August 3, 2026 • 44 mins
Director, writer, producer, and comic creator Carly Usdin joins the show to talk with Ashlyn about their long career as a storyteller and the importance of making sure queer stories keep being made. Ashlyn tries to get the scoop on Carly’s upcoming film, “Courtside,” a gay basketball rom-comset to feature several WNBA players. Plus, Ashlyn and Carly discuss all things women’s sports, identity, and the new wave of joy in queer film and TV.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Wide Open.
I'm your host Ashlyn Harris, and today's guest is someone
who's been creating queer stories long before Hollywood decided they
were marketable. Carly Easton is a director, writer, producer, and
comic creator whose work has always centered around humanity first.
Whether it's Suicide, Kale, Heavy Vinyl, or the newest film
(00:24):
court Side, which we are so excited about featuring several
of our very own WNBA players, Carly tells stories that
aren't asking for permission, They're simply inviting people in. Today
we're talking about storytelling, identity, women's sports, representation, creativity, and
why joy might actually be the most radical thing we
(00:47):
can put on screens right now. Carly, welcome to Wide Open,
and welcome back everyone to another episode of Wide Open.
I'm your host Ashlyn Harrison. Today we have one of
(01:08):
the coolest people out there, directing incredible stories, producing. I mean, Carly,
what do you not do? At this point I was
reading your biore. We're doing comic, We're doing we're editing,
we're producing podcasts, we're directing like what You're have your
own production company with your partner, You're busy, you booked
(01:30):
and busy.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Technically I don't have that product. We shut that production
company down.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Okay. So so.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Because she became a therapist, and so now I'm the
only one.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Okay, fair, fair, fair, Well, there's always time, yes, time
for more.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
How are you welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Oh, I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I had New York City Pride last yesterday. So last
night I'm like, no, that's when you got home money. Yeah,
what a fun time right now in New York City.
I cannot complain. Yeah, it is bonkers here between the Knicks,
between the World Cup, between the gay Pride parades and
the dyke marches. I'm like, I like where there's just
(02:15):
always ship popping in these streets right now.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
And I'm talking.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I was just there like two or three weeks ago
and the UH. I was actually there the night the
next one, So that was really fun.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
My god.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Just incidentally, so that was pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So we my partner and I were staying UH in
a hotel in the city because we had she had
an early call time for hosting the view guest hosting,
and it was Wednesday night when they were playing in
New York City. We were thirty five floors up and
(02:50):
we didn't sleep a fucking second. It. I mean, if
if you could feel the like streets shock and wave
and rumble, I mean it felt like my hotel was
shaking and the screaming from outside. I'm like, these fucking
people go hard and I'm never gonna get a lick
of sleep in this hotel room.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
That's why.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
That's why they call it the City to Never Sleep.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It's because everyone's celebrating.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I'm I'm moonwalked my ass right back to New Jersey.
I was like, Mama, sleep because these three and five
year olds, they don't care if you're tired.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I lived in New York for years from the East Coast,
originally grew up in Jersey and then lived in New York,
you know, And I I gotta say, I'm feeling a
little a little uh. I miss New York pretty bad
right now. It just feels like the vibes over there
are just too good.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
They really are.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And we just got voted today the number one city
to live, and I don't disagree with that.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
That is I'm claiming it as like a Jersey girl, like.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, yeah, claim it's triced area.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
It's been okay, thanks, thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Some people get really angry about it, and I'm like, okay,
first off, I work there, I have kids.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Like we don't.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
We're not going to school in New York. That feels
hard and complicated and expensive.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I will tell you, as a Jersey native, someone who
grew up there, that tristate area, like New York, New Jersey,
we claim each other.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I feel good about this. Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
And I'm claiming you.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I'm claiming you a little bit because you know, I
was born and raised in central Florida and you went
to school now.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Hello, hello, hello, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I probably have hung out in those streets a few times.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, like Southern nights or something.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Probably probably right.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, f grad only took me five years to get
an undergraduate degree.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You know what, me too. I have no room to talk.
I have no room to talk. I was like, you
live in life, you know, weren't we all. I was like,
I'm gonna take this fifth year and make them pay
for It's my was my like thought process.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I'm like, you know, I'm just gonna get it all in.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
But I'm so excited all the buzz right now, which
we were gonna like unpack your life and want led
you to this point. But like court Side, the announcement
came what probably a month ago, is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Yeah, okay, a couple.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Of weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
So for people who may not know just yet, which, Hello,
do you live under a rock? Come on, wake up people?
Tell us about the project. Tell us about the announcement.
Tell us about meeting up again with Brittany Nichols, which
is so freaking iconic, going to be so fun and cool.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Tell us about court Side.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Okay. So court Side is an upcoming women's basketball romantic
comedy to be a feature film set in the world
of pro women's hoops, and it's about a vet who's
coming back from an injury and her plans to finally
win a title are derailed a bit when she falls
(05:50):
for her new teammate. It is sort of the the
love and basketball that that like queer folks have been
waiting for. That's that's our plan at least, and.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I'll be directing it.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Brittany Nichols will be writing it. Brittany Nichols, who wrote
on Abbot Elementary and a black Ley sketch show. This
is our second feature film together. We previously made a
low budget indie called Suicide Kale about ten years ago,
which you can check out on the internet if you
search for it. But that was a really fun thing
(06:25):
we did with virtually no money, and now this is
the opposite.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, because the coolest part too is you're doing this
with run Amuck.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yes, we are so excited to be working with Runamuck.
Run Amuck, for those who don't know, is the the
production company from Aileen Shaken, the creator of the L Word,
and Jennifer Bial's starred The L Word, who are are
already like we you know, this is still pretty new
and there have been absolutely incredible partners already. We've also
attached actual w NBA players to appear in the film. Awesome, Awesome,
(06:59):
we have we have three right so far. We've got
Sydney Colson Injuries of Plaisons and Gabby Williams and Sidney
TP I worked previously, so I just called them up.
I was like, guys, I got something.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
We got to do this.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
They're very good on camera.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I'm sure are they really are?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
They were?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
They were naturals. I remember back on day one of
the Sidney TP Show and all of us just kind
of being like, I hope this works.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Sometimes people just you would either have it or you
don't like I just like, I don't know. It's a
lot of times with sports too, I'm kind of like,
it's kind of like you got it or you don't
like you.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It's true. I think that, like there's things that can
be taught. I think this goes for a lot of
a lot of things. I think that you could say
this about sports, you can say this about acting and
performing and probably anything. There's things you can teach and
you can learn over time, and then there's things that
you are just born with. And sid TP just they
both were born with this just natural charisma, like incredible
(08:01):
energy to be on camera, and they're naturals.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So the question, I guess, well, we're just really knock this.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Let's just get right into it, because everyone's so excited,
especially on the tail end of heated rivalry.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
WHOA that was hot.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I mean even Billy Jim King is over here talking
about it, and I'm like, now we're just going to
give you your own with your own kind like, thank God.
There's also I love that it's going to be light
and fun, but also like rom coms are such a
good fit right now, and I feel like we need
this more than ever. It's just going to be a
(08:39):
breath of fresh air.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That's that's our hope. You know, we are trying, you know,
I obviously love Heated Rivalry, but that was definitely more
of a drama for this. I would say, if you
like heated rivalry, you like the competitiveness and the sexiness,
take that and maybe add maybe like the comedy of
maybe a bridesmaid something like that, I would say, and
(09:00):
that's how you're going to get court side.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So the WNBA players that are in here so far
three did you all cast them or did you make
them audition? Were you just like, you know what, you
were going to play this part because you're that good.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Or did they actually audition?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
They did not audition, so kidding good damn.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Well, I'm not worried about any of them.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I'm really not. Yeah, they're going to be great.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I'm curious for you as someone who's now really worked
into space, sport and entertainment, and it's such as you know,
the combination in terms of especially the WNBA, who live
the culture code, Like these women are at the forefront
of shifting culture. And it would be like, I shouldn't
(09:49):
have to ask you this because I know the answer,
but not all people do know this.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Why basketball?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Why basketball? I mean from a personal level, basketball is
my sport. It's always been my sport. Yeah, I grew
up playing. I started playing when I was like in
middle school and I'm old. So I got into it
with like, you know, the ninety two Dream Team watching
the Georgia Yeah, and then you know the thing you
have the ninety six women's Olympic team, And that blew
(10:17):
my mind. That was like and then that led directly
to forming the WNBA, And that was the most like
incredible thing to watch happen.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I was in high school. I actually begged my parents
when I was.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
In Jersey, As I mentioned, I begged my parents to
get tickets to the Liberties first ever home game. So
I was there in Madison Square Garden when they faced
off against the Sparks literally twenty nine years ago last week.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
So I have a photo of it too, Me and
my little WNBA.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Sure, like just the biggest smile you've ever seen at
the time that was like the best day of my
little life.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
And I love that.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
The Basketball's always been like my love.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I love all sports, but basketball is I still play
to this day, even though I'm a thousand years old
and should not be playing, but I can't help but
I love it too much. So basketball for me has
just always been really like that's been my sport. And
then you know, as a fan, I think there's something
really really special about the women's basketball space, especially the
(11:21):
w I think like there's just stuff happening here that
you're not seeing anywhere else.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I think basketball is a really fun.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Sport to watch, whether you're really into sports or not,
because it's so fast and there's so much happening. So
I think it's easy for people to get into basketball
if they're not maybe necessarily sports fans.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yeah, And then I think also just the talent is.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Unbelievable, Like there are just some of the most incredible
athletes on Earth playing right now, Like we are in
a time like we're so lucky to be.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Alone, we are so lucky.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
We need to go watch Asia Wilson whenever we want,
and you're kidding me, hopping.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Also, I love it and it's so just like they
are fucking bad bitches. I was watching the interaction of
Flage and her after a game and she's like, no,
there's just so they're not here to be friends.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I don't care if we went to school together. We're
playing against each other now. It's it's the storyline.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
The storyline.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Fel like, stay tuned. I'll be back in just a moment.
After this brief message from our sponsors speaking of because
you just were diving into your childhood, which I love,
when did like you personally realize you weren't just going
to consume stories anymore, you were going to like really
(12:39):
start creating them.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Like when was that? Like, I know you went to college,
you know, for film, and you started this very young.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But I always feel like there's that one aha moment
for everyone, Like were they either me watching the ninety
nine World Cup and me and like, holy shit, I'm
going to do that one day and really seeing it
and believing it and saying it to myself since I
was a kid, like that's going to be me.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
That's what I wanted to do. Nothing is going to
get my way.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It's such a good question because I look back and
I can't remember a time where I didn't want to
do this m even though even when I think back
when I was really young and I didn't really even
know what that meant. I didn't know what a director was.
I didn't know how a TV show or a film
came together. I was a child, but and you know,
we didn't have YouTube and the Internet, and like, you know,
it was the eighties and nineties. I didn't know what
(13:29):
the hell was going on. But I do remember watching
the show on the Discovery Channel when I was a kid.
It was called Movie Magic, and they broke down all
the visual effects on like big movies and stuff. So
one episode they would have like the tiny little model
of New York City that they blow up in Ghostbusters,
and they would like just show the behind the scenes. Yeah,
And another episode, you know, just stuff like that, and I.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I was captivating.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen
in my life at a young age, watching this, I
was like, I want to build a miniature city and
blow it up for a movie. Obviously, no one does
that anymore, which is a shame because that's really fun.
But that was kind of my first taste of it,
was seeing the show that showed these sort of behind
the scenes world a bit. Again, still didn't know that
there were writers and directors. I didn't know that I
could do any of that. But in high school I
(14:15):
randomly fell into video editing, and I thought that was
really fun, and so I just kind of made that
my entire personality. It was basketball and video editing in
high school, and I kind of just sort of took
that and ran with it for a long time. I
was sort of scared to direct. It was scared to
be on set because I was worried that I could
(14:36):
screw something up that couldn't be fixed. And editing I
was already in. We were already in the time of
like digital you know, it wasn't like we were shooting
on necessarily on film anymore, especially in TV, which is
kind of where I started. So I was like, oh,
I can just like as long as you don't have
delete all the files, you know, like you're fine in posts.
So weirdly was like, oh, it's much safer to work
(14:57):
in post, which is a very funny thing.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And then.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Fast forward many years. I'm living in New York, I'm
working for Logo, and this is now when I started there.
This channel wasn't rated and drag Race did not exist yet,
So that's how long ago this was cut to. It
is the season four promo shoot of RuPaul's Drag Race.
I've been mostly an editor my whole career at this point,
(15:22):
and then I had just been working on these drag
Race promos every season and they were like, Okay, this
season it's yours. You get to run the ship. And
I'm like, oh my god, what does that even mean?
So of course I pitched the most batchit crazy concept.
I can't where that. It's like a nineteen seventies style
retro futuristic sci fi fantasia where Rue Paul is inventing,
(15:44):
is building the contestants and a lab, and then the
lab explodes because it's two fierceh So my first day
on set, I'm directating and RuPaul walks in and I
have to direct through Paul, and I'm like, oh my god,
this is so intimidating.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I grew up watching the RuPaul show.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
You are an icon. You're one hundred feet tall. Oh
you were amazing that marked in that part, that part,
and he was out of Dragon Day on the first day.
The second day, and you like doubles in size with anyway,
Oh gosh, I'm so long with it. But I'm like, okay,
I just need you to walk down this hallway and
then open the door. And Rue looks at me and
he goes, okay, show me, and I was like, iconic,
(16:20):
I'm not walking in through all.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
This feels like a trap. But anyway, I did it.
He did it.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Like we got through the day, We had a blast,
and by the end of that day, I was like, Oh,
this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I've
never felt more alive, more myself, more in my element
than I have today. And that was back in like
twenty eleven or twenty twelve, and that's what shifted everything
for me and went from editing to directing. And I
(16:48):
was like, I've.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Never looked back, and I love that you've actually been
and you're you're young, but you've been in this space
for so long and you've done so much.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I'm curious of what you think you know.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I I'm not as much in the industry as you are, clearly.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So knowledgeable, but I feel that we were at a.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Point a few years ago, if not even last year,
where people were like we're not making queer content. And
now it's like hunting wives, heated rivalry, court side, like
we've got run of up, you know, company coming up
that's really elevating queer voices and media and like really
putting a magnifying glass on it. Now, I feel like
(17:28):
it's just fucking popping off. What has changed for you?
Like what what happened? Because I don't know if all
this would have been made five years ago, and we
were in a much better place five years ago.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Let me just say, right.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Well, it's a really interesting thing because how to start this.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Let's see, No, it's it's really it's a good conversation,
and it's a conversation. It's something I love talking about.
But it's also a bit dense, so I tried to
make it less insane sounding. I feel like things things
come in waves and things ebb and they flow. And
I think back to like the Obama administration, and like
(18:12):
how much like there's that sort of like millennial optimism
and and the kind of stuff that was on air
and that was getting greenlit and and sort of just
how like you're like, damn, we had it really good.
They didn't even know And obviously life is different for
so many reasons right now. But I think it comes
(18:34):
in waves. I think, like, you know that this industry
is so about following a trend, So like you know,
you see you see uh, oh my god, my brain,
what is the hockey show? Oh my god, wow?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Okay, soumes this month Jesus.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Okay, So you see something like Heated Rivalry come out
of nowhere and be this huge, unexpected, massive hit, and
then it's like, Okay, what are what lesson are we
going to take from this?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
M hm?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And you hope it's let's green light a lot more
queer stuff because we haven't really been doing that, and
a lot of queer things have been getting canceled and like,
and they just released a study that like, in the
next year, like forty percent of the queer characters on
TV are going away and like yeah, like cancelations and
shows ending, and it's just like, what what are we doing?
And so then you see that like, okay, let's all
(19:31):
green light like eighteen shows about hockey and most of
them are straight.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So you're like, okay, okay, clearly we.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Did not learn exactly thing. Yeah, So right now is
a really weird time because you see things like hunting
wise in like heated rivalry, and these sort of like
exciting projects that are getting green letter are getting really
big audiences. And then you're also at the same exact
time seeing.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
A lot less like less TV.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Is even being made, and the TV that is being
made is pretty homogeneous, and it's it's it's a weird
it's just a weird time. Like I was, we were
like having a call about Courtside the other day, and
as I'm logging into this zoom, I had just finished
reading an article that was in one of the trades
about how there's no queer characters on TV and there's
(20:22):
no queer TV shows getting greenlit, And I'm like, what
a absolutely bonkers moment. Yeah, I don't I don't really
have a good take on it. I don't have a
good answer on it. It's I'm just hoping. I'm just
hoping we get to like we get to tell the
story the way we want.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
To and that and that it happens, you know, like this,
it's just like the weirdest, just the weirdest moment in
entertainment but also in our country and in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
But well, what I love about the way you direct,
especially Britney's writing, is it's not just based on queerness,
it's based on humanity. Like it's not like you don't
have to be queer to watch this and fall in
love with it, like I do.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I do feel that in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I think, you know, And I had Pam Drunkermen on
my podcast maybe last month, and she was talking like,
we're making content that people want to watch, absolutely, and
if he did, Rivalry and Hunting wives have told us
anything people are going to fucking watch and most of
the demographic is straight yep.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
But let that sink in.
Speaker 7 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So I just think we're in a really, really unique time.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
But I'm curious for you why now, why do you
think this movie is Because you are right, you know,
the basket women's basketball has become one of the biggest
cultural stories in America.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
It's not globally in my humble opinion, But.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Why do you think it's the right time right now
to really greenlight this movie during this time?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, I think it's exactly what you said, like
the audience has never been more ready, and if anything,
like the the audience is like demand truly, like what
we see when we announce this project. Is that there
is a massive demand for this. People want this, and
we knew that. We all know that, those of us
in this space, we know this. But now we can
(22:18):
show data. We can say we've had millions and hundreds
of millions of impressions and things like that and show numbers.
But like it's we're past due, We're past do It's
been so true. It's you know, like so I think, like, yes,
we have this incredible cultural moment with women's basketball that
is happening, that is unfolding before our eyes, that has
(22:40):
been happening for the past several years and is going
to continue to happen as the league expands, as more
and more people fall in love with the sport and
with the players and care about this. And then at
the same time, like where, where's where?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Why do we not have a queer women's sports rom com?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
We don't have that. We have a lot of things
that felt like that briefly, and you've read between the
lines maybe.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
There like my forever roommate, you know, or like a.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Bend it like Beckham, where like you know, everyone was
watching it, we were growing up, and we're like, you know,
if they had changed like a couple of little things
that's could have been like a little bit, you know,
like we were always having to like like fan fiction everything,
and you imagine it's just you let your imagination run.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
What wild?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, it's like, what if we could just have the
thing that we all want? So true? I don't know,
it feels like this is the right time. Yeah, I
feel like I feel like it's past the right time. Yeah,
you know, I agree, let's go.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
And I like for someone who came from the athletic world,
and I understand how the locker room moves being in
it for decades, there's really like an intimacy that most
people don't understand.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
And I think, what you know, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Casting courts Eide, but what I imagine, truthfully is having players
who have lived the experience in it will be something
that has never been done before. Yeah, we've had like
Space Jam with Lebron James, you know what I'm saying,
and Michael Jordan, but like, this is different, This is
(24:13):
this is totally different. And I'm curious, like what you
thought about this. I mean, you've worked with some of
these players on podcasts and different types of shows, and
a lot of these imagine these players being multi talented,
surprising for no one who's you know, been in the
mix with all these incredible athletes for so long. But
(24:36):
what do you think that these these actors are going
to be able to bring who are truthfully athletes that
maybe a regular casting actor can't do. I mean, clearly
the authentic part, but like I'm curious, like deeper than that,
what are you hoping that they bring to this film?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Well, I mean, I think you kind of nailed it
to us. Authenticity is extremely extremely important. Obviously, Brittany and
I have been working in the industry for a long time.
Brittany's an unbelievable writer, and you know, we're going to
create something that's really fun for audiences. But I think
there's an authenticity that you need, like having players on board,
(25:19):
having sid as an EP like ye to me that
that's everything. It's it's like we have, you know, it's
like we have the blessing of the people that it
that to me, it matters most too, Like, yeah, we
want there to be an audience for this, but like
we want players to love this movie the way players
love Like everyone loves loving basketball. I've never met a
basketball player or like anyone honestly that doesn't like that's
(25:42):
one of my favorite movies, you know. So it's like
I want this to be able to stand the test
of time alongside a movie like like Love and Basketball
where people just love it, and kind of like what
you were saying before, too, is like that this is
there is a really broad audience for this, Like, yeah,
it's going to be a queer movie, but like it's
going to be really funny, it's gonna have a really
(26:03):
great competitive sports storyline, it's going to be you know,
have that great love story at the center of it.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I think for me, specificity.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Creates a universal experience. So like, if we make this
movie so specific to the character, to the queer characters
that are professional women's basketball players, and it's super authentic
to that, yeah, it's really specific, but that's going to
make it feel universal. Everybody's had a crush, everybody's faced
(26:38):
difficult choices in their life. You know, there's so many
universal themes and like things that people can latch onto.
So I think this is something that can resonate with
like a really really really really broad audience, as broad
as the audiences for all of sports. But also like comedy. Yeah,
oh exactly, Well that's pretty broad.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
The thing is is and you said it because you know,
all of us we were raised on love in basketball, right,
and I remember watching it over and over and over
and again. But I'm curious because usually when you talk
about sports stories, you're talking about chasing championships, and it's
pretty typical. But you're blending and exploring love while balancing
(27:21):
the importance of competition and playing and the importance like
you know, these women might be able to date each
other and fall in love, but let's get one thing straight.
They come to play like period, and I think outside
perspectives don't quite understand, like, what do you mean their
teammates and they're dating like that seems so foreign, but
(27:45):
it's it's it happens often, and it's a big part
of the culture. And it's going to be fun to
see how you pair love in basketball and the stories, yeah, truthfully,
because it's it's not easy if you're making it feel
(28:05):
super authentic. Because what I do feel like is, as
women who have played, and we really keep the locker
room fucking tight.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Oh yeah, we keep it tight.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
So it's gonna be fun to see how this looks
when it comes to fully produced, fully done film, film
version of what we actually live. That's what people don't realize,
Like this shit is like we actually live this.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Yeah, it's it's very real to a lot of people,
and it's something that we're both extremely fascinated by and
could not be more excited too to make this happened.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, you think, like, because we are having such a
mainstream moment with women's sports, do you think this is
actually opening the door for more authentic queer storytelling when
it comes to TV and movie.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
I sure hope so.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
You can hope so too. But I'm not in the
in there writing and direct anything. Well maybe i am.
You don't know. Let's see, I just slip that right
there and landed it nice. I'm kidding, but it really is.
It's like, this is a.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Really really interesting moment, and the more we can tell
these stories, the more we can make sure that this
is not just a moment, that we carry this and
we keep, you know, rising these these stories so people
can hear and see and be a part of it
and hopefully see themselves in it. I say this all
(29:32):
the time, and you you said it at the beginning
of the show, every single piece of paper I had
as a kid, Who are like, who doss, who's your idol?
Who's your role model? Who do you want to be
when you grew up? Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neil, and Tony Hawk.
I mean, I know I look a certain way. I
don't look like them newsplash And it's so freaking cool
(29:57):
And I never really thought of it and that type
of context of like, hello, honey, You're never going to
be a male sports phenom like that. So I think
it's so cool because when you're telling these stories, so
many young queer kids are going to have such a
better experience of visibility than you and I did growing up,
(30:18):
and like they're going to be able to look at
these characters and they're going to be like, oh, I'm
connecting the dots instead of this human who is shape
shifting like a motherfucker all over the place, being like
where do I fit into this world?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It's confusing.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I mean, I don't know how many men I tried
to date. I'm like, hello, girl, it's time to read
through the lines.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
It's it's hard.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
It's hard out there in these streets.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
When I look at my and I hope that my
career goes on for many, many many more years. I
hope I'm just getting started. But when I look at
sort of the last ten fifteen years of my career
and I try to search for any sort of connective
tissue between the things I've made, the thing that I
find most often is that I'm sort of acting in
(31:08):
a way of like wish fulfillment. Like it seems like
I've been trying to make things I wish I had
growing up, whether that's the comic books and graphic novels
or it's this courtside. I've made a couple of shorts
that were sort of like weird romancy type things, and
it's truly like I watch those and I'm like, wow,
(31:29):
really really trying to like fill in some blanks here
for myself, like that I wish I had. So I
hope that that's something I can keep doing. That that
means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Yeah, And I think what I admire so much about you,
Carly is the fact that you're not waiting for permission,
like you're just doing it and you've been doing it,
and it's important because you know, whether it's like you
said at the beginning, whether it's a low budget or
a very high budget, Like, the stories need to be seen.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
And they have to be accessible.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
And I keep saying that even now, it's we have
so many fucking paywalls all over the place.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
It's like, these stories have to be.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Seen, Yeah, because so many kids are going to see
themselves in it, and it could save their life. It
could give them that sense of belonging and understanding, And
like we deserve that, our community deserves that, our children
deserve that, and we have to keep highlighting beautiful stories
like this, but also make it in a way that's
not trauma filled.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Like life is hard in general.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I don't care how you identify, whatever color you look
like or whatever, whatever it is, life is hard enough,
Like we have to be more blended and understanding of
the lives that we walk and how at the end
of the day we're just looking to be loved and
seen and find joy and safety and happiness, like just
(32:51):
the same shit as anyone else.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Absolutely, I find that I've found that a lot of
my work, I don't know that I've actually told any
like coming out stories because to me, I'm like, who cares,
I don't know, it's not interesting.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
That's not interesting to me anymore. I feel like everything
growing up.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
In the nineties, any queer story was about someone coming
out and it being really hard and something traumatic happens,
except for the most part, like honestly, like seeing but
I'm a cheerleader when I was in high school changed
my brain chemistry because I was like, oh, you can
make gay stuff that's fun yeah, funny, No one's yeah,
there's like ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
But it was a comedy that's so true, And that.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Was the movie that made me realize I could make
things that were queer and funny because I was like
slightly at the time, I was like a little young
for John Waters. I feel like because but I'm a
sure thatder has so much like DNA from like the
John Waters universe, and I think I.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Didn't go up to see those. I didn't get to
see those movies until I was.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
A little bit older. But yeah, that was like one
of the first times I saw like a queer movie
that was funny and had a nice ending.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
And it also taught me to buy a black button
up shirt and.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Wear it out to the bar and I did.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
We all lived that, and we all lived that is
a shared that's a badge.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
That's a badge of honor. That's what it is.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
It's so true because I say this and like I
laugh about it today. I am not a big theater baby,
and my partner is obsessed with theater, like that's her
idea of joy. So you know, I'm half the time,
I'm like, my kids are waking me up in the
middle of the night.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Like sitting in a dark room that's cold.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
I'm dozen it's like, if I get I could sleep
sitting up. At this point, what writing on fumes being
a mom? So I was like, she was like, we're
going to this show. I think you're going to love it.
And I'm like, well, why do you think I'm gonna
love it? And she was like, trust trust me. I
went to see Oh Mary when was playing the lead.
(34:50):
I was I was not sitting. I was like, I
have to stand. I have to be on the edge
of my seat. This is doing something to my body.
I actually really can't fucking explain, but I was laughing.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
I was bent. I was I was doing like the
grandma legs lap.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
I was. I think I was too.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Honestly, I was clapping.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
I haven't laughed and had that much fucking joy and
so long I am dying for stuff like that, and
it is so important and so necessary that we shake
the fucking dust and do things differently, because.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
That turned into being a like the characters.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Can be fluid, like it could any it's just your
imagination and it puts you in it. It's laughable, it's funny,
it's relatable. It's just it fucking moves culture too. It's
so good.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
All their brain is incredib Like, I'm just so anything
they've ever dined. I've been a fan of theirs for
a really long time. And actually they had their show
with uh at Logo when I worked at Logo, so
our pads very.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
Briefly crossed, really very very briefly.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But no, the success they've had with Oh Mary has
been probably life changing, I mean truly yes, but like
it's getting It was so important to me that I
get to New York because I obviously live in La Now.
I was like, I need to be in New York
and I need to see Cole in the show. Before
I didn't even know they were going to keep extending
(36:22):
it and then eventually swap out Coal for all these
other incredible artists to be able to play uh, to
be able to play Mary. But yeah, I also I
was like, I'm going. I ended up having like a
shoot in New York, and I was like, great, I'm
going tonight, yeah, by myself, and I had the greatest night.
I went three times. I went three times.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Keep going.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
I'm like, I'm obsessed with it. I'm just success good. Well,
I'm just obsessed with people in general. I think they're
the same.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
But something like so special about like when queer artists
are like kind of given either're not even like given
the space because like we can just take up our
own space. But like it's like what you're talking talking about,
like you were just saying, it's like there's so many gatekeepers.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
There's so many boundaries to getting stuff made, getting the
stuff you made that you want to make made, and
get it getting get made in the way without getting
watered down, without it noted to death, without them being
like why do the characters have to be queer?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
And it's like, well then it's not the same thing whatever.
So when you get to see like.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
A queer genius put something out into the world unfiltered
like that, it's so special, Like, yeah, I feel the
same way about like Julio Torres, like all the stuff
he's doing, like all of his like stand up specials
and his and his theories on HBO. Like I'm like,
your brain is awesome.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
It just reminds me of like like I grew up
like watching like Peeley's Playhouse, and like that was like
very foundational to me and my sense of humor, Like
the Muppets are very foundational to me and who I
am as a person. And I'm like finding those things now,
like being able to find them, and sometimes you have
to really seek them out. But when when things like
(37:58):
that actually get made and get made right, it's just
so special and it's so rare.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Oh so rare. Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
I'll be back in just a moment after this brief
message from our sponsors.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Before I let you go, which has been so fun.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
I'm so happy we got time to share space because
your magic. I'm like, so I admire the work you're doing.
I cannot wait for Courtside to come out. But if
one what is one movie for you that everyone should
watch And it doesn't have to be queer, it's just
one movie for you that everyone should watch.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
That is such a good question.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Like for me, it's point Break. It's just point break, great, great,
So you can't live without it original original point Break.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, of course that is such a
good question. I think I have two answers. One, I'll say,
Paris is Burning. It's just such an important documentary. And
also it's just so good. It's it's not just like
(39:10):
it's important that we all watch this, it's also like
it's so so good and it's so it's it's just
the way it holds up today, the way it kind
of provides insight and a look into a community that
that needed that that shine at the time, and also
now like it's so it's so it informs so much
(39:31):
of queer culture to this day.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
It's just such an important film and it's one of
my all time faves.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
And then in terms of just like a movie that
I feel like this was like my favorite film growing up,
I would say, if you haven't seen Uframed Roger Rabbit,
you need to do it.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Yes, that's like me and Sandlot. I'm like, oh yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Not just a great movie from.
Speaker 7 (39:56):
Eighties Jesus One of the eighty six or something, but
like but like no, I was like Early Night, but
like it's not just an incredible film, but also like
the mix of animation and live action and that was
done like by hand.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
It's absolutely incredible, and it's so funny, Like you watch
it now, and I've watched it now, I'm still laughing
at every joke.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
I love.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It's just anyway, So it's one of my all time faves.
So I'll say, everyone needs to see who ring about you?
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Rabbit done? But what about your favorite sports movie? Okay,
we got to bring it back to sports?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Bring it back to sports.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
We're going to bring it home. Okay, bring you can't
and you can't say court Side yet?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Okay, well okay, fair, that's fair. It doesn't actually exist yet,
so it's fair theoretically favorite sports movie. I mean love
and Basketball, right, Like.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Yeah, I was like really like searching you were thirteen.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
I was searching for, like, is there something else I
can say that's less predictable and.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
All their own?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
For me?
Speaker 6 (40:53):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah, that one competes. I got that one.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Actually, you know what, I think it's for me. It's
actually a tie between the two.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Yeah, okay, fair, I agree with.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
That Yeah, that's yeah, those are iconic.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
One person you would like love to direct, like that
would be like, like that would be the best thing.
One person you just want to because we're speaking, we
need to speak this into existence is the way I
live my life.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
No, I like this.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So one person you would love to direct? That would
change like everything for you.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
All Right, I'm gonna say Nicole Kidman ooh.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Okay, Fair didn't expect that, but I'll take it.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
I don't know what I expected me to say, honestly.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Yeah, that's why we're putting you on the spot.
Speaker 8 (41:33):
Yeah, very one word you hope people leave, Like after
this movie is made court side and all this buzz
and all this hype, what like, what's one thing you
hope people leave with?
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Like what feeling?
Speaker 2 (41:48):
I mean it's gonna sound maybe a little corny, but
like just like the feeling of like wow, that was
like a really fun way to spend two hours. Like
I just I had a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Yeah, and we need that. We need we need joy,
we need laughter, we need love.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
You're gonna check every box and before I let you go,
what can you give us that maybe is a little
sneak peek. We can look forward to because we don't
know and this is coming out we don't.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I hate that.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
I hate it. I want to know everything.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
You know. I'm an athlete, I'm a human of details,
and it's just like we just landed. We just threw
it out there and we didn't land the plane. I'm like, well,
well that's we're making it. But what the hell are
you telling me? Like, are we filming yet? Have You're
not going to tell me anything?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I can't tell you anything. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Well then we just have to wait and find out,
don't we.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
I'm like, is there anything?
Speaker 3 (42:42):
There isn't anything. It was just like we're making this.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
It was you know, we're keeping it all very uh
very close to best right now. Well clearly, but for
for good reason, I promise.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Okay, great, Well we really look forward to it. Carly.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Thank you so much for being on this podcast with
us and dropping all.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
These hints that are not so much hints. But I'll
tell you what. We're really excited for this. I know
that's you know, this is going to be.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
So incredible for not just our community, but to bring
and highlight storytelling within women's sports in general. And I
know you guys, are you and Brittain are gonna It's
gonna be a masterclass. I cannot wait, and I look
forward to supporting it and amplifying it any way I can.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
But I appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Thank you so so so much for having me. This
has been an absolute delight, And yeah, I appreciate it.
Thank you, yes, thank you for all the very kind
things you've said.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Thanks Carly.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
All right, everyone, I hope you enjoyed it, and we'll
see you next week on another episode of Wide Open. Carly,
thank you so much for being here. Thank you for
a beautiful conversation that is so relevant in today's media.
What really stood out for me was that representation isn't
just about checking up. It's about expanding our imagination of
(44:03):
what's possible. When people finally see themselves living fully, not
just surviving, but laughing, falling in love, competing, dreaming, it
changes something. It tells them there's room for them in
the story too. Thank you for helping us tell those
beautiful stories and making us laugh along the way, And
(44:24):
thank you for listening to another episode of Wide Open.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
We'll see you all next week.
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Wide Open.
I'm your host Ashlyn Harris, and today's guest is someone
who's been creating queer stories long before Hollywood decided they
were marketable. Carly Easton is a director, writer, producer, and
comic creator whose work has always centered around humanity first.
Whether it's Suicide, Kale, Heavy Vinyl, or the newest film
(00:24):
court Side, which we are so excited about featuring several
of our very own WNBA players, Carly tells stories that
aren't asking for permission, They're simply inviting people in. Today
we're talking about storytelling, identity, women's sports, representation, creativity, and
why joy might actually be the most radical thing we
(00:47):
can put on screens right now. Carly, welcome to Wide Open,
and welcome back everyone to another episode of Wide Open.
I'm your host Ashlyn Harrison. Today we have one of
(01:08):
the coolest people out there, directing incredible stories, producing. I mean, Carly,
what do you not do? At this point I was
reading your biore. We're doing comic, We're doing we're editing,
we're producing podcasts, we're directing like what You're have your
own production company with your partner, You're busy, you booked
(01:30):
and busy.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Technically I don't have that product. We shut that production
company down.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Okay. So so.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Because she became a therapist, and so now I'm the
only one.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Okay, fair, fair, fair, Well, there's always time, yes, time
for more.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
How are you welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Oh, I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I had New York City Pride last yesterday. So last
night I'm like, no, that's when you got home money. Yeah,
what a fun time right now in New York City.
I cannot complain. Yeah, it is bonkers here between the Knicks,
between the World Cup, between the gay Pride parades and
the dyke marches. I'm like, I like where there's just
(02:15):
always ship popping in these streets right now.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
And I'm talking.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I was just there like two or three weeks ago
and the UH. I was actually there the night the
next one, So that was really fun.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
My god.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Just incidentally, so that was pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So we my partner and I were staying UH in
a hotel in the city because we had she had
an early call time for hosting the view guest hosting,
and it was Wednesday night when they were playing in
New York City. We were thirty five floors up and
(02:50):
we didn't sleep a fucking second. It. I mean, if
if you could feel the like streets shock and wave
and rumble, I mean it felt like my hotel was
shaking and the screaming from outside. I'm like, these fucking
people go hard and I'm never gonna get a lick
of sleep in this hotel room.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
That's why.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
That's why they call it the City to Never Sleep.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It's because everyone's celebrating.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I'm I'm moonwalked my ass right back to New Jersey.
I was like, Mama, sleep because these three and five
year olds, they don't care if you're tired.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I lived in New York for years from the East Coast,
originally grew up in Jersey and then lived in New York,
you know, And I I gotta say, I'm feeling a
little a little uh. I miss New York pretty bad
right now. It just feels like the vibes over there
are just too good.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
They really are.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And we just got voted today the number one city
to live, and I don't disagree with that.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
That is I'm claiming it as like a Jersey girl, like.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, yeah, claim it's triced area.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
It's been okay, thanks, thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Some people get really angry about it, and I'm like, okay,
first off, I work there, I have kids.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Like we don't.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
We're not going to school in New York. That feels
hard and complicated and expensive.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I will tell you, as a Jersey native, someone who
grew up there, that tristate area, like New York, New Jersey,
we claim each other.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I feel good about this. Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
And I'm claiming you.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I'm claiming you a little bit because you know, I
was born and raised in central Florida and you went
to school now.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Hello, hello, hello, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I probably have hung out in those streets a few times.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, like Southern nights or something.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Probably probably right.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, f grad only took me five years to get
an undergraduate degree.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You know what, me too. I have no room to talk.
I have no room to talk. I was like, you
live in life, you know, weren't we all. I was like,
I'm gonna take this fifth year and make them pay
for It's my was my like thought process.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I'm like, you know, I'm just gonna get it all in.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
But I'm so excited all the buzz right now, which
we were gonna like unpack your life and want led
you to this point. But like court Side, the announcement
came what probably a month ago, is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Yeah, okay, a couple.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Of weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
So for people who may not know just yet, which, Hello,
do you live under a rock? Come on, wake up people?
Tell us about the project. Tell us about the announcement.
Tell us about meeting up again with Brittany Nichols, which
is so freaking iconic, going to be so fun and cool.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Tell us about court Side.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Okay. So court Side is an upcoming women's basketball romantic
comedy to be a feature film set in the world
of pro women's hoops, and it's about a vet who's
coming back from an injury and her plans to finally
win a title are derailed a bit when she falls
(05:50):
for her new teammate. It is sort of the the
love and basketball that that like queer folks have been
waiting for. That's that's our plan at least, and.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I'll be directing it.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Brittany Nichols will be writing it. Brittany Nichols, who wrote
on Abbot Elementary and a black Ley sketch show. This
is our second feature film together. We previously made a
low budget indie called Suicide Kale about ten years ago,
which you can check out on the internet if you
search for it. But that was a really fun thing
(06:25):
we did with virtually no money, and now this is
the opposite.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, because the coolest part too is you're doing this
with run Amuck.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yes, we are so excited to be working with Runamuck.
Run Amuck, for those who don't know, is the the
production company from Aileen Shaken, the creator of the L Word,
and Jennifer Bial's starred The L Word, who are are
already like we you know, this is still pretty new
and there have been absolutely incredible partners already. We've also
attached actual w NBA players to appear in the film. Awesome, Awesome,
(06:59):
we have we have three right so far. We've got
Sydney Colson Injuries of Plaisons and Gabby Williams and Sidney
TP I worked previously, so I just called them up.
I was like, guys, I got something.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
We got to do this.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
They're very good on camera.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I'm sure are they really are?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
They were?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
They were naturals. I remember back on day one of
the Sidney TP Show and all of us just kind
of being like, I hope this works.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Sometimes people just you would either have it or you
don't like I just like, I don't know. It's a
lot of times with sports too, I'm kind of like,
it's kind of like you got it or you don't
like you.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It's true. I think that, like there's things that can
be taught. I think this goes for a lot of
a lot of things. I think that you could say
this about sports, you can say this about acting and
performing and probably anything. There's things you can teach and
you can learn over time, and then there's things that
you are just born with. And sid TP just they
both were born with this just natural charisma, like incredible
(08:01):
energy to be on camera, and they're naturals.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So the question, I guess, well, we're just really knock this.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Let's just get right into it, because everyone's so excited,
especially on the tail end of heated rivalry.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
WHOA that was hot.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I mean even Billy Jim King is over here talking
about it, and I'm like, now we're just going to
give you your own with your own kind like, thank God.
There's also I love that it's going to be light
and fun, but also like rom coms are such a
good fit right now, and I feel like we need
this more than ever. It's just going to be a
(08:39):
breath of fresh air.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That's that's our hope. You know, we are trying, you know,
I obviously love Heated Rivalry, but that was definitely more
of a drama for this. I would say, if you
like heated rivalry, you like the competitiveness and the sexiness,
take that and maybe add maybe like the comedy of
maybe a bridesmaid something like that, I would say, and
(09:00):
that's how you're going to get court side.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So the WNBA players that are in here so far
three did you all cast them or did you make
them audition? Were you just like, you know what, you
were going to play this part because you're that good.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Or did they actually audition?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
They did not audition, so kidding good damn.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Well, I'm not worried about any of them.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I'm really not. Yeah, they're going to be great.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I'm curious for you as someone who's now really worked
into space, sport and entertainment, and it's such as you know,
the combination in terms of especially the WNBA, who live
the culture code, Like these women are at the forefront
of shifting culture. And it would be like, I shouldn't
(09:49):
have to ask you this because I know the answer,
but not all people do know this.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Why basketball?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Why basketball? I mean from a personal level, basketball is
my sport. It's always been my sport. Yeah, I grew
up playing. I started playing when I was like in
middle school and I'm old. So I got into it
with like, you know, the ninety two Dream Team watching
the Georgia Yeah, and then you know the thing you
have the ninety six women's Olympic team, And that blew
(10:17):
my mind. That was like and then that led directly
to forming the WNBA, And that was the most like
incredible thing to watch happen.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I was in high school. I actually begged my parents
when I was.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
In Jersey, As I mentioned, I begged my parents to
get tickets to the Liberties first ever home game. So
I was there in Madison Square Garden when they faced
off against the Sparks literally twenty nine years ago last week.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
So I have a photo of it too, Me and
my little WNBA.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Sure, like just the biggest smile you've ever seen at
the time that was like the best day of my
little life.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
And I love that.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
The Basketball's always been like my love.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I love all sports, but basketball is I still play
to this day, even though I'm a thousand years old
and should not be playing, but I can't help but
I love it too much. So basketball for me has
just always been really like that's been my sport. And
then you know, as a fan, I think there's something
really really special about the women's basketball space, especially the
(11:21):
w I think like there's just stuff happening here that
you're not seeing anywhere else.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I think basketball is a really fun.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Sport to watch, whether you're really into sports or not,
because it's so fast and there's so much happening. So
I think it's easy for people to get into basketball
if they're not maybe necessarily sports fans.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yeah, And then I think also just the talent is.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Unbelievable, Like there are just some of the most incredible
athletes on Earth playing right now, Like we are in
a time like we're so lucky to be.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Alone, we are so lucky.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
We need to go watch Asia Wilson whenever we want,
and you're kidding me, hopping.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Also, I love it and it's so just like they
are fucking bad bitches. I was watching the interaction of
Flage and her after a game and she's like, no,
there's just so they're not here to be friends.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I don't care if we went to school together. We're
playing against each other now. It's it's the storyline.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
The storyline.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Fel like, stay tuned. I'll be back in just a moment.
After this brief message from our sponsors speaking of because
you just were diving into your childhood, which I love,
when did like you personally realize you weren't just going
to consume stories anymore, you were going to like really
(12:39):
start creating them.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Like when was that? Like, I know you went to college,
you know, for film, and you started this very young.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But I always feel like there's that one aha moment
for everyone, Like were they either me watching the ninety
nine World Cup and me and like, holy shit, I'm
going to do that one day and really seeing it
and believing it and saying it to myself since I
was a kid, like that's going to be me.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
That's what I wanted to do. Nothing is going to
get my way.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It's such a good question because I look back and
I can't remember a time where I didn't want to
do this m even though even when I think back
when I was really young and I didn't really even
know what that meant. I didn't know what a director was.
I didn't know how a TV show or a film
came together. I was a child, but and you know,
we didn't have YouTube and the Internet, and like, you know,
it was the eighties and nineties. I didn't know what
(13:29):
the hell was going on. But I do remember watching
the show on the Discovery Channel when I was a kid.
It was called Movie Magic, and they broke down all
the visual effects on like big movies and stuff. So
one episode they would have like the tiny little model
of New York City that they blow up in Ghostbusters,
and they would like just show the behind the scenes. Yeah,
And another episode, you know, just stuff like that, and I.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I was captivating.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen
in my life at a young age, watching this, I
was like, I want to build a miniature city and
blow it up for a movie. Obviously, no one does
that anymore, which is a shame because that's really fun.
But that was kind of my first taste of it,
was seeing the show that showed these sort of behind
the scenes world a bit. Again, still didn't know that
there were writers and directors. I didn't know that I
could do any of that. But in high school I
(14:15):
randomly fell into video editing, and I thought that was
really fun, and so I just kind of made that
my entire personality. It was basketball and video editing in
high school, and I kind of just sort of took
that and ran with it for a long time. I
was sort of scared to direct. It was scared to
be on set because I was worried that I could
(14:36):
screw something up that couldn't be fixed. And editing I
was already in. We were already in the time of
like digital you know, it wasn't like we were shooting
on necessarily on film anymore, especially in TV, which is
kind of where I started. So I was like, oh,
I can just like as long as you don't have
delete all the files, you know, like you're fine in posts.
So weirdly was like, oh, it's much safer to work
(14:57):
in post, which is a very funny thing.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And then.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Fast forward many years. I'm living in New York, I'm
working for Logo, and this is now when I started there.
This channel wasn't rated and drag Race did not exist yet,
So that's how long ago this was cut to. It
is the season four promo shoot of RuPaul's Drag Race.
I've been mostly an editor my whole career at this point,
(15:22):
and then I had just been working on these drag
Race promos every season and they were like, Okay, this
season it's yours. You get to run the ship. And
I'm like, oh my god, what does that even mean?
So of course I pitched the most batchit crazy concept.
I can't where that. It's like a nineteen seventies style
retro futuristic sci fi fantasia where Rue Paul is inventing,
(15:44):
is building the contestants and a lab, and then the
lab explodes because it's two fierceh So my first day
on set, I'm directating and RuPaul walks in and I
have to direct through Paul, and I'm like, oh my god,
this is so intimidating.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I grew up watching the RuPaul show.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
You are an icon. You're one hundred feet tall. Oh
you were amazing that marked in that part, that part,
and he was out of Dragon Day on the first day.
The second day, and you like doubles in size with anyway,
Oh gosh, I'm so long with it. But I'm like, okay,
I just need you to walk down this hallway and
then open the door. And Rue looks at me and
he goes, okay, show me, and I was like, iconic,
(16:20):
I'm not walking in through all.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
This feels like a trap. But anyway, I did it.
He did it.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Like we got through the day, We had a blast,
and by the end of that day, I was like, Oh,
this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I've
never felt more alive, more myself, more in my element
than I have today. And that was back in like
twenty eleven or twenty twelve, and that's what shifted everything
for me and went from editing to directing. And I
(16:48):
was like, I've.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Never looked back, and I love that you've actually been
and you're you're young, but you've been in this space
for so long and you've done so much.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I'm curious of what you think you know.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I I'm not as much in the industry as you are, clearly.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So knowledgeable, but I feel that we were at a.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Point a few years ago, if not even last year,
where people were like we're not making queer content. And
now it's like hunting wives, heated rivalry, court side, like
we've got run of up, you know, company coming up
that's really elevating queer voices and media and like really
putting a magnifying glass on it. Now, I feel like
(17:28):
it's just fucking popping off. What has changed for you?
Like what what happened? Because I don't know if all
this would have been made five years ago, and we
were in a much better place five years ago.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Let me just say, right.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Well, it's a really interesting thing because how to start this.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Let's see, No, it's it's really it's a good conversation,
and it's a conversation. It's something I love talking about.
But it's also a bit dense, so I tried to
make it less insane sounding. I feel like things things
come in waves and things ebb and they flow. And
I think back to like the Obama administration, and like
(18:12):
how much like there's that sort of like millennial optimism
and and the kind of stuff that was on air
and that was getting greenlit and and sort of just
how like you're like, damn, we had it really good.
They didn't even know And obviously life is different for
so many reasons right now. But I think it comes
(18:34):
in waves. I think, like, you know that this industry
is so about following a trend, So like you know,
you see you see uh, oh my god, my brain,
what is the hockey show? Oh my god, wow?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Okay, soumes this month Jesus.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Okay, So you see something like Heated Rivalry come out
of nowhere and be this huge, unexpected, massive hit, and
then it's like, Okay, what are what lesson are we
going to take from this?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
M hm?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And you hope it's let's green light a lot more
queer stuff because we haven't really been doing that, and
a lot of queer things have been getting canceled and like,
and they just released a study that like, in the
next year, like forty percent of the queer characters on
TV are going away and like yeah, like cancelations and
shows ending, and it's just like, what what are we doing?
And so then you see that like, okay, let's all
(19:31):
green light like eighteen shows about hockey and most of
them are straight.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So you're like, okay, okay, clearly we.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Did not learn exactly thing. Yeah, So right now is
a really weird time because you see things like hunting
wise in like heated rivalry, and these sort of like
exciting projects that are getting green letter are getting really
big audiences. And then you're also at the same exact
time seeing.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
A lot less like less TV.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Is even being made, and the TV that is being
made is pretty homogeneous, and it's it's it's a weird
it's just a weird time. Like I was, we were
like having a call about Courtside the other day, and
as I'm logging into this zoom, I had just finished
reading an article that was in one of the trades
about how there's no queer characters on TV and there's
(20:22):
no queer TV shows getting greenlit, And I'm like, what
a absolutely bonkers moment. Yeah, I don't I don't really
have a good take on it. I don't have a
good answer on it. It's I'm just hoping. I'm just
hoping we get to like we get to tell the
story the way we want.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
To and that and that it happens, you know, like this,
it's just like the weirdest, just the weirdest moment in
entertainment but also in our country and in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
But well, what I love about the way you direct,
especially Britney's writing, is it's not just based on queerness,
it's based on humanity. Like it's not like you don't
have to be queer to watch this and fall in
love with it, like I do.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I do feel that in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I think, you know, And I had Pam Drunkermen on
my podcast maybe last month, and she was talking like,
we're making content that people want to watch, absolutely, and
if he did, Rivalry and Hunting wives have told us
anything people are going to fucking watch and most of
the demographic is straight yep.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
But let that sink in.
Speaker 7 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So I just think we're in a really, really unique time.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
But I'm curious for you why now, why do you
think this movie is Because you are right, you know,
the basket women's basketball has become one of the biggest
cultural stories in America.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
It's not globally in my humble opinion, But.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Why do you think it's the right time right now
to really greenlight this movie during this time?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, I think it's exactly what you said, like
the audience has never been more ready, and if anything,
like the the audience is like demand truly, like what
we see when we announce this project. Is that there
is a massive demand for this. People want this, and
we knew that. We all know that, those of us
in this space, we know this. But now we can
(22:18):
show data. We can say we've had millions and hundreds
of millions of impressions and things like that and show numbers.
But like it's we're past due, We're past do It's
been so true. It's you know, like so I think, like, yes,
we have this incredible cultural moment with women's basketball that
is happening, that is unfolding before our eyes, that has
(22:40):
been happening for the past several years and is going
to continue to happen as the league expands, as more
and more people fall in love with the sport and
with the players and care about this. And then at
the same time, like where, where's where?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Why do we not have a queer women's sports rom com?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
We don't have that. We have a lot of things
that felt like that briefly, and you've read between the
lines maybe.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
There like my forever roommate, you know, or like a.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Bend it like Beckham, where like you know, everyone was
watching it, we were growing up, and we're like, you know,
if they had changed like a couple of little things
that's could have been like a little bit, you know,
like we were always having to like like fan fiction everything,
and you imagine it's just you let your imagination run.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
What wild?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, it's like, what if we could just have the
thing that we all want? So true? I don't know,
it feels like this is the right time. Yeah, I
feel like I feel like it's past the right time. Yeah,
you know, I agree, let's go.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
And I like for someone who came from the athletic world,
and I understand how the locker room moves being in
it for decades, there's really like an intimacy that most
people don't understand.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
And I think, what you know, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Casting courts Eide, but what I imagine, truthfully is having players
who have lived the experience in it will be something
that has never been done before. Yeah, we've had like
Space Jam with Lebron James, you know what I'm saying,
and Michael Jordan, but like, this is different, This is
(24:13):
this is totally different. And I'm curious, like what you
thought about this. I mean, you've worked with some of
these players on podcasts and different types of shows, and
a lot of these imagine these players being multi talented,
surprising for no one who's you know, been in the
mix with all these incredible athletes for so long. But
(24:36):
what do you think that these these actors are going
to be able to bring who are truthfully athletes that
maybe a regular casting actor can't do. I mean, clearly
the authentic part, but like I'm curious, like deeper than that,
what are you hoping that they bring to this film?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Well, I mean, I think you kind of nailed it
to us. Authenticity is extremely extremely important. Obviously, Brittany and
I have been working in the industry for a long time.
Brittany's an unbelievable writer, and you know, we're going to
create something that's really fun for audiences. But I think
there's an authenticity that you need, like having players on board,
(25:19):
having sid as an EP like ye to me that
that's everything. It's it's like we have, you know, it's
like we have the blessing of the people that it
that to me, it matters most too, Like, yeah, we
want there to be an audience for this, but like
we want players to love this movie the way players
love Like everyone loves loving basketball. I've never met a
basketball player or like anyone honestly that doesn't like that's
(25:42):
one of my favorite movies, you know. So it's like
I want this to be able to stand the test
of time alongside a movie like like Love and Basketball
where people just love it, and kind of like what
you were saying before, too, is like that this is
there is a really broad audience for this, Like, yeah,
it's going to be a queer movie, but like it's
going to be really funny, it's gonna have a really
(26:03):
great competitive sports storyline, it's going to be you know,
have that great love story at the center of it.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I think for me, specificity.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Creates a universal experience. So like, if we make this
movie so specific to the character, to the queer characters
that are professional women's basketball players, and it's super authentic
to that, yeah, it's really specific, but that's going to
make it feel universal. Everybody's had a crush, everybody's faced
(26:38):
difficult choices in their life. You know, there's so many
universal themes and like things that people can latch onto.
So I think this is something that can resonate with
like a really really really really broad audience, as broad
as the audiences for all of sports. But also like comedy. Yeah,
oh exactly, Well that's pretty broad.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
The thing is is and you said it because you know,
all of us we were raised on love in basketball, right,
and I remember watching it over and over and over
and again. But I'm curious because usually when you talk
about sports stories, you're talking about chasing championships, and it's
pretty typical. But you're blending and exploring love while balancing
(27:21):
the importance of competition and playing and the importance like
you know, these women might be able to date each
other and fall in love, but let's get one thing straight.
They come to play like period, and I think outside
perspectives don't quite understand, like, what do you mean their
teammates and they're dating like that seems so foreign, but
(27:45):
it's it's it happens often, and it's a big part
of the culture. And it's going to be fun to
see how you pair love in basketball and the stories, yeah, truthfully,
because it's it's not easy if you're making it feel
(28:05):
super authentic. Because what I do feel like is, as
women who have played, and we really keep the locker
room fucking tight.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Oh yeah, we keep it tight.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
So it's gonna be fun to see how this looks
when it comes to fully produced, fully done film, film
version of what we actually live. That's what people don't realize,
Like this shit is like we actually live this.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Yeah, it's it's very real to a lot of people,
and it's something that we're both extremely fascinated by and
could not be more excited too to make this happened.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, you think, like, because we are having such a
mainstream moment with women's sports, do you think this is
actually opening the door for more authentic queer storytelling when
it comes to TV and movie.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
I sure hope so.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
You can hope so too. But I'm not in the
in there writing and direct anything. Well maybe i am.
You don't know. Let's see, I just slip that right
there and landed it nice. I'm kidding, but it really is.
It's like, this is a.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Really really interesting moment, and the more we can tell
these stories, the more we can make sure that this
is not just a moment, that we carry this and
we keep, you know, rising these these stories so people
can hear and see and be a part of it
and hopefully see themselves in it. I say this all
(29:32):
the time, and you you said it at the beginning
of the show, every single piece of paper I had
as a kid, Who are like, who doss, who's your idol?
Who's your role model? Who do you want to be
when you grew up? Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neil, and Tony Hawk.
I mean, I know I look a certain way. I
don't look like them newsplash And it's so freaking cool
(29:57):
And I never really thought of it and that type
of context of like, hello, honey, You're never going to
be a male sports phenom like that. So I think
it's so cool because when you're telling these stories, so
many young queer kids are going to have such a
better experience of visibility than you and I did growing up,
(30:18):
and like they're going to be able to look at
these characters and they're going to be like, oh, I'm
connecting the dots instead of this human who is shape
shifting like a motherfucker all over the place, being like
where do I fit into this world?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It's confusing.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I mean, I don't know how many men I tried
to date. I'm like, hello, girl, it's time to read
through the lines.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
It's it's hard.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
It's hard out there in these streets.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
When I look at my and I hope that my
career goes on for many, many many more years. I
hope I'm just getting started. But when I look at
sort of the last ten fifteen years of my career
and I try to search for any sort of connective
tissue between the things I've made, the thing that I
find most often is that I'm sort of acting in
(31:08):
a way of like wish fulfillment. Like it seems like
I've been trying to make things I wish I had
growing up, whether that's the comic books and graphic novels
or it's this courtside. I've made a couple of shorts
that were sort of like weird romancy type things, and
it's truly like I watch those and I'm like, wow,
(31:29):
really really trying to like fill in some blanks here
for myself, like that I wish I had. So I
hope that that's something I can keep doing. That that
means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Yeah, And I think what I admire so much about you,
Carly is the fact that you're not waiting for permission,
like you're just doing it and you've been doing it,
and it's important because you know, whether it's like you
said at the beginning, whether it's a low budget or
a very high budget, Like, the stories need to be seen.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
And they have to be accessible.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
And I keep saying that even now, it's we have
so many fucking paywalls all over the place.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
It's like, these stories have to be.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Seen, Yeah, because so many kids are going to see
themselves in it, and it could save their life. It
could give them that sense of belonging and understanding, And
like we deserve that, our community deserves that, our children
deserve that, and we have to keep highlighting beautiful stories
like this, but also make it in a way that's
not trauma filled.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Like life is hard in general.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I don't care how you identify, whatever color you look
like or whatever, whatever it is, life is hard enough,
Like we have to be more blended and understanding of
the lives that we walk and how at the end
of the day we're just looking to be loved and
seen and find joy and safety and happiness, like just
(32:51):
the same shit as anyone else.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Absolutely, I find that I've found that a lot of
my work, I don't know that I've actually told any
like coming out stories because to me, I'm like, who cares,
I don't know, it's not interesting.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
That's not interesting to me anymore. I feel like everything
growing up.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
In the nineties, any queer story was about someone coming
out and it being really hard and something traumatic happens,
except for the most part, like honestly, like seeing but
I'm a cheerleader when I was in high school changed
my brain chemistry because I was like, oh, you can
make gay stuff that's fun yeah, funny, No one's yeah,
there's like ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
But it was a comedy that's so true, And that.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Was the movie that made me realize I could make
things that were queer and funny because I was like
slightly at the time, I was like a little young
for John Waters. I feel like because but I'm a
sure thatder has so much like DNA from like the
John Waters universe, and I think I.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Didn't go up to see those. I didn't get to
see those movies until I was.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
A little bit older. But yeah, that was like one
of the first times I saw like a queer movie
that was funny and had a nice ending.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
And it also taught me to buy a black button
up shirt and.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Wear it out to the bar and I did.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
We all lived that, and we all lived that is
a shared that's a badge.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
That's a badge of honor. That's what it is.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
It's so true because I say this and like I
laugh about it today. I am not a big theater baby,
and my partner is obsessed with theater, like that's her
idea of joy. So you know, I'm half the time,
I'm like, my kids are waking me up in the
middle of the night.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Like sitting in a dark room that's cold.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
I'm dozen it's like, if I get I could sleep
sitting up. At this point, what writing on fumes being
a mom? So I was like, she was like, we're
going to this show. I think you're going to love it.
And I'm like, well, why do you think I'm gonna
love it? And she was like, trust trust me. I
went to see Oh Mary when was playing the lead.
(34:50):
I was I was not sitting. I was like, I
have to stand. I have to be on the edge
of my seat. This is doing something to my body.
I actually really can't fucking explain, but I was laughing.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
I was bent. I was I was doing like the
grandma legs lap.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
I was. I think I was too.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Honestly, I was clapping.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
I haven't laughed and had that much fucking joy and
so long I am dying for stuff like that, and
it is so important and so necessary that we shake
the fucking dust and do things differently, because.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
That turned into being a like the characters.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Can be fluid, like it could any it's just your
imagination and it puts you in it. It's laughable, it's funny,
it's relatable. It's just it fucking moves culture too. It's
so good.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
All their brain is incredib Like, I'm just so anything
they've ever dined. I've been a fan of theirs for
a really long time. And actually they had their show
with uh at Logo when I worked at Logo, so
our pads very.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
Briefly crossed, really very very briefly.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But no, the success they've had with Oh Mary has
been probably life changing, I mean truly yes, but like
it's getting It was so important to me that I
get to New York because I obviously live in La Now.
I was like, I need to be in New York
and I need to see Cole in the show. Before
I didn't even know they were going to keep extending
(36:22):
it and then eventually swap out Coal for all these
other incredible artists to be able to play uh, to
be able to play Mary. But yeah, I also I
was like, I'm going. I ended up having like a
shoot in New York, and I was like, great, I'm
going tonight, yeah, by myself, and I had the greatest night.
I went three times. I went three times.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Keep going.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
I'm like, I'm obsessed with it. I'm just success good. Well,
I'm just obsessed with people in general. I think they're
the same.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
But something like so special about like when queer artists
are like kind of given either're not even like given
the space because like we can just take up our
own space. But like it's like what you're talking talking about,
like you were just saying, it's like there's so many gatekeepers.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
There's so many boundaries to getting stuff made, getting the
stuff you made that you want to make made, and
get it getting get made in the way without getting
watered down, without it noted to death, without them being
like why do the characters have to be queer?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
And it's like, well then it's not the same thing whatever.
So when you get to see like.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
A queer genius put something out into the world unfiltered
like that, it's so special, Like, yeah, I feel the
same way about like Julio Torres, like all the stuff
he's doing, like all of his like stand up specials
and his and his theories on HBO. Like I'm like,
your brain is awesome.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
It just reminds me of like like I grew up
like watching like Peeley's Playhouse, and like that was like
very foundational to me and my sense of humor, Like
the Muppets are very foundational to me and who I
am as a person. And I'm like finding those things now,
like being able to find them, and sometimes you have
to really seek them out. But when when things like
(37:58):
that actually get made and get made right, it's just
so special and it's so rare.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Oh so rare. Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
I'll be back in just a moment after this brief
message from our sponsors.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Before I let you go, which has been so fun.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
I'm so happy we got time to share space because
your magic. I'm like, so I admire the work you're doing.
I cannot wait for Courtside to come out. But if
one what is one movie for you that everyone should
watch And it doesn't have to be queer, it's just
one movie for you that everyone should watch.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
That is such a good question.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Like for me, it's point Break. It's just point break, great, great,
So you can't live without it original original point Break.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, of course that is such a
good question. I think I have two answers. One, I'll say,
Paris is Burning. It's just such an important documentary. And
also it's just so good. It's it's not just like
(39:10):
it's important that we all watch this, it's also like
it's so so good and it's so it's it's just
the way it holds up today, the way it kind
of provides insight and a look into a community that
that needed that that shine at the time, and also
now like it's so it's so it informs so much
(39:31):
of queer culture to this day.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
It's just such an important film and it's one of
my all time faves.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
And then in terms of just like a movie that
I feel like this was like my favorite film growing up,
I would say, if you haven't seen Uframed Roger Rabbit,
you need to do it.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Yes, that's like me and Sandlot. I'm like, oh yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Not just a great movie from.
Speaker 7 (39:56):
Eighties Jesus One of the eighty six or something, but
like but like no, I was like Early Night, but
like it's not just an incredible film, but also like
the mix of animation and live action and that was
done like by hand.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
It's absolutely incredible, and it's so funny, Like you watch
it now, and I've watched it now, I'm still laughing
at every joke.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
I love.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It's just anyway, So it's one of my all time faves.
So I'll say, everyone needs to see who ring about you?
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Rabbit done? But what about your favorite sports movie? Okay,
we got to bring it back to sports?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Bring it back to sports.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
We're going to bring it home. Okay, bring you can't
and you can't say court Side yet?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Okay, well okay, fair, that's fair. It doesn't actually exist yet,
so it's fair theoretically favorite sports movie. I mean love
and Basketball, right, Like.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Yeah, I was like really like searching you were thirteen.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
I was searching for, like, is there something else I
can say that's less predictable and.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
All their own?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
For me?
Speaker 6 (40:53):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah, that one competes. I got that one.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Actually, you know what, I think it's for me. It's
actually a tie between the two.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Yeah, okay, fair, I agree with.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
That Yeah, that's yeah, those are iconic.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
One person you would like love to direct, like that
would be like, like that would be the best thing.
One person you just want to because we're speaking, we
need to speak this into existence is the way I
live my life.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
No, I like this.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So one person you would love to direct? That would
change like everything for you.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
All Right, I'm gonna say Nicole Kidman ooh.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Okay, Fair didn't expect that, but I'll take it.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
I don't know what I expected me to say, honestly.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Yeah, that's why we're putting you on the spot.
Speaker 8 (41:33):
Yeah, very one word you hope people leave, Like after
this movie is made court side and all this buzz
and all this hype, what like, what's one thing you
hope people leave with?
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Like what feeling?
Speaker 2 (41:48):
I mean it's gonna sound maybe a little corny, but
like just like the feeling of like wow, that was
like a really fun way to spend two hours. Like
I just I had a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Yeah, and we need that. We need we need joy,
we need laughter, we need love.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
You're gonna check every box and before I let you go,
what can you give us that maybe is a little
sneak peek. We can look forward to because we don't
know and this is coming out we don't.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I hate that.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
I hate it. I want to know everything.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
You know. I'm an athlete, I'm a human of details,
and it's just like we just landed. We just threw
it out there and we didn't land the plane. I'm like, well,
well that's we're making it. But what the hell are
you telling me? Like, are we filming yet? Have You're
not going to tell me anything?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I can't tell you anything. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Well then we just have to wait and find out,
don't we.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
I'm like, is there anything?
Speaker 3 (42:42):
There isn't anything. It was just like we're making this.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
It was you know, we're keeping it all very uh
very close to best right now. Well clearly, but for
for good reason, I promise.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Okay, great, Well we really look forward to it. Carly.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Thank you so much for being on this podcast with
us and dropping all.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
These hints that are not so much hints. But I'll
tell you what. We're really excited for this. I know
that's you know, this is going to be.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
So incredible for not just our community, but to bring
and highlight storytelling within women's sports in general. And I
know you guys, are you and Brittain are gonna It's
gonna be a masterclass. I cannot wait, and I look
forward to supporting it and amplifying it any way I can.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
But I appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Thank you so so so much for having me. This
has been an absolute delight, And yeah, I appreciate it.
Thank you, yes, thank you for all the very kind
things you've said.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Thanks Carly.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
All right, everyone, I hope you enjoyed it, and we'll
see you next week on another episode of Wide Open. Carly,
thank you so much for being here. Thank you for
a beautiful conversation that is so relevant in today's media.
What really stood out for me was that representation isn't
just about checking up. It's about expanding our imagination of
(44:03):
what's possible. When people finally see themselves living fully, not
just surviving, but laughing, falling in love, competing, dreaming, it
changes something. It tells them there's room for them in
the story too. Thank you for helping us tell those
beautiful stories and making us laugh along the way, And
(44:24):
thank you for listening to another episode of Wide Open.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
We'll see you all next week.
Host
Ashlyn Harris
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