T minus 20
The year is 2004... Your polyphonic ringtone habit is sending you broke. George W Bush is sworn in for a second term. And in spite of everything going on, the most controversial thing is a wardrobe malfunction at the superbowl?
T minus 20, rewind to this week in history 20 years ago with Joe and Mel.
T minus 20
Friends finale: we let the smelly cat out of the bag…
Hey Y2K lovers (and loathers), hold on to your trucker caps ‘cause this week 20 years ago is an emotional ride.
Friends Farewell: Grab the tissues 'cause we’re going on a break. We say farewell to FRIENDS - the iconic show that became a pop culture phenomenon. 52.5 million of us watched them close the door on that iconic apartment. And you know what’s really weird? The show as we know it almost didn’t end up on our screens.
Princess Scam-a-lot: Hitch a wild ride in the high society lane with SAUDI PRINCESS Antoinette Millard. This Buffalo native turned faux royal shook the glitterati with her jewel heist drama and high-end fakery. Dive into this tiara-toppling tale of deception with us!
Turntable Time Travel: Confessions from USHER tops the album charts, with PRINCE'S new album Musicology hot on its heels. We also dissect the 50 WORST SONGS EVER list and we’re not sure we agree… see what you think!
Tragedy in Nigeria: In this week’s heavy hit, we touch on the YELWA MASSACRE, a devastating reminder of the severe religious and ethnic clashes rocking Nigeria back in '04. Over 600 souls lost in a brutal reprisal that shook the world.
We also have a number 1 flick described by critics as clunky and foolish, and our last check-in on the J-Kwon inbox status…
Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Transcript is generated automatically.
The year is 2004. Your polyphonic ringtone habit is sending you broke. Yeah, George W Bush is sworn in for a second term, and in spite of everything going on, the most controversial thing is a wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl. T -, 20 rewind, 20 years with Joe and Mel.
Week of two May 2004.
-20. The rest is history 20. Hello. What? I'm very forgetful. Stop trying to make fetch happen. If I my fellow Americans, let's roll. When we're waiting for. This is harder than I thought it would be.
I've got my guitar here. T -, 20 our time capsule revisiting days that left our hearts so full, those iconic moments we held so dear. We're rewinding back 20 years.
Reliving the past. Oh, what a blast. Fashion crimes and fallen stars 2 decades gone. That takes our heart. We discuss our a thing we won't stop.
Movies and music. Wildly bright. We're bathing them in nostalgic. Right. Why 2K off? We ran. Out.
Probably best just to.
End it there? Yeah. Let's never speak of that again.
That was really bad.
But there is. A reason there is a reason this is t -, 20 hello, everybody. We're rewinding 20 years back to 2004.
I'm glad that you're taking care of that part, cause I'm a bit shook at the moment. I don't I. Don't ever wanna do that again.
I look, I think that Diddy explained what the show's all about really well, to be honest. But.
Be careful when you say, Diddy explained, cause Diddy. Diddy isn't explaining.
Then Ohh ditty ditty.
The thing these days, do you think with the T yes, yes.
Tea. Tea. Tea. Not ten. Tizzy. Yes, there is a reason we were singing to the tune of one smelly hats. Because this week, 20 years ago, the end.
Yes.
Of an era.
You know about that the the plate.
Thing. Ohh yeah. Yeah, no, Joey doesn't share food. I mean, just just last week we were having breakfast and and he had a couple of grapes on. His plates. You wouldn't let her. Have a grape? Oh, no, not me, Emma.
Yeah, Emma didn't get a grape as a result. We also had a big movie release with Halle Berry.
Hello been in here. Three days. Doctor. Hospital. Doug is dead. You've killed it.
She killed Doug. Doug is dead. Doug's dead dude. And then we had this as well. And I I know that this wasn't from the early 2000s. However, it did pop up this time 20 years ago in a very bizarre.
Oh, dear, poor Doug.
Top five list.
Tonight.
Everybody.
What is a Wang Chung? That's what I want to know.
Ohh so many possibilities. I remember doing aerobics to that in the 80s with the the leotard, the shiny leotard and the shiny leggings, and the elastic belts. Yes, and some of the ladies, because I did it with like, mums and stuff and I'm still a kid. Some of the ladies.
Yes. Really.
The G string leotards they were, they were Wang changing everywhere and their G string leotard.
Did you Wang Chung?
Wait, checking off.
The plays in The Witcher? Well, you've gotta be careful. That's right. You don't want your Wang Chung to fly out in the middle of that. So I I've always been pretty adamant about not singing on the podcast and I feel like I just broke the golden rule then and I don't think I'll ever do it again.
That was how was.
That appropriate, I don't know, but. Yes, not during your step ball change, you know. And now you've done it. Well, you can't take all the credit. We have to give songwriting credits. Actually, that we might get sued. Yeah. Hashtag for lab.
Yeah, it was a collab. It was a collaboration. So will you explain it? Cause I don't even. Know how that stuff works?
Well, no, we got AI, we got AI. To write it, we.
He used artificial intelligence said.
Said can you please write us a song to the tune of smelly cat about our podcast? Yes, and I didn't use ChatGPT, I use Gemini. I'm being a bit of a floozy. I've got three AI's. On the go at the.
And.
Ohh really?
And I just throw things in and see which. One gives me the best.
You. So you decided to see other AI's?
Answer I'm I'm playing. I'm playing the AI field, yes.
I think based on I.
Does that make me a floozy?
Think. Maybe I think based on what I came back with and and our collaboration with AI, I don't think we're in any danger of seeing Judgement Day anytime soon. No, I. Well, the future is not in safe hands, but I just don't think we're in.
The future is in safe hands.
Danger of seeing Judgement Day anytime soon. That was a really interesting start to the podcast this week. I wanna I'll be interested to see the stats. In fact, I I feel like there'll be like this real spike where you hear the Nice intro music with our intro guy. You know, the guy with the warm voices, he's he's very comforting and warm and then we'll start singing and everything will just drop off. It'll.
They'll be a real. Deal. Yeah. Yes, she's nice, Daniel. It'll look like a. Yeah, like that mountain climber Yodelling game on. What was that? The price is right. Just fall down.
Yes. Yes, a bunch of lemmings just flying off the Cliff. That'll be our statistic this week.
The Cliff. Yeah. Well, thank you. If you're still here.
Yes. And we've got something to keep you going. We've got a hatches, matches and dispatches. Clue this little clue.
We appreciate.
That we're gonna play right now for a celebrity that's having a birthday. Which we will. Reveal in our hatches, matches and dispatcher segment at the end of the show. Here's the.
Clue he was singing a happy birthday song. To what? What was that old lady? 'S name again I. I think it was. It doesn't matter what her name was.
With what?
Sure doesn't. Alright, we'll check that out at the end of the show. OK, we we do need to dial things back a little bit for the news. There's not a lot of exciting or happy things happening in the news this week, but some very significant events that happened this time 20 years ago. And I feel like these things I I so. I know that they were reported on, but I don't remember them being reported on extensively at the time.
No, me either. We'll start with the 2nd of. May 2004. It was the Yeller massacre of more than 630 nomad Muslims. This was actually a series of related incidents and it was religious violence between Muslims and Christians and it took place in Yella in Nigeria, started in February and ended on the 2nd of May 2000 and. Or and the clauses it it's.
That.
Complicated and long standing political tensions between and religious tensions between these groups.
Yeah. When when I saw this was was on the agenda for the podcast and I I attempted to read up on why this actually happened and it's it's just not all that clear cut. It's pretty messy. It's it's, it's a. It's a bunch of well, I mean and you know what like?
Hmm.
9.
Religious tension religious violence is always messy. It's never clear cut. It was a really revolting thing that happened so.
Hmm.
You said it was the 4th of February that. The first.
Yeah, yeah. And armed Muslims attacked Christians in yellow were killing more than 78 and 48 of those were actually inside a church worshipping at the time, which then obviously inflames tensions between the groups. I think there was riots a few years prior. As well in 2001. So tensions had been bubbling away for some time.
That that's one thing that I did see is. Like. A lot of this stuff kicked off in 2001 and this is when it really came to a head and I think this is where there there's been casualties all the way through. But this particular massacre was obviously the peak of of all of this stuff and on the 2nd of May. 2004 local Christians responded to the incident in February. They retaliated and they attacked the Muslims in Yella and that resulted in 630 people. Dying.
And this obviously further inflamed the situation. There was rioting and things were getting a bit out of control. The government had to deploy military forces to try and restore order and stop the violence. And it really highlighted the challenges of intercommunal relations and governance. In Nigeria. Where there has been, like we said, this religious division for many, many years and often exploited for political gain as well.
Yeah, it's a freaking mess. So. And that's pretty much all we can say about that one. Let's go to the 8th of May, where Saudi Princess Antoinette Millard had her jewels worth 260, two $100,000 stolen from her.
I won't lie, I was a little bit excited when I saw this headline and I thought I love a good jewel heist. Remember that the turban guys that stole the turban, the jewel turban, I thought. Ohh, this is gonna be another jewelled turban heists.
Yes, yes. Is it the?
That.
No, I'm just gonna say now you everyone's gonna be disappointed because our Saudi Princess Antoinette was actually is actually called Lisa Walker. That's her real name.
Well.
Oh, let's go to the next segments. Yeah, that's it's not really as exotic as Antoinette Millard, Lisa Walker.
No, Lisa Walker. She adopted the name Antoinette Millard in the beginning of 2004, claiming that she was a Saudi Arabian Princess who had converted to.
Judaism. I don't. She wasn't, though. What? What she this is all a scam, isn't it?
Just you wait. She used her royalty to get into all of these fancy pants society.
Ah.
Parties and was.
It's like a fake ID.
She was appearing on and, and the thing I think the thing like her, her calling card was she'd wear a tiara to these parties, so she must have thought I wear a tiara. Everyone will believe I'm a Princess. Yes. Come on in. Your Highness. You're in a tiara. Come in.
Right.
Oh well.
Instant. Yeah, it's like, right. Mate, if you wanna get into somewhere for free, just whack a tiara on and sachet through the front door.
Yes.
Yes. And she even appeared on the the pages of society magazines. That's kind of like our out and about remember out and about in like the City News and.
Yeah.
The Canberra Times I loved that cause I always used to play. I need to know at least one person that pops up in that fun.
It was great. So one well, one of my friends was a photographer. For it back in the day. So we ended.
You were in. I was gonna say I did.
Up in it every week, all the time.
See you in a few. Was in at once at the launch of the Brumbies, one of the Brumbies seasons. Yeah, and I had very bad hair and very bad sunglasses.
Yeah, right. I was in the social pages like on a weekly basis for some time, yeah.
I was wondering why? Because you're not a very social person, not much of A social butterfly. You weren't wearing a tiara trying to get in there.
No, no, I was just. Hanging out with no, I didn't get into many places. Actually it was like.
But that explains a lot. Actually. There was a lot of.
Yeah.
Not in those shoes. And then I'd come back in a tiara and I'd get straight. In great, yeah.
No problem. So she used her royalty. In her tiara. And the other thing that was a bit of her calling card was whenever she'd appear at these events, she'd be wearing all of these fine jewels. And she said that they were heirlooms that were passed down from her mother and aunt. And this Saudi royal family.
It's not isn't. It's like, look what I got at the reject shop. That's what it is, isn't it? It's all fake.
She was part of. Well, no, no, this is where it starts to get interesting. So she was appearing at all the causes and charity circuits she was spending lavishly, and she charged.
Oh really? In a tiara.
Like a million on a credit card in just three months.
Ohh wow, that's.
Then we get to the 8th of May and she goes to police saying that she's been mugged on Madison Ave just walking down Madison Ave. Someone mugged her and robbed her of $262,000 of J.
Crazy.
Yeah, right.
Lori. This was the day after she had. It in short.
Ohh, how convenient can I just? Can I just take a a site? You know how like, cause this week? It's like may the 2nd we start with it's may, the 4th is Star Wars Day. I always thought that the 8th of May should be Motörhead Day. It's the 8th of May, the 8th of May. I said I'd never sing on the podcast again and I've already.
And you've done it twice. Wow.
Broken the rule. So so she gets.
She. Rob, on Motörhead Day on Madison.
She was marked on Motörhead Day on Madison Ave she got. She lost $262,000 worth of jewellery.
Ave.
Yes.
The day after. She got it insured.
And at the same time, she's suing A jeweller. So this is a jeweller where she bought these jewels that were allegedly handed down through the royal family, of which she was a part of. But no, she bought them from a jeweller and she whacked, I think, 200,000 on the credit card on Tahitian pearls and diamond pendants for some of her appearances.
As you do.
Yes.
Wow.
She then obviously knew that she wouldn't be able to repay the money, so she went to a pawn shop to resell them. And the pawn shop wouldn't pay her what she'd paid for them retail, so she was suing. She's suing the jeweller. Going well. You've under. You undervalued me. You ripped me off because the pawn shop is only gonna give me X amount. Like, say, 100,000 for these jewels. But I paid 200,000, so obviously she didn't quite understand. What.
Well, of course not. Yo. How pawn shops work, hmm.
Four jobs. Yeah, yeah. There. So it turns out, here's the big reveal. They pull off her mask and Lisa is actually a divorcee from Buffalo, and her claim to fame before becoming this Saudi Princess was that she was a triplet. That was her biggest claim to fame. She was in local Buffalo time as a triplet cause back then.
Russ.
As a.
It was, you know. Quite unheard of. It was big news in Buffalo triplets. So the Buffalo News was very excited on the 8th of May with the headline local triplet held in fraud case.
Triplets in Buffalo? Sure.
That's literally the headline.
She's been really she's been. She's been tagging herself as a Saudi Princess the entire time and it's it's.
And and it's uncovered by the Buffalo News.
It's a life the way. You come back to your hometown and it doesn't. Matter what? You've achy throughout your entire life. You returned to your hometown, and you're just the person you were before you left. She was a Saudi Princess, but in Buffalo, she'll always be a local triplet.
No, no, no. A local triplet held in fraud case, Millard's sister accused of posing as Princess scamming insurers. I couldn't read the rest of the story because the Buffalo News is behind a.
Well.
Paywall.
Are you? You gotta pay for the Buffalo News.
It's like a dollar for three months. I thought about it, and then I thought I that's all I need. I just need the head and it's enough.
I've got a mate, Danny, who I met on YouTube who lives in Buffalo.
Maybe you could get a copy, maybe if you go into the library and.
He can't see if he's.
Find it on the micro fish.
Yeah, maybe go to the biker fish and. Have a look do you? Do you know that? Do you?
Know Lisa Walker. Daddy, I'd be like, ohh. That's first that famous triplet.
Triplet. Yeah, I've been like, well, actually, mate, she's done a bit since she's a Saudi Princess and she went to cash converters and it turns out that she didn't get the the money that she intended to get for her jewellery. And then she sued A jeweller. And all of these things happened and and then she ended up in.
Hmm.
The paper well. That's, I mean that's good though that's.
Yeah, really publicity when you. Getting the local social pages of the Buffalo News.
Some. Paper. That's a big deal. Social pages? Well, it's not the social pages I think I.
No. Well, maybe it's front page.
Just. Mate, if the sounding Princess had come back to you know what she should have done, she should have put. On. A tiara. She'd have been in the social pages of the Buffalo. What was it? The. Buffalo News news, yeah.
The Buffalo.
It's.
Not a shame. She was eventually busted for insurance fraud and for charging up to almost $1,000,000 on her American Express card, even though she had no way of paying. She was sentenced to a year in gaol after a plea deal.
So she swapped all of her highfalutin lifestyle for some time in the Buffalo County Gaol. Hmm. Orange is the new tiara. Bit light on in the news, wasn't it really?
I'm not disappointed though, because it has been for the last few weeks. It's been pretty heavy with. Yeah. Yeah. And I think there's more to come in in the next few weeks as well. So it's nice to chat tiaras for a little bit.
It's just a rock madness. Yeah. Let's go to the charts then. What have?
We got so same #1 here in Australia. My band D12.
So I get on stage right, drop the mic. Hot chicks and I'm all like ladies. My name's Katie. I'm the lead singer of T12 baby girl like. My God, it's him.
The song it's been popping up in my old school workout mix that in purple pills.
Things we laugh every time.
Yeah, and it. Just purple pills. There's a part of purple. Pills. That's just me walking into a room in a bit they go. Something, something, something I don't know. That's like me walking into a room like something, something I don't know won't make you walk back out.
I just like Eminem when he's being funny. He's he's less funny these days. Not that he's not good, he's just less funny.
Yeah, he's very funny. I listened to Stan in the car yesterday and I haven't listened.
It'll bum you out.
To it for years. It just every time I. Get to the end. He's like, damn it. Was you? I'm just like the.
Yeah. Right, that's that's. That's a master class in storytelling, I think, right?
I still remember where I was the first time I heard that, and it was just I I could still goosebumps, yes.
Really. Yeah, it's a classic. It certainly is. But D12, not so much.
Onto another classic number one in the UK, Amon.
What I've said. The presence. I don't want you back what I said.
He still ran and Raven hanging in there, isn't he?
Get over it, Amy.
Look, I don't hate it, you know, and I think it's grown on me again over time. Umm, aimon just arguing over the thing with the video clip of that. Right is there's this amazing pepperoni pizza on the.
Hmm.
Evil there. The pizza looks incredible, and he's just chewing her out instead of eating this amazing, they're in this beautiful restaurant. They're outside legit.
They're too busy arguing.
It's like it looks like.
Italy, doesn't it cause it's got the nice chequered tablecloth. It's all fancy.
Nice little outdoor dining. Fantastic pepperoni pizza over on the side of the table, like if it was these days, somebody would have taken a photo of it and put it on Instagram. Yeah, beautiful pizza. And he's just blowing up. You know, when he could be.
Yeah, life have shut up and shove some pizza in your.
Eat the pizza 1st or maybe maybe he wants to get rid of her so he can.
Face and be quiet.
I can have the whole pizza.
Have the pizza Altima himself. What I said it don't mean now I don't want you back. I just want this pizza all to myself. That's what it is exactly.
I think you figured it out. Thank you for decoding Amon Good on you.
Yes, anytime. Would you like to do the top five, the Billboard top five from the United States of whatever they are at the moment?
I'd love to Westeros.
5.
4.
We're going to let it go. So many days, so many.
2.
If you're playing me, keep it on the low. 1.
OK.
Yeah. What? What? What?
Yeah, yeah, not much changing there. Can I? Can I just jump forward to #4? Naughty girl by Beyoncé. I just girls can get away with that. She's like, you know, and I said I wouldn't sing on the podcast, but I'm just trying to.
No. Just get it all out of your system.
I'll be your naughty girl and then this is like.
It's like you know what that sounds like?
I know what that sounds.
Stop. So it's, like, naked Tetris when my grandma or my mom, I think.
Ohh. **** ***** Tetris, yes.
It was just. My mum, actually. Yeah. *****. Tetris. Where there's, like nude bodies. And then when you make the the lion or you make the you fit the shape. And they're like doing it. Yeah. Like the bricks they go. And then the. Line disappears. That's exactly what you sounded like you said like. ***** Tetris do it again. No, my mum did my mum did because your mum.
How often did you play ***** Tetris? Your mum used to play pot. Do you think your mum would appreciate you on this podcast saying that she played ***** Tetris?
Oh, she's fine with it because they had Tetris. They had my Game Boy. Well, they had mine and my sisters. Game Boy, my mum and my grandmother. Right. And they were addicted to Tetris. They won't mind. They won't mind me saying it, cause it's true. They play Tetris.
Yeah.
Hmm. Sure.
Yeah.
All the time. And then one of the. Game boys broke. So they couldn't play. Tetris and they were brothers like.
Well, I can't find real Tetris, but I found *****, Tetris and so whatever. Tetris is Tetris.
Poor night. Yep. Faithfulness said, well, let's ******* ruin my. Story I've got nothing after that. No, but it OK. Well, she's.
Do the noise again.
Like tonight, I'll be your naughty girl. And she's.
No, do the noise. Don't sing. Just do the noise.
Yeah, that's exactly it. That's exactly it.
Yeah, that like. But like, if a bloke was like tonight, I'll be your naughty boy. You know what I mean? Like, that's all we've got.
You'd just be like. No, no, no, please don't.
Exactly. That's what I was getting at. But you know, yeah.
Put it away.
Put ***** Tetris away. Anyway, sorry.
It was a good game. Yeah, game. Now I there's so many different combinations. I never knew very educational, so let's recap.
Ah, your poor dad.
Yes.
Yeah, it's number one usher. I don't wanna know Joe #2. Joe know Mario.
Mario, not me. You don't wanna.
Now there was a Joe that did. I don't want to know. As well, I think.
It's too late. I've told you everything. No, no, it was it was. It was Maria. Marian. Marian. Marian. Marian. Wynans. Wynans winans.
Nigel. Ah, Maryland. Ryan and Daddy was in there and Enya as well, burn by usher. #3 beyond, say, naughty girls and tipsy, tipsy, jaquan. This is. And I'm not spoiling things because it's been slipping out the chart for some time now. This is the last week.
Yeah.
Jakwan.
Hmm.
Ohh.
That jaquon. Is in the top five, so this is the last opportunity for us to discuss him and double check cameo.
Well. Well. In that case, Mel, it's time for a jaquon update. That's good. Thanks.
That's good. It's a shame you got it, like, right for.
The last one you.
Could.
I know you like.
Have prepared that 20 episodes ago.
20 Get Real he has been in the charts for that long, about 3.
It feels like it's been that long because I'm waiting for him to respond to my $8 message, which was actually a $16.00 message because I accidentally messaged him twice, but I think he only got the message once, but I paid twice. And I've been waiting. I've been waiting for a message back because I told him how shook I was, that it was everybody in this not club getting tipsy. And I said I hope he's doing well and I loved the song. And yeah, I'm waiting to hear back. So I jumped onto the FAQ help section of cameo.
So yes, yes you have. Alright, cool.
Because I wanted to, I wanted to know if. They often do send the messages cause there's no guarantee and.
So it's like what? What happens if the celebrity isn't?
And I wanted to know how much a sticker cost cause I'm. I'm almost at sticker stage here because he's he's nearly gone.
Yeah, right.
Well, you're gonna have to be. This is the last week.
And this is the last we speak of jaquan.
And there's this is the final jaquon update.
So in the FAQ there was an entry I sent a cameo DM to a celebrity, but they didn't respond. What gives? That's what the FAQ was. What gives?
What gift? I love it when FAQ's get sassy. Don't just like, do you know what? Just cut the hit and tell me the answer to the question. Answer the question.
What gives it time to be cool? Just give. My. Stop trying to be. Cool. So here's the answer. While the celebs love to hear from their fans, sometimes life can get in the way of a conversation. A response to a cameo. Diem is not guaranteed, and we do not provide.
Yeah, right. Right.
So then I asked can I send multiple cameo DMS? Well, I found a question saying can I send multiple DM's? Because then I thought well I send him another one is at stalker Ish and will.
Right.
I get kicked. Off Cammy so.
Yeah, you're.
I wanna get kicked off cameo. I like lurking around there.
Well, you know, you're a naughty girl. You're capable of multiple DM's.
And the answer to that was you can send as many cameo DMS as you'd like. Just keep in mind that each DM is its own purchase and response is not guaranteed. Sending multiple DMS does not guarantee a higher likelihood of a.
So that's nice. Of course, they're not gonna care. Response. So it's like. Yeah, you have multiple DM.
So that's the.
8 dollars $16.00. $24.00.
Anyway, so that's the help centre, but let me jump back into the inbox because I should probably actually check while we're here. Hang on a minute. I think there's something.
Here. You're kidding. Don't do this to me.
I think I think.
I think he's recorded as a message.
Hey, yo, what up world? It's your homeboy J Quan. You know? AKA Mr Tipsy. And right now you're in the mix with means how does DJ my God?
Yes.
Melon jars.
Mel and joy.
Act like you know. Did I say I was cool? OK, everybody in the club getting tipsy. Act like you know.
Honestly that that could have been for us, but who would know what the jakwan just said?
That's worth $8 to spare, isn't it? Anyway, that's the end of Jaquon no more jacon update.
$8 to get it translated, just cameo charge you to translate stuff like it's like yeah, we can't guarantee that you'll actually understand what the celebrity and look, this is not just limited to jaquon. I've seen Vince Neil from Motley crew who charges thousands do cameos that you cannot understand a single word he says. Cause he's been completely inebriated. So I'm just wondering, is there a cameo translation service? OK.
No refunds, no refunds. Celebrities are busy. They're so busy.
What? Sure. I don't know. I think that's his version of Naughty Girl he's like. Ohh.
What was that I've never heard?
The.
Quan before. That's what happens when he plays naked Tetris. Look.
Oh my goodness.
There were no.
Notable album releases this week, so I thought I'd jump into the album charts and see what was charting. And no surprise, it's number one on the US. Album charts is usher confessions.
Yes.
But we had a. A debut with a bullet. #3 an album debuted at #3 Princess Musicology featuring the singles cinema Girl and musicology.
Wish I had a dollar for every day.
Don't you miss the feeling music gave it back in the day?
I I've told you, I'm just like I'm such a late adopter for Prince, but I I think that he's amazing. I love Prince. I spend lots of time listening to Prince these days.
Hmm.
I do like him as I I wasn't a big fan of this album, but I just. I don't think I'd moved on from the love. Album they're still listening to that on. Cassette at this point so.
I thought musicology was pretty good, actually pretty underwriting. I like listening to Prince when I BBQ.
I do need to go and have another listen, I think.
You.
I like listening to Prince and I'm having a a wine, a Pinot Pinot noir.
I did not know where you were going there. I like to listen to Prince while I'm playing ***** Tetris.
Ohh well there's.
That would be quite app.
Some of his songs, actually.
You naughty girl. You know what he's about. The only bloke who who actually does try to sound good, but he's in the throes of whatever passionate thing he's singing about. Do you know what I mean?
Ohh OK, I thought I don't know where that was going. How do you know when he's in?
Well, Prince preaches, preaches.
The throes of passion. What he sounds like.
You've heard him do his high pitched thing like Prince. Prince has never been like.
Oh, OK.
He never does that.
Did you know? I saw something on Instagram the other day and it said little Red corvettes, not actually about a car. Ohh yeah. So I didn't know that.
Really. Yeah. What's it about?
Well, not a car. You have to go and. Listen to the lyrics.
And then Google it. Yes, OK. He references Trojans.
Sure.
So yes, have a think about it.
Like from mythology and history.
No, no.
OK, alright. Well, I'm OK. That's enough, Prince. Let's go over to music news.
Blender Magazine releases the 50 worst songs ever.
Yes.
Ever definitive list worst songs in the history of forever? Nothing's gonna be worse in the future. This is it. Full stop. No repeat.
That's it. Flender has said that these.
Ever.
These are the worst ones.
They were selected for their melodies. Ohh how they were performed and quite a few of them didn't make sense.
Uh-huh.
Yes.
At all is what the magazine?
Is that what Glenda says?
Said.
Yes, they're either they're melodies, they're wretchedly performed and quite. A few don't make sense whatsoever. That's direct quotes.
I I wanna stop you right there. I wanna stop you right there. Blender. If you're talking about things that don't make sense.
Hmm.
What the is the go with your magazine title? Yes, like it's a music magazine and it's called Blender.
It makes me think of the Ninja Nutribullet.
Yeah, exactly like shouldn't. Shouldn't your magazine be dedicated to pureeing something? I'm just saying.
Umm, I'd expect some green juice recipes to be. Honest.
Right. Yes. Like a wheat grass shot or something. Some reviews on different types of wheat grass.
I don't think you can have wheat grass. Doesn't it activate some organ that you don't normally use?
I don't know. I I I think that we've had enough of that talk and we should not talk about activating organs anymore in the podcast.
And that becomes a problem. No, not that, no. What's what's the?
Organ that you don't use pan. Is it your pancreas?
Once again, you're just leaving the door wide open and I don't wanna comment on the organs that I don't. That's right. That's exactly right. I don't wanna comment on the organs that I don't use currently. So the 50th worst songs anyway, what made the list?
That you don't use. OK, you're right. Well, the list included new kids on the block, meatloaf, the doors.
Why?
Ohh Richie harsh.
Ah yeah, fair enough.
MC Hammer Eddie Murphy I.
Yes, all those that I like to party all the time, party all the time. That was Eddie Murphy. It's terrible.
Didn't did Eddie Murphy have a song?
I didn't know that he had a song and and The Beatles.
Well, you know, they you can't. You can't.
Well, they had so many songs.
See, we can't win them all. Thankfully, here is the top five that I have prepared earlier.
Crap.
5.
Just don't.
Understand.
And if you tell my heart my achy breaky heart, he might feel this way. We.
OK. I I understand like why some of the songs are in there. There's a couple in. There that actually. Like I like all. Of them, of course you do. Of course you do. Would you like? Let's recap.
I like every single one. Those.
Them #5.
OK, ice, ice, baby. Vanilla. Love that song. Love it on Singstar. Love, vanilla ice.
You love that song, don't you love it? Worship it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Stop, collaborate and listen. #4, Roland, Limp Bizkit. That's probably one of my preferred Limp Bizkit songs.
Is that right? That was back in the day when the Undertaker became the American ****** and he used to go into the ring, so to speak, on his Harley Davidson to Roland by Limp Bizkit. Fun fact, that video was shot. The video for that song. Parts of it were shot on top of the World Trade Centre.
Ohh, he used that did he?
Ohh. Really. Yeah. So when?
Does that was early 2000s then wasn't.
Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah, the IT was shot on top of the World Trade Centre. Uh-huh. #3 number.
It. Right. Wow.
That's a good area, isn't it? Everybody have fun tonight by Wang Chung, who've been referred to as white people's cooling the gang.
Chang he. That's pretty funny, but what is a Wang?
Chung it's not a manoeuvre in new Tetris.
So that's one of the songs I like I. Like everybody have.
I do like that as well.
Fun tonight by Wang Chung only because I've seen it reminds me of 80s movies.
Yeah.
Back back when like 80s movies and movies were kind of good, yeah.
Like gremlins era, and, yeah, Ghostbusters around that time. That vibe.
Right.
Got that sound? Just got that vibe. Yeah.
So they're an English new wave band.
They're English, Wang Chung. Well, that's culturally inappropriate. Yes, it is.
Yes, but the name is Chinese. The name is Chinese. I'm not going to attempt to say it in in Chinese. We're correct. Well, I think they've kind of.
Well, it's Wang chunks.
I think it's Huang Chung. Please forgive my pronunciation, but they've turned it into Wang Chung. It means yellow bell in English. Yellow bell.
Oh yeah, one soon maybe. Yeah. OK. Yes. Yellow Bell eastern. Wow.
Yellow bell, why would you sell yourself yellow bell?
So I just reckon it just had a good ring to it. Get it? Get it. Yellow bell. It had a good ring to it.
I guess that's what happens when the white peoples calling the. Game. Ohh. Very good, very good #2.
#2.
I I hated this song for. A while and then I did line. Dancing.
Yeah, right.
And then I liked. It achy breaky heart by Billy Ray Cyrus, and you can't hate on him. Look, look who his daughter is. Like he he gave he. Well, he didn't.
Really.
Birth her but. He created Miley and I love Miley.
You absolutely can hate on him, and I think Miley does these days and it's very fitting that that song is.
No.
#2 because it is a piece.
No, it grows on you. It grows on you. You need to listen to it a.
Really.
Few more times it's alright.
I really I really don't. I listened to it a few too many times back when it was popular and then #1.
Ohh and I love this song Starship. We built this city that is a great song. We do that one on.
Hmm.
The sing. Star, I think we do half of these.
Exactly, they did better.
On the Sing Star, absolutely.
I like we built this city by Starship.
Yes, what else did they do? Do they do that? Nothing's gonna stop us now. Staying together forever. Yes.
Hmm.
Yeah, they did. They did. The theme from mannequin. Yeah. Yeah. Nothing's gonna stop us now then. And then they were like, they were Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Aeroplane.
Great movie. Did they do? That Sarah song.
They did. Lots of. Yeah, they did. Sarah. Yeah. Storms were brewing in her eyes. Ohh yeah.
If I do not want to.
I think I'm gonna have. To go back and listen to them.
Yeah. Well, but they they've.
Got a very interesting history musically, Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Aeroplane, and they because they did that song. Ohh, was it cold? It was like it was really trippy. It was like an Alice in Wonderland type song was like Feed your head. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway. Very interesting. So that is, according to Blender magazine, the top five of the 50 worst songs of all time.
Hmm.
We should throw that up on the socials and see if people agree. You can put your.
I think that's yes. Good idea. Yes, let's do.
Own you could vote. Or something I don't know. And then you know.
Yes, well, Blender didn't reveal the way in which they came at it. It's just wretchedly performed in somebody's opinion. So let's make it official.
I think like music, magazines are a bit ahead of the time, you know, like they they had listicles before listicles became a thing and that's got nothing to do with monotonous.
Yes. Yes.
It's been a bit rivalled. I don't know that it's going to get any better, so strap yourselves in. It's the entertainment section, TV's and the box office TV's and the box office. TV and the box office. We have #1 at the US box office this week. Mean Girls 24,000,000. It's made. At the boxing.
We've already spoken about it when it was released, so we'll go into too much detail.
Great movie. Great movie in Australia, the number one film is a little movie called Gothika.
It's already sorted.
Have I been in here first? Doug is dead. You've killed him. To that.
There's no way.
The first thing you remember.
There was.
A girl. This is a girl that.
I saw.
This is the girl.
That's impossible. She died four years ago.
That girl came to me. And she has a very specific agenda.
Miranda. What's that?
Something is really happening. Look, I understand you're. Upset. I'm here to help you, but you have.
To trust me.
You can't trust somebody when they think you're crazy.
That's very true. You can't. That was an American Horror film directed by Matt Matthew.
I think it's just a. Fancy way of spelling Matthew, I think.
Bless you.
It's Matthew.
Kassovitz and it was written by Sebastian Gutierrez Co, produced by Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis and those voices.
Fissure is.
Held very Robert down. Junior Penelope Cruz is in there. Charles Duttons in there. John Carroll Lynch. Bernard Hill followed a psychiatrist who found herself incarcerated in the penitentiary, in which she works. She was one of those, like psychiatrists, that used to talk to prisoners and stuff. And then she got accused of brutally murdering her own husband and couldn't recount. For a couple of days and I never watched. It.
I was gonna ask. Sounds like you did sound like you did. Yes. That's gonna ask you for your stars.
Like I did, didn't it? Yeah. Yeah, I should have just kept rolling. With it, it was just. I just I it. It the cover of it was like Halle Berry. With her hand up against like a the pain of a window. And it was kind of like it was. It was. The window was moist, it was moist. It had condensation on it. And then it had, like, this really screwy text was like gothika and and it was gothika with a.
Misty. Like she breathed on it with fausty breaths. Yes, frosty breath. K Ohh and it looked like that that chiller. Want that you use whenever it's Halloween? You pull that font out for Halloween.
Yeah, little bit, little bit, no, and I just. It just I saw it on the. Shelves and it just never grabbed me, just didn't grab me. I just the font turned me off a.
And it just you when I don't like that font that font.
Little bit, yeah.
That's kind of unbelievable on a window pane you'd want like it want it to look like it was drawn with a finger.
Which is odd because I really like Halle Berry. I think she's a fantastic actor and Robert Downey junior. I also like.
Yes, I've never heard of this.
When I saw it, I thought I was this some random Australian arty Farty movie or something. Cause I've never heard.
3rd as well as.
Of this didn't even get a pass 15% from critics and only 45% from the audience, and I feel like though maybe if you watched it in this day and age, given how a lot of the stuff that is. He's he's. Being pushed out into the cinema, it might be might might fare better.
Maybe. Well, Antonio Quirk from the London Evening Standard Roto review. I'd like to know what the critics thought.
Yes. I'd love to know what Antonia, as long as it's Antonia and not Antoinette Millard because I'm not interested in what she has to say because she's a charlatan, OK?
No. No. No tiaras and Tonia Quirk said the most interesting thing about this clunky, foolish horror flick in which everybody but the audience is constantly caught off guard. Is berries scrappy wig.
Ohh, now that's just peachy.
She didn't like the hairdo. Didn't like that. Yes, well, much like the fonts. If it was off pudding, that would distract you for the whole movie. You'd just be staring at it the whole time going. That is a really poor choice of weed.
She didn't like the week that Halle Berry was wearing. Yes, that's true. That's true. Is she wearing a wig? Yeah. Yeah, that's yeah.
It's kind of that sort of.
You know when.
You used to use. I think it was called. Fudge. It was like a hair wax and.
Yeah.
You'd grab little tendrils and kind of boy bands used it a lot and she kind of had that. Yeah, it was like Shaggy Bob, but kind of pulled out a bit piece piece with the yeah.
Kind of twist it and yeah. Hmm hmm. Yeah, but it was a weak it wasn't. She wasn't using such.
Well, I I think we're assuming it's a wig and wigs can have fudge.
OK. Yeah. Well, I'm not gonna take Antonia quirks word for it. Maybe I'll just have to watch it and see for myself. But now that now that she's mentioned that, I mean, that's.
You didn't.
Now it's going to be distracting.
All. I'm gonna miss like all key parts. Of it, if you like, kiss.
Font hair too much.
That. Oh, no. Let's see that again. Maybe if we. Yeah. Freeze frame it there. Anyway, let's go over to TV news.
Big news on the 6th of May 2004. Friends hang on a SEC airs the final the season finale. The last episode ever in the US. I felt it was the respectful thing to do.
Love that you stop for the clap. You played too much ***** Tetris. You end up. With that. It look I have to be respectful. Cause a lot of a lot of people. Yeah, exactly. A lot of people watch this. I never watched friends. I just couldn't get into it. I just. It didn't really do anything for me. But I know a lot of people who love sitcoms, love.
Ohh really, why start now?
Friends and and it was one of those shows that came along, especially a lot of people that listened to this podcast during a very formative time of their life. It was. And so they loved it.
When did it start? 994. It started, yeah.
I think so. And I was like, I believe it was on after Seinfeld, so that helped it kind of gain a little bit of momentum because Seinfeld was obviously huge. And then friends was on after it and people kind of hung around for friends and then they.
Ah. Yeah, yeah.
It was.
Stayed nice.
Yeah, and and look like you, I. I watched the first season because I really liked the monkey.
Yes.
Marcel Ross's monkey. And then Marcel's got a bit stir crazy, which is what? This is why you don't have monkeys as.
Right. No, you can't keep them in captivity. It's they'll. They'll tear your face off.
Pets.
No. So it's a stupid idea anyway, but I did enjoy Marcello's screen time because he was, you know, he's a little bit wacky, bit cheeky. He just got into trouble. I think he was ******* a lamp in one episode.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Once. Once, like monkeys hit puberty. It's it's a bad time. Yeah.
Started, he started ******* a lot of things, so they got rid of Marcel and then as a result, I just never watched it again. I got. I got the tips and I was like, I don't wanna watch it without the monkey.
No, Marcel, no Mel, right? Yeah.
No, but look much like Mean Girls. Though I I I didn't continue watching it, but there was so many catch phrases and moments from the show, even though I didn't watch it. I'm still familiar with. It's just this, it's this iconic pop culture phenomenon and you have to like you say you have to you.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Have to acknowledge that.
Yes.
So Chandler, Monica Ross. Rachel. We, Phoebe and I think in the final episode they're experiencing significant life changes as they prepare to say goodbye to their beloved apartment in each other.
Are. Well, didn't Chandler and Courtney Cox's character was that? Was that Monica? Yes. Monica had a baby, and they were moving out. Weren't.
Yes.
They. Is that what?
Ohh, was that what happened? I don't know.
And then, yeah, and everyone was leaving anyway. This is the final scene.
So I guess this is it.
Yeah.
I guess so.
This is harder than I thought it would be.
It's going to be OK.
Would you guys have to go to the new house, right? Away. Or do you have some time?
We got some time.
OK. Should we get some coffee?
Sure, where?
Oh.
I think the the weird thing is because they always used to go that central perk coffee shop right, like and that's thing like as soon as you get a Lego set made after you know you just like enshrined in pop culture history. So you get the friend's Lego set. Yeah.
Park.
Yes, you're kind of kind of a big deal and friends actually popularised the whole concept of going for coffee. That wasn't really a thing in the 90s until that show, and that's when people started meet at Starbucks and you just catch up over a cup of coffee. That's when cafe.
With.
Is that right?
Life started. That's when went and got your wedges and sour cream.
Cafe Cafe culture, wedges and sour cream with coffee.
At the. That was the 90s. That was a 90s cafe thing, getting wedges and sour cream and sometimes sweet chilli sauce.
Was this?
Where in Monica? What was that place in? Monaco I used to.
I don't know. I know we.
Go to. I can't remember. That was a thing. That was a thing. You. You'd get wedges and sour cream.
I know we had a Starbucks for a time and that didn't end well. Yeah.
And you went for coffee.
Ohh in the city, yeah.
Gross. We're coffee snobs. I can't do that anyway. So well, they. So they contributed to cafe culture. Hmm.
Starbucks.
They did. They've attributed to a lot of things. I think there's a lot of catch phrases and. Things that occurred in the show, like obviously the Rachel haircut, I got a Rachel once I did get a Rachel. Yeah, because it was just such a I know, I know. Isn't that terrible? Yeah. The concept of friends with benefits came from friends.
Yes.
Did you, without watching the show, you're a you're a monster.
Really.
Offers 80s synth banned fun Bobby Phoebes evil twin. The friend zone was another friend's thing going commando. Smelly cat, obviously.
Smelly cat. What are they feeding you? Everybody, smelly cat, smelly cat. It's not your fault. They won't take you to the vet, tammer. Obviously not their favourite pet may.
Not be a bed of roses.
Rachel. You're not friend of those with noses.
Ross, those are the only lines we have. Sorry. OK.
OK. How you doing? That was from friends, Jerry.
Ohh, the Joey Tribbiani. How you doing? Yeah.
And Joey doesn't share food.
You know about the the the plate.
Thing. Ohh yeah. Yeah, no, Joey doesn't share food. I mean, just just last week we were having breakfast and and he had a couple of grapes. On his plate, you wouldn't let. Her have a grape? Oh, no, not me, Emma.
Joey doesn't share food.
I can relate to that. Actually, I don't like sharing food. I don't like sharing anything though, really.
No. And then there there was the ugly naked guys. Well.
He's not alone. Ugly naked guy is having Thanksgiving dinner with ugly naked gal.
Ohh.
Oh.
Alright, ugly naked guy. Ohh ugly naked dancing.
It's nice that he has someone.
Hmm.
Sorry, I got caught short then yeah.
That's alright. According to the financial review, however, which is where I go for all my friends information, we were lucky that it actually ended up on our screens after the initial testing. You know when they do the testing of new shows with an audience and test audience.
Hmm.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
In May 1994, this is four months before the 1st episode screened in September.
94 So that was that was when. I left school.
An internal NBC report described the pilot as not very entertaining, clever or original. Of the six characters, only Monica generated a little bit of interest from the test audience, but even this was below desirable levels for elites.
So they're like, oh, it's the girl from the dancing in the dark film.
Maybe. Yeah, maybe yeah. And Cougar Town, remember Cougar town?
I think that was after France, wasn't it? So no.
It was, yes.
The appeal of the other cast members was considered marginal or lower Rachel, the runaway bride, was scarcely believable as a spoiled brat. Ross, the divorcee, generated little sympathy and no one cared much for what happened to his character. Teenagers within the test audience quite like. Phoebe the Airheads, and Chandler and Joey barely registered, and apparently the coffee house setting was confusing because.
Yes.
Really.
Was going for coffee really a ring?
Wasn't a thing. See if I thought Chandler would get like Matthew Perry kind of stole the show. I I thought with friends he was certainly a standout character in that show for me anyway.
Hmm.
Hang on, I think someone we know was actually in. That test audience.
Who?
Well, our favourite Goodreads reviewer Lois one star.
Oh, Louis. Well.
What did Lois have to say about?
It.
Rachel, the runaway bride, was scarcely believable as a spoiled brat. Ross the divorcee. I really couldn't sympathise with and didn't care for his character. I didn't quite like. Maybe. Yeah. I don't know. I don't really fit into the teenage demographic. And Chandler and Joey, who the have they? And what's this ******** with the coffee? Yeah, sounds very confused.
Ohh thanks. Well thanks for clarifying.
All right, tell us what you. Really think well.
So overall, the NBC based on the test audience including lowers rated the sitcom as weak and concluded that well gave some recommendations actually said that they need to add some older characters, they need to make the main characters more likeable and add more humour, make it pop.
Really. Maybe, right?
Make it pop. But they didn't listen. They just released it as it was and. The test audience was obviously wrong. Sorry, love.
Good. That's good. Like, oh, well and yes, they were. It was one of the biggest shows in the 90s. That's why we're acknowledging it now. That's why the like its finale, was such a big thing. And so, you know, Rachel Ross and the rest of them, whatever their names were.
They were the they were the will. They won't. They couple, weren't they.
Yeah. Rachel and Ross? Yeah.
Are they going to get it? On what's going on?
Ohh and that was like the whole sexual tension. Like when back in the days when they had moonlighting, remember David and and Maddie in moonlighting, Bruce Willis and Civil Shepherd.
Hmm.
No, not really.
Was this was sexual tension was there.
Yeah, I was a bit too young for moonlighting. I wasn't allowed. To watch it. Yeah.
Comedy writer Andrew Ellard said that one of the most surprising things about it is that it says it's fine to be monumentally selfish. We're asked to see Rachel as this spoiled, self-centered woman, but the rest of them are just as bad if not worse.
Aren't we all, though, to a degree?
And he went on. Yeah. Well, I think that was the. Thing people were like.
Yeah.
This is kind of.
Relatable is it and it makes it OK for me to.
Like. Be spoilt selfish.
I think it is OK to be a little bit self absorbed like at the end of the day when you turn all the lights off and and you, you're there. You've gotta live with yourself before you can live with anyone else, right?
This is true, he also.
Went on to say that what made it so special, particularly in retrospect, is that it's the last of. This comedy theme of going to the Big city to make.
All right.
It. Saying that you absolutely could not make a show like that now because you can't. People can't afford to move to. New York and.
Nobody goes there to make it, yeah.
Hang out in a coffee shop. On the off chance that you might find your dream job. Instead, you'd be in a desperate low paid job or unpaid internships. And it wouldn't be a a funny storyline. Like what? What friends was.
That. That was what, really? Didn't sell it to me at even at the time. Yeah, it was like, I mean, they do work, but we never see them at work. And they're always just together doing the coffee thing and all that. Sort of.
Like, do they work? Yeah.
Jazz. And it's like, how the hell could they afford to live in a city like New York when they're just sitting around talking to each other all?
The time and they also say that it's probably the last moments in sort of sitcom life. Life before everything went wrong, so this is the Clinton years. The economy is booming. There's nothing to worry about domestically or internationally. It's kind of the last of those thoughts of sitcoms as well.
Ah yeah. September 11, right. Right. Yeah. Did they? I I need to go back now because I wanna know. I wanna know what and I don't know because I haven't researched it and haven't looked at it. But I'd love to know. Of course they would. Of course they would have. What? What I will say about the show that I love from the actors point of view and from an entertainment professional point of view as far as.
Did they acknowledge it? They must they must have. Yeah, yeah.
Solidarity between the creatives and the castmates, because obviously. This is owned by a network. There are people there that are pushing people to write an entertaining programme that they can place advertisements in between and then hook people through to watch what happens after the commercial break. Like the whole thing is to drive some kind of commercial revenue because it's a commercial. Network. That's how this stuff works. It's like we'll give you entertaining content at a price, so we're going to put some ads out there. We're going to try and make you consume some more stuff, and the cast for this show. They're all really stuck together with this, so by the time they get to the third season, they all look at how much everyone's earning. And I think David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston were earning the most is.
That correct, I think they were. Earning more than the. Rest of the cast, but they I. Don't know that they were. Aware of it at. The time and then they kind of figured it out. So they were. Doing negotiations for the third season? Yeah. And David Schumer convince the others to negotiate with him as a package deal.
Right. So they were like, we're all gonna stick together because the show is all of us together, is poor friends. Right. So let's walk the talk.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Let's all band together and we'll all get paid the same amount. Of money for it.
Yeah. Yeah. So they, I think it actually meant after the negotiations, he and Jennifer Aniston had to take a bit of a pay cut initially. Yeah. But then ultimately, I think it went up to $75,000 an episode. And I think they said towards the end, it was something like $1,000,000.
That's nuts. That's so good on him.
An episode each $1,000,000 but isn't that great that they stuck together and did that? He could have just stayed quiet and.
Yeah. Yeah, but. But but the other thing that happened is is syndication. So so as part of that deal, so every time a rerun is aired.
Yeah.
Of course.
They still get money, they still get. It's like, yeah, so so they won 2% of the show. Syndication profits, which doesn't sound like a lot, but actually adds up to $20 million a year each each. That's according to a publication called The Independent. So there you go, they and.
Wow. Imagine that.
It's just, you know, from humble beginnings, from a show that was almost cancelled, that didn't really resonate with me, but resonated with a lot of other people. And I just, I love the story behind the scenes of the cast stick.
Hmm.
Together and I think that was, I mean, even more so, you know, it was very sad obviously last year when Matthew Perry died and and seeing the reaction around the world from fans of the show with that, but also seeing the reaction of his castmates cause Matthew Perry had a really rough Rd, you know, and it's. Like addicted to prescription medication and just horrible, horrible outcome for him and also his castmates. But the fact that they all stuck together in the face of business and and and being.
Hmm.
Counters and the commercial network just pushing whatever agenda they had and then continuing to push their creative agenda, I think is wonderful. It's hatches, matches and dispatches time, and this is definitely someone that was hatched, although they weren't hatched in 2004, they were hatched a little bit before them. They're actually hatched in 1972, but they are having a birthday. A celebrity who said.
This he was singing a happy birthday song to. Now what? What was that old lady? 'S name again. I think it doesn't matter what her name was.
OK. What what?
Ohh if you smelled what the rock is cooking.
Lee. To be correct, but you need. To save it.
Ohh, the rock. Dwayne Douglas Johnson, Douglas DDG. Obviously better known by his ring name.
Douglas, I didn't know he's been lame with Douglas. Yeah. The rock.
The rock actor. Businessman future President, I'm calling it and professional.
I was gonna say, yeah, future president. Yeah. Ohio. Like, you know, I've I as as part of this, I did go back over some of the rocks promos and I don't know, actually. I mean, Trump was president, so anything could happen. I don't. I could imagine him doing something like this in a presidential address.
Oh.
Go back to see how. Who the hell you think you are? Huh. Who is the rock? Who is a rock? Oh, you should know who the rock is. You interrupt the rock. The rock will be the guy getting that ring. Tighten his shoes and whoop your ***.
After the.
Yes.
Well, maybe you don't remember you and the rock, Triple H and the rock. Well, the rock let the rock break it down for you. The rock the most. Be electrifying man in sports. And entertainment the rock. The rock grab a bull. Great one, peoples champ and ohh to say the least. The rock is something you're not undisputed champion, so shut up *****.
Ah.
Ohh, those were the days attitude. You're a rock.
Wow, that takes me back to yes, takes me back to Southern Cross Club on a Tuesday night free cappuccino, watching the rock, staying the Coles.
Yeah. My fellow Americans, finally the rock has come back to the White House.
No.
Could happen, could happen. I wouldn't be.
Could.
Surprised. Did you know that he was actually? Well, he started out as a college football player and was pretty good. He played for the University of Miami, won a national championship in the.
Sajid.
Early 90s and also played in the Canadian Football League.
Indeed. And then he decided wrestling was his thing, and obviously he went to the WWE and became one of the biggest stars on the planet, even before he got into acting. But he he was he. I mean, he's only part time in the WWE now, right? But he also owns or he's a shareholder, I should say. He's on the board of the company that has bought the. BWA and he's just come off the back of a massive storyline at WrestleMania with Roman Reigns as as he was part of the bloodline, or a member of the Blood.
Ah.
And we all know how that turned out. And if you didn't go back and watch it, it's I. I still maintain that.
So what's the bloodline? That's his gang.
That's all the wrestlers like that that are related to, like rikishi like so, Roman Reigns, and Haku.
So they're like part of the same.
Team. Yeah, they're also lots of Samoans in. In there, Umaga, you know, like, guys like that, that Russo brothers solo sakoa at the moment. Like, lots and lots of Samoan wrestlers there that are part of the bloodline.
Yeah.
Ohh yes yes.
And so Roman Reigns is the head of the table, but I think there's gonna be a storyline where the Rock tries to go to be head of the table. Rock is he's he's currently calling himself the final boss.
Oh.
The see. He's gonna run for president. The final boss. That's the biggest boss there is.
This is pretty cool. Well, he could. The final boss. Yeah. Yeah, he is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, I think. Like he's.
Has he?
Ever had a?
Really bad injury. I don't ever recall hearing about him having anything bad happened.
No. Not, not really.
Like his his, his body has held up pretty well for someone who's won so many championships.
Indeed, indeed. And I think, well, the attitude era was. More about promos and doing controversial skits and stuff right? Like, yeah, now they're trying to do more stunts and. Yeah, anyway, I think he's he's like he was when he came back, like, he's 50 something years old. Like when he came back at WrestleMania, he was in good shape. He did well. But he did eight years in the WWE before he became an actor, only eight years.
Show Boaty, wasn't it? Yeah.
That's surely it was longer than that. I think he started acting after eight years in the WWE. He's still there for a while. He's in the mummy, returns a little bit, and the Scorpion king, not great films. I mean, yeah. Some of the worst CGI you'll ever see in a film. Scorpion king. Really. Well, he didn't talk much.
Hmm yeah.
Was he the he was the.
Scorpion. He wasn't he? I didn't just watched him, I was just looking.
And that's one. So that's all you could do. The Tooth fairy, Hercules. Moana, where he sang.
You didn't need to. Didn't need to talk. Ohh, that was I loved that movie.
Yeah, some of the Jumanji movies. Yeah. He was in one called skyscraper. That was pretty bad. He was in another one called San Andreas, which was pretty bad. He's always in these acts.
Yeah, he's in a coup