The Steves welcome back Tameka Fountaine to celebrate Black History Month with a celebration of the 1978 classic, The Wiz.
Happy News: Highlighting Retailers celebrating Black Owned Businesses this month:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2021/02/05/11-retailers-celebrating-black-history-month-under-armour-nike-target-and-more/4358509001/
The Wiz Disucssion:
Join our conversation on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/happylifepod
Contact Tameka for any personal shopping services in Sarasota and Manatee county at https://www.blackmarketmanasota.com/
Stay Happy!
The Steves welcome back Tameka Fountaine to celebrate Black History Month with a celebration of the 1978 classic, The Wiz.
Happy News: Highlighting Retailers celebrating Black Owned Businesses this month:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2021/02/05/11-retailers-celebrating-black-history-month-under-armour-nike-target-and-more/4358509001/
The Wiz Disucssion:
Join our conversation on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/happylifepod
Contact Tameka for any personal shopping services in Sarasota and Manatee county at https://www.blackmarketmanasota.com/
Stay Happy!
Hello returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin. And this is
Stephen:Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to
Steve:a lifetime of happiness. The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, television shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping keep us happy while hopefully bring a smile to your face salon.
Stephen:And today we are celebrating black history month by welcoming back Tamika fountain to discuss the 1978 classic the whiz. Yes.
Steve:Welcome back to the show Tamika. Yes, it's always a pleasure having you on. And when we decided that we wanted to do a special movie to celebrate and recognize black history month, it was the perfect chance to connect with you. And talk about one of your favorite movies of all time. Yeah. So,
Stephen:right. So what's been making you happy recently.
Tameka:Well, what made me happy was getting this invite to watch a movie that I hadn't watched in a really long time, but I have loved since I was six years old and it was released. So I'm. Loving the fact that I got this implementation. And since podcasting with you guys was the funniest, funniest thing I got to do in 2020. Yeah. I figured I'd repeat it in
Steve:2021. Excellent. Well, thank you. Well, here's hopefully, hopefully the, one of the first of media, a couple of guests spots throughout the year works for
Stephen:me. Works for me too. Yes.
Steve:What's been making you happy. My love.
Stephen:Oh my goodness. Like, honestly, right now it's. Harder to say, what's not making me happy. Tell me more, tell me more. Well, I mean like work has been busy, but prepping for auditors to come in and things like that, but I've got everything ready to go. So I feel accomplished and that makes me happy. You know, we redecorated part of the guest room and put up some more things in there and just walking by that makes me happy. So. You know, there's a lot of stuff that's good right now.
Steve:Yes. I would say certainly. And what's making me happy is also looking ahead and looking forward because we have not just one, but I have two things to look forward to coming up. We've scheduled now our honey, we're going to recreate our honeymoon for five-year wedding anniversary in new Orleans. So that's going to be an amazing trip in itself. But then on top of that, I did book cause they already have tickets for this year's pod Fest because last year's pod Fest is kind of what took this podcast to another level. It was, you know, a four day podcasting conferences. So I'm so excited to be able to go back on. So that is making me happy because in one of our very first episodes, Sierra Butler had said, you know, It's been scientifically proven. If you have something scheduled to look forward to no matter how big or small it can help improve your happiness. So that's a little reminder if you haven't had that recently. So either, I mean, it's a small three-day weekend having that trip or that getaway or that vacation can make you happy. So plan as things are opening up and we're able to travel safely again, definitely take advantage of it. Listen. Yes.
Stephen:I'm very excited to get. Our second dose of the vaccine. So that will be, we'll
Steve:be, we'll have it by the time this is airing. So we will be a, okay, thanks to working in health, working
Stephen:in healthcare thing, we are very thankful for that. And you have some happy news for us as well.
Steve:Yes. And it actually is happy news as I was researching that I immediately thought of E you Tamika, because you are a professional shopper. And so when I was going over being February being black history month, many retailers are showing their support. And so I found this amazing article that highlights. You know, so many brands I, the one that I always see every year, they really push it forward as the black beyond measure by target. And they're doing that again this year. But they also have numerous initiatives aimed at helping black entrepreneurs succeed, like its partnership with the new voices foundation, which provides capital and resources to female entrepreneurs of color. So I really love what Target's doing and
Tameka:I love their lines. I love the fact that they do highlight black entrepreneurs and that they you know, they have hair care lines and makeup lines that are specifically targeted to people of color. Because before that, it was very difficult for us to find those sorts of things for ourselves. So, and target is also one of my favorite places to shop. So anybody with a target order.
Steve:I was gonna say, Target's one of those few stores where I can pop in and lose an hour, like most other stores and like get in and get out, but targets. There's something about it makes you want to go up and down every aisle.
Stephen:I agree. And before we move on to something else, tell us again, and our listeners who might not have been here the first time more about your business.
Tameka:I own black market personal shopper service. And we go anywhere in Sarasota or Manatee County for groceries. And just about anything, I delivered a couple of Christmas trees this year. I shopped. Wrapped and delivered Christmas gifts. And Steve is one of my lovely customers who I got to wrap his Christmas gifts this year. Yeah.
Stephen:Yes. Ma'am.
Steve:I may wear beautiful for me to unwrap
Stephen:because I was not feeling the wrapping Christmas spirit this year. And I saw on your Facebook, you were like, Oh, I'm wrapping presents. And I was like, Yup. You can wrap mine too. Thank you very much. Yeah. And you delivered you bought and delivered gifts for us, for our dog groomer and some people, and it was a wonderful experience experience. And it's such a benefit. And especially this time where a lot of people still a don't feel like going out shopping right now. Some people don't have the time to go out shopping.
Steve:Time is the big thing, you know, how much is your time worth? And there are times that we look at how busy and hectic our lives can be and say, it's worth the time to have the personal shopper. So, yes, we're lucky enough that about a third to a half of our listeners, depending on the episode, typically come from our area. And so if you definitely are in the Sarasota Manatee area and need a personal shopper, Tamika is our
Stephen:now you have of the businesses that do things for. The black community this month and year round. What's your favorite? You were telling us,
Tameka:do tell everything sports were related that I own has a swoosh on it. And this is simply typically Nike is just one of those companies that February and, and every month of the year we're getting something. They have lots of initiatives of, for black designers. As well as, you know, the athletes, Colin Kaepernick being a perfect example. I know not all of us agree with his form of protest, but I think we can all agree that it was peaceful was
Stephen:I do too. Yes. I was a big, big fan that they stood up and were vocally supportive of that. Damn the consequences.
Steve:Yes, yes. Yeah. And then, I mean, some of the other stores that were there, I mean, for Michaels, for all your crafting needs, you know, that you're not going to be going to hobby lobby if you're a firm believer in equality. So, so having them, you know, in addition to highlighting, you know, a lot of their. Retailers that are black owned or their resources, but they also have the manner, a portion of proceeds goes towards the management leadership for tomorrow, a nonprofit that helps people of color pursuing, achieve leadership in the workforce
Stephen:and something that Macy's is doing that I've been seeing other stores do where you can round up. Your order, because CVS is doing that now and donating money to charity, the Macy's is doing it. And you know, your order comes to 2145 Roundup to 22. It doesn't seem like a lot for you. But over time, that collects, I was going to
Steve:say with, especially with a big company, like Macy's, you know, in every single transaction, someone rounds up anywhere from one to 99 cents and it makes the biggest
Stephen:difference. The money is going to black girls code and the United Negro college fund, which both are so important because I love black girls code telling girls. You can do anything you put your mind to, especially if it's coding. Yeah.
Steve:And I love that cause it reminds me of girl code with Nicole Byer in it and she was great in that. And she's also one of my favorite comedians.
Tameka:She is she's, she's wonderfully hilarious. But no Macy's is another one of my favorite places to shop. When I'm looking for a, you know, a high-end designer item. But these, these two organizations, I it's, it's so important that black girls especially feel empowered and you know, it's tech and we are. Grossly underrepresented in that space. So I'm happy they're doing
Steve:that. Yes. Yep. And I'll make sure that, you know, I'll be highlighted some of them. We did find these in the information off of an article with about 11 great businesses that are highlighted. So we'll make sure to link over to that in the show notes. If you wanted to read up more on these businesses and how to support them this month,
Stephen:and now we're going to get to the heart of the matter and we can. Ease on down the yellow brick road and talk about the Wiz to make it. You're the one that you had a list of like 28 movies that you could choose from and use zeroed in on the Wiz. Tell us why,
Tameka:because I love the story, which, you know, the whole point of the movie is that everything you need for success is already inside. You. You need a squad to help you see it, but in the end you are the hero that you've been waiting
Stephen:for
Steve:100%. Absolutely. And I love the way that you put that into words, because that is a perfect summary. I mean, while. You know, getting into even, I, I I'm, I am BB summarizes this as an adaptation of the wizard of Oz that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. You know, we'll get into that in a moment. But I mean, for me even watching it, it was very much like what you said. And there was these messages in it about not only like family and belongingness, but also, you know, that it's more of a state of mind and things like that, that I almost liked the messages in this more than the original source material.
Stephen:I absolutely do, because one of the things that struck me right from the beginning was where in the original wizard of Oz and em, and uncle Henry seemed more cross with Dorothy and nobody had enough time for her and em, and this, her thing was, honey. I want you to spread your wings. And realize your potential, but we're always going to be here for you. Like we know what you can do. This is always going to be your home, but we want you to realize what you can do. And the whole movie came across to me as joyful black excellence.
Tameka:Exactly exactly. You know, and you were talking about the, the adaptation and, and I was reading some of the reviews and, you know, it's just kind of like people completely miss the point of the movie.
Steve:And I, and I think that part of it, at least from my perspective was that, you know, this was in the late seventies and the movie critics were mostly white. If not entirely white men. Who, you know, this is such like a beautiful movie, but it has a lot that they probably do. Oh, so much. Cause I mean, I mean, this is aged so well, like, you know, we've progressed hopefully enough as a society where like, even we were able to like recognize a lot of it now, but I think back in the day, people weren't as educated or aware of different cultures. And so I feel like a lot of it might've been poorly received because they just, they didn't get it. I mean, there were a lot of. Areas where they didn't even show it in theaters because they figured there weren't enough people that would be wanting to see it.
Tameka:Right. Right. And, and the interesting thing I, in talking to my husband who spent a lot of time in marketing said, you know, in addition to them all being white males, they also have an audience that they cater specifically to. And so if they didn't understand it and, and they, they have to say that they feel like their specific audiences. Wouldn't understand it. And that is probably why, even to this day, I looked at the idea I MDB reviews and rotten tomatoes, and it's still poorly rated. Obviously black folks are not going online to put, to add reviews.
Steve:No. Yeah, no, it's the, it's the angry white people that also like tank the Marvel movies. The moment that there's like a lead female and
Stephen:black hand and Marvel or black Panther that black, the black Panther pissed me off just because. It was a lead black male and it was about a black society and the cast was minority white. That people with, I mean, there were reviews. Well, before you have a chance to see it, they were like worst movie I've ever seen it's racist. And I was like, you haven't seen it. You're racist. And you're just lying. Yes.
Steve:But speaking of reading things online, my love, do you want to give us a little bit of background of what we learned about the movie and its history and Wikipedia? Yeah.
Stephen:Sure. So the way this is in 1978, American musical adventure fantasy. Now that's a whole bunch right in there. Yes. Produced by universal pictures and Motown productions.
Steve:Oh. And speaking of them, I do want to note that as we go through the episode, we will have the ability to play some clips for you. And so these clips are ones that we are borrowing from universal pictures and Motown productions. We do not own them. We might have clipped them a bit for timing, but these are not hours to use their hours to borrow for your. Listening pleasure. Yes, we
Stephen:are using those clips to celebrate those parts of the movie and further the discussion so that everyone can be involved. Yes.
Steve:And the movie was released on October 24th of 1978.
Stephen:It's a re-imagining of L Frank bombs. Classic 1900. Children's novel, the wonderful wizard of Oz, but this is featuring an all black cast. The film was loosely adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical of the same name. Movie was produced by Rob Cohen, directed by Sydney blue matte and the film stars. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross Mabel King, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor. I mean, like I was saying black excellence, like the cast. In and of itself.
Tameka:Yes. And sadly, I wanted to point out that only one of them is still Diana Ross
Stephen:is the last surviving cast member. Yeah.
Tameka:But they were all fantastic. That it was, it was black excellence, like you said, on film. And the point of the movie I want to say was to show people how absolutely great African-Americans. Are, and how much we've contributed. At six years old, I was six years old and it's the first movie I remember seeing in the theater. And at six years old, I got it. I was like, these are all black people. And they're all amazing.
Steve:I was gonna say, cause I'm sure. I mean, even at six, that probably wasn't an experience you had regularly in like TV or movies or
Stephen:not. I mean, that's the thing. They even like. Just to take it back to black Panther for a minute. That was the thing where, you know, little black boys and girls grew up watching superhero movies, just like everybody else. Black Panther was one of the first ones where it was portrayed in such a positive light where they could be like, I see myself up on screen. And I think that's, that's big. I mean, like, even with Kamala Harris and little girls of color that are like, she looks
Tameka:like my VP looks like me. Yes. If I say that, and I am not a little, I'm a long way from being a little black girl,
Stephen:but I also love that she's Madam vice president, so she will always be MVP. So,
Steve:so your shared a kind of your first time watching a movie. I have a horrible memory. So I might've watched it when I was younger, but this was really my first time studying for the podcast of me watching it. And I absolutely loved the movie, but what it was your first time really watching it. I
Stephen:remember seeing it on TV while I was growing up. It was like a movie of the week on CBS, I think. And you know, it was, I love the wizard of Oz, so I enjoyed this a lot. And then I didn't see it again until college. And then in my twenties, we were having a pizza and movie night and each person got to pick the movie when we were doing it. And a friend picked the Wiz and like, we're going to get to all the songs, but it's just. So joyful and it makes you feel good to watch it. And there are several parts that we'll discuss that even when we were watching it again yesterday, your chest just feels all warm while you're watching it. And you just feel it.
Steve:I was going to say yes, I mean, getting into the character of discussions, it was hard for us to even sit down and start this episode without getting into talks about these characters. So Tamika, what, like, what was your impression of Diana Ross in this role?
Tameka:While I have to say she was, it was a little old. Maybe they should've ditched the, the age reference in the movie and then maybe it wouldn't have been such a stretch. Because the point of it being, she was comfortable where she was. Yeah. And actually that point might've hit home. If they'd have said she was 30 and afraid to go out and venture out into the world, it might've been even a more salient. Wait, had they accepted an age closer to hers?
Steve:Yes. I mean, I know that she fought like how to get the role in one of the things she was saying was Dorothy it's the role itself was timeless. And while I don't know whether the role as it was originally written was timeless. I feel like I agree with you that the biggest disservice they did to all of it was aging. Her. In the movie. Cause if they went through the entire movie without saying, this is how old you are. I mean, you know, there are multiple people that I knew when like fresh out of college, like early in their career, like I was still like a little baby in terms of knowing how the world worked. I still, you know, had never really, other than coming to Disney world, never traveled past long Island. And, you know, my college up in Albany, but like, it was only even recently that I had gone past, you know, the East coast. So you know, I didn't travel a lot when I was younger. So I definitely understand what that was like. I mean, did you travel a lot when you were young? I did.
Tameka:I, my mom sent me to Texas to spend a summer with my aunt. We went to Montreal, Canada because I was in the color guard at school. And so we were all over, but the furthest. Place we went when we were in Montreal in may and there was snow and it was achy. But so yeah, we, I was kind of all over everything. I haven't seen California yet. But I think I've been about everywhere in the us with the exception of California that I actually want
Steve:to go. Yes, I hear you. You missed a couple of those fly over States.
Tameka:I was paid very well last summer to go to Mississippi and we're going to leave it there.
Stephen:I traveled a lot growing up and yeah, dad was part of the independent bankers association of America. And so twice a year, they had conferences. And so mom and dad would take us out of school. And while dad was in meetings, Mom and my brother and I would explore the historical things in the cities that we went to, whether it was Charleston, South Carolina, which has gorgeous history and amazing food and things, but we were everywhere and California is pretty. So I would say you definitely get there. Well, I wanted to go back to the whole, Dorothy is timeless or ageless thing in the books. She's like five or six and yeah. And in the first movie the one from 1939, she's supposed to be 12 years old. So, and she does not look 12 years old.
Steve:So again, again, it's a matter of, I think, I think again, glass houses, you know, the white people were like, Oh, she's too old, but I mean, Dorothy, in the original, you know, if that's the same, it's just as. Much of a difference, but again, not naming it because I'm sure, even though you both traveled a lot, you know, people that were like, you know, have never left their hometown. I'm sure. Especially being from West Virginia, I know you say there were some people that have never really left. And so they might have that personality type, no matter how old they are of just not wanting to leave, being afraid of the
Stephen:no. And I think you're right. Whenever you were saying, if they hadn't have even mentioned her age because at 24. That's still young enough that I understand her being unready to jump out in the world. If they had just said nothing about the age and that she was unafraid, then that message is timeless because there are lots of people, no matter how old you are, are hesitant about change. And hesitant about jumping into new things or moving somewhere else or taking a different job because you're comfortable and you feel safe. So I do think that if they had just left that line out, it would have flown by so much. Right. And I think
Tameka:another really good point of the movie is that you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable as long as she was in the comfort of. Auntie and uncle Henry's ness, she there things that she never would have found out about herself. And so you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable because none of us ever learned anything. No
Steve:comfort. Yeah. No, and I certainly understand that. I think that that's something that, again, it's timeless message. Cause you know, We all get set in our ways, if anything, sometimes as the longer that we are on this earth, we get used to what we get used to. And
Stephen:yeah, like Michael Jackson, we all know as superstar extreme, one of the best artists that will ever walk
the
Steve:earth and this was his first acting gig
Stephen:and it was, he was amazing. One of the things that I loved about him. So he was playing the scarecrow and he's not supposed to have any bones in his body. And when they were walking, he would do that kind of floppy walk. And he kept in that moment and in that character, and I love that he committed to that. And even his voice back then, I mean, he's always had an amazing voice from All the stuff with the Jackson five, whenever you started to get highlighted,
Steve:but Oh yeah. I mean, when he, when he shows up I mean, it's basically starts off as like a two or three song, Michael Jackson concert, and I wasn't angry about it.
Tameka:Hello. And then too, you also have to realize this is right after Motown, but right before off the wall. Yeah. So it's like a small segment of the population knew that he was. He was, he was the hottest thing that was, that was going to happen. But once he and Quincy Jones met in this movie and they decided to work with each other, we have off the wall and yeah, that is probably that's actually my favorite Michael Jackson album thriller was awesome. But his coming out party and off the wall was just my favorite. He cried on that album for crying out loud.
Stephen:So yes, it was fate that, because the main reason that he got cast in this is because Diana Ross said, you cast me, I will get you back at Jackson. And then that brought Michael and Quincy into each other's orbit. And the rest is history. So this was fate. For her to be Dorothy and for this movie to be
Tameka:an occurrence. And do you know that Quincy Jones did not want to score this movie? Did not want to. Sidney Lumet was a friend of his who had gotten him a lot of work in the past. And he felt like he owed him a favor. And for something that was done, just because one felt like one owed another a favor, this was the most outstanding score.
Steve:Yeah. Yes. Yeah. The, the, the scores were awesome, especially like the upbeat ones. Cause I'm not normally always a fan of the ballads, but like anytime that. You know, and that beat one PA perked up, I was like, Oh yeah. Like I was like, you know, dancing in my chair.
Stephen:So like the, she gets to Dorothy gets to Oz. It's still a tornado, but it's a snow tornado, which I love that. And
blizzard
Steve:that we had them all the time on
Stephen:New York. You don't have tornadoes in blizzards though. That doesn't
Steve:happen
Stephen:occasionally, but you still didn't have a tornado coming down your street. I know, I know. I know it was Clinton did that and You get to see a little bit of Lena Horne then, but it's kind of just hinted at, but already it is so a theorial the way that they're presenting Glenda with that. And, you know, she comes in and lands right in munchkin land, which is filmed at the world's fair. One of the old buildings there. And just the setup itself of that big open space that kind of looks like a, a thunder dome, like worlds. Lord is our roller skating rink type of thing. I was going to say just
Steve:that the sense of style was just so interesting. Cause I can imagine, I mean, knowing that Oz is like, you know, kind of in your head or your heart all along. That, you know, for someone who, you know, had never traveled very much the idea of something far away and mysterious would be like New York city in general. And so having it all kind of what that street like that urban painting over rather than having it be like, you know, the strange, magical land from the movies or the book was just that the second they start coming alive in the group, I was like, what the fuck?
Stephen:This is awesome. To go with that for a second. Like the first movie, the 1939 one they leave you to wonder, did she imagine everything? Was it hit on her head? They didn't do that with this, in this, she takes the things gets back and heads home where they're saying, yes, she did travel to Oz. Oz was the place she went to. This was not in her head. And like, we'll get to some of the other characters, like the wizard. But in the original Dorothy, admit the wizard down by the river with his horse before the tornado came. And then he was in her version of Oz this time, Richard Pryor was nowhere to be seen prior to us. So this wasn't a dream dream. This, this happened to her. And I like that. That's my bad.
Tameka:What I did love, especially about the graffiti scene. This is a point at which. New York city actually becomes a character in this movie because they are, it's a commentary on ed Koch was running for mayor during that time on an anti-graffiti platform. He's threatening to arrest the vandals and throw them in jail and locked them up. And so, you know, For local kids who grew up in that era, you know, listening to their parents, ranting about, you know, whatever's going on in the newspaper. It was kind of like, Oh, so she was mad at them for painting graffiti. So she, they, she turned them into it. This is like ed Kotch on steroids. This is what's going on
Stephen:here. And I thought it was like, You never see her face. Just kind of like, you never saw the wicked witch of the East in the original movie.
Steve:I think at the end you see that she pretty much looks identical. They had the two of them too in the mirror. You're right. Yeah.
Stephen:I mean an easily, you know, looked identical. I honestly, for a minute, I thought that those were just two pictures of evil. Wayne
Steve:they're sisters they're close.
Stephen:No, but Whenever miss one, which brand new character created just for this, which I love comes out and they do. He's the wizard that choreography. Oh yes. That was just amazing. Yeah, that was whenever the movie really turned for me and because it had felt. You know, very, okay. This is a black version of the wizard of Oz. And then this came and I was like, Nope, we're going into a whole other territory. This is going to be something really special. Yeah.
Tameka:I love that. Matter of fact, we were, I was looking and it was like, we're going to talk about songs. Yay. Because that is one of my favorite songs. And I love the fact also again New York city kind of thing is one was a numbers runner. I was like four or three at six you're. Like, I don't get it at 16. It was just kinda like yeah. And that was another one of those things about this movie that I loved. When I was six, I saw it and I got something that I got. I saw it again at 20 and got a completely different thing and watching it and again at 40 ish It's a whole nother thing entirely. And so, and that's what good art does, you know, it grows up with you. It evolves. Yes.
Steve:And I mean, we have said that about many of our movies that we've talked about before. I mean, the princess bride from last week was one where there's something for kids, something for adults clues, similarly with the humor Elvira, like, so, so many of, you know, our recent episodes especially have that, then this will fit in perfectly kind of in the season of these, because it's something for it. And for all ages, it's okay. Timeless and ageless and
Stephen:whenever you know, before she went you know, the original, you have a dirty Kansas farm yard, but with this Harlem was gorgeous. They like, they picked those buildings that they showed and the snow Harlem was beautiful. And I love that they showed that because again, it wasn't trying to show You know, black people of a certain socioeconomic class, it was just showing black people in general and they weren't trying to make a commentary about that. I didn't think.
Tameka:Focus on the trauma. You know, I, having been to Harlem many times, there are many beautiful parts of Harlem. There are also many not so beautiful parts of Harlem as with any city. Exactly. So it's just kind of one of those things. I love that they, again, this was a love letter. So black people at
Steve:the time. Yeah. As a kid, you can enjoy. But I mean, I saw multiple things even with a Michael Jackson being the scarecrow and being told, and you know, something as simple as you can't just get up off of that and, you know, walk on your own. I mean, I know that even just being gay when I was first coming out, the number of people were like, because of this is who you are, you can't do that. Like even my parents, when I came out before they educated themselves for like, well, now you'll never get married. Now you'll never have a family. You'll never give up. Yeah. So like, you know, being told, like you can't do this because of who you are. I mean, I'm sure that is that. Tell me about that experience through your, let
Tameka:me tell you, I have had, and it's so funny that, that unfortunately we tend to do that to each other and it's awful. But I've had that experience so many times, but I can also tell you that I have had, I can remember specifically four or five white men who nudged me along. Some cases pushed me to do because they expected better. They knew I could do better. Yeah. So it's kind of like, you need to find that squad of people like Dorothy, who came up alongside him and said, you know what, stop believing these jerks and, and know what you have going on in your own mind. He thought he didn't have the brain. I have a brain, he had the biggest brain of all, you know? So it's like, don't believe what naysayers tell you. Yeah. You find yourself that person, that's going to pick you up off your dusty butt and push you along. Yeah.
Steve:And that kind of, Oh, go ahead. No, I
Stephen:was going to say the one of the things that we noticed and to put it into like, Current context when the, they were feeding him, all these stories, telling him what he could and couldn't do. And it came off feeling like fake news, like what you see today, where they tell you the big lie. And they're not going to let you try to put facts in there that are going to keep pushing down. The lie to make you doubt and disbelieve. Exactly.
Steve:I mean it, with the confidence and like the, having it in yourself, along in her supportive squad that she had. I mean, Nipsey Russell as the tin man kind of reminded me of you almost a little bit. My love, because when we first met, especially you were very big of, I have the heart of ice. I'm so cold. I keep everyone five feet away. I am the ice. Queen. And you are the sweetest biggest must of a man that I've ever met. And everyone that we know can even attest to it. So you were just were like this big, like I'll tell everyone how mean I am. So they don't know how nice and lovely I am
Stephen:in Cincinnati. I was referred to as aloof.
Steve:Yes. Well, yes. Well, I love the 10 man's introduction,
Tameka:the genius greeted me on that. Took care of my dash and gotten up to my Reva, sharp,
Stephen:wet, and my irresistible attraction to the wrong women. What if I got to add was the hard. And so he has so much soul in just his, I mean, Nipsey Russell is a legend that has to be acknowledged. I was going to save it for the whole, like my
Steve:irresistible attraction to the wrong. I was just like, Oh, that's so brilliant. And not like, that's something that I think we can all relate to and being attractive to the wrong person at some point in our life.
Stephen:It's definitely shown more here than it was in the original about their inner qualities and things. But his first song and dance number is just so good that you see this and you realize. That you're getting the opportunity to watch a legends on screen. And it's something that we should all be thankful that we have this saved in perpetuity that we can go back and see, because not just Michael, as he was about to hit it, or Diana Ross, who has always been amazing, but like Nipsey Russell, who. Was it legend by that point?
Steve:Can you both tell me a little bit more about Ted Ross? Cause I'm not as familiar with him,
Tameka:actually. His claim to fame, was he being the original lion? He was,
Stephen:Oh, he was the original, one of the people that came from the Broadway show. And it was that, that his performance was so spot on that whenever they were talking about it, they were like, yep. Yep. That's that's who we need to go with with this. This is. There's there's not anybody else that we can really touch with that. Yeah, that's perfect. So there's the scene in the scene, the subway, where you have the peddler that has the things that come alive and start chasing them. And the subway columns start coming after them and everybody is running around scared. But one of the things immediately, like the lion had just done that whole, I wish I had courage type of thing, but he's the one saving everybody from the beginning when he may not have courage for himself, he had courage for everyone else. And Michael, the scarecrow. Didn't feel that he had brains, but whenever anybody needed a pick me up or words of wisdom, he had it to pull out for
Steve:them. I was gonna say, and he he's the reason why Dorothy was able to kill the witch because he pointed at the fire alarm and that was using his noggin.
Stephen:Th the tin man had compassion and heart for all of them, because whenever. The poppy girls, the sex workers knocked them all out. It was his love for them. It wasn't fear. It was the love for them. Tears woke them up. So they don't realize that, you know, the things that they see missing in themselves, they have for their squad. And so they were already giving the best of themselves without seeing it in each other. And I thought that that was really interesting because. And no part of that is the lion scared. Like he's there protecting everybody. Yeah.
Tameka:And he, I mean, there's no, there's no fear in him when he, when he's, but here's the thing it's just like with any any of us, we have blind spots and it, we need people, our close friends who can speak into our lives to say, No, you're really great at X, Y, or Z, even though, you know, I would shy away from it. I don't think it's a talent. For example, I have a teenage daughter. Yeah. And you know, self-confidence with them is wobbly.
Steve:Especially now I do not envy you having a teenage daughter in 2021 after, especially after watching the social dilemma. Oh
Tameka:yes. She has the most amazing voice. This child sings around the house. And I'm like, I feel like I'm being treated too. You know, she got me hooked on Hamilton by singing it around the house. And she's like, but I can't sing. I'm like, excuse
Steve:me, Madison. She got went through that phase where she was so shy. She wouldn't sing in front of people, even though she's in like every sort of chorus, but at family gatherings or events or someone, they were like, you know, sing a little something and she's like, I'd rather die.
Stephen:Yeah. And the friendship between these four seemed more real and deep and genuine than the friendship from the 1939 movie. These seemed like people that loved each other and cared about each other, did actually love each other and care about each other. And you felt it. Yes. Yeah.
Steve:One thing that I love about them, I mean, their, their relationships are so important, but even on the cosmetic level, I mean, this film might've gotten negative reviews, but even they've got the recognition at the time of just not only is Oz itself a character, but the way that every person looks is just, yeah. Phenomenal, you know, every, every character we've discussed and then more just the, the costumes, you know, when you think of the scarecrow, like they did Michael right with that, the 10 man.
Stephen:Oh, Nipsey face, like face the chin plate and then the, Oh, and even the legs and things. Yeah, it was so
Tameka:well done. He was the most interesting cause, you know, I saw also the original visit of vias and that 10 man was boring. Yeah. Was silver. And that was it.
Steve:Exactly.
Tameka:And you know, he was Oh woodsman or something. I love that his character became a Carney hustler and, and I mean, this was, but they knew they weren't going to be able to capture our attention. Yeah.
Stephen:Yeah. Yeah. There's a throwaway
Steve:kind of tin woodsmen is hanging around and that kind of Oz. Yeah.
Stephen:There's a throwaway line from Nipsey Russell about that. He had met PT Barnum and
Tameka:he said, I know I was there when he said
Stephen:it. My favorite scenes is the, whenever they first get to the world trade center or. The Emerald it, and it's really interesting that it is set at the bottom of the world trade center, because those are iconic, the bottoms of the building.
Steve:Yeah. There were things that when we were watching it, you were like, I have to Google where that is. We saw that. And you were like, I know exactly where
Stephen:that is because I was there like a year or so before and took pictures of the bottom and the top. But whenever Richard Pryor's, the wizard is doing the whole red is dead green and it was a ball. Yeah, it was the ballroom scene put in movie format without as much of the owns owns own like hand movements thing, but it was still a black ball
Tameka:and that is bar none. My absolute. Favorite scene in the entire movie in Egypt. People
Stephen:had a walk.
Steve:Yeah. Yeah.
Tameka:Oh, Oh. Everyone in came on was also one of the citizens of yes. Which is where they learned how to walk.
Stephen:I can imagine. And Quincy Jones is after really big piano, even though he's not playing it. He was a physical stand in, but he didn't play the music for the scene, but that piano itself, it's just
Steve:everything with how long it is.
Stephen:on the piano and it's all about the pose and the wall and the
Tameka:pageantry, you know, bill Blass. Halston Oscar Dela Renta, and John Lauren all designed clothes for that scene. And I wanted every,
Stephen:yeah, I saw in the credits, all those names and I was like, well, I know exactly where they designed for. Cause that scene in the Emerald city was. I don't know how long it was, but I could have watched them do several other colors. Like we went through the green, red, and gold, and I was like, I could see some purple now, please.
Tameka:It goes last week, when you all were wearing pink, I was like, why don't we see last week when they were wearing pink? I'm a little upset about this, right? I was gonna
Steve:say, if you could choose, what color, what color would you want for that oil? Royal
Tameka:blue. My car's Rose. I love his Royal
Stephen:blue.
Steve:So we'll have that. Why was it that at the city or what Sirolli in city? Yes.
Stephen:Yes. And I would have amethyst
Steve:city. Yes. So really the city is also Pokemon city,
Stephen:but it's, it was just so well done. And it was another one of those of just opulence. And
Steve:is everything excellent.
Tameka:Yeah. Black excellence. These were all black people wearing this. High-end fashions doing this walk with their heads so far up in the I'm sure their necks hurt. Yeah. So this is how you walk that they're showing little black boys and girls know you need to be up here because. Head held high. This is who you are, and we are responsible for the rhythm in the world, color in the world. And so, no, you, you need to walk
Stephen:like that. Yes. And Dorothy's shoes are silver in this movie because that's the color they are in the book as well. They're supposed to be, you're supposed to be silver. And it was only the 39 movie that turned them into Ruby slippers. They have always been
Steve:silver. Yes. And so in terms of also doing the comparisons to the movies, one other songs that came to note where I was like, they did it so much better than the original movie was rather than follow the yellow brick road instead having this.
Stephen:I mean, that's just so good. Yes.
Tameka:Yeah. And because it is again, a love letter to black people, my little yellow brick road was not going to no, especially not. When you have Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and the original lion. Yeah. That, that, that just was not going to work
Stephen:all of the songs. We're R and B jazz and soul influenced and some leaning more one way over the other, like, you know Lena Horne is going deep in with like, From her soul
Steve:and her scene though, during this song the entire time, I just kept on looking in the background because I read during it how the, like the ones that close the little like the snow babies were actor and actresses kids, but the ones in the far back were actually a doll. So I was like, let me spot the dolls and like, look at the doll spaces and see if I could tell which ones were adults versus children. So what they
Tameka:were so cute. I mean, it was funny because I was like, they're kind of hanging there. If we're honest. Yeah. Have the WTF face on.
Steve:Yeah. Cause I can imagine. Cause I, I wonder, I mean, at that time I doubt that they received the unite in, so I just imagined them in some sort of like green onesy hanging up on the wall. Like I could imagine like Remy in there is a snow baby in the corner, just, you know, being like at the same face, he gives us like, dang, what the heck?
Stephen:I don't know if they had the budget to do. Green-screen CGI. I thinking they were on a roll. I think that they were being hung with as clear of cord as they could. And that's why it was so dark in there. But I think they were probably just hanging in middle. That's funny, actually,
Steve:even babies, no babies were harmed in the
Tameka:filming of this movie. Right. But the funny thing about the budget now that we were, you mentioned that that was$24 million budget, which is the biggest budget that had been spent on a black movie in today's money. That's$92 million. Yeah. So he, they pulled out all the stops.
Steve:Oh yeah. I mean, that's some Avengers level of quality stuff back in the day.
Stephen:Yeah. And I love that they gave like, and the original, the wicked, but to the West, doesn't get a song. Yeah. Like she doesn't get a song. She doesn't, you don't really get much of a personality, but don't bring me no bad news. Oh my gosh. I love me some evil Leanne and her sweat shop. I
Steve:was going to say, and I'm going to be using that, anytime that now any anyone's going to be like, do you have a moment? I'll be like, don't you bring me no bad
Stephen:news. And so if you're watching. That first scene where it starting and that's, it's definitely more of a jazz number with this one, the performer on closest to the screen on the bottom left. Oh yeah. Yeah. Like they, that was almost the beginning of twerking right there. Yeah.
Tameka:And here's the thing though. That was the closest you were going to get to college gospel in that movie. That was that, I mean, yes, it was very jazzy, but then where did jazz get it's jazz? A hundred percent. It's possible. But yeah, I mean, there, there was the choir and the yeah, cause she was, and I find the juxtaposition, hilarious that the evil, evil is singing a gospel song. Oh
Stephen:yeah. Oh, and. She gave, I mean, it's Mabel King, which was, she was known for television work is what's happened.
Steve:And I can only imagine it would have been hard doing it with all the prosthetics and stuff, and still being able to sing
Stephen:a beautiful woman and to, you know, have to be the ugliest woman ever living in. She still was attractive. You can't hide that kind of beauty. Oh, that looks like a
Steve:fetish with her and I could look up,
Stephen:but, and then, you know, as you were talking about you know, they were gonna burn Toto, so. Scarecrow says, Oh, pull that lever. And
Steve:at which point, by the way, I did also, while we were watching, I think it was funny that I was like, she let like the scarecrow get chopped in half and the tin man get flattened and the lion by his tail. And he attacked him. She's like, no, but okay. No, but okay. And then it was total and she was like, hell no. Save my dog. Cause I was like, same, same girl. I watched friends get picked up one by one and like a thing. If I was trying to like, stop her, save the world or whatever. But like you put Remy at risk and like have the world give me
Tameka:exactly. No, I got that. But here's the thing. They didn't blame her for doing
Stephen:it. We'll we'll, we'll be fine. I don't feel it. And, but then you get one of the most joyful songs. Ever written brand new day.
Tameka:So before we go there now, yeah, I really, and just want to reiterate the idea that this was a love letter to black people, because whatever society tells you, they, we didn't match their standard of beauty. We, we, we weren't beautiful. We weren't worthy. We w we weren't anything. To be commenting on, and that's where this costuming comes from. And that's where the ugly suffocation of these beautiful people come from. That's why they're having to wear these costumes. Not just to collect their sweat, but for us to, to hide us to, to, to, you know, mask our beat because. People of color are beautiful. So, you know, it was this, this movie is as much as a love letter and a social commentary. It's a message for greater society. Why are you making beautiful, beautiful people, whether they're gay or black or whatever, why are you making them cover themselves? Why are you making them hide from the world? Is it to make you feel better? So I think it was, it was as much commentary if you were looking for
Stephen:I'm sorry. No, that's really good idea. And I love it and I missed that commentary. So this is good too. Like I was gonna say
Steve:if they were to remake it today, which I don't think they need to do because the movie is perfect as it is. But I was like, please don't tell me to make like a change. I need even like making them like the wicked witch, like a black trans woman at this point, especially cause I mean, that's something that they wouldn't have address back then, but I mean, that's just, they're victimized on a daily basis, more so than any other. Group. I know
Stephen:if honestly, if you were going to make someone, a black trans woman do it Glinda, because if you make the villain, a black trans woman, then you're villainizing
Steve:transness. We don't want that. Nevermind. I like the idea of Glenda though. Yeah, it's
Stephen:better.
Tameka:Good. Which of the South? Hello,
Stephen:but brand new day was like, and it's also go ahead it's and that is a message. Anyone can get behind. I used that gift whenever the election results were finalized this year. Yeah, because it did, I felt like it was a brand new day. And one of the things I love is the rain water coming down. It's melting away the facades that they were forced to wear. And then you have this. Unbelievably talented dance troupe, and they are also are wearing, you know, dance belts and bikini tops. So they're showing that black is beautiful and they're showing that all skin because not, I, I like that, you know, the film wasn't populated with. Light-skinned black people to try to appeal to a wider audience. It was. And even in that dancing, you could see it had the spectrum of black skin tones. Yes.
Tameka:And I loved that. That's my second favorite scene. Because of that diversity, not only in skin tone, you had diversity of hairstyle. You had braids, you had, you know, press outs. You had, you had short black Afros. You had, I mean, We come in such a range. And the point of the movie again is how great you are, whatever iteration I'm in from the lightest light to the darkest dark, you're all gorgeous. Also I love that same because if you listened to that whole song, their Easter eggs of different genres. In that song, there's a ballet part. There's a country part. Yeah. It's got a little bit of a Twain to it. It shows we're not all a minor is not all black people enjoy hip hop. Right. Which there's a difference between to have a platform rap, but that's another podcast. Yeah. You know, I enjoy the ballet. I saw my first opera in Atlanta at age 34. And loved it. So my playlist is rather bipolar. Well, it's not bipolar cause it has more than two poles, but anyway, we're not all a monolith. So, you know, I understand also that there are some black people that did not enjoy this movie. Right. That's their loss though.
Stephen:Yes.
Steve:And there is, we normally as much as we love what we love and we don't want to yuck. Anyone's yum. That'd be the first time that we're, we're like, if you don't like the movie you're gonna die,
Stephen:you were talking that you love the ballet. Misty Copeland recently is one of the first. Black prima ballerina like lead dancer for a major ballet company. And that's huge in and of itself. She could go girl. Yeah. She would come along. So you think you could dance, which I love. And she was a judge on there and she always was so positive. Look you're 20 years ago. I would not have the job that I have now. Doors are being opened. Go for what you want
Tameka:constantly. Can I just shout out the goats in gymnastics right now is the tiny black woman, miss Biles, who has now? I think almost now two very difficult moves names after her, but she will have the Biles too, I believe by the end of the year. Yeah.
Stephen:She's so amazing. Amazing.
Steve:Yes. Now, speaking of bringing this movie back to real life and what you've posted for, with the election results using brand new day shortly afterwards, we got a clip about politics that you love as well.
Stephen:Yes, with Richard Pryor.
Steve:You're from New Jersey
Stephen:politician from district seven,
Tameka:but to the last refuge of the incompetent.
Stephen:No. And I love that because you know, our former
Steve:social media
Stephen:influencer, the former social media influencer went to politics, the last refuge of the incompetent. And I loved that scene. And again, We hadn't seen Richard Pryor in Harlem. So it's more along the lines of saying, you know, this is real, but she's also, I don't think that in the original Dorothy taught the wizard a lesson and in this one, she's sure she did. She told him you can't be like, just like, I can't be afraid. You can't be afraid. You can't stay up in this room. Be out there with your people, lead them. And I mean, could you imagine how much more fun he would have been having if he was out there for the balls and getting to change and dress up and all that, but he's staying in his ivory tower and not getting to take part in real life.
Tameka:Again, get comfortable being uncomfortable. And, and, you know, she told them she's he's, I don't know what's in you. I haven't been in a room with you for more than five minutes. I do know my first impression of you scared the hell out of me. I know that.
Stephen:Yeah. Oh, they, whenever they're first being introduced to the wizard and it's the metal head with a fire,
Steve:especially being in the movie theater as a little girl, I wanted a piss myself.
Stephen:And where the line was like, I want to get the hell out of here.
Tameka:That was so priceless because I think that is, would be you're a typical black person.
Stephen:Well, I mean, you see that or like if you have any horror movies that are kind of meta where the black people are like, you know, we're smarter than this. We're not going to go. In a haunted house. That's white people foolishness.
Tameka:Yes. I think sometimes with horror movies, especially ones with black people. It's just kinda like, first of all, why are we even in this first of all, because I feel like horror movies I'm like, life is scary enough as it is for us as black people. Yeah. Okay. We don't have to invent stuff to be afraid of. So it's just kind of like, yeah, you do, you know, but you know, you are going to be the first one to die in this movie. How much did they have to pay you to get you to do this? You know? But it's just one of those things it's like, but you can't be afraid to be who you are. Again, you're never going to learn anything about yourself that way.
Stephen:Well, which is kind of like the final song.
Steve:Yeah. She manages to help all of her friends and then she gets the song about going home. You might've heard of it before. Maybe you could figure out from it, the name of the song.
Tameka:When I think of home, I think of a place where they,
Stephen:and that's one of the things that you immediately saw in the Thanksgiving scene at aunt Tim's house was that there may have been a cacophony of voices and noises and a lot of people. But it was all love.
Steve:Yeah. It was a lot, a lot. I was like when this movie started and it was with the Thanksgiving, seems like, Oh, that could have been an early Thanksgiving episode. I'll have to give it a nod. Everything's skipping
Stephen:now. But so, and that like Diana Ross has gotten to show off her voice in this movie. That song though was where you were. That's why you hired Diana. Ross was for that song
Tameka:and that little vein that popped out in her neck when she hit that note. But that, and that song embodies every, the whole point that we were supposed to make, figure out who you are and be comfortable in it. You know, share it with the world. Not every people's going to be your people and that's okay. But that's also the point of Glenda's speech. It's like, no, you, everything you need, you are the hero you've been waiting for. That is the entire point.
Stephen:And this actually felt more earned where, you know, in the original it's, you know, you have the power all along. I don't know. I think, see though, I think that Dorothy should have just been pissed and been like, bitch, I could have gone home. I didn't really learn
Steve:a whole lot. Didn't Jack. I miss my people,
Stephen:Ms. Ross. Learned a
Steve:whole lot. I was gonna say, and I mean, all the carriers, which, you know this, after watching this, it gave me a better, I like, I thought a fun question because you know, the characters better and pretty much every single person like covers something that we all struggle with. You know, whether it be struggling with how we view our intelligence or how we feel things or how he approached the world. I mean, which of the, or just opening up in general to the experiences around us. I mean, do you relate to any of these characters? Oh,
Stephen:I like. This version of the 10 man I get, because being vulnerable is scary and putting yourself out there and being honest with your emotions to other people, not knowing what you're going to get in response, that can be terrifying. So I get this tin, man, that one, I got it. What about you?
Tameka:I am going to propose that. I have been, or am all of these characters because I looked at the movie and I saw that each one is a response to fear. Oh yeah.
Steve:Yeah.
Stephen:You
Tameka:know, I have been paralyzed by it. Like, Dorothy, I have been doubtful of my own abilities, like to stare scarecrow. I have lashed out at people in anger to hide it. Like the lion I have also been very afraid to be vulnerable and show my heart to people like the 10 men. Yeah. I think as a psychological study on any given day at any given time, if you're afraid of something. You could be any one of these or multiple of
Stephen:them. Absolutely. Yeah. That is a great way to put
Steve:it. Yeah. I mean, on an average given day, I would say I waver mostly between the cowardly lion and the. The scarecrow, because I certainly either come off sometimes as like unintelligent, because I think before I speak sometimes, or I speak before, I think sometimes is what I mean, or just because I'm say what I think without sometimes censoring myself, people like digital. Is that a smart decision to say that out loud? And I'm like, I don't care,
Tameka:but no, I, I, you know, I try always not to be the lion because you can't just be. Lashing out at people when you first meet them. And then, and then they find out you're a woods, remember tunnel bit him. And it was just kind of like.
Steve:Yeah. And it was, I don't think I lashed out as much as I really related to the whole, just putting on the facade and trying to act like you're stronger, tougher than you are because a lot of times, you know, I might wake up in the morning and the hardest thing is to get out of bed. But by the time that you're out of that shower and out to the door to work, you have to put on that face and be that courageous.
Tameka:Yeah. You know that that is definitely our facade. I call it the ice grill. Yes. And you know, when my mom comes from New Jersey to visit me, we have to spend a half an hour in the airport, melting the ice grill because I'm like, no people are going to say good morning. They're gonna, they're gonna approach you. And just because you don't know them, you can't look at them like you want to burn a hole in them. Yeah. You know, so the facade thing that, that's something very common for us. Northerners southerners. Don't ha don't do that as much. I love that. They're so outgoing and you know, they're, they're, they'll say good morning and they don't know you from Adam's house cat, but yeah. You know, that's not something Northern people do. So I try to shy away from the lash out. Yeah,
Steve:for me, it's not so much the lashed out. It's like the, the, you know, I could be all like big and strong and like the second something goes wrong. The second that little dog nips my foot, I'm like, everything is horrible.
Stephen:I grew up in West Virginia and I grew up in a town of 2000 people. So you don't get to put on the ice facade because everybody knows you and you know, everybody, and they're all gonna say hi, And that's just small town in the mountains. That's you know what you do now? There are multiple iterations of the wizard of Oz over time. There's this, there's the original there's Broadway versions of both this and the original besides this, my favorite one. And it's a stretch to still say it's part of the wizard of Oz is wicked. The book. I was gonna say more than the musical because the book, have you ever read wicked the
Tameka:book? I haven't, but I'm going to now.
Steve:Yeah. Cause it it's has the subject. It's the life and times of the wicked witch of the West. So, and so it's told from her perspective. Wow. And it's phenomenal.
Stephen:Yeah. It deals with. Elphaba the wicked witch of the West and growing up in munchkin land because her father was a missionary and then you know, going to college and she ends up going to college with Glenda and whose name is Golinda. And it's, it's an interesting thing about what is evil. Is because, you know, she's called the wicked witch of the West and she in a lot of pop culture, she's the personification of evil and things, but is that evil? Is it other people's perception? Do you have wickedness thrust upon you? Do you hear so much of. People putting you in a box that you finally just accept it and lean into it. And it's, I've read the book about five times. Yeah.
Steve:And I always liked that as part of a series as well, but I actually think that after, I mean, as much as I love the book, I think that this is my favorite iteration of telling that story. Now, after reviewing it critically for this podcast, I think that just takes it into another level.
Stephen:I agree. I'll let you borrow what could you should read it?
Tameka:It's just such. Joy this one. Yeah. And I don't think any of the iterations capture the amount of joy because yeah, with black folks, that's kind of our natural go-to response had a crappy day at work. We come home, we turn the music video on videos on, and we dance. We have to get all of that ugly stuff away from us. And we use music and art and dance to do it.
Steve:Yeah. And this certainly has all three with extra despair. Yes.
Stephen:You know that if you sing for 30 seconds to a minute, not only does it improve your posture because it turns out when you start to sing, you sit up better, but singing out loud, improves your mood. So that's one of those things, but you know, it's hard to sing out loud when you're not feeling good though. Right. And so, but it's interesting that if you can get to there. It will help you. Yeah, I was going to say
Steve:not that's why the days where I struggle, you know, so by the time I'm in the shower, I'm trying to like sing. And I had my little concert and by the end of my little concert in the shower, I'm doing better. And that's the
Tameka:thing. I thought the soul singing in the shower thing let's catch on. Yes. As a public service, I only sing in the car and in the shower, but I did know that my grandmother actually sang, sang professionally. And so she tried very early using the sound of music actually to teach us non singing people how to sing. So she was, she was actually doing it for herself because she didn't want to hear us all pitch in off heat. But yeah. So no, I did know that and it does work and that's why you will catch me in my car with all the windows up, singing Beyonce at the top of my lungs.
Stephen:So, yeah, I'll like, I'll still be singing. Even if my windows are down,
Steve:I don't know how to keep my windows down, but it's probably because I'm singing unless I'm listening to podcasts because I also listen
Stephen:while I drive now, what would you say your final thoughts are on the movie? Okay.
Tameka:My final thoughts are, I would like for everyone to watch this movie with. The point in mind. Think about the context of which this movie was being made. Think about that. There was an almost no positive representation of black people, either on television or in the movie theaters at this time. Think about the history of this country. In society telling us that we're less than, and then think about what that meant to a six year old girl sitting in a movie theater watching this in 1978. And I guarantee you, the ratings will be
Stephen:better. Yeah. Well, I actually don't want to follow that up. I think you summed it up better than I possibly
Steve:can, but my final thought is that I wish I had seen it earlier. Yeah. Like that, you know, I'm glad that I've seen it now, but I wish that I didn't have to wait until I was this old to watch it and experienced it because I agree. Go, go out and watch it. People. Yes. And what do you think of the Wiz? You can let us know by emailing us@happylifepodatgmail.com
Stephen:can take part in the conversation on the socials because we are on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, all of them at happy life pod.
Steve:Yes. We have some exciting episodes coming up that we'd love to get your thoughts on including Downton Abbey with a very special guest.
Stephen:Yes. And we're even going across the pond to get his opinion on it. Yes,
Steve:exactly. And then we have scream as well as little mermaid in the near pipeline too. So keep tuning in everyone every week on Wednesday for new episodes, don't forget to subscribe. So they automatically pop up for you every Wednesday
Stephen:morning. Yes. And until next time everyone say
Steve:happy.