The Press Box - 'Blockers’ and the Revival of the Studio Comedy With Kay Cannon | The Big Picture (Ep. 451)

Episode Date: April 6, 2018

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with Kay Cannon, the veteran screenwriter on ‘30 Rock,' New Girl,’ and all three ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies to discuss her new R-rated studio comedy and directorial debut ‘Blockers’ and her transition from writing to directing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

But there were certainly a couple times where in the director's chair, and I think every director feels this, where you're just like in the inside, you're like, I have no idea how to fix this. And you're faking it. I'm Sean Fennessey, editor-in-chief of The Ringer, and this is The Big Picture, a conversation show with some of the most interesting filmmakers working today. The studio comedy is dead.

That's something I've heard a lot lately. You know the kind of movie I'm talking about. Three or four close friends get together for the night of their lives, but before the sun comes up, everything you can imagine goes wrong. Think the hangover, American Pie, Old School. But today's guest, Kay Cannon, is bringing them back. Her movie Blockers, as in Cock Blockers, is an R-rated comedy that is obsessed with the teen girls

on a quest to lose their virginity on prom night as the parents who fear for their daughter's moral purity. Cannon is a veteran screenwriter having worked on 30 Rock and New Girl, as well as writing all three pitch-perfect movies. Blockers is her first movie as a director, and it's an assured, funny, ridiculous, but sweet story about families. I talked to Kay about making her first film, balancing butt chugging with big ideas, and what a movie like this has to say in a fraught political moment. Here's Kay Cannon. I'm so happy to be joined by Kaye, Kay, thanks for coming in today.

Thanks for having me. Kay, directorial debut Blockers. Congratulations. Thank you. So, you know, you've been a writer in the industry for a long time. Why this movie? Well, I mean, it was the only thing that was ever offered me to direct. It's totally a valid reason.

I was like, all right, I'll say yes to that one. No, but I was so lucky because all the themes that I really love and I'm attracted to were within the movie. So when I read the script, I thought it was funny. And then I felt like I connected to it because I'm a parent of a daughter. And she's only four, but she was two at the time. And I was like, yeah, you know, I look at her as a two-year-old. And I'm like, she's so perfect and funny and smart and, like, innocent. And when she'll grow up, you know, maybe bad things will happen to her.

How will I be in that scenario? I'm a progressive parent, I think, and, you know, just kind of examining my own stuff. And then I was, I could understand it and connect from the teenage point of view, too, having been like a teenager who wanted to lose my virginity or whatever that match. Naturally. We've all been there. Yeah. So that's, I was like, I was really happy. I was excited to tell this story. And I feel like it's an underserved story.

When a story like that comes across your desk, is it your agent calls you and says, we have a script, you think it's great, you should take a look at it? Or is it different? Are you asking for a certain kind of a movie? No, what you first said is what happened with me, whereas like they just sent me an email with the script attached and they're like, you have an offer to direct this. So read it and see what you think. And I had been on vacation for the first time in six years. Oh, man. In Maine, nothing really crazy. That's from my husband's parents are from. And I'd like promised I wouldn't work. I had. I had been working for a really long time, both doing television and like the pitch perfect movies and stuff like that. So I was like, I'm just going to actually take a break and do nothing. What day of the vacation were you on?

I was on day two. And then the script was sent to me. I read it at like one in the morning next to my husband while I slept on my phone because I was like tried to make a promise to him. I wouldn't work and a promise to myself, and I couldn't help it. And then when he woke up the next morning,

I was like, it's good. Like I really want to do it. And he read it and then it happened. So what happens? You're not jumping on a plane right away and flying back. No, no, no, no, not at all. It was like, yeah. It was like a year later or something. And then what happened when I came back from vacation was, you know, you get your deal made. And then I went in and said, I have a bunch of things that I want to do to the script. And it was basically me and like a bunch of dudes because they did this with Point Grey and Good Universe, which is Seth Rogen's and Evan Goldberg's company and Nathan Cahana, Good Universe.

And I kind of went through it and I was like, this feels like it's written by men. Like I was like, here's how the things I would like to change and how I would like to make this story, the story. How do you go about doing that then, going in and saying like, I need to massage this or I need to do this? Is that something you pick up from gears on 30 Rock and pitch perfect and all that? So what exactly are you doing? You're just going in and rewriting and massaging characters. I'm just giving like my overall notes where it's like, you know, I felt like the girls didn't have anything and that they weren't really specific. And they felt the same way, too.

You know, like, they knew. It's why I think they hired me and wanted me to do it. I think they took it as far as that they could take it all their male brains. Yeah. We're all very weak when it comes to a certain point of view. Well, it's also like it's about young women and their sexuality and, like, they haven't experienced it. So, and I have. So I was able to, like, talk about that and point out things in the script that didn't feel right, didn't feel truthful.

When you first started, what did you think was going to be the most challenging part of it? I ended up having like eight storylines and I thought that was and we shot like a beginning and middle and end for all of them. It's like the girls with each other, the parents with each other, the parents to each kid, the kids with their dates with each of their dates. Wow. And so we had like this beginning, middle and end. When I shot the movie, it was like the script was like over 150 pages long. I used to keep it on my island in the kitchen, the house I was renting. A big stack?

Yeah, I had the big thing. And then every night I'd come home and I'd pull out. I had like this ritual where the first thing I did was like pull out the pages we had shot and then like put the brats back on and then hold it and just like feel that it was lighter. Just a mental exercise? It was like I did nothing else. Okay. Before I did that. We should talk about then how you pulled parts out that you didn't think were working or that you didn't need in the movie.

You know, how do you figure out like even if something is funny, is it okay to pull it out? Yeah. I mean like you want to just make sure that you're following the right story, you know, like there was a lot of fun. So butt chugging was always in the script. Thank God. Yeah, thank God. And I think they might have thought that I would be like, ah, we're not going to do this butt chugging thing.

And I was like, of course we're doing it. Because I wanted to have a movie that had butt chugging. I wanted the same movie to have something as crazy as butt chugging and then as heartfelt as like Sam with her dad, Hunter, and like them coming together. You know, like where you were going to laugh at the ridiculousness and then cry or feel something and be moved. And I feel like we laugh and cry on the same day

And I wanted to show that I think we got away with it Yeah, I saw the movie on Monday And I said to someone, It has three great set pieces And you care about the characters And like that's kind of the That's like a mental formula for me

Or I'm like if I care where people are going And there's moments that make me like Grab my chest Then then you did it? I did it? Okay No, I hope so because like there's just so much content That you can't just be funny

You have to move people. You know, I'm asking people to like find a babysitter and pay a lot of money to go see a movie and, you know, concessions and all that. And I want to make sure it's worth their money. I hope it is. It seems like from people I've been talking to that like they either remember their experiences, you know, losing their virginity or when they're teenagers or their parents and they're like in it right now. How did you go about making the 2018 teen experience authentic in the story? because it's obviously a little different from when you were a teenager, your daughter's not a teenager.

So is it working with the actors? Are you talking to actual teens? I was talking to actual teens. My 15-year-old niece, Caitlin, I talked to her. She lives in the Midwest. She has a very, like, open relationship with my sister-in-law. And, like, you know, with her parents, they talk about everything. And I was, like, wide-eyed and listening to her of what, like, the kids were saying.

Interesting. But just, like, social media and, how they're using it. And the thing that was the most alarming to me is something she said that they have Finstagram, which is like a secret Instagram. Did you know about that? I have been told about it, though. I don't know how to experience it.

I'm too old for that. Me too. And yeah, I was like, and she's saying it in front of her mom. You know, like, I was like, wow, okay, that was something. But what's happening on Fins Instagram? What is she saying to you? Well, she's saying that's for like her friends or girls will post more provocative photos that their parents wouldn't be, you know, able to see.

And I was like, holy cow. And so I had a moment, and I think there was a version in the script where if Instagram was talked about or something like that or discovered. And then it just kind of felt icky, so we didn't put it in there. But I would ask the actors, too, the actresses, I was like, does this sound like something you would say? You know, they were 20, 21 years old, not too far removed from being teenagers. And it's interesting when you ask actresses, though, because they're so used to being like,

I'll just say whatever you want me to say. Like, I guess so, yeah. But it was hard. It was a lot. It was a lot of versions to get it to feel right. And I really give it over to Geraldine and Gideon and Catherine because their chemistry was so great. And they are like best friends now since doing the movie. But they really like worked together and made it so that you just felt like the authenticity of that relationship.

Yeah, I'm probably not in the right position to say it felt authentic to a teen girl's experience, but it didn't seem hacky. And it also didn't seem like it would expire anytime soon, which I thought was like a really smart way to approach it. There's some technology in it, but you're not totally dependent on all that stuff too. Did you want it to have a longer shelf life? Yeah, yeah. I mean, like we mentioned that it's 2018 a couple of times. I mean, in prom, there's like a big 2018. Sure, that would give it away. So it's really, I hope it aged as well. But I wanted them to just feel like real girls who, um, are talking how they talk and that like losing their virginity isn't this huge thing anymore and that and also they're always on their phones like

adults are too but like you know if you notice like Catherine's character Julie like it's constantly like let's stop take a picture let's take a picture you're like that's what they'd be doing for sure what about on the flip side what about with the parents do you ask Leslie Mann about her experiences

what about John Sina? She had just dropped Maude her oldest daughter off to college So she had literally lived this experience. Perfect timing. It was like, it was exactly what she had gone through. And so we had a lot of conversations and pulled a lot from her. Like at the end of the movie, there's a crying thing that Leslie does. And that kind of came from the fact that when I would talk to her,

Maude had already been in college for several months. And she would still like, well up. She'd like, I'm okay. And then like tears would just be flowing. Smile crying. Yeah. Yeah. So 150-page script, plus you're being really loose and improvising, how many days were you shooting?

I think we shot like 36, 37 days. So that's not that many. No, it was a big test. What are the days like then? Are you, because you have basically these two separate storylines that are going. You have the girls in their experience, and then you have the parents and their pursuit of the girls. Yeah. How do you balance those two things?

I seem to remember. It was all just a blur, Sean. I can't remember anything. other than just holding the script of every night. It's all about wait. But we had five weeks in a row of night shoots. So we shot for nine weeks, but like the last five were, they were pretty intense. Because, you know, it really felt like we were going to a prom.

Like we kind of shot in order. Like it was, you know, at the prom, and then we were at the lakehouse. And then we were on the side of the road at the gas station. And then we were at the hotel, like in that order. So it felt like a little crazy. But I seem to remember either I would have just parent days or just kid days. And then there was like a little stretch there where I would be with the parents for the first half of the night because we would shoot the night shoots. And then the kids would come.

I call them kids. They're adults. But like the kids would come in for the last half, you know, at like four in the morning. Oh, that's funny. Yeah. And they didn't really cross each other that often. When you were making the movie, was there a moment where, because you've been in this, in a writer's? chair in the Pitch Perfect series.

But as a director where you had to make a decision or you had to solve a problem that you were like, shit, I don't know, I've never had to solve this problem before. What do I do? Well, I think because I come from television and I had the show Girl Boss on Netflix where I created the show and the showrunner and so I'm on set dealing with these kind of problems. Nothing felt new to me. You know, when you're writing for television, you have to learn how to write really fast. You have to come up with solutions all the time.

You know, like you'll have a table read and you'll have to rewrite the script based out the table read for something you're shooting the next day. But there were certainly a couple times where in the director's chair, and I think every director feels this, where you're just like in the inside, you're like, I have no idea how to fix this. And you're faking it. Hey guys, we're going to take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor. With the Google assistant, you can complete over a million actions on your phone, in your car and around the house. For example, hey Google, add chips and salsa to my shopping list. Okay, I've added chips and salsa to your shopping list.

Download the Google Assistant. To the doers, the dreamers, the explorers, whatever it is that motivates you to work harder, stay up later, and dedicate yourself to your passions. Acer supports you. How? By building a laptop designed to exceed your expectations. Meet the Acer Swift 5. Acer took incredibly light and matched it with incredibly powerful to give you reliability on the go. Equipped with a high-definition iPS touchscreen and powerful 8th-gen Intel core eye-sense.

processor, the Acer Swift 5 helps you reach your full potential. So go to Acer.com, click on store, and enter coupon code Big Picture at checkout to receive 10% off, plus free ground shipping on a Swift series laptop, including already discounted models. This offers valid through April 30th and limited to one per qualified offer. Windows Hello, the password is you, Windows 10. Okay, and now back to my conversation with Kay Cannon. I want to ask you about studio comedies. Okay.

I assume you grew up on studio comedies the way that I did. In our office, we talk about how they're in kind of a weird place. This year's been actually a little bit better. I thought Game Night was very funny. Yeah, I did too. I loved it. But it seems like they're in a little bit of a tricky knot. What do you think about when, like, what you're trying to give an audience in 2018?

And is it different from when we were watching stripes or something like that? Or is it the same? I think it's different now. I think, well, what are we comparing it to the comedies that I guess that just haven't done very well? Yeah, movies have struggled to connect to the audiences. I feel like over the same. the last five years maybe? Yeah, I think there was, because girls trip did really, really well, and train wreck did really well. I think the studios got kind of stuck in this, like, it has to feel

aspirational, and the look has to be really shiny, almost like a sitcom. And I think people were like, when they'd watched TV, they were seeing grittier, more real, realistic, you know, like, so why pay to go see something that looks so fake? And I think that storytelling also, like, I was all part of just like let's give something that looks aspirational. And I think with comedies, that just doesn't work. Like, we need to make it feel like it's relatable for us. So when it wasn't relatable, I think they just didn't pan out. I tried with blockers to make sure that the families lived, like, they lived in homes that

real houses. And not like three million dollar homes, you know? Yes. Yeah. And I remember getting a note, too, of like, saying like, it looks like, where everybody would live. And I was like, yeah, I'm intentionally doing that. Like, I wanted to go back to the look of a John Hughes movie, you know, like, where it just felt like, oh, I've, that feels like a neighborhood that I grew up in or I can absolutely relate to that. And if you can relate to it,

then it's worth your, you know, worth seeing, I think. Was there anything that you went back and watched? You mentioned John Hughes before you started making the movie to kind of get a vibe. Yeah, I mean, I rewatch all of, I just love John Hughes so much and I love all of his movies. And I was at the right age for like breakfast club and weird science and Ferris Blows Day Off. I mean, if you had asked me, I'd been like, weird science is the funniest thing I've ever seen. Really? Like, I loved it so much. But I went and he didn't direct Pretty and Pink.

He just wrote it, but just. But I went back and rewatched that because I loved how he shot the prom. I thought that the... Your movie did remind me of that. It just, it was so cool and had this beautiful mural that was amazing. And it was very Chicago. and I just felt that like Molly Ringwald's character not having money. I grew up without having money and, you know,

I just felt it was really relatable and how they talked to each other. Was it important that your movie be set in the Midwest and Illinois as well? The first thing I did was change it. Really? Put it in Chicago, yeah. Why? Obviously you're from Illinois, but why was it important to make the movie there? I wanted it to feel like a John Hughes movie and, you know,

his movies were set there. and his influence on me is so great. And then also, yeah, because I live there. And I wanted it to be in the Midwest because I wanted, again, to feel like every town or something, you know. And I think that sometimes when we get on the coasts, there's like just a different vibe of kid in a way. Or, I mean, maybe that's not fair to say.

But it was originally set in Jersey and I just didn't connect there, you know. And I think that their proms have. a different style, you know, like, and then there would have been like a beach house instead of a lake house, you know, like, like, I'm from Long Island so I can relate to the, I would have identified the jersey one a little bit more, I think, yeah. So when you're finished with shooting the film, are you showing cuts to other, to friends, to people that you've worked with and saying, can you help me figure out where this goes or are you sequestered and alone with your

editor? I'm both those things. I'm sequestereded alone with her. Stacey Schroder. It was a, uh, my editor. And we, you know, work for a really long time that I've, eventually show the producers and then the studio. And then I did a bunch of friends and families, like, where I just, I brought people into the actual editing bay. And then I also went and had, like, screenings with friends and family, which are, they're so hard on you. And it's really in a great way, like that you want them to be.

Like, you want your, you know. What was the toughest feedback you got? Oh, well, my first friends and family because I hadn't, we hadn't really figured out butt chugging. We hadn't cut it to its highest comedic potential. We hadn't figured out butt chugging as a phenomenal sentence. Because at that point it had only been like three weeks in my 10 week director's cut. So it was pretty early on. And they were like, I don't even know if you should have it. Like they thought it was like too broad and like they were really enjoying some of its other stuff.

And then you know like I showed them at almost two hour long movie that had a lot of other scenes that But you find out, oh, you just don't need those scenes and you're crafting the story. And, yeah, you just, it's like, you know, sometimes it's really brutal what they'll be like, what's their motivation? You know, like this really long, like, I don't know if you're going to do reshoots, but can you make this person the lead? Is this like your aunt saying this to you? No, no, no. It's like people in the industry who are your friends that like come and see it. That sounds like something that someone in your family learns you're supposed to say.

So then they're trying to emulate some sort of like Hollywood persona. That's very funny. So then what happens after that? You just go back in the editing room and you cut, cut, cut. And you just keep honing, keep working on it, keep doing everything. Then you have a preview in front of a regular audience. And then you get your test scores and feedback from them. And then I showed it to another friends and family.

And then another, we did three previews. It's like I wanted everybody's eyes on it because I think notes are really valuable. and I'm kind of like I'm really academic that way in terms of like school. Like I like getting notes and I like to figure things out. How much of that is coming from a TV background too where that's much more traditional. Yeah, yeah. But also like I really loved school and I really responded to that. I like have a master's in education and I've never used it.

Well, in the way you are using it. So you're going to make more movies? I hope so. What are you going to do? I don't know. If people don't go see this one, then I'm going to make more TV. What do you, what do you, well, what is success for you with this movie? Like, how do you know if you did what you set out to do?

Well, I feel it's already, for me personally, felt successful because the reviews that have come in have been really great. And, you know, you don't want to hang your hat on reviews if you feel like you've made the movie you want to make. But I feel like the movie I wanted to make is resonating in the way. that I wanted it to. So you do read reviews, though? Yeah, I do. You're comfortable with that. Well, no, I hate it.

It's terrible. But it's certainly nice when it's nice. And what I've loved is that they're experiencing it in the times up movement and it's adding to the movement as opposed to detracting. Yeah, I want to ask you about that. So I feel like there's a, even in a conversation like this, there's a moment where you have to say, in this time, you're a female filmmaker. or what does this mean? But you feel comfortable just leaning into it

and saying like this is the right story for this exact moment. Yeah, I do because look, we shot the movie before the Times Up movement happened.

But in talking about the script, you know, to go back to when I was like sat in front of the producers and I was like, this is what's important to me, whatever, blah, blah, or this is the things

I would like to change. It's like, us ladies have been having this conversation forever. They just haven't been listened to. So it's like, I've been wanting to tell a story where,

Pitch Perfect, for example, would be like a bunch of ladies being really funny and being great friends and it not being about who they're dating. And, you know, so and then just with blockers, like the idea of consent and the idea of the double standard. And like I had been dying to like talk about that. And like, why is it such a big deal for girls but not for guys? And we were very careful and like kind of hitting all the bases of getting every point of view in the movie. And then now that it's out during this movement and, like, Like in the movie, Kayla, she says, before I take a sip of alcohol, I want to have sex tonight. Like, it was, like, important to hear that for, just like, she's giving consent. While sober. Well, while sober. And then all the guys, when one of the daughters doesn't want to have sex, they're so respectful and nice. And, like, when they hear no, they pull back. And those were all things that I wanted to show, regardless of what's happening.

Yeah. Yeah. So it's just ringing true and it feels like it's accentuating the movement because these were things that were important. I'm just so excited the movie actually got made. I'm excited that it had gotten greenlit that we were able to make it prior to this,

but there was studio executives at Universal who were like, yes, this is a movie worth telling and showing and we think it's going to be successful and we know we can market it. Yes. I talked to a friend after I saw it this week and he said to me, I thought the movie was really funny

and also I agreed with its politics, which I think made him like it more, which is interesting. How do you balance, it's not a message movie exactly. It's sort of like a point of view movie. It's like this is how some people see the world and it's okay to see the world this way.

Was it hard to actually solidify that when you were making the movie? Well, it wasn't necessarily hard, but I was really protective of that Marcy Lisa scene. So it's Marcy, who's John Cee. She is the wife in the movie. She is the, you know, so she's the daughter of Kayla. And then Lisa, they have a confrontation about, you know, so they're the moms of both these daughters. And Marcy thinks it's ridiculous that they're trying to chase after their kids and stop them from having sex.

And she's like, why in the world, like, how can we treat girls as equal when their own parents won't? Because like if a boy loses its virginity, it's no big deal. But for a girl, it's some loss of innocence. And they go toe to toe where Marcy is like, Lisa, I can't believe you're on their side. And one of my favorite lines of the movie is when Lisa's like, like, I'll worry about society tomorrow. I can't think about that. Tonight I'm just thinking about my daughter because I think that's how most parents feel. But then when they have this toe to toe, it's so important to me because I wanted it to be from moms whose daughters this was about, not just like a random, a mom of a son or a mom of a daughter who didn't make the pact or whatever to show these different sides.

I don't think it was as important to the guys that I was working with. But for me, it really was. And we've gotten, like, when people have been critical of the film, there has been like, oh, it is too preachy. But I don't see it that way. Like, I feel like if we didn't have that scene in there, we would be getting nabbed for not, like, exploring the double standard and it being too controlling of, like, parents trying to control their kids.

And I do think that parents have different points of views on this, you know? And I think it was great to, it's good to show both of those. Yeah, I thought it was really nuanced, which is why it works. You know, it's not, it isn't definitively like, this is the right way. It's how some people feel. This is how other people feel. Yeah. There can be some friction there and it's not a problem.

Yeah. I also think this might be completely irrelevant, but there will be a lot of dudes who see the movie that are like not all teenage boys are like pure assholes. You know, some of them are trying to be respectful and thoughtful and still trying to have fun with their girlfriends. You know, that's, that is a possibility in the universe. Absolutely, for sure. And when making it, I didn't even realize, like, I wanted to make sure that Connor was, you didn't know who to root for. Connor dates, goes on to prom with Kayla. He has a top knot and he, like, cooks drugs and this stuff and gives drugs to Kayla.

So I wanted the audience to be like, oh, I want Mitchell to stop them because he's giving his, you know, daughter drugs. But I also wanted them to be like, oh, don't stop him because he's really nice. And they're getting along really well. There's a really good chemistry there. And they're having fun and he's sweet. So I wanted to have both those things. But there's the line in the movie. I remember getting notes from the producer to cut it.

And I was like, to me, it was looking back now one of the most important lines to me, which is Kayla sitting on the bed with Mitchell, her dad. And she says, why is sex so bad? and he has an answer but when I ended up pulling just him going like I don't know like I just kind of pulled from different takes to make this long like I have no idea

because I think it's so complicated that's how most dads would respond Yeah yeah They wouldn't have an answer enunciate that feeling Yeah and it's like it isn't but for whatever reason I

It is I can't help it I just want to protect you and I love how she says, like, why is sex so bad? Because it's like, Mitchell doesn't want to say, well, because a lot of really bad things happen. And you don't know that yet. And but at the same time, like from her perspective, she just wants to have a good time. Sophisticated idea in a movie with butt chugging. What makes the movie good?

Okay, I like to end every episode by asking filmmakers, what's the last great thing that they've seen. So what is the last great thing that you've seen? Oh, American Vandal. Oh, yeah. I love that show. What did you like about it? I loved every element of that show. It's so ingenious.

Oh, and also the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I love that show, too. Both good. Yeah. Those are different shows. Yeah, they are. American Vandal, I thought, was absolutely incredible. Yeah, I did.

I feel like it was a genius move. And then halfway through, I was like, oh, they made this move. And I thought, oh, it was going to go, like, it was going to lose its awesomeness a little bit. And instead, it made it that much better. And I don't know. And then I was kind of emotional at the end. They really committed to the bit. Yeah. Okay, thank you so much for doing this.

I really appreciate it. Congrats on Blockers. Thank you. Thanks again for listening to this week's episode of The Big Picture. For more on Blockers, check out the ringer.com and Kristen Yunsu Kim's story about Leslie man and the movie. And for more on movies, maybe tune in to Andre the Giant, Tuesday, April 10th on HBO. That movie is produced by Ringer Films and HBO.

And if you want to learn a little bit more about Andre, check out the Bill Simmons podcast next week. There'll be a conversation with the filmmaker, Jason Hare, myself, and of course, its host, Bill Simmons. Thanks again. See you next week. We've got exciting news for all you ringer heads out there. The ringer has new merchandise with a shiny new storefront that you can check out right now.

We've got hats, hoodies, an exclusive Shea Serrano disrespectful dunk t-shirt, a blog boys t-shirt, dad hats. Your friends will be low-key jealous when they see you strutting down the street with an official ringer zip-up hoodie. Previously available only to our staff, we are letting you, our loyal listeners, get first dibs on the goods. So go to the ringer.com slash shop

to pre-order your merch now. These are limited-run items and will not last long. Again, check out the ringer.com slash shop to pre-order your official ringer merchandise today. You can also find the link to the ringer web store in the podcast description.