Episode 221. The Hottie and the Nottie

[CaptainAmazing 127]

On 8/31/2019 at 11:52 AM, iamSGA said:

This isn’t really movie related, but I’m getting tired of the second opinion songs. People take way too long and are just trying to get themselves over. 

When you’re at the live show, it’s even worse b/c there’s like 5-7 people trying to do it  

This is one was way too long. 

Short and sweet = success

Maybe it was a little long, but I LOVED this week’s song. Sheer brilliance of parody and great singing as well. I also really like how it captured how many of the reviews seem to think that everyone who didn’t like it is some kind of “hater” or troll who is making themselves miss out on how “great” the movie is. I kept talking about how great it was after we heard it until my gf finally told me I should probably focus on driving over dark, winding roads instead of going on about it.

I rather enjoyed the Second Opinions songs at the show I went to, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to put a time limit on them.

[Cam Bert 8145]

So I was confused by the character of the albino stalker. I mean if you're going to have a whole movie set outside at the beach making a character an albino seems like an odd choice. On top of that to play him as if he has some sort of disability is another weird choice. I was curious what else that actor, Scott Prendergast, had done because he looked kinda familiar. So I pulled up his IMDB and guess what? There is a The Hottie and The Nottie extended universe! Turns out years before The Hottie and The Nottie Scott Prendergast made a short filmed call Anna is Being Stalked. That short film is up on YouTube and here it is:

He's playing the exact same character! Everything is the same. The name on the shirt, the albinism, the weird ticks, everything! This short came out years before The Hottie and The Nottie so more likely The Hottie and The Nottie is part of the Anna is Being Stalked cinematic universe. I still want to know why this guy is playing the same part. Did the director know him and threw him in as joke? Did he audition because of his past experience playing a stalker? Blake Harris get on it! 

[CaptainAmazing 127]

On 8/31/2019 at 8:14 AM, FrancisRizzo3 said:

I watched with subtitles on, and during the "sex" scenes late in the film, there's a song that has only two lines of lyrics, "Look out baby, you gotta lot of love" and "your eyes". They repeat over and over. 

The music overall in the film has some of the most inane lyrics, but because the songs are so meaningless and bland, you wouldn't notice without them being spelled out on-screen. There's a good chance that some were written in a foreign language and translated poorly into English. 

Example:

Caught on the downside, lost between the weight of lesser men.
So lengthy to realize, you were better off where you began.
Because your body, your body
Is fleeting, is fleeting
The chances, the chances
Depleting, depleting
You're lost in, you're lost in
Your reasons, your reasons
The movement is calling you in.
You wanna shout it out.
You wanna shout it out
You wanna shout it out and by the sound of it,
Well you wanna come back baby, wanna come back now.
Out and by the sound of it again,
You wanna shout it out.
Taken aback love, by the silence hanging overhead.
And still you can't realize, you were better off where you began.
Because your chances, your chances
Depleted, depleted
The silence, the silence
Is heated, is heated
You lost him but found all your reasons, your reasons
The movement is pulling you in.

 

 

“Youaremyrose, youaremyrose, youaremyroooose...”

[pscudese 701]

Nate totally deserves all of the negative comments and being called a pedophile.

What we shouldn't forget, is that Cristobel is just as disgusting.

During one of the many beach scenes, Cristobel tells Nate that she "thought about him some times over the years" and kept his picture! Again... a picture of a 6 yo!  After this reveal, Cristobel then says, "If someone told you they did this, you’d think they were crazy or a pedophile." Upon hearing this, Nate gives this weird look as to acknowledge that what she just said was fucking bonkers!

No matter what, this interaction proves the filmmakers are disgusting human beings and knew what they were doing with this whole 1st grade crush thing reading as pedophilia. 

[DrGuts1003 462]

At one point Johann says the the problem with June's teeth is that she has 'fluorosis' which I had never heard before, but after doing some research is an actual malady.  And June and Jason's point about June being the victim of neglect as a child seems to have merit based on what WebMD says about fluorosis.

Fluorosis is described as "a cosmetic condition that affects the teeth. It’s caused by overexposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life.  Fluorosis first attracted attention in the early 20th Century. Researchers were surprised by the high prevalence of what was called “Colorado Brown Stain” on the teeth of native-born residents of Colorado Springs. The stains were caused by high levels of fluoride in the local water supply.

Although fluorosis is not a disease, its effects can be psychologically distressing and difficult to treat. Parental vigilance can play an important role in preventing fluorosis. 

A major cause of fluorosis is the inappropriate use of fluoride-containing dental products such as toothpaste and mouth rinses. Sometimes, children enjoy the taste of fluoridated toothpaste so much that they swallow it instead of spitting it out.

But there are other causes of fluorosis. For example, taking a higher-than-prescribed amount of a fluoride supplement during early childhood can cause it. So can taking a fluoride supplement when fluoridated drinking water or fluoride-fortified fruit juices and soft drinks already provide the right amount."

WebMD also states that only 1% of all cases of fluorosis are considered severe, which is what June's case would be described as.  To have such a severe case, my guess is that June's parents were giving her fluoride supplements with the same regularity that Arno's mom gives him holiday snacks.

[sycasey 2.0 2301]

On 8/30/2019 at 4:03 AM, Elektra Boogaloo said:

I’d also like to point out that the actress who did get the role of June, was on the TGIF show “Step-by-Step” and I thought she was gorgeous.

Yes, Christine Lakin! And yes, she is better-looking than Paris Hilton.

I actually thought her performance in this movie was very good, much better than anyone else's. Like, June's turn to start liking Nate at the end was barely motivated by the writing (if at all), but damned if she didn't try her best to sell it in that final scene. No way her efforts could have saved this movie, but I appreciate the effort.

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

14 hours ago, sycasey 2.0 said:

Yes, Christine Lakin! And yes, she is better-looking than Paris Hilton.

I actually thought her performance in this movie was very good, much better than anyone else's. Like, June's turn to start liking Nate at the end was barely motivated by the writing (if at all), but damned if she didn't try her best to sell it in that final scene. No way her efforts could have saved this movie, but I appreciate the effort.

She also played Joan of Arc in Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005)

[Robert Denby 103]

"Wait-so you're THE Greg Wilson, from the shittiest movie ever made?"

 

https://flic.kr/p/2h9z

[DrGuts1003 462]

2 hours ago, Robert Denby said:

https://flic.kr/p/2h9z

Seeing that pic of young Nate reminded me...did anyone else think that Jane looked more like the grown up version of that kid than the guy playing adult Nate?  

[Cam Bert 8145]

Speaking of The Greg Wilson, let's do another deep dive on the actors in this movies and what they did before this movie.

So in the late 90s I assume The Greg Wilson was just starting out his career and willing to take any part. That's the only reason I think he starred the Yello Dyno movies. What are the Yello Dyno movies? They were a series of movies designed to teach children about safety and dangers via song and a man in a giant yellow dinosaur costume. Doesn't sound so bad right? Wrong! The story they chose to go with is that of a record producer who takes advantage of little girls by photographing them naked and then blackmailing them with it. Did I mention it is full of slap stick gags so children will watch it and stick through it? So what does this have to do with The Greg Wilson? Well he plays the lackey to the record producer who's job is to scout and acquire the kids for him. He's also chief slap stick character too. Yes it is horrible.

 

[muttnik 476]

Jesus Christ. They made that child say, "I'm not a little girl anymore." BARF. Also, the non-predator characters came off super creepy too. Also, the advice they gave fifty times didn't even work because she was quickly overpowered. Also, that dinosaur design is just a straight-up ripoff of Woodstock. Good Lord.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

On 8/30/2019 at 1:42 PM, gigi-tastic said:

She wore 4 inch brown shoes with a kitten heel from bebe!!! 

 

 

I wish this part had made it into Sofia's movie. I would've loved to have watched Emma Watson and Leslie Mann recreate this scene lol.

[E.Lerner 111]

I think we need to  consider the possibility that Cristabel and June's relationship was a Munchausen by Proxy scenario.

The off-the-charts levels of misogyny in the movie makes assessing this more difficult. We don't wan't to pathologize June's appearance, which is one of the reasons Cristabel comes off as a (surprisingly) good and supportive friend. She doesn't judge June or think that she needs to change her physical self to be happy or find love. 

The movie takes on a different tone, however, if June wants to change her appearance but can't for some reason. It's also not as if the movie's moral is that having self-love and confidence is more important than being "conventionally" attractive — June is otherwise smart, funny and self-possessed, but only gets her wants and needs met after a total physical makeover. The fact that she says she tried to overhaul her look in the past but had since given up makes me think that she was being secretly undermined by Cristabel.    

Our first impression of young June is that she was perhaps the victim of neglect or abuse; June's fluorosis is some evidence to that effect. I think this neglect and abuse was perpetrated by Cristabel for decades as an extension of her own narcissism. 

Munchausen by Proxy, now known as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another, is when "a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick." The movie talks about June's appearance in medical terms,  we know that she wanted to change her appearance, and that she was capable of doing so relatively easily under the right circumstances.

By the movie's own logic, June's Nottie-ness was a factitious disorder. Cristabel was imposing it on her as part of ploy to gain attention, sympathy and control from her many suitors. My theory is that she only released June from her clutches after Johan came into the picture because he operates in a very similar way and could be a potential accomplice moving forward.   

[gigi-tastic 2322]

14 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

Speaking of The Greg Wilson, let's do another deep dive on the actors in this movies and what they did before this movie.

So in the late 90s I assume The Greg Wilson was just starting out his career and willing to take any part. That's the only reason I think he starred the Yello Dyno movies. What are the Yello Dyno movies? They were a series of movies designed to teach children about safety and dangers via song and a man in a giant yellow dinosaur costume. Doesn't sound so bad right? Wrong! The story they chose to go with is that of a record producer who takes advantage of little girls by photographing them naked and then blackmailing them with it. Did I mention it is full of slap stick gags so children will watch it and stick through it? So what does this have to do with The Greg Wilson? Well he plays the lackey to the record producer who's job is to scout and acquire the kids for him. He's also chief slap stick character too. Yes it is horrible.

 

I do not trust this dinosaur. I fully think it's on drugs.  I suspect he might be a Tricky Person. 

That said

I haven't even started the actual "film " and I am already deeply uncomfortable

Ok I've watched it and Wow.

Did that pedophile threaten to murder a child? Also how positive are we that the dinosaur isn't grooming them for something? 

Speaking of his eyes! His black dead pit of hell eyes. He should never be allowed to take off the sunglasses

[gigi-tastic 2322]

2 hours ago, taylorannephoto said:

I wish this part had made it into Sofia's movie. I would've loved to have watched Emma Watson and Leslie Mann recreate this scene lol.

We were robbed!

[PollyDarton 1807]

On 9/1/2019 at 7:09 PM, Cam Bert said:

So I was confused by the character of the albino stalker. I mean if you're going to have a whole movie set outside at the beach making a character an albino seems like an odd choice. On top of that to play him as if he has some sort of disability is another weird choice. I was curious what else that actor, Scott Prendergast, had done because he looked kinda familiar. So I pulled up his IMDB and guess what? There is a The Hottie and The Nottie extended universe! Turns out years before The Hottie and The Nottie Scott Prendergast made a short filmed call Anna is Being Stalked. That short film is up on YouTube and here it is:

He's playing the exact same character! Everything is the same. The name on the shirt, the albinism, the weird ticks, everything! This short came out years before The Hottie and The Nottie so more likely The Hottie and The Nottie is part of the Anna is Being Stalked cinematic universe. I still want to know why this guy is playing the same part. Did the director know him and threw him in as joke? Did he audition because of his past experience playing a stalker? Blake Harris get on it! 

I worked with an actor a few years ago who had albinism. He was in school to become an actor and really hated that roles for people with albinism in films were basically reduced to evil or magical. Sometimes both. It kind of bummed me out when we saw the albino stalker.

It's truly a very underrepresented group. I'm was trying to think of any tv/film character with Albinism that isn't one of those stereotypes... and all I could recognize was Pete White from The Venture Bros.

 

[E.Lerner 111]

14 hours ago, PollyDarton said:

I'm was trying to think of any tv/film character with Albinism that isn't one of those stereotypes... and all I could recognize was Pete White from The Venture Bros.

Spoiler alert for Rampage (which is inevitably going to be on HDTGM, c'mon), but George the Albino Gorilla ends up saving the day.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

It is very sad that the only two positive representations of Albinism that we can all think of is an animated man and a CGI gorilla.

[E.Lerner 111]

36 minutes ago, taylorannephoto said:

It is very sad that the only two positive representations of Albinism that we can all think of is an animated man and a CGI gorilla.

100% agree. There's only one live-action character on the "positive portrayals" list in the (seemingly comprehensive) Wikipedia page "Albinism in popular culture" and it's from a fan-made short film parody of The Da Vinci Code.

   

[gigi-tastic 2322]

7 minutes ago, E.Lerner said:

100% agree. There's only one live-action character on the "positive portrayals" list in the (seemingly comprehensive) Wikipedia page "Albinism in popular culture" and it's from a fan-made short film parody of The Da Vinci Code.

   

I remember when the actual movie came out and some tv show like Inside Edition did a piece on how it was hurtful and negatively affecting the albino community. 

[Elektra Boogaloo 3371]

On 9/3/2019 at 12:25 PM, gigi-tastic said:

I do not trust this dinosaur. I fully think it's on drugs.  I suspect he might be a Tricky Person. 

That said

I haven't even started the actual "film " and I am already deeply uncomfortable

Ok I've watched it and Wow.

Did that pedophile threaten to murder a child? Also how positive are we that the dinosaur isn't grooming them for something? 

Speaking of his eyes! His black dead pit of hell eyes. He should never be allowed to take off the sunglasses

I thought the same thing when the weird lady at the beginning mentioned Street Smarts!

The men in this movie are tricky people.

Actually, I really don't like the phrase "tricky people" also. It's weirdly giving them more credit (they are dumb gross-os) while condescending to the kids.

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

On 9/4/2019 at 1:25 AM, gigi-tastic said:

I do not trust this dinosaur. I fully think it's on drugs.  I suspect he might be a Tricky Person. 

That said

I haven't even started the actual "film " and I am already deeply uncomfortable

Ok I've watched it and Wow.

Did that pedophile threaten to murder a child? Also how positive are we that the dinosaur isn't grooming them for something? 

Speaking of his eyes! His black dead pit of hell eyes. He should never be allowed to take off the sunglasses

Yello Dyno is definitely taking those kids to a secondary location.

[GrahamS. 803]

I confess, I didn’t watch this movie and have never understood the popularity of   Paris Hilton. I think she became famous on her show with Nicole Richie right around the time I left L.A. and it seemed like she was getting famous for (1) being rich, (2) playing the snarky blonde,  and (3) not having talent besides being rich and snarky. I won’t deny having a chip on my shoulder against her, especially because friends of friends had put work into their craft, were legitimately trying to succeed, not getting anywhere and having severe mental health issues over it. I know—that’s the breaks, but it was a bitter pill to swallow at the time when someone so seemingly shallow (and that WAS the image she cultivated) was what society seemed to celebrate.

17 years later, I still don’t understand why she’s even worth talking about. I don’t know her—obviously—and who knows, maybe she’s a subversive Einstein-level genius. Maybe she’s the female equivalent of Andy Kaufman and was just willing to go REALLY far for a bit. But whenever I hear her name, I can’t help but recall Tina Fey (who I absolutely respect) talking about her in Bossypants. I don’t remember Tina’s exact wording (she was talking about when Paris hosted SNL), but I believe she described Paris as the stupidest, most conceited person she had ever met.

The main reason I mentioned this is Tina Fey’s bashing of Paris Hilton got A LOT of press coverage at the time and I haven’t seen anyone mention it (June, Paul and Jason included). I guess this is a long-winded way of me saying I’m not shocked that this movie sucks based on her apparent personality. 

Maybe I’m just being a hater, but since I  give celebrities/people in general a lot of leeway, I’ll happily own my hatred this time.

That being said, if she decides to use her reality-tv star clout to run for President, she’d make an EXCELLENT candidate. Who needs political experience? Paris Hilton 2020 (Kanye 2024? Kim 2028?)!

[hotironskillet 137]

At one point, Arno, the friend who's in the incestuous relationship with his mom, says to Nate "I have two words for you man: lie." and I thought to myself, well that just sums up the problem with the whole movie. It's so damn stupid, it can't catch a basic error like the difference between one word and two.

[E.Lerner 111]

11 hours ago, GrahamS. said:

it was a bitter pill to swallow at the time when someone so seemingly shallow (and that WAS the image she cultivated) was what society seemed to celebrate.

Honestly, it's this aspect of Hilton's persona that got me thinking about the Munchausen angle. I think most people would have considered her a villain in real life at the time this came out, and so part of me wondered if the movie was building to a big reveal of some ulterior motive behind her character's relationship with June. As professional wrestling connoisseur, especially as it informed modern reality television (and now politics), I thought that she was at least leaning into her intrinsic heel-ishness and might be on board with that curveball. 

Paris Hilton, the human, epitomized the toxic beauty standards of that era. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that thousands, if not millions, of women and girls were made to feel like the Nottie to her Hottie. That this movie unironically embraced that dynamic is just further evidence that every person involved should be in jail.