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Ira and Louis discuss the Tony Awards, BET Awards, J Lo at World Pride, Gen Z trend pieces, and new music from Addison Rae, Mariah Carey, Sabrina Carpenter, and Madonna. Benito Skinner joins to discuss Overcompensating, translating millennial life to television, and more.

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TRANSCRIPT

Ira Madison III And we are back with an all-new episode of Keep It. I am Ira Madison III.

 

Louis Virtel I am Louis Virtel, and once again, it is time, let’s get loud. My favorite lyrics from America the Beautiful, as you’ll recall from Biden’s inauguration festivities.

 

Ira Madison III J-Lo was at world pride in DC and let me tell you something, she was cutting up.

 

Louis Virtel Not only was she cutting up, she was doing all sorts of hokey-pokey like things. She bent over in front of the crowd in this fifth element like singlet. And I mean, you won’t be surprised to learn that she looked amazing. But my god, I mean she was really showing hole for the queens. I mean there’s no other way to put it. I mean, it was like in your face.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, DC World Pride was really in my face, you know. I wasn’t even in the country. I wasn’t even at DC World pride. I was in London, as you know, hanging out with the queen. Which we don’t have anymore, so you weren’t, okay. Nicki Minaj.

 

Louis Virtel I think she was there. Yeah

 

Ira Madison III Yes, I visited the set of the no-frauds video.

 

Louis Virtel Ah, got it.

 

Ira Madison III What some people call Westminster Bridge.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Sure, sure, sure. Yes, I saw a lot of West World Pride on my-

 

Ira Madison III I was assaulted by World Pride content and it looked like the ghetto.

 

Louis Virtel Well, I’ll say this. I mean, I like that World Pride exists and there’s like, you know, it’s like the Gay Sex Olympics. Like, all our top candidates from all over the country come together and, you know, blow each other. I don’t know how else to put it. But you do get some good pop music concerts at these things. And JLo performed and she did a rousing version of Freedom 90, the George Michael classic. Her team did some homework. They’re like, who is a gay pop star that we can sing a song of and that other people know this. They did, it was good work. But my problem with World Pride was it wasn’t a long weekend. So I feel like if I had flown in on Friday, I would have had to leave on like Sunday morning. So people who can take off Monday, enjoy. I hate you. Get the faggots out of the swamp. I don’t want to see that. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it’s also DC. I’m sorry. It’s it’s not even just the trumpness of it all, you know, while the Gays are living it up Everyone thought it was going to be a trap by the way

 

Louis Virtel Like the movie trap.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, like, that’s why I kept telling friends, I’m certainly not going to World Pride in D.C. Because it’s trap. This is all the gays at one place, he’s going to get rid of them. But as it turns out, it was a slight of hand. While the gals were parting it up, the National Guard was busy all over the U.S.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Namely over here in Los Angeles, downtown, friends of mine were even taken in, like one of them was just released. It’s an utter hellscape over here. And I’d want to say it’s not because of the people in Los Angles, it’s single-handedly because of our president who is just running game on Peaceful Protesters.

 

Ira Madison III Kamala said was gonna happen last year and everyone was like, that sounds crazy.

 

Louis Virtel Right, yeah. I’m sure lots of people who have lost to Trump in elections said things that we should have heeded more closely, but you know.

 

Ira Madison III Go to the polls right and did we was no we Pokemon went to DC World Pride

 

Louis Virtel Our first mistake.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t know. So aside from the Trump of it all, too, I just feel like DC isn’t giving, it’s not giving world pride to me. Okay? It’s just not giving, like is DC what you want to present as part of the best of the United States?

 

Louis Virtel I will just say it feels a bit small for World Pride, you know, like, like when we, uh, we were both at World Pride in New York and yeah, we turned it out and the scale of it is, was so shocking as in how big it can get in that space. And it was just, I, I’ve said this before, I felt too supported. I was like, I have nothing to push against. Yes, precisely.

 

Ira Madison III And it was all weekend, it was in Manhattan, it was Brooklyn, it’s in Queens, it was everywhere. And DC just, it felt like they set up, you know, one Coachella stage and trucked all these people out and then it was over.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. But again, we did get JLo who, as I noted from the time I saw her in her Vegas presidency, she will outlast an entire crowd. The woman is not just like incredibly in shape. She is fully hyper energetic. So that is at least the right energy level to bring to World Pride.

 

Ira Madison III Oh please. I still remember one of my favorite Instagrams of hers, which was, it was like Thanksgiving fucking morning or the day after Thanksgiving. And she’s just like wearing a mid-drift, showing off the abs. It’s someone has taken a pap shot or something of her getting out of her car, going into the gym and the caption is just something like, RIP to the calories.

 

Louis Virtel Because she’s in that community of people like Mario Lopez where every time they eat even one thing, they have to do a post about how, by the way, I’m still ripped or whatever.

 

Ira Madison III Speaking of JLo, the best thing to happen this weekend involving her was the release of the Kiss of the Spider-Woman trailer, which looked good as hell.

 

Louis Virtel I am very curious about this movie, because I still think it can go either way. There’s something about a musical trailer. We all remember the trailer for the movie Nine and how amazing we thought it was going to be. And then I was asleep in moments watching that movie. So I think the ultimate example of this is the movie Speed Racer, which had an unbelievable trailer. And then minutes into the movie, I was speed racing to a coma.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, well what we’re not going to do is slander Speed Racer here.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I’m sorry.

 

Ira Madison III I mean like you know

 

Louis Virtel I love the old cartoon. Racer X would date.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, support trans cinema, first of all.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. I hate the Wachowskis and trans-ness is what you should have interpreted from that. Your speed race into the big, big, beautiful Bill. Oh, God. Okay. I do think the trailer looks good. I like the musical too. Famously, Cheetah Rivera won a Tony for it. KANDERMAN!

 

Ira Madison III Yeah

 

Louis Virtel And I love the old movie Kiss of the Spider Woman with the legendary Raoul Julia and Academy Award winner William Hurt. And I’m so curious about the starring role from Tona in this movie. You probably know him from the Fire Island movie too. And he’s starring basically opposite J. Lo in this.

 

Ira Madison III He’s a friend, he’s great. I’ve been so excited for this role to materialize for him because I remember him being cast in it and now it’s just, he looks great in the trailer. Diego Luna, I’d kind of honestly forgotten about him.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, he is he is an Andor person, whatever that means, I’ll never know. But I feel like this this movie could go either way. Something about it says chasing a golden globe and not going to get it. I can’t explain it. I don’t know what it is.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I am just hoping for a banger from Bill Condon because, let me tell you something, Chicago is feeling a lot like an anomaly.

 

Louis Virtel Some directors they just have the one thing that really happened for them and then you look at the rest of the catalog and you’re like Well, this is confusing. This is It’s like God gave you Uncursed you or rather you made a deal with God quote Kate Bush And then you have to pay for it with the rest your career

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, I obviously still love Dreamgirls and I love gods and monsters.

 

Louis Virtel Can I tell you something? I just watched Gods and Monsters recently, and I don’t love the vibe of that movie. It’s too self-meaning gay stuff. Anyway.

 

Ira Madison III I haven’t seen it in forever, so maybe.

 

Louis Virtel Ian McKellen’s really good at it.

 

Ira Madison III Okay, maybe when I saw it younger in in my self-hating gay era, yeah

 

Louis Virtel Where you slayed by the way, yeah.

 

Ira Madison III It spoke to me. I’ll revisit it, and then I’ll fill you in on my thoughts. But after that, when he did Breakin’ Dawn, part one and two, it was a wrap for her.

 

Louis Virtel Not that I don’t think there was any potential for those movies to be even remotely good, but Beauty and the Beast live action

 

Ira Madison III Oh god, and let us not forget The good liar wait who is in the good liar that was Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen

 

Louis Virtel In that secret Nazi twist movie? Yes. Well, you know that Helen Mirren has a condition where she’ll sign up for anything, right? Look at the filmography. She’s like, throw the check out the window, I’m going to jump and get it.

 

Ira Madison III My favorite of those is her just being in the Fast and Furious movies.

 

Louis Virtel No, or like red or whatever. She’s just around for stuff. I can’t get over that Winchester fucking movie I saw with her in it. Also, did we give her an Oscar for looking like the Queen, or was she really amazing as the Queen? Her best movie is Madness of King George. We can talk about Helen Eyre in some other time.

 

Ira Madison III I think you need to sit down with Alan Mirren so you can, you know, really get to it.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay, well Frost Nixon like sit down with Helen Mirren. Actually, she’s a really good interviewee. Come on, keep it Helen Mirran. I won’t be as insulting.

 

Ira Madison III Uh, so what are we talking about this week?

 

Louis Virtel Actually, a lot of stuff I’m really excited to talk about. We got a bunch of new pop girl releases, including a new track from Sabrina Carpenter. You may remember her from our last song of the summer and perhaps the last song of the Summer of all time, Espresso. She’s back now with Man Child. We have the new album from Addison Rae, which we’ve all been curious about because we all don’t really know what Addison Ray is. So we were hoping for answers on this album, which is called Addison, which is what I believe what she will be calling herself from here on out. Which I believe is treading right on Kate Walsh Gray’s Anatomy territory.

 

Ira Madison III Because this has been promoted as

 

Louis Virtel And last

 

Ira Madison III album from Addison Rae.

 

Louis Virtel Because she’s going as Addison, which is not a compellingly different name. And also Addison Rae is better to say.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I mean, it also makes Meredith Gray feel a little less scared.

 

Louis Virtel And I’m constantly concerned about her well-being. The world’s most traumatized person, Meredith Gray. And of course, Mariah Carey has a new song too. We’ll be discussing that. We also have an interview today with the queen of the moment, really, Benito Skinner, star of Overcompensating, a show we’ve talked about ad nauseam on this show already, but I’ve never met this guy before and he’s just some, like, you know, gay about time. I’m excited just to connect. Yeah. And then.

 

Ira Madison III And also, the Tonys happened.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, oh yes, that giant award show. And we’ll get into the ins and outs of that, including the most contested best actress race in musical history at the Tonys, which was brilliantly introduced by Oprah. I was very excited about that saucy moment from Oprah. We rarely get that side of her.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And in the Mariah discussion, I will also get to the other big award show that was last night. The BET Awards happened. Oh, yes. And it was the 25th anniversary. And there were some good ass performances.

 

Louis Virtel There always are. It’s like an underrated award show in that regard. And of course, Queen Dochi had a statement that we’ll get into too. All on today’s Keep It. I love this part of the show where we just say, you won’t believe what’s coming up.

 

Ira Madison III Alright, we’ll be right back.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III The 78th Annual Tony Awards were Sunday night, featuring phenomenal music numbers, historic wins, and some light shade to Miss Patti LuPone. And then, the 25th Annual BET Awards were Monday night, featuring phenomenal musical numbers, historic wins and some heavy shade to ICE and Donald Trump.

 

Louis Virtel Courtesy of Doechii, who gave a really awesome statement about that whole thing. She in fact phrased it as, I want to address what’s happening outside the building right now since we’re right in the thick of this.

 

Ira Madison III Literally.

 

Louis Virtel I hate to say I’m so thankful for her for speaking out about it, but I feel like right now in America, when people speak out against whatever, Israel or whether they’re It’s like there’s no end to the risks that could be following you. Like, you don’t know who’s going to react to you in the administration or, like, what, you know, what, what how you could be punished, et cetera. So I think I’m especially grateful to celebrities who at least will always have the clout they have for saying anything about these issues.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And it’s also come, I think in a recent award season where we sort of got nothing from people on the mic. And now it seems a bit more prescient to be saying, more urgent to be something because obviously, as you said, it’s happening outside in Los Angeles, you know? And the BET Awards, you know, where else are you going to say something like that, you know, when a room full of black people, you know, like Doechii was like. And didn’t just speak out against ICE and Donald Trump. You know, she spoke up for trans people. She spoke up other queer people, spoke up black people, for Latinos. So I was really happy for her using her platform in that way. And I just think she’s great.

 

Louis Virtel I know she’s turning into this like A plus celebrity. I mean, ever since, I mean the songs are good enough, but then when she was a guest star on Drag Race and she was hilarious in addition to seemingly actually understanding where the queens were coming from, like somebody who has done the homework in every possible regard and then still seems cool on top of it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. So, um, I really enjoyed her. And obviously it was the 20th anniversary of the BET Awards. So we got a lot of throwback performances, which is just a reminder of when the BET awards used to be appointment TV. And, you know, you got Ashanti performing, you’ve got Amerie who came out on stage. Amerie’s had a rough week, okay?

 

Louis Virtel Guys, I don’t know if you saw this.

 

Ira Madison III That Tiny Desk?

 

Louis Virtel There was a Tiny Desk concert and Amerie, who, as you know, has a couple of amazing songs. I don’t think you would ever meet a music critic who said, one thing wasn’t one of the best songs of the 2000s.

 

Ira Madison III It’s Bjork’s favorite.

 

Louis Virtel Indeed it is. It suddenly became one of worst songs of 2000s, when we heard it on Tiny Desk. It’s a hard song to sing, but at the same time, if it’s your signature song, Can we do another take? What’s happening?

 

Ira Madison III Right. I am just remembering to recently, she was teasing new music and the producer was playing the track. Like I think they released like a TikTok or YouTube or something. And the music that was being played one just sounded like rehashed one thing and it was and also, like, girl, I’m not trying to hear this.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, we’ve heard enough. We already heard this. In fact, again, my favorite thing about one thing is allegedly JLo wanted that song and then Amerie wouldn’t let it go. And then because of that, JLo said, well, then I want a song that sounds like one thing. And then that turned into her song, Get Right, which as you know, is not as good as one thing

 

Ira Madison III Yes, and then also, the same producer for Crazy in Love also did one thing. And so there’s the, you know, people try to say that Beyoncé was stealing it, even though it came out earlier. But I really think that Beyonce was just like, I like this sound, let’s get it out there first. It’s the same producers. I mean, that mess happened to her with Halo too, and that Kelly Clarkson song.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right, right. Who are your favorite performances?

 

Ira Madison III BET Awards.

 

Louis Virtel You can just do whatever, she can just whatever.

 

Ira Madison III Right. She’s shaping up to be the… It’s so funny, right? You know, I think that everyone’s always talking about who’s the next Beyonce, right. And the person who’s going to be the next superstar isn’t always going to be, you know, a carbon copy of what we saw before. They’re going to their own thing, right, and I think from Tiana Taylor’s performance last night, fucking amazing. And… When you think about her acting too, 1001, which she was amazing in.

 

Louis Virtel That to me was maybe a definitive snub of last year. I know that movie didn’t gain a lot of traction. You would never watch that movie and think she didn’t deserve an Oscar nomination. She ran that movie.

 

Ira Madison III Um, I think that what’s so interesting is that we usually get these, um, performers who then try to do acting, um or vice versa, right? And she is just proficient in everything. Like she’s giving real triple threat.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, everything I see her do feels like the primary thing she does. And we’re also, of course, getting her as the star of a Dionne Warwick biopic. And she’s also starring in the next Paul Thomas Anderson movie, which I’m a little on the fence about looking at the trailer, but you know, Leo’s in it being gritty. And I think maybe that’s more of what I’m dubious about.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, but, um, she’s really just giving you all different facets of a career. And I’m really just excited about where she’s going in the future. And one last person that I really loved was Leon Thomas, who has this song, Mutt, which is apparently 13 on the billboard charts. I don’t pay attention to those charts.

 

Louis Virtel Well, especially now that it’s like Morgan Wallen’s Hot 100.

 

Ira Madison III But he’s an R&B singer who started out on Broadway, by the way, in like Color Purple and other shows. And Nickelodeon is lately churning out, like we had all the Disney girls pop up and now Nickelodean people are starting to rise out. You have like Coco Jones, obviously Ariana Grande comes from Nickelodeion. You had Victoria Justice before. Leon was on Victorious.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay.

 

Ira Madison III And he, when I went to look at his writing credits, he wrote on SZA’s song, Snooze, and also he is all over Ariana’s R&B songs. Like he wrote Nasty, he wrote Safety Net, he wrote a bunch of the songs from her first album alongside Victoria Monet. So this is another person who has been just working in the industry and now he has a song on the billboard charts. And I went listen to his album immediately after watching the performance. So.

 

Louis Virtel Well, I will say I’m always rooting for the Bonnie McKees of the world. The people who are architects of a kind of a pop sound. They’re crucial in the development of other artists. You know, Bonnie wrote Teenage Dream and Roar for getting married. And then she does have like her own pop career. But like it’s just, you know, you want people to have the Carole King tapestry moment, the coming out from the shadows and becoming the star that they’ve always written for.

 

Ira Madison III I love her TikToks, too, by the way.

 

Louis Virtel Bonnie McKee, she’s always playing her old demos. She tells you also about the industry. It’s like very explicit in a way that we’re always like kind of confused about. Because there’s, we always talk about how there’s so much murkiness about who’s actually writing these songs. Because there’ll be seven crowded writers on a song, including the main artist. And you’re like, is Taylor Swift really writing with Max Martin? She probably is, but I feel like most people with those credits aren’t necessarily.

 

Ira Madison III Unfortunately, you know, a person who was a writer and then had their own solo moment. I believe they performed at sort of an event around the BET Awards. Miss Keri, baby. Oh, no. Miss Keri Hilson. I think that I was having a moment this year where I really was happy to have Keri Hilson back. I was spinning her, like I was listening to Pretty Girl Rock. I was listened to Turn Me On. Like it was just back in the Zeitgeist for some reason and I was listen to her and I so excited. For her new album to drop, and it’s a mess.

 

Louis Virtel It didn’t knock you down as it were.

 

Ira Madison III The production is just not there and I want to do a wellness check on her because if you Go and look at this performance that she did at the BET experience. Look it up. She She’s like fiddling with her bra strap and everything like she’s she seems a mess.

 

Louis Virtel Not a. Not present. A little bit out of sorts.

 

Ira Madison III It’s giving like, people were throwing Beyonce CDs at her before she walked in and she still frazzled. Remember that era?

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God. Oh my god. We’re often cruel to performers.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t know if you know. Yeah. Anyway, I hope she’s well. I missed the old music, but her performance was just not it, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Let me say something else about performances that may not be it but not because of the performers themselves the Tony Awards this week I have to say now there was there were there were some fine performances and as we know it was like a Banner year for Broadway allegedly the most profitable probably for dubious reasons I’ve never seen Broadway is back, but I’ve ever seen an awards telecast with more mic problems I mean yes was going on not like half of the performances were wonky including Nicole Scherzinger

 

Ira Madison III I was, because I was in London, as you know, the Toadies came on at about 2 a.m. On Monday for me. And so I tried to stay up and I fell asleep at my computer trying to log into my VPN. So I watched it last night and wow. I can see why the sentiment online with this Nicole versus Audra McDonald thing, I can see why it got a bit more heated. After the Tonys where people are, obviously saw that fucking fantastic performance from Audra McDonald, right? Followed up Nicole’s performance, which was just lackluster to me and the mic wasn’t really working and it just didn’t seem like, it in no way translated the performance that I saw in that theater, which was a fucking powerhouse.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. But I mean, like, I did see some people trying to claim that Nicole Scherzinger can’t act. It’s like that’s for me, cowardly thing to say. And something you you’re saying because she’s a former pop star, and it probably seems like she’s leaping into this role. And it’s more about the voice and less about the acting. Oh, no, she is grisly as Norma does.

 

Ira Madison III She’s feral in that show.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. No, you are the power she’s bringing. You’re both bracing yourself from it and leaning in towards it.

 

Ira Madison III She is the show, to be honest. I saw it, I still need to go back and see it actually with Tom Francis, that sexy slab of meat.

 

Louis Virtel There’s something about him that’s like, I can’t look too long.

 

Ira Madison III Girl, I need to go and see it with him because I saw the understudy, but she was the show for me. And Tom Francis, he did a get ready with me thing for GQ, get ready for the Tony’s. They love to do those things. Like they did one for Scarlett Johansson for Vanity Fair, I think, where they’re just in the bathrobe. And there’s a moment where he’s sitting in his bathrobe on the couch in his hotel room, legs spread eagle.

 

Louis Virtel No, no, and as I said

 

Ira Madison III Baby, run to Instagram.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, he’s the only person I’ve ever seen with star-making thighs. I’ll say it again. Yeah. But I will say this. I don’t know why we ever really doubted Nicole was going to win. I mean, like that performance has been, there’s been the most chatter about that performance in a positive way this year than anything else.

 

Ira Madison III Sort of made people think that there was going to be a groundswell of voting, and people assured me that there were still time to vote, but I really don’t think people were waiting until the last minute to vote for best actress, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Right. Right. I also think, yes, Audra does give you a glorious acting moment in the number we saw, Rose’s Turn, obviously, but I also feel it feels a little bit jam-packed into that show and the rest of the show doesn’t really reflect that climactic moment we get from her. All the trauma and all the resentment we see in that performance, I’m not saying is not well acted, but it’s also like you went a little hard for. Rose’s turn, I don’t know, for me.

 

Ira Madison III Well, I think the problem that a lot of people have stated, too, is that it’s just the rest of the show isn’t grim gypsy. It’s not gritty, realistic gypsy, it’s sort of like, I don’t know, it it’s like watching the movie Dick and then all of a sudden you throw the end of Boogie Nights into it. It’s like, they’re both.

 

Louis Virtel I kind of concur actually again she’s a tremendous actress whatever but I think it would have felt a little weird if that were her seventh Tony honestly though Amy Rogers had come away with it I would have also been very happy for her.

 

Ira Madison III I will also say, people, obviously people are at home and they’re like, we love Audra, she’d give her all the fucking toties, which, yes, I feel that way for Carrie Young and we’ll get to her in a minute, but I think you just also have to think about the fact that people who are voting are also just sort of like, okay, girl, she has six toties. She’s the most rewarded ever. She still has the, She still has that record, so giving Nicole one isn’t going to change anything.

 

Louis Virtel Right. And I’m sure the seventh and eighth Tonys for Audra are incoming at some point. She’s got plenty of time. But okay. Elsewhere in the award show, Cynthia Erivo, a good host. I feel like the host of the Tonys. And look, we had Ariana DeBose, who is sort of in the same lane of like showman, not really hilarious, but like a light chuckle is what she’s going for. I do think I want someone who brings a harder laugh, generally speaking, when they host an award show. Even though the way she compensated for that was several musical numbers in which she sounded fantastic, including climactically a standup of, and I’m telling you, I’m not going, where, I mean, it was just a gag to watch her sing that song, as it is to watch or sing anything.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I actually just, I thought you got a lot of personality from sending her a revo witness that we haven’t really been able to see. Um, during the wicked press tour, which was, you know, a lot of crime.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, a lot of like, what have you guys been going through? Yes, right.

 

Ira Madison III This was fun. I loved how she delivered that Jonathan Groff line. I think that was the funniest joke.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, that was the funniest part of the show, that little bit she did from the balcony.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. But one, thinking about just like how raucous Old Mary is, right? And the fact that people are just fucking cracking up in the theater again. And honestly, even Purpose is a very funny play, you know? It’s just, you’re watching it and you’re sort of like, is Broadway not funny? Like it’s sort of giving like plaza, like how Plaza Suite was like. Light chuckles and being bored, as Sir Joseph Parker and Matthew Broder, yeah, old hat, and it just, it felt very old hat. And it’s just sort of, let’s freshen it up, you know? I’m not saying Cole should be hosting, but someone like Cole, you now? Like someone with some fun, modern energy, some modern jokes, just make, it felt just very sort of retrograde to me, the whole. Um, greatest showman vibe of the hosting for the Tonys. And it’s just sort of like, let’s make the Tonies a little bit more modern, you know, just in the person who’s hosting.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, and obviously she’s like a huge star and get so I sort of get the star power angle of it But you’re right like it did end up feeling a little bit old-fashioned Cole would be an interesting host Well, also Cole is just a very interesting personality to be thrust forward in the whole Broadway scape Like on the red carpet, they were being asked, you know, very sincere questions And I’m not saying Cole is not capable of being sincere, but the vibe is way more droll and acerbic and strange.

 

Ira Madison III And Mad Cat, the answers?

 

Louis Virtel Then what people want. You know? So when people are like, say something to LGBT people, I’m like, you know what? You don’t really have to. Yeah. But then they did. Then they said, you’re right and everybody’s wrong. There’s a kind of sauciness and maybe even saltiness, which then they exhibited later by… They were getting interviewed when Nicole Scherzinger, one of the kind. I cracked up. And they said four more years. I mean, so funny.

 

Ira Madison III But there’s an interview with, I think, like Access Hollywood or E-news or something where it’s just, you’re getting hilarious, jokey answers to like these dumb red carpet questions, which other people would just sort of like play ball with, you know? And I’m interested in where Cole goes after this, you now, because it’s obviously going to have to be more, feels like it’s more stuff starring them, you no? Yeah, right. Just vehicles like that. I’m thinking about Cole just stepping into some other role. But I don’t want to see that, or maybe I do want to see that.

 

Louis Virtel And I also want to say I was just devastated with admiration when Cole walked in resembling Bernadette Peters during her, I think late 90s Tony win, looking, having the same hair. And by the way, Cole has played Bernadettes Peters a number of times in their sketch history, but I don’t think I ever really took stock of the fact that they really look like Bernadett Peters. It was like, it was really smart for them to do. And by way, I think Cole is the perfect example of someone who should do my award show fantasy, which is when you accept an award, do verbatim somebody’s speech from award show history and pretend it is your own. My dream is to do Cloris Leachman’s 1972 ceremony, best supporting actress, and nobody knows that. I thank all the same people and they don’t exist and I’ve never met them.

 

Ira Madison III I’ll save that in my pocket one day, and if I ever win something, just for you, Louis, I will do a Halle Berry’s Oscar speech.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, but that would be so funny. The first calling yourself the first woman of color to do something. Come on. Or or actually do Sam Smith’s. Yes. Right. I think I’m the first gay person ever. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I also thought we could have gotten a funnier thing in the intro just because there were so many funny people surrounding Cynthia in the opening. It was nice to see Larry Owens. I saw my friend Michael Rashon there. Drew Droege. It was like, give us some jokes.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, Alex Edelman did have a funny moment, though, where he said, Hugh Jackman wants to be a part of this and he wants more than 75, but less than 77 trombones.

 

Ira Madison III Um, Kara Young got her second Tony.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. And also consecutive consecutive and

 

Ira Madison III Four consecutive NOMs, too. That’s wild. She really is the moment. She was amazing in purpose.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah, no purpose, which we talked about here before is about this family that has a patriarch who is like part of the civil rights movement. His wife sort of runs the show of the family and then the kids are all kind of near duels in various ways. But this girl played by Carrie Young kind of walks into the household and is very admiring of the patriarch whatever but she’s extremely nervous and like fraught and Carrie Young makes that role so fun. Actually, if you saw appropriate. His last play with Sarah Paulson, I saw Ella Beatty, Warren Beatty and Annette Benning’s daughter play a very similar role to this Aziza in that play. So it’s sort of a standard character for this playwright. But she was sensational and so you can’t take your eyes offer, she’s full of energy.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And I also just want to say that, for me, it was a toss up between who I wanted to win, you know, Purpose and O’Mary were my two faves really of the year. So either Brandon Jacob Jenkins winning or Coles Coles winning would have been fantastic, but I am very happy that Brandon won because he was the first black playwright to win best place since August Wilson for Fences in 1987.

 

Louis Virtel Oh Jesus how strange. I saw a couple people pretending that Omari was the favorite and snubbed but it’s like Purpose won the Pulitzer. No I expected Purpose to win.

 

Ira Madison III That’s another thing, too, where I feel like people create fantasies around award shows that make no sense. I don’t see a world where the play that won the Pulitzer does not win best play at the Tony’s.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right, right. I’m sure there’s only a couple of anomalies in that case, but it also feels like these are theories dredged up by people who have maybe heard of one play in the whole lineup.

 

Ira Madison III You know, right. Shout out to our Keep It guest, Derrick Chris.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Also, by the way, and Michael Arden, the director of that show friend of mine.

 

Ira Madison III Mm-hmm. And Maybe Happy Ending winning best musical.

 

Louis Virtel Also, I mean, like it was a spectacularly designed show and the performances in it elevated. And by that I mean it’s sort of a Pixar-esque storyline, you know, that’s like these two dying robots need to figure out their purpose. It sounds like every Pixar movie. But watching it and like the movements both Helen Shen and Darren Criss picked to illustrate their characters are so endearing. The vocals are so strong and crisp. I think it’s a musical that everybody loves, even if you can predict the story beats of it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I will say it did one best standing design, and that is a gorgeous set, but also the sightlines in that play suck.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, do you mean, depending on where you’re sitting? Oh, how interesting. You guys are depending on what you’re saying. Yeah, so. Because I had a.

 

Ira Madison III Really good scenes. Yes, well, I saw it twice, but I don’t know. It reminded me of the worst sight lines I’ve ever had in a play. And that is what I saw, the all black version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And it was just the bar that Brick is always at was downstage left. And it just so high.

 

Louis Virtel That you couldn’t see anything. That’s so annoying. Who was in that?

 

Ira Madison III That was Terrence Howard and Anika Noni-Rose, and, um, Felicia Rashad, and also, um… Felicia Rashaad was Big Mama. Yes. And James Earl Jones was Big Daddy.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, Jesus, you’ve got some Broadway in there. Yeah, that was a cast directed by Debbie Allen, Felicia’s sister. Jesus Christ, everybody’s invited.

 

Ira Madison III Now, Debbie, you’re a dancer, okay? You know about- Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Sight lines. So I was offended. From one dancer to another we’re so offended. One thing that surprised me you know Hamilton is a musical we’ve been that has been sandblasted into our lives for a decade now and they did a version of my shot that was a bit cabaret like everyone got to be a bit dressed up in contemporary clothes. Loved it I have to say. Yeah. It was so great to see a Philippa Sue and Renee Elise Goldsberry back together We’re done.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it was amazing just to see the whole cast of people that became stars from this show. Yes. Like it’s not just the fact that Hamilton was, I think a lot of people associate it with Obama era liberalism. And so they sort of want to knock it for that. And they want to dock Lin-Manuel Miranda as well, because people hate to see people win.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, right, right. But it’s also just, you know. It’s an amazing show. And also just like the pure, almost athletic skill of everybody involved. Like the rapping isn’t like easy to do. Like the words, it’s like, it’s you have to speak at auctioneer speed as you get through these songs. And so to watch them do it is like a bit of a feat in addition to being just, you know, a piece of theater that everybody knows now.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, and it was nice to see my friend Andrew Chappelle up there on stage, too. He was in the original cast of Hamilton. And it’s just is really just a moment, you know, and it was Nice to revisit it. It feels crazy that it’s been so long.

 

Louis Virtel Unfortunately, we’re about to reach the point where the shows that didn’t triumph at the Tonys will probably be closing soon. And I want to say, my guess is that Boop will be coming up on that. And I wanna say if you’ve got even, you know, one night to go and see something quickly, you should really go see Boop. It is such a pleasure and performance. We could go see boop. The best meme. Look up, we could go to see boob if you haven’t seen that yet.

 

Ira Madison III I am actually the most offended by the lack of Jasmine Amy Rogers highlighting at the Tonys. Because even in the beginning, when Cynthia Riva was naming people who were first time nominees, where was Jasmine Amy Rodgers’ shout out? Yeah. And the fact that Jasmine Amy Rogers did not perform at the Tonys.

 

Louis Virtel I signed a damn petition.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Okay. Um, I am upset. I don’t know, I guess.

 

Louis Virtel You have to, you know, pay to play. And by the way, it just, I have to say in the rest of the ceremony, we got performances from all the nominated musicals and some of them just did not turn out. I mean, like I just was not inspired by the Floyd Collins one, the Dead Outlaw one I didn’t think was that good. I have say, like, I hear everybody loves Buena Vista Social Club. I hear everyone loves BuenaVista Social club. That performance to me felt like, a show like that is always on Broadway. It felt like just traditional Broadway to me. I don’t know. I also

 

Ira Madison III I get pushing Megan Hilty, et cetera, but she did for the gays already on live TV. That’s just not the performance I want to see from that show at the Tony.

 

Louis Virtel No, me neither. And also, it feels very trite, like we get performances like about how we’re doing this for the gays all the time, I feel like, and that’s not the wittiest part of that show. That show is wittier than what you saw there.

 

Ira Madison III And I wanted to see Jennifer Samar. Like, how about the Tell Me Ernest song? That would have been great.

 

Louis Virtel Wait, question about Jennifer Samard. How did you feel about what she did during the Best Actress readout where she held up a sign that said that was rude?

 

Ira Madison III That was rude? Well, cause it references the song, that was rude. That was really, fuck it, rude from the song which is referencing the song from the show that became a TikTok meme, but it just didn’t land for me.

 

Louis Virtel I mean, it just, grammatically, doesn’t work. Like, I didn’t know what she was highlighting. It was like a little too scene-stealing. If she had revealed it maybe after the name had been read, that could have been funny, you know? But she did it too early.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, didn’t land for me. I would have rather have seen the song, Tell Me Ernest, by the way too. Because also people doing the tone needs to remember that these performances will live on through gay men watching them at afters. So I don’t want to watch for the gays.

 

Louis Virtel No, no, it’s a bit too out of the nose. We’re already there. Right, you don’t have to court us. We’re the only people here.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. Right. We’re already watching the show, baby. We know it’s for the gays. You cast Megan Hilty.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Okay. No, that does feel like a song that’s written by annoying straight allies when the show really is deliciously fabulously.

 

Ira Madison III Also, maybe this would be like thrown in a keep it, but you know, I mean, not to drag vulture, but Sarah Snook, who also won, by the way, I know the, you know. The Snookies will be up in our DMs again, if we don’t mention that heifer. Right, right. Because they love her, and we love her too. She won for playing all the roles in Dorian Gray, and now every actor’s gonna be doing that for the next five years, so congrats. But um there was a moment where she was walking on the red carpet and Vulture, whoever was doing the red carpets for Vulture was like, the gays say hi or like something. And I’m like, I’m actually sick of asking actors to say like, for like, I support the gais or like, for the gaits or like whatever. Like that means like move on.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Okay. And it’s also, it’s not.

 

Ira Madison III Cute, I don’t know.

 

Louis Virtel Can you please turn 30? Like act like a gay adult.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, these are being deported to foreign prisons. Okay, like I don’t I don’t care that the celebrity is like

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, gay is a right on also just yeah celebrities are these people are more talented than that They it’s it’s like patronizing in a way. I can’t explain it

 

Ira Madison III I want someone to ask one of these actresses, will you say, you know, like for the gays and one of them to be like, fuck those faggots and walk away.

 

Louis Virtel Absolutely. Sarah Snoop could have been the first of those. She could have been.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. She could say it.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. I think the mics overall were my takeaway from this show. Unfortunately, it just like detracted from most of the performances. Most performances that could have been great were like downright missable based on what happened.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, the mics were cut. Deadass. Okay, we’ll be right back with more Keep It, but before that, some quick housekeeping.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III The streets, as well as us, have been talking about today’s guest for the past few weeks. So we’re excited to finally have him on. He’s the star and creator of Overcompensating and one of the best comedians on our feeds for years. So without further ado, please welcome to Keep It, Benito Skinner.

 

Benito Skinner Hi, how are you?

 

Ira Madison III Hi.

 

Louis Virtel We’re really siked to have you.

 

Benito Skinner Good Cowboy Carter merch.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you!

 

Benito Skinner Which one did you go to?

 

Ira Madison III I just got back from London.

 

Benito Skinner *gasp* Oh how was that?

 

Ira Madison III Amazing. I’d seen it in New York, but the London one was, it was, it was raining and she was just smiling, dancing during yaya and it was gorgeous.

 

Benito Skinner That’s joy. A rain show. Isn’t that a whole Taylor Swift thing? That is right

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, you know, and honestly, the cowboy hats help. Like they protect you from the rain.

 

Benito Skinner I love that. And then you just go like this, soak it. That’s a fantasy. I’m glad you had that. I heard she’s selling football jerseys. Everyone keeps telling me. She is. She is, and I’m like, all right, I’m locked in. I missed it in LA. I am so sad. I’m very jealous. I need to see that show.

 

Louis Virtel Now, OK, talking about overcompensating, which, by the way, we have for weeks on this podcast now. Thank you so much. Obviously, it’s based on your life and you had a whole standup series called Overcompensate. But now this is a TV show that’s out there. What has shocked you the most about being perceived as in you’ve put your own life out there and what reactions have surprised you about the show.

 

Benito Skinner Yeah. Oh my God. It’s such a great question. I think luckily I’ve been on the internet for a long time. So I was used to being perceived for a long time in ways that I’m like, I’m playing a character. I swear. I don’t like think this is okay. But you know, there, there you go. I think for me, I, at times I was worried about the specificity of some of the things we were doing and some of them are personal things. Like I thought, you know I was like, I hope people will feel this George of the jungle thing. And There was one scene in particular that felt so true to me. And I was like, I hope that other queer people feel this. It’s the scene between me and Owen Thiel that’s in the third episode, where it’s someone who’s out versus someone who is in the closet and this secret dialog they have. And I think this fear that you have and maybe answering why you don’t see that many gay characters early in the show, because for me, I was so terrified of being around anyone gay, because I knew I would just be like, they’ll know. They know who I am. And- The funny part of it, like we do, like we all have been that person. And once you’re out of the closet, you know when you see someone in it, you’re like, okay, sure, like do you, baby. But like, I do know what’s happening here. So that was one scene that I’ve gotten so many messages about. It makes me so happy, because I think that, I think so many of us just feel so alone in our heads and so terrified and these things feel, the stakes feel so high and sometimes they really are and so. I think any messages like that of people just being like, oh my God, I’ve felt this a million times and I hadn’t seen it on screen yet. And I think that’s what I wanted to do. I knew that the story was, it’s not a revolutionary story, a coming out story, but I think just having some of that specificity that really came from like a gay creator and wanted to be as specific as possible because I got this opportunity to do that and have this platform to do it on. So that’s been amazing and kind of trippy.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I think that is also specifically a very millennial and above experience. You know, I’m always referencing the fact that when Glee came out, right? It introduced a sort of era of kids who would come out in high school. And I feel like millennials were just sort of of that mindset that you come out when you get to college, you know? When you’re away from your family, when you can sort of be who you want to be. And I remember being in the theater department and not out yet. But I remember when you do come out, then you’re with other gays, right? And there’s a specific thing on the gay side where you are clocking other gals on campus who have not come out yet, and you’re just talking about it at parties and the whole convo is, when is this bitch coming out? Like we all know, you know? And then when they do, it’s like, well, welcome to the tribe.

 

Benito Skinner And totally. But then it’s kind of like, maybe. It’s definitely the season two of it all. I’m very excited to tell those stories too, because I think the joy of this is that it is a journey and it’s complicated and a lot of carnage on the way and a lot of really selfish and strange and offensive things are done on all sides. And I think that that is. So the story we wanted to tell, because we have TV, we have more time to do it. And I think that’s what was so exciting to me. But yeah, oh my God, it is so, it does feel millennial in that way. But then I’m also getting messages from, I think really of young people who are still in high school. I’m like, I think we are maybe in bubbles and don’t know what people are saying in locker rooms in Idaho still. Like, I just, I maybe we’re a little too positive. If I nodded like a, but it does feel a little bit like, oh, we kind of don’t know what it’s like still. I think it’s- No, especially now. Yeah, on TikTok, I think, it seems like, oh my God, like everyone’s out and they’re so young. And it’s, like, well, of course, but those are the ones posting about it, you know? And that’s so exciting. And hopefully they’re making other people feel comfortable to come out. But I think I have been like, no, I think this does feel like something that- is sadly kind of forever, because it’s even if one person says something, you know what I mean? It can just be one guy who’s like, you’re kind of a pussy. And then it’s like. Whoa, I did something wrong. And it doesn’t have to just, and even if everyone on TV is telling them that they’re accepted and we love them, then they see the administration and it’s like, but then do you, like, okay, I guess you don’t. So then this whole population hates me. So am I, is this the best thing I could be? Is being gay okay? Like, I think there’s, those conversations I think are still with the youth, which really scares me, but yeah.

 

Louis Virtel No, I feel like we, as millennials, are often too comfortable saying we know where Gen Z is coming from, because it seems like they’re all posting at us. But it’s like, no, that’s not everybody, you know what I mean? That’s not a monolithic experience or whatever. Now, interesting. You used the word niche earlier and I was curious, like when you’re putting this show together, were there like kind of gay specific things from your own life that you kind of had to sell to higher ups at this network, like, like to straight people to be like, No, this matters, et cetera, and I’m pushing this and I want to represent this. And you needed that extra push in order to make them happen.

 

Benito Skinner I think I was really lucky because the showrunner is also gay, Scott King, and is such a legend. And he really fought with me for some of those specifics. But no, I didn’t have to sell it that much. I think at times, the George of the Jungle was something where it’s like, is everyone going to get this? And I’m just like, it kind of doesn’t matter. A classic, by the way. This, of course. And I was like, this is my Big Bang moment. And then Brittany came in and saved me. This is how we have to start the show. I just kind of don’t see it any other way. Like this is that moment. And I also really wanted to make it clear that like we all know we are different, very young. Like this not, if there is any like, you know, well, oh, you didn’t know until college. It’s like, no, I knew my whole life. I just completely hit it. And I just, I split my brain into two and I just let one side be there and I never went near it. I focused out and I did this other performance, but I think as far as, yeah, I think any time I really, you know, I felt lucky in this, any time that I was like, this is what happened to me, I feel like everyone was like then do it, you know? And that was, I really… And that kind of true for the writer’s room for everyone and we had those discussions with everyone in there of someone or if we were gonna have Carmen or Grace or George or like all those people would just be like, no, I did that. This is this feels real and then we would do it if someone said they did it we were like we’re going for it because we know that someone is going to watch this and be like fucking finally i don’t I feel so sick.

 

Louis Virtel We’re referencing the fact, by the way, at the beginning of the show, as a young character, we see him observe George of the Jungle, the Brendan Fraser version, and realize he has a bit of an awakening. The Jesse Metcalf and Desperate Housewives, for some of us.

 

Benito Skinner Oh, also huge for me. John Tucker must die was, the thong sequence was huge for me. No, right. I was on the- He is.

 

Louis Virtel I was on the street saying, John Tucker must live. You don’t understand. No, he does.

 

Benito Skinner No, he has to live, in fact. But then also all the girls were so gorgeous that it was so fun being like, oh my god, this is such a sexy movie. Shanti. You could opt out. Shanti, Britney Snow. Oh my god. It’s like, it’s literally stacked. Wait, who else is in that?

 

Louis Virtel I’m trying to think. It’s been ages since I have seen that. Sophia Bush. Yeah, Sophia Bush is nice.

 

Benito Skinner Who else? It’s like- It’s like stacked. Okay, yeah. Wow

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Great. Uh, Penn Badgley is also it.

 

Louis Virtel Gorgeous.

 

Benito Skinner Wait. Really? Who is he in that?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I think he’s like the nerdy other love interest that she’s hanging out with at the diner.

 

Benito Skinner Whoa! Because he’s in easy A. But I’m like, is that I know this entire work. I’m, like, when was he on set for that? Yeah. Are you sure? Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III What’s funny, too, is there’s so many, like that movie, for instance, there are so many references that you can make and so many things that I’m sure you didn’t get to make. I was… I found this TikTok that you had the other day where you were talking about how you’d wanted to put in, like, a Tucker Max joke. And I’d completely forgotten about the proliferation of Tucker Max in the 2000s. When I was in college, it was just… He was everywhere. And of course… If you’re watching Adam DiMarco’s character, you’re like, is this man realistic? And then you remember fucking Tucker Matts, you know? And how much, yes, how much just men were, straight boys were acting like him at that time. Were there other sort of like 2000s references that you tried to put in that you were like, oh, it didn’t really get to make it or you had to cut it?

 

Benito Skinner Oh my God, um, honestly, no, we, I mean, I, and there were even ones that were added like last minute, like the, uh, Holmes’s line, why don’t you buy a pair of pants and send it around? Like those things. Um, Misha Barton was a late edition. They’re like, Mishah Barton’s back. Um. I think we, yeah, I don’t know. And I think because we kind of played in this almost like nostalgic fever dream, I feel like the references We we allowed ourselves some of the flexibility. Also with budget, it would have been very difficult to just be like, it’s 2014 and get all the phones. And it’s really technology that’s the hardest to do because you have to buy all the phone. And they’re like, very expensive.

 

Ira Madison III I feel like, because I’ve described it to people actually as, you know, like a memory play almost, you now sort of like class menagerie, you being a pretentious gay now, but it’s the idea that if it were on stage, right, I tell people who complain about, you know, about like this year, this year like was Charlie singing that song that I’m like If it were on stage and you were just watching it be like a comedy, you wouldn’t be thinking about that. But I think TV now just gets us into this idea that things have like, it’s not Mad Men.

 

Benito Skinner On these shows that I think they, like The John Tucker Must Die and Mean Girls and American Pie, it felt like that’s what we were trying to do. But then it felt so fun to then play within the tropes of those and then make queer stories and stories where women had autonomy and were making mistakes, but then were also in their own power. And that was what was so fun about it. And yeah, at a certain point, it just feels so limiting to be like, it has to be this year because then I can’t make a pitch better have my money joke because Bitch better have my money didn’t come out until like 2016, I think. So it’s just like at a certain point, let’s just have fun.

 

Ira Madison III The cast of 90210 had like social security checks, okay?

 

Benito Skinner Exactly. And I’m like, and also I think for us, it was also like a comfortability thing. Like, I think all of us had enough space from that time to then go back and do some of these things that I think, I don’t know if I could have really performed them. At a younger age and felt like comfortable or been able to laugh at it. Like even doing my straight voice or saying some of the things I say in it or approaching some of things about coming out. We had a lot of conversations with the actors about these things. And I think we all felt like it made us comfortable that we had had some time in between, but yeah. I guess if that ruins a show for you, then it ruins the show for you. I don’t know. But I think you’re missing out on some fun jokes. And some great music too. I don’t

 

Louis Virtel Also, something that’s just so fascinating to me, in general, is when a comedian turns what they do into a TV show, because by the way, it’s a completely different skill set. It’s like asking somebody to make episodes, not just about their own life, but just in general to sketch out a whole storyboard or something. Was turning into a person, as in a maker of TV, organic for you, or did you have to learn a lot in order to be able to do it?

 

Benito Skinner I think I was lucky because the showrunner was not, he, Scott King didn’t approach this in like a, you’ve never done this before thing, you know, which he like honestly could have and I would have taken it the whole time and been like, totally like, yeah. But instead he was just like, okay, so this is what you want to do. This is how I think we can get it made. And so that was really exciting to me because I never felt like I couldn’t do my job. But I do think that the internet prepared me in a way of never getting decision fatigue, because… I, when I was making sketches, it would be like, I have to know makeup, hair, background. I had to edit it, know what the music would be, know how short I wanted it to be, had to like, figure out where the beats were in the joke and what the best joke was. And so all of those things were really honestly helpful to go into this. Cause at the end of the day, sometimes it is just like, what is Grace’s hair look like right now? Like, do you have that? And I’m like, yeah, I do actually. Like I’ve thought about this. So, or what’s the song in the background, like I could go to. Charlie or Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg and be like, I think it, a fee feels right, you know, or things like that where I’m like, I’ve already kind of seen this, I’ve thought of this in my head. So, but on such a insane level of collaboration that at first was really scary for me because you are putting this thing that I had sat on for like five years in the hands of people you don’t really know that well at times. And so that aspect of it, I could never have been prepared for, but it was, it became like my favorite part of it was being surprised by these people that I respected so much, whether it be actors or set designers or costume, that I could give them kind of this like world that was in my head or a Pinterest board. And then they would come forward and be like, we bought 50 bandage skirts. I was just like, oh my God. And we had a row of bandage skirt. So I was like. This is heaven. Like I, that was, yeah. But I don’t think anything could have prepared me and nothing could have prepared me for how long it takes. You know, anyone talking about our ages, I’m like, I thought it would take a year, okay? Just give us a break here. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Uh, going back to the question about being perceived though too, what’s interesting is that just follow you on TikTok for years, you know, everyone knew you as Denny Drama, you’re a handle and now, you are actor, producer, you’re Benito Skinner, you now, how does it feel being like presenting, I guess, sort of like the real, you, know, IRL version of yourself now for people and then also your TikTok now is you’re doing like a lot of promoting the show or like behind the scenes stuff, you know, do you miss just like, you know, making up characters every day and, or it has been, or has it been a lovely break?

 

Benito Skinner It’s been, I think. It’s both a nice break and sometimes I am like God I would love to put on the deliverance Richard’s wig and just sell a house right now You know, I’m like fuck I gotta dust her off I just I think I just really wanted to focus and be like I I’ve been given this opportunity. It is such a privilege. I I am so lucky and I You know there’s a lot of people who are writing on me to also Promote the show and I don’t want I didn’t want it confusing for people of like well, what is what is it? Is it on TikTok? So I think I kind of specifically was like, I just want to focus on this show because this feels like such an insane opportunity. As far as the kind of name thing, I think what I love about the very cringe handle to me, it’s kind of funny that it is Benny Drama 7. 7 was my football number. I chose that name when I was in high school. So the fact It’s like So we’ll like go to an event and be like, is it under Mr. And Mrs. Drama? You know, like, so, so like, what the fuck, but I think I needed that because I started posting these videos when I had just come out. And I think that it, you know, I say in the final episode, like what if people don’t love me anymore? And I really think I had that when I started posting videos and making sketches. I’m like I Just me is not a lovable thing or something that anyone will respond to. I have to be in a wig and costumes and do so much. Like I used to, people would invite me to things and I’d be like, cool, do you want me to be like Jenny, the TMI hairstylist or should be deliverance? And they’re like, it’s my birthday party. You can wear a t-shirt. And I’m like, okay, well, sure. I’m, like, are you sure I can do a costume? So I think it does feel like with this show and writing it was me. Finally, I think confronting a side of me that was still really shameful of my coming out experience and still dealing with a lot of internalized homophobia and self-hate that I think is like so ingrained in so many of us as we’re growing up. So I love that. I’ll keep that handle forever. It feels like it’s a part of me, but it does feel like a certain level of like performance I think still that the show. I think fortunately doesn’t. I think I was able to make this show with people that allowed me to like finally just write as myself and perform as myself and come forward as just me and be perceived in that way. And if someone doesn’t like it, I will survive to some degree. We’ll see.

 

Ira Madison III Still you rise.

 

Benito Skinner Right, of course. We hope.

 

Louis Virtel One last question, is there a particular movie or really anything that you re-watch a million times that you can always go to as like a backbone of your soul sort of thing that will reassure you as you go through creating whatever art you create?

 

Benito Skinner Such a great, I mean, I’ve been re-watching Sex in the City. I do think it liked very much. Me too. Yeah, the original recipe. Yeah, that original recipe, that OG sauce is really delicious. I think it’s so, what I love about that show is it can be so sad too, and so brilliant, and so sexy, and I think it allows itself to be sexy. And I think it allows itself to be a little cringe too. I don’t know, I just, I think that is kind of, the inspiration I think in me is of those stories and also like a true ensemble I think I really respond to that and then I you know I just rewatch Clueless, Sinespia did a screening and I’m like God this really did just completely raise me like in every she says something like You’re not getting buyer’s remorse, are you? And then Cher goes, no, nothing like that. And I’m just like, that’s like as good as a line could be, you know, that’s just perfect writing that. And then also freaks and geeks. I go back to a lot of like, if I ever kind of have like a little. So there are so many, you know, I don’t know if I have like a specific answer, but I do think it is these kind of I am like for some reason, Sex and the City does feel coming of age to me. I don’t know. I’m like, it does feel. It’s just it is a coming of ages like. And that coming into your own is like an adult. And I think that, yeah, those things are all, hopefully, I think like a part of my comedic sensibilities. I think they kind of raised me.

 

Ira Madison III I think it’s important for people to rewatch Sex in the City 2 just because we’ve gotten into this era of pop culture where people need everything to sort of be representative of them, right? And you rewatched Sex in The City, though, and you see the moments where people online now who are younger are watching it. They’re like, Carrie’s an asshole. You know, or like, why would she do this? And it’s like, that was the point of the show. She’s a character. You know. You want to see her be a bitch. You don’t want it to be, you know. Boring and nice, it’s like when people want nice boring queens on Drag Race. You know, you want someone, you wanna mistress, you want people making TV.

 

Benito Skinner Let’s go. That’s why I think people were like, why’d you do the ending like that? I’m like, cause it’s TV. Don’t you want to watch more? Like, come on. I’m, like, I was raised on Gossip Girl. Like, we got it. Thank you! I’m like, I love a cliffhanger. We did cliffhangers on every episode, even though I was like, it’s a bingeable show. Like they’re going to, it’s all coming out at once. And I love that we have a previously on. I’ll never understand why. I’m kind of like, it felt like the OC and we asked Megan Fox to do it. And she did one. So you have previously on and I’m like, uh, it feels like a part of it, but oh, totally. It’s like, I even think that for season two, you know, if we get to do it, people will come to me and they’re like, you can’t do that. And I’m No, but I probably will because it’s like, I, these characters are going to be selfish and they’re going to, college is kind of sometimes every man for himself. Like I understand why Carmen does what she does in the finale. I understand and why, you know, Benny does that awful thing to George. Like I get, I know why all these characters are doing these things. But yeah, it can be hard in the writer’s room because people are like, girl, don’t do it. And I’m like, but isn’t that good TV? Like you gotta, we all have done.

 

Ira Madison III It’s like, girl, don’t do it. I need someone saying, I need someone dramatically saying, I killed the man as a cliffhanger then in season two.

 

Benito Skinner That’s Season two. I can’t wait to get into murder for this. It will go neo-noir. I forgot to tell you. That’s kind of how I’m seeing season two play out. Just short of it, I think Haley would, you know. I did kill someone. At some point.

 

Ira Madison III Also last, did you ever see Greek?

 

Benito Skinner Oh yes, of course.

 

Ira Madison III I loved Greek. See that show too, it was fun. And then like they had a moment where she burned down the fucking sorority, you know? So fantastic show.

 

Benito Skinner Two things can be true.

 

Ira Madison III Well, thank you for being here.

 

Benito Skinner Thank you so much. It was so nice talking to you guys.

 

Louis Virtel What a pleasure to have you.

 

Benito Skinner Thank you.

 

Louis Virtel [AD]

 

Ira Madison III Addison Rae’s hotly anticipated debut album is finally here, and the girls, the gays, and the critics are all screaming for it. Self-titled, Addison is 12 tracks of pure pop. So we’re going to dive into the new music from the pop princess, or is she? Plus, a new single from the long reigning queen, Mariah Carey, and one of her daughters, Sabrina Carpenter.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, well, I’m gonna start with the Mariah Carey song, which is called Type Dangerous.

 

Ira Madison III Baby.

 

Louis Virtel It’s under three minutes long, which is my only problem with it because it should be a full Mariah song. This song is so fucking good. Do you think so?

 

Ira Madison III I love it.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my, the kind of like swingy, jazzy 90s vibe, it’s like you can only dance to it with your arms down low. Like you can dance to like T-Boz. And-.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. Or like Mariah, to be honest, cause she pops.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, that’s true. Right, not really a dancer, Mariah carey. Not really a dancer. Um, oh, I love the lyrics of it.

 

Ira Madison III Anderson Pak did it with her, and they’re dating now, and I love that he is contributing his skills to her, you know, instead of just getting Bruno Mars more number ones in Silk Sonic, and the lyrics, baby. This is classic Mariah, okay?

 

Louis Virtel So much of it, like watch the lyric video.

 

Ira Madison III I came in the door dripped in Balenci, cropped leather coat and some 9-inch Fendi’s, the crowd opened up and I started to strut. I need my space, but I’m signing autographs and such. Hit the little girl’s room to powder my nose. Then came in three hatin’ ass hoes. They don’t know the meaning of water nor soap. I don’t have time for the rigamarole. Come on!

 

Louis Virtel Rig of a roll. Rig of the roll. If anybody loves a four syllable word smashed into a pop song, it is Mariah Carey. Also, the horny poetry, the EE I’m Coming of this song.

 

Ira Madison III It’s also a throwback, I feel like, to her song with Busta Rhymes, Baby If You Give It To Me, because he also says the word rigamarole.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, well, it’s actually I’m surprised to hear that Anderson Paak is involved because it’s also not very It doesn’t sound like it’s aiming for the top of the charts to me. It’s a bit too sophisticated almost I guess I would compare it in that way to her song with Miguel beautiful which caught on a little bit but still again, it feels a bit to Sophisticated and kind of adult for the charts in a way

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And also verse two, like, I love when she gets personal because verse two the straight shot at Tommy Mottola, fresh out of Singsing, nah, I’m just playing. That was just a castle and an evil king made my escape. Yes, I had to flee. Now it’s sex in the city and a couple of flings. Come on. This is Mariah.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, like, yes, like Prime Mariah, too. Also, I just love that it’s completely unexpected, a sound for her, and yet perfect for her too. It makes me want to hear her cover my favorite summer song of all time, Jeanes, Hey, Mr. DJ, just that kind of like swaying vibe.

 

Ira Madison III She should do that. Well, she does have, last night, a DJ saved my life.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yes. From Glitter. Did also Janet ever cover that? No, she covered a similar song. She covered Saturday Love by Sherrell. That’s what I’m thinking of. Yes, and by the way, last night at DJ Saved My Life is one of the great classics too.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Um, this is the perfect followup to caution, which I love in the wake of Mariah announcing this new single. People have been going back and saying, by the way, y’all should have been listening to caution because caution’s a great album.

 

Louis Virtel And great cover of the album, too. Love the artwork. Yes, yeah. Sabrina Carpenter has a new song, too, called Man Child. Man Child! Really enjoy it. The synths on it sound very chappalrone to begin with, and it does feel like an outtake from her last album, but by the way, that’s one of the best albums. So I will gladly take another outtake from that album. Can I tell you something that is almost concerning to me about Sabrina Carapenter? She kind of does everything I like about Carly Rae Jepsen, but better. Like, she’s the pop girl. You scared for your girl? Yes. She’s cheeky. In fact, she is funny. Like, it’s not just like we’re like kind of doing coy winking things. I’m actually giving you punch lines that you’re going to laugh at as you’re dancing. And I want Carly Rae Jepsen to have her own space, but I feel like she is ultimately too Canadian to demand it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, Sabrina Carpenter’s a boophead.

 

Louis Virtel She’s got that boop, she’s got the boop thing.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah!

 

Louis Virtel Um, I want to see her frying egg and shit, you know

 

Ira Madison III Um, I enjoy the, the song. I mean, I like Sabrina Carpenter and I think it’s, it does, like you said, sound like a holdover from the last album, but I mean don’t hate her. Don’t hate it.

 

Louis Virtel But I will say, when people offer this song up as a potential song of the summer, I just want to offer this. I don’t think you can have the song of the summer two summers in a row. I mean, it may as well be the same summer. You know what I’m saying?

 

Ira Madison III Hmm are there people who have done that though?

 

Louis Virtel I’m sure maybe in history, you know, maybe Drake did that once or something, maybe Katy Perry, but in general, I think it’s too similar to her last song of the summer to really qualify as the song of summer. But by the way, keep screaming at me in my DMs about this, I do think it is important and I love the violence.

 

Ira Madison III Mm, okay, I’m looking up people who’ve had Song of the Summer twice now from Billboard.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. Oh, according to Billboard, which is, as you know, not me.

 

Ira Madison III Well, my king, Andy Gibb, in 77 had, I just want to be your everything.

 

Louis Virtel Shadow Dancing?

 

Ira Madison III And then 78, shadow dancing.

 

Louis Virtel Shadow dancing is that bitch. Can we just talk about the BJs for two seconds? White people were in their bag. I’m so sorry. Talk about some white excellence.

 

Ira Madison III When tragedy goes off in the club, someone played it at the nines a month ago at this party Inferno and the room went up.

 

Louis Virtel Drama of that song. Tragedy! So good.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, but I think that he’s one of the only people who’s done it like, um, consecutively.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. So it’s also crazy that Andy Gibb got it twice anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, you know, Katy Perry was close. She had, I kissed a girl in 2008 and then California girls was 2010.

 

Louis Virtel I want to say, I Kissed a Girl was almost the exact moment when Just Dance came out too, so I felt like those were probably competitive also.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And also to address the bad bunny elephant, um, in, you know, the, in the casa. Um, I think we all know that I love Benito. Yes. The other, he’s a Benito too. The other Benito, the first Benito not Mussolini. Yeah. Yeah, but JLo told me that once. Okay. She was like me gente benito. And I was like what? Girl. Get duolingo. Um, but I love that album. I, I was spinning that album constantly in January, bitch. And I don’t know. I just feel like obviously he had the SNL moment and there’s a new single coming out and he’s on tour, et cetera. But, um, I don’t know. I think that the big, big moment for that album and, you know, the singles was like in January. When I was sad though

 

Louis Virtel You said the word January. I’m sorry. It’s disqualified. So, sorry. And now we have to get back to the girl of the moment, Addison Rae. Yes. This, as we said, is the album Addison. She’s not Addison Ray anymore.

 

Ira Madison III Mmmhm

 

Louis Virtel Whatever, we’re still solving that. This is an interesting case, because I was saying before that there’s something about her that like, she doesn’t really have an identity. Like, I don’t really know. I don’t have things to associate with her person, really. I know she comes, she’s wildly famous and things. I think it works on this album because she’s less supposed to be like a star vocalist and more like a disembodied, sexy vapor in the music. Music? And I think that anonymity kind of works for it because it’s really ideal music to play at a sexy afters It is occasionally quite funny in the lyrics

 

Ira Madison III But her vapor, you know what she actually is? She is the embodiment of Barbara Eaton coming out of the genie land.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, can more people bring up Barbara Eden? The woman is alive. I dream of Jeannie was that girl and she looked fabulous. Look up the stories about how she wasn’t allowed to show her belly button. Anyway. I could see her.

 

Ira Madison III I can see her being Jeannie from my dream of Jeannie to be honest.

 

Louis Virtel You’re right. There’s a kind of genie mist throughout this album. I agree. Obviously, Diet Pepsi is probably still the star song. Aquamarine. That’s a masterpiece. Yeah. Aquamarines also good. But I have to say, the first song of this album is called New York. It’s great. I have never had a turnaround on a song like this. This song started and I said, this is a bad song. Ninety seconds later, I said this is great song. There’s something that happens like it picks up momentum. It’s like, sexy is a little dumb, but it’s also, this is music for people who want a vibe over a single. It’s more vibe than single, which is fine. It’s great.

 

Ira Madison III I will also say that when the pop girls do songs with New York in the title, they tend to be bad. Right. Taylor Swift’s, Welcome to New York. Does that even count as a song? I mean, when they were playing it in taxicabs, I was ready for Son of Sam to come back. And Madonna’s, I Love New York, awful. And then she made us sit through it at her concert.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I mean the abruptness of it I almost appreciate but she does in fact rhyme New York with dork and others. I immediately think

 

Ira Madison III I think…

 

Louis Virtel I do immediately thank sender to Guantanamo.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, this is a song with meaning, okay, and beautiful melodies.

 

Louis Virtel Again, you know, she’s sort of like a refreshing La Croix. Like, it’s like, you now, cold and summery, but at the same time, it is like a hint of a flavor. You’re hinting at sexuality. You’re never really getting the hard thrust, the hard sell.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, she’s a new flavor of Sunflower. But I just want to say that I sort of wrote last week that she didn’t really have an identity and I just listened to the album like a couple times. Now I’m very in on a lot of the songs. Yeah, me too. Before I mentioned New York, Money Is Everything is great. Love that song. Times Like These, fantastic. And I think what’s so interesting about Addison Rae, too, is when you look at her, will you take a step outside? Of the music, she’s very norm core. And honestly, I think it’s kind of, is that the moment right now? I think like being sort of normal is cool to pop music to.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, like she in a way like how Benson Boone is kind of not the moment because there’s a sort of again, I encourage this energy, but try hard showmanship, you know, I’m doing the flips. I’m wearing the jumpsuit. I look like the epitome of like an Elvis impersonator, whereas she is the utter antithesis of that.

 

Ira Madison III Mm-hmm. Yeah, the Benson Boone thing is so interesting because I think that it’s so funny because There are memes online about how the guy who looks like him from adults. Oh, yeah is is sort of like the The hot Jack in an end is like the hot version of him Like they look alike, but he’s like sort of because he’s yeah the other show and funny It says, Benson Boone is giving. I’m not laughing at him, you know?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, yeah. I feel like he has potential to come back. I feel like people are like a little too cruel to him, actually.

 

Ira Madison III But also he’s a man, right? And also, isn’t it nice that we’re being mean to a man in pop? Yes, I love it. It’s thrilling. Oh my God.

 

Louis Virtel Oh my God, we’re so egalitarian.

 

Ira Madison III It’s just, he doesn’t really ooze the sexiness, you know? And I think it’s the Mormon-ness of it. You know? I think, it’s a little… He’s heard about sex from a book or something. Yeah, right, exactly. He’s a lil’ mom talk vibes, you now?

 

Louis Virtel No, he’s related. He has like four sisters named different spellings of Caitlin. You know what I mean? I’m sick of the flippin’.

 

Ira Madison III Lay off lay off the sodas because I know that’s all the Bormans drink and

 

Louis Virtel and like, stop flipping all over the damn place. Yeah, you’re not Hot Wheels, bitch. Stop doing loop-a-loops.

 

Ira Madison III Jesus, just stick it.

 

Louis Virtel I would love to see him like actually glued to the floor like quicksand style. What would he do? Would he flail? I mean, what’s he going to do?

 

Ira Madison III Okay, the air is lava.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, the air is…

 

Ira Madison III *laughs* Alright, when we’re back! And we’re back with our favorite segment of the episode. It is Keep It, I’ll go first this time. Oh, please do. My keep it is more of a gotcha bitch.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, to whom?

 

Ira Madison III Gen Z.

 

Louis Virtel Oh. Our friends.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Yeah. I think you remember years of Gen Z making fun of millennials, dragging us.

 

Louis Virtel But no, we were on the cross. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Look, look at my stigmata.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, right. All over here.

 

Ira Madison III And the New York Times, four days ago, released an article titled, Gen Z doesn’t want to start a bar tab. Oh, right. And they wrote, there’s a growing phenomenon among Gen Z bar goers and aversion to opening bar tabs. Much to the dismay of bartenders, many 20-somethings prefer to close out and pay after every drink, no matter how many they end up ordering. For a generation that consumes less alcohol than older drinkers, opening tabs can seem exorbitant. They have become accustomed to one and done transactions and consider purchasing drinks at a bar to be no different from, say, buying a coffee at a cafe. They can feel anxious about losing track of their spending by leaving their credit cards behind the bar. Now, people are upset, you know, there are some bartenders being interviewed and saying, like, you’ll have people come up four or five times, get drinks, and close their tabs every time, I just want to say gotcha, bitch, J’Zenzie, because this is you being blamed for a phenomenon that has absolutely nothing to do with you. Just like we used to deal with constant trend pieces about how millennials were killing bars and we were killing restaurants and blah, blah, blah, everything was our fault. When it was not our fault, it was Gen X’s fault, you know, and this kinda is millennials. Because I will say I specifically remember the time going out when I would stop starting a bar tab, you know, I think there are a couple bars, um, where you could swipe your card and they’ll just start the tab, right? You don’t have to give them your card, et cetera, and your ID, everything. But too many of us have left our cards at the bar and had to go and get it the next day to be starting fucking bar tabs. I’m sorry.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, yeah. Oh my god. It’s also so humiliating too to see a bar like midday You know the way it looks like in the Iceman Cometh or something. No unacceptable

 

Ira Madison III Also, we have less money these days. Gen Z certainly has. They’re not working like millennials were working. You know, we’re in a recession, right? Bar tabs are usually for the vibe of, oh, I have a tab, go and put it on mine, et cetera. I still have some friends who do that, right. Gen Z, and I like a lot of millennials, like too, my friends, when we go out, like I may get a couple of drinks for the people we’re with, right, and then the next person might be like, oh, how am I gonna go get a drink? You know, you switch off. On getting drinks, you can’t really do with one person as a bar tab, you know? Right, right, right. So here’s a trend piece. It’s the beginning, get ready. The New York Times is coming for you. Very good. Thank you for that social commentary.

 

Louis Virtel My keep it’s this week concerns somebody who has never been brought up one time on this podcast. Wow. Fake out. You bitch. I know. Two things. One, I’m sorry, keep it to Jade’s cover of Frozen. I don’t think it’s good. I think it is too reiterative of the original Frozen. It’s that she didn’t take enough of a departure to make it interesting And I only bring this up because people keep sending me this cover. And by the way, love Jade, love her music. Angel of My Dreams, one of the great songs the past year or so, which, of course, references the fabulous Sandy Shaw’s Puppet on a String. Eurovision winner. If you don’t know that, look it up. And then the other thing, I unfortunately, I’m going to say, keep it to what will be soon released by Madonna. This album, Veronica Electronica, which is a collection of remixes from the Ray of Light era. That she is just gonna put out now. It’s long been rumored. First of all, most of this stuff has come out before. I have simply heard it before. If you’re even like a mid-tier Madonna fan, you know these remixes. She just released one of this song called Skin, which is really underrated on Ray of Light. The collaboration remix edit.

 

Ira Madison III I wasn’t a fan.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I just, the original song’s better. The original song is better. And it just stings on the heels of what we were, I think we were supposed to get a 30th anniversary of bedtime stories recently, and maybe we still will. Maybe this will be packaged together or something, but that’s what I wanted.

 

Ira Madison III She took too much melatonin.

 

Louis Virtel She fell asleep. Yeah. The bedtime stories were too entertaining, and she slept.

 

Ira Madison III Let me say something about these re-releases, right? Give us something new, okay? And it doesn’t mean you have to go into the studio. Like all of these albums which are having like 25th and 30th anniversaries right now come from an era where so many of the remixes were like B-sides to singles or they were just international remixes. And so they were only available in other countries and on vinyls or on CDs and they’ve never been on streaming. Give us some of that because, The Black Eyed Peas just released a new, um, 20th anniversary edition of Monkey Business. Iconic album.

 

Louis Virtel Monkey Business is also, wait, that predates like Don’t Funk With My Heart, right? That’s, is that like the… No, that’s the album. Oh, it is. Okay, yeah.

 

Ira Madison III So they released this song, Shake Your Monkey, which was originally only an international B-side. Baby, this is the song of the summer. Oh no. It’s so fucking good. It sounds like, why haven’t we heard this song before? It sounds kind of modern. There’s also a Will.i.am remix of it. There’s some other new songs on it. The My Humps remix by Lil Jon 2 is fantastic. These are just good ass songs. Shake Your monkey is the moment.

 

Louis Virtel They were so apocalyptic at the time. Like you would hear these songs, you’d be like, this is the death of music. And yet I can’t stop moving. Like you had to lean into that apocalypse. But okay, I’ll give that a shot.

 

Ira Madison III Also, Mariah Carey had the 20th anniversary of the Emancipation of Mimi release with bonus tracks. And I love the chill vibe of the Solange Southern Star remix of Say Something. It’s sort of like a chopped and screwed sound. There’s a Caitranada, Don’t Forget About Us. There is a David Morales remix of It’s Like That. This is what I want.

 

Louis Virtel This is what I want. That’s the king of Mariah remixes right there. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, like that’s what you want

 

Louis Virtel Baby.

 

Ira Madison III There’s also a David Morales say something, like, come on.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, and obviously we’re still getting a new album from Madonna that’s allegedly the sequel to Confessions, which we’ll see. I confess I’m pessimistic.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Well, she’s still talking to the priest right now. Okay. Like wrap up the confession. Okay, girl. We haven’t heard anything about that since.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. No, it’s making me nervous.

 

Ira Madison III But she’s a Leo, you know, like she’ll get to it when she gets to it. Yeah. We like to, we like to bring up things and say, I’m doing this. And then months later, your friends are like, what’s that happening? You’re like, first of all, mind your business.

 

Louis Virtel Does that have to be about old shit? No, right. Who can be held accountable for such a thing? Okay, that’s our show this week. Thank you to the fabulous Benito Skinner for being here. Thank you to Nicole Scherzinger for winning. By the way, I should have mentioned this. She’s a little frightening when she gives a speech. It’s like, she’s kind of weeping at nothing, taking a long ass time at that microphone, but I’m happy she won.

 

Ira Madison III Honestly, you know, it’s so interesting to hear a non-black person come up stage and thank God first and foremost.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay. That’s progress. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III And also just a reminder, because people kept bringing up the MAGA hat thing after she won. I’m like, get over it, gays. Because one, I thought we addressed that she just really loves God.

 

Louis Virtel That is definitely what it’s about.

 

Ira Madison III And she associated with Russell Brand because of God.

 

Louis Virtel Which is too bad, I’m so sorry for her that she, you know, chose that.

 

Ira Madison III People who are, you know, very religious sometimes are very…um..dumb.

 

Louis Virtel Um, I remember from my youth, uh, not intellectual giants, I have to say.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, be a Judas, okay? Turn away from Jesus.

 

Louis Virtel Dang, yes, and kiss everybody else.

 

Ira Madison III Alright, we’ll see you next week. Don’t forget to follow Crooked Media on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to Keep It on YouTube for access to full episodes and other exclusive content. And if you’re as opinionated as we are, consider dropping us a review.

 

Louis Virtel Keep It is a Crooked Media production. Our producer is Bill McGrath. Our associate producer is Kennedy Hill. And our executive producers are Ira Madison III, Louis Virtel, and Kendra James.

 

Ira Madison III Our digital team is Delon Villanueva, Claudia Sheng, and Rachel Gajewski. This episode was recorded and mixed by Jarek Centeno. Thank you to David Toles, Kyle Seglin, and Charlotte Landes for production support.

 

Louis Virtel Our Head of Production is Matt DeGroot, and Madeline Herringer is our Head of Programming. Our Production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

 

Ira Madison III And as always, keep it as filmed in front of a live studio audience.