A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

Hairspray (2007)

May 18, 2022 Steve Bennet-Martin, Stephen Martin-Bennet, Brady Foster Powers Season 1 Episode 120
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
Hairspray (2007)
Show Notes Transcript

The Steves continue Musical May with the help of Brady Foster Powers as they welcome you to the 60s in the 2007 adaptation of Hairspray!

What's making us happy?

  • Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (Theatres)
  • The Lost City (Paramount Plus)

Hairspray discussion

  • The movies origins as a movie and musical
  • What was our passion in high school?
  • Who was our high school crush?
  • Being a 'misfit'
  • Creating Edna May
  • Integration/Segregation
  • Body positivity


Let us know what you think of the episode by chiming in on social media @happylifepod or by emailing us at happylifepod@gmail.com

Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Support the show
Steve:

Overturning happies and new listeners. This is Steve

Stephen:

Bennet-Martin, and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a lifetime of happiness. The

Steve:

podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other peds and pop culture that are helping to keep us happy. We'll hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way. Good

Stephen:

morning, Baltimore. Welcome to the sixties today. We're going to spend some time with the nicest kids in town because we're big blonde and beautiful. So run and tell that as we dive into the musical hairspray with my favorite diva Brady foster powers. Welcome back to the show. Brady,

Brady:

thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited.

Stephen:

I remember when we solve this.

Brady:

I know, I actually, I believe that we were with your family. I think everybody went to the whole crowd. So that's a very fond memory. And I that's part of the reason I love that 2007 version of the show. Yes.

Stephen:

Now, Brady, what's been making you happy recently.

Brady:

Oh, you know, I'm in Indiana. I'm not with you guys down there in Florida. So I am just super excited that spring has sprung summer is here. And so I've got some green, I've got plants, I've got the garden going. So I am so thrilled, but the warm weather is here because I am a not so cold weather person.

Steve:

So now you can walk children

Stephen:

nature. Exactly. Yeah. We are done with spring here and we are quickly heading into

Steve:

summer. It's feels like summer when I'm out during the day is

Brady:

yeah. Your summer and the humidity and the heat as much different than we have here in Indiana. I will say I would probably take it any day, as long as I've had AC you know,

Stephen:

that is the requirement. Yes. What about you, darling? What's making you happy?

Steve:

Well, last night we saw the news Sandy Bullock movie lost

Stephen:

city. Oh, that was so much

Steve:

fun. It was a lot of fun and we waited, it was out in theaters and it was, we were like on the verge of like, if we have the time we're going to go see it in the theaters. But before we got that chance that came out on paramount plus. And so we got to see it last night and it was a very fun run through the jungle.

Stephen:

Yeah. And Channing Tatum did an amazing job. Brad Pitt was really funny. I was shocked at how good he wasn't that, but honestly, one of my favorite. Parts of the movie was divine joy Randolph that played her agent Beth. Oh yeah. She was awesome as well. Yeah. B, have you seen the last city yet?

Brady:

I have not, but I'm super excited to hear you talk about it because I was really interested in the Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock matchup, John, glad to hear that there was some chemistry and some good fun. It sounds like.

Stephen:

Yeah. And Daniel Radcliffe as the villain is enjoyable as well. Perfect.

Steve:

Yeah. And what's been making

Stephen:

you happy darling. It was another movie that we saw last weekend that I continue to think about all week. Was Dr. Strange multi-verse of madness.

Steve:

Yes. You don't think of dreams the same way anymore. Do you know?

Stephen:

So being in this Marvel movie, they said that whenever you have a really strange dream where it's kind of. That, oh, this is my house, but it looks nothing like your house and things are kind of different type of dream. That that's actually, you traversing into another universe where the other, you lives in that type of house thing.

Brady:

Holy cannoli. I must be having these travel fans all the time then.

Stephen:

Yeah. Like whenever we heard that we were like, this makes so much sense. Yes. But,

Steve:

but the movie was great. I know we talked about what we hope for it in Dr. Shree strange the first one in our episodic last month. But I would say that it met our expectations if not exceeded. Oh. And

Stephen:

Elizabeth Olsen did such a good job. Like she's a really, really talented actress and is showing a lot of ratings. For superhero roles, especially like between the things she's done with the Avengers movies and then Juan division. And now this, like she's got serious acting chops. I'm very

Steve:

impressed. Almost like the pretender

Brady:

one.

Stephen:

Now about the movie itself, what does IMD B say, darling? It says

Steve:

pleasantly plump, teenager, Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

Stephen:

You know what, for a summary, it hits that she has a pleasant disposition. It hits about the dance show. It talks about integration, which is actually probably the biggest part of the entire movie. I am DB gets a thumbs up for me on that one.

Steve:

Yes. And out of all the musicals, you could have come back for a Brady. Why did you choose this one?

Brady:

So I'm a theater kid. You know, one of my degrees is in theater, so I love the singing. I love the dancing. I love the costuming. And I love that it's been done multiple, you know, not only in Broadway, but on tours. The multiple times that's been shot as a movie. So I love the fact that it brings everything together. And if you think about it, some of the topics, you know, this is pretty having topic to touch in a musical, especially. And so I love the fact that, you know, it, it doesn't matter what that is. You kind of relate it to something in current time. So that's part of the reason why I love

Stephen:

hairspray. Oh yes. 100%. I completely agree, because not only does it hit on integration, race issues, racism, but it also hits on positivity, body positivity just different outlooks in life. Like family dynamics, seeing the good and the bad, whether you're in the Pendelton family or the Turnblad family. And it really. It hits a lot of different things and is a lot deeper than you would think from this show.

Steve:

Yes, I agree. It was a fun romp for the topics at hand. If you were to tell me, like, here's all the things that this musical covers let's watch it. I would have been just like, I don't know what I'm getting myself into

Brady:

play out. Yeah. But

Steve:

they navigate it all

Stephen:

very well. Yeah. Cause by the end of it, you were singing it or at least dancing in your chair. Yeah,

Brady:

yeah,

Steve:

yeah. Yes. Now this iteration of hairspray release spot by new line cinema on July 20th, 2007, with a budget of$75 million and a box office of 203.5 million.

Stephen:

Now, what was really interesting about this also is that it was counter-programming to the dark night, the second Christian bale Batman movie that dealt with the joker. And so they were out at the same time. And this still did extraordinarily well

Steve:

different demographics, I would say, or different moves. I was going to

Stephen:

say, I saw both

Steve:

these movies get very different vibes. Now the movie was directed by Adam Shankman with a screenplay by

Stephen:

Leslie Dickson. Now Shankman previously directed a walk to remember and is set to end. He's currently actually filming disenchanted and will be an executive producer for Hocus Pocus two. Do you

Steve:

remember? It was my first state movie with a girl I've never

Stephen:

seen that movie. It's so

Steve:

sad.

Stephen:

You haven't seen it either.

Brady:

So maybe that says something that you, that you are it was your first date movie with a girl. Maybe that's just a warning to the rest of us. Not to see it. I don't know.

Stephen:

My first date movie with a girl was the little mermaid.

Steve:

I was

Brady:

seven

Steve:

now, Leslie Dickson. Meanwhile is the writer of the original overboard. Good job, Leslie Dickson, as well as Mrs. Doubtfire. Look, who's talking now in 2000 threes, freaky Friday, all good

Stephen:

movies. Yeah. And it has an amazing ensemble cast, including newcomer, Nikki Blonsky as Tracy, John Travolta as Aetna Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma

Steve:

Von tussle. Amanda Bynes as penny Lou Singleton, Christopher

Stephen:

Walken as Wilbur Turnblad queen Latifa

Steve:

as motor mouth Mabel stubs,

Stephen:

James Marsden S Cyclops, I'm sorry. Corny Collins.

Steve:

Brittany Snow is Amber Von tussle.

Stephen:

Zach Efron as LINC Clark,

Steve:

Elijah Kelley as

Stephen:

seaweed J Stubbs and Alison Janney as prudence Pingle.

Steve:

Yes. And any, I mean, obviously all of these actors are known for things, any stand out to you. I know you love Michelle Pfeiffer. We talked about your love for her when we did start

Stephen:

us. Oh, I love Michelle Pfeiffer, Stardust, cat woman. I mean what

Steve:

lies?

Stephen:

Oh, dangerous, dangerous liaisons, which is Brady's favorite movie. And she's just amazing. And John Travolta is a very talented actor and some people have issues with him in this role, but I think he honestly did her quite a good job. Yeah, he did a

Steve:

good job. I would have loved to see a drag queen, but Brady a youth.

Brady:

Yeah, I was going to say kind of the same thing for everything he was under. So after the movie was made and the costuming and the body suit and everything like that, especially the facial. I think that he did a really good job, but I agree I would much would have preferred to have seen, you know, a drag queen in the role. Yeah.

Stephen:

I love queen Latifa. She can do no wrong for me. And it was also nice. And Brittany Snow, I grew up watching her on guiding light. I

Steve:

love her and crazy ex-girlfriend

Stephen:

yes, she was really good in that too. And Alison Janie also got her start on God.

Steve:

Yes. And Zac Efron was not get his sternal. No, he did not. But he was a big question in mind, back in the day with high school musical. And I was like, why do you love the movie so much? And I was like reasons

Stephen:

now before it was a movie hairspray started off as a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by John Waters, starring Ricky lake and the incomparable divine. It was a moderate success at the time, grossing 8 million and is a very different version of this film, but one that everybody should still see.

Steve:

Okay. I have my homework. Yeah. Meanwhile, in 2002, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical of the same name written by mark shaman and lyrics by him and Scott. The musical open in Seattle in 2002 and moved to Broadway later that year. Yeah.

Stephen:

And in 2003 it won eight of their 13 Tony award nominations and it won best musical. It was the show to see in 2003 and four on Broadway.

Steve:

Oh yeah. It ran for 2,642 performances. Give or take yeah. Closing on January 4th,

Stephen:

2009. And then there was a London production that was nominated for a record setting, 11 Olivier awards, and it won four, including best new musical. So like this movie and musical are pure

Steve:

happiness. Yes, it certainly is. And it starts off with knowing it's may of 1962 Baltimore teenager at Tracy Turnblad prepares for school while displaying optimistic appreciation of her drag neighborhood in which she sees so much beauty ignoring some glaring problem

Stephen:

in this. My hair would do, can compare with mine today. I got my hairspray and dance around my feet. They seem to save Tracy,

Steve:

Oh,

Stephen:

and I love Tracy's amazing outlook on life. She sees herself in the best light. She loves her hair and she's pure happiness. And she knows for a fact, without hesitation, that she's going to be a big deal and a big star someday. And, you know, teenagers don't have that kind of like, okay. Tech talk teenagers kind of have that self-confidence these days, but most irregular teenagers don't and it's nice to see a girl who would definitely. Othered in normal high school settings see herself as the leading lady.

Steve:

Yes. And also on her way to school. When she ran into the flasher, I was like, I know him. And it wasn't like, I know him from like flashers in my life that I run into it's because it was actually the flashers played by the original writer, director, John Waters. Yes

Stephen:

it is. And what is, what is great is he sees Tracy closes his jacket. So as not to flash her, and then once she's passed, he flashes the women that are behind her. And I was like, look at him, you got to love a Polites flasher. Exactly. He's not, he's not a gross pedophile or anything. He knows who his target audience is. There's something to be said for that. Yes.

Brady:

Slasher manners, flasher

Stephen:

manners. Exactly. Thank you,

Steve:

baby. And B how do you feel this sets up the music.

Brady:

You know, I love it because the music sets the tone right away. Right. You have a very quick introduction of the movie and then this amazing music starts. And here, you've got this teenager that is not typical, you know, skinny, perfectly put together perfect outfit pressed. She is looking her best. She has the confidence of the world as as said, and she was ready to go out and tackle the day. So from the very beginning, it sets the perfect mood, you know, getting you ready to go and you get to start to see that personality come through. And then also, you know some of our dance moves, it's just kind of bebopping around, through downtown Baltimore to school.

Stephen:

I love that she gets so caught up in her dancing. She like the school bus pulls away without her and I watching that. I was like, I could see that happening tomorrow.

Brady:

See, I could totally be my own little world, seeing dancing, ready to rock and roll and a miss that bus. And then I would probably do the same thing and catch the garbage man and say, Hey, can I get a lift by the school? Anyway, let me continue to sing and dance. And let's just continue this parade.

Steve:

Now, Tracy, who has we see in this song, a passion for dance and her bouffant hairstyle. We see at school as somewhat of a social outcast among her classmates, but looks forward to the school day ending so she can watch her after-school dance program. TRL. No, just kidding. The corny Collins show with her best friend, penny Pendleton. And

Stephen:

I love that all she wants to do is dance. And it makes me go back to think, you know, whenever you were younger, was there anything, all encompassing that you wanted to be when you grew up?

Steve:

I wanted to do something with video games. Like I. Whenever I be playing my, like a game boy or my game boy advance, my, my home would be like, stop it. And I was like, no, I'm practicing for my career.

Stephen:

What about you be like, was I

Brady:

just want it to be a star, you know, that's all I want. I want it to be on the stage. I wanted to sing and dance. So this again hits it right up there for me. I couldn't wait. You know, I would be Baba. I was the person that was knowing the guard, you know, with my Walkman. Yes. I'm dating myself with my Walkman cassette tape, listening to, you know, salt and pepper, push it. Or Debbie Gibson's electric use and bebop. And I was the only kid on the block that was bebopping and his little outfit, you know, mowing the yard and dancing as I was pushing the lawn mower.

Stephen:

Yeah. I wanted to be a soap star. And so I perfected the overly dramatic right. Eyebrow. Yeah, switches.

Brady:

Right? Exactly.

Stephen:

Now the corny Collins show premiers with the nicest kids in town, featuring a group of teenage dancers known as the council kids and is sponsored by ultra clutch hairspray.

Steve:

So while it was fun, seemed a little bit white,

Stephen:

white. Yeah. Nice white kids who like to lead the way. And once a month we have our Negro day.

Steve:

Yes, it's problematic. But of the time, from what I understand from history books. Yeah. And you would got to meet through the dance number, link Larkin. Who's like a teenage

Stephen:

Elvis and Amber Von tussle who immediately is the diva villain of the show. But as is typical for things like that, the diva and the leading man. Are also, you know, set up to be romantic interests in real life. Yes.

Steve:

Now we then get to meet Tracy's mother Edna who works from home as a laundry list and refuses to leave the house because she's ashamed of her voluptuous

Stephen:

size. I have to work on my arm then.

Steve:

Yes. She's not a fan of Tracy's interest in the corny Collins show or a dancing fairing that people move the street. Her because of her weight. Meanwhile, Penny's paralyzing strict mother Prudy who believes everything is a sin also disapproves of the corny Collins show, but mainly due to her own racism. And the fact that pop music is becoming more influenced by R and B styles.

Stephen:

Like Alison Janey hits all the right notes in that first scene when she comes over. And and even John Travolta, like when he's there and I'm there and Tracy's dancing. I guess, I think it was like the stricken chicken or something. And I'm like, John Travolta's Edna is like what is that? Is that the loosey goosey? And it kind of reminded me of her friend Ronnie, and the way that he would approach certain pop culture things. Yes. Without the racism. Yes. Now John Travolta was pretty impressive as Aetna.

Steve:

It didn't look very familiar though. I was like, is that John Travolta under there? Yeah. Agreed. Agreed. Yeah. It took him four hours to put on that 30 pound fat suit in five gel filled silicone face prosthetics to become Edna Turnblad

Stephen:

yeah, that was a heck of a transformation and

Steve:

dance pretty well. Karen around 30 extra pounds on it.

Stephen:

Like yeah. Whenever it gets to the end of. For the big you can't stop the beat and he's out there doing his section of it. I was like, that's some quick feet for carrying that much extra weight. I was impressed.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. Right now we see, we then see a, another person who doesn't love race music, Velma Von tussle getting into an argument with corny Collins about his music choice, because she's the manager of WICT and you know, he, he does defends the music choices, but she considers it not. Okay. Yeah. We also get to see more of her snobby, aggressive daughter, Amber. Yep.

Stephen:

And Velma like Courtney wants to show to be integrated. Velma refuses it. And her only concern is making sure that Amber is highlighted more. And I love that there's the scene where we are introduced to the Amber and link, her dating and link says it's time to give her his class ring and Velma steps. And it goes, ah, save your personal life for the camera's Amber. Yes. She's the original mama ger. Yes. Before Chris Kardashians.

Steve:

Yeah. And then several of the teenagers on the show attend Tracy and Penny's high school, which makes sense. And Tracy in particular star struck in swoony whenever she catches sight of link link, same girl.

Stephen:

And Tracy's ecstatic when corny announces that one of their female dancers is going to be taking a leave on.

For

Steve:

just nine months. Hmm.

Stephen:

Maybe. And maybe another they'll find another fun loving, if not, as freewheeling. Yes. Other girl and invites all interested girls to cut school the next day and come down to the station for an audition. Yes. And that's like, we immediately see Edna is like, no, you will not go auditioned for that show Tracy, because she doesn't want Tracy to get made fun of her for size. But her father Wilbur played to perfection by Christopher Walken. You can immediately see that he loves his family above everything else. And you know, you think that he's going to let her down easy and stuff and he's like, no, you need to go follow your dreams. And it's fantastic. And you know, you want that kind of dad, that's going to be like, Screw, what society thinks you think you're going to do the right thing, then you should go do it. Yes.

Steve:

What was that? Like?

Stephen:

I admit I had very supportive parents. Yes. I fully admit that mom and dad, Martin, other than telling me that I needed to get a real degree and not so proper and not try to focus on being a soap star. Then that was the only one that, where they kind of like brought me back down to earth. But the rest of the time they were like, anything you put your mind to, you can do.

Steve:

Yes. Now, Tracy and penny cuts school the next day to go to the audition. And we hear about miss Baltimore crabs.

Stephen:

How times have changed. These girls must be blind, but times when I was Ms. Boltz AMBA. Wake up from that dream of yours, is it 1930? So Velma is very much living in the past of her glory days and living through her daughter. And I love the line. Oh, I hit the stage, but Tom's a blaze belting night eat while preparing so Flay and like Brady and I, when we were driving around the west side of Cincinnati and things like this was definitely one of the songs that I was like, this is my song.

Brady:

Nobody else could, it still plays came. She was on point every time.

Stephen:

Velma rules, the show with an iron fist. And doesn't want any lewd dancing, no hip thrusting, no. Shimmying. And Brady's got a really good shimmy if you've never seen it, but I can

Brady:

imagine that shouldn't be in town. I have the baby come on,

Steve:

Following a brief dance test. Tracy's dismissed by Velma due to her weight and her support of integration.

Stephen:

And so my dear, so short and stout, you'll never be in, so we're kicking you out.

Steve:

Yes. And one thing I noted, well Amanda Bynes character, penny was seen off stage watching is that you see her throughout this movie with lollipops in her mouth. And it ends up that binds father is a dentist by trade in real life. Became very worried for her dental health as she was eating about 40 lollipops. She told him that she wasn't really eating all of them. When in reality, she ate every single one

Stephen:

now something that's and then you put her under guardianship. Yes. Now something that's not really highlighted here, but if you're watching, because you see that most of the cast is being rude to the girls that are auditioning, like they make fun of one girl for being Jewish and having a very no, it was horse like nose and and you're like, but Link's supposed to be a good guy. And if you look he's in the back, not really participating. So other than saying the line of, so we're kicking you out, which he barely says he's not involved with the nastiness that everybody else is like the cinema scope, things like that. B what did you think of this?

Brady:

You know, it just kind of holds true to, you know, today, either you're in or you're out with the kiddos you know, the way you dress, the way that you look you know, they talk talking about the nose, you know, they imply that a nose job needs to be done or, you know, the outfit needs to be changed to make them look better, or Tracy needs to lose weight because you know, Fluffy's not in. And so I think it's pretty, pretty much on point, but I would tend to agree with you that a lot of it is very focused for that perfection, but not everybody's on board. So yeah, I think that you summed it up pretty well.

Steve:

And Tracy arrives back at school the next day, dejected and is promptly given detention for cutting a class, her spirits lift. However, when she discovers that the detention room is where many of the schools, black students congregate and dance to RMB. She quickly be a friends, seaweed, J Stubbs, the group's best dancer, whom she recognizes as the perf the lead performer on the monthly Negro day and learn some of his dance moves

Stephen:

and like just the joy. She finds and whenever they're dancing and they're like, oh, white girl, you got some moves. And she's like, you're joining this program already in progress.

Steve:

Yes. And then link Larkin will walks by and we find out he likes big butts and he cannot lie. Yeah.

Stephen:

Like she smacked, she smacks her button and he's like, Ooh,

Steve:

yes. He enters the room and pressed and informs her that Courtney Collins is hosting a hop. And that she's easily talented enough for Courtney to select her as the new council member, as the school bells ring. And the kids disperse link is accidentally jostled into Tracy causing Tracy to have a series of euphoric daydreams about her interaction with her. I can hear the bells.

Stephen:

Don't you hear them

Steve:

shine? Yes. Now be in high school. Did you hear the bells for anyone in particular?

Brady:

I didn't. I didn't even see. All I knew is I wanted to be that star baby. I wanted to think of dance, but I did not have bells that really went off for anyone in particular. I think that I was kind of so focused on performing and, you know, good grades and doing the right things that I didn't really focus on anybody in particular. I was still figuring out myself at that time as

Steve:

well.

Stephen:

What about you,

Steve:

darling? I say the closest was, I did have a crush on a fellow classmate. I believe his name is Liam. He, but he, when he came out to me, like, it felt like more of like, like, I didn't want to. Jeopardize, like, it felt kind of like when someone comes to you for advice and then you're like, I'm going to take advantage of you. Like, it just never felt right. But I definitely was crushing on him, hard my senior year of high school. And you,

Stephen:

We have too many people from my hometown that listened to the podcast. So I'm not naming

Brady:

names we should have given that truth, sir. I'm before we started today,

Stephen:

now, one of the things I love from that song is Tracy, doesn't see her size as a negative, or that she's any less desirable than Amber or any other girl. And she truly believes that Lincoln will see her for her. And it's another thing I love about Tracy. Like she is such a good lead character in for so many reasons.

Steve:

Yes. Now the teenagers, both black and white arrive at the corny Collins dance. Although the dance floor is divided with a rope for segregation. Link as performing ladies choice do do do. And Tracy spots, seaweed among the black dancers and she wants to dance with him, but she, because she doesn't understand segregation or why they can't do things together. He encouraged us though to borrow some of those moves. He taught her to impress Courtney Tracy quickly catches Courtney's attention and links. And so the horror of Elma Von tussle, she's chosen as the new council member for the corny Collins. Tracy's parents, as well as penny and seaweed watch her delighted.

Stephen:

Like I love when Penny's running down the street, like blocks away and she's like and I'm like the first day that Tracy's on the set, corny brings up again about integrating the cast and Velma threatens to fire him. How are you going to fire corny Collins from the corny Collins show? And Velma quickly says they did it all the time with Lassie.

Steve:

Now, Tracy is a sensation all over the city with girls wanting to be just like her. Courtney wants to integrate the cast and Velma, like we mentioned, threatens to fire him. And then the song, the new girl in town plays, which echoes Tracy's entrance to the show as well as feelings of certain people. It's first performed by Amber and other white girls before it's done on Negro day. This gives us a glimpse of Negro day hosted by seaweeds mother, DJ motor mouth media. Maribel is then chastised by Velma for performing it. After the white dancers performed a cover version, even though the black singers wrote it. Yeah.

Stephen:

That scene between the two of them were Velma's like, how dare you do this right after we did it. And maybe Bell's liked it better. And they did it better, but it's their song like Belmont ones, no sort of equity or equality or even truth. No. Yeah. She'll

Steve:

just take what she can on what she likes from them and change it to meet her

Stephen:

standards and nothing against corny Collins. But I think may bell is a better host of the show.

Steve:

Yes. Hopefully with the integrated down the road, they cohost. That would be nice. Yes. Now, Trey

Stephen:

now Brady bet, like if you were back then, would your parents, do you think have allowed you to watch Negro day.

Brady:

Hm, you know, I think so. They have been pretty supportive and I think they would have known that if it was something that I liked a special, you know, with like dancing and all of that being one of those theater kids, I think they might've let me watch it. But I think that there might've been some lines maybe, you know, like, Hey, you can watch it, you can dance here, but you know, maybe you shouldn't be doing those kinds of dances out and about maybe. But yeah, I probably would have been able to watch it.

Stephen:

Yeah. Ditto, because like, I remember stories like my mom had a lot of black friends in high school and there was a black guy that asked her out and she liked him and wanted to go out with him. But she knew that grandpa would not have cared for it as much.

Steve:

Now tr Tracy becomes that local celebrity with a huge boost in ratings. So while at first Mr. Spritzer or the CEO of ultra clutch hairspray, disliked her and calls her a, should I be calming us as well as not liking the fact that she wished every day was Negro today. He seen changes his mind when he sees the dollar signs coming in. He begins a Wilbur, began selling Tracy themed merchandise in his joke shop the Hardy har hut, and ended up finally realizes that Tracy's weight did not prevent her from reaching her goal.

Stephen:

And you know, it's all really good and I'm totally good with her father capitalizing on the Tracy's popularity. Oh, for sure. And Tracy soon receives an offer for Mr. Pinkie of Mr. Pinky's hefty hideaway, the local plus size dress shop to be their official spokes girl. Tracy of course is super excited. But Edna is like, You're not going to be able to do that. You they'll take advantage of you and, and Tracy's like, well, you should be my agent. Cause nobody's going to take better care of me than my mom. And Edna is like no, because then I'd have to leave the house, which she hasn't done in 11 years. Yes. 1951.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. But then Tracy assures her mother that times are changing and the people who are looked different are finally beginning to be accepted as she welcomes her mom to the sixties.

Stephen:

oh,

Steve:

no.

Stephen:

One of my favorite things is they're singing and dancing through the street. They see two really posh women having drinks at a bar and smoking cigarettes and, and is like so glamorous. And then we see that the women are also pregnant.

Brady:

Hold on. You're saying I knew he would pick about, I knew it. It made me

Stephen:

laugh every time my baby kicked. Oh, cheers to that.

Steve:

No, it was a funny time.

Stephen:

Fun fact. Jerry Stiller, who plays Mr. Pinkie was the original Wilbur Turnblad in the eighties. John Waters movie.

Steve:

Yep. Now after both Tracy and Edna received make-overs and Mr. Pinkie shop, they stop at a diner to celebrate with Edna feeling more confident than she's felt in years. That quickly changes as Amber and Consella. I mean, Velma entered the diner and Tracy's forced introduced them to her mother.

Stephen:

This is Amber and Mrs. Von

Steve:

tussle. Yeah. Velma hurl, Hertz, Edna with a thinly veiled insult about our new trust, reducing Edna tiers or Edna by Tracy explains that the Von tussles Mo motive is to break them down because they see her as a threat. Now that she's going to be winning the annual miss teenage hairspray pageant the following month, hopefully. Yeah,

Stephen:

because Amber is one at the past three years. Yeah. Whenever Velma like, well, you'll definitely stop traffic. And I was like you bitch.

Steve:

Yes. Especially after you get to see this amazing change with Edna after she's treated like a star and sees herself as beautiful. And both women are just so excited for each

Stephen:

other, that scene where they're in pinkies and they've both had the make-over and they're both. So yeah, they're the matching outfits and they're so happy for each other, like that sort of joy. And then you see how words have such power that in one line and Ruben Edna from the highest of highs, back to where she was before the night started. Yes.

Steve:

Meanwhile at school Tracy's more popular than ever, despite Amber as best effort to ruin her reputation,

Stephen:

which pissed me off so much, especially when she's like, it's not true that she had sex with the entire football team. I'm sure there's obviously other ways to get grass stains all up your back.

Steve:

Yes. Although that would be my favorite link becomes disenchanted with ambers, quilt, pranks, and gossips, and intentionally lands him into himself in detention to get closer to her. He begins to read closer to Tracy while we see chemistry growing between penny and CB. Now

Stephen:

the funniest part of that scene is link, who is the best dancer of the white kids on corny Collins goes into detention and tries to start dancing with the black kids. And comparatively is just not good.

Steve:

Yes. Now seaweed invites Tracy penny and link to a platter party at his mother's record store after school and introduces them to his little sister. And as

Stephen:

I want to go to a platter party, that looked amazing. Yes, like dancing in a record store with all kinds of comfort soul. Yes, please. Yes.

Steve:

Right? Yeah. And they do that as they're singing run-ins hell that,

Stephen:

which is a really great song expressing the individual individuality and spirit in the face of social president prejudice. And also the theme that black is beautiful.

Steve:

Yep. And as newcomers, penny Lincoln, Tracy are nervous at first but soon enjoyed themselves Tracy and link express, similar views on integration of the corny Collins show and like. That he has chosen Tracy over Amber at last.

Stephen:

I love whenever Maribel comes over and talks to them at first and Penny's like, I'm very pleased and scared to be here. That's okay.

Brady:

It makes me it that's the one quote too, not just that one, but penny and prudence. When penny gets in trouble with the visit. Yeah. You know, it is one of my ultimate favorite quotes from Allison. Janney is pretty Singleton when she walks her up. You know, Kenny Lupino, you are absolutely positively permanently punished. You will live on a diet of saltines and tagging this room again, lose it every time when somebody says, buddy, Luke Singleton, I instantly think of Alison Janney is pretty Singleton. Putting those words and poor penny happened to live on saltine and things, and we'll be locking her room.

Steve:

Yeah. Now at the Vaughn tussles opulent home, Amber SOPs through a mother about losing link to Tracy Velma promises to make it all better. As she's in control of link singing career. In the meantime, Amber makes an anonymous call to Edna ousting Tracy's current whereabouts, which causes editor rush over to may bell shop and attempted to take her home at once. Maybella invites Edmund, a state, enticing her with an enormous food table that would entice me as well. Yeah.

Stephen:

And I love that, you know, the go back into the song and queen Latifa singing right to Aetna. Why stay in the bleachers, all timid and afraid when Edna you look like the whole pool raid and again, like own your body. Like I rule me, I own all of it. Go for it. I love it. Like, and also that food looks so good at yes.

Steve:

Unfortunately the food. Yeah. The food was not to celebrate necessarily as much as to commemorate the fact that Velma officially canceled Negro day on the corny Collins show, Tracy penny link seaweed, and the dancers are outraged. And Tracy suggests they stage a protest March on the w Y Z T studio. Cause she don't give a fuck. Yeah. And

Stephen:

Mabel agrees as do the dancers, but link explains to Tracy that he's supposed to sing at the miss teenage hairspray project. And if he does this, it'll hurt his career and. It uphill apologizes, but Tracy's hurt because the comment that he makes about, you know, this might be too big for me. And the way he says it makes it sound like she's too big. And so she's hurt and it's a whole thing and it's not how he intended it. But again, words have

Steve:

power. Yes. And with Aetna and Tracy, not yet home Velma does her her sexiest impersonation of a seductress and introduces herself to Wilbur Turnblad at the Hardy har hut,

Stephen:

wherever she goes. And and she goes, I don't have a man, oh, I need a fella. My husband accidentally suffocated. And you're like, bitch, you killed him. You know, you did

Steve:

no. Her intention is to seduce Wilbur and be caught by Aetna, likely leading to Tracy, leaving the show Wilbur. You gives me strong vibes of how you would react if someone with hit on you and just be completely obvious oblivious to it, all trying to peddle those precious joke items and completely impervious to Velma's advances.

Stephen:

And I do think like even if he was aware, like I think he is up to, to the whole scene, like Velma says that he's up twos, but like he sees her as a customer, not some sultry woman, like his eyes are definitely not on her. And then Edna and Tracy arrive home and Tracy sadly goes to bed and invigorated by the food and the party spruces herself up and goes down to the joke shop in search of her husband. And because they're doing a big blonde and beautiful reprise and the big and beautiful is Aetna blonde and beautiful being. And unfortunately she arrives down there. Nothing had been happening and Velma forces Wilbur into a compromising position. Edna assumes the worst and storms out in the fury, changes all the locks, forbids Tracy from ever appearing on that show again. And, you know, Velma, even though nothing happened between she and Wilbert gets exactly what she wanted.

Steve:

Yes. That night. Oh, and during that, the, with the reprise it was allegedly added it's in ed, Michelle Pfeiffer's suggestion to replace a scripted scene. So she had another chance to sing

Stephen:

I'm all for it, because I think she did a really great job with it. And it's a fun little scene. Yes. Yes.

Steve:

Certainly. Now that night, Tracy visits her father, who's sleeping in the joke shop on a bit of what. I love how, like half of them were like going off and then he's like that one was made, he has service or nothing happened. And that his only love is Aetna. Tracy explains her fears about the future. Talking about the protest March, without talking about the protest March and Wilbur, once again, confront conf

Stephen:

comfort her and encourages her to pursue what she knows is right, because he believes that he, she can change the world. And I love, you know, she mentions her weight and he will hear nothing of it and has her sit on his lap and he does this little girl, little girl, and only as Christopher walk-in can. And like, he's just such a good dad and a husband in this. And I love it. Yeah.

Steve:

He continues to be a good husband when he reconciles with Edna, seeing your timeless. And they have such amazing chemistry for two straight

Stephen:

men. Yeah. And the first day on the set, Christopher Walken went up to John Travolta and he said, you know, I've been having trouble wrapping my mind around how these two work as a couple. And then he kisses John Travolta. And he's like, but they're crazy about each other. And they always have been, and like, I can totally see it happening catching John Travolta off guard. But Christopher Walken being like, don't you see it? They just love each other. And, and like, and the song ends with, you'll always be first string, oh, ring a ding ding. And it's cute. And they go through different things like where they're flamenco, tango dancers, or they're doing this waltz and the under the Moonlight. Fog and things, and it's really, really well done. Some people find this to be the boring song in the movie. B what do you think about it?

Brady:

I like it, cause it's not that chemistry, like you said, you can, you only see the love between the cheer, you know, Aetna and it's, it's the time when you actually get to really see it, you know, you can really, it kind of solidifies that. And I love the fact that it takes place, you know, ultimately when you see it, they're walking into the backyard, which has the laundry cult on the laundry lines and, you know, and then it goes into this, like you said, the fog and the dancing with the outfits, but normally they're kind of dancing and being flirty around, you know, the laundry hanging. So I love it. I think that it's fun and it's kind of flirty and it gives them a good moment together.

Stephen:

So it kind of reminds me from the greatest show. Where the husband and wife are dancing on the rooftop admits their laundry. Yes. And so I was like, it's a similar scene and it makes my heart soar in just the same way. Yeah.

Brady:

Good point. Good point. Yeah. Yeah.

Steve:

Now the following morning and the attempts to wait Tracy to tell her the argument is over, but fine. She's escaped to join the protest fearing for Tracy safety. Edna sets out after to her.

Stephen:

Now, if this were the sixties, would you have gone and joined the protest obviously?

Brady:

Yeah, I think so. I think it would have been the same thing would have been again, maybe defend against my parents.

Stephen:

I would have been making the signs and I totally would have been there. And Tracy does get, yeah, she gets to meet up with the protestors who tanned out all the picket signs and they sent off down the. With Mayville singing the really soulful song. I know where I've been now. I can't see anybody else playing Mayville besides queen Latifa, but I hear she wasn't originally the only choice, no

Steve:

Aretha Franklin also auditioned for the role

Brady:

and

Stephen:

easy. And while I love that, I do think that maybe Aretha would have been a little too old at the time of this to have done it properly and to have been as convincing that she had a 14 year old

Steve:

child that didn't have down.

Brady:

So queen Latifa is so underrated. I mean, as far as, you know, people think of her in the older days of the wrapping and everything, but she's produced and put out a lot of. Songs, you know the soundtrack for some movies that she's done. The one with Holly hunter and Danny DeVito seem to get the name of it right now, but she really has a voice and this lens to it, you know you really get to hear her seeing in whale on this beautiful and emotional.

Stephen:

If anybody is interested in seeing some more of queen, Latifah's really good singing, check out the Dana Owens album because that is queen Latifah's real name, Dana Owens. And it's more of that jazz standard type of song. And she really stretched out her voice. Now may Belle tells Tracy that if she does this protest, she will never dance on TV again. And Tracy says, if I can't dance with seaweed and little line as then, I don't want to, I just want tomorrow to be better. And that is totally align that. I think in this day and age, everybody can identify with, I just want tomorrow to be better. Yes.

Steve:

Also in Mayville song, I really liked the lyric when they say she sings. I know where I've been. There is pride in my heart. I know where I'm going. I know where I've been. And that kind of rings true. Not only for their struggles through segregation, but even in more modern times with us with pride marches.

Stephen:

Yeah. Yeah. Nana finally catches up and tries to talk Tracy into coming home. Tracy refuses, of course. And they soon reach a police roadblock and are currently instructed by a policeman to cease their protest and go home. Tracy's angered by his treatment of may bell and taps the officer with her picket sign when his back assaults her and the officer immediately accuses Tracy of assaulting an officer and chaos ensues as he is. He orders his men to arrest all the protestors and. Like watching this scene after the different protests recently and you know, against police brutality and things, this hit a lot harder. I was like, oh, you don't want the white girl lead the protest. That's what happens. Yes.

Steve:

And as I mentioned, I love how the news lies progressively more and more about Tracy's tap on the policemen. Eventually being that she's savagely beat like a boy scout in between.

Stephen:

And he is in a coma in ICU. And and again, Wilbur proving that he's just amazing. He bailed out all 20 of the arrested protesters because he felt that was the right thing to do.

Steve:

You can give me big, well, Wilbur vibes,

Stephen:

babe. Thanks darlin.

Steve:

Now Tracy fleas to Penny's house and penny secretly hides there in the basement fallout shelter until pretty discovers them and calls the police on. Tracy gets locked in the basement room while penny is bound with a jump rope in her bedroom, by her mother as punishment for harboring a fugitive as he just laughs and laughs because

Stephen:

it's his favorite

Brady:

scene, petty little pig. She was absolutely positively permanently punished. You will live on a diet and full teams in Tang and you will never miss one again. That was child devil

Stephen:

child. If the devil child is the one that gets me every time

Brady:

she blesses her with holy water

Stephen:

seaweed, thankfully comes along climbs into Penny's room frees her confesses, his love kisses her for the first time and they break Tracy out of the basement and head off singing a love song and it's and

Steve:

without love, which at the while at the same time Linka singing it after he felt guilty for not supporting Tracy. And having visited the Turnblad's he gets to see her bedroom and realizes his true feelings for her and everyone's falling in love. And once they get once together, again, the teenagers along with Edna and Wilbert, concoct, a plan to crush the miss teen hairspray pageant the next day. Yeah. And according to the DVD commentary director, Adam Shankman made Zac Efron make-out with that picture, frame it for hour after hour after hour, which makes me think Shankman is playing for our team.

Stephen:

Yeah. Oh, he does. Okay. I mean, Shankman is the reason we have high school musical. Okay. Well thank you, sir. Hiding out and may bell store, may bell tell seaweed and penny that if they're going to be in a relationship, you got to brace yourself for a whole lot of ugly coming from a never-ending parade, a stupid to which pending. So you met my mom. Yes.

Steve:

Now, Velma, you know, knowing of Tracy's involvement with the protestations police around the studio, the next day as the pageant begins, the security has shown pictures of tracing, given explicit orders to prevent her from entering the building, the teenagers, put their plan into action, infiltrating the studio with the help of Wilbur dressed up in Casey drag, which I love. And they just smuggled Tracy inside a can of hairspray Courtney's sings,

Stephen:

hairspray. Yeah. And that she was brought in by the police using a giant can of hairspray as a battering Ram. And I love when Velma's like you brought her in. Yes, you idiot. Yeah. And during the whole hairspray song, like spraying, hairspray, They're like, this is the end of it. And we're going to use it all up. Yes.

Steve:

But it actually was not hairspray. It was actually deodorant. Out of all, the possibilities of is the only thing that would catch the light and show up on camera, the way that the director wanted it to.

Stephen:

Yeah. And there were spraying and in each other's faces and everything, and they all go home smelling like Axe,

Steve:

body spray.

Stephen:

And so during the dance competition of the official, like miss hairspray pageant, we see Velma subtly stacking the deck for Amber to win by throwing away votes for other people, Edna sees her doing this and she realizes that she's got to do something and a sneaking in. With her a little trench coat and scarf, her and her head and sunglasses was really cute.

Steve:

And Amber is about to win. When Tracy arrives on stage in a giant rocket, she chases Amber off stage and is joined by link who chooses little Inez as his partner, no longer caring about the talent Scouts in the audience, but rather about bringing the corny Collins show a step closer to inter integration as they sing. You can't stop the beat, which you can hear a little bit about here. You

Stephen:

can stop in novel blanches of races down the hill. You can stop the season's girl, but you know, you Napa and you can

Brady:

You can't stop.

Stephen:

One of the things I love is the talent Scouts are Adam Shankman and Ricky lake. Oh, who was, who was the original

Steve:

Tracy? Yeah. Yeah. During the performance, the phone and votes increased dramatically after an performs. And she's crowned, miss teenage hairspray awarding her the position of lead dancer on the show, which officially means it's an integrated cast

Stephen:

at last fast now and forever. The corny Collins show is officially integrated. Yay.

Steve:

Penny and seaweed kiss passionately right in front of the cameras causing Penny's mother and have a fit of horror. She watches from home.

Stephen:

I am now a checkerboard chick.

Brady:

I just tried to cover the TV, but the whole world can't see her because she's covering her one TV checkerboard check. Yep.

Steve:

And this high energy song does also last for a full like five and a half minutes. And most of the cast jokingly. You can't stop the beat. You can't stop to breathe because of its pace and its fast moving lyrics. The only one who didn't have any trouble was queen Latifa because she's a rapper.

Stephen:

Yeah. And Velmer Velma is furious and caught on camera and admitting to, to her daughter that she rigged the pageant so that Amber would be sure to win. And she's caught thanks to Edna and Wilbur using the camera and immediately fired by Mr. Spritzer. And as the celebratory finale, dance reaches, its pinnacle Wilbur encourages, ended a ticket, the stage herself, do it or forever wish you had. And she does with great enthusiasm. And again, like Wilbur's the best and that's the thing is it's not, you know, do it or like, because you'll, those are those moments that you look back on and you're like, damn, I really wish. That I had done that if I had just gotten over my fear, if I had just seize the moment. And he's

Steve:

so proud of both of his girls, as she sings, you can't stop my happiness because I like the way I

Stephen:

am. And again, like the body positivity in this movie is so good. Yes.

Steve:

Velma pleads for Courtney to make the stop. He says, no, this is the future. And take some album may have L out to shine and then

Stephen:

Tracy and link finally have their first kiss as a better future, begins to unfold around them. Ah,

Steve:

so what are your final thoughts on the movie?

Brady:

It's just a happy go. Lucky movie, again, dealing with these, you think about it, some deep stuff, you know, with the body positivity and integration you know, all of that stuff, it really is creepy, but, and how such an up lifted story, the way that it's told the music you know, it is relief. You kind of think about it. It's really kind of a period piece, but as we said, it kind of spans across, but I don't think Ben and the crew did a great job and it's a large cast. I mean, there are multiple high school kids. You know, that play kind of in the chorus that are always present and there's lots of dancing and there's lots of themes. So I love it, but it's just, it's one of those feel good. And as Steve said earlier, one of you said, I know it's, you're either coming your toes and you're dancing. And typically, you know, when you're actually in the show, the Encore. It's typically you can't stop the beat again. Like they continue it again and they encourage people to get up and dance. And so it's just, you leave even uplifted and that, you know, the right person has one and the evildoers, you know, I found out, so,

Stephen:

and they, up in the Broadway show, they actually give the Von tussles a chance for redemption and to join in the singing and celebration where in this one they're like, Nope, they need to come up and

Steve:

switch. I agree. Having a very quick turnaround for them. Yeah. Yeah.

Stephen:

I actually saw this movie three times in the theater and which is high for me to see it that many times, but there was something so joyful about this. And you did, you left the theater feeling so good every time and. Oh, and you know, all the times of us singing this in the car together, like it's just a good time and it's joyful. And we need like, even with the deep things that we've said that they're talking about, it's still joyful in the end. And those are the stories that we need in life. Yeah.

Steve:

Yes. We need to know about this because I wouldn't know about, you know, segregation stuff aside from history books have not, and this just kind of is a nice light way of touching on a very serious topic. Exactly. Great.

Stephen:

Well, my darling, do you know what other things are? You know, light and joyful? Our

Steve:

listeners are, yes. How

Stephen:

can they get in touch with us? Well, they can follow us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or. At happy life pod.

Steve:

Yes. We'd love to hear what you think about the episode. You can also email us directly@happylifepodatgmail.com

Stephen:

and be thank you so much for joining us again, like having you here and hearing your little giggle in the background made my entire year.

Steve:

Yes. Oh,

Brady:

well, you are very welcome and thank you for having me. I love doing this. I love talking and I hope your listeners, you know, enjoy some commentary and, and some of those giggles kind of really how we are when we're together. So

Steve:

yes. Be ready to

Stephen:

help. Take us out. Now you can help us say the final thing and until next time everybody stay happy.