Episode 59 — Spice World

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Things that everyone missed;

 

1. clearly meant to be an A Hard Day's Night/Help! style film.

 

Except that it was the very first thing Paul said on the show.

[inactiveuser501 168]

 

Except that it was the very first thing Paul said on the show.

 

And was never mentioned again? I found that very weird.

 

Although, it did add fuel to my latest insane conspiracy theory. A Hard Day's Night was released in 1964, and Spice World was released in 1998. A 34 year difference between British Band phenomenon in America resulting in films. Since then, it has been growing more rapidly, so I divided the 34 in half to get 17. 17 years after Spice World is 2015.

 

What I'm trying to say is that I fully expect One Direction to release a ripoff of A Hard Days Night (or better yet, a ripoff of Spice World) in 2 years

[wakefresh 689]

Things that everyone missed;

 

5. The slavery stuff only reads to an American audience, Mel B was doing a generic cavewoman thing, not tribal Africa.

 

This is willful ignorance. Seeing how the British participated in the slave trade, killed millions of native Africans in their colonization efforts, and that South Africa had apartheid while it was a British colony and for decades after, I'm sure Brits have plenty of disgusting racial stereotypes to draw from.

[onReload 43]

I get that people felt they "missed the point," but it seemed obvious to me that the idea was: "Yeah, we know it's not supposed to be clever, but here's what's really terrible about it." And that's what this podcast does - take shit apart and nitpick. The movie was suggested a lot, so of course they're gonna sit down and over analyze it, that's the whole point.

[JustinL 216]

I have not listened to this episode yet because after two weeks I could not find a single copy of it anywhere to rent, to buy or to lend. This was the first episode in months I haven't listened to immediately upon its 1 a.m. release. I broke down today and bought a used copy at Amoeba Music for $8. That's what the experience of this show means to me, apparently.

 

Saturday night: I'm at home about to watch Spice World so I can then immediately listen to a podcast about Spice World.

 

More later.

[JustinL 216]

Okay, I'm back. I agree with most of the people here and with June. I was checking my watch a lot, but I did get some occasional genuine laughs and I found the girls for the most part charming. I did think it was strange to open a movie for (I'm guessing) mostly pre-teen girls with a scene where their pregnant friend says her boyfriend abandoned her and their reaction is basically "Aw, dude! What a total douche! Well, don't worry. We'll hang out later." Then there was the line when they were going to the hospital about keeping her legs closed and Mel B says "She should have thought of that 9 months ago!" (or non moonths agaw)

 

The cameos were fun. Did anyone catch the moment when Roger Moore was shaking up a vodka martini while saying into the phone "There's no need for any stirring"? Oh, well played, Spice World.

 

Also, are there any non-fans of the Spice Girls who found themselves singing along? And I don't just mean to "Wannabe." I found myself able to sing almost word for word no less than five songs in this movie and I have no idea how that's possible.

 

Edit: Whoever pointed out that there was no love interests for any of the girls made a great point. I also hate when that crap is tacked on to stories, and in retrospect, I give this movie a lot of credit for doing that. Not even so much as an infatuated stage hand.

[therealjayknox 26]

I don't suppose there is any debate about whether Spice World was doing a 'Hard Days Night' genre and surely everyone understands that.

I'm with Paul and the gang - yes, we know what its trying to do and be. It just failed. Either it didn't work, or it worked but poorly or not enough.

 

Often I got the sense that they were just hiding behind the 'Hard Days Night' self-effacing 'send up of ourselves' concept to cover up fail.

"Heres a dumb thing.. hey remember this is spoofing ourselves so carry on.."

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

I remember listening to the radio on the way to work on January 26, 1998 or so, and the DJs were talking about the victims of the Titanic, how they deserved our respect and sympathy and prayers, how if it wasn't for their terrible sacrifice and the stories they inspired, the Spice GIrls would have had the number one movie in America. Never forget...

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Oh yeah, I just looked on Box Office Mojo, and Hugh Laurie is the ONLY "actor" they listed as appearing in the film.

[JustinL 216]

I think Paul would be Baby Spice because he has the most adorable smile.

[pepperjack 303]

Oh yeah, I just looked on Box Office Mojo, and Hugh Laurie is the ONLY "actor" they listed as appearing in the film.

 

Does Richard E Grant lose actor status for being in Hudson Hawk?

[JacobCrites 4977]

So this thread is six pages...I'm guessing I missed something. I thought it was a fine episode, nothing to get worked up about either way. It was worth it just to hear Retta say "Hidjious".

[zaprowsdower 6]

 

This is willful ignorance. Seeing how the British participated in the slave trade, killed millions of native Africans in their colonization efforts, and that South Africa had apartheid while it was a British colony and for decades after, I'm sure Brits have plenty of disgusting racial stereotypes to draw from.

 

Exactly. Just look up golliwogg.

 

And on topic: I enjoyed the episode.

[DarrenHusted 1]

 

This is willful ignorance. Seeing how the British participated in the slave trade, killed millions of native Africans in their colonization efforts, and that South Africa had apartheid while it was a British colony and for decades after, I'm sure Brits have plenty of disgusting racial stereotypes to draw from.

 

While the British Empire was responsible for most of the slave trading in the world (and indeed the early US settlers left the UK because the government were trying to restrict slavery) in the UK when we think see black characters on screen 'slavery' is not the first thought, and indeed Mel B's own roots go back to the Caribbean not Africa.

 

Because slavery was abolished earlier in the UK there is less of a connection to it than in the US. It is understandable that a black actress might see Mel B in a loin cloth and think 'slave', but that costume was a generic tribal outfit. Most people in the UK with black root trace them to the post-war Caribbean Wind Rush, not back three generations to when they were promised 40 acres and a mule.

 

One thing I missed in my list was the "based on an idea by" credit which the Spice Girls get. Not a surprise because they are playing themselves, but while the credit is not common it is occasionally used. The other example being Gosford Park, John August even did a blog post about it.

http://johnaugust.com/2009/based-on-an-idea-by

[apsutter 0]

 

Will y'all still like me if I get like, super real for a minute?

 

I kinda got a little choked up on my drive home today thinking about this exact thing. See, I grew up in a super fundy baptist evangelical environment that I really fear that I wouldn't have been able to have gotten out of if it wasn't for the Spice Girls. I was 8 when I bought that first cassette tape and they were for certain the only people in my life who were ever going to tell me that being a girl is awesome and that you can do anything you want. I didn't know that a girl had any other place than behind a man until the Spice Girls told me otherwise. And I never ever forgot it.

 

I'm really glad June was able to talk about how a girl baby is a rare thing in film and express that it really touched her. I don't know, I guess I was just bummed to hear everyone kind of shitting on the Girl Power thing because it really is important to me.

 

Okay, definitely got way more emotional typing this up than I thought I would. So, I'm going to go cry it out for a minute and regret posting this and fret about whether or not to delete it for a while. You can go back to posting memezoukases now.

 

Shannon, girl, I'm right there with you. I wasn't raised in a strictly Christian environment and my parents always stressed I could do whatever I wanted but being the only daughter ensured I was always looking for women to look up to. I was 12 when they became huge stars and I just loved how they were these cool chicks doing whatever they wanted and not being dependent on guys(who knows the truth about that) but I just always loved how you didn't see them with men it was always about girls and women. This is so corny but The Spice Girls and Michelle Kwan were my heroes and they showed me that I could be smart, pretty, confident, and that the world is my oyster and I just need to work hard and strive for my dreams and not let anyone stand in my way.

[apsutter 0]

So here is the real question for you all. how many of you have songs in your heads or Songworm

after watching this movie and if so what song, I've got Viva Forever, and Goodnight Irene from playing bioshock3.

 

Goodnight Irene, I'll see you in my dreams!

[Corky Kneivel 113]

WOW at this thread.

 

I remember when Ginger Spice got booed/laughed at by the crowd during the MTV Movie Awards , just after Princess Di died, for saying "...and she truly had Girl Power". It was such a ridiculous fucking thing to say made worse by how she said it, and the crowd let her know. I mean...an MTV Movie Awards crowd went highbrow on your ass.

 

I liked SpiceWorld because of its campy, surprisingly funny, meta vibe, but how can you really complain that people known for saying things like "this movie is literally garbage" take the piss out of it?

[seanotron 2307]

It's not that they took the piss out of it (that was surely expected), but the overall tone of the episode. I was just expecting a totally different episode than what we got. But hey, such is life.

[wakefresh 689]

 

While the British Empire was responsible for most of the slave trading in the world (and indeed the early US settlers left the UK because the government were trying to restrict slavery) in the UK when we think see black characters on screen 'slavery' is not the first thought, and indeed Mel B's own roots go back to the Caribbean not Africa.

 

Because slavery was abolished earlier in the UK there is less of a connection to it than in the US. It is understandable that a black actress might see Mel B in a loin cloth and think 'slave', but that costume was a generic tribal outfit. Most people in the UK with black root trace them to the post-war Caribbean Wind Rush, not back three generations to when they were promised 40 acres and a mule.

 

 

What are you talking about?!!!?!?! Because the UK got out of the slave trade earlier than the U.S. that means they don't have negative racial stereotypes about black people? WTF?

 

I guess that apartheid thing was just bullshit to you, huh?

[wakefresh 689]

 

While the British Empire was responsible for most of the slave trading in the world (and indeed the early US settlers left the UK because the government were trying to restrict slavery) in the UK when we think see black characters on screen 'slavery' is not the first thought, and indeed Mel B's own roots go back to the Caribbean not Africa.

 

Damn, this post was full of so much WTFs I had to do a second response on this particular stupid line:

You do realilze that there was massive slavery in the Caribbean, don't you? All of that sugar for British tea didn't just magically fall out of the sky. White folks made non-white people harvest for it. For free. While being whipped.

 

Listen, I'm assuming you're from Texas, so I wouldn't trust ANYTHING that they told you in school. The state school board is run by idiots.

 

http://www.salon.com/2012/10/24/the_revisionaries_texas_schoolbook_battle_%E2%80%94_crazier_than_you_thought/

Edited April 15, 2013 by Shariq Torres

[inactiveuser501 168]

I don't mean to extend this debate on the racial implications of Scary Spice, but the reason that I didn't think it was racist for Mel B to be in the loincloth was because I honestly thought she was doing a Raquel Welch/One Million Years BC impression during the Saturday Night Divas photo costume montage

[wakefresh 689]

I don't mean to extend this debate on the racial implications of Scary Spice, but the reason that I didn't think it was racist for Mel B to be in the loincloth was because I honestly thought she was doing a Raquel Welch/One Million Years BC impression during the Saturday Night Divas photo costume montage

 

C'mon. That such a stretch...

[wakefresh 689]

Also, this thread has gone for seven fucking pages!!! We must stop talking about this crazy movie and move on with our lives.

[pterodactylcackle 79]

This was a fun episode, but I feel like the gang missed the mark. The movie should be judged on what it is, which an intentionally campy mess. The whole point of the movie is that it's ridiculous to be making a Spice Girls movie in the first place

 

The fact that the Spice Girls can mysteriously talk to aliens is the joke. One of my favorite scenes is where Sporty is looking sadly out a window at nighttime holding a goddamn football and wearing a football uniform. There is a scene where their backup dancers are wearing sparkly assless onesies and sailor hats. It's satire, y'all.