Suggestible - Low Expectations Everyone

Episode Date: December 9, 2021

Suggestible things to watch, read and listen to. Hosted by James Clement @mrsundaymovies and Claire Tonti @clairetonti.Check out Claire’s new podcast Tonts!Sign up to Claire’s weekly bonus newsletters here – tontsnewsletterThis week’s Suggestibles:Tick Tick BoomAnd Just Like ThatSend your recommendations to [e-mail], we’d love to hear them.You can also follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @suggestiblepod and join our ‘Planet Broadcasting Great Mates OFFICIAL’ Facebook Group. So many things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Yeah, but we haven't done the episode yet. Well, yeah, it hasn't come out. It's not coming out in Australia until tonight. However, hello, I'm Claire, 20. James is here also. He's Clement, James Clement. We are married and we recommend you things to watch, read and listen to. And the pep in my voice is because, and just like that,

the Sex and the City TV series that is coming out today looks terrible, but I'm so excited. Well, so we've decided, we made a pact with God that we would review every episode. It'll be in the suggestible feed. Obviously, you don't have to listen to that. I'd imagine a lot of people subscribed to this are probably not Sex and the City fans. How dare you? But this is something that Claire and I are committed to. We are both big fans of the show, genuinely.

We have seen every single movie. We eat a movie and the show. And the TV show. And we even watched the Carrie Diaries prequel. No, we definitely could do that. Could not deep dive into that. I have been watching all of the press and the lead up to this as well. I've been following Cynthia Nixit and Krista davis it is and i've got a horrible knot in my stomach because

the trailer was so terrible and we just wanted to talk about that today well i think before we do that though we need to talk about the australian podcasting awards oh yes yes yes yes because uh there was a big push and up in the community as well and for people voting for us in the Australian Podcasting Awards and this being my less successful podcast of the two that I do by quite a bit, let me just point that out. We actually ended up coming third, which is not a slight. I think that's incredible. I'm genuinely surprised that they let us be involved in any way

and by that I mean everybody. Iceberg lettuce? Iceberg lettuce. What? I don't know, I mean a silly bit. You're just saying anything. lettuce be involved in anyway and by that i mean iceberg lettuce everything iceberg lettuce what i don't know i mean a silly bit just saying anything and um yeah i really appreciate it it was it was really really cool to see we didn't go uh because it was in sydney and also they didn't tell us to come which made me think we definitely didn't win because when when the weekly planet won a few years ago they were like, you're definitely in the top three. You should come.

You guys should come. Yeah. But they didn't reach out at all. So anyway, super cool. I know. And sure, we didn't get a trophy. And sure. We got a little digital bronze medal though, a little video with us up there.

And what I have to say, A, thank you so much. This community is just the bloody bee's knees. Everyone was so nice and got so far behind it. I saw lots of comments A, thank you so much. This community is just the bloody bee's knees. Everyone was so nice and got so far behind it. I saw lots of comments like, we let you down, it didn't happen. I was like, no, not at all. Because most of you probably are not listening from Australia and may not know that Emeril Shiano, who came second, is one of ostensibly the biggest names in comedy and radio in this country.

And then the People Life Uncut podcast, who came first. Laura from that podcast, she is one of the biggest names here as well and it is huge and she won it last year and we didn't enter last year. I didn't know that you could enter twice. I thought you could only enter once. Me neither. So the Weekly Planet is coming back next year to ruin the Australian Podcasting Awards yet again.

Cool. All right. So next year we're building it back. We're coming back because I thought you couldn't enter twice. Exactly right. So better than ever. And we're going to go next year to the awards ceremony. No, I'm not going to go.

I'm just going to win. I'm just going to win it. I don't want to go. Oh, God. All right. Well, I'm going to go. Anyway, thank you to everyone who voted for us. You guys are bloody amazing.

And it really made my week. I've had a big week. I've been very excited. You've had a big week. You've been buzzing like a little iceberg. I know. I went to the most beautiful Christmas lunch on Sunday as well. You did.

You Instagrammed that. Just powerful people sitting around the table, mate. It's like a table of some of the most incredible women and slash minds in this country, which I was sort of just in awe. I just sat there asking lots of questions. No, I really shouldn't have. And I just sat there asking so many questions because they were just so awe-inspiring.

I learnt so much. So I'm all buzzy from the Australian Podcast Awards and from that spectacular lunch where I tried not to put my foot in it and mainly just listened. And like Lisa Miller from ABC Breakfast just casually sat down next to me and I had to just rein in my excitement and I just asked her about what it was like to write a book and she was just glorious and she had a great story about the Logies,

which is like the TV show awards and basically how – It's like the Australian podcasting awards for Australian television. Yeah, but it's a little bigger than that. Anyway, she told this amazing story of how she got out of a limo on the red carpet for the Logies and she stepped out and it was the first time she'd ever been to something like that. It was before she was hosting News Breakfast. And just the whole crowd erupted in these cheers

and she thought it was for her. And she was just waving and being like, look at this, this is the best thing I've ever done. And it was limo. No, yeah, no. It was for limo. Apparently there was like an American, because they always have an American star that comes out for this Australian TV

and apparently the American star was in the car behind her and a guy literally said to her, please get out of the way, you're distracting us. And she just said it was so funny. Anyway, she was great. I love how they drag out um american stars to the loggies and they're just like i'm confused like the the cast of young sheldon did like a little bit a few years ago and everyone's just like what is this

matt leblanc famously came out in like 1997 and everyone was like this is very weird and it was weird i feel really bad for him i know it's so our country is so weird yeah And it was weird. I feel really bad for him. I know. Our country is so weird. Yeah. Anyway, okay, shall we get started now? Where would you like to start? Do you want to do Sex and the City at the end? Yeah, let's do it at the end. What's your first suggesting of all?

Oh, my goodness. Okay, you have to put your headphones on for this. Oh, my God. Is this another song? No, I'm not making you sing, though. That brought so much joy to me. I actually feel like from all of the wonderful things that have happened this week, the fact that I got you to do that song was by far my favourite.

Really? I've also really appreciated everyone who has made comments on it online. Your mum messaged me and said, how did you get James to do that? Did you ambush him? And I said, absolutely, I did. It was just great. She was also like, maybe we should do three more and we'll get Mason involved. And I'm like, no, I don't want to.

What are you talking about? Christmas album time. Also, nobody, like people who enjoy that, you don't want three more of that. Believe me. Or do they, James? Give the people what they want. And now I have another. No, I don't.

Maybe we make it a christmas tradition my god oh my god it was so good all right maybe i will maybe i won't i'll just surprise you'll have to just wait in suspense with like a horrible knot in your stomach because feel like at any moment i might spring another song on you today and it may be six months from now it may be two years from now it may be at the australian It may be two years from now. It may be at the Australian Podcast Awards on stage when the Weekly Planet wins next year. If you do it, I swear to God, I will take my laptop, fill my pockets with stones and walk into the fucking ocean.

I thought you were going to get me to throw you down a well. Whatever, whatever. That was the best. People loved that line and also the line where you said is this that about an affair is that it very well could be it was very confusing she didn't want anyone her brother or a sister she was worried about what they were going to say it was all very confusing yeah anyway let's get on to the recommendations i have an absolute doozy now last night i sat down on the couch and watched tickick, Tick, Boom.

I haven't had a chance to watch Tick, Tick, Boom. I nearly tried. I tried to watch it last night and I got caught up in work and everything else. No, it's the kind of thing you actually need to sit and absorb because it's just glorious, but you can't just tap in and out of it. Because of the intricacies, because it's a musical, you really need to be a part of it. So, directed by Broadway icon Lin lynn manmel miranda from hamilton fame and many other amazing things that he's doing tick tick boom is a dramatized musical biopic revolving around the life of

jonathan larson so he's widely known as the writer of rent and um and he's a legend in modern american musical theater now there's a couple of really interesting things about the writer of Rent and he's a legend in modern American musical theatre. Now, there's a couple of really interesting things about the timing of this release. It's only just come out. One of which is that eight-time Tony Award winning Stephen Sondheim recently passed away. Do you know who Stephen Sondheim is? I do not. I know the name, but I don't.

Right. Okay. So he is ostensibly one of the giants of the musical theatre world. Bigger than Andrew Lloyd Webber? I would say yes. Bigger than the dad from The Nanny who maybe also wrote musicals in the TV show The Nanny? Definitely not.

Definitely not bigger than him. Anyway, so he is hailed as responsible for changing the face of musical theatre through the complexity of his lyrics and score, handling dark and emotionally charged themes around the human experience. So I'm going to talk to you a little bit about Stephen Sondheim first, and then I'll explain why it's really relevant to Tick, Tick, Boom. So he started his theatre career by writing lyrics for West Side Story and Gixie.

Now, West Side Story, the film, is coming out as well. Then he became a composer and lyricist, and he's best known for the following famous shows, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, which I happen to have a starring role in at university.

You played the stepmother. Yes, so not that starring. But, you know, still important. I had a beehive. Correct. You had a beehive. Correct. You had a beehive. Full-fly lashes. You came on the stage with a beehive and people were like,

why did you bring live bees to a theatre performance? Correct, exactly. Because I checked beforehand if anyone had any allergies. Oh, good. So what's so beautiful about Stephen Sondheim is that before that I think musicals were often quite frothy. And he does have froth in his shows. But they always also speak to the dark kind of side of the human experience. before that I think musicals were often quite frothy and he does have froth in his shows but

they always also speak to the dark kind of side of the human experience yes and kind of even though they're kind of like for instance Into the Woods is all fairy tale characters he manages to get to the heart of themes of parenthood and kind of the drudgery of the everyday of feelings of inadequacy or you know going on a quest and searching for something and not being able to find it and the complexities of love so his characters don't always go down that you know sort of very well trodden corny kind of thing and and the music itself is often really surprising you think it's going to go in one direction and then the complexities of the chords and the arrangements just take it to a whole other level.

If you want a little snapshot of his music, I would recommend Lin-Manuel Miranda leading a chorus of Broadway artists in Times Square. And it's just the most beautiful rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday, which is like from his iconic musical. And it's just, it makes you just burst into tears. It's just glorious because he was such a pivotal figure in so many artists' lives.

And Kristen Bell, who is from, you know, places like Frozen. Frozen. Frozen. She wrote a really moving tribute to him on her Instagram about how he was pivotal in her career. Now, the reason why I talk about Slondheim first, I'm a big fan, but also because he was really pivotal in Jonathan Larson's career in kind of supporting him.

And he actually plays a cameo in Tick, Tick, Boom, which is really interesting. His voice is actually on a recording in the show. And also he's played by, like this character of Sondheim, he's played by Bradley Whitford. Right. So, yeah. Bradley Whitford.

There you go. And Jonathan Larson, you can heavily hear the influence of Sondheim's music on his work. Right. So Tick Tick Boom is a dramatised musical biopic and it was a musical theater show first um so it's about how like the creation of the of the musical rent is that correct no isn't it about rent which is so interesting so jonathan lassen wrote rent right and it became this smash

hit now this isn't a spoiler because it happened in the very beginning of this movie tick tick boom is actually the show he wrote before Rent. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. But the story of Tick, Tick, Boom is actually the story. And so it is a play that Jonathan Larson wrote and a musical show in and of itself. And this is what's kind of confusing. The story of Tick, Tick, Boom is the story of him preparing for this show that ended up being a total flop.

So he spent eight years of his life making this show. And I just am going to look up what it was called again. Superbia. Okay. So he wrote this. He spent eight years of his life from 1983 to 1991 writing Superbia, which is like this futuristic rock retelling of George Orwell's book 1984. And he was living in this like horrible flat in New York City

and just like surviving off nothing. And in the show, he kind of tells the story of how he's put everything into this show. It's everything he thinks it's going to be. Stephen Sondheim comes to the workshop and the whole show is about him presenting this work to all the big producers in New York City and getting it off the ground and everything he's given up and the relationships that he kind of sort of the people in his life that he treats terribly because he's so focused

on this artwork right at getting it into the world and it's a disaster yeah and it never gets off the ground and so really the story is about him battling his own creativity he gets to the end and nothing comes of it and this is a bit of a spoiler um well i haven't seen it do i want to hear this yeah because it happens in the very first minute so it's not really a spoiler so tick tick boom in and of itself becomes more popular so when this actual show tick tick boom in real life jonathan larson writes this after he writes superbia and it gets him more notoriety because it is actually this incredible show but it's it's much more personal it's it's autobiographical yeah he then goes on

to make rent after that right and the night before rent premieres he he dies. Yes, I did know that. Yeah, and it's just this like freak accident where he was suffering from symptoms. It's not even an accident really. He was suffering from like shortness of breath and chest pains and dizziness and went to the hospital and they did scans and couldn't pick up anything. But it turned out he had undiagnosed Marfan syndrome. Right. Which then meant that he just had this kind of...

So he dies in like the first minute of the... No, but he doesn't know because the show is Tick, Tick, Boo. Yeah, right. But they tell you that the character dies just before he gets rent on stage. They give you context as to why... Andrew Garfield. Yes, plays him. Exactly.

Who you might recognise from The Amazing Spider-Man. That's the only thing I've ever seen him in. What about The Social Network? He's also Eduardo in The Social Network. He's in a bunch of stuff. He's amazing. I thought you were being serious there. He's really good.

I would say at the moment of the three actors who have played the modern interpretations of Spider-Man, he is the most talented. Tom Holland is young, but I think he's really incredible. Well, he's absolutely spectacular in this. And you kind of have to get through the first five minutes, I think. I love it because I'm a big musical theatre person. But if you're not, you might be wondering what it is at the beginning. It's sort of a little unclear and it's very musical theatre-esque at the start.

But it's so worth sticking through it makes you cry it makes you laugh it's um incredibly moving then alexandra ship plays susan wilson who's um jonathan's girlfriend robin days um jesu as plays michael who's jonathan's best friend and at the undercurrent of the show is the aids epidemic as well and kind of this idea of bohemian artists and what you have to give up in order to make art, right? And then there's an undercurrent which you, I think, will also really enjoy about how he's got no money and his friend who's the actor, Michael,

decides to give up on acting and go into advertising and he's kind of got this push and pull of should I just give all this up and go and write jingles for this company yeah and that kind of idea of being caged in that way and giving up on your dream um and he nearly does it and there's just the songs throughout it are just so moving there's like rock songs but then like beautiful ballads do they do they work in some of the music from his shows into this or is it entirely original? No, no, it's actually the stage show of Tick, Tick, Boom.

Oh, okay. So Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn't do the score? No, no, he's directed it. Okay, cool. Yeah, so that's what's kind of confusing about it because I was watching it thinking, is this all original songs telling the life of Jonathan Larson but no they're all songs telling the life of Jonathan Larson written by Jonathan

Larson and they've just adapted this musical okay if that makes sense totally yeah exactly and I just want to quickly find because there's also been a lot of buzz about the guy that adapted it for the screen because he's also really excellent and i did make a note of who that was sorry colleagues can you just edit this out i'm editing it so uh oh sorry james can you want me to edit it out colleagues is busy doing hawkeye reviews i'm so sorry colleagues no it's me i'm doing it apologize to me not find this? Steven Levinson. Okay. Okay. So the screenplay by Steven Levinson, so he's obviously used the screen, the show, the theatre show, and then adapted it. And it's wonderful.

The way they've shot it, it's so cleverly done. There's some amazing special effects and cinematography as well in this that are really, really beautiful. Now the other thing I really want to talk about, I know I'm rabbiting on because I love this stuff. There's a beautiful rendition of a song called... or just plain old ice? Yes, we deliver those. Goal tenders, no. But chicken tenders, yes. Because those are groceries and we deliver those too. Along with your favorite restaurant food,

alcohol and other everyday essentials. Order Uber Eats now. For alcohol, you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details. Sunday that I spoke about that Stephen Sondheim wrote and Jonathan Larson adapted that song to fit.

He works in this place called the Moonlit Diner, which is just basically a diner in New York City. And so he's rewritten that song to instead of being like a beautiful kind of poignant lyrics, it's all about people ordering eggs and like the crap that you have to go through when you work in a diner. Yeah. And what Lin-Manuel Miranda has done has recruited basically the creme de la creme of musical theater royalty and got them all to do cameos.

So he's got people like Hamilton's Renee Elise Goldsberry and Philippa Sue. Oh, yeah. Fun home star Beth Malone. Original cast members of Larson's Rent, such as Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal and Wilson Jermaine Heredia. Cool. So they work in like, yeah. Yeah.

And so it's this beautiful thing. And then also he's got like the wonderful Bernadette Peters, who is just one of Stephen Sondheim's kind of muses in a way almost. Like she's known for performing in his musicals. So it's just for musical theatre nerds it's just like the biggest joy, but for anyone it is particularly. Now I just wanted to play you a small part of one of the songs. All right.

It's called Louder Than Words and it just reminded me because I know you're on a bit of a crusade against work, right, in terms of the traditional way that people have to work. That's all you talk about. Fuck work. All my friends in the group chat are like, I love capitalism and I love whatever, and then they're like, why do I work? I work three times as hard as I used to, but I'm not getting enough money.

I'm like, oh, interesting. Okay, well, there you go. Fuck work. Okay, here we go. So this song is not called Fuck Work. I'm like, oh, interesting. Okay, well, there you go. Fuck work. Okay, here we go. So this song is not called fuck work. It's called Louder Than Words. I'm not even talking about work. I'm talking about like the grind.

Yes. And the grind mindset. Yes. And the fact that people do not get paid enough for their work. Yeah, no, but that's exactly what this is. So I want you to listen to this song because anyway. Wait, the whole song? Just some of it.

Okay. Okay. want you to listen to this song because with the whole song just some of it okay why do we play with fire why do we run our finger through the flame why do we leave our hand on the stove although we know we're in for some pain Oh, why do we refuse to hang the light When the streets are dangerous Why does it take an accident Before the truth gets through to us Why does it take an accident?

Before the truth gets through to us. Cages or wings, which do you prefer? Ask the birds. Fear or love, baby, don't say the answer. Fear or love, baby, don't say the answer. Actions speak louder than words. Why should we try to be our best when we can just get by and still gain? Why do we nod our heads Although we know

The boss is wrong as rain Why should we blaze a trail When the well-worn path seems safe and so inviting How, as we travel Can we see the dismay Thank you. But fear or love, baby, don't say the answer Actions speak louder than That's really good. That was really incredible. I'm going to watch this.

Maybe I'll watch it tonight. Yeah, it's so worth watching. There's that lyric. I know he got, like he could sing a little bit, but he like trained for this. Andrew Garfield. Andrew Garfield, yeah. Looks like he's going to get nominated.

And next week he's going to be Spider-Man again. So that's also exciting. Yeah, it's all very exciting. Well, it's just incredibly beautiful. It's a shame that he's so talented and all anybody wants to do is ask you about being Spider-Man and the two Spider-Man movies he's in that aren't very good. But he's quite good. Because honestly, in this, he is absolutely spectacular.

It's just, it's gorgeous. Anyway, enough of me rabbiting on about musical theatre. Off to you. Well, we might need to move on. I might save my thing for next week and let's talk about our expectations for Sex and or The City just like that. Okay. I'm sorry.

I feel like I've taken up all the time. No, it's fine. It's good because I'll edit this and if I talk for a long time and then it'll take me longer. Do you know what I mean? Do you know what I'm sorry I feel like I'm taking up all the time It's fine it's good because I'll edit this And if I talk for a long time It'll take me longer Do you know what I'm saying Anyway so there was a new trailer that came out last week A full trailer and they were like Get ready because the girls are back in town

Well three of the four of them Samantha was hit by a bus presumably And So what are your thoughts on it First of all how do you feel about the look of the show? Bearing in mind, you haven't seen it yet, but a big part of what I do is trailer speculation. And you have been yelling at me about this show.

It hasn't come out yet all week. And you're like, another thing. It's too glossy. That's not how New York was portrayed in the original series. I'm like, I know, but we haven't seen it yet. So I don't know what to tell you. Oh, I have so many feelings that I've already shared them with you. Yeah.

So I don't, anyway. Okay. So to be fair, I haven't seen the actual show yet. And as you say, it's a TV show, so there could be some redeeming qualities. But really, one of the things that I was really looking forward to was the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon particularly look like women in their 50s. Agreed.

And I wanted a show that would do what Sex and the City did back in the day, be groundbreaking for women, to tell women's stories. And I know there's all the glitz and the glamour and the ridiculous budgets for shoes and all of that stuff. Oh, my God, shoes. I feel like they've yet again missed the point of this show because the point of the show was not all of that stuff. But I feel like they've yet again missed the point of this show because the point of the show was not all of that stuff. That was like the icing on the cake and a bit fun.

It's not about the glitz and the glamour and the whatever. To me at least, that's the boring stuff. Like I give a fuck about shoes, you know what I mean? And I'm not saying that you shouldn't care about shoes, like whatever you like. Yeah, and I love the costuming. It's not – but the reality of it was that at the time, Sex and the City was groundbreaking because it was gritty and dirty, I guess,

and it spoke about sex in a way that no one had heard before on screen. And it also depicted what women say to each other when guys aren't around, you know? And, yes yes it's problematic and yes you know it could have had much more diversity 25 year old exactly but at the time women had never had a show like that that showed real female friendship and and women being super funny and also for women being the main central characters of the show in itself and then the men being superfluous like that just wasn't a narrative and still is quite rare often now yeah so that to me is at the heart of it and that god in the trailer there's this really stupid line like oh god like carrie says the future is unwritten

because we are all at different stages of life what the bloody hell does that even mean it just is so corny it does not it's uh it's what's called uh in the biz it's a it's a line that they put in a movie simply to put in the trailer for something it's like always in a trailer for like an action movie they're like the world's changing the world's different the world was one thing the world's a different thing you grew up thinking the moon wasn't gonna fall into the earth but guess what it is? Moonfall. It's a real movie. It's coming out soon. But, yeah, that's just like – and that might not even be in the final show, but it does feel like the snippets that we see – and, again, it's a trailer.

It doesn't feel very authentic. It doesn't look authentic. It's way too shiny. Yeah, and I think also it's very possible that this is just like the first episode and something great comes of this in the ten or so episodes that they're doing. I can't remember how many. You know, and we'll see these characters develop and Big will die, fingers crossed. Oh, my God, hashtag kill Big.

Chris Noth will be so glad. He hates that character. I know. But then he's going to get people coming up to him going, Oh, my God, I was so sad, Chris Noth, when you died. When you died at the show. When you got hit by the same bus that hit Samantha. What were the chances?

Oh, look, it's going to be interesting to see how they handle the fact that Samantha is no longer in the show. And that's quite interesting. I did an episode of Do Go On where I did a report on Sex City and I deep dive into all of that and the feud and all of the rumours and all of that stuff. But Willie Garson, who plays stanford blatch is passed away yeah so he's in this and that's really heartbreaking and sad too and look i mean sarah jessica parker is now doing or carrie is now doing a podcast because you know but yeah rather than a column and there's like a oh okay i

thought you meant real life okay i mean i'm sure she's read podcasts in real life too, but in the show. And it just feels very much like look at us trying to update things to make it modern. It just doesn't feel authentic. Again, we'll have to see because it's very early days and we'll try and watch that episode. And I guess we'll try and get the recap out tomorrow. Yeah, I think so.

We might end up putting it out on a Monday or something. I don't know. No, we'll get it out. But one thing I will say about this too that I'm sad about and I'm hopeful, still hopeful in my little heart, I want stories from women in their 50s about their sexuality. Yep. And I think there are new stories to be told about menopause

and perimenopause and what women really see in the world when they become older. There's a really interesting conversation. I can't remember who it's with. It's Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag has it with. She's a very famous actress. Yes, I love that scene. Oh, my God.

I love that scene. And she talks about what it's like to be postmenopausal and how freeing it is and how, like, you know, there is, like, some of the excitement is gone, obviously, because, you know, you're getting older and she's, like, tired. But she was also like, it's great and very freeing. Kristen Scott Thomas. Thank you, thank you, yeah.

So maybe we will get things like that. But, look, to be honest, super low expectations from me. Look, best case scenario, i think i say this for everything it's terrific like it's like fantastic or it's a fucking train wreck i don't want none of this like okay it's fine i guess you know it's not fun to talk about if it's just like whatever you know because i know if it's fine i don't i will just stop the show i don't want to do it if it's like insane and like really. So awful.

Yeah, because that's the thing, that scene with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Chris and Scott Thomas where she says through menopause you then just become a person, not someone with moving, like a human with moving parts. Yeah. And that to me just sounds so wonderful. And to me it's such a hidden world. I just feel like there's really not much at all for women

about perimenopause and menopause. There's just this whole kind of vacant space. And I know a lot of women in my age and older, and I spoke about this in an interview I did last night with a poet called Tata Hood, Joanna Bennett, and she was saying that she's heading for it and has been desperately trying to find any information she can because it's such a pivotal moment and I feel like there's just a dearth of it.

So that kind of stuff I'm so hopeful for. And I want to move the narrative past all of that kind of like, oh, menopausal women, oh, they go crazy, hot flushes. Like, you know, all of that stuff. I think there's a real conversation to be had. But I just don't see it happening. I can't. The lines in it are so not funny.

Like one of the other great things about Sex and the City is it's so funny. Yeah. The TV show is so funny. And this just does not feel funny. It feels naff and glitzy. And then like at the end when Sarah Jessica Parker says, you everything may change, but you're still you. Vomit into a bucket.

Anyway. Wow. It's great. Any other final thoughts? Nah, we'll talk about it more in depth. I just saw this tweet. I thought it was funny. It's from Quilliam on Twitter who says,

you've heard of Elf on the Shelf. Now get ready to wake up every day until you die. It's fucking Elf on the Shelf Now get ready to wake up every day until you die. This fucking elf on a shelf is suddenly everywhere. Oh, and I haven't done it. That was the thing that was going to send me over the edge, and I was going to go and buy one, and I thought, I just can't. I don't have it in me. And now I feel like I've let down the Christmas magic.

Our son keeps asking me why he doesn't have an elf on the shelf. Get an elf on the shelf. We'll get a bloody elf on the shelf today, all right? Get an elf on the shelf. Why do we elf on the shelf i'll get a bloody elf on the shelf today all right like get off why do we have to why why why create christmas magic and cheer it's christmas magic and cheer you bought a puppy this is an album it's not a real thing i know yeah we met santa yesterday at the zoo um for any uh for any people listening with kids we're not going to spoil the magic of santa but uh but when me and claire were with our kids obviously we saw santa and we went up but there was part of us all like oh my god it's santa santa's here and we must have all just stood there being like

and then we didn't say anything and he just went uh so is anyone gonna take a photo like what are you standing like oh santa you're hilarious it's a good santa i know it was great i loved at the end our son was like that's not santa yeah he's like that's not santa like why not he's like he's got glasses santa doesn't wear glasses what are you talking about i also love that we waited for because all of the zookeepers made christmas floats of their little vehicles that they drive around and they did a little parade and our son just went, well, that was a bit boring. Did he? Yeah. That's great. So he was like, I thought they gave us presents. They gave us presents. That was boring. Oh, well that is boring. I was like so wrapped up in all the Christmas cheer. Someone might turn their little vehicle into a Santa's workshop. Yeah. It was an orangutan with a giant Christmas

hat on. It was great was great man i fucking love the zoo i'll be the first to say it especially if it's an ethical zoo do you know what i mean i don't want to this late none of this keeping animals in cages and whatever it's just fantastic yeah conservation it's good stuff just incredible incredible it is it's a beautiful beautiful place i particularly enjoyed our daughter roaring at the lions. Yeah, that's good. First time she'd seen lions and she just went rah, rah. And I loved it. I felt like she was really hoping they'd talk back to her. Yeah, well, that's the dear Leo, Emilio Estevez.

Let's wrap things up. You know you can review the show? This person has done it. John Rhys Lynch who says, great show. I accidentally clicked on this today and I think I like this as much as the weekly planet. Wow, my Lego is sorted by color. Not as good.

But the first part is terrific and I love what you're saying. I love your vibe. We love that. Oh, God. Go to my Instagram page. I just shared. We have the best listeners who have the most incredible Lego organization I've ever seen.

And just like dream Lego rooms that you just want to have in your house. And I put the links on my Instagram page of some of the photos. And my God, people are spectacularly clever. They're loving life. They are loving it. And they also, they really appreciate how you patronize them and go, I love what you're doing. I'm not patronizing.

I'm serious. Do you know I spent half of lockdown this year was me spent buying Trofas drawers from Ikea and sorting out our toys. I bloody love it. And yet you couldn't get a single elf on the shelf. Do you have a letter, Claire, this week? I do.

You need to put your little headphone in the barn. What is this bloody headphone bloody hour? As I predicted and hoped for, people have started sending in voice memos again. We really appreciate it. We love a voice memo. We do. Just like this wonderful human being has off we go hey claire and james i sent a voice memo in a few months ago and then i emailed the weekly plant to say that i'd gotten

into the college i really wanted to go to and i'm here now and it's great i uh just wanted to say thank you guys for being so inspiring uh and because of you, I started a blog called TooManyServingsofJohn.com where I just write movie reviews and random stuff. I did a post about how Pitch Perfect and Monsters University are the same movie. And thank you, James, for inspiring me to write the dumb things that I want to write. Hell yeah. Anybody can write a dumb thing. You guys are both amazing people, and thank you. Keep being great.

Thank you. I know too many servings of John. I remember when he wrote into the show. Yeah, he's a legend. Thank you, John Scripp. We are so grateful for you for writing in and also for just being a regularly excellent person. People, please check out Too Many Servings of John.

Correct. The blog. Love it. All right. Is that it from us yep we'll be back soon though to make fun of sex in the city a little bit more all right it's a magic hour it's a magic hour okay this is a podcast do you want to also talk about how you think there's too many women in hollywood do you want to talk about that as well what didn't you say that to me you said there's too many women they're overrepresented that's what you said to me and i said i would never i said no no way that's what i said that it sounds like something i would say there we go that that's me to a t claire tonte no more women around that's what i say nice nice i don't agree these bloody women all right with all their

opinions thanks everyone bye bye this podcast is part of the planet broadcasting network visit These bloody women with all their opinions. Thanks, everyone. Bye. Bye. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbroadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. I mean, if you want. It's up to you. It's hockey season and you can get anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. Well, almost, almost anything. So, no, you can't get an ice r delivered with Uber Eats. Well, almost, almost anything. So no, you can't get an ice rink on Uber Eats.

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