. These are like challenges that are beyond anything you see on survivor. They’re like really weirdly staged. The whole, season takes place in Malaysia, which is a nice novel place for them to go. I think if you’re unfamiliar with the mole, there’s 12 contestants. One of them is a secret saboteur who is trying to take money away from the pot that, the other challengers are trying to build. And every week, somebody is eliminated based on a quiz about who they think the mole is. So the quiz will have questions like. And what team was the mole this episode? What color were they wearing? And the person who gets the least amount of questions correctly is, is eliminated. And and the other contestants never find out what their score on the quiz is. So at the end of the show, you just have the mole left over and two contestants, and they take one final quiz based on who they think the mole is, and then that person is declared the winner. Anyway, it’s a show that I said this on Twitter recently in a flop tweet, I went nowhere. Something I love about this show. It makes ordinary conversations boring, banal conversations 25 times more interesting because you’re constantly interpreting small behaviors as potential sabotages. You know, like, did they say, got to throw me off the track or like, because you need to take notes on what the mole is doing all day because it might come up on the quiz. You’re writing down notes about like, minutia that would not matter to anybody else, you know, where do they sit at dinner, etc. so it makes you feel like a spy and turns the kind of the terrain of boring conversation into something a bit intriguing.

 

Ira Madison III I do like that because. What do you think it was? Show like traitors, which obviously has the high drama of the Round Table where you’re accusing someone of being a traitor, who’s been murdering people in the game. There’s otherwise no way to sort of figure out who a traitor is right? In the traitors.

 

Louis Virtel Because they have nothing to do. Yeah, right.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. There’s no goal. They’re not sabotaging the game. They’re not doing anything else. It’s just sort of. Well, I have a gut feeling that this person’s a liar, and it’s not really. Oh, this person was like, 10s shorter. In running this game than, like someone else was running this track. But I feel like they’re a track athletes, so they should have been faster, like something like that. You’re actually trying to figure out what someone is doing in the game to sabotage you, whereas traitors is just sort of you’re just having fun.

 

Louis Virtel It’s all vibes. Yeah, right. Like that person kind of seems like they might be lying. If I were in the traitors, I’d be thinking like a casting director. I’d be thinking like, that would be the most interesting person to have to lie all the time and then give confessionals about how they were lying. Whereas on The Mole. The weird thing is, all the players kind of want to sabotage the missions because that forces other players to vote for them on the quiz. Right? So if you cast suspicion on yourself and you’re not the mole, that’s kind of the only real leverage you have in the game to sort of bend it your way. But what you’re trying to figure out is what player is getting advance knowledge of these missions from the producers, and then solving how to sabotage it ahead of time. You’re really trying to figure out who has advance knowledge of what’s going on in the game.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I am looking forward to finishing this season because I thought last season was great and I thought that the I’m trying to remember this girl’s name.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, the pilot.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, that that pilot Joy, who was a nut and was not the mole. Yeah. And was truly playing the game like, like she had three days left to live. The awesome. She, she.

 

Louis Virtel Also could not have been the mocha. She would say such crazy things where it’s like they would not hire somebody who would then say these things to the other contestants. Like it backfired on her weirdly, even though she made it to the end. I will say Netflix ingeniously edits this show where it will end on a note where you don’t know who was eliminated yet or before somebody makes a decision. So every episode folds right into another. Everybody in my Fire Island house, we had watched all of the episodes as soon as they dropped. And also as it goes on, like, certain characters really play the game. Fascinatingly. There’s a woman named Hannah on the show who who dates one of the contestants for a second, and that’s never been done on the mall because it’s not like a salacious show in that way. It’s not like Big Brother. And, then after the person she dates, this is the only spoiler I will give away after he’s eliminated in a somewhat early episode. You’re like, was he off the track? Did he did he underestimate her? Did she befriend him to, you know, keep him close and sort of throw him? It’s really interesting. So you’re constantly wondering who’s capable of deception and how many layers deep they’re going to go.

 

Ira Madison III I will say that what I do love about the Netflix model of these reality shows, like I liked, The Trust A Game of Greed. I remember watching that in January with some friends.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, right, I saw that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. That one was. That one was fun. I think that a second season of it could be a little bit better. There were only about maybe three people in the cast who were really sort of serving reality TV contestants, and the others were just hanging around. But, I like how they edit that show to where it’s it’s not the typical format of you’re doing this one challenge, and then the person is eliminated at the end, and then you’re just waiting for the next week’s episode. I like how there are cliffhangers, and it just can end in the middle of an episode. You’re like, what’s about to happen? And that adds a bit more tension to wanting to watch the show.

 

Louis Virtel You also just said something about Netflix reality shows. That kind of does bother me. I wonder if that’s the case here, which is a Netflix has like a pool of potential reality contestants they seem to pick from, as opposed to having people audition specifically for these certain shows and something like them. I do think you want people who are there specifically to play that game. When I look at the first seasons of The Mall on ABC from 2000 and 2001, God, that’s so long ago now. Those people were all there to play that game. You could see that those were hard nosed contestants, all really smart, really capable people. And here, there does feel like a bit of a central casting vibe, even though I’m ultimately happy with the cast.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, we are a week away from Big Brother 26, which is so debuting.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, God.

 

Ira Madison III And that becomes a problem on that show too, right? When there are people who are quote unquote recruited, yes, for the show, they end up people being people who have never seen an episode of Big Brother before. So they’re in the house and they sort of don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean, yeah, they’ll be like bartenders that like, some casting director met somewhere in like, Culver City or something. And then, you want these people are put into quarantine before they go into the Big Brother house. All they can do in their hotel room, literally, is watch old seasons of Big Brother. So that becomes their education on the show. Who’s to say they’re sitting there watching that? I don’t know.

 

Ira Madison III And I feel like they always tend to watch recent episodes and so they’re not watching. You need to throw season ten at these people.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Make it fun. Make it hot. Get the deceptions going. Because that’s that’s the other weird thing about Big Brother. I always feel like every season peaks at a certain point with a conflict between a couple of people. Then one of those people is eliminated, and then the rest of the season, you’re sort of just waiting out.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, like last year. I mean, once Suri went out, it was sort of, well, what are we doing here?

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. I you brought up that name, and it’s so overwhelming to even think about the anxiety of watching that season. Oh, my God, she was very funny on the interviews afterwards, I will say. And of course, I loved her on the trailers.

 

Ira Madison III And speaking of Big Brother, I’ve been watching Love Island USA and I would have to say that the thing about this season of Love Island is the pool of contestants that they gathered are people who would be really good at Big Brother.

 

Louis Virtel Really.

 

Ira Madison III Like they are. There’s particularly one contestant named Rob who was on the show last season because, you know, for people who don’t really know Love Island, you have men and women on the show who couple up, every few days, and you can change couples based on who you’re vibing with. And then there are eliminations where if you’re single, you’re vulnerable and can be dumped from the villa. And then at a certain point midway through the season, they go to Casa Amor, where they introduce a bunch of new guys and a bunch of new women to test people’s relationships. Rob was in Casa Amor last year, and now this year, he’s just sort of a contestant. And when I tell you this is one of the most dramatic men I’ve ever seen on TV. Giving you. Giving you, like, dramatic, like, I was just sort of, like, groaning, just like, overreacting and everything. His. One of the women he was coupled up with, Andrea was dumped from the island by the other girls in a vote, and he had these histrionics where he was like, I’m leaving and she’s leaving. I’m leaving. Of course, this man did leave. But the entire episode it was I should just walk out of the house with her. Aaron from the Traitors UK. One of the winners of that first season is on Love Island USA this season.

 

Louis Virtel I barely even remember her because it was so sari oriented. But him.

 

Ira Madison III He was the guy, Aaron, who kept having panic attacks famously. Like, he like had that one panic attack in the round table and had to leave the room, right?

 

Louis Virtel Right, right. Yes. I can’t believe how many seasons of that television series I have watched. And Australia season two made me want to jump off the planet, so I’ve erased most of the memories I have of that show.

 

Ira Madison III I watched Australian season two recently. Finally it I just bingeing it was I guess easier than watching it week to week for people who watched it in Australia, because man, those faithfuls were idiots.

 

Louis Virtel And they went. The whole show went down so hard. It was it was like. It was like everybody’s parents showed up and they said, pack it up or going home, like, just get your shit.

 

Ira Madison III Perfect finale, though.

 

Louis Virtel Poetically.

 

Ira Madison III Poetically, poetically. Yeah, yeah, but Love Island is fun. Of course, it’s hosted by Ariana Madix this year, and I think that sort of adds a little something extra to the proceedings for a show like this, because she is a woman who, on Vanderpump Rules went through such a public, cheating scandal with her partner Tom Sandoval. And I think that there’s this sort of vibe of like, the people in the villa know who she is, you know? She’s not like Sarah Hyland was hosting before, you know, they know who she is. They’ve watched her on Vanderpump Rules. And Ariana is a big fan of the show. So when she is there for the eliminations or the dare to chat with the girls, you can tell she actually gets a fuck what’s going on in the island. That’s not like she really wants to know. The tea. There was a moment where I saw Aaron, had potentially cheated on his girl Kayla, in Casa Amore, and he was like, we can talk about that later. You know, when it’s just like the two of us and Ariana’s like, I got all the time in the world. She’s like, actually.

 

Louis Virtel That’s the kind of reminds me, like, the one thing Big Brother always have going for it is Julie Chen. Moonves at least presents the facade successfully, that she’s invested in what’s going on in the house. And you kind of need that. Which reminds me. Yeah. So on I Kissed a Boy starring Danny Minogue. I was very impressed with her.

 

Ira Madison III I love the show.

 

Louis Virtel First of all, I love the show. And it’s like Love Island, where people are paired up, and then they have the opportunity to stay together or split apart or whatever. But first of all, she really has just the kind of buoyant thing that reminds me of Kylie Minogue of Just like there’s a celebratory, like, non-judgmental, frankly Australian thing about her that, just really, really, radiates energy. Well, and also. Nobody on this. People on the show, I guess, can get a little annoying, but they really did a good job picking people who are sorting that Mormon. Oh well, there’s the one guy who’s never, literally never been kissed before and just shows up on the show. Girl, don’t start here in front of me and all my friends. They pick people who I don’t know how to put it, aren’t annoying and like, it’s fun to watch them. Yeah. And like, like, every Fire Island experience, there’s. Oh, that guy is immediately coupled with that person. And they’ll be together the rest of the trip. And then there are these people going through this drama. They really found different levels of romance to occur. And also, Danny Manno cannot stop referencing the songs from her career. And there are only about nine of us and also Kylie Minogue job. She’ll be like, hand on your heart, can you? I’m like, wow, we’re going deep. We’re going back to the 80s.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You’re just go be you okay? I actually want, I agree with you about the casting of these people, because I feel like we’ve gotten so few queer, men on reality shows in general, and they’re usually just, in a sea of straight people sometimes.

 

Louis Virtel Which is not how life works, you know what I mean? Like gay people hang out together usually.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You get it’s sort of great. People sometimes, like our friend Andy, Herren from Big Brother. Oh, yeah.

 

Louis Virtel He he was a big brother, wasn’t he? Hello. Hi, bitch.

 

Ira Madison III He never tweets about it. Yeah, right. But there’s something about this too, that we’ve had, obviously, American shows with, like, a bunch of gays on them, but they sort of really seem to cast catty, bitchy, sort of nasty gays who are going to fight with each other. And this is something from the first couple of episodes about this show, about it is that Fire Island vibe in a way, because I feel like they’re all like trying to find love, but they’re also they all seem to care about one another. Yeah. And their journeys, you know, like they’re making friends while in there. And I think that’s a beautiful thing about Love Island two, is that when the guys are shitty to like the women, like, sometimes they’ll be fighting over a man, in one episode. But at the end of the day, those women, especially this season on, the sixth season of the show, they sort of regroup and apologize to each other in the next day. And these women are like down for each other each episode. And when the recoupling after Cosmo More was happening and basically all of the men re coupled except for one, all of the women were cheering each other on, giving each other hugs like they like. It felt like good camaraderie. Yeah. And it’s nice to see these types of gays on this show who kind of a bunch of them seem like people I’d hang out with.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Also, I will say, I like that one of the problems the show runs into, I find dovetails with like the reality of, gay male experience, which is there’s this pop of suspense when they all meet and, like, romance is in the air and, you know, they immediately want to hook up or whatever. And then this thing happens where they kind of just our friends afterwards, you know, like we’re the opposite of the problem straight people have had or have for generations where it’s like, oh, I’m not friends with my ex. I’ve been watching sex in the city season two, where this comes up a lot. Whereas like every, every gay guy I know is friends with, you know, their exes, etc. and so in a way, friendliness kind of creeps into the show and they need things to stir it up. But then they do stir it up by introducing new people to the cast. So they’ve handled that.

 

Ira Madison III I would say my complaint about it is obviously this is the second season of this show, because they did I kissed a girl first, and it seems that they’re on alternating schedules, like you get an I kissed a girl one year and then I kissed a boy next year. But I’m like dropped both in the same year.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, please. And then of course, do a challenge where they compete against each other. Come on. Gay only Olympics.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. It’s like twinks versus dolls. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Look at you. Sound like Mark Burnett. Put it on my TV.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I think we’re in a really interesting era of reality shows, especially like dating, ones that finally seem like interesting. Like, I never really thought I was a dating show person.

 

Louis Virtel Me neither. Namely, namely like The Bachelor.

 

Ira Madison III Is just so straight coded. And these are more obviously they’re queer people. And then but even like Love Island seems more like Big Brother coded like just sort of like the personalities on it more than just watching a bunch of people compete for one, like bland guy right on the show. And, it’s interesting that this is happening as I feel like we’re reaching this sort of breaking point with. Like housewives and shit like that, where those are common, repetitive and like long standing people and franchises are leaving them or suing Bravo, etc. it just sort of feels like we’re entering a new era of reality shows to be interested in. And I like that there are gays who’ve been on this island who want to talk to me about fucking Love Island.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Oh, totally. I mean, I will also say, something I appreciated about, I Kissed a Boy and Love Island is on a show at The Bachelor. It feels like they only get one weird contestant every year, and everybody else is reduced to the sound bites the producers need to hear to keep the story going. And. And like the star of the show, has to have the same, ambivalence or the same, conflict every year about what she likes about one guy as opposed to another guy. And it just gets very repetitive. Whereas I feel like these shows are really molded to the personalities of the contestants, and some will get more time than others in an interesting way. And also, by the way, on I Kissed a Girl, one contestant just goes fully into the specifics of doing step by step. I don’t know where else you’re going to hear that. I mean, you know, you can YouTube it, I guess, but now it’s right on television.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So enjoyable show. Yeah. Also, I love that they all meet in the beginning by having to kiss each other first.

 

Louis Virtel Dang. Come on, that’s good television.

 

Ira Madison III That’s how you say high on fire, right?

 

Louis Virtel Right, right. No. In fact, I wish there were fewer words on Fire Island.

 

Ira Madison III Also, the thing about dating, even though you’re right, the Australians being affable, they really just are the best people. I felt like six Australians last night who are hanging out, at my house with some friends, and all of a sudden it was like I was their new family member, right? I was like, they’re the nicest people to interact with.

 

Louis Virtel Also in LA, like their takeover of the fitness industry in LA is like the least hostile takeover ever. They, like, they come in with like emoji, wide smiles and, you know, tell you to correct your form on that deadlift or whatever. And that’s how fitness works in LA.

 

Ira Madison III Now they mostly have their gyms in LA, and then LA and New York also have a series of Australian themed restaurants because they love opening restaurants.

 

Louis Virtel Right? Okay. Well, I mean gyms and restaurants. Fun times. Thanks. It’s like a culture Jersey shore, you know what I’m saying? Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III All right. When we’re back, keep it. And we are back with our favorite segment of the episode. It’s. Keep it. Louis. Yes. What’s your keep it besides Martin Malden?

 

Louis Virtel That really I remember we used to say keep it to people dying. That was really brave of us. Yeah. Mark was obviously fabulous on Roseanne. Fabulous in Clue as Colonel Mustard, but also just a venerable actor. You know, you just wanted to see him in anything. Wherever he popped up, he was, deeply welcome. I was, very sad to see that news over the, over the past week. Might keep it this week. Is to another actor who pops up everywhere, John Corbett, who I guess has a podcast. Did a lot of talking. Who doesn’t I get? No. We do. You’re right. I invite everybody to do it. It’s. You know, we’re going to talk anyway. May as well record it. That’s what I always say. But anyway, John Corbett, Aiden from sex in the city, but also from Northern Exposure. United States of Tara. Lots of acting.

 

Ira Madison III My Big Fat Greek wedding.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Lots of acting alongside fabulous women. What an interesting career. He said that his career as a TV actor has been unfulfilling and that he chose the wrong career path. He said, look, I’m in the fourth quarter of the football game now, in life and in showbiz. It’s just a fact. So I can reveal now I picked the fucking wrong thing to do with my life. Whew. I made a lot of money. I live in a beautiful home. People come to me at every restaurant I go in. I’m a friend of the world. But as far as a fulfilling creative work life, I didn’t write one fucking line. I didn’t write one joke to make people laugh. So it’s been unfulfilling on that level. I did not know life was about jokes. What? Like if I’d written a joke, then my life would have been worth it. Here’s my thing I applaud honesty. I want you to speak your truth about your career, especially since he goes into, you know, if you’re an actor on like a TV show, a lot of your life is waiting around for the scene to start. You do nothing while you’re sitting there. I, you know, it’s a it’s a lot of you’re happy to have a job, but it’s tedious once you get there. I’m sure that’s true. But at the same time. In a universe where I am obsessed with things like award shows and actors and acting. I’m so sorry. We need to keep up the facade that it’s fun at all times. I’m sorry, I just. I don’t really want to hear the truth of it. It’s like, I don’t want to hear the like, you know? It’s like Disney people probably don’t want to hear the gritty truth of what it’s like to be in the costume all day. To keep me from that. Like, I need to know that when you’re going on stage to get that Oscar, you’ve got to have the joy and gratefulness like divine joy, Randolph level or nothing, you know? So to hear him be like, oh, this actually kind of sucks ultimately. And he seems grateful for the work he’s gotten and stuff. And obviously he’s a really good actor, but it just falls on deaf ears to me. I just am not interested in how the TDM ultimately didn’t add up to a creative, fulfilling life for you.

 

Ira Madison III Also, I don’t know, switch it up. He does sort of the similar the same kind of roles to be honest.

 

Louis Virtel Right? He’s just dependable, kind of mensch type who shows up and women are grateful to meet him and then, you know, move on to the the naughty Chris. Not so we really want.

 

Ira Madison III You know. You know, he had a, country album in 2006. Oh. Real title.

 

Louis Virtel Well, he’s very in the dressing like Blake Shelton community. So that doesn’t surprise me.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Maybe he should focus on his music career. He used to get back in the studio.

 

Louis Virtel You know how we have, like, celebrities who somehow seem like they still shop at the buckle, and he has one of them. Or there’s a certain set of a certain gene that he’s wearing.

 

Ira Madison III I did not know that he was married to Bo Derek.

 

Louis Virtel That is a marriage. Nobody knows about that. Like never gets discussed. I forget when it happened. Bo Derek is also such an interesting name. Or like once upon a time it would be. She would be kind of like she would come up in a joke on Carson or something all the time, like, you heard that name all the time. And since that, you know, she’s basically retired from showbusiness, so you don’t hear it anymore. But it’s always interesting when somebody who had a real omnipresent factor, sort of just kind of around now it’s like it’s like Loni Anderson who’s saying the name Loni Anderson anymore.

 

Ira Madison III Only you and you in your sleep.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Yeah that’s right. I-robot it is your Keep It this week.

 

Ira Madison III My Keep It also goes to an actor. Oh who has some things to say. Emma Roberts.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my third favorite of the Roberts.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So Emma Roberts had, interview recently in flaunt magazine, where she talks about the whole nepo baby thing. Why are we still talking about this?

 

Louis Virtel What is there to say? What it’s like? Who is who is afraid of this conversation in anyway? It’s like, yes, people have famous parents. Okay, anyway. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III So, she said in her take on the whole nepo baby thing. I’ve lost more jobs than I’ve gained from being in the business. People have opinions, and sometimes maybe they’re not good opinions of people in your family. I’ve never gotten a job because of it. I know I definitely have lost a couple of jobs because of it. Girl. What I heard was someone has a secret vendetta against Eric Roberts, and they’re like, well, we’re not casting Emma.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Yeah, that doesn’t seem right. 1. That’s crazy. And then two, all he does is book. So what about that?

 

Ira Madison III He’s in everything.

 

Louis Virtel He literally is in the Guinness Book of World Records for, like, most roles ever. It’s like him and Christopher Lee. Yeah. Not that they’re all the best projects, but they’re projects.

 

Ira Madison III But what a take.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I’ve lost more. I’m interested in what jobs she lost.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel And who took them? Did Sydney Sweeney get right in there?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, she was supposed to be in euphoria. Yeah. Can you imagine?

 

Louis Virtel It was a pretty good, honestly.

 

Ira Madison III And I’m looking forward to her cadet Kelly looking movie with Gabrielle Union. I mean, speaking of the Ryan Murphy oeuvre, I have another. Keep it. Oh.

 

Louis Virtel You’re popping that out.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, so you know that Ryan Murphy has been developing a legal drama with Kim Kardashian.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Right. And also, she is currently on whatever season of the Ryan Murphy show she’s on. Right.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. American Horror Story maybe part two aired at some point. Who knows? Right.

 

Louis Virtel It’s not up to us. Don’t know.

 

Ira Madison III But she’s developing this legal drama where she’s going to be the lead. And they announced two of the other cast members yesterday.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, I’m gonna hold off on.

 

Ira Madison III This whole.

 

Louis Virtel Drama and a whole nother table.

 

Ira Madison III Halle Berry.

 

Louis Virtel Oh. No. Not.

 

Ira Madison III Glen Close.

 

Louis Virtel I get so upset with her.

 

Ira Madison III This is criminal. Why are they becoming leads on a legal drama penned by Ryan Murphy starring Kim Kardashian?

 

Louis Virtel It’s. No. The Hillbilly Elegy continues. Excuse. I just got out of my morning gear and it’s.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it goes on.

 

Louis Virtel Also, it’s like, I’m kind of excited for Glenn Close in that, Lee Daniels movie that’s coming out soon.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, baby white precious. Yeah. Hahaha. Smoking her menthol cigarette with her, with her pussy cat. Red wing. Excuse me. I cannot wait for that shirt too.

 

Louis Virtel That wig to me appears to be on sideways. I have never seen anything like it. It’s coming down like a waterfall on her. Anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Twist it like Effie. Yes.

 

Louis Virtel Wow, Glenn. I mean, like, I think Glenn is also somebody who just likes to work constantly. Like. Like, sometimes I’ll be like, why is Julianne Moore in this thing? And then you realize Julianne Moore does not want to be bored. How about you? She would rather be on. She’s the opposite of John Corbett, you know.

 

Ira Madison III Well, Halle Berry sort of seems the same to, like, she just does it. But I don’t know. In theory, I like surrounding Kim Kardashian by competent actors, but also. Man. Yeah. Tough stuff. Need a documentary of behind the scenes of this show.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, this is a can’t a thing that doesn’t need to be brought up. I just happen to have seen it recently. Guys, have you watched the basketball part of Catwoman recently? It is.

 

Ira Madison III I think it is.

 

Louis Virtel Maybe the most shocking scene of the 21st century. Trivia.

 

Ira Madison III Trivia?

 

Louis Virtel Who is she playing basketball against in that scene?

 

Ira Madison III Is that Sharon.

 

Louis Virtel Stone? Nope. Sharon Stone is in the movie. This is a man.

 

Ira Madison III Oh.

 

Louis Virtel Who? Benjamin Bratt.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, yeah. You know what? Someone play Moustiques scandalous at a party this week.

 

Louis Virtel Which is the soundtrack.

 

Ira Madison III Of our catalog. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Great song. I love that song.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Okay. We both had Catwoman on our minds. Yeah. This weekend.

 

Louis Virtel Precisely. Thank you for everything. Julie Newmar or whatever. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Wow. She was Catwoman.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Oh, yeah. There’s quite a few. Lee Meriwether. Yes. Michelle pfeiffer.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I’m hathaway. Should there be. Should there be a. Updated to Wong Foo. Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar. Like, with, like Halle Berry. Yes. Like, thanks for everything.

 

Louis Virtel So, Julie, who was.

 

Ira Madison III Everything? Yeah, right. Yeah. Julie Newmar still.

 

Louis Virtel Was still with us. Yes. And by the way, you know who? Still with us. I will sign off on this. The 4th of July. A lot of people call that Caesar salad day. Because that’s when I get Caesar salad days or whatever. To me, that was. Happy 100th birthday. Eva Marie Saint Day, the glamorous and fabulous Oscar winner from On the Waterfront. Probably best known from North by Northwest, the Hitchcock movie where you. They race along Mount Rushmore, and there’s the crop dusting scene. What a fabulous celebrity. She’s been in a tons of things over the years. She played Superman’s mother in the Brandon Routh version of Superman in the 2000. That’s a University of Iowa Hawkeye shout out there. Love the effervescence of even Marie Saint. Of all the people, of anybody who could make it to 100. I would absolutely choose from a recent. So happy birthday to her.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. She’s still with us, too. Yeah. These divas are hanging on. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Onto Lincoln’s nose on Mount Rushmore. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III A perfect movie. Yeah. All right. There’s our show this week.

 

Louis Virtel We covered everything from Hitchcock on to. Catwoman’s one on one skills.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I think this concludes our, Fire Island series.

 

Louis Virtel Much to the delight of our viewers, who would prefer we get back to reality, I think.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t want to get back to New York City, which is as hot as hell right now.

 

Louis Virtel I was there for three days after Fire Island. You guys keep it. I mean, toasty that it wasn’t Hell’s Kitchen, it was Hell’s Kiln.

 

Ira Madison III I’m making pottery. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel I was I was glazed at the end of it, if you know what I’m saying.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. All right. Well, thank you to Rashida Jones for joining us. And we will see you next week.

 

Ira Madison III 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 C.J. Siege 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 Megan 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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