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

Clueless (1995)

September 15, 2021 Steve Bennet-Martin, Stephen Martin-Bennet Season 1 Episode 85
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
Clueless (1995)
Show Notes Transcript

Hosts Steve Bennet-Martin and Stephen Martin-Bennet discuss one of Stephen's favorite movies, the 1995 classic, Clueless, along with what's making them both happy in pop culture today!

What's making us happy?

  • Malignant (HBO Max)
  • Trine Collection (Switch)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna Edition (Switch)
  • Cinderella (2021) (Amazon Prime)

Clueless Conversation Highlights:

  • Movie background information
  • Starring roles then and now
  • Clueless' inspiration in Jane Austen's Emma
  • The art of matchmaking
  • Cher's good intentions
  • Cher's personal growth
  • Dating your ex-step-sibling- okay or not okay?

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

Support the show
Steve:

Hello returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin,

Stephen:

and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a

Steve:

lifetime of happiness. The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other bits of pop. That are helping to keep us happy while hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way

Stephen:

they what's this. Why are you handing me a doctor's

Steve:

note? My plastic surgeon says I should avoid activities where balls fly at my face. Well,

Stephen:

there it goes. My plans for us for later tonight. How about we just talk about clueless than status for

Steve:

me, my love. But first what's been making you happy. Oh,

Stephen:

well this weekend it was a lot of, it was the sunshine. And us getting to relax in the pool. And, um, we have a little water baby that has decided that he wants to be in the pool with

Steve:

us. Yes. Remy has certainly taken to water, like a cockapoo Mike between the Cocker spaniel and the poodle and him. He is falling in love with swimming.

Stephen:

Yes. And he's actually quite good at it. He only knows one stroke, the doggy paddle. That would be it, but he seems to enjoy it very much. Uh, what about you darling? What's been making you happy. Well, the pool's one of the few

Steve:

things that's gotten us out of the house from watching nine. Perfect. Strangers

Stephen:

nine. Perfect. Strangers is, oh God. Yes.

Steve:

We still have about three or four episodes left in this season. But so far it's been quite the ride. We love it. We want to go on a retreat, just like that.

Stephen:

Exactly. Just like that. Like so nine perfect strangers is based on the novel by Lynn Moriarty. Who also wrote big little lies. She's an Australian author. Nicole Kidman knows her. Nicole Kidman brought with Reese Witherspoon. They did big little lies. And then Nicole worked with Lynn Moriarity to do nine perfect strangers, David Kelly. That was the show runner and things for big little lies has also stepped back in for nine. Perfect strangers. And it's just fantastic. They

Steve:

definitely captured lightning in a bottle once again. Yeah.

Stephen:

And Melissa McCarthy is giving one of her best performances. Yeah.

Steve:

Certainly. You always think of her as the funny girl and she's gone really deep. Yes, she certainly has. And that's one of the few shows that can help put down our switches because we're also playing some good switch games. Aren't we? We

Stephen:

are, um, I have been doing. Smaller games, um, in preparation for when, um, Metroid dread comes out next month, but I have been doing the physics-based side, scrolling platformers called trine, and I have done trying one and two. Um, I do feel trying one was more successful, um, there by frozen bite and, um, trying to try. A lot of new things, not all of them worked as great. Um, I have started on trying three and I feel that they learned lessons from two and this one feel. Fresher and better. So I'm excited for that. What have you been doing? Playing

Steve:

my darling. I've been playing, uh, we've talked before about how fun. Sometimes it's fun to go back and play DLC for games that we've beaten. Uh, especially since normally when you buy a game, when it first comes out, all the DLC, typically as an out, by the time that we finished the games. Cause we don't always go through them at a leisurely pace.

Stephen:

No. Well, we're not waiting six months to finish a game. Which is about the time that DLC would start to come out. Exactly.

Steve:

Yes. And so I went back and I played the Xenoblade Chronicles to the tornado edition, which was its own. It's like standalone game built into the Xenoblade Chronicles, two game card and DLC. And that's

Stephen:

almost a prequel, isn't it?

Steve:

It is, it takes place 500 years before the first game. And it was enough where I kind of remembered the broad strokes of the game to really enjoy it while also still being surprised at some of the things that I'm sure were not supposed to be surprising as they went through, because I, you know, but it was, it was really well done. And it actually inspired me to go back and I'm now replaying the, the main game. So I'm just in the first main town, but it's a game that did really well. It's on the Nintendo switch. And as of March, 2021, it sold over 5.8, 8 million copies. I didn't realize

Stephen:

that it sold that many well, thank goodness because I love the, the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise'cause I did, um, Xenoblade Chronicles one on the 3d S. It was amazing. It was originally for the week, but it, um, only came out in Japan until the very end of the Wes' life cycle. And I didn't play it then, but I did play it for the 3d S and it was truly amazing. And then for the, we, you, there was a blade Chronicles X, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I would love to see that. Port that over to the switch because I would totally play it again. And then you and I played Xenoblade Chronicles two at the same time.

Steve:

Fantastic game and Zen at break Chronicle. Xenoblade Chronicles three is rumored to be revealed later this month. Well,

Stephen:

it is September and, um, all good Nintendo fans. That there is usually, um, about a 50 minute long Nintendo direct in September, prepping us for what is going to be coming out around the holidays as well as the first couple months into the new year. So I would be all

Steve:

about seeing that. Yeah, they're saying that it is likely going to be coming out in mid to late 20, 22. And it will be a direct sequel within the same universe as Xenoblade Chronicles, to make sense, because I know there's many, but again, like another, like 500 to a thousand years in the future. So you might see some returning blades, but all the human drivers will be long gone.

Stephen:

That's interesting that they're going to stick with the blue. Where they definitely didn't do that in one. Yes.

Steve:

I, I enjoy that whole relationship though, but that is a more of a game-based podcast because it gets really, really nerdy from here on, in that's. So this is one thing that our, our girl, uh, from clueless would not really pay attention to what it is, you

Stephen:

know? Um, poor Cher Horowitz would just have tuned out and later she would have been like, Huh? Yeah. Yes. Um, but why do we love clueless?

Steve:

Well, it certainly is a fun movie. I love the basis. I didn't realize that it was based off of a Jane Austen

Stephen:

novel. That is correct. Based off Jane Austen's, Emma, who, um, if I remember correctly, she is self-absorbed and, um, in tries to use her matchmaking skills because. It's more of entertainment for her. Yes. And then, you know, her life kind of falls apart a little bit and she ends up finding love when she's not thinking about it. So, yeah, I wouldn't be,

Steve:

yeah. The, the creator of the clueless, uh, Amy Heckerling, Amy Heckerling said she was halfway through writing the script for it. Uh, when she realized that she was basing it off of Emma, she didn't even do it consciously, but from there she did make more, uh, Um, the novel Emma came out in 1815, so it's a minute old still view. And Jane Austin is recorded as having said, I'm going to take a heroine who no one, but myself will much like, uh, the novel even begins with Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich with a comfortable home and a happy disposition and had lived nearly 21 years in the world without very little to distress

Stephen:

or. Which is so Cher from

Steve:

clueless is, and that's the type of person that people don't love necessarily now. And

Stephen:

I, why do you love her? Because most of the time share doesn't mean to harm anyone. She is believing that she is living her best life and living joyfully. And not going out of her way to harm anyone. And though she is clueless about the world around her she's harmless in and of herself. The movie came out in 1995. And it was an American coming of age, teen comedy written and directed, as we said by Amy Heckerling, who was also behind fast times at Ridgemont high national Lampoon's European vacation. And look, who's talking all big movies,

Steve:

all big. I remember the ones with the talking babies in utero and stuff like that from look who's talking. That was so cute. And so very nineties.

Stephen:

Yeah, that was actually one of the. That John Travolta was getting his comeback yeah. Was through that. And, um, before Kirstie alley went crazy, she was the

Steve:

star. Yes. Now this movie was released on July 19th, 1995 with a budget of$12 million. And it did really well. It had a box office of 56.6 million launching into a spinoff sitcom and series of books. I

Stephen:

actually remember seeing it, um, at school. I've told you before, there are no malls near my hometown. You had to drive at least an hour. Well, dad had some kind of golfing banking thing in Clarksburg, West Virginia, which is about, um, two hours from my hometown. And so mom, my cousin and I went with him and he dropped us off at the mall for the day. So we did shopping, lunch and clueless and. I, I don't know. It just sticks in my mind that whole matinee experience with this movie. And it's just joyful and lovely. And it has a cast of a lot of people that we all know. Yes. Including whom Alicia Silverstone as Cher, um, Stacy dash as Dion, Brittany Murphy, as Todd. Paul Rudd as Josh, Donald Faison as Marie, um, Brecken Meier as Travis and John Jeremy Sisto is Outten. And Dan as sheriffs father, Mel Horowitz. These are all people that you've seen on other things. Yes.

Steve:

Alicia is also known for her role as back girl in Batman and Robin. She was also in Scooby-Doo. A beauty shop and she played Eve and blast from the past.

Stephen:

And in recent years, um, she wrote the worldwide bestseller, the kind diet based on her vegan lifestyle that she did for her health. And, um, Then has really taken it to heart. And she's also made numerous starring turns on Broadway in the last 20 years. Yes.

Steve:

Meanwhile, Stacey dash went full batshit, mega crazy didn't

Stephen:

shake. Yep. And now she's on hire-able wa

Steve:

or, and meanwhile, Brittany, uh, was also known for being Sarah and just married, which I loved as well as Daisy and girl interest. Yes.

Stephen:

And she tragically died at 32 from pneumonia that was exacerbated by anemia and a harmful combination of medications. Brittany Murphy was a very, very talented actress. And I think if she was still with us today, she would be. In the echelons of your Reese Witherspoon's and, um, and Hathaway's in your actresses that Excel in drama and comedy and are just universally respected.

Steve:

Yes. Speaking of universally respected, we all love Paul Rudd. Who's now on ant man, or now not on ant man. He is ant man. He was also on friends as Phoebe's husband near the end or boyfriend near the end. And he played Tommy Doyle and Halloween, the curse of Michael Myers, his first movie. He

Stephen:

also does

Steve:

not age. He does not know we're quite jelly on that, but yes, he still looks pretty much similarly that he did in this movie years and years ago,

Stephen:

uh, the movie itself was actually written as a TV series called no worries. And then I was a teenage teenage. Um, Fox picked up the picture, but, um, put it in a turnaround and counting. It was a loss because the male studio heads wanted Heckerling to rewrite the script so that fewer women would feature our, the patriarchy. Yeah. That doesn't sound like Hollywood. Um, six months later, it made its way to produce your Scott Bruton's desk who liked it and led into a bidding war where a paramount pictures won out and made it

Steve:

excellent. Yes. Meanwhile, during casting Angelina Jolie, Keri, Russell, Reese Witherspoon, and Gwyneth Paltrow were all considered to play Cher while Sarah Michelle Gellar was offered the role, but I had to turn it down because of scheduling

Stephen:

conflicts. That was when she was on all my children. And as I pointed out to you the other day, while Sarah Michelle Gellar wouldn't have been a great share. If she had done share, she would not have been Buffy because she would have been too famous at that point to do

Steve:

TV. And I can't imagine anyone else, but Buffy doing Buffy because Sarah, Michelle Gellar is still Buffy to me.

Stephen:

Exactly. So everything works out as it's supposed

Steve:

to. Yes. Meanwhile, Paul Rudd beat out Ben Affleck and Zach Braff for

Stephen:

this role, which is really funny because Donald Faison would go on to later work was Zack.

Steve:

Yes exactly. Um, clueless also led to a musical that opened in New York city in December of 2018, written by Heckerling for a short run through January 12th, 2019. Uh, it was a jukebox musical, which I didn't know is that's what you call the musicals when it's all just songs that are already. Right.

Stephen:

Like Moulin Rouge. It's a jukebox music. Exactly.

Steve:

I've never heard it called that, but I'm featuring pop songs from the nineties. Although the lyrics were mostly or entirely rewritten to fit the story,

Stephen:

which doesn't always happen with Jukes, jukebox, musical sometimes, um, they are strictly, they just grab the songs and they fit that into the storyline. Like with

Steve:

Cinderella that we recently watched, there were an Amazon

Stephen:

prime. Yes. There were several of the songs in there that were just used as. Well, they did have, um, some new songs in there, which if you haven't seen Cinderella on Amazon prime, check it out. It's worth it. Yeah. Idina Menzel, Billy Porter. They're fantastic. Um, the song that Edina does, um, dream girl is worth, worth the price of admission.

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, back to clueless. Uh, IMDV summarized as a movie, as Cher Horowitz and her friend Dion, two of the most popular sophomores in school play matchmakers for two teachers inspired by their success share takes under her wing tie, a clueless transfer student while trying to make it an advantageous match for tie share attempts to find a boy for never own several misfires take place due to poor communication before she finds the Baldwin of her dreams. And. That was the best one out of the three summaries they

Stephen:

had and it's okay.

Steve:

Like how would you summarize it? My love then?

Stephen:

Hmm. I don't want to, I just, I just know that that's not the greatest. I say that by the time we're done with this episode, everyone that's listening will be able to summarize it better than

Steve:

that. All right. Sounds good. Well then let's get it. So

Stephen:

the main character, Alicia Silverstone plays Cher Horowitz. Um, she is a sophomore in high school. She is a horrible driver. Her father has already bought her a brand new Jeep Wrangler, even though she doesn't have a license. And he reminds her that, um, she shouldn't be driving her car without a license. And, um, she and Dean. To, um, permits do not make one license. No,

Steve:

they do not. But, uh, I related to her because on long island, we didn't believe in S uh, stop. You mean like when

Stephen:

Deon said, hello, that was a stop

Steve:

sign. I totally caused. Yeah. Yes. I've said that line more than once. I've totally it paused.

Stephen:

And unlike the rest of us in the real world, she felt that whenever you got your report, That was just the teacher's first offer. And as she argues her way to better. Daddy, you always told me to never accept the first offer.

Steve:

No, but I love it. That it does work. Um, and she does get her a great boost it up from like a C2 and a minus. And her dad's like, I couldn't have been more proud if it was based off of your actual test.

Stephen:

Yeah. Or like whenever she goes to the PE teacher and she blames it on, um, breaking up with a guy and the lesbian PE teacher just goes into this. Rather how men are awful and decides to bump her up to a better grade as well.

Steve:

Yes. I mean, while she is obsessed with fashion and shopping, I love the technology that was so outdated and still, so ahead of its time in its own way, when she was picking out her clothes at the beginning, cause you see this old clunky computer that apparently has her entire wardrobe cataloged into it, where she can click. And it tells you whether it matches

Stephen:

or not. So in 1995, that computer was not clunky or out there. No, it was probably a

Steve:

state-of-the-art edit. But I'm just surprised that they don't have things like that now where I could just like scan Mike Ohrdruf in and it tells me what matches and make my colorblindness so much better. It actually.

Stephen:

Yes. Um, uh, she is best friends with Dion and share tells us she's my friend, because we both know what it's like to have people jealous of us. And we're both named after singers of the past, who now do an infomercial. Yes. This

Steve:

was before sheriffs come back with belief.

Stephen:

Yes. So, and Deon is named after Dionne Warwick and, um, Cher had been doing, you know, um, some of the whole psychic friends and all of those things and the one of the. Things about Cher Horowitz though, is she loves a project, whether that's a make-over or a matchmaker and to help improve her grades, she does decide to go match me.

Steve:

Yes. She wants to hook up Mr. Hall, who we all know is Wallace Shawn from the princess bride inconceivable. Yes. With miss Geist, uh, tragic, uh, teacher that she helps give a beauty makeover

Stephen:

to who usually has her skirt tucked into. Uh, or no, her slip is always showing out of the bottom of her skirt and she usually has more lipstick on her teeth than she does on her

Steve:

lips and tear tears in her

Stephen:

pantyhose. Yes. She has runs in the back of her hose and, um, and

Steve:

it works out in for not only her cause she gets better grades, but they also fall in love.

Stephen:

Yeah. Like this is one of those things where, um, they. Send Ms. Geist, a love note, and they also spruce up her look really quickly. They tell them Mr. Hall, that Ms. Guy said that he's one of the only, um, intelligent people on campus share, gives him a fancy coffee to share with Mrs. Geist. And then it turns out the two teachers do have things in common. They do fall in love. And even though her motives were wrong. Like she actually, she did good. She helped to people that wouldn't have found each other any other way to have a happy ending. And this is one of those things where I think you can definitely say the ends justify the means. Yes, I agree. But Cher doesn't date high school boys. She's not a whole fan of the night. Grudge fashion where the pants are hanging below their butts. Their t-shirts are wrinkled. They put on a plaid shirt over top of it and a backwards baseball cap, because she says searching for a boy in high school. Is this pointless is searching for meaning in a poly shore movie.

Steve:

Yes. And as a poly Scharf fan, you loved that. And I thought it was funny. Yes, but she does find a guy she's attracted to who is it? It is. Christian Christian. Yes. And Christian, this is one of the. Pop fiction examples. I saw of, uh, the real life thing that happens where beautiful girls ended up falling for gay guys.

Stephen:

Yeah. And to get his attention. Um, she does what she always does. She sends herself flowers and chocolates to make him jealous. Didn't work, didn't work. She wears, um, clothing that shows up more of her skin because that gets boys to think of sex. Yeah. Yes.

Steve:

Um, at the frat party, there are certainly signs that he's. She just doesn't see it. Josh

Stephen:

does. Josh does. Absolutely. Because like he's dancing with her and having a good time. She turns around and then he turns around and is dancing with another obviously gay guy and then turns back around. But it's so fast. She doesn't see it Josh across the room. Oh my God.

Steve:

Yes. But, um, even, uh, Deon's boyfriend saw it on the aisle and like, that's one of those things where girls, when they, like, I remember so many girls, like who thought I was straight enough to date and I'm just like a bless your heart. I was always super duper gay

Stephen:

whenever. Um, Marie calls him a friend of Doris. At that age. I didn't know what that meant now. I

Steve:

do now though, I do

Stephen:

now. And she

Steve:

sucks cock.

Stephen:

He does well. Yes, but it's really good to gain men's obsession with the wizard of Oz specifically Judy Garland. Yes. Yeah. Um, Cher does everything she can. She even invited him and invite him over, tried to make cookies for him, set a lighting mood, um, tried to play footsie with him. Meanwhile,

Steve:

he's like watching like Spartacus or something with guys with their shirts off and the super homoerotic.

Stephen:

So funny enough, um, my friend Tracy, growing up, her family had. Satellite TV. And it came with free porn channels and we never watched any of the stuff, but we'd go through the titles on there. And one of the movies was called It still makes me laugh. Yes. So the, as we talked earlier, Brittany Murphy tie inter

Steve:

tie. Yes. She comes in and she's obviously that nineties trope of the beautiful girl. Who's like, they try and like quote unquote, ugly up by like, you know, make her from B and yeah. Bad. Anyone with eyes can tell she was beautiful except everyone in the movie. Right.

Stephen:

And on the first day of P Ms. Stein, Um, who is just say, Julie, Julie Brown from MTV and famous for the homecoming Queens got a gun, which hysterical music video. Go to YouTube. Look up the homecoming Queens got a gun ignoring school shootings. It's still funny. Anyway. Um, Is tiger says, okay, you don't have time to change, but you can hit a few balls in those clothes. And what does Amber

Steve:

say? You could be a farmer in those clothes. Yes. So she is the new girl in town and she immediately is drawn to Travis. The skateboarder.

Stephen:

But Cher and Dionne say no, that he's a stoner loser. Yes.

Steve:

They'll be more than happy to share a blunt with him, but they won't want to actually hang out with them. Yeah.

Stephen:

It's totally one thing to spark up at a party. It's another thing to come to close already blades.

Steve:

Yes. And so she ends up getting a make-over from Sharon D uh, and all of a sudden she's a new girl who has mystery

Stephen:

because, and she shares it. Hey, Ty, you have one thing that everybody doesn't have and she goes, I'm not a Virgin. No, you have mystery. Yes.

Steve:

Um, so Sharon tries to take this mystery to hook her up with Elton who's recently single and an eligible bachelor for

Stephen:

her, which in Brittany Murphy's pronunciation of out. Yeah. It still makes me laugh every time. And, uh, You know, they get invited to the Val party from Travis and shares, like know it already. It takes an hour to get to the valley anyway, in the cops usually busted up certainly after that, but it turns out all the popular people are going. So let's go make a cameo at the Val party

Steve:

and you have that. Cause you still use that today. When we go places, you're like, let's make a cameo.

Stephen:

We're just making a cameo. And do you mean. I don't plan to stay long. I just need to be seen and leave. And that was before COVID when you can actually go to park.

Steve:

Yes.

Stephen:

Um, like, so we're at the valley party, which is just a whole train wreck of a thing. And like, I don't think I was ever even at like a college party that was this bad of a train

Steve:

wreck. No, not at all, but I mean, it happens and basically. It ends up with, um, Ty getting hit by a shoe while trying to make Elton jealous and dances with him to rolling with my homeys with my homeys at Travis is still being the good guy, but gets pushed away by Cher.

Stephen:

And it turns out that Outten didn't have any interest in time. He only wanted share the whole time.

Steve:

And then he tries to hit on her in the car, then she gets off and she gets mugged.

Stephen:

Yeah. And it got really close to him. Not wanting to take no for an answer to,

Steve:

yes. Glad that it didn't get rapey.

Stephen:

Yeah. But yeah, she does get mugged, um, shortly there after Thai, um, using her new family. I guess courage. Yes. When she's at the mall and she's flirting with guys and they hang her over the banister assholes. Yeah. And it's still like, oh, just the, it freaks me out. But her near death experience at the mall, skyrockets heard a popularity. She's now the most popular girl. Knocking Cher off the pedestal.

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, she starts having feelings for Josh

Stephen:

and, um, whenever Sarah is like, um, what do you have in common with Josh? I mean, I don't think you're a good match and Ty's like Cher. You're a Virgin who can't drive way harsh. Ty. Yeah. But thankfully it, they do have an actual real friendship and in the end they're able to work things out and Ty gets to go all in on her affection for Travis, even

Steve:

with Sheriff's approval.

Stephen:

And now we've mentioned Josh several times. Josh is

Steve:

Paul rhe, who the former stepbrother, but her father says you divorced wives, not children, which is nice because a lot of people that get divorced don't feel

Stephen:

that way. Like why is he even here? You're not even married to his mother anymore. Share, get divorced wives, not

Steve:

children. Yes. And they start off with like a very like brother, sister friendship, where it's optional, where they really don't seem to like each other. She always like calls him like the scum of the earth or the heart, like horrible names.

Stephen:

Like. Uh, you and your granola crew are off, you know, doing good. And he's like, well, we may get Marky mark, who for those in today's world is mark Walberg back in the day. He was Marky mark. Yes. To plant his celebrity tree.

Steve:

Yeah. And Sherice set that

Stephen:

getting Marky. Mark does take time out of his busy pants dropping schedule. Oh my yes. And Josh has always telling, share that she never does anything, um, out of her, out of the goodness of her heart and that she needs to do something good with her popularity. How about

Steve:

sterilization?

Stephen:

Uh, but whenever it comes time, like when you, we said she got mugged, she knows she can't call her father, um, Dion bad part of town. They're well, they're in the valley and he told her you're not supposed to go to the. Anywhere in LA is 20 minutes from our house. Yes. But he, she calls share and he immediately comes to the rescue, even though he was in bed asleep with his girlfriend.

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, he's even jealous of Christian, even though he's clearly gay and as odd by her in the CK dress, the one ever

Stephen:

share get in here. Yes, daddy, what are you wearing? Address says who Calvin Klein.

Steve:

Yes. He said it looks more like a sleepwear.

Stephen:

Yeah. And you know, over the course of the movie of them being together more, they even bond and shared myths that she actually prefers lounging around in comfy clothes than dressing up and partying. And Josh is not totally believing it. You kind of see that they're letting their walls down and this happened gradually so that it is believable because

Steve:

I mean, Sarah begins the movie sallow with focused on just shopping clothes and popularity, as well as using big words. She doesn't understand. I mean, she has the daddies. Yes, very sweet and caring for him taking over the mother role because her mother is no longer in the picture.

Stephen:

Yes. She died. Whenever Cher was very little and she doesn't remember, but there's a giant painting that she talks to. Yeah. And that's w I do love that even though she is shallow and self centered, she is 100% always concerned about her father. And if you look at it, you know, she's a loyal friend. Um, doesn't go out of her way to harm anybody. These are all like traits that if she didn't have the character wouldn't be as successful. Yes. Because

Steve:

even though an Emma, uh, Jane Austin wrote the character to be unlikable, I feel like she is likable that, you know, she's just earnest, sleek.

Stephen:

Yeah. And like, yeah, that is clearly the title works out very much for sure. But there are these things where you're like, no, like even with her bad judgment and things, she is somebody that you want to root for.

Steve:

Yes. Especially after Ty's popularity, she begins to spiral a flunks, her driving test and decides to make over her soul. Uh, how does one make over their soul? My love.

Stephen:

So. You want to do some volunteer activities where she decides to volunteer for the Pismo beach disaster relief? Um, with Ms. Geist, I don't know what the Pismo beach disaster relief is all about, whether that's in the U S or not. Um, but obviously it was from floods or hurricanes or something like that. And, uh, Share goes overboard and guts their house, looking for donation items. And she's walking past your dad at one point, Sarah, what are you doing with your skis? I'm donating to the Pismo beach disaster. I don't think they need your ski share dad. Some of these people lost everything. I think that includes athletic equipment. Yeah.

Steve:

Well the Pismo beach disaster relief is a slideshow, uh, because it's to help a bunch of Californians, a few miles away by giving them stuff. And, uh, the disaster wasn't even a real thing.

Stephen:

Okay. But she uses her popularity at school to get everybody involved because even though she was. You know, be tied for first or second for most popular, still very popular. And she can convince people to help and donate. And at the donation that she runs into Travis, where he's come and he wants to make amends. Now that he's in a 12 step program, because he feels bad about spilling beer on her suede shoes at the valley party, she had totally forgotten about that. And I think that's interesting that it affected him. So much that he was kept focused on it and she had forgotten about it. And it shows like our negative words and actions can stick with people. Yes. And it

Steve:

also shows as they making demands as a bitch. So I'm glad I'm taking my step work little by little.

Stephen:

And what step number is that?

Steve:

That is step number nine when you're making the MN. Oh, okay. So he got pretty far in those steps for a teenager or that

Stephen:

quickly? Yeah. Well, he probably have. Taking

Steve:

them as

Stephen:

thoroughly or, you know, being that young, he probably didn't have as many things to go through. Um, she decides that, you know, now that she's not going to be out partying and things as part of making over soul, she wants to help her dad because she sees how stressed and overworked he always is. And he has her highlighting, um, phone calls that don't happen on September 3rd, but she ended. Um, highlighting September 3rd on some August documents and one of the guys like they'd taken over the whole dining room and one of the lawyers from the firm yells at her and I'm like, do you know who you're working for? As soon as Cher says, daddy, he yelled at me. You will never work in a law firm in LA. Again, like Sheriff's father is not someone to be messed with.

Steve:

Not at all. Uh, he would have gotten his ass fired in a moment. Oh, 100%.

Stephen:

Josh stands up for, against the guy and shares all upset, worried that she ruined daddy's lawsuit. And they have that moment on the stairs where they've both separately come to that conclusion that they liked each other. And neither one knows the words to say it out loud. And they're kind of dancing around the top. And then finally Paul red leans in and kisses her and it was great. And it's a happily ever after.

Steve:

Yes. I had to double check with you because there's something in me that the fact that they used to be step siblings just seemed a little gross to me, but you promised me that that's okay. And you're from West Virginia, so yes, and

Stephen:

West Virginia, I would know

Steve:

exactly. So I'll take you on your word that that is an acceptable pairing, you

Stephen:

know, Some people's houses have things to say, God bless this house. Or God bless this mess or live, laugh love in West Virginia. Every house is required to have candy is dandy. Liquor is quicker, but incest is best. So, and also the difference is they didn't grow up together. Like the Bradys grew up together from a young age, that would make it weird if Greg and Marsha got together. But these two were already. Grown up and there's a couple of years difference between them. I, they, the lines were not blurred the way they were like with the Brady's good to now. So I guess growing up in rural West Virginia, I was not, um, clued in on some

Steve:

things. Do you mean, you might say you were a little clueless

Stephen:

yourself? Yeah. So like, um, when. Ty is talking to Sharon. Deanna. She goes, I've never had straight friends before. I had no idea what that meant at all. Like, I, I had heard of gay people, but back then, you didn't hear the word straight people

Steve:

know back then. I think they were unfortunately just called normal

Stephen:

people. Yeah. And so like, whenever you see that I never had straight friends before I had no idea what that. Meanwhile, I

Steve:

certainly didn't recognize whether a bong was when Travis donated it. And I was surprised to hear that you didn't either. What did you think it was?

Stephen:

I thought it was some kind of weird carjack. Yeah. And like, I didn't understand why it went into kitchen wares whenever they donated it big. Like it, the only shape that made sense was a carjack. And, um, even whenever they're talking about where Travis and the stoners hang out there, like over there on the grass, you know, Like I didn't get the reference to the JFK assassination or the considerate conspiracy theory. Um, thing about that, that there was a shooter on the grassy Knoll. I didn't get that either.

Steve:

Yes. So even though you didn't get a lot, it does seem like you enjoyed it. Oh,

Stephen:

it's absolutely one of my favorite movies from growing up. Yes.

Steve:

Excellent. I think it holds up. And what was your favorite part?

Stephen:

Uh, my favorite. Favorite part oh, goodness. To narrow. Well, I'm thinking about it. What's your favorite

Steve:

part? I would say my favorite part is in the car when Deon's driving and they started freaking out because of the traffic and the screaming. And I was like, is she going too slow? What she doing wrong? And I guess it's that she was going too slow on the highway, but, um, it just was a lot of screaming in a funny way.

Stephen:

Yeah. Um, I think the part that still. And I guess there's multiple parts, but any of the interactions where it's, one-on-one with her father, whether they're talking about like her trying to make sure he eats a good breakfast or the thing about share, what are you wearing a dress daddy? Like any of those things? I loved their interaction because it was earnest and it just had a good feeling to

Steve:

it. Excellent. You know, it also has a good feeling. I don't know what getting reviews from our fan.

Stephen:

That would be nice. So if you're listening right now, like if you have 30 seconds hop on over to where you listen to this, whether that would be an apple podcasts or Google podcasts, go to the lifetime of happiness page and leave us a five star review. Well, we

Steve:

love you forever. And we might even read it out loud in a few traps.

Stephen:

I guarantee you we'll read it out loud future episode of

Steve:

yes. And you can also contact us. And during the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at happy life

Stephen:

pod. Yes. And you can reach us on any of the socials, which I just

Steve:

said, I took yours that you normally say for listeners that listen to every episode, I normally leave the socials to him and I took them from him

Stephen:

because I was getting ready to. And I wanted to do a special shout out to Rebecca coffin, deffer Goggin, um, who I grew up with in Spencer, west, Virginia, who always, um, messages me on Facebook messenger telling me how much she's enjoying the episode. So shout out to you, Rebecca. Thank you very much. And. If you wanted to get in touch with us directly, now that I'm remembering that we're switching parts, you can email us@happylifepodatgmail.com. And

Steve:

until next time everyone stay happy and clueless.