For those who listened to this week's show, here are some of the moments we mentioned in our conversation. Grab your tissues.
From Terms of Endearment, here's that moment when Debra Winger says goodbye to her sons on her deathbed. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Here's the reunion scene at the end of The Color Purple that never fails to make Eric blubber. Whoopi doesn't say a word, but her reactions are enough to draw tears from a stone.
This is the final scene in David Tennant's run of Doctor Who, which turned Stacey into a blubbering mess.
Here's the moment in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Will regains, then just as quickly loses his relationship with his father.
And here's a scene from the saddest episode ever of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Buffy is forced to tell her young sister Dawn that their mother is dead -- featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg at their very best.
And finally, here's that Land Rover commercial that turned Stacey into a quivering mass of hormones during her first pregnancy. But honestly, can you blame her?
If you're still functioning, don't forget to hit the "Subscribe" button wherever you listen to podcasts, or maybe stroll on over to iTunes and give us a review. Every little bit of feedback helps. Thanks for listening.
Parenting isn't easy. Being a mom is hard. Being a dad....is just confusing. In many ways, Dads get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.
Mother's Day came first. "Mommy" or "Mama" is often the first word from baby. And when there's a boo boo, it's Mommy one runs to for assistance.
Even in the movies, as in Steven Spielberg's Hook, Peter Pan's daughter tells Captain Hook that he needs " a mother very very badly."
In this week's podcast Eric and I talk about our favorite movie and tv dads. Peter Pan didn't make the list. Peter Pan, in that movie, was not a very good dad. Even in some of the films or tv shows where the dads made the cut, Father of the Bride and the Dick Van Dyke Show for example, the dads provide for the family monetarily, but for the heavy emotional lifting of the family or the "getting stuff done with the kids" portion....that was Mom. And while I will admit again that I equated Dick Van Dyke with my own Dad often, the emotionally distant, workaholic, remote father figure was NOT my experience.
Fun story: Steve Martin's Father of the Bride and Hook came out the same year, 1991. My dad, Don, and I went to see both of them that summer together. At the end of both movies our cheeks were moist from tears. During FotB, I was sobbing. After seeing the second of the two, Don and I were talking and analyzing the films, as we were wont to do. I asked him which movie made him cry more.
I'll be honest. I knew the answer to the question. FotB was all about the oldest daughter and her dad coping with her growing up, moving away and making her own life. I knew this was a trigger for Don, and waited smugly for him to answer. Interestingly, he needed to think about it. For a few minutes. "Hook." he said. I was gobsmacked! WTF? Did he not picture me haring off to marry someone who might take his place in my life? Where was the love? (I've always been a tad dramatic.)
He smiled sadly and explained why he cried more for the Pan.
"I see me in Peter." he said. "When he shows up to the baseball field after the game is over because he's been stuck in a meeting, I saw me. I felt like I had missed so much of your childhood experiences. It made me regret."
My indignation melted away. And then rushed right back...more righteous than ever. I remember looking at him incredulously, shaking my head and admonishing him for ever thinking he missed anything of any importance. In my memory, every play I was in, every recital I performed in, every volleyball game I played in, my dad was there. Any time I looked out into the audience I saw Don. I couldn't think of a thing he wasn't there for. But my perception and his were very different. I like to think I convinced him to agree with mine.
And therein lies the rub. The movies and tv shows put these concepts of the perfect dad out there. From Father knows Best to black-ish to Despicable Me's Felonius Gru to Mrs Doubtfire and even Logan. In the end we see what we want to see, what makes sense to us, individually, based on our own experiences.
So, on this Father's Day, I know that I was very lucky to have Don as a dad. He wasn't perfect, but being a father isn't easy. You have a lot of pressure to live up to ideals created in history, in media and our expectations. Upside....you're not alone, fathers of the world. You should commiserate with each other. Grab a beer, pull up a chair and watch FoodTV (you know you want to). And while you may not get the kudos that moms do...or the respect that moms do, in the present, we kids....in the end...remember the role you played, and love you for it.
I saw Gone With the Wind for the first time when I was 12 years old, growing up in Tennessee. I was dragged there by one of my best friends. She had read the book and it was being shown on the big screen for the first time in years. So we went. And I fell in love.
From that moment until the last 15-20 years, any time I was asked my favorite movie, Gone With the Wind was the answer. Unreservedly.
After I saw the movie and crushed HARD on Clark Gable, I read the book ten times, at least. I bought everything I could that had to do with Gone With the Wind Gable, the search for Scarlett, Atlanta....anything at all. I fan-girled hard! But why?
I don't think there was just one reason. I think it was the perfect storm of puberty + beautiful alpha male + smart, sassy heroine who always gets what she goes for...eventually + gorgeous production values + soap opera story line = 1970's teenage white girl from the South dream!
In this week's podcast, Eric and I talk about 1939 and the plethora of really classic films that came out that year. We talk about Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Women, specifically. I mentioned why I hadn't made my daughters watch Gone With the Wind, even though I do still consider it a classic (hint: misogyny and racism). What I don't really go into is how I got to that decision. I will admit ... it was painful.
So what happened in the years since my adolescence to change my enthusiasm for this movie for which I had been obsessed? I guess I'd call it evolution. My life evolved. My point of view evolved. My world of acquaintances and experiences evolved. My thinking evolved. And there I was, educated past the point where I could truly accept and enjoy as entertainment this bit of a monument to the Old South.
Do I still love bits and pieces of the movie and story? I do. But my white privilege lets me. Now, I'm going to try to not get too political here. It is not about politics or right and left for me. It is about who I've become in the intervening decades. Let me explain.
I grew up in the late 1960's and 70's. In the afternoons I'd watch Gilligan's Island, Scooby Doo, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie (I will always love you, Larry Hagman!). This was in the days of 3 networks + PBS on TV. In high school, cable channels became more abundant and accessible. More options and the 1950's and 60's TV "classics" were no longer shown. I went to college. I went to work. I traveled. And suddenly it's the late 20th Century, and there is a classic television show network showing I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver along w/my childhood faves.
So, as a 30 something year old, I sit down to watch ... to feel that same way again that I did as a kid; To laugh at Jeannie making a mess of Tony's life; To giggle when Samantha had to get Uncle Arthur out of a jam. So I watched. I didn't giggle. I didn't laugh. I certainly didn't feel that fun, free way I had as a child when watching Sam stifle her magic for Darren or Jeannie call Colonel Nelson "Master". It made my stomach hurt.
Now, I realize this is a long way to get to a point about Gone With the Wind. But that stomach churning/turning feeling was even more pronounced when I sat down to watch Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara on the big screen, when it came touring in our area in the 1990's. I no longer felt comfortable saying that it was my favorite movie ... certainly not around my African-American friends.
Because as beautiful as the dresses, cinematography, directing and acting are ... the story is painful. It's painful in its brushstrokes of misinformation. I cringe at the accents the black actors have to put on. I wince every time the "n" word and "d" word ("darkie") are dropped. And I get downright nauseous during the KKK scene where its very existence is rationalized as being only for the "safety" of the womenfolk.
But, Gone With the Wind is still a classic. It is, technically, film making at its very best. It lives in the time period in which it was created. I can accept that. I can respect that. But as a woman in 2017, "loving" this movie is now beyond me. I'm not sad, because I like where I am philosophically and how I think now. But I do miss the innocent feeling. You can't go home again. Wow ... sometimes evolution sucks.
by Stacey Fearheiley If you listened to this week's POPeration! podcast you know that Eric and I talked about women in pop culture and in media in particular. The unfairness monetarily and in role availability specifically. We talked about how there were so many fewer female roles than male and that the quality of those roles was often insulting. Eric brought up the Bechdel test. The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women or girls who talk to each other about something other than a man or boy. (Thank you, Wikipedia.) What we didn't talk about were variations to that "test". In one variation, a comic book writer stated that her "sexy lamp test" was if a sexy lamp could take the place of your female character and the plots still worked, you should probably do another draft. Thus create a better female character. This intrigued me. Can these tests be used in real life; everyday living; in every day situations?
Do I leave a conversation with a girl friend if we're just talking about her husband or boyfriend? Can I have a discussion with my female HR rep about my male boss and thus fail? Do I give that colleague who contributes to my brainstorming meeting as much as a chair to the Salvation Army?
As a feminist, I want to be all gung ho about keeping the world as fair and safe for women as it is for men. I want equality. The Bechdel "tests" and its derivations, while evolving from the idea helping to that end, are not perfect. Indeed they weren't really meant to be. They were and are created to just hold a mirror up and say, "look where and who we are. Do we want to change? Is this ok? How can we improve?"
But they are being used in a more weighted way. Critics are right in that "passing" any of these "tests" does not prove quality, or art. It doesn't quantify a good story or characters.
As a writer and artist, the idea that I must create characters who are equal to each other, in any way, feels stifling. I resent it. I should be able to create characters who have the traits and values I want them to have...they may be male, female, gay, straight, black, white, good or bad. And therein lies the battle.
Now, clearly no one is making film makers or writers put female characters in their pieces...there are too many male/male buddy movies for that to be a thing. But maybe we do need to let those who DO write female characters have more opportunities. Thereby more choices for characters to talk about more than men and more plot lines than those driven by men.
Eric and I mentioned Thelma and Louise, from 1991. But there have been more recent examples. They include the Ghostbusters (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Table 19 (2017), Bad Moms (2016) and The Girl on the Train (2016).
This is by no means an extensive list...there are MANY more, but these were hits and/or bigger budget gigs. These had marketing money spent on them. And all were clearly female in brand.
These are facts that make me feel better. The wins, if you will...not the losses.
If the Bechdel test, and those like it, do anything, it is to keep us thinking and aware of the inequalities still out there. Awareness is key. Admitting there is a problem is the first step.
This week's podcast was all about sequels--movie sequels-- the good, the bad and never should have been. Eric and I talked about the ones we liked--and the ones we didn't (we're looking at you, Speed 2). The conclusion we came to, to a great extent, was that the bottom line was the bottom line, and reason for green lights. If the original made money, there was a really good shot at there being a follow up. Sometimes artistry doesn't come into a lot of play (we see you, Transformers!).
I really enjoyed the "Sequel on the Spur" of the moment game Eric and I played. We were to come up with a sequel plot line for movies that did NOT have sequels. I gave Eric Jesus Christ Superstar, one of my all time favorite musicals. The crucifixion not withstanding, Eric suggested that the hippies of the 70s would come back in the 80s to that same desert and create a mega church--full of hypocrisy and greed.
Eric gave me When Harry Met Sally and I took its sequel's plot down a dark path to "When Harry Divorced Sally". I think the 21st century is hard on 20th century relationships. But the idea of sequels being where they don't currently exist intrigued me. What other unlikely movies could do with a sequel? Here are a few of my choices.
First up: Titanic....but it was a bit of a sequel in itself, as it showed the life the ingenue led through photographs and newspaper clippings. So...pass. Changed my mind.
Gone with the Wind is also a fave of mine and could have used one...but only with the original cast. The tries at sequels for this epic have failed miserably, not only because of storyline issues, but the chemistry between Gable, Leigh, de Haviland, Howard and MacDaniel could not be replicated with others. So the story of the Scarlett, Rhett and Tara in the late 19th century is best left to our imaginations.
Pride and Prejudice is a fun choice. The original story has been told and re told so many times, it's hard to keep track. While I love the Lawrence Olivier version, the stylized acting (and Greer Garson being a 36 year old debutante) put it at number 2 version on my list because... COLIN FIRTH!!!
Not many take on this hefty classic to sequelize (if not a word, it should be). It's a challenge and there is the gauntlet of fans one would have to get past. Although I actually saw the PBS production of "Murder at Pemberly" and it was really entertaining. By not going down the romantic story path, taking it down a different genre, the writers bypassed some of the pitfalls that trip one up when writing for well-known and beloved characters. That said, with all the fan fiction out there re: what happened to Lizzie and Darcy, it is a wonder that more movie "sequels" for P&P haven't happened.
Forrest Gump is one that might be fun. Enough history has passed for either Forrest or his son to have been involved in, and CGI'd into, iconic scenes. I think there are some topics that the personality of Forrest could tackle in a way that was palatable to many viewers. But you would need to have Tom Hanks at least involved. Otherwise you don't have the connection...and NO ONE ELSE can play Forrest.
I will admit that these choices are specific and very much of a style. I enjoy action movies, but most of the successful DO get a sequel. I enjoy some costume dramas as well, but often they are tied up at the end, or some one really important dies and thus a sequel would be superfluous. Fried Green Tomatoes was great..please don't make a sequel. Color Purple, wonderful...no sequel please.
At the end I do believe that there is a place for sequels, especially those NOT created entirely for monetary purposes. Sometimes I want to know more of what happened to my favorite characters after the epilogue. But sometimes, I'm good. Because sometimes continuing the story would ruin the feeling I had for the initial movie. And I'd hate that.
So, here's to the sequels we love...and the ones we don't miss!
They like us, they like us, they really, really like us. We're practically Sally Field.
We've applied to several different carriers of podcasts, and are happy to announce that we're now searchable on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Just open up any of those carriers, and search for "POPeration," and we should pop right up.
If for some reason you don't see us, please leave a comment here, or send us a tweet, or post something on our Facebook page to let us know, so we can have a stern friendly word with the bastards nice people who work at those places, and get things all sorted out.
We're so excited that episodes are finally starting to appear, and we sincerely hope you're enjoying the show.
There's one episode we recorded that will not be published on our RSS feed, but we went ahead and put in on the YouTube channel and wanted to share it with you here. In this "extended teaser," we're taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves to our listeners, in case you wanted to get to know us a little better.
The official biographies are as follows:
Stacey Fearheiley was born and raised in Nashville, TN. She grew up watching and critiquing old movies with her dad so much that it became second nature. She then surrounded herself in high school, college and life with other "like minded" judgementals and has continued analyzing entertainment and pop culture since. She is an actor, director, writer and former on-air radio personality and still hasn't figured out what she'll be when she grows up.
This is an old photo. It's old. Like us.
Eric Peterson grew up all over the world in a US Navy family, and initially dreamed of a career in the theatre as an actor, director, and writer. However, a job that required him to constantly look for the next job ultimately didn't appeal to him, so after getting his B.A. in Theatre, he started a new career as an educator and consultant in the field of Diversity & Inclusion. But he never stopped loving the stage, or the big screen. Or the small screen, for that matter.
Wemet when we were cast as twin sister & brother in a play in 1992. We got along so well and so immediately that our cast-mates began to refer to us as the "womb-mates," an homage to the relationship of our characters. Last fall, Stacey informed Eric that she was formulating a New Years' resolution, and that Eric was going to play a big part in it -- and the idea for POPeration! was born.
We get together on random Saturdays and record multiple episodes, and we'll be honest -- we're having a blast. And cracking ourselves up. And learning a lot. And hitting pause whenever Eric's crazy dog decides that she needs to be heard.
Please follow us on Facebook or Twitter, and we'll let you know when we start showing up on Stitcher, iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you search for podcasts.
Okay, folks -- it's actually happening. Here's the teaser:
The POPeration! podcast is showing up on YouTube, and our RSS feed. We're applying like mad to places like Stitcher, iTunes, and Google Play, so we should be searchable there soon, too.
Our first episode is all about awards shows. We watch them, so we clearly don't hate them completely, and yet we titled our first show, "And the Loser is ... The Audience," which perhaps telegraphs some of our less generous feelings about the medium.
Our next episode is about what strikes us as funny and why comedy gets no respect, and the next is about our guilty pleasures - we bravely admit to the world the things we secretly love so that you can mock us. Because we give.
We'll let you know when it's easy to find us where you search for podcasts. Let us know here, or on Facebook or Twitter or anywhere else you can find us, if you look for podcasts somewhere else, and we'll see if we can't wedge our way in there, too.
We continue to record episodes, and are having a marvelous time. We invite you to listen in, give us feedback, and heck - grab a scalpel; this is going to be fun!
“OMG! Have you seen Beauty and the Beast?” I was very excited to be able to answer that with a “YES”! But that is where the capital lettered responses end.
Yes, I saw B&tB. Yes, it was very pretty..as were the actors. Yes, everyone sang well. The effects were amazing.
“But did you love it?”
“ummmm….no?”
“Did you LIKE it?”
I have to think for a minute before I answer, “yes.” I’ll tell you why.
First I want to explain that I was VERY psyched to see this version. I love fairy tales, all versions. I have a collection of fairy tale books and movies. For the first several seasons I was ALL up into Once Upon a Time and Grimm on teevee. So, this live action version was right up my alley. Especially with the cast attached! Dear God, Emma Thompson, Ewan MacGregor, Ian McKellan, blonde-guy-who-died-early-in-Downton-Abbey and Hermione Granger. What’s not to love?
Here’s the thing….friends were telling me they had issues with the idea of a live action B&tB because of the bestiality issue. I poo-poohed them. "C’mon," I’d say, "they don’t even kiss until he’s a guy and the story is an allegory about seeing beneath the veneer of a person to their soul and who they really are." That’s what I said. And I believed it. Until I was faced with Hermione holding hands, dancing, and sharing longing looks with a big bull/bear/lion thing with a tail. That’s when my bravado fell away a bit.
As each scene moved through the titled song’s montage, it felt creepier and creepier. Logically I got it, but damn if I wasn’t ooged out near the end. My teenage daughter and I would look at each other and cringe.
Frankly, though…that was the worst part. Other than that, I enjoyed the show. It was really well done. Interestingly enough, the story veered from the Disney animated B&tB and actually pulled bits from the original story and Jean Cocteau’s Belle et un Bête from 1946. I really liked that. The relationship between the father (Kevin Kline) and Belle was more fleshed out (no pun intended) and explained why there was no mother. (Why is it that mothers are always the parents to die in these things??!! That’s another blog for another time.)
As stated, all performances were lovely. The settings, the songs, the costumes … all wonderful. Will little girls love it as much as the animated version? Not sure…but they WILL love it. Will YOU like it as much?
Can’t say. I liked it enough to say that I’m not afraid of live action versions of more animated stories, BUT, it may behoove producers to take into account that live actors doing what animation has previously done changes the tone and look of a movie…making what is CLEARLY never going to happen or be threatening, to something that may be uncomfortable to visualize happening in real life.
That said … I’m a little concerned about the genie in Aladdin. And the monkey. And the tiger. And the rug. Well ... you get the picture.
We're Stacey & Eric, the hosts of a new podcast -- POPeration! -- where we (how clever is this?) dissect pop culture for about 20-30 minutes every week.
It's our opinion that while popular culture is often not taken very seriously -- it's actually really important. Even when entertainment -- movies, music, teevee, etc. -- is created to be pure escapism, it sends a message. Art can either be a mirror for its audience or something that inspires us to change, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. And we're going to talk about it. With curse words and everything, because it's our fucking show.
We haven't set a launch date yet, but once we do - this blog will be where you can find new and archived episodes, and most importantly -- where you can interact with us via comment threads. Tell us what you think of the show, why you think we're brilliant or why you think we're full of shit, and what pop culture trend or artifact you'd like us to discuss next. Or, if you'd rather connect with us via Facebook or Twitter, you can do that, too.
We're very excited to begin this journey. Watch this space for updates as we prepare to launch.
