A Diva's Christmas Carol

[00:00:00] Grab your eggnog and turn up the holiday tunes because this week we're revisiting the 2000 TV movie A Divas Christmas Carol.

[00:00:09] Vanessa Williams shines as the sassiest Scrooge in this fun and festive retelling of the classic holiday tale.

[00:00:17] So let's dive into this holiday gem and see if it still hits all the right notes.

[00:00:34] Welcome to the No More Late Fees podcast. I'm Danielle.

[00:00:37] And I'm Jackie and we're just two best friends and ex-blockbuster employees re-watching some of the best and worst movies from the late 90s and early 2000s.

[00:00:46] This week we're getting into the holiday spirit with A Divas Christmas Carol, a 2000 VH1 classic starring Vanessa Williams as a pop diva with a heart of ice.

[00:00:57] But before we dive in, let's get into some housekeeping.

[00:01:03] Beeping.

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[00:01:17] Your feedback helps us spread holiday cheer all year long.

[00:01:22] And the holidays are right around the corner.

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[00:01:46] Tag, Herr Jauch.

[00:01:47] Herr Ulmen, was haben Sie diesmal wieder nicht verstanden?

[00:01:51] Ja, Herr Jauch, können Sie mir das mit dem E-Rezept nochmal erklären?

[00:01:54] Es ist doch nun wirklich einfach.

[00:01:56] Also, Shop-Apotheke-App öffnen.

[00:01:59] Krankenkassenkarte dranhalten.

[00:02:00] Rezepte auswählen, bestellen, fertig.

[00:02:02] Ja, Sie wissen doch, wie es geht.

[00:02:03] Ja, aber also einfach nur dranhalten ist das...

[00:02:06] Ich dachte, meine Frau wollte mich verarschen.

[00:02:09] Diesmal ausnahmsweise nicht.

[00:02:10] Ha.

[00:02:11] E-Rezept, Shop-Apotheke.

[00:02:13] Hältst du schon dran?

[00:02:14] And we're not alone.

[00:02:16] Returning this week are our pals from the Brum Eats World podcast, Siege and Tony.

[00:02:23] Welcome.

[00:02:24] Hello, hello.

[00:02:26] We love when you guys are on.

[00:02:28] Our fans love when you guys are on.

[00:02:30] Oh, that's good to hear.

[00:02:32] Yes.

[00:02:32] We love being here.

[00:02:33] So if you want to get to know Siege and Tony a little better, check out our past episodes

[00:02:38] of Drumline and The Wood with them.

[00:02:41] They are, not to be missed, some of our favorites.

[00:02:45] Let's dive on into A Diva's Christmas Carol.

[00:02:50] A Diva's Christmas Carol gives the classic Charles Dickens story a glamorous update.

[00:02:55] Vanessa Williams plays Ebony Scrooge, a self-absorbed pop star who's visited by the ghosts of Christmas

[00:03:01] past, present, and yet to come.

[00:03:02] With the help of her late bandmate and some spectral wisdom, she learns to embrace the true meaning

[00:03:09] of Christmas.

[00:03:10] The movie stars Vanessa Williams, Rosanda Chili Thomas, a.k.a. Chili from TLC, John Taylor from

[00:03:18] Duran Duran, Kathy Griffin, and Brian McNamara.

[00:03:21] It was written and directed by Richard Shankman, and you can currently watch it somewhere secretly

[00:03:29] online.

[00:03:29] I found a link.

[00:03:31] I, I, it was hard.

[00:03:32] It's not anywhere streaming.

[00:03:34] I'm sorry, guys.

[00:03:34] So if you have the DVD, you're luckier than most.

[00:03:37] But before we start, let's get into our ratings rewind.

[00:03:41] You know the drill.

[00:03:43] Before we get into the movie, we'll reveal the rating our Y2K versions of ourselves would

[00:03:47] give.

[00:03:48] And at the end, we'll see if our current selves agree with our initial rating.

[00:03:52] Our scale consists of would buy it, would buy it again.

[00:03:55] The best would play and repeat.

[00:03:57] Five day rental.

[00:03:59] Would watch again.

[00:04:00] Two day rental.

[00:04:02] Eh, okay, but nothing to write home about.

[00:04:04] And same day rental.

[00:04:06] Trash.

[00:04:07] Straight up.

[00:04:08] Garbage.

[00:04:10] Is it a love quake?

[00:04:14] Siege, what is your Y2K rating of A Diva's Christmas Carol?

[00:04:20] As if we don't know already.

[00:04:21] All right.

[00:04:22] Like I said, I don't know if anyone remembers, but I said previously, this is me and my sisters.

[00:04:27] Like, this is our movie.

[00:04:29] I would tattoo this movie script on my arm somewhere if I could.

[00:04:34] So it is would buy it again.

[00:04:36] Absolutely.

[00:04:37] Absolutely.

[00:04:38] Yeah.

[00:04:39] You know, it's funny.

[00:04:40] Siege, do you remember us bonding over this movie in like high school?

[00:04:44] I don't remember that, but I believe you.

[00:04:46] This was like one of those niche things where I was like, oh, he likes the same type of pop

[00:04:50] culture that I do because we like randomly connected over this.

[00:04:55] I just met someone the other day and they were, we randomly bonded over the Together movie from MTV.

[00:05:01] I don't know if you remember that.

[00:05:01] Yeah, yes.

[00:05:02] It's one of those things where you just have something so niche where it's just like, I feel like I know you just because we bond over this.

[00:05:09] And that's how this movie was with CJ and myself.

[00:05:12] So I will say that I would buy it again.

[00:05:14] And I think that Christmas movies in general are more, I'm more susceptible to like buy it and watch it over and over again because it just plays into the holiday season.

[00:05:23] Absolutely.

[00:05:25] Danielle?

[00:05:25] Danielle?

[00:05:27] I watched this quite a few times.

[00:05:29] It's a five day rental because I like wasn't obsessed, but you know, VH1 had it on rotation and you know, we already know how much I love Vanessa Williams, like a lot.

[00:05:42] But there was a lot of competition when we were growing up for Christmas movies.

[00:05:47] I didn't have the time.

[00:05:48] I didn't have the time.

[00:05:49] This was, it was on rotation, but it wasn't top rotation.

[00:05:54] So five day rental.

[00:05:55] How about you, Jackie?

[00:05:56] I have never seen a divas Christmas Carol.

[00:06:00] I don't know how I missed it because I watched a lot of VH1 and I'm going to be honest going into it.

[00:06:08] I thought it was going to be like, like divas live where it's like all the big major singers and like there would just be like little skits in between them singing Christmas songs.

[00:06:19] So I was like, Oh, this is a Christmas.

[00:06:23] I don't know how I missed the Christmas Carol part.

[00:06:25] I just thought it was divas singing Christmas Carol.

[00:06:29] That is a great idea.

[00:06:31] Go start pitching it now.

[00:06:36] Well, since this was a TV movie, we don't have box office numbers.

[00:06:40] I did try to check for ratings, but I couldn't find it.

[00:06:43] So we're just going to have to say it was a top rated movie, obviously.

[00:06:49] But it did premiere on VH1 December 13th in 2000.

[00:06:55] Paramount Pictures released the film on DVD in November 2002.

[00:07:00] And it was produced for television.

[00:07:02] Funny that you brought up divas live.

[00:07:05] It was produced for television by VH1 and it arrived right at the peak of its massively popular VH1 divas live series.

[00:07:13] So not too far off guys.

[00:07:15] Not too far off.

[00:07:16] But before we get into cast and crew, let's hear a message from our pod pals.

[00:07:24] What's up dudes?

[00:07:25] I'm Jerry D of Totally Rad Christmas.

[00:07:27] The podcast that talks all things Christmas in the 80s.

[00:07:30] Toys, movies, specials, music, books, fashion, and fads.

[00:07:33] If it was gnarly during Christmas in the 80s, he's got it covered.

[00:07:37] So tune in to Totally Rad Christmas everywhere you get your podcasts.

[00:07:41] Turn the clock back and dive into those warm and fuzzy memories.

[00:07:44] Later dudes.

[00:07:48] All right, we're back.

[00:07:50] So casting.

[00:07:52] Vanessa Williams wasn't the network's first choice.

[00:07:56] According to the star, producers had originally wanted to cast Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston as the lead.

[00:08:04] It was very obvious.

[00:08:05] I looked at it and I was like, look at the cast.

[00:08:09] That cast does not say Vanessa Williams is who we had in mind.

[00:08:13] But if y'all thought y'all was getting 90s Mariah.

[00:08:17] Or 90s Whitney.

[00:08:18] On VH1.

[00:08:21] Vanessa Williams feels like the best.

[00:08:24] When I think VH1, I'm like, sure, Vanessa Williams.

[00:08:26] That makes sense.

[00:08:27] Yeah.

[00:08:28] The funny thing is that the writer and director, Richard Schenkman, he didn't have those ladies in mind.

[00:08:35] He always had Vanessa Williams in mind.

[00:08:39] He said, yeah, they're divas, but I need someone who can actually act as a diva and is not literally a diva because then where's the humor?

[00:08:48] It turned out that there's zero fun.

[00:08:52] Like there's very little fun facts about this movie.

[00:08:54] And thank, I don't want to say thank God for the pandemic.

[00:08:57] But during the pandemic, Vanessa hosted or was a part of a watch party to watch this movie.

[00:09:05] And she got a really cool interview where she kind of talked about how she got the role, what was happening on set at the time.

[00:09:12] So it was really fun to find like these nuggets.

[00:09:15] And she said that when they were coming together to, you know, put the plot and the writing together,

[00:09:22] they were thinking about all the stories from that time period of the divas being the devious ways and putting that together and kind of putting those elements in the movie.

[00:09:34] Because it did feel like I'm waiting for Mariah to like from a Mariah.

[00:09:39] This is my writer kind of thing.

[00:09:41] Give me like different color M&Ms kind of stuff.

[00:09:43] But yeah, love that.

[00:09:45] I love Vanessa Williams so much.

[00:09:47] I just have to tell you, because you keep saying that, I will be seeing her in the Devil Wears Prada musical in London.

[00:09:55] I'm so mad at you.

[00:09:57] When I do go, I will do my best to like take photos and like let you know how it goes.

[00:10:03] She shared something that we posted.

[00:10:06] Oh, I did a crazy video of myself.

[00:10:09] It was that thing from, I don't know.

[00:10:13] I said, get up here.

[00:10:14] Let's dance.

[00:10:15] So I did all my favorite dance movies and I tagged her because a dance with me was one of them.

[00:10:19] And she re-shared it.

[00:10:21] That was it.

[00:10:22] You could have gone.

[00:10:23] You could put the dirt on my grave.

[00:10:25] I'm done.

[00:10:26] I have lived life.

[00:10:29] You know what?

[00:10:30] So can I just say one thing about Vanessa Williams?

[00:10:32] This movie is kind of like one of the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Vanessa Williams.

[00:10:38] Like obviously she's known for a lot of things, you know, especially thinking about the 90s.

[00:10:42] Like Colors of the Wind is really big.

[00:10:44] Obviously, I know her really well from Soul Food.

[00:10:47] But this movie, for whatever reason, I think it allows her to shine.

[00:10:51] Like I don't really know other starring roles that we're giving to her specifically.

[00:10:55] In the 90s?

[00:10:56] Yeah, the 90s.

[00:10:57] But she does in the, I don't know if it's the late 2000s or the early 2010s.

[00:11:03] She's in Ugly Betty as kind of like a mixture of, she always plays like a diva-esque character.

[00:11:09] And then she also was in Desperate Housewives in like the winter seasons.

[00:11:14] So she does get her.

[00:11:15] But you're right in the sense that those are all ensembles.

[00:11:19] This was like Vanessa Williams forward.

[00:11:21] Well, this movie started it for her.

[00:11:24] I'm glad you brought up Ugly Betty because when we thought about Vanessa Williams before this movie,

[00:11:29] we didn't think of her as being kind of like mean or, you know, a diva.

[00:11:34] Yes, Terry from Soul Food was a different-

[00:11:38] Terry was justified.

[00:11:39] Justified.

[00:11:39] Justice for Terry.

[00:11:40] But this was the start of it.

[00:11:42] And it turns out that Silvio Horta, the creator of Ugly Betty, he's a huge fan of A Diva's Christmas Carol.

[00:11:51] And then, so he insisted that Vanessa play Wilhelmina Slater, which now is so iconic.

[00:11:56] Now, like from this role in A Diva's Christmas Carol as to how she even is in right now the musical The Devil Wears Prada.

[00:12:06] So this was her origin story, her canon event.

[00:12:10] And it was funny because for the show, there was somebody else that they hired.

[00:12:15] She was traveling abroad and it was like hard to get her.

[00:12:19] And she's like, you know what?

[00:12:20] I'm not-

[00:12:20] They were trying to send her to the script.

[00:12:21] She was like, whatever.

[00:12:22] So they hired someone else.

[00:12:23] They did the table read and they're like, no, we need-

[00:12:26] I need Vanessa.

[00:12:27] And that's how Wilhelmina was created.

[00:12:30] I love-

[00:12:30] I love her in that show too.

[00:12:32] That show is fun.

[00:12:34] What else we got, guys?

[00:12:35] Anything else in casting, Jack?

[00:12:36] Two of Vanessa's children, Sasha and Devin, appear in the movie.

[00:12:40] Sasha appears in the final scene when William says no one pees on the diva.

[00:12:44] And then Devin appears in the background putting up Christmas ornaments.

[00:12:48] I love that because when I saw that scene at the end, now re-watching it and seeing the baby,

[00:12:54] I'm like, great aunt.

[00:12:56] She too young to be-

[00:12:57] That could be her baby.

[00:12:59] That's what I thought.

[00:12:59] And so when I saw this, I was like, oh, it is her baby.

[00:13:07] And then we have a couple of debut cinematic performances.

[00:13:13] Vanessa Morgan and Helena Alexis Seymour.

[00:13:17] And for us older millennials, if you heard of Vanessa Morgan's name, maybe.

[00:13:24] If you got into Riverdale, she's on that show.

[00:13:28] That's how you know her.

[00:13:29] Helena.

[00:13:31] And then we have Brian McKnight and Niall Rogers play themselves in a TV interview about-

[00:13:39] And I think Brian McKnight plays themselves perfectly to how it's aged today because he

[00:13:45] plays kind of a dick in that little cameo.

[00:13:48] I also think Niall Rogers loved having fun with this.

[00:13:52] He seems like he was having a blast.

[00:13:55] I think that's why this movie works so well because even Vanessa Williams, she's being a diva and she's doing all this stuff, but she's having fun.

[00:14:03] And so I think that's the big difference between getting a Mariah Carey where she's just like, oh, another day at the office.

[00:14:09] Okay.

[00:14:09] She can phone it in, but there's no like levity to it.

[00:14:14] Hot take.

[00:14:15] Okay, go ahead.

[00:14:15] Hot take.

[00:14:16] I don't think Ebony was diva enough.

[00:14:20] That's.

[00:14:21] Ebony had some points.

[00:14:23] I'm sorry.

[00:14:24] Is she not offset?

[00:14:25] Is there a water bottle in her hand?

[00:14:27] It's not.

[00:14:28] At this point in time, we're just not following orders.

[00:14:31] Right.

[00:14:32] I'm glad you brought that up before me because, you know, I'm always labeled as a villain apologist.

[00:14:39] No.

[00:14:39] But I just feel like that was a woman asking for things and people were looking at her crazy.

[00:14:46] If you have what I asked for, it wouldn't be this problem.

[00:14:50] What do you mean French friend for?

[00:14:52] It's not even intense.

[00:14:53] Like you're a five-star resort and there's sand in my spinach.

[00:14:58] What are you doing?

[00:14:58] I told you.

[00:14:59] I gave you ample time.

[00:15:03] She said, I'm going to send it back.

[00:15:06] What are we really talking about here?

[00:15:08] I would send it back at Applebee's.

[00:15:10] Sam.

[00:15:10] Yeah.

[00:15:11] T-Bone, who she is paying to be her security guard is known throughout the movie to be asleep, not on the job.

[00:15:20] So she's not wrong where she's like, do I have to do everything?

[00:15:24] Right.

[00:15:26] Right.

[00:15:27] Now the places where I feel like she really was kind of sucky as a boss was putting her team into that raggedy ass roach motel that they were in.

[00:15:38] It looked good in the brochure.

[00:15:40] She said that.

[00:15:41] And I believe her.

[00:15:42] Her accountant and her cutting corners everywhere they can.

[00:15:49] The charity money trying to cut off the top and keep some of it.

[00:15:53] And just knowing that Bob has been ride or die since the jump, has been in friend zone forever.

[00:16:04] I would have at least let Bob go home to his child and wife.

[00:16:07] His very sick child with a mystery illness.

[00:16:11] Right.

[00:16:12] Bob made choices.

[00:16:14] Bob has an issue with boundaries.

[00:16:16] I was going to say the same thing.

[00:16:17] Bob has an issue with boundaries.

[00:16:19] Number one.

[00:16:19] Evidence number one.

[00:16:21] He starts massaging Ebony.

[00:16:23] You have a wife, sir.

[00:16:25] Right.

[00:16:26] And you haven't been in that way for quite some time.

[00:16:28] So excuse you.

[00:16:30] Back up.

[00:16:31] That's what she said.

[00:16:31] And then at the end of the movie, Ebony calls and is like, hey, please don't go.

[00:16:37] And he doesn't.

[00:16:39] And he stays there.

[00:16:40] And for all he knows, he doesn't know what happened.

[00:16:43] She said Merry Christmas.

[00:16:44] And he's like, I guess I could wait one more day.

[00:16:47] And it's like, you didn't know that she had a whole change of heart and had your wife and kid blown over.

[00:16:52] You were staying around.

[00:16:53] Your wife was right.

[00:16:54] You have a problem.

[00:16:56] You don't want to let go of Ebony.

[00:16:58] And that is not on Ebony.

[00:17:00] Can I also say one thing about that real fast?

[00:17:02] Is that, you know, when he's talking to his wife during like Christmas present.

[00:17:07] I'm sorry if we're going too far ahead.

[00:17:08] But like, he's like, oh, everything we have is because of Ebony.

[00:17:13] But like, you were there when she was broke.

[00:17:16] So you decided to build your life around her.

[00:17:19] Like, all of these are decisions that you made that led to this predicament.

[00:17:24] Also, he says to his wife, the paycheck is delayed.

[00:17:29] So if she's responsible for your lifestyle, then that means that any money that you have is from her.

[00:17:36] But you don't have money.

[00:17:38] We know this.

[00:17:38] That's why your wife is upset.

[00:17:40] Yeah.

[00:17:40] You're not even in it for the money.

[00:17:42] You are staying because you still have feelings for Ebony.

[00:17:45] And that's what I, that's what I came here to say.

[00:17:48] This wife.

[00:17:48] It couldn't be me.

[00:17:49] That's what I kept thinking.

[00:17:51] Because when they had that phone conversation and you see the back and forth between them.

[00:17:56] So you have married a man.

[00:17:58] You want to talk about somebody making choices.

[00:18:00] Yes, Bob has made choices.

[00:18:02] But so has she.

[00:18:04] Ebony, imagine you met this man.

[00:18:06] You could tell he's in love with his employer, right?

[00:18:10] But yet you still married him, procreated with him and continue to facilitate his lifestyle of literally living with another woman besides yourself and your child.

[00:18:22] So that's, that's on her.

[00:18:24] On top of that, when Ebony calls her and says, hey, I need you to do a few things.

[00:18:28] Do you know how I would have read that woman for filth?

[00:18:30] For having the audacity to call me?

[00:18:33] And then at the end where like she hugs Bob, that, that hug was too long.

[00:18:41] In front of me?

[00:18:42] We got to talk about Ebony.

[00:18:44] Can I say one thing?

[00:18:45] Yeah, of course.

[00:18:46] Ebony Scrooge as like a modern name for Ebony's or Scrooge.

[00:18:50] So good.

[00:18:51] So good.

[00:18:51] I love it.

[00:18:52] And also they like acknowledge it without having to, like, they don't have to be like Ebony's, Ebony's Scrooge, Ebony's Scrooge.

[00:18:58] They say it once and she's like, ah, Ebony's fine.

[00:19:00] And you're like, okay, we have the connection.

[00:19:03] And I think that's great.

[00:19:04] I love that.

[00:19:05] I love that scene at the airport.

[00:19:08] I don't, I don't know.

[00:19:10] You're talking about that airport.

[00:19:11] All right.

[00:19:11] I have some things.

[00:19:12] First, you're talking about the airport.

[00:19:14] That to me, that flight attendant, she had dealt with people before.

[00:19:19] She asked a question.

[00:19:20] No, I'm not going to lie.

[00:19:21] Something that she did and the guy does later.

[00:19:24] Oh, you look a lot thinner on TV.

[00:19:27] Why'd you say that?

[00:19:28] Now, how are we supposed to interact other than being mad at you?

[00:19:33] How, like, it's weird because there's that scene and then the Kathy Griffin scene where this is like the height, again, going back to the 2000s.

[00:19:45] Edie culture, extremely skinny craziness.

[00:19:49] That was happening.

[00:19:50] And what's even worse is the fact that Vanessa Williams just gave birth to a baby.

[00:19:55] So to add those things into the movie is just like really fucked up.

[00:19:59] I agree.

[00:19:59] However, I'm sorry.

[00:20:01] I'm sorry.

[00:20:01] You skinny bitch.

[00:20:02] Did you just say skinny?

[00:20:04] Is the quote me and my sister say all the time.

[00:20:08] Because Kathy Griffin, I think this is like one of the earlier exposures I had of Kathy Griffin.

[00:20:14] And she does an amazing job in this role.

[00:20:20] And she plays it so seamlessly.

[00:20:22] And you believe that she's a ghost.

[00:20:25] You believe that she has these powers.

[00:20:27] And you just believe that she's effortlessly cool.

[00:20:29] She's like over it almost.

[00:20:31] But she's also like anything Ebony gives to her.

[00:20:34] She's like, girl, I done seen some things.

[00:20:36] You ain't nothing.

[00:20:38] I love Kathy Griffin.

[00:20:40] And one of the things I loved, again, about this interpretation of like the classic Charles Dickens thing is that like traditionally the ghost of Christmas past is very annoying.

[00:20:50] So who do they get?

[00:20:50] They get a comedian.

[00:20:51] The ghost of Christmas present is always very gluttonous.

[00:20:54] What's a modern VH1 interpretation of that?

[00:20:57] A rock star.

[00:20:58] Like it's so brilliant in the way they make those connections.

[00:21:02] And we don't really get a ghost of the future.

[00:21:06] It's just the TV kind of speaking to her, which is kind of cool.

[00:21:10] Very cool.

[00:21:11] Well, it's always like the ghost of Christmas future is almost always quiet and like foreshadowy.

[00:21:17] I mean, like sometimes they don't even talk.

[00:21:19] Yeah, exactly.

[00:21:20] But I thought that the, you know, behind the music of it all, not only is it beautiful because it's subtle, like she doesn't even pick up on that.

[00:21:29] This is what it is.

[00:21:30] You know, she's just like, oh, finally, this thing has come out.

[00:21:36] And the wind comes in and she's just kind of like, oh, I hear, I get that you're here, but just let me wash this a little bit.

[00:21:43] Yeah.

[00:21:43] And she doesn't even realize that she's already gotten sucked in.

[00:21:47] And I think that that's beautiful.

[00:21:49] Go ahead.

[00:21:49] I was just going to say one of my favorite things about this is that in the original play and everything, Ebenezer is constantly talking to himself.

[00:21:56] And I feel like by making her so narcissistic, like I was able to believe that she's the type of person who would just be complaining outwardly, loudly, even when no one's around.

[00:22:08] Goddamn, someone needs to fix this.

[00:22:09] I have to do everything.

[00:22:10] Like the fact that she's saying all these things, like there's never a part to me to be like, why is she externalizing these thoughts?

[00:22:16] So it just felt very natural to me.

[00:22:19] Definitely.

[00:22:20] So let's just quickly talk through the scenes.

[00:22:23] We all know what a Christmas story or a Christmas carol is.

[00:22:26] So at the beginning, so the opening scene, she's shooting a music video.

[00:22:34] And she chokes on fake snow.

[00:22:37] And like the lip singing is thinking like over the top.

[00:22:43] I was like, what are we watching?

[00:22:46] And then when they pulled out and it was like a music video, so I was like, oh, okay, here we go.

[00:22:53] I thought that was genius, honestly.

[00:22:56] As a Christmas movie, especially like, I think the thing that makes this movie so much fun is it's so self-aware of not only like the story that it's doing, but like the different tropes.

[00:23:07] It's aware that it is making fun of Christmas movies.

[00:23:10] And so for them to show her lip syncing in the snow and you're thinking, oh, and it starts off with like this magical Christmas music.

[00:23:17] And then for while she's lip singing, the snow to come and she starts coughing and the song's still playing.

[00:23:25] You're like, oh, it's not even live recording.

[00:23:29] Also, this started off as a music video on VH1 is a great like tie-in and ploy that if you're just flipping through the channels, you might just think you're watching a music video.

[00:23:37] Then all of a sudden you're sucked into a movie.

[00:23:39] Also really quickly, like we were talking about that opening line and I'm so big on like what the first line in a movie script is.

[00:23:48] And the very first line of this script is, hey, you up there, are you trying to kill me or what?

[00:23:54] And I was like, ah, that's really funny because it's like this double entendre of like she's of course talking about the guy who is doing the snow.

[00:24:05] But it could also be like the higher power or whoever is up there.

[00:24:09] Are you trying to kill me or what?

[00:24:11] And that is kind of the thesis statement of this movie.

[00:24:15] And then also I just wanted to say that that snow operator, he also has seen some things.

[00:24:19] He was like, look, I'm almost done.

[00:24:23] My box is almost empty and then I can go home.

[00:24:27] So I'm going to sprinkle this snow on you so I can peace out.

[00:24:30] I just love that it is a TV movie, but I never got the corny vibes watching it.

[00:24:37] Even now, like 20 plus years later, it just felt, and I don't know if a lot of it has to do with Vanessa, just her portrayal.

[00:24:48] It feels lived in.

[00:24:49] It feels real.

[00:24:49] It doesn't feel like she's playing a caricature of somebody, you know, and that could be very easily done as she's playing this like diva-esque role.

[00:25:00] I just, now that we're talking about it, I'm like, oh, it really did feel corny like a Hallmark movie, you know?

[00:25:07] Because I hate, I hate the Hallmark channel.

[00:25:14] And this did not, like, I wasn't getting those vibes of like, oh, when is this over?

[00:25:20] Like, I was like, oh, this was actually fun.

[00:25:25] Like, it wasn't the concert I was expecting it to be, but it was still, it was a fun ride.

[00:25:32] It didn't ever feel forced or like really cheesy one-liners and stuff.

[00:25:39] I felt like Bob Cratchit.

[00:25:40] Bob Cratchit felt like he walked directly from a Hallmark Christmas movie.

[00:25:44] Like, that dude lives in that genre.

[00:25:47] He does.

[00:25:48] That actor does, yes.

[00:25:49] But also, I felt like he, I was like, I saw Bob Cratchit and I was like, you were, in fact, a young, hot music producer when you were younger.

[00:25:57] And now you are a working dad who is just stuck in this job.

[00:26:01] You look like that guy and you are playing this role perfectly.

[00:26:05] His haircut in that flashback scene, atrocious.

[00:26:09] I don't know what, like, was that a wig?

[00:26:12] Did some, it felt like someone was like, yeah, what, what Bob?

[00:26:16] And went like this because I was like, what is that?

[00:26:20] Crazy.

[00:26:21] So we see Ebony, we see her antics, right?

[00:26:24] And then we're introduced to like all the different characters, people on her tour, Bob.

[00:26:29] Ernie.

[00:26:30] Ernie, her money management.

[00:26:32] Did I say one of the things I really loved when they're talking about like, oh, we have to give to a charity and they're like, oh, let's just end up giving it to these homeless people.

[00:26:39] Like, the tie of the original is that scene where Ebenezer Scrooge is interrupted by people who are looking for money for charity.

[00:26:47] And he's like, don't my taxes go to pay for homeless shelters?

[00:26:50] And they say, like, people would rather die than go to the, and I'm like, yo, you guys are pulling direct dialogue from Dickens and still making it feel modern and fresh and new.

[00:26:58] Like, it's, it's really well done.

[00:27:00] Yeah.

[00:27:00] Just shows that we've been treating homeless people like shit forever.

[00:27:05] Yeah.

[00:27:05] Yes.

[00:27:07] Doesn't this movie make you kind of like solidify the idea that there's really no ethical billionaire, like celebrity status?

[00:27:13] Like, even when she tries to do good, she's still treating people like shit.

[00:27:17] Yeah.

[00:27:17] We'll get there.

[00:27:18] But like, when she's trying to do good, you're like, girl, this was the best you could come up with.

[00:27:23] She's like, every hospital gets a CD.

[00:27:26] And you're like, girl, what they gonna do with the hospital?

[00:27:28] I felt like she should have given to, like, try to tie back to foster care.

[00:27:33] And, you know, like, that would have made a lot of sense from her background.

[00:27:37] Sure.

[00:27:38] Sure.

[00:27:38] Yeah.

[00:27:38] So she comes up with this plan to have this Christmas concert.

[00:27:42] So her entire crew thought they had the holidays off.

[00:27:47] And nope, they get one day to fly home and they have to be back in New York for Christmas Day to do this charity concert.

[00:27:57] And so she's in her hotel, her luxury hotel room.

[00:28:01] The princess suite.

[00:28:01] She's mad that she didn't get the queen.

[00:28:03] A few things, like, a few things that are like, having lived in LA and seen, like, things in the industry, a few things that I wanted to, I was like, oh, this is actually, like, little insider and we wouldn't have known this.

[00:28:13] It's the fact that, one, like, I think, you know, at least as a child, you're like, well, why don't you just quit?

[00:28:19] Like, oh, she wants us to work on Christmas.

[00:28:21] Like, oh, we have to do this.

[00:28:22] It's like, oh, yeah.

[00:28:23] If you are a dancer, you are dependent on job.

[00:28:26] It is not easy.

[00:28:27] You can't just quit.

[00:28:29] So if she says we now have a concert on Christmas Day, look, do you want a job?

[00:28:36] Because everyone else is auditioning right now.

[00:28:38] So you're on tour.

[00:28:40] You got to stick with it because that's money.

[00:28:43] And then also this idea of when she does get to the hotel, you know, she's like, I thought I told you.

[00:28:52] Like, where is everyone?

[00:28:53] Where's paparazzi?

[00:28:54] Yeah.

[00:28:55] And, you know, like, that is supposed to be a thing of vanity.

[00:28:58] But in reality, I was like, no, she has a concert.

[00:29:01] She has a CD.

[00:29:03] She's like, I thought you would link it to page six.

[00:29:05] Why?

[00:29:05] Because, and I was like, in reality, she's, again, like, you want to hate on Ebony, but she's actually just aware of how the industry works.

[00:29:13] And she's like, if we're promoting a Christmas tour, if, like, I know that I don't want everyone here, but there should be some buzz about me in the news if we're going to be doing this and actually get the interest.

[00:29:25] But then I would say, like, then don't tell Bob not to, like, get rid of everybody.

[00:29:29] Then have that conversation with him.

[00:29:31] And Bob, at this point, at your job, you should know this.

[00:29:34] That's what I'm saying.

[00:29:34] But she should also have a publicist.

[00:29:36] Like, that is not his, he can't do every fucking thing.

[00:29:40] But this goes back to her penny pinching, right?

[00:29:42] Being the Ebenezer Scrooge character, you know, he's like, why didn't we take the limo?

[00:29:49] She's like, I'm not paying for that just to come to the airport.

[00:29:51] So you start to see those elements there.

[00:29:55] But, yeah, you're right.

[00:29:56] But also, it's Bob.

[00:29:58] Yeah, my whole point is, Bob, as you said, Bob says he's been doing this for 13 years.

[00:30:03] You should know what Ebenezer.

[00:30:04] There comes a point in time where it's like when bosses are, like, considered mean.

[00:30:10] Where I'm like, sometimes you're right.

[00:30:12] But other times it's like, how long have you been in this position?

[00:30:14] Okay, the new one, like, if we want to take a Devil Wears Prada for it.

[00:30:18] Addie, yeah, you get, like, they should be nicer to you.

[00:30:21] But if you've been in this role for 13 years and I still have to tell you, like, what to do.

[00:30:28] What I need or what to do, yeah.

[00:30:29] Then you're not that good at your job.

[00:30:31] I have the right to be mad at you.

[00:30:34] Oh, man.

[00:30:36] At this point, like, now she's in her suite.

[00:30:39] She's bitching about everything.

[00:30:40] And then we see her kind of.

[00:30:43] Huh?

[00:30:44] We meet Marley.

[00:30:45] Well, we see her kind of decompress and we meet her niece.

[00:30:50] Her niece kind of because her security dude ain't shit.

[00:30:54] T-Bone.

[00:30:55] T-Bone.

[00:30:56] She threatens to fire everyone but T-Bone, by the way.

[00:30:58] Yeah, she never says anything bad about him.

[00:31:01] What does T-Bone have on Ebenezer?

[00:31:05] Probably a lot when he's not sleeping.

[00:31:09] So we meet her niece and that's where we learn that, like, she has no other family.

[00:31:14] It's just her niece.

[00:31:15] And then she takes some drugs, which I love that they added that element.

[00:31:19] So it kind of makes it seem like maybe she was having some episode hallucinations from her medication.

[00:31:27] And then Marley shows up.

[00:31:30] And I love Marley's.

[00:31:32] I love the outfits in this movie.

[00:31:34] It was so brilliant because obviously in a classic retelling, Marley shows up in chains.

[00:31:41] So this interpretation of Marley has this fabulous outfit that just is decked out in these decorative chains.

[00:31:51] And it's so brilliantly done.

[00:31:54] And she still looks high fashion like she would have on stage in 1989.

[00:32:00] And I love her Ebenezer pajama robe situation going on.

[00:32:05] It was giving very Cheetah Girls.

[00:32:07] What's the mom's name in Cheetah Girls?

[00:32:09] Is it Lynn?

[00:32:10] I know.

[00:32:11] Lynn Whitfield.

[00:32:12] Is that who it is?

[00:32:12] Yeah.

[00:32:13] I know who you're talking about.

[00:32:14] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:32:14] It felt very much like something she would have wore in that movie.

[00:32:18] Because with Marley, I love that, A, not only, again, this is like good comedic writing and like how it's set up.

[00:32:26] Again, Ebony is talking to Marley, but she's also like kind of not getting it.

[00:32:31] And this whole idea of like, I thought you gave that chain look up when you stopped dating that dude from Paramus.

[00:32:36] Like, you know, she's not really getting it.

[00:32:39] And then like the little back and forth they have, I don't know who wrote this part of the script, but it's so familiar.

[00:32:45] And it's so like, oh, they have a history.

[00:32:47] Like, she's like, girl, this is for your benefit.

[00:32:50] Like, they don't do no makeovers, no pedicures, no nails.

[00:32:54] She's like, not the nails.

[00:32:58] She's like, I'm here for you to do my nails.

[00:33:01] And it's just like, it's a fun little back and forth.

[00:33:04] Love it.

[00:33:05] And she tells her, yeah, go ahead.

[00:33:07] Oh, so Marley tells her she will, that if she doesn't change her ways, she's going to suffer a similar fate.

[00:33:15] So she says she's going to be visited by three ghosts during the night.

[00:33:19] And then that's when the first ghost of Christmas past shows up, played by Kathy Griffin.

[00:33:25] I'm sorry, can I say one thing about Marley before we move on from that?

[00:33:27] Which is like, I've always been kind of confused about the threat of Marley in every interpretation of I've ever seen.

[00:33:34] Because like, maybe I just don't understand like limbo or Catholicism or like what this is playing on.

[00:33:39] But the idea of like, you're going to be in limbo forever.

[00:33:41] I was just like, why not just tell her she's going to hell?

[00:33:44] Why not just tell her she's going to be in pain forever?

[00:33:46] Like there's so many different ways to like make that scarier or more intimidating.

[00:33:51] I think like because of Marley's character in the original text, like Marley wasn't like a horrible person.

[00:33:57] But also never really stood up to Ebony in a way.

[00:34:01] Like Marley was Ebony's balance essentially, but also didn't really push hard for Ebony to be better.

[00:34:10] Not Ebony, but Ebenezer to be better.

[00:34:12] So like purgatory kind of really makes sense.

[00:34:15] And then if you think of like Charles Dickens at the time, purgatory for, I don't know.

[00:34:20] I just don't think I understand the concept of purgatory.

[00:34:23] Maybe that's it.

[00:34:24] No, no.

[00:34:24] I was going to say, as someone who's like, religion and like history, like all these things and how that works, is my lane.

[00:34:30] And so what I was going to say is the idea, they actually allude to it in the line where it's like when Marley says, my hell is watching you screw up your life.

[00:34:42] And it's this idea of purgatory is torture mostly because you can't move on.

[00:34:50] Whether it's good or bad, purgatory is just like this constant state of not numbness, but just like gratingness of like you can't help anything.

[00:35:00] And you're stuck in like, I think it kind of taps into our fears of like having zero control.

[00:35:06] You just have to watch tragedy happen again and again and again.

[00:35:10] So like this idea, and I actually really love the way that they do it with Marley's character because they even give her a little arc.

[00:35:18] And so in the beginning, as you said, with her clothes and the way that she's dressed and the way that she's set up, it's like, look, I've been trying for so long.

[00:35:25] And for whatever reason, I was able to get through tonight.

[00:35:29] So I'm going to do everything I can.

[00:35:32] And then at the end, when we see Marley at the concert and she's now in white and you get to see her enjoy this like moment.

[00:35:40] And then you see her look up.

[00:35:41] There's this there's this understanding that for whatever it was, she was able to accomplish one more thing that let her move on.

[00:35:50] And I think that that the threat of Marley is actually this idea of you're hurting someone that like you're hurting the people who are already gone.

[00:36:02] Like what we would say like you're hurting your ancestors.

[00:36:05] Imagine if your grandma came and was like I've been trying to help you.

[00:36:11] And I can't move on.

[00:36:12] I actually can't rest in peace until I know that I've done everything I can to help you.

[00:36:19] Badewanne, Podcast und Herbst?

[00:36:21] Das wird nur getoppt von Altours, Reisen und Günstig.

[00:36:24] Denn auch wenn dein Schaumbad zum Träumen von sonnigen Breitengraden einlädt, echte Südsonne bleibt unschlagbar.

[00:36:30] Und Altours hat einfach die besten Ziele für dich.

[00:36:33] Ägypten, Kanaren, Griechenland, Türkei, Karibik.

[00:36:37] Nicht träumen, Altours buchen.

[00:36:40] Alles drin, alles gut, alles für dich.

[00:36:42] Altours, alles aber günstig.

[00:36:44] Jetzt im Reisebüro oder auf altours.de.

[00:36:48] I do like the idea of Marley being more like the angel and it's a wonderful life.

[00:36:52] Of just like, like it's my job to try to help you.

[00:36:56] And then seeing that arc, I think worked really well.

[00:36:58] Yeah.

[00:36:59] And I do like that they gave, and I think this is another reason why this movie felt more grounded,

[00:37:05] was because they touched on real life issues.

[00:37:09] Like Marley passed away from a drug overdose and Ebony comes from foster care.

[00:37:15] It's not like this hallmark town where it's like, oh shucks, they're closing down the Christmas tree farm.

[00:37:20] What am I going to do?

[00:37:22] That's a real problem, Jackie.

[00:37:24] It's a real problem.

[00:37:27] So like it was like, it was grounded in that way where you're like, okay, these are actual struggles that people face.

[00:37:36] Right.

[00:37:36] It's not like this fluff.

[00:37:39] So moving on to the first ghost, we have the ghost of Christmas past played by Kathy Griffin.

[00:37:47] I love Kathy Griffin.

[00:37:48] I've loved her since, like I've gone to see her.

[00:37:51] My life on the D list.

[00:37:52] My life on the D list.

[00:37:54] She is just, her wit and how quick witted she is, is just fascinating to me because I could never be that.

[00:38:04] And I think that's part of her appeal for me.

[00:38:06] So when she showed up in this way, I was like, okay, I get to look at the gorgeous Vanessa Williams.

[00:38:13] And now Kathy Griffin is in this, like sign me up.

[00:38:16] So she takes her kind of down.

[00:38:18] That's where we get the backstory of her childhood.

[00:38:23] And then really quickly, like this is, it's funny.

[00:38:25] Cause while we're doing that little walk down the street, we get little fun bits from Kathy Griffin, such as why can't they hear me?

[00:38:32] Oh, these aren't real people.

[00:38:33] It's not like Los Angeles.

[00:38:35] And I was like, this is, there's so many like fun little one-liners in this movie.

[00:38:40] She's so, not just Kathy.

[00:38:43] Yeah.

[00:38:43] Like throughout, we just get those little quick clips and you're like, oh, that was funny.

[00:38:49] This isn't where are they now?

[00:38:51] That's on later.

[00:38:52] We also see the beginning of the girl group.

[00:38:57] Is it divine?

[00:38:58] It's not desire.

[00:39:00] Desire.

[00:39:00] There you go.

[00:39:02] No, it's design.

[00:39:03] Designer, right?

[00:39:05] No, desire.

[00:39:05] Desire.

[00:39:06] Oh, I thought they kept saying designer.

[00:39:08] Oh, okay.

[00:39:08] Nope.

[00:39:08] It's desire.

[00:39:10] That's better.

[00:39:11] And so we see them get together and kind of how they came together as a girl group.

[00:39:18] They had this, this hit.

[00:39:20] Yeah.

[00:39:22] Heartquake.

[00:39:22] They even did a performance on Christmas and that rendition of Sleigh Ride, I was like, oh, this is going on my, my Christmas playlist.

[00:39:34] Yeah.

[00:39:34] I was going to say this, this movie made me appreciate the song Sleigh Ride.

[00:39:38] And I also thought that it was interesting that they were doing Sleigh Ride when TLC has their famous version of Sleigh Ride, too.

[00:39:44] You just reminded me, which is that this movie has a little sad foreshadowing because it's about a trio girl group where one of the members dies in a car accident.

[00:39:57] I thought that, too.

[00:39:57] And I was very much like, oh, Tilly does this two years before Left Eye dies.

[00:40:03] Oh.

[00:40:03] It's a little bit of like prediction of this idea of like there's a girl group.

[00:40:07] There's three of us.

[00:40:08] One of you died earlier than the rest.

[00:40:11] And if anything, I would say that Tilly learned from this and it's like they have made sure to keep their bond.

[00:40:17] Yeah.

[00:40:17] Whereas the whole point of this is that Ebony doesn't keep in touch with Terry.

[00:40:23] Yeah.

[00:40:23] Yeah.

[00:40:24] So true.

[00:40:26] So then we see how her relationships start to crumble and how she wanted to go solo and kind of after Marley passed away and kind of just left Terry in the dust.

[00:40:39] And.

[00:40:40] Yeah.

[00:40:40] We see like a ton of different Christmases, not a ton, but like three or four.

[00:40:44] And they're all sad.

[00:40:45] Like literally the only happy Christmas that she has is when they are performing together before Marley passes away.

[00:40:53] Yeah.

[00:40:54] And because you see in all the other times, there was one time on her brother after they have been separated because, you know, grandmama got up and called the CPS where she reunites with her brother.

[00:41:06] But even in that moment, she's not it's not a happy Christmas for her because we talked about this.

[00:41:12] Her brother forgives the dad and he the dad disappoints.

[00:41:15] And she's like, I ain't never going back to that.

[00:41:18] So.

[00:41:18] Which I stand by.

[00:41:20] Yeah.

[00:41:20] I think that I think is really important just in learning like the way that the story humanizes Ebony is the ghost of Christmas past says you don't really have a lot to choose from.

[00:41:31] And Ebony is like, and that's my fault.

[00:41:33] And it's like, no, she has a point.

[00:41:35] Like, I looked at this and I was like, oh, I never thought about it before.

[00:41:39] But a Christmas story is kind of like therapy a little bit for a different generation.

[00:41:45] It's this idea of like looking at your past and being like, how did your past influence the person you became?

[00:41:52] And it's not necessarily Ebony's fault.

[00:41:55] Ebony didn't do anything to make these Christmases bad, but it does shape her.

[00:42:00] Yes.

[00:42:01] Yes.

[00:42:01] And also, I think it speaks to, yes, bad shit happens, but it's all about your perspective.

[00:42:11] Right.

[00:42:11] So Ebony's perspective is that Christmas sucks.

[00:42:15] So I therefore I'm not going to attempt to make it any better, even though she has all these lifelines around her trying to reach out to have better experiences.

[00:42:25] Like her niece, for example, constantly inviting her over and over again.

[00:42:30] Yeah.

[00:42:30] And the way that Kathy says, oh, your niece is your only family.

[00:42:34] You must be around her a lot.

[00:42:35] And he's like, no, you don't.

[00:42:38] But also I think the ghost of Christmas past does a really good job of being like when she's talking about Bob.

[00:42:45] Oh, you know, he was just not good enough for you.

[00:42:48] And Ebony's saying, no, that's what it is.

[00:42:49] That's not what it was.

[00:42:50] And she finally says the real thing, which is like, you didn't want to get hurt again.

[00:42:55] And so it's important to note that a large part of why Ebony is the way she is is because she felt the need to close off any possibility of connection.

[00:43:06] To be disappointed again or hurt.

[00:43:09] Yeah.

[00:43:10] So now I think after this, is it?

[00:43:14] We meet the ghost of Christmas present.

[00:43:16] Present?

[00:43:18] Present.

[00:43:19] Yeah.

[00:43:20] And so it's portrayed as like this, yeah, like gluttonous, lust filled rock star that just has like, ladies draped all over him.

[00:43:31] And he's just like, hey, what's up?

[00:43:34] Barely acting.

[00:43:36] Barely just phoning it in.

[00:43:38] And when I saw this, I could not.

[00:43:40] I was like, okay, I know who this person like I recognize this face, but I could not remember what rock star this was.

[00:43:46] For some reason, I was expecting the blonde guy that had the reality show on VH1.

[00:43:52] No, no, the other guy.

[00:43:54] Brett.

[00:43:55] Yes.

[00:43:56] Brett Michaels.

[00:43:57] Brett Michaels, yes.

[00:43:58] Brett Hart is a wrestler.

[00:43:59] Brett Michaels was rock of love.

[00:44:02] So he takes her to the present day.

[00:44:05] Where like, what?

[00:44:07] The dancers and stuff where she has them in the Roach Motel.

[00:44:11] Yep.

[00:44:12] And then shows that Tim is really sick.

[00:44:15] And like, they don't know what's going on with him.

[00:44:19] And so.

[00:44:20] Ernie is with a call girl, right?

[00:44:22] Like, that's a call girl.

[00:44:24] Yes.

[00:44:25] I was like, she don't speak a lick.

[00:44:28] And she's just there to be like, yeah, baby.

[00:44:30] She told him he was handsome.

[00:44:32] That was the trigger for me right there.

[00:44:34] Also, I was like, why would you wouldn't be telling this to like your partner?

[00:44:39] Your partner would be aware or like whatever.

[00:44:40] So he's telling this to a stranger.

[00:44:43] He, I get, and it kind of fits.

[00:44:44] It's like, he paid for her for the night.

[00:44:46] And that's why.

[00:44:48] Yep.

[00:44:49] Also.

[00:44:50] Oh, crap.

[00:44:52] Oh, Ebony is Tim's godmother?

[00:44:55] Question mark?

[00:44:57] Because at the end when she hugs him.

[00:44:59] For what reason?

[00:45:01] Right?

[00:45:02] Like.

[00:45:02] Because she has money?

[00:45:03] Bob.

[00:45:04] I'm talking to you, Bob.

[00:45:05] You ain't shit, Bob.

[00:45:07] You ain't shit.

[00:45:08] How do you have your ex-lover be your child's godmother?

[00:45:12] Get the fuck out of here.

[00:45:13] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:45:14] He was made sure that in every aspect that woman was in his life.

[00:45:17] And that's what I was saying.

[00:45:18] It's like, she was made godmother.

[00:45:20] Kind of like, I don't want to say by default, but this man lives at work.

[00:45:24] So his wife is not wrong in her frustration.

[00:45:28] But while we're on Christmas present, I want to say we go and visit the niece.

[00:45:34] Her husband is gay.

[00:45:38] Her husband is gay.

[00:45:39] When he goes to touch her shoulders and like, honey, I was like, oh, wait.

[00:45:45] I thought she was having a Friendsgiving.

[00:45:47] That's a husband.

[00:45:48] And by the way, this movie, every gay friend that I have, this is Mecca for them.

[00:45:55] This movie is like always one of their favorites.

[00:46:00] Glad to keep it going.

[00:46:03] I really love the idea that, and I just think this is kind of interesting.

[00:46:07] Like, I have no idea when the Christmas Carol was originally written.

[00:46:10] But the idea that charades have basically stayed unchanged since the book was written is really fascinating.

[00:46:18] Like, language changes so much.

[00:46:20] And like, our interpretation of games changes so much.

[00:46:21] But charades is charades, and it's been that way.

[00:46:24] Yeah, that's really cool.

[00:46:25] I never even thought about it.

[00:46:27] I have one thing to say.

[00:46:29] And like, you know, my theory may not hold if we poke too close at it.

[00:46:32] But anyway, the whole reason is when we're at the niece's house, the ghost of Christmas present says, you're invited, right?

[00:46:39] And like, that's how he goes in.

[00:46:42] And I was like, oh, actually, everyone else, we're outside.

[00:46:45] Yeah.

[00:46:45] We're either outside the location when he's looking in.

[00:46:50] Like, we're outside at the homeless shelter.

[00:46:52] We're outside looking at Ernie.

[00:46:54] Oh, like vampires needing rules to be able to come inside.

[00:46:57] Interesting.

[00:46:58] Or with Terry, because he's the way.

[00:47:00] No, Terry was ghost of Christmas past.

[00:47:02] It was last year.

[00:47:02] So, yeah, every single version that we see that is the present actually is something where it's either outdoors or he goes, hey, you were invited, right?

[00:47:15] And I was like, oh, I wonder if it is like vampire rule.

[00:47:18] The hotel, they're in the hotel.

[00:47:21] Yeah.

[00:47:22] Is that because it's just.

[00:47:25] No, no, not her hotel.

[00:47:27] The dancer's hotel.

[00:47:29] Yeah.

[00:47:29] So I don't know if it's the rule because it's a hotel.

[00:47:32] It might be because the hotel's open domain.

[00:47:36] Yeah.

[00:47:37] I actually did think of that when I had this.

[00:47:38] I was like, oh, the hotel.

[00:47:39] But I was like, that doesn't have a set owner.

[00:47:42] Right.

[00:47:43] Right.

[00:47:43] And then we hit the ghost of Christmas future.

[00:47:46] We've already talked about this.

[00:47:49] It's behind the music that she watches and finds out that she it's a retrospective because she has since passed away.

[00:47:58] So it's people talking about her.

[00:47:59] But no one remembers her fondly.

[00:48:02] It's all just kind of like, oh, shoot.

[00:48:05] I just want to say as a cancer with a Scorpio rising.

[00:48:11] If I watch this and saw those people, I would be so petty even going back.

[00:48:16] Even though if I was an asshole, I would fire them bitches on site.

[00:48:22] Do you hear me?

[00:48:23] I would say, honestly, we give Ebony a lot of flack, but she didn't fire anyone.

[00:48:28] No.

[00:48:28] When she had more than she in the present and in the future.

[00:48:32] Right.

[00:48:32] They talked about her.

[00:48:34] She should have fired the accountant right away, though.

[00:48:37] Oh, well, she.

[00:48:38] Immediately.

[00:48:39] I think it was perfect the way that she did it.

[00:48:41] She got FBI to come get him at the show.

[00:48:45] That was perfect.

[00:48:46] Right.

[00:48:47] So, yeah.

[00:48:48] So she wakes up the next morning.

[00:48:50] She asks what time of it or what day it is.

[00:48:53] And this is her kind of change of heart scene.

[00:48:56] She plans a giant Christmas dinner with her entire crew.

[00:49:03] Really quickly.

[00:49:04] I just, like, we talked about the morning of.

[00:49:06] And I'm going to do as quickly as I can.

[00:49:08] But we talked about the morning of.

[00:49:10] She calls Bob and is like, hey, don't get on the plane.

[00:49:15] Yeah.

[00:49:16] Like, just please stay.

[00:49:17] Then she goes and she stops off at the morning show.

[00:49:23] Yes.

[00:49:24] She does hair and makeup.

[00:49:25] She goes.

[00:49:26] I was like, for somebody who was in a rush, you sure took your time getting to the airport.

[00:49:32] Yeah, she did a lot.

[00:49:33] But I also love her hair at the end.

[00:49:38] That hairstyle.

[00:49:40] I was like, oh, God.

[00:49:41] You're still doing it to me, girl.

[00:49:43] Still doing it.

[00:49:44] But he pretends as if he.

[00:49:48] So the way that he doesn't get on the plane.

[00:49:51] You see him kind of like, even in his movements, he's kind of like, should I?

[00:49:55] Should I not?

[00:49:56] And right when he's about to go, then they say that his flight is canceled.

[00:50:01] So it's like an excuse.

[00:50:02] Yeah.

[00:50:03] That he really, like, he really didn't go.

[00:50:06] Not because he didn't have the choice.

[00:50:09] But I really think he would have stayed.

[00:50:11] If they didn't cancel.

[00:50:12] Yeah.

[00:50:13] A hundred percent.

[00:50:13] I think if Ebony gave him any time of day, he would be there.

[00:50:18] Yeah.

[00:50:18] He's divorcing his wife as we speak.

[00:50:24] So yet she also flies Tim and the wife in for Christmas.

[00:50:30] And then.

[00:50:31] Tim does not seem like he should be traveling.

[00:50:33] Just FYI.

[00:50:34] With this mystery illness.

[00:50:36] What if he died mid-flight?

[00:50:39] What if it was blood plots?

[00:50:41] It's fine if you have Munchausen.

[00:50:43] Because then all of a sudden.

[00:50:44] You know what disease can travel?

[00:50:46] I don't have to give you your cleaning product today.

[00:50:51] We're taking a flight to see daddy.

[00:50:54] But Ebony promises she's going to pay for all of his medical bills.

[00:50:58] Get him the best medical care team.

[00:51:02] And so he's healed.

[00:51:03] Or the wife gets to spend time with the husband now.

[00:51:06] So she doesn't have to continue.

[00:51:09] Also, she gives them like an envelope.

[00:51:12] I'm assuming there's money.

[00:51:13] There's tickets to Broadway shows.

[00:51:15] They have a hotel stay.

[00:51:17] He's on vacation now.

[00:51:18] So all is good.

[00:51:19] It's great.

[00:51:20] She gets the food at the concert.

[00:51:24] Feeds everyone.

[00:51:24] She's even like serving people.

[00:51:28] Yeah.

[00:51:28] Or people at the thing.

[00:51:29] More wine.

[00:51:30] Really quickly about that.

[00:51:32] There are a few things that happen in these final few scenes.

[00:51:34] One, they are eating 15 minutes before they're supposed to be on stage.

[00:51:40] You ain't eating a meal like that.

[00:51:42] And then going out.

[00:51:43] Like that's why they just stood there swaying.

[00:51:47] So there's that.

[00:51:48] And then also when they, when she brings out Terry to sing the song, I was like, I'm not

[00:51:53] going to lie.

[00:51:54] This is absolutely the outfit Terry would be able to wear at a last minute call.

[00:51:59] I was like, that hair and that dress said you found out this morning you were going to

[00:52:04] be on stage.

[00:52:06] That's messed up.

[00:52:07] And to not even have like a dress waiting for her in the back or anything is rude.

[00:52:12] Cause look at Terry next year.

[00:52:14] One year later, Terry got her little weave in.

[00:52:17] And yeah, she looks great.

[00:52:19] So that proves that no, Ebony called her in between rides and was like, can you get here

[00:52:25] at this time?

[00:52:26] After all that suffering, would you have forgiven Ebony?

[00:52:30] I think she was so down and out and like needed the money.

[00:52:35] She couldn't say no.

[00:52:37] My pride.

[00:52:39] You could go suck a dick.

[00:52:40] I would have, I would have been on page six and this bitch.

[00:52:43] Let me tell you my story.

[00:52:46] Where's my behind the music.

[00:52:47] Right.

[00:52:48] Let me tell you this story.

[00:52:49] Let me get my book out because Ebony could kick fucking rocks.

[00:52:53] A few things.

[00:52:55] And I promise, like, I know we're on a time crunch, so I will let it be.

[00:52:58] But it's my time crunch.

[00:53:00] So I will let it be.

[00:53:01] It's your time crunch.

[00:53:01] The only thing is we went, we went over this and I was like, like the real like turn

[00:53:06] both in A Christmas Carol and in this like rendition is the fact that Ebony is just like

[00:53:13] and Merry Christmas, everyone.

[00:53:15] Merry Christmas.

[00:53:16] Merry Christmas.

[00:53:17] And I love like, A, we get that where Ebony right before she goes, she goes, it's not too

[00:53:21] late.

[00:53:21] I can change.

[00:53:23] I'll make it Christmas.

[00:53:24] Every freaking day will be Christmas.

[00:53:25] Like, I just like, I think of that.

[00:53:27] And then she really is like, I don't know if it's the Christmas spirit, but she is definitely

[00:53:34] this person who had an awakening and is just like, I want to tell, I want to say Merry Christmas

[00:53:41] to you.

[00:53:41] And I want to say Merry Christmas to you.

[00:53:43] And then on the daytime talk show, she's like, what else could I do to make it Christmas?

[00:53:47] I really need ideas.

[00:53:49] I'm open.

[00:53:50] And then that lady looked at her like, bitch, let's wrap this up.

[00:53:54] Yeah.

[00:53:55] And if you watch Parks and Rec, that scene reminded me of many of the times Leslie Knope has

[00:54:01] gone on one of those weird Pawnee talk shows.

[00:54:04] And it just made me laugh even more out loud.

[00:54:07] Just side note.

[00:54:08] Nobody cares about talk shows.

[00:54:09] Like, I just thought that was another one.

[00:54:13] That and then also when, like, Ebony had some lines where she was just like, oh, you must

[00:54:17] be dead because nobody is past money.

[00:54:19] And I was like, she's not wrong.

[00:54:21] Right.

[00:54:22] Thanks.

[00:54:23] Yep.

[00:54:24] And then the movie wraps up with the next Christmas and everyone is together and happy and Tim is

[00:54:32] no longer being Munchausen.

[00:54:34] And it's just, everyone is enjoying themselves.

[00:54:38] She has a great new grandniece who she says divas don't get peed on.

[00:54:44] So let's not get it twisted.

[00:54:46] I'm still a diva.

[00:54:48] I'm just reformed.

[00:54:49] That baby has a diaper on.

[00:54:50] Yeah.

[00:54:51] The only way that baby's peeing on you is if you change the diaper.

[00:54:54] And you could have just said-

[00:54:55] Closest she's ever been to a baby.

[00:54:56] Yeah.

[00:54:57] She's like holding it like a-

[00:54:59] That baby was so cute.

[00:55:01] Little Sasha Fox.

[00:55:03] Now she-

[00:55:03] It's crazy to think that's Sasha Fox and now she's like 20 something years old and a grown

[00:55:08] ass adult.

[00:55:09] It's crazy.

[00:55:10] Yeah.

[00:55:10] This movie came out in 2000.

[00:55:11] So.

[00:55:11] Oh, man.

[00:55:13] So that is a diva's Christmas Carol.

[00:55:16] We did it.

[00:55:17] Love it.

[00:55:17] We did it.

[00:55:18] All right.

[00:55:19] Let's see if we have any more quick fun facts.

[00:55:21] So apparently in the Lifetime version, the scene where Kathy Griffin comes to take Ebony

[00:55:26] Scrooge to see her past, that joke where she says, but you're such a skinny bitch.

[00:55:32] Apparently on Hallmark Channel when they played it, it said, did you just call me skinny

[00:55:37] was taken out.

[00:55:38] And she instead just says, but you're so annoying.

[00:55:43] So interesting.

[00:55:45] And Vanessa Williams not only sang the remake of Sleigh Ride, but she sang.

[00:55:51] She sang.

[00:55:52] Additional songs for the movie soundtrack, including the original songs, Heart of Christmas

[00:55:56] and Heartquake featuring.

[00:55:59] Is this album or soundtrack on streaming?

[00:56:03] Do you guys know?

[00:56:04] I don't think it is.

[00:56:05] And again, I like, I'll look at it really quickly.

[00:56:08] The movie is not even on streaming.

[00:56:11] So it makes sense for the music.

[00:56:13] You never know.

[00:56:13] I don't know.

[00:56:14] I'm just asking for the people.

[00:56:16] I looked on Spotify and I don't see it.

[00:56:18] And again, to me, it makes me really upset because it's kind of like Brandy's Cinderella

[00:56:23] where we got so much good music and we have a lot of problems now.

[00:56:28] But at least I will say they know to put the soundtrack out.

[00:56:31] Right.

[00:56:33] It's like Christmas Vacation.

[00:56:35] They never made a soundtrack for that.

[00:56:37] And it's just like, how can you not have a soundtrack?

[00:56:42] People weren't thinking about synergy.

[00:56:44] They just weren't.

[00:56:44] All right.

[00:56:46] Lastly, the film pokes fun at Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, and even a hilarious

[00:56:51] revelation of a tryst like we talked about between Ebony and Anne Heche, which RIP Anne

[00:56:56] Heche, you live on even at Christmas time for us.

[00:57:00] I love the part where it's her tombstone and it says the wind beneath our wings.

[00:57:06] And she's like, not Bette Midler.

[00:57:11] So good.

[00:57:12] All right.

[00:57:13] Before we get into ratings, you guys, why don't you tell everybody where they can find

[00:57:16] you on social?

[00:57:18] At Brum Meets World on all the places.

[00:57:20] Check out our podcast.

[00:57:21] We also are on YouTube.

[00:57:22] All of our videos are there.

[00:57:23] And then you can check us on here joining you guys on No More Late Fees.

[00:57:28] So check us out on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Threads, and Blue Sky.

[00:57:34] We just got there at No More Late Fees.

[00:57:37] And we're going to start with you, Siege.

[00:57:40] What is your today rating?

[00:57:42] It's still going to be what it is.

[00:57:44] I honestly, I just think like I watched it and I was like, oh, it's still really good.

[00:57:48] And it just reminded me that we used to make low budget television movies that actually

[00:57:55] had effort in them.

[00:57:56] And to be a proper society.

[00:57:58] Used to be a proper society.

[00:58:00] And so, yeah, I'm still, I'm owning if I can.

[00:58:04] Tony?

[00:58:05] I'm switching mine to a five day rental.

[00:58:07] I think it was better than I, I remember that being better than it was, even though I

[00:58:10] enjoyed it.

[00:58:11] I think the memory of it, I think was, was better for me.

[00:58:15] Yeah.

[00:58:15] Five day rental.

[00:58:16] I'm going to stay where I'm at.

[00:58:17] But it's, it was pretty solid for me.

[00:58:20] Jackie, now that you've seen it, what's your rating?

[00:58:23] I am also going five day rental.

[00:58:26] I enjoyed it.

[00:58:27] I think like every once in a while, I am not a Christmas movie watcher.

[00:58:32] I was going to say, I'm so shocked.

[00:58:34] Yeah.

[00:58:34] This is a real big thing.

[00:58:35] It, it, it did not annoy me.

[00:58:38] Like most Christmas movies did.

[00:58:39] So like I am in the Christmas.

[00:58:42] Ah, oh, right.

[00:58:46] I like the reveal.

[00:58:48] Thank you.

[00:58:48] Twinsies.

[00:58:49] I can't get mine on.

[00:58:51] I know.

[00:58:51] Over my headphones.

[00:58:52] We weren't towed or else I'd have one.

[00:58:54] Oh, humbug.

[00:58:55] We have our, it says Rema listening on it.

[00:58:59] Ah.

[00:58:59] And it has our no more late fees logo.

[00:59:02] Yeah.

[00:59:03] Love it.

[00:59:03] Custom made.

[00:59:04] Okay.

[00:59:05] Thank you, David.

[00:59:08] And if you want to join the conversation, hit us up at our quick drop.

[00:59:12] 909-601-6653.

[00:59:15] You can also text us at that number.

[00:59:17] You can twat us at the Twitters, hum us at the threads, and you could be featured on a

[00:59:21] future episode.

[00:59:22] And join us next week as our dear pal Nick returns as we cover our first Wes Anderson

[00:59:29] film, Life Aquatic.

[00:59:30] And thank you to Siege and Tony for joining us.

[00:59:34] It was a pleasure as always.

[00:59:36] I absolutely adore anytime y'all are on.

[00:59:39] So come back.

[00:59:39] Thanks for having us.

[00:59:41] Thank you so much.

[00:59:42] Give us another deep dive to do.

[00:59:44] Yes.

[00:59:46] And as always, be kind and rewind.