Dreamgirls (2006)

Diana Ross once said "Is this fucking play about us?". Movie Club is back for Aidan's birthday episode and your favorite cohosts get into Dreamgirls (2006).

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Welcome back, No Takers. This is Aiden.

SPEAKER_03 0:16

And this is Noah Aaron.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

And I am the lead of the DreamEts. And if you couldn't tell by the title, we are getting into Dream Girls 2006. And for why? Because it's my birthday episode, and for that we do a trend where we just choose what we want to talk about for the episode. And you know what? We did a Broadway turn, you know, musical movie before with Bookin' for Good. And I had actually never seen Dream Girls, and I was just like, this is a figure. This is a part of Black Entertainment Television. And I need to watch it and put it on my podcast. So here we are. Right.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Well, and speaking of black entertainment television, um, I will be performing a number in the styling of one candice. Oh. No last no last name meet it. Y'all know who she is. No, close close to it.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Make sure you grab the red the nearest thing next to you that looks like a microphone.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Oh yeah, I'm a I have a massage gun right here.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Of course you have that, hey and d you know what.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Happy birthday to you. And feel obliged to say.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Wow. What a number, what a number. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:53

You're welcome. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

You really you really went deep into your vocal range with that one.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Exactly, and that's why that's why I'm Effie. Um, you're more like one of them niggas from newsies, but well, I'm not little Michael messing up my turns.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Leave that baby alone. Leave that baby alone. He's referencing throughout the movie, they would because this Moton, they would randomly signal this group that's obviously the Jackson 5, but had like a different name for copyright reasons. And there was this little boy in an afra as the front man. I was like, where did they find this boy? Those scenes definitely could have been left on the cutting room floor, but they they needed to give some excitement in the theater, I think.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

Right. Well, I'm sure like in the theater it was a moment, especially like you're you're like, oh my god, Michael.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Like when you're literally not exactly me. Oh, that's Michael singing and turning and shit.

SPEAKER_03 2:49

Right. So I I I I get it. And that that song sounded close enough to ABC. I'll be like, okay, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Right, no, it was upbeat, it was fun, it was something to listen to. But Dream Girls like a musical about the music industry, the entertainment industry with a black lines. And it's based on the 1981 Broadway show of the same name. So we follow this group, the Dreamettes. We got Effie, Dina, and Laurel, and they go from struggling girl group into a star act, and it pretty much tracks like the rise and fall of their careers, and everything that goes into it, you know, manipulative men, betrayal, colorism, womanhood, all of that set to the backdrop of the 60s and the 70s, which you can clearly tell by the outfits and the wigs, which do evolve with the times. Try it, and and and not with the time.

SPEAKER_03 3:37

Some of them 60s outfits were I like the 70s era more for the same. They they they definitely ate in the 70s. Well, and and you know, and it and it stays true to real life because I definitely uh I I I find 70s fashion much more appealing than 60s fashion.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Oh, for agreed. I agreed, agreed. Much more experimental and fun. Also, I love when like when musicals are just about like the music industry, the entertainment business. It just feels more natural for them bitches to be breaking out the song or like a lot of the songs are just like actual performances, so it feels better. Or in the street, don't they just be singing? Like some of that, like this has more of a natural fit because it's about the music industry.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Yeah. No, for sure. I I agree. I think it I I think um musicals like this, like you said, where there's like an excuse for them to be singing, um, or even like something like Wicked, which we just covered, where it's kind of like in this like fantasy, you know, Disney-esque looking land. Some kind of like it's the the random singing in public doesn't seem weird to me. Um Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

It seems like that that's what they do in Oz anyway, while they wait what while they wait a clock to right.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

It's more so, I think, when it's a musical set in modern day, not with any kind of like actual musical context, where it gets kind of a little bit you I feel like it's less immersive, you know, the singing and the numbers and everything. Um, so that it definitely had that working for it. Now what was funny is that going into this, I literally what like you you heard like like literally moments before we started the movie when I was like looking at the Wikipedia, um, is when I realized that this was not just like a straight uh biopic about the Supremes. Like I didn't realize they like I I literally I didn't realize that they actually went and like created a whole fictional cast based off of real people. So like so, so like I'm like, oh, I just thought Beyonce was playing Diana Ross, but no, she's playing Ms. Dina Jones.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Yeah, it's close enough. Dina to Diana is right as close as you could get. They were so shady with that one.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Right. One um one that makes me wonder is that. People say loosely inspired, but I don't know if it's loosely it's I mean, yeah, it seems pretty upfront, but also what I'm curious about is the difference between this and the stage play is like maybe like the reason why they had to like do that. I I don't I don't know because like if that was just like if that's just what they wanted to do from the start, or if they like did it because like there was some legal reason why they couldn't just do a biopic. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

I mean yeah, I think that just puts it into tougher territory because you gotta get le I mean, I'm sure they already have to have lawyers involved, but I don't think it's a chain, I think that's how the the original musical was. I think Diana Roth's pissed in the 80s.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

Well, it's just like because I mean I know like like even today, I mean like messy unauthorized uh biopics happen. But then I guess it never really looks good when you have to slap unauthorized biopic on something.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Right, but the Motown founder, Barry Gordon, and stars like Smokey Robinson to like speak out about the movie, so maybe they felt differently about the musical, but I mean the movie was also just you know bring it to a new light, a younger audience, a wider screen.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

But Diana Ross is reported to have hated the musical. And apparently they changed just enough to not pay her royalty.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

That's shady. That is so shady. But you know what? I mean, sorry, Diana, but art is art.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Is this fucking play about us?

SPEAKER_03 7:13

Yeah, but it's interesting because this has always been a movie that like I'm aware of. Um like I've always been aware I'm like, oh, Jennifer uh Hudson and Beyonce are in that movie and everything. And like I said, I thought I thought I was like, oh, it's just about the Supremes. Um, but I had never seen it until we decided to watch it for your birthday episode.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Period. It's always new to both of us. I know but you know, this was it released in 2006. I didn't realize it was released on Christmas Day 2006. Well, it's really like let's make this a moment. Let's let's take advantage of the Sol Box Office. But it makes sense. I feel like it was one of those black films that was like a moment. I remember the advertising. Because like everyone was in it. I know my parents went to see it, or at least my mom went to see it.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

Okay. I mean, yeah, the the the cast for this movie is like star is about as star-sided as you could get at the time. Because I mean, like and I mean, because I mean there was the main cast that you know, were all people that we knew, but then also like just a lot of just like just side and supporting characters, like little brief cameos and stuff. There were so many where I was like, like, oh my god, is that someone said like like there was a lot of parts where I was like a little shocked by that.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Like John Krasinski from The Office and Nicole Brown, like Drake and Josh community. They both have like very small roles. I don't even think they speak, but I was like, Oh, you you're in this stupid, do you want to say? Right. Well, um and it's funny because apparently a vet scene gets cut in like the main version. So she doesn't actually show up in the theatrical film, but we were watching you know in the streaming version. But because you know we had access to her.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

But when j when Juliel White had his little quick cameo mod, like I was like, uh, and then uh and uh he was another one.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

I was like, You win this?

SPEAKER_03 8:52

Well, I think then when Loretta Divine showed up, I was like, oh my god, it's Loretta fucking Divine.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Um she wasn't the original cast note.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

Yeah, and until outside until you mentioned it, I didn't know that she was a part of the Broadway show.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Yeah, I think she was the original Lorel.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

I feel bad for her.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Lorely Ralph and Jennifer Holliday. So again, three, you know, three amazing then, and even though now. Although Jennifer Hudson, I think, and Nikononi Rose has kind of platformed them to a higher level. Beyonce was Beyonce. But let's get into the main three girls. Yeah, we have Jennifer Hudson playing the role of Effie White. And at this time, Jennifer was known for winning American Idol. Did she win? She won, right?

SPEAKER_03 9:28

Yeah, I think she won American Idol. She won.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

You know, winning American Idol season three. No.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Well, she runner up. Honestly, her career trajectory gives runner-up rather than winner, because usually the runner-ups do better.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

No, she didn't she didn't win. No, Fantasia won that season. Then she got like fifth or sixth. I was like, because I saw season three. I was like, no, Fantasia won. Wow. She did not win, but she, you know, she captured America's heart. But she had no real major acting credit. So this was like a big breakout moment for her, but American Idol, then, as we may or may not know, was so big that she was a house, essentially a household name. Oh yeah. But just you know, struggling to make that post-idol transition. And after that, you know, she's done. She's she's had an e-got, she has her talk show. So not a lot of pop success, but I think she's in her lane.

unknown 10:10

Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

Beyonce, who 2006 was already fucking Beyonce. Not to mention the 19 years after that. I don't think we need to speak more on this one. Right.

SPEAKER_03 10:19

I think y'all know who Beyonce is for sure. And y'all know why she was y'all know why she was famous at this time.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Right, and then Anika Noli Rose played Laurel. She was mainly known for theater. So she had one of Tony at the point already, won this role. And afterwards, her most prolific role was as uh Tiana on The Princess and the Frog. So she voiced her. But also, I know her from like Power and The Good Wife. So she's she's been in a few things. She has a strong career, but she's more of a Broadway sweetheart than you know, Hollywood, Hollywood Maggie.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Mm-hmm. I get that. Not wearing their wigs. I guess now you mentioned it, yeah. A lot, a lot of the um a lot of the male talent in this movie, they were comedians. Um which I mean I guess like I I mean Eddie Murphy's character, um, Jimmy Early, he had some like comedic moments with the rest of them. They were playing a very serious, very serious.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Right? No. Well, I think Jamie Foxx, he's one of those people who like they're sneakily more talented than you think or expect. Right. I truly think he's all of it. Because I was surprised by his, you know, his his voice. I mean, I was the strongest vocalist, but enough that like him and Eddie Murphy both put a lot. Eddie Murphy a lot. I was like, oh wow, Eddie, I don't know you could do all this.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Yeah, no, Jamie Foxx is definitely um he's one of those he's one of those like stars and celebrities that I feel like has lived many lives, you know.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Right? Because he had the c he had in Living Color and then his own Players Club, the Players Club, then serious acting, but then he had his little RB career moment.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

I'm just saying, because I I I will I I will always, you know, I will always love his work in the players club.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

Not you and the players club.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

You know I you know I love that movie. You know I love that movie. I'd say I'm it's a good movie. Yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of people that we don't even recognize from Broadway that are still probably in here. What did he say in that movie? If I gotta raise this chair, it's gonna be Trevor!

SPEAKER_00 12:35

You're messy.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

Sorry. We'll get back to Dream Girls. We'll get we'll we'll get back to the to the Oscar bait movie.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Not the Oscar, I mean I don't know that's what they were saying in these interest meetings. Like, oh, this is your chance to get the Oscar. Oh, they definitely set out. I know Beyonce and Eddie Murphy thought they had the Oscars left, but what was that?

SPEAKER_03 12:54

They definitely set out to get some Oscars for this movie. And in some ways they succeeded, in some ways they didn't. But um yes, I felt like um I felt what I liked about the casting for this movie is that there was nobody that I felt was miscast. Like I felt like everybody brought at least like you know, some obviously I think were better than others, but I think everyone at least brought like an adequate level to the movie. And I think well, you know what I'm saying? Like no, like nobody stood out as like, ooh, like you know, they there's no like Miss Morble, like, uh huh. How you get this job? Right, there's nobody that stood out as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

We love Michelle Yao's acting, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Well, I think yeah, that thing there's I feel like there's nobody that you could like kind of really have that discourse about with this movie, and I felt like everybody was in their appropriate role, like there's nobody where it's like, ooh, I would have switched her and her, him and him, or whatever. Like, I felt like everybody was really well cast.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

No, I agree, and I would have thought about it that way, but it was so true. And I think Dream Girls did, I mean, some most of them were like already pretty established, but I think it did well for Anika and Noni Rose and clearly Jennifer Hudson.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right, what thing, yeah, because I mean I think um not Beyonce, I will maintain that her best work is an obsessed, but this is good too.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Um I agree, I agree. But I think she should lead it to comedic world, because I think Beyonce has quite funny, has some good comedic timing.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

Right? She did have some. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Just with Beyonce.

SPEAKER_03 14:29

I don't think she I don't think she is doing acting anymore, though, not anytime soon.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Well, I think she should give a comedy a try. Can you imagine Beyonce in a Rom car?

SPEAKER_03 14:40

I I actually can't imagine.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Like Beyonce can be like, I don't know, when she was on punk, it's like getting Beyonce out of her element is so funny. Like I would love to see her on like a Z-Way. I think she'd have so much fun on Z Way.

SPEAKER_03 14:50

What when they had her thing and she knocked over that big ass Christmas tree.

unknown 14:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

She was stressed. Ashley Kutcher had her stressed out. Um let's get into the music of it all. Obviously, so many songs, but I mean, and I am telling you, is clearly the centerpiece and that's the moment the moment of the movie, which I read that she did that in one take.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

No, she did that in one take.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Apparently, in one fucking take. It could be just movie marketing on the line, but I don't know. The way she was walking around and owning the environment. Because why did I see this is like while she is going in. And she's walking all over the stage. It's really like environmental, you know, camera shifting. She's taking her ass off. I'm at them. I would have cried in that either. But you know, I'm in the comfort of my home.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

She was putting her whole her whole Hadyssi in it.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

And apparently the crew, the crew was gagged and crying, which which I believe.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

I mean, it was a very it was a very like emotional song, and she delivered and I mean she delivered it with comes to conveying emotion in a piece.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

That is that's what Jennifer Odds are gonna do.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

Right. Well, and that's the thing, and that was definitely a moment where she was like fully the kick. Because I think sometimes, especially when people that are singers before they're actors, I think sometimes like they a lot of times like in the non-singing parts, they can like stay in character a little, but I feel like sometimes when they get into the parts where they're singing or performing a song, I feel like sometimes they struggle to like stay in character and they start to shift more into being like, oh no, it's just Jennifer Hudson. But I felt like what was impressive about that is that she did perform the song so well, but she stayed so in character. Like you didn't feel like you didn't feel like it was Jennifer Hudson performing this number, like you felt like it was Effie.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Yeah, because like we see all the trials and tribulations and bullshit leading up to this. We see all their gas light on Effie and you know, fucking her over. She said she's had enough, and this number is quite literally her having enough. We've seen it. Yeah, and I thought you're compelled to be on Effie's side, even if she makes it hard sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

But yeah, one I I think because when we were watching it, like because I remember because this is this is also like a two and a half hour movie, so it's a little bit longer. Um, but I remember we were watching it, like as she was performing it, I was like, this feels like the climax that we got we got a lot, we got a lot more movie to go.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

It it makes more it's a clear like transition point.

SPEAKER_03 17:15

One thing, and that's what I was gonna say, is it makes more sense too when I looked and found out that that's um that's like the that's usually like the last song or second to last song that they end act one with before the intermission to act two. So I'm like, oh, that makes a lot of sense then because it's it it's her damn defined gravity moment.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

It is. Oh, that m okay, that makes a lot of sense. But damn, that makes I'm like, damn, part two is probably might be kind of short, but again, that's very common in these musicals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:47

I mean, I feel like when Lisa Duff becomes her, that's how it kind of was. I feel like the first act was longer than the second act.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

I guess I guess we're just first act baddies. I don't know. I mean, also it's just like listen is just as good, but coming so it's not like immediately after, and I'm not telling you. But yeah, but it's just like you know, it's kind of in the precipice of it. When I feel like listen is a great song on its own, but after that.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

Well, and the thing is where I kind of gave Jennifer props for staying in character while performing, and I'm not going, like, listen, like I'm watching that, and you and I both agree, like, even though even the way she was dressed, like this is just fucking Beyonce.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Yeah, I will say Beyonce's she actually did a decent job as younger Dina conveying, like, you know, the Angene kind of spirit.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

Being younger because she she literally was an Anjou at the time, she was an annual at the time.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Yeah, like there's being young and a little bit naive, and just like, oh, what's the industry like? But the later years with like the 70s and they're like established performers, she's on top, you know, married to Jamie Foxx character. It's just like, oh, that's just Beyonce. Yeah. You don't know how to take this part, this part of the role, but it's okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

Yeah, no, definitely that's the thing. Listen, I feel like it's just as it's just it's like the it's as it's just as good of a song quality-wise, I think. But just it in terms of the performance of like watching it in this movie, it definitely it wasn't it wasn't as immersive as a number for me because it it real like you said, it really did just feel like something that would have just been on on a Beyonce album at the time.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Yeah, that's the thing. I always forget it's from listen. It was a movie original from this, because it's just like such a Quintus song of her. I mean, it's not like her most iconic song, but it's a part of her discography people know. It's heavily covered and karaoke.

SPEAKER_03 19:35

Well, and like you were saying, it was her original song, it was her girl in the bubble moment, it was her original song moment. It was, it was.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

But that's how you do it. But maybe Ariana wanted to create some distance and you know, leave it for the movie, which is also a smart choice. And I can see Ariana as a theater baby making.

SPEAKER_03 19:50

Right. Well, and I think Ariana's Girl in the Bubble, it's not as it's not as entertaining or really as Listen, like he doesn't really get you the hyped up the same way. Although I guess it's not, I mean it's like a little sad ballad, so I guess it's not really supposed to. But I mean, I guess listen's also kind of a sad ballad.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Uh so But Listen has a little up temper moment, you know. Yeah, like up temper, but you know, it increases in something.

SPEAKER_03 20:17

Yeah. But I also feel like Girl in the Bubble feels like a Glinda song and not like an Ariana song.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

That's true, that's true, which is important. Yeah. I'm sure they wanted to make it an Ariana song the way they wanted to make everything RB. You know what? That's one moment I think she should have listened to that. Why don't I I don't know a little a little RB number would not have been that win in the movie.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

That would have been crazy. It would have gotten worse reviews than it already did.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

So she wanted to try to get a number one. I argued a little Oscar play off of it. But I think she's already getting all the Oscar buzz.

SPEAKER_03 20:54

But I mean, luck, she I mean, look, a award season, I think, kind of just started with what was it, the fucking Critics Choice Awards, and they're already nomining Ariana and Snuffy Cynthia, so it might work for her.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

I can't give any insight because I've never seen Dream Girls the musical. Right. I can't give any insight to whether or not listen was needed, but I I felt it was a good way to, you know, to kind of have like the Dina turning point of it all.

SPEAKER_03 21:20

Right. I feel like if anything. Now that sounds shady, but I'm gonna say with with Beyoncé's more limited acting abilities, I feel like having that major shift in character. I I feel like using a song for that major shift in her character rather than you know just a scene acting, like a little moment of acting. Maybe that was a good choice.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Shout out to the director. Shout out to the director.

SPEAKER_03 21:45

I just don't want the band.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Bill Brandon. He directed Chicago, the movie musical, so he loves the movie musical. Oh, so he's good at that. He also did the Twilight Breaking Dawn movies, part one and part two. Uh oh. As well as that Beauty and the Beast reboot with Emma Watson.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

Okay, so he. He he's got some variety. He he likes to mix it up and dip it into it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

But I don't I think that Beauty and the Beast was a musical, so he likes these musical movies.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

Well, I I I love a director though with like kind of a very diverse work because like because some directors you see on I'm like, oh, you just make the same shit over and over again.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

You stick to your lane.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yeah, so I I I like that. I like I like a little range with directors. Um but what so I I'm guessing I'm guessing, and I'm telling you I'm not going was your favorite song from the song from the I'm I'm I mean how how could it not be? Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

I mean I mean I don't know. I'm saying heavy, heavy I've been saying that all since we watched this damn movie, so I don't know. That's been like my vocal stem lately, but I think it's the greatest performance in the song. I think it might be the greatest performance in fucking movie musicals. I mean, the fine gravity's up there. We we might have to have Cynthia and Jennifer Hudson sing off.

SPEAKER_03 23:04

Okay, versus we're bringing verses back.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

We might be, we might be. But I don't know. I I did also enjoy um heavy and then you know I like the disco version of One Night Only. Not that it's better. Effie's had soul and emotion. And uh like we said, that's what Effie was great at. But you went about the club shaking ass. Yeah, if you want to shake something, you dance the one not only by Dina.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Well, I I think I agree. I really liked obviously that I'm telling you, I'm not going. Um, I really I realized we are dream girls. Um I I I liked the original Cadillac car song before the white people took it.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

We were so confused we went to the I mean, what is this Hipadoolo looking shit on our screen?

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Because I'm crying looking at the at the soundtrack listing because it it because it the they're obviously writings for them because they were immediately after, and you have one Cadillac Car, James, James Thunder Early in the Dreamettes, and then immediately after Cadillac Car reprise Dave and the Sweethearts. I'm like Dave and the Sweethearts. Um but um I liked that one. I really liked um I really liked Effie's I Am Changing number when she was kind of trying to get her solo career back on, and we kind of saw this evolution of her. I liked that a lot too.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

That was good. Well, I mean, I liked how they sang it, but that little number where they're all get they all fucking gaslighted um Effie in a four-part harmony.

SPEAKER_03 24:41

Right. Well, we well pissed me the fuck off. Was that family? We that was no, that was it's all over. Oh um, well, I mean, we we remember that number from Glee. Because they were gaslighting Mercedes Jones, too. They were gaslighting Mercedes Jones.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

They wanted to make Mercedes Lazy so bad, but then give my sis songs about. But since we're bringing up Mercedes Jones, Amber Riley also, when she did I Am Telling Telling You On Glee, also did it in one take.

SPEAKER_03 25:12

Oh, that's iconic.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

And everyone was crying and whatnot as well. So as I said, if you perform that song, if you don't do it in one take, it's not making the final edit. Because you gotta do it in one take. Well, I won't if you can't do it in one take, don't do the song.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

Well, I'd I'd say um well I know because I was telling I was telling you uh during the movie that I it made me think of my my my good friend, not really my good friend, she she didn't know me, but Chi Chi Devane, who passed away sadly. But um from from RuPaul's Drag Race, who she ate she ate her lip sync of this fucking song. Oh my god, it was so good.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Well how long do I watch that?

SPEAKER_03 25:52

I'm thinking it was it was such a good lip sync, it was like iconic. I I'm pretty I'm pretty sure people on the judging panel were crying.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Oh damn crying out of lipstick, you must you must have been doing it. It was doing it.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

It it was good, it was really good. So this is this is just a very blessed and anointed number, I think.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

It it is but you you have to be uh you have to do it. You have to go right you have to be. And I think because of that, it maybe it like intimidates people from doing like mediocre performances of it.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

Oh yeah. Well, because that's the thing is, yeah, because I mean some of the the the the performances out there of it are so great, it's like it's it's uh it's a scary thing to take on.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Well, I don't think it's hard as like this is this is for the real singers. I'm also sure it's like technically hard. I'm not a vocalist, I don't know anything about that. I mean, I would think feel free to email us, leave a comment in the little Spotify section, but uh it it seems technically demanding. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 26:42

Well, I feel like it's one of those songs where you have to also be able to put in the emotion because I feel like you can sing it, like I feel like you can be a great singer, you can hit the notes, you can do all the things you're supposed to do. But I feel like this is a song that requires a certain level of emotion if you're gonna perform it well.

SPEAKER_00 26:57

You have to feel like you know, unappreciated like you're pushed to the side. Well, I'd like what you're not that bitch, but you're singing like I am that bitch, and you and you and you are gonna love me.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

What did Latrice say before her lip sing with Kenya Michael? She said, You have to feel these words and know where they're coming from. Oh Kenya Michaels did not do that. She just felt her pussy head the stage when she did a jump and split.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

Well, one last note on the music the fact that her brother was writing have they, have they feel bad? He feel bad.

SPEAKER_03 27:33

Oh, Cece ain't shit. We're we're gonna talk about him. Not devil. But he's devilish. He's devilish.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

I mean, we can get into it now. It's like the character arcs of it all. Who did you like, who didn't you like? I mean who were we feeling, who weren't we feeling.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

It's hard because honestly, like it kind of feels like besides Effie, everyone else is villains. Like, that's kind of well, uh I wouldn't call Laurella villa.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Lorel. I think it's hard to convey because of the actresses being older, but like they're supposed to be so young in the beginning. They're supposed to be like 18, 16, 15. That's true, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:10

They're supposed to be they're supposed to be kids.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

So like I think we're supposed to feel like because I do by the end, I feel like, oh, these girls got the industry put them through it overall. So I do I I don't know why Diana Ross was so mad. Like, yeah, Dina was an opportunist, but like we're a little sympathetic. But I don't know, I think playing Beyonce, playing her, is also just like builds in some fan support and rapport. So I don't like I I'm gonna sit here and admit, I don't know if I'd feel the same way if it was fucking I don't even know who was up for the role. Somebody I can look up, but I'm trying to think of like a light skinned from 2000 who would, you know, be maybe some Broadway, maybe, but I'll just go with Ashanti. It's not like uh, you know, actually if it was Ashanti, I would support her. Carrie Hilson? I don't know. Either way, if it was somebody else, I would, you know.

SPEAKER_03 28:56

I might not feel as much sympathy for that. How would you have felt that it was Gabrielle Yunion? Um, can she sing? No, but she can be a bitch.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

She's not light skinned though. Wow, I guess that's important to the plot. I guess that was I guess that was part of it, huh? Well, maybe your white ass ain't pick up on it.

SPEAKER_03 29:24

Well, maybe maybe she was lighter in 2006. I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

But you know, yeah, I know I think in the end I felt, you know, some reverence for the girls. Yeah. Most of the men be evil. I guess CT's not supposed to be evil, but I'm not over him for writing heavy and fucking with the replacement bitch.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

I mean, yeah, I mean of the kind of like main focus, the men that are the main focus, because um, there's others like um like Danny Clover.

SPEAKER_00 29:51

Curtis is evil, but he's supposed to be evil.

SPEAKER_03 29:53

One thing, like Danny Clover's character, the original man uh manager, I think his name was Marty. He um because then he was replaced by Curtis by Jimmy, but he I mean he was never really evil, but he also wasn't one of the main focus. Mainly the the the men that were the main focus were were Jimmy Early, Curtis, and Cece. And yeah, Jimmy kind of just was a Jimmy was kind of just a coke head that died. Um and then Cece was treacherous as hell to to his own sister, and Curtis was just the devil.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

So I mean apparently Jamie Foxx went back with that nah, make him more evil.

SPEAKER_03 30:29

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Which is you know, I was like, you know, that was a good creative choice. Maybe Jamie Foxx.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

I I think it I definitely think him kind of being like the like the the villain, so to speak, in the movie, I think it helped with a lot of the narratives. I think it helped kind of keep a lot of the things moving because I mean ultimately if it weren't for him, I mean, there wouldn't even really be the conflict amongst the girls in the first place. Because I because even when um even when he originally wanted to kind of move Dina front and center, like she was like the first one to be like, I can't sing like her. Um like like you know, without him to push it, like the none of these conflicts would have existed in the first place. So I feel like his character definitely served like his purpose for the story.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Oh, for sure. And even him going after Effie was just like, oh, oh, you're the leader, you'll get these other girls online.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Like it was all kind of manipulative, and they were all kind of slimy men with these younger girls for the most part. Yeah. Although I I I I told you yesterday I'm I'm very impartial to James Early. Oh, sorry. I liked me some James Early. I thought he was funny as hell. Like, he was just trying to make, he was just trying to have his moment, you know. Keep his career going. He could have kept the powder down, he didn't need to make the Laurel a side chick for eight years, but she stayed for eight years. Right. He lost and his performance was lit. That was one of my favorite performances. He was getting it until he put his pants down.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Yeah, no, I mean he gave him a great last performance. Well, I remember because like afterwards, when everybody left him out, you and I were sitting there watching, I was like, I was like, oh god, is he gonna die? And then next thing you know, body bash.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

And I was like, oh shit.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

Well, you you did call it because we had a little fate in the black, and then we had one other scene, then it was just like, oh he oh, he did. I was like, Oh, we see Laurel sobbing like the side, bitch. She couldn't even go to the funeral. I thought so that if they like I mean, I see why the wife didn't let her go to the funeral. Oh, I wouldn't know. She's a dream match. She should have made a scene.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

If I were the wife, absolutely not, bitch. Like, I'm gonna have security there ready to taste you if you try to come in.

SPEAKER_00 32:30

Yeah, add Jimmy Gotsoul to one of my favorite to my favorite performance lists. Add Jimmy Gotsoul.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

Nothing, yeah. He he was iconic for that. And Eddie Murphy, I mean, like I like I think he I think he did a good job, but also like it's har it's kind of hard to say, because on one hand, I feel like most of his role was comedic, so it kind of just felt like a typical Eddie Murphy role. Um but I mean he did he did well as far as like the dancing and singing goes. And I know that he does have like a he does have a history with music. Like he's done a few songs and stuff like that in his day. Um so he had the ability, and then also like he, you know, he could pull it together during those more like serious emotional moments where um you know we gotta act using the eyes and whatnot.

SPEAKER_00 33:21

Oh she do she do he do got that. No, I was impressed with him in the performance. Yeah although I do feel like how he thought he probably had it in the bag with all the singing and dancing and like it being kind of different from what it usually does, but still, you know, a little comedic in nature. Still played with stress. It was a good casting, he was cast right.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

Yeah, yeah, and I wasn't and I think it's not really his fault just because he's met Addie Murphy, but kind of like Beyonce throughout the movie, like I was still like, oh, it's Addie Murphy.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

I did not feel that as much with him, actually.

SPEAKER_03 33:52

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 33:53

Yeah. But I also feel like he wasn't in it that much, like I don't know. Sometimes he was just like in the scene.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

Right, he wasn't as much in your face as Beyonce was. Uh I don't know. I'm not saying there was just a there was a few times where I was just I was just waiting for Grace Jones to walk out and tell him that he's gonna eat this pussy or whatever she said in the in that movie.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

I wanted Laurel to get up, but I'm glad she got her little moment talking about Laurel and Jamie are done. I was like, okay, Lorraine.

SPEAKER_03 34:28

And then he dies, and now you gotta feel that about it.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

And you can't go to the funeral. She played her part. She played her part.

SPEAKER_03 34:37

Um and then just I feel like even just like the side characters and actors and stuff, like the people that made camps, like they were all like acting, honey. Like, I forget I didn't really feel like anybody was like just phoning it in or just there to collect their check and leave.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

No, no, no, it uh there was definitely a high bar on that set. People people wanted to this to do well.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

Yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

Um everyone everyone was given it. Alright, do we do we want to get to awards or do we want to get to like behind the scenes tea and gossip?

SPEAKER_03 35:07

Let's get to the awards and then we'll get to the behind-the-scenes tea and gossip.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

Okay, let's get into some of the critical reception of it all. Yeah, yeah. Cinema score of an A, 79% on Robert and Tomato, 76% on Metacritic.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

So I mean, I don't I don't know the averages, but that seems pretty strong overall, especially for like a musical, especially for a movie that's like, you know, black. So shout out to them.

SPEAKER_03 35:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00 35:29

When I saw New York Times call praised the spectacle of performances, called Jennifer Hudson the movies Heart and Thunder. Yeah, a lot of the strong reviews are just about Jennifer Hudson's amazing. Yeah, well, I think it's one of those things. And like it speaks to the talent. Yeah, a lot of which makes sense. Like the talent does a lot to the story, but like there wasn't Muck they could change from like the book of the original musical.

SPEAKER_03 35:52

Yeah, no, I agree. And I think that um and I think that it makes sense that Jennifer would be the standout because even though there like are portions of the movie where she kind of disappears, like where she's kind of like Effie's kind of you know off doing whatever, um, when she comes back, I mean she like just take like she just takes over every scene she's in, every number she's in. You know, like you literally cannot take your eyes off of her.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Oh, for sure. Which I think that's a good point you bring up at Effie disappearing. Sometimes we felt like so disjointed. Like I think they had a lot of ground and years to cover. Right. I think the pacing was good at first when they're just talking about the rise. But once they're already famous, it's a it's a lot to follow, a lot's going on. Yeah, a little cutscenes back and forth between songs, which I think was you know a good way to like, you know, change the medium up a little bit. But it just felt very frenetic sometimes. I'm just like it could have been more cohesive.

SPEAKER_03 36:48

No, I I get that, I get that. And um, and I think I think what I think what it comes down to is the movie, I think the movie was good enough to to warrant even if there were performances that weren't like as strong as like they didn't have to all be come in as strong as her. I felt like as long as they all kind of brought like I like I said earlier, an adequate performance, um it would do fine. And I saw that apparently I was reading that apparently um uh Paramount, they started like they started an awards campaign for Dream Girls, like while the before the movie was released, like while it was still in production.

SPEAKER_00 37:27

They were uh Well, I mean that makes sense because it came out like December later on, and like that's a little later.

SPEAKER_03 37:33

Yeah, like they were doing like they were doing all these early screenings at at film festivals, and they were um oh they were going for it. Yeah, they like they were really trying to do their best as they could, and because they they were like we said earlier, they wanted the damn Oscars. And I think um what I also saw was this this was kind of interesting to me, was following the success of the of the Kane screening, Dreamworks and Paramount began a widespread for your consideration advertisement campaign, raising several eyebrows by demoting Jennifer Hudson to consideration for best supporting actress and presenting Beyonce Knowles as the sole best actress candidate, as opposed to having both compete for best actress awards.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

I think that was one of them strategic. You know, when they're like, oh, you should put her in the lower category because it's you know it's a little more competitive, less competitive. Well, it's like Ariana and Sandy. I think there were some heavy hitters in that year. Let me let me look it up.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

What I've noticed. I've just noticed that sometimes it seems like they don't want multiple people, multiple of their stars from the movie to compete in the same categories.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Oh, for sure. Like this is why why would you set yourself up?

SPEAKER_03 38:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Beit her that year, best actress, Helen Miren, Penelope Cruz, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslow. I'm not putting Jennifer Hutton against them either.

SPEAKER_03 38:49

Beyonce's Beyonce, I'd be able to be like, uh oh.

SPEAKER_00 38:53

Meanwhile, all Jennifer Hunt's biggest competition was Abigail Breslin's little ass at the time. Little Miss Sunshine. And I told you I think they made the right call. I told the right call.

SPEAKER_03 39:03

I told you before that if if I lost if I lost to Little Miss Sunshine, I'd be crashing the fuck out.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

Poor Abigail Breslin, that was her little career peak. Although I left whatever Chanel number she was.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

Yeah. When what was I also saw that um that Dream Girls led, I believe they led with the most nominations that year at the Academy Awards because they had eight nominations. Um exactly.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

Yeah, they had three of best original song nominations alone.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Right. But what I saw was interesting though is that um it said that it was the first film in Academy Award history to receive the highest number of nominations for the year, but not be nominated for Best Picture. Um and they didn't get nominated for Best Picture or Best Director.

SPEAKER_00 39:49

Oh, that is weird. They they should have at least gotten a nomination for Best Picture, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:55

Um, but obviously Jennifer did end up getting her her best supporting actress role, and I think they won. I think the uh because they won the other Oscar was like for sound mixing or something. But I'm kind of surprised they didn't win more, to be honest, but maybe it really was just a super competitive year.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

Apparently, Eddie Murphy was real pissed. He did not, he did not get it.

SPEAKER_03 40:18

Well, sorry, Eddie.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

There was reports that he at least there was a gossip rumor that he had left afterwards, but I'm not sure that.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

Not so happy, Eddie. Not so happy, Eddie.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Not not so happy, Eddie. You know, I I I feel bad. Oh, he he lost to Alan Ark in a little missed sunshine. They loved a little miss sunshine, huh?

SPEAKER_03 40:38

I've never seen that movie.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

I think I saw it when it was like they would put it on stream, like you know, them little movie channels like stars or whatnot. At some point I'd seen it. But you know, not with an adult lens. I think I was still young, so maybe I should revisit it.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

Right? Was it really that good? Was it really that good?

SPEAKER_00 40:53

Well, I'm a fat child too. Where's my where's my movie? That's how I felt.

SPEAKER_03 40:57

Where's my fucking Oscar? Where's my Oscar nomination?

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Abigail did it win. Abigail did it win.

SPEAKER_03 41:03

And she still have an Oscar.

SPEAKER_00 41:06

For the best song written for motion picture on television.

SPEAKER_03 41:12

She went from an Oscar piece to just to Scream Queens. Ain't that something?

SPEAKER_00 41:19

Well Damn, Beyonce couldn't even win the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

I guess not, I guess not, I guess not.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

Someone should have thrown her a ball for acting. She didn't get the Golden Globe. Oh Beyonce. But you know, the movie was overall very well received, lots of awards. Jennifer Elton ran it up, she got a SAG award. She has an Egon now, I think she won a BAFTA.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

Award season sweep. We love to see it.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

But do you do you think um Beyonce's performance didn't get her that major nomination? Do you think they made the right decision? At least putting her for best, or like to have tried her for supporting. Do you think she would have at least got a nomination?

SPEAKER_03 42:09

I think I think she would yeah, I think she would have had a better chance in supporting, but I like I think she could have gotten the nomination. I don't think she was gonna win though, because I I feel like it's well I feel like she wasn't beat in Meryl Streep or Kate all the powerhouses. I just feel and also I feel like the thing is like A, like her performance was good. Like she didn't do a bad job by any means, but it like wasn't like amazing, and I feel like I feel like a lot of times, especially when you're a very well-established like pop star, like you're a well-established like musician coming into the acting world. I feel like a lot of times if you want to kind of get that the critical acclaim and you want to get the accolades and everything from the film industry, because I feel like oftentimes you're kind of coming over a barrier in the sense that like they don't necessarily want you there. Um, because they kind of it's it's kind of like you're someone coming in on someone else's turf, you know. Like you're coming like still in the entertainment industry, but a different part of it. So I feel like when you're coming in in that regard, you kind of have to like really like blow them away. Like you have to give them something like, you know, Lady Gaga in a star is born, where like she had this like huge breakout moment, or you have to give the you have to give them Ariana and Wicked, like where you completely transform and everything.

SPEAKER_00 43:25

Like you have to like really give- I even feel like Ariana struggled with it. I was gonna I'd say.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

Really? I thought she I thought she really I mean, I feel like a s I feel like I mean part of it is because that girl is so good at like switching up her entire identity. I felt like she did a good job becoming becoming Glinda.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

That's true. But still, I don't know. I don't it didn't feel as drastic as Gaga 'cause that's that's all that's all the bitch we do and she has identity issues. Right. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 43:49

Well I'm saying, yeah, no, Gaga.

SPEAKER_00 43:50

It didn't feel as like I don't know, it didn't feel Oscar level of a transformation or a shift from who I was.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

I get that. I do think it was stronger than Beyonce.

SPEAKER_03 44:00

Say Beyonce.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Um Yeah, I think that's the thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:06

I think that like I think Beyonce did fine. And like may I feel like maybe if she if you if you took out like the music aspect and she was like an up and coming like actress and this was like her big break or whatnot, like I could see her faring better in award season, but I think just because of who she was and the way she was coming into it, I think she would have had to give something significantly better in order to like really like secure all those prestigious awards.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Right. Also, I do wonder how she feels about her acting. It's like she clearly has the work ethic to do whatever. I wonder if she thinks like, oh, I can still go for it. She's like, it's over it now.

SPEAKER_03 44:44

I think she's kind of like I think she's in a similar lane as like I think she's in a similar lane as some of these other like singers that tried acting and it didn't really work out, where she's probably like, she probably doesn't mind the fact that she did it. Like I'm sure she and I'm sure she's proud of things like like Dream Girls, especially. I'm sure she's proud of that.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Um especially then that was like a big they were always trying to make everyone like a triple thread.

SPEAKER_03 45:07

Right. Well I'd say so. I think I think I don't think she like has an issue with her acting career, but I think she also understands like, oh, you know, it just wasn't it just wasn't like it wasn't really my thing. Like I'm I'm significantly greater in music than I am at that. And I'm sure she's fine with that.

SPEAKER_00 45:23

Oh, for sure. Well, especially because I would love for her to have like a random pop-up and like I said, caught this is just something.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

Well, especially because I think at that time she was more of just like your like regular, like insanely talented, but more so like your regular pop star, so to speak. But like nowadays, like she's really transcended above that to where she is kind of like this like icon and she's like a one of the legends and everything in music. And once she's like doing stuff, because I mean, you know, we we she had she had her country album, and apparently now she's like doing like a rock album allegedly next. And so she's like doing all this genre switching, and she's done like these freaking full like films as like as studio albums and everything. So I mean she's like gone to such another level now that I'm sure she doesn't care about like that kind of shit.

SPEAKER_00 46:08

That's true. But that's that's them on the awards.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

I do think I do some of the I was gonna say I do think that old home Madonna is bitter as hell that it never worked for her as an actress.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

And that's why she was putting them girls through hell for them biopic auditions, and then that shit still never happened.

SPEAKER_03 46:28

One thing, and she and she and she was mad as hell when Lady Gaga got uh all that Oscar buds. She didn't get Oscar buds for a Vita.

SPEAKER_00 46:38

Well, apparently the Madonna biopic is happening, but a work in progress, according to Julia Garner. So we'll see when this shit happens.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

Julia Garner's always saying something. But anyway.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

Well, she's always in projects, Noah. She's always on press.

SPEAKER_03 46:53

She is always in projects. She stays back. I I mean obviously I liked her in weapons, but I also liked her in that in that werewolf movie. That was good.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

Well, I never saw that, but I liked her as Anna Delphi.

SPEAKER_03 47:03

Oh, she was great as Anadelphy.

SPEAKER_00 47:06

I'm gonna like her as Madonna. I think she could act.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

I never watched that show Ozark she was in, but everyone says it's good.

SPEAKER_00 47:13

Yeah, no, everyone says everyone says that too. After I after I watched Inventing Anna, I almost watched it because of her.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 47:26

Oh, yeah. Beyonce reportedly lost 20 pounds for the Dina Jones era, saying she wanted the visual transformation to marry Diana Ross's evolution.

SPEAKER_03 47:38

And she gave it to Jennifer.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

She also mentioned I love to just eat and gain 20 pounds to be effy, but I like my role. That was shady as hell.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

And if no Jennifer, I would have met her outside for this. Oh wow, she just got that ability.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

I mean, yeah, I mean, and there were some talented people going for the role. So I like looked it up and a bunch of vocalists. We have Jennifer Hudson, of course, Petina Miller, who I don't know if you know her, Noah, but she's another Broadway baby. I don't know her. She traditioned to TV, so she's done Power, she's done um Madam Secretary. But I like her to her all of her projects. I don't know if she was in Broadway to add to watch these things, but she has a great voice. Raven Simone was considered and was auditioning.

SPEAKER_03 48:29

Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 48:29

Even though she was literally playing that Sol Raven at the same time. Which I would have been interesting.

SPEAKER_03 48:33

I don't know if she has I mean she definitely has the acting, and like I I could kind of see it, but I mean I guess she would have been I guess she would have been age appropriate since these girls were so damn young, but I guess she she would have looked so damn young compared to the other girls if they cast the rest of them.

SPEAKER_00 48:46

That's true. Kelly Price, who I think could have fit for Effie. Like you see what they were going for, like a fuller figured black woman. Since you called me a fat ass Kelly Price. And then Fantasia Marita was actually who Jamie Focker kind of selected and picked before Jennifer Hudson showed up and you know took it. But you know, but Fantasia won American Idol, Jennifer got this.

SPEAKER_03 49:10

Well um and I I I love Fantasia, but I just feel like if she was in this role like well, I mean I feel like A, obviously Fantasia should play Dina if we're talking about stealing men, but um but also Now why you say that but also I feel but also I feel like um with Fantasia if she was playing I think it would have been a lot of you know you know what you know But even Fantasia herself said I can't even be mad that role was for Jennifer Hudson.

SPEAKER_00 49:44

I think I was meant to win American Idol, I feel like Jay was meant to play that he role, which I think is true. I like that I was meant to win American Idol And then for um the role of Cece, this was interesting. Um um Effie's brother. Usher was contacted. Usher but apparently he couldn't commit to the year it would take the film like to do the whole film. And Omarion was also briefly considered for the role. So then they were they were getting anybody black if they with an A. I kinda love this.

SPEAKER_03 50:18

Well, I mean I guess it I guess it makes sense because Usher for Cece, because cle clearly, I mean based on who we got as well, clearly they wanted like they wanted someone like a real pretty boy to be Ush to be not be Us to be C C.

SPEAKER_00 50:30

I mean it makes sense. I think C supposed to be cute, a little handsome, because C Robinson is cute.

SPEAKER_03 50:34

Right. Even if Cece was pissing me up.

SPEAKER_00 50:37

I don't think there were any backups for Dina because when I look into like what they say on Dina, uh uh apparently like well one, it's just funny, Beyonce wanted the role so bad that when she auditioned, she arrived in costume with the choir graph dance steps. Very on brand for Beyonce. Yeah. But for this iteration of the movie, I don't see anyone else that was considered, which makes me believe that they were just like Beyonce as Dina, which makes a lot of sense from a marketing perspective. But there were other apparently this movie wasn't like development hell. I was, you know, people were trying to make it happen for a while. So previous iterations, so not this specific movie, but previous considerations for Dina were Whitney Houston, Lauren Hill, and Jasmine Guy. Which is so crazy because they're all like kind of iconic.

SPEAKER_03 51:18

Right. You know what I'm saying? I love Jasmine Guy.

SPEAKER_00 51:22

I love her face.

SPEAKER_03 51:24

I love her face.

SPEAKER_00 51:27

I do love her face.

SPEAKER_03 51:29

Um but you knew who she was. What Whitney would have been good. She would have had the she would have had the vocal chops. I feel like Whitney can what Whitney can act. Um I mean, and even like in her early days, she she loves singing side bitch music.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

Not side bitch music. I bet she definitely would have put herself into the role.

SPEAKER_03 51:48

Yeah. No, I I would have trusted Whitney with it. I would have trusted Whitney with it.

SPEAKER_00 51:53

But I I don't know. Apparently that was one of the earlier iterations. I do wonder who all would have been in like if they did it in like 1998 or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 52:01

Right, I do have it in it. I do love those things like when a movie is kind of like in developmental health for a really long time and you hear all these different things and it finally does come out, but you hear all these like past things of like who the cast originally was supposed to be. And I I do love like looking at those and thinking, like, oh what if like um what what what if what if Lady Gaga had played Alphabet in 2016? What if?

SPEAKER_00 52:21

That's a little crazy, but I guess that was what was gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 52:24

I guess that's what was gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

Damn, who's gonna be Glinda?

SPEAKER_03 52:27

I don't know, some bitch.

SPEAKER_00 52:29

Probably Amanda Seafred, probably some Broadway bitch. But also a change that apparently came from the Broadway movie was Dina got a stronger point of view, which makes sense if you're you know casting Beyonce. Right. Which makes sense that's why Listen was added.

SPEAKER_03 52:43

Right. Well I think they definitely they they didn't want they did not want you to hate Dina, that's for sure. Like even though she was kind of like in all this shit, they didn't want you to hate her. They wanted you to feel like she was kind of manipulated by Curtis and then saw the light later.

SPEAKER_00 53:01

Exactly. And that's opportunistic. So it's maybe Diana Ross likes this version a little better.

SPEAKER_03 53:07

Oh Diana. Oh Diana. Do um do you do you think her daughter went and saw the movie?

SPEAKER_00 53:17

Um I think Tracy saw. I think Tracy saw it. But Dream Girls is returning to Broadway fall 2026. So are you gonna return to New York to see it with me?

SPEAKER_03 53:27

I I might have to, because you can have to see this in the theater. But it it if if you if you cry, if you start crying during and and I'm telling you, I'm gonna smack you on the shoulder.

SPEAKER_00 53:35

Well, if if Amber Riley's doing it, who did the London version, I might cry, bitch. I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what to tell you. I I I I don't deal with tears in public, I don't deal with tears in public.

SPEAKER_03 53:46

Even when Amber Riley's thinking, bitch, that's not fair. That's not fair. I'm not tolerating, I'm not tolerating or I might just piss you off being like, I might just start clapping like Giselle, tears, tears, tears.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

They're gonna remove you from the theater, bitch.

SPEAKER_03 54:00

Not Amber Riley stopping to say, like, get the bitch out of here. They're talking to you. Oh, I I I might cry if Amber Riley. Get Cherries out. Get Cherries out. I I might actually cry if Amber Riley's stopping point. That means I can get that bitch out. And I would get up from my owsey to let you leave. Oh, at that point, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna tussle with you in the eye at that point.

SPEAKER_00 54:27

It's gonna be a whole thing now, and then we're both gonna get removed. There's no song during Dream Girl that should make you act like this. Like, can you imagine a video of Actually, I don't know. I I think heavy and the the gaslighting song might make me fight.

SPEAKER_03 54:43

Can you imagine can you imagine a video of some bitches fighting in the aisle in a in a Broadway show while you hear well you could just hear you could just hear Amber Riley in the background singing and I'm not telling you?

SPEAKER_00 54:53

I'm not telling you. Well these bitches are fighting. I was like, is that your manager? Do they have you in a strict management contract?

SPEAKER_03 55:04

Oh my god. Um well no, that that that's that's fabulous that it's coming back to Broadway. I would definitely if if the stars aligned, I would definitely go see it.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

Right, and I'm definitely gonna see it. I'm gonna try to go in one of them showings in the first month.

SPEAKER_03 55:18

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 55:19

You can see it one of them annoying like one of them annoying Broadway stands. Okay, okay, theater gay. Okay, theater gay. Right, like a theater gay. Like one of those theater gays who've seen O'Mary five times. I think I'm the one gay who hasn't seen O'Mary at this point. I need to go fucking see it. The one New York gay who hasn't seen it at last.

SPEAKER_03 55:37

Well, it's funny. When I think of theater gays, I actually immediately immediately think of Rosie O'Donnell because she she's a big Broadway fan. Okay, Rosie. I I think of her talking about I I just remember a couple of her talking about I think she was talking to Andy Cone was gay. Um they were talking about they were talking about some Broadway show called Hello Dolly or something, and she and she and she's like, I've seen that ten times, and I cried every time. I'm like, okay, Rosie. You you cried all ten times?

unknown 56:04

Right.

SPEAKER_00 56:04

I don't know if I could cry the the subsequent nine times.

SPEAKER_03 56:07

Right. Well then when you know what's coming and it it hits you like that. But I don't know. I I I feel for Rosie. She had to go she had to go to Ireland just to get away from you know who.

SPEAKER_00 56:20

Nope. Oh, Rosie. Oh, I do wonder why the rest of the original cast wasn't in Dream Girls. That's the last little backstage drama tea droplet that I'm curious about. But I don't know if if anyone will ever talk. This seems like a very professional cast.

SPEAKER_03 56:35

Oh yeah, no. Well, all and like I feel like they all have they've all had you know good careers after this. I feel like everybody's got everybody's got shit.

SPEAKER_00 56:48

Even people that had no lines in this had great careers.

SPEAKER_03 56:51

I feel like if you're doing a rewatch podcast, you you really your career fell off. So if you're doing a rewatch podcast of your of your own show. Yeah, of your own show or movie.

SPEAKER_00 56:59

Some of them just admit it. Some of them just admit it, and they're like, it's always the most random character. Like, why is the dad of a side character doing host of it?

SPEAKER_03 57:06

Right. Let's say why why was the dad from Wizards of Waverly Place doing podcasts after his little nudes leak?

SPEAKER_00 57:13

And you know what? He got in the reboot, Harper didn't. So that's Disney appreciated his little boost.

SPEAKER_03 57:19

Because I know that one guy who was like some I guess he was he was like some random side character on the first one. He was mad that he didn't get invited to the reboot, and he's like, it's because I'm on OnlyFans. It's like, or because you were a side character in the original, you dumb hoe. Well and also what what what what Disney want an OnlyFans hoe for? No offense to sex workers, but I mean like if you if you're on OnlyFans but think that Disney's gonna take you, you're delusional.

SPEAKER_00 57:41

Right? Right? Like, okay, Zeke. They probably barely wanted you to begin with.

SPEAKER_03 57:46

This is a fa this is a family, this is a family you know situation.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

Right. Although Selena Gomez don't play that.

SPEAKER_03 57:55

Although I I am surprised they brought the dad back after his little leak because I mean he had cheeks out and everything. Well I re I guess if it's not Paul and you're part of the original cast. I guess I just remember that when I just remember those pictures, like why why am I seeing the the why am I seeing cheeks from the dads of the dad of the way we played? Why am I seeing this? Why is it why is this on my Twitter feed?

SPEAKER_00 58:17

Because his ass was heavy, heavy.

SPEAKER_02 58:23

Um well, do you have any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_03 58:26

Do you have any final thoughts on Dream Girl's uh Mr. Birthday Boy?

SPEAKER_00 58:31

Well, apparently Netflix is removing it by the end of the month. So go and go and watch it. Go and watch it. Just enjoy it. I feel like it's a good it's not really Christmas theme, but it seems like a good little holiday movie to watch. Like, I don't know. There's something about it that just gets holiday-e. So you know, watch it with the family. If you watch the Black Dun and haven't seen it in a while, have a rewatch. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend. You know, you know what? Keep a tissue box nearby in case I am telling you gets to you. Don't let Noah, don't let Noah bully you.

SPEAKER_03 59:04

Well, as long as I'm not there, you're safe. But I'm there, if I'm there and I see and I see you, you know, sobbing and the and and the audience, I might I might give you a look. I might give you a look.

SPEAKER_00 59:14

And I might pop you with my purse.

SPEAKER_03 59:16

That's ridiculous. Well, I'll I don't see why we gotta go to physical altercations.

SPEAKER_00 59:22

Because we might get them popped with purses. Anyway, we are on all podcast streaming platforms where you get your favorite podcast and all social media platforms at on our VL Note Pod. Please follow, rate and review, follow us on TikTok, drop a comment, support your boys.

SPEAKER_03 59:39

Yes, and if if you are if you are a team FE, then go and comment that on our TikToks.

SPEAKER_00 59:47

One nine only.

SPEAKER_03 59:49

Which version of One Nine only do you prefer? Let us know. So I'd say do you do you prefer the original soulful version or the fraudulent version? Let us know.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:00

My ladies.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:01

Them putting the record in the trash is crazy. They didn't need to do all that. That was evil as hell. That was evil as hell. That reminded me though of one one one time when I worked at the pizza place. I'm not gonna say what pizza place. Um someone that looked rather someone some some some little boy that looked rather greasy. He came in with an application, and as soon as he walked out, in the trash. Didn't make it to the manager.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:24

Well he looked like you would like that lady from the Atel Raven when she saw a black person and hand her an application. Let me clarify this person was not born. I mean, I know the demographics of where you live. I'll I'm gonna stop this real quick.