August 19, 2024 • 36 mins
Welcome to Mermen Mondays, the podcast where the Little Merman share behind-the-scenes tour stories, discuss popular Disney content, and celebrate Disney's musical legacy. Hosted by Alexis Babini, founder of the Little Mermen, and co-host Andrew Grau, this episode dives deep into the latest Marvel sensation: Deadpool and Wolverine.
In this special episode, Alexis and Andrew explore their reactions to the third movie in the Deadpool franchise, share their thoughts on the cultural shift with Marvel, and speculate on the future of the Marvel franchise. They also discuss the Marvel overlap into Disney World, including Deadpool's playful antics in the parks.
Listeners will get a behind-the-scenes look at the Little Mermen's recent tour adventures, including playing at various state fairs and festivals. The hosts also touch on the unique challenges and joys of touring as an indie rock band dedicated to Disney's musical legacy.
For fans of Marvel, Disney, and music, this episode is a must-listen. Be sure to subscribe and follow Mermen Mondays on Instagram at Mermen Mondays Pod!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Music.
(00:10):
Welcome to Merman Mondays, the podcast where the Little Merman share behind-the-scenes
tour stories, discuss popular Disney content, and celebrate Disney's musical legacy.
I'm your host, Alexis Babini, founder of the Little Merman, and joining me is
our co-host Andrew Grau. Thanks, Alexis.
Whether you're a longtime fan or first-time dreamer, the Little Merman Band
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is the country's premier Disney tribute act, bringing the magic of Disney music
to life with live performances all across the U.S. and the world.
And our mission with this podcast is to connect with our fans on a deeper level,
give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at touring in an indie rock band,
and share in the joy that is Disney content and culture.
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Today's very special episode we'll discuss, the third movie in the Deadpool
franchise, Deadpool and Wolverine. Yes!
Spoiler alert for those who haven't seen this movie, We're going to be spoiling everything.
Graeme and I are going to discuss our general thoughts, our reactions,
as well as the cultural shift with Marvel, the future of the Marvel franchise.
Also, we're going to talk about the Marvel overlap into Disney World.
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I'm so excited for this episode. We've been talking about this for a while.
It's been a long time coming.
So, again, like every other Merman Mondays episode, we've got some tour stuff to catch you all up on.
So stay tuned, and you can find out where to connect with us and get into the deeper band lore.
So before we go the distance, we are still an actively touring band with some
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shows coming up. So let's get down to business.
Hello, Murpham. You're kindly editing growl here to update you with some upcoming shows.
Saturday, August 24th, Field of Dreams, Family Fun Day, Salem, New Hampshire.
Tuesday, August 27th, The Seashell Stage, Hampton, New Hampshire.
Wednesday, August 28th, Eric's Church, Wyndham, Maine.
And Saturday, August 31st, Wattsburg County Fair, Wattsburg,
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PA. And here are some fall dates.
Saturday, September 14th, Adventureland, October.
Altoona Iowa Saturday September 28th Laura
Center for the Arts Hanover Massachusetts Sunday October
13th Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh PA and Thursday October 24th The Cutting Room
New York City New York uh more information like ticket links or RSVP links can
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be found on our website at thelittlemerman.com slash tickets yeah so uh to kind of give a little
bit of a peek behind the scenes we literally just got back from
our week in our little week in iowa
and then illinois so how we feeling alexis my man i am feeling very accomplished
i'm feeling overall just like excited about the direction that this band is
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taking we literally i think we could call that our largest show of the year
and but i'm also a very tired man.
But yeah i mean just to recap we just played uh
the iowa state fair two shows two shows it
was four show it was actually four shows over two days yeah four
shows over two days curveball yeah man
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it's just like you know gosh there's
so many things i could say about our adventures playing
state fairs playing county fairs playing music festivals the
one thing i will compare it to is when we played
the state fair of the okay i
don't know there's some sirens going off so and they're
getting louder and louder what what did you
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do what have you done yeah this is this is like did the patreon listeners want
to keep the sirens in and get that behind the scenes i i actually live high
up in my apartment away from the sound but yet the we're i you know as as you
guys know we're based out of new york city and that's what New York City sounds like sometimes.
(03:54):
Dude, when I lived in Queens, did you ever see my apartment in Queens?
Oh, man, I don't know if I've ever been to your last apartment in Queens. I've seen photos of it.
Oh, yeah. Okay. So my apartment in Queens, it was the trifecta.
It was an outlet right where all of the cops, ambulances and firefighters would
go from Queens Boulevard to get to the interior Queens.
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So it was just all hours of the night, all of those sirens. And then it was all sirens.
Yeah. And then my kitchen overlooked the Long Island Railroad, like it passed by.
And I used to know which one which trains my friends were on.
I would be like, hey, wave at the window. I'm waving. I'm waving at you.
So yeah, I had a lot of noise. It actually freaked me out when I moved to this
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place. And there isn't that much noise.
So it's just what it is living in the boroughs.
Sometimes I don't think there's a single thing as a perfect place to live unless
you're in a certain tax bracket, which.
Unfortunately, neither of us are. You know, once Merman makes enough money,
we become enormously successful.
Instead of getting a quiet apartment, we're going to all stay in our New York
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apartments, but we're going to invest in noise-canceling software and just like
outline noise-canceling headphones.
Actually, oh my God, someone was talking about the Las Vegas sphere and how it's like that.
Like there's like some noise-canceling. Were you there when one of the sound
guys was telling us about that? Oh, yeah. That's so, oh, that's so interesting. Yeah.
Las Vegas fear. Yeah. Sirens are over. So anyway, to get back to you,
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what we were talking about is like, okay, so when we did the Big E,
which is a big fair music festival, I think it's sort of the state fair of like
all the Northeast states.
And we played on the same night as Bachman Turner Overdrive. That was awesome.
It was just a huge milestone for the band to like get off stage,
having played a great show and then get our, get our passes,
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you know, it's like, and we, and we kind of like hit up the festival organizers
were like look is there any way like we want to take care of business we want
to do you know man what's the other one that they have taking taking you ain't
you ain't seen you ain't seen nothing yet yeah and it was just a cool night
you know and and we basically got to have our version of that this year we got
to see the band foreigner.
Um right after our show that was awesome i was i was sad that we had to miss
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the opener melissa etheridge yeah we you know we came right off our show they
handed us our passes they're like go in
the special entrance do this over here and they were standing room
only tickets but then i charmed one of the security ladies
and she was like oh yeah oh cool you guys the band anyways
no one's sitting in that section so that this is an open
section so we so we got to like and it was
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just it was just so cool it's like one of those moments where like it's just
a tough life that we've chosen man and i have more and more empathy for
like touring bands because you know we're taking and flights we
we flew to iowa we got diverted we
had to like come to the fair in a motorcade because
our rescheduled flights our rescheduled flights were going
to get us there after the show so it was just like a crazy travel day but the
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shows went good and we all all six of us came together and and saw foreigner
crush it you know their their lineup which i think the two founding members
of foreigner are no we're not touring with them but that said they just got
inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
So I think we might see, I think Lou and, who's he got? It's Lou and Mickey, right?
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I think you might see them come back. I'll tell you what, that was really fun
to get to do that because I also didn't realize how much of a foreigner fan I was.
And 16-year-old me would have been actually happier seeing foreigner than BTO,
even though I'm a bit of a BTO head.
Yeah, and actually kind of to further the point, Iowa's great.
Food was fantastic because it's just the state fair.
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There's just food everywhere. really when it
comes down to a lot of respect for these torian traveling bands when we
played in elgin and it was like a evening festival in
the park it was so nice just one
of these really beautiful suburbs chicago really well put together shout out
to smooch who's who was the pretty much like our point person super nice kind
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of a swag bag but we got to we played on a bill with three other bands and usually
we're just the headliner and so for us to kind of talk to you know this local band Stash,
who's like a 70s, 80s and today mix.
They were fantastic to listen to. They were super nice. And then we got to meet
Lovers, which is a Taylor Swift Eros tour tribute band.
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And they were super cool. Ryguy knew the drummer.
Shout out to Connor. Shout out to Connor. Yeah, man. So that was our,
the whole tour was five days.
And then in the course of three days, we played five shows.
It was a lot. Yeah. I guess getting back to the Deadpool stuff.
One of the things that's also kind of fun to mention is like one of our
big shows for us as a band was when
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we played the see here now music festival sort of
opening for green day we played on on like the
stage across of the headlining stage and i saw green day just did like a deadpool
kind of tie-in at the end of the deadpool movie there's the green day i hope
you have the time of your life song and then on stage i just like the members
of green day came out in deadpool and wolverine costumes so it's It's like,
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it's all connected, baby.
We're seeing the show. We're seeing the movies. And I feel like a part of it. Yeah. I mean, so, okay.
Great transition. So you're all caught up with what we're doing gig-wise.
I saw Deadpool and Wolverine. And you saw Deadpool and Wolverine.
And right after this episode, aren't you doing something crazy?
(09:22):
Like seeing it again? That's correct.
Yeah, I almost didn't pull off this maneuver just because we got back from tour
like midnight last night.
So it's gonna be tonight it's gonna be reagan reagan the folks that are listeners
i've heard on these episodes ryan and quinn and melinda actually just hit me
up and and so we're gonna i'm gonna be seeing it a second time with these guys
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nice it's gonna be a lot of fun man.
Yeah yeah deadpool and wolverine gosh i have so many things i want to say i
i see in the notes here you've written down that this is the marketing master
class of the movie and i can't wait to Yeah,
so as someone that has watched pretty much every Marvel movie but then fell off after the Endgame,
(10:04):
I just felt like the continual...
Either rehashing of the fact that this is a multiverse or
doing more sequels that just feel
like schlock this was one of the few movies
that i saw the trailer for last year and i go i cannot wait to see that and
it was right when deadpool was on the ground and then you see a shadow and it
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looks like logan and then the two claws come out from each hands and i just
said absolutely Absolutely. I do not. And that was the trailer.
It was a market. And basically, the whole reason that this movie got made,
even the third one, and the way that it just did is to be doing so much gangbusters,
other than it's a great movie, is that this is all Ryan Reynolds knowing how to market this movie.
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It is a masterclass in not only Ryan Reynolds parts, but basically going,
how can we get Hugh Jack, huge Jack, how you get the huge Jack man back?
And how can we make this work? How can we actually make a Sony property that's
owned by Disney, but not really kind of almost maybe and make it into a movie
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and make it into a spectacular movie,
but generate so much interest and so much box office sales.
It's just so brilliant how they did it and how they did the marketing.
So that's why I say it's kind of a marketing masterclass where there's so many
times, and I'm not going to say General Disney,
but seeing some stuff for some coming up movies, I'm not necessarily as jazzed
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as I was for Deadpool and Wolverine.
And a lot of it goes to the fact that the other two Deadpools are such good
movies. But this one was this one.
Not only what my general reaction was, not only did it exceed my expectations.
But I laughed out loud four times that were loud enough that I thought someone's
going to tell me to shut. What were the four times that you laughed out loud?
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I mean, OK, big spoiler here. The Henry Cavill soup, the Henry Cavill Cavalry
just shrieked because it was so true. He's like, this is what they've always wanted.
I was like, yes, this is so great. Yeah, that was the one part that stuck out
in my mind the most when it comes to laughing out loud. But I just... The second...
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He went through the portal portal and saw it i was like oh no
this is i'm like if it's just gonna be henry cavill it was and i just was
like yeah i mean
you know like like as someone who also follows the dc news and everything and
just knowing that henry cavill was superman and then he's not gonna be superman
anymore but maybe he's gonna come back and then james gunn took over dc movies
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and now they cast that other actor like hearing deadpool say like hey we're gonna treat
you better than that studio down the street it was just sort of like in like i
don't know i mean it's definitely like an inside baseball joke that not
the audience is gonna get but yet it's it's done so well that like like the
people who do get it are gonna be laughing along louder and cheering uh louder
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than like the people who don't get it who might have you know just been there
for like the casting the wide net joke and getting the jokes that everyone's
gonna get so like Like, that was kind of funny, man.
I'm looking at funny moments that stood out here to me.
There were just so many. The one that occurs to me when Wolverine puts on his,
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after like 20-something years, we finally see Wolverine in the mask.
And then Deadpool calls them like, oh, like blowjob handles or something. Yeah, that was, yeah.
And that kind of goes with your next note here, because I see you have a note
about just the music and the cinematography. and just like cinematography and
music alone on that scene and humor, like there's everything firing on all chambers.
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Like I heard that it took them some extra effort to get the rights to that song,
Like a Prayer from Madonna. Oh, that was so funny though.
Ryan Reynolds is on, I think he's on like the, one of the morning shows talking
about like, yeah, we reached out to Madonna's estate.
I made a rookie mistake of writing that scene around that song, Like a Prayer.
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And then we talked to them and it turns out they don't license that song out
to movie so it wasn't gonna work but we talked to madonna,
and and apparently madonna had some specific notes for
like how that song should be used in the scene and they were
all just like so spot on that they tweaked the
scene to madonna's notes and like i don't that's amazing the musician
in me and like the you know the little merman guy in me
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who likes like learning how the sausage is made so we
can make our shows like over the top and extreme and
feeling like this is a special event at all times like
i was like i wonder what madonna said and so I
went back and watched that scene and it's just like it's right
before the beat drops and so I I wonder if Madonna was like
you know like oh man what the lyrics like like
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a prayer like life is a mystery everyone must stand alone so like life is a
mystery everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name and it feels like
home and just seeing Deadpool and Wolverine like the lyrics like.
Fit that so well and then like you see the cow come down
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right at that yeah and it's just it was just so good
and across the board like you know like the soundtrack lover in me you know
lately especially the summer my life has been like you know when when dude calls
yeah a little crazy and a little bit like oh okay i'm a full-time i'm the full-time
guy you know behind the curtain of
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the nation's ultimate Disney tribute band.
But a short time ago, I was like full-time doing like writing like jingles and
soundtracks for like commercials and getting into that world.
And so I always listen like a little closely to see how something is scored.
The guy who did this soundtrack is Rob Simonson.
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He's actually had a lot of really cool movies lately, but he didn't do any of the other Deadpools.
So good for that team for like, you know, giving it to a new composer every
time and getting a little extra spice and an extra kind of like,
you know, just getting some new talent in.
I mean, I do think it's super interesting that you that you brought up that
Madonna doesn't usually license out music.
(16:15):
And as someone in your world, you work in music. Yeah, I was just gonna say
that's a believe or not, that actually happens quite a bit. We'll have clients say no.
And whenever something is requested for a scene, part of the request is that
they have to tell them what type of scene it's in.
And yeah, there's always wiggle room, there's always whatever.
And I'm sure it was financially very beneficial.
But yeah, it's it's actually shocking that Madonna doesn't license out that
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song very much, but also not shocking.
But also, like, it makes sense.
And that's, you know, you talk to anyone who's a music director.
And for those of you that want a little bit more of knowing how the sausage
gets made, so that we all have wonderful musical brats.
The music director is not
necessarily someone that composes all of the music but the person that
goes through or this music supervisor and they they get them they get the scenes
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they get the mission from the movie and they go out and try to clear it it's
a big legal thing there's all sorts of negotiations that go into it and so whomever
the person was besides you know ryan reynolds helping getting that over the
line that musical supervisor music director must
have been very good and said the right things because there's, I mean, there are,
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definitely artists that are just like, nope, you can't use any of my music anywhere.
And that's just the way that is. That's how rights work. So very interesting.
But yeah, I mean, I think that amongst most Marvel movies,
Deadpool always has a great soundtrack because any of the original stuff is
always well composed, but they always get because they're kind of able to work
outside the guise of either strict Disney or strict Marvel because it's,
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you know, very fourth wall breaking. It's very literal.
It's very kind of in your face about how they're talking about inside baseball.
They made so many jokes about Fox.
They made so many jokes about Sony. And I was like, this is all really good.
And they're able to kind of get really good songs cleared.
And I also love sitting down at the end of the crawl and watching the movies
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because, you know, you have to stay for the end credits because that's just
what all Marvel movies do.
But I love seeing how credits work and like what song it was and who was it
written by and blah, blah, blah. Because that's just that's my life.
That's my nerd. That's my music nerd.
Gosh. So we have what's next?
What's next for this franchise? What's next for Deadpool? Deadpool,
what's next for Disney and Marvel?
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I think for me, you know, like Grau and I on this podcast, we've talked about
our love for X-Men 97, which is now on Disney Plus and very much Disney.
When we were little kids, that was on Fox.
But now it's like our Disney love in this band is sort of overlapping with our
love for Marvel and also Star Wars too.
And it's just of note to me that Deadpool is in the parks at Disney World.
(18:54):
Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Quinn for telling us about this. Yeah.
He made an appearance at D23. I think there was some type of Deadpool song and dance.
You know, in our last podcast, we talked a little bit about some of the trailers
that have been dropping.
Just as D23, Disney's huge fan event.
And they're kind of announcing all the big stuff coming up over the next few years.
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The actor playing Deadpool sounds like Ryan Reynolds. I was trying to figure out if it's his voice.
But anyways, I did check out on YouTube, like Deadpool at Disneyland.
Like, what is that? How does that work? And they have Deadpool reading story time.
Deadpool's reading the story of Beauty and the Beast to the kids,
but he's changed it to the Deadpool, Beauty, and the Beast-erine,
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or like the Wolver-beast, I think he says.
And so he's doing all these inside jokes about Disney World.
And then at some point, Wolverine interrupts story time. And he's like,
Deadpool, we got to go. We got to go fight the bad guys.
And then they kind of get in a fight. And Deadpool's like, well,
why are you so mad all the time?
And Wolverine's like, your jokes are getting stale.
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And Deadpool goes like, my jokes are everlasting.
My jokes are always going to be relevant. Just like Splash Mountain.
Oh, man. After that first performance, I think they changed the joke to be about something else.
I mean, that's the thing. There's a lot of Disney fans. There's a lot.
And this kind of goes with something we have as a talking point on our list here.
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Are just like people thinking, you know, Disney is getting too woke,
this Splash Mountain, this movie, which is based on a controversial movie,
and all that kind of stuff gets in, and also these people who love this ride,
and if you change this thing I love, and just us being in a Disney tribute band,
we go to certain towns, and they're like, well, we saw you play at a Pride event,
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so we're, you know, and so it's just like.
It's crazy to see these things get politicized. But, you know,
at the end of the day, it's sort of just like a joyful, fun experience.
And I think it's cool that Deadpool was like, maybe I can make this joke.
And then I think that was like after that first performance,
they're like, oh, we can't make this joke. Oh, yeah. A little more PG.
Yeah. And so I think he talked about like a different ride or something like
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that. But yeah, it's funny. And I think you can find that on YouTube.
It's like a 15 minute show.
So because now here's now here's kind of another
part of the the what's next situation so now did
you watch the tv show loki loki i did watch yes
and i and i was glad that i did because because then
you understood what was happening because i feel like
(21:30):
if i didn't watch loki show and then realize well
who the time variant agency was i'd be like what you
just sprung this on me i'm going to test that tonight because our
boys and our lady in the band who will be attending the movie
I bet they haven't and I'm not going to tell them until
after I kind of think it
does help to know but at the end
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of the day it's like okay we got to know that these guys are going
to a different dimension and now audiences kind of are familiar with the idea
of a different cinematic universe so we're going to eat this Wolverine so I
think it's helpful to know but I think the plot of this movie takes such a backseat
to the jokes and just the fun and just the whole like Like,
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just the fact that this movie is just like really accomplishing so many things.
I feel like they'll be like, oh, yeah, I missed that. But I don't know.
Okay, what's this? Oh, shoot.
The Fantastic Four guy is here. I thought he was Captain America.
Now he's, you know, that's another spoiler there. The Fantastic Four joke.
That was one of the moments that made me laugh out loud so hard.
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And I was like, oh, no. Yeah, it was so funny.
Yeah, it was so funny. Oh, it was so good.
It i mean i guess i guess where i'm really kind of coming at the culture stuff
or at least what's next or at least you know this was the first time that a
tv show not necessarily dealing with.
The character in the tv show is now a movie tie-in so i'm wondering if going
(22:57):
forward they're going to do more
of that and kind of make it more not necessarily more important but also,
hey you might want to watch this show other than you like everything disney
you want to know what's going on Marvel.
I'm just curious if that's going
to be a move that they're going to slowly tie in more of the TV shows.
So you kind of have to know a little bit kind of differently where Star Wars,
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you know, when they do their TV shows, it's either something that's an untold
story that's within the timeline we already know or something that's happening
during the timeline next to something that we already know is going to happen.
But it's a completely different story. So I'm just like very curious to see
how they're going to be able to do that.
Because so far, none of the movie parts of the Star Wars universe tie in anything
(23:39):
from the TV shows. It's all TV shows getting movie tie-ins.
So that's why I'm kind of curious. And also like to kind of go back even maybe a step further.
I just thought it was so funny that everyone was kind of getting a little twisted
about Deadpool being bisexual.
I'm sorry. It's just canon, right? That's a widely acceptable thing, right?
Right. I mean, this is the thing is like, you know, we are we are at a moment
(24:04):
in time right now where like, you know, I mean, we you know,
we we years ago, I had a totally different perspective on this.
I was like, you know, we have the Pride Fair in New York and I you know,
and we we are we're so like all about equality and equal rights.
And yeah, it's not going to cause us any problems if the Little Mermen play on a Pride Fair.
(24:27):
And now that I'm sort of seeing, like, and I always watch these Disney movies,
and it's like, why did they make that, you know, when they had those two female
characters kiss in the Star Wars movie, and then they edited it out when it
played in countries that are not as open to that?
And I was like, why, why, why didn't they just like, and again, then cut to us playing,
you know, playing in some red States and some towns where people like Google us and they saw,
(24:52):
oh, they played, they played a pride event and they did an interview in some
LGBTQ and people are just, you know, I think that I think just continuing to
take the stance that yes, it's okay.
That Deadpool is a, could be seen as a bisexual or pansexual character.
Sure. You know, it's an R-rated movie, but, you know, it's fine for like,
(25:13):
because, you know, for someone accompanied by an adult to see an R-rated movie,
you know, obviously this isn't for like.
Young children. But at the end of the day, it's just all about bringing people together.
And like, you know, our friends in the LGBT community, like Grau and I,
you know, there's a lot, we're allies in the band.
We got some queer folks in the band and it's really about bringing everyone together.
(25:37):
And so, yeah, I, we, you know, we played, we played a fair where there was this guy.
I'm just going to briefly talk about it because it's front of mind.
It keeps coming up today we did an event at a county
fair somewhere it's going to go unnamed but there was this local
guy who was just really politicizing our band and
again this is the second time this has happened to us but
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you gotta love that when this
comes up because you know he's like in this band
they performed at a pride event and now they're trying to do this
in front of our kids and then and without me even knowing
about it everybody can he galvanized this whole community around
this band like hey first of all like we you know
this band is doing nothing wrong and second of all like they're you
(26:20):
know they don't they don't always perform with drag queens and and
third and so and and we've hired publicists to like kind of spread the word
because i think this band is buzzworthy but this one guy tried to start i start
to start some trouble and and in doing so he got us like 200 extra shares and
i was like wow maybe maybe i i should write him and think it's like Like when
Billy Joel put out the song, Only the Good Die Young.
(26:43):
And there's something about like Catholic girls in that song.
And so the Catholic church kind of came out against it.
And he sold way more records to Billy Joel. Like Billy Joel writes to the Catholic
church and says, hey, please ban my next record.
Like without you banning this, I would not have had the sales I had.
And so like it's crazy like us playing songs from our favorite cartoons.
(27:04):
We're feeling that way. But yeah, it's wild.
And this movie does that. so not not to go on another t-agent and
i don't know it's i also one of the moments that
made me laugh out loud so hard was when those tva agents show up
at his birthday and he's like he's like oh i can't take you all at once
he's like i'm gonna have to stretch and i'm just like that's just like so funny
and it's like such a throwaway joke if you don't pay attention to it but it's
(27:25):
so funny and also it's like who there's so much of just you you you have you
have the money that That you have that you can spend on whatever you want.
And if you find out that you don't like this. Or you don't like Disney.
That's fine. Don't ruin it for other people.
And not to get too much in my soapbox here. But Deadpool and Wolverine was really
(27:48):
great. And I kind of wanted them to kiss the entire time.
Just one smooch. Because huge jacked man and Ryan Reynolds. Are both very good
looking guys. And both really buff. It would have been really fun.
I love that it's sort of like.
I mean, yeah, they just get silly with it. Like, it's really, like, the odd couple.
(28:08):
And it's really, like, planes, trains, and automobiles.
And it is such, like, the reason that there's, like, a formula for,
like, straight man and funny guy in these comedies is, like, and it's so good.
And I feel like Ryan Reynolds, I mean, he says, you know, he wrote that screenplay with the director.
Character and they're just really like doing doing all
(28:29):
the right stuff with these classic cinematic tropes at
one point deadpool is holding dog pool and
dog pool is is you know there's a little dog in a deadpool costume in one of
the universes where there's all these different deadpools and the dog is licking
him but the dog's tongue is like going in his mouth and it's like straight out
of a chevy chase movie that bit and it is it's so good man i mean it's just like Like,
(28:53):
it's what I needed in my life being like, all right, we got to do like a thousand shows.
But it's just like, you know, I've been sort of like trying to like meditate
a lot and trying to just like space myself because it's, you know,
it is a lot of like, we love our jobs and it's a lot of hard work.
So when I can go to the movies and just get treated like that, it's great, man.
(29:16):
Anyways, I don't want to take up too much time talking about it.
No, no, dude, that's actually that's actually so true.
Because like, honestly, I you know, what we all like Deadpool for is that he
breaks the fourth wall, he makes his great jokes, he's very snarky.
But it also was just an incredibly well done movie.
Hugh Jackman was, of course, amazing in it. It was the story that not necessarily
(29:36):
needed to get told, but I'm glad did.
And this is kind of the last thing I kind of want to bring up just in general about the movie.
What did you think about the fight scene between all the Deadpools and then
Deadpool and Wolverine at the end? And that was, it was like, you could...
I knew something like that was going to happen and it hit and went above all my expectations.
(29:56):
And I loved it. And it was like great fight scene.
Like the gore is very cartoonish, but very real.
And I loved it. I was like, you, you built it up so perfectly and it couldn't be worse.
So like, or it couldn't be better. So like, I really, really,
really liked that. What'd you think of that final, like big fight scene? Yeah, man.
I mean, gosh, like, I guess, you know, we, I mean, I already talked about Wolverine
(30:17):
putting on his cowl back, which was such a moment. I mean, and also,
like, there's a photo of us in our group chat of me as, like,
a nine-year-old kid in, like, a Wolverine costume.
So, like, for me, it is so much, like, it draws upon the same thing when someone,
like, sees our band play, like, DuckTales live.
And it's, like, there's a specific moment from your childhood,
(30:37):
and you get to relive it and celebrate it.
And so it's just, like, the nostalgia character in the movie Inside Out 3 is
very much a character in my brain.
I'm sorry, Inside Out 2. I skipped ahead to the sequel.
Deadpool 3, Inside Out 2. I got to get my numbers straight.
We talked about how nostalgia was a character in that movie.
And the nostalgia character in my brain was just like cranking every lever on that.
(30:59):
The Inside Out emotion button thing.
And then the other thing I want to say about that scene is just, gosh, oh my God.
I just remembered something that might be a fun little tidbit for this podcast.
That shows what we're talking about.
So Ryan Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively, is Lady Deadpool in this movie.
Everyone thought it was going to be Taylor Swift because him and his wife are so close with Tay-Tay.
(31:21):
But Tay-Tay's busy playing stadiums. Playing Elgin, Illinois.
And playing the show with us. One of the Taylor Swift variants that we shared the stage with.
So Blake Lively comes out and she's in full head to toe, like babe version of Deadpool.
Also, their kids are in the movie as like baby Deadpool and kid Deadpool.
That's so great. Once upon a time, a little over, maybe a little over 12 years
(31:45):
ago, Alexis Babini, yours truly, was coming to New York with a song in his heart,
a guitar in his back, and a headshot.
And believe you me, I booked myself a job with Miss Blake Lively as an extra
on one of the final seasons of Gossip Girl.
Growl, I'm going to tell you this, it's going to blow your mind. So, okay, so there's...
(32:09):
If you guys can find, maybe we have an avid listener who can find this episode,
but there's a party scene on a rooftop in one of the episodes of the final season of Gossip Girl.
I'm an extra at the party. Again, no lines.
And my job was to shake Blake Lively's hand while she enters the party and goes
and talks to whoever her girlfriends are.
(32:30):
And it's Gossip Girl time and gossip and drama.
Drama and so when you're an extra our guy
Quinn knows this because Quinn works on a lot of movie sets he's a rigger
he's a best boy grip and and you know
he knows about show business but at the time I was like oh cool I'm in
the scene and so she comes over she takes my hand she goes hi how are you
and like she waits a bit she waits for a beat and then she goes to the next
(32:52):
thing and I was like this woman's talking to me I'm I'm like hi I I was I was
just like I didn't know what to do so I was just like responding obviously now
we all know it maybe it's more widespread knowledge when When you're an extra,
you don't have speaking lines. There are, there are many.
You are not allowed to, you were a part of the scenery. You're a part of the scenery.
And also when you're an extra, the director and all these people on the set,
(33:14):
so you're kind of like the lowest on the totem pole.
So no one's talking to you. No one's saying like, hey man, don't talk on the scene.
So you're like, cut, reset, guys, come on. We gotta do this again.
Guys, extras, you guys ready?
Okay, let's do this again. And I was like, yeah, I'm ready. So Blake Lively
comes in, scene two, comes in, shakes my hand.
And and she goes hi how are you and i'm like hi how are you doing
and then cut cut cut and this goes on for like three
(33:35):
or four times and again the director comes out
and he's like okay and again it's like part of
the practice they don't look extras in the eye so so he just got he
talks to like just the whole room of people being
like all right who is talking who doesn't have speaking lines and
i was like yeah who is doing that who could i'm like the
guy and i'm i think you should leave the hot
(33:56):
dog guy who did that we're all looking for that
guy and then and then after like a couple
more takes they took me out of the scene they put somebody else i
shook like lively's hands so many times and
i didn't i didn't realize i was just being like a you know an airheaded kind
of like stars in his eyes kind of guy and so there's a scene in this deadpool
(34:18):
movie where deadpool the character goes to somebody and that first dinner scene
and somebody starts talking and And he's like,
hey, no speaking lines. You should know better than that. Whoa.
I was like, I wonder if Blake Lively took that story home. Because she was dating
Ryan Reynolds at the time. And they maybe shared a laugh.
And I was like, so I was sort of like, I don't know. And maybe I was just,
(34:39):
this clearly cannot be true.
But I was sort of like, is Ryan Reynolds talking to me? Bro,
you made it into the Deadpool Wolverine movie.
That's incredible. That's my ridiculous story.
All right. right well thank you again for joining us
on today's episode of mermen monday's podcast
we love talking to you all about deadpool wolverine
(35:02):
you can join us on patreon for exclusive content bonus
episodes behind the scenes insights and more visit patreon.com slash the little
mermen to become part of our mer fam and enjoy all of the perks we have to offer
please follow the podcast at mermen monday's pod on instagram please also follow
the little mermen at the little mermen on IG.
(35:24):
You can find Alexis at Alexis Babini. You can find myself at groww underscore music. Heck yes.
Okay, guys. Listen, thank you for joining us on this episode of Merman Mondays,
y'all. We hope you enjoyed our stories and discussions.
Please don't forget to subscribe and follow us on all those platforms and also
(35:44):
on IG Merman Mondays pod.
We'd love to hear your feedback. We want to talk to you. We want to answer to all your questions.
We want this podcast is for the fans. That was me going off script again.
Sorry, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
So please leave us a comment or send us a message.
Until next time, remember to dream, believe, and achieve. See you next Monday. Hey!
Music.
(00:10):
Welcome to Merman Mondays, the podcast where the Little Merman share behind-the-scenes
tour stories, discuss popular Disney content, and celebrate Disney's musical legacy.
I'm your host, Alexis Babini, founder of the Little Merman, and joining me is
our co-host Andrew Grau. Thanks, Alexis.
Whether you're a longtime fan or first-time dreamer, the Little Merman Band
(00:32):
is the country's premier Disney tribute act, bringing the magic of Disney music
to life with live performances all across the U.S. and the world.
And our mission with this podcast is to connect with our fans on a deeper level,
give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at touring in an indie rock band,
and share in the joy that is Disney content and culture.
(00:53):
Today's very special episode we'll discuss, the third movie in the Deadpool
franchise, Deadpool and Wolverine. Yes!
Spoiler alert for those who haven't seen this movie, We're going to be spoiling everything.
Graeme and I are going to discuss our general thoughts, our reactions,
as well as the cultural shift with Marvel, the future of the Marvel franchise.
Also, we're going to talk about the Marvel overlap into Disney World.
(01:17):
I'm so excited for this episode. We've been talking about this for a while.
It's been a long time coming.
So, again, like every other Merman Mondays episode, we've got some tour stuff to catch you all up on.
So stay tuned, and you can find out where to connect with us and get into the deeper band lore.
So before we go the distance, we are still an actively touring band with some
(01:39):
shows coming up. So let's get down to business.
Hello, Murpham. You're kindly editing growl here to update you with some upcoming shows.
Saturday, August 24th, Field of Dreams, Family Fun Day, Salem, New Hampshire.
Tuesday, August 27th, The Seashell Stage, Hampton, New Hampshire.
Wednesday, August 28th, Eric's Church, Wyndham, Maine.
And Saturday, August 31st, Wattsburg County Fair, Wattsburg,
(02:02):
PA. And here are some fall dates.
Saturday, September 14th, Adventureland, October.
Altoona Iowa Saturday September 28th Laura
Center for the Arts Hanover Massachusetts Sunday October
13th Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh PA and Thursday October 24th The Cutting Room
New York City New York uh more information like ticket links or RSVP links can
(02:26):
be found on our website at thelittlemerman.com slash tickets yeah so uh to kind of give a little
bit of a peek behind the scenes we literally just got back from
our week in our little week in iowa
and then illinois so how we feeling alexis my man i am feeling very accomplished
i'm feeling overall just like excited about the direction that this band is
(02:50):
taking we literally i think we could call that our largest show of the year
and but i'm also a very tired man.
But yeah i mean just to recap we just played uh
the iowa state fair two shows two shows it
was four show it was actually four shows over two days yeah four
shows over two days curveball yeah man
(03:12):
it's just like you know gosh there's
so many things i could say about our adventures playing
state fairs playing county fairs playing music festivals the
one thing i will compare it to is when we played
the state fair of the okay i
don't know there's some sirens going off so and they're
getting louder and louder what what did you
(03:34):
do what have you done yeah this is this is like did the patreon listeners want
to keep the sirens in and get that behind the scenes i i actually live high
up in my apartment away from the sound but yet the we're i you know as as you
guys know we're based out of new york city and that's what New York City sounds like sometimes.
(03:54):
Dude, when I lived in Queens, did you ever see my apartment in Queens?
Oh, man, I don't know if I've ever been to your last apartment in Queens. I've seen photos of it.
Oh, yeah. Okay. So my apartment in Queens, it was the trifecta.
It was an outlet right where all of the cops, ambulances and firefighters would
go from Queens Boulevard to get to the interior Queens.
(04:17):
So it was just all hours of the night, all of those sirens. And then it was all sirens.
Yeah. And then my kitchen overlooked the Long Island Railroad, like it passed by.
And I used to know which one which trains my friends were on.
I would be like, hey, wave at the window. I'm waving. I'm waving at you.
So yeah, I had a lot of noise. It actually freaked me out when I moved to this
(04:37):
place. And there isn't that much noise.
So it's just what it is living in the boroughs.
Sometimes I don't think there's a single thing as a perfect place to live unless
you're in a certain tax bracket, which.
Unfortunately, neither of us are. You know, once Merman makes enough money,
we become enormously successful.
Instead of getting a quiet apartment, we're going to all stay in our New York
(05:00):
apartments, but we're going to invest in noise-canceling software and just like
outline noise-canceling headphones.
Actually, oh my God, someone was talking about the Las Vegas sphere and how it's like that.
Like there's like some noise-canceling. Were you there when one of the sound
guys was telling us about that? Oh, yeah. That's so, oh, that's so interesting. Yeah.
Las Vegas fear. Yeah. Sirens are over. So anyway, to get back to you,
(05:23):
what we were talking about is like, okay, so when we did the Big E,
which is a big fair music festival, I think it's sort of the state fair of like
all the Northeast states.
And we played on the same night as Bachman Turner Overdrive. That was awesome.
It was just a huge milestone for the band to like get off stage,
having played a great show and then get our, get our passes,
(05:44):
you know, it's like, and we, and we kind of like hit up the festival organizers
were like look is there any way like we want to take care of business we want
to do you know man what's the other one that they have taking taking you ain't
you ain't seen you ain't seen nothing yet yeah and it was just a cool night
you know and and we basically got to have our version of that this year we got
to see the band foreigner.
Um right after our show that was awesome i was i was sad that we had to miss
(06:09):
the opener melissa etheridge yeah we you know we came right off our show they
handed us our passes they're like go in
the special entrance do this over here and they were standing room
only tickets but then i charmed one of the security ladies
and she was like oh yeah oh cool you guys the band anyways
no one's sitting in that section so that this is an open
section so we so we got to like and it was
(06:29):
just it was just so cool it's like one of those moments where like it's just
a tough life that we've chosen man and i have more and more empathy for
like touring bands because you know we're taking and flights we
we flew to iowa we got diverted we
had to like come to the fair in a motorcade because
our rescheduled flights our rescheduled flights were going
to get us there after the show so it was just like a crazy travel day but the
(06:51):
shows went good and we all all six of us came together and and saw foreigner
crush it you know their their lineup which i think the two founding members
of foreigner are no we're not touring with them but that said they just got
inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
So I think we might see, I think Lou and, who's he got? It's Lou and Mickey, right?
(07:13):
I think you might see them come back. I'll tell you what, that was really fun
to get to do that because I also didn't realize how much of a foreigner fan I was.
And 16-year-old me would have been actually happier seeing foreigner than BTO,
even though I'm a bit of a BTO head.
Yeah, and actually kind of to further the point, Iowa's great.
Food was fantastic because it's just the state fair.
(07:35):
There's just food everywhere. really when it
comes down to a lot of respect for these torian traveling bands when we
played in elgin and it was like a evening festival in
the park it was so nice just one
of these really beautiful suburbs chicago really well put together shout out
to smooch who's who was the pretty much like our point person super nice kind
(07:57):
of a swag bag but we got to we played on a bill with three other bands and usually
we're just the headliner and so for us to kind of talk to you know this local band Stash,
who's like a 70s, 80s and today mix.
They were fantastic to listen to. They were super nice. And then we got to meet
Lovers, which is a Taylor Swift Eros tour tribute band.
(08:17):
And they were super cool. Ryguy knew the drummer.
Shout out to Connor. Shout out to Connor. Yeah, man. So that was our,
the whole tour was five days.
And then in the course of three days, we played five shows.
It was a lot. Yeah. I guess getting back to the Deadpool stuff.
One of the things that's also kind of fun to mention is like one of our
big shows for us as a band was when
(08:39):
we played the see here now music festival sort of
opening for green day we played on on like the
stage across of the headlining stage and i saw green day just did like a deadpool
kind of tie-in at the end of the deadpool movie there's the green day i hope
you have the time of your life song and then on stage i just like the members
of green day came out in deadpool and wolverine costumes so it's It's like,
(09:02):
it's all connected, baby.
We're seeing the show. We're seeing the movies. And I feel like a part of it. Yeah. I mean, so, okay.
Great transition. So you're all caught up with what we're doing gig-wise.
I saw Deadpool and Wolverine. And you saw Deadpool and Wolverine.
And right after this episode, aren't you doing something crazy?
(09:22):
Like seeing it again? That's correct.
Yeah, I almost didn't pull off this maneuver just because we got back from tour
like midnight last night.
So it's gonna be tonight it's gonna be reagan reagan the folks that are listeners
i've heard on these episodes ryan and quinn and melinda actually just hit me
up and and so we're gonna i'm gonna be seeing it a second time with these guys
(09:44):
nice it's gonna be a lot of fun man.
Yeah yeah deadpool and wolverine gosh i have so many things i want to say i
i see in the notes here you've written down that this is the marketing master
class of the movie and i can't wait to Yeah,
so as someone that has watched pretty much every Marvel movie but then fell off after the Endgame,
(10:04):
I just felt like the continual...
Either rehashing of the fact that this is a multiverse or
doing more sequels that just feel
like schlock this was one of the few movies
that i saw the trailer for last year and i go i cannot wait to see that and
it was right when deadpool was on the ground and then you see a shadow and it
(10:28):
looks like logan and then the two claws come out from each hands and i just
said absolutely Absolutely. I do not. And that was the trailer.
It was a market. And basically, the whole reason that this movie got made,
even the third one, and the way that it just did is to be doing so much gangbusters,
other than it's a great movie, is that this is all Ryan Reynolds knowing how to market this movie.
(10:51):
It is a masterclass in not only Ryan Reynolds parts, but basically going,
how can we get Hugh Jack, huge Jack, how you get the huge Jack man back?
And how can we make this work? How can we actually make a Sony property that's
owned by Disney, but not really kind of almost maybe and make it into a movie
(11:13):
and make it into a spectacular movie,
but generate so much interest and so much box office sales.
It's just so brilliant how they did it and how they did the marketing.
So that's why I say it's kind of a marketing masterclass where there's so many
times, and I'm not going to say General Disney,
but seeing some stuff for some coming up movies, I'm not necessarily as jazzed
(11:36):
as I was for Deadpool and Wolverine.
And a lot of it goes to the fact that the other two Deadpools are such good
movies. But this one was this one.
Not only what my general reaction was, not only did it exceed my expectations.
But I laughed out loud four times that were loud enough that I thought someone's
going to tell me to shut. What were the four times that you laughed out loud?
(11:58):
I mean, OK, big spoiler here. The Henry Cavill soup, the Henry Cavill Cavalry
just shrieked because it was so true. He's like, this is what they've always wanted.
I was like, yes, this is so great. Yeah, that was the one part that stuck out
in my mind the most when it comes to laughing out loud. But I just... The second...
(12:21):
He went through the portal portal and saw it i was like oh no
this is i'm like if it's just gonna be henry cavill it was and i just was
like yeah i mean
you know like like as someone who also follows the dc news and everything and
just knowing that henry cavill was superman and then he's not gonna be superman
anymore but maybe he's gonna come back and then james gunn took over dc movies
(12:43):
and now they cast that other actor like hearing deadpool say like hey we're gonna treat
you better than that studio down the street it was just sort of like in like i
don't know i mean it's definitely like an inside baseball joke that not
the audience is gonna get but yet it's it's done so well that like like the
people who do get it are gonna be laughing along louder and cheering uh louder
(13:05):
than like the people who don't get it who might have you know just been there
for like the casting the wide net joke and getting the jokes that everyone's
gonna get so like Like, that was kind of funny, man.
I'm looking at funny moments that stood out here to me.
There were just so many. The one that occurs to me when Wolverine puts on his,
(13:25):
after like 20-something years, we finally see Wolverine in the mask.
And then Deadpool calls them like, oh, like blowjob handles or something. Yeah, that was, yeah.
And that kind of goes with your next note here, because I see you have a note
about just the music and the cinematography. and just like cinematography and
music alone on that scene and humor, like there's everything firing on all chambers.
(13:47):
Like I heard that it took them some extra effort to get the rights to that song,
Like a Prayer from Madonna. Oh, that was so funny though.
Ryan Reynolds is on, I think he's on like the, one of the morning shows talking
about like, yeah, we reached out to Madonna's estate.
I made a rookie mistake of writing that scene around that song, Like a Prayer.
(14:08):
And then we talked to them and it turns out they don't license that song out
to movie so it wasn't gonna work but we talked to madonna,
and and apparently madonna had some specific notes for
like how that song should be used in the scene and they were
all just like so spot on that they tweaked the
scene to madonna's notes and like i don't that's amazing the musician
in me and like the you know the little merman guy in me
(14:29):
who likes like learning how the sausage is made so we
can make our shows like over the top and extreme and
feeling like this is a special event at all times like
i was like i wonder what madonna said and so I
went back and watched that scene and it's just like it's right
before the beat drops and so I I wonder if Madonna was like
you know like oh man what the lyrics like like
(14:49):
a prayer like life is a mystery everyone must stand alone so like life is a
mystery everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name and it feels like
home and just seeing Deadpool and Wolverine like the lyrics like.
Fit that so well and then like you see the cow come down
(15:10):
right at that yeah and it's just it was just so good
and across the board like you know like the soundtrack lover in me you know
lately especially the summer my life has been like you know when when dude calls
yeah a little crazy and a little bit like oh okay i'm a full-time i'm the full-time
guy you know behind the curtain of
(15:31):
the nation's ultimate Disney tribute band.
But a short time ago, I was like full-time doing like writing like jingles and
soundtracks for like commercials and getting into that world.
And so I always listen like a little closely to see how something is scored.
The guy who did this soundtrack is Rob Simonson.
(15:53):
He's actually had a lot of really cool movies lately, but he didn't do any of the other Deadpools.
So good for that team for like, you know, giving it to a new composer every
time and getting a little extra spice and an extra kind of like,
you know, just getting some new talent in.
I mean, I do think it's super interesting that you that you brought up that
Madonna doesn't usually license out music.
(16:15):
And as someone in your world, you work in music. Yeah, I was just gonna say
that's a believe or not, that actually happens quite a bit. We'll have clients say no.
And whenever something is requested for a scene, part of the request is that
they have to tell them what type of scene it's in.
And yeah, there's always wiggle room, there's always whatever.
And I'm sure it was financially very beneficial.
But yeah, it's it's actually shocking that Madonna doesn't license out that
(16:39):
song very much, but also not shocking.
But also, like, it makes sense.
And that's, you know, you talk to anyone who's a music director.
And for those of you that want a little bit more of knowing how the sausage
gets made, so that we all have wonderful musical brats.
The music director is not
necessarily someone that composes all of the music but the person that
goes through or this music supervisor and they they get them they get the scenes
(17:03):
they get the mission from the movie and they go out and try to clear it it's
a big legal thing there's all sorts of negotiations that go into it and so whomever
the person was besides you know ryan reynolds helping getting that over the
line that musical supervisor music director must
have been very good and said the right things because there's, I mean, there are,
(17:25):
definitely artists that are just like, nope, you can't use any of my music anywhere.
And that's just the way that is. That's how rights work. So very interesting.
But yeah, I mean, I think that amongst most Marvel movies,
Deadpool always has a great soundtrack because any of the original stuff is
always well composed, but they always get because they're kind of able to work
outside the guise of either strict Disney or strict Marvel because it's,
(17:46):
you know, very fourth wall breaking. It's very literal.
It's very kind of in your face about how they're talking about inside baseball.
They made so many jokes about Fox.
They made so many jokes about Sony. And I was like, this is all really good.
And they're able to kind of get really good songs cleared.
And I also love sitting down at the end of the crawl and watching the movies
(18:09):
because, you know, you have to stay for the end credits because that's just
what all Marvel movies do.
But I love seeing how credits work and like what song it was and who was it
written by and blah, blah, blah. Because that's just that's my life.
That's my nerd. That's my music nerd.
Gosh. So we have what's next?
What's next for this franchise? What's next for Deadpool? Deadpool,
what's next for Disney and Marvel?
(18:30):
I think for me, you know, like Grau and I on this podcast, we've talked about
our love for X-Men 97, which is now on Disney Plus and very much Disney.
When we were little kids, that was on Fox.
But now it's like our Disney love in this band is sort of overlapping with our
love for Marvel and also Star Wars too.
And it's just of note to me that Deadpool is in the parks at Disney World.
(18:54):
Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Quinn for telling us about this. Yeah.
He made an appearance at D23. I think there was some type of Deadpool song and dance.
You know, in our last podcast, we talked a little bit about some of the trailers
that have been dropping.
Just as D23, Disney's huge fan event.
And they're kind of announcing all the big stuff coming up over the next few years.
(19:15):
The actor playing Deadpool sounds like Ryan Reynolds. I was trying to figure out if it's his voice.
But anyways, I did check out on YouTube, like Deadpool at Disneyland.
Like, what is that? How does that work? And they have Deadpool reading story time.
Deadpool's reading the story of Beauty and the Beast to the kids,
but he's changed it to the Deadpool, Beauty, and the Beast-erine,
(19:39):
or like the Wolver-beast, I think he says.
And so he's doing all these inside jokes about Disney World.
And then at some point, Wolverine interrupts story time. And he's like,
Deadpool, we got to go. We got to go fight the bad guys.
And then they kind of get in a fight. And Deadpool's like, well,
why are you so mad all the time?
And Wolverine's like, your jokes are getting stale.
(20:02):
And Deadpool goes like, my jokes are everlasting.
My jokes are always going to be relevant. Just like Splash Mountain.
Oh, man. After that first performance, I think they changed the joke to be about something else.
I mean, that's the thing. There's a lot of Disney fans. There's a lot.
And this kind of goes with something we have as a talking point on our list here.
(20:24):
Are just like people thinking, you know, Disney is getting too woke,
this Splash Mountain, this movie, which is based on a controversial movie,
and all that kind of stuff gets in, and also these people who love this ride,
and if you change this thing I love, and just us being in a Disney tribute band,
we go to certain towns, and they're like, well, we saw you play at a Pride event,
(20:45):
so we're, you know, and so it's just like.
It's crazy to see these things get politicized. But, you know,
at the end of the day, it's sort of just like a joyful, fun experience.
And I think it's cool that Deadpool was like, maybe I can make this joke.
And then I think that was like after that first performance,
they're like, oh, we can't make this joke. Oh, yeah. A little more PG.
Yeah. And so I think he talked about like a different ride or something like
(21:09):
that. But yeah, it's funny. And I think you can find that on YouTube.
It's like a 15 minute show.
So because now here's now here's kind of another
part of the the what's next situation so now did
you watch the tv show loki loki i did watch yes
and i and i was glad that i did because because then
you understood what was happening because i feel like
(21:30):
if i didn't watch loki show and then realize well
who the time variant agency was i'd be like what you
just sprung this on me i'm going to test that tonight because our
boys and our lady in the band who will be attending the movie
I bet they haven't and I'm not going to tell them until
after I kind of think it
does help to know but at the end
(21:51):
of the day it's like okay we got to know that these guys are going
to a different dimension and now audiences kind of are familiar with the idea
of a different cinematic universe so we're going to eat this Wolverine so I
think it's helpful to know but I think the plot of this movie takes such a backseat
to the jokes and just the fun and just the whole like Like,
(22:11):
just the fact that this movie is just like really accomplishing so many things.
I feel like they'll be like, oh, yeah, I missed that. But I don't know.
Okay, what's this? Oh, shoot.
The Fantastic Four guy is here. I thought he was Captain America.
Now he's, you know, that's another spoiler there. The Fantastic Four joke.
That was one of the moments that made me laugh out loud so hard.
(22:33):
And I was like, oh, no. Yeah, it was so funny.
Yeah, it was so funny. Oh, it was so good.
It i mean i guess i guess where i'm really kind of coming at the culture stuff
or at least what's next or at least you know this was the first time that a
tv show not necessarily dealing with.
The character in the tv show is now a movie tie-in so i'm wondering if going
(22:57):
forward they're going to do more
of that and kind of make it more not necessarily more important but also,
hey you might want to watch this show other than you like everything disney
you want to know what's going on Marvel.
I'm just curious if that's going
to be a move that they're going to slowly tie in more of the TV shows.
So you kind of have to know a little bit kind of differently where Star Wars,
(23:18):
you know, when they do their TV shows, it's either something that's an untold
story that's within the timeline we already know or something that's happening
during the timeline next to something that we already know is going to happen.
But it's a completely different story. So I'm just like very curious to see
how they're going to be able to do that.
Because so far, none of the movie parts of the Star Wars universe tie in anything
(23:39):
from the TV shows. It's all TV shows getting movie tie-ins.
So that's why I'm kind of curious. And also like to kind of go back even maybe a step further.
I just thought it was so funny that everyone was kind of getting a little twisted
about Deadpool being bisexual.
I'm sorry. It's just canon, right? That's a widely acceptable thing, right?
Right. I mean, this is the thing is like, you know, we are we are at a moment
(24:04):
in time right now where like, you know, I mean, we you know,
we we years ago, I had a totally different perspective on this.
I was like, you know, we have the Pride Fair in New York and I you know,
and we we are we're so like all about equality and equal rights.
And yeah, it's not going to cause us any problems if the Little Mermen play on a Pride Fair.
(24:27):
And now that I'm sort of seeing, like, and I always watch these Disney movies,
and it's like, why did they make that, you know, when they had those two female
characters kiss in the Star Wars movie, and then they edited it out when it
played in countries that are not as open to that?
And I was like, why, why, why didn't they just like, and again, then cut to us playing,
you know, playing in some red States and some towns where people like Google us and they saw,
(24:52):
oh, they played, they played a pride event and they did an interview in some
LGBTQ and people are just, you know, I think that I think just continuing to
take the stance that yes, it's okay.
That Deadpool is a, could be seen as a bisexual or pansexual character.
Sure. You know, it's an R-rated movie, but, you know, it's fine for like,
(25:13):
because, you know, for someone accompanied by an adult to see an R-rated movie,
you know, obviously this isn't for like.
Young children. But at the end of the day, it's just all about bringing people together.
And like, you know, our friends in the LGBT community, like Grau and I,
you know, there's a lot, we're allies in the band.
We got some queer folks in the band and it's really about bringing everyone together.
(25:37):
And so, yeah, I, we, you know, we played, we played a fair where there was this guy.
I'm just going to briefly talk about it because it's front of mind.
It keeps coming up today we did an event at a county
fair somewhere it's going to go unnamed but there was this local
guy who was just really politicizing our band and
again this is the second time this has happened to us but
(25:59):
you gotta love that when this
comes up because you know he's like in this band
they performed at a pride event and now they're trying to do this
in front of our kids and then and without me even knowing
about it everybody can he galvanized this whole community around
this band like hey first of all like we you know
this band is doing nothing wrong and second of all like they're you
(26:20):
know they don't they don't always perform with drag queens and and
third and so and and we've hired publicists to like kind of spread the word
because i think this band is buzzworthy but this one guy tried to start i start
to start some trouble and and in doing so he got us like 200 extra shares and
i was like wow maybe maybe i i should write him and think it's like Like when
Billy Joel put out the song, Only the Good Die Young.
(26:43):
And there's something about like Catholic girls in that song.
And so the Catholic church kind of came out against it.
And he sold way more records to Billy Joel. Like Billy Joel writes to the Catholic
church and says, hey, please ban my next record.
Like without you banning this, I would not have had the sales I had.
And so like it's crazy like us playing songs from our favorite cartoons.
(27:04):
We're feeling that way. But yeah, it's wild.
And this movie does that. so not not to go on another t-agent and
i don't know it's i also one of the moments that
made me laugh out loud so hard was when those tva agents show up
at his birthday and he's like he's like oh i can't take you all at once
he's like i'm gonna have to stretch and i'm just like that's just like so funny
and it's like such a throwaway joke if you don't pay attention to it but it's
(27:25):
so funny and also it's like who there's so much of just you you you have you
have the money that That you have that you can spend on whatever you want.
And if you find out that you don't like this. Or you don't like Disney.
That's fine. Don't ruin it for other people.
And not to get too much in my soapbox here. But Deadpool and Wolverine was really
(27:48):
great. And I kind of wanted them to kiss the entire time.
Just one smooch. Because huge jacked man and Ryan Reynolds. Are both very good
looking guys. And both really buff. It would have been really fun.
I love that it's sort of like.
I mean, yeah, they just get silly with it. Like, it's really, like, the odd couple.
(28:08):
And it's really, like, planes, trains, and automobiles.
And it is such, like, the reason that there's, like, a formula for,
like, straight man and funny guy in these comedies is, like, and it's so good.
And I feel like Ryan Reynolds, I mean, he says, you know, he wrote that screenplay with the director.
Character and they're just really like doing doing all
(28:29):
the right stuff with these classic cinematic tropes at
one point deadpool is holding dog pool and
dog pool is is you know there's a little dog in a deadpool costume in one of
the universes where there's all these different deadpools and the dog is licking
him but the dog's tongue is like going in his mouth and it's like straight out
of a chevy chase movie that bit and it is it's so good man i mean it's just like Like,
(28:53):
it's what I needed in my life being like, all right, we got to do like a thousand shows.
But it's just like, you know, I've been sort of like trying to like meditate
a lot and trying to just like space myself because it's, you know,
it is a lot of like, we love our jobs and it's a lot of hard work.
So when I can go to the movies and just get treated like that, it's great, man.
(29:16):
Anyways, I don't want to take up too much time talking about it.
No, no, dude, that's actually that's actually so true.
Because like, honestly, I you know, what we all like Deadpool for is that he
breaks the fourth wall, he makes his great jokes, he's very snarky.
But it also was just an incredibly well done movie.
Hugh Jackman was, of course, amazing in it. It was the story that not necessarily
(29:36):
needed to get told, but I'm glad did.
And this is kind of the last thing I kind of want to bring up just in general about the movie.
What did you think about the fight scene between all the Deadpools and then
Deadpool and Wolverine at the end? And that was, it was like, you could...
I knew something like that was going to happen and it hit and went above all my expectations.
(29:56):
And I loved it. And it was like great fight scene.
Like the gore is very cartoonish, but very real.
And I loved it. I was like, you, you built it up so perfectly and it couldn't be worse.
So like, or it couldn't be better. So like, I really, really,
really liked that. What'd you think of that final, like big fight scene? Yeah, man.
I mean, gosh, like, I guess, you know, we, I mean, I already talked about Wolverine
(30:17):
putting on his cowl back, which was such a moment. I mean, and also,
like, there's a photo of us in our group chat of me as, like,
a nine-year-old kid in, like, a Wolverine costume.
So, like, for me, it is so much, like, it draws upon the same thing when someone,
like, sees our band play, like, DuckTales live.
And it's, like, there's a specific moment from your childhood,
(30:37):
and you get to relive it and celebrate it.
And so it's just, like, the nostalgia character in the movie Inside Out 3 is
very much a character in my brain.
I'm sorry, Inside Out 2. I skipped ahead to the sequel.
Deadpool 3, Inside Out 2. I got to get my numbers straight.
We talked about how nostalgia was a character in that movie.
And the nostalgia character in my brain was just like cranking every lever on that.
(30:59):
The Inside Out emotion button thing.
And then the other thing I want to say about that scene is just, gosh, oh my God.
I just remembered something that might be a fun little tidbit for this podcast.
That shows what we're talking about.
So Ryan Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively, is Lady Deadpool in this movie.
Everyone thought it was going to be Taylor Swift because him and his wife are so close with Tay-Tay.
(31:21):
But Tay-Tay's busy playing stadiums. Playing Elgin, Illinois.
And playing the show with us. One of the Taylor Swift variants that we shared the stage with.
So Blake Lively comes out and she's in full head to toe, like babe version of Deadpool.
Also, their kids are in the movie as like baby Deadpool and kid Deadpool.
That's so great. Once upon a time, a little over, maybe a little over 12 years
(31:45):
ago, Alexis Babini, yours truly, was coming to New York with a song in his heart,
a guitar in his back, and a headshot.
And believe you me, I booked myself a job with Miss Blake Lively as an extra
on one of the final seasons of Gossip Girl.
Growl, I'm going to tell you this, it's going to blow your mind. So, okay, so there's...
(32:09):
If you guys can find, maybe we have an avid listener who can find this episode,
but there's a party scene on a rooftop in one of the episodes of the final season of Gossip Girl.
I'm an extra at the party. Again, no lines.
And my job was to shake Blake Lively's hand while she enters the party and goes
and talks to whoever her girlfriends are.
(32:30):
And it's Gossip Girl time and gossip and drama.
Drama and so when you're an extra our guy
Quinn knows this because Quinn works on a lot of movie sets he's a rigger
he's a best boy grip and and you know
he knows about show business but at the time I was like oh cool I'm in
the scene and so she comes over she takes my hand she goes hi how are you
and like she waits a bit she waits for a beat and then she goes to the next
(32:52):
thing and I was like this woman's talking to me I'm I'm like hi I I was I was
just like I didn't know what to do so I was just like responding obviously now
we all know it maybe it's more widespread knowledge when When you're an extra,
you don't have speaking lines. There are, there are many.
You are not allowed to, you were a part of the scenery. You're a part of the scenery.
And also when you're an extra, the director and all these people on the set,
(33:14):
so you're kind of like the lowest on the totem pole.
So no one's talking to you. No one's saying like, hey man, don't talk on the scene.
So you're like, cut, reset, guys, come on. We gotta do this again.
Guys, extras, you guys ready?
Okay, let's do this again. And I was like, yeah, I'm ready. So Blake Lively
comes in, scene two, comes in, shakes my hand.
And and she goes hi how are you and i'm like hi how are you doing
and then cut cut cut and this goes on for like three
(33:35):
or four times and again the director comes out
and he's like okay and again it's like part of
the practice they don't look extras in the eye so so he just got he
talks to like just the whole room of people being
like all right who is talking who doesn't have speaking lines and
i was like yeah who is doing that who could i'm like the
guy and i'm i think you should leave the hot
(33:56):
dog guy who did that we're all looking for that
guy and then and then after like a couple
more takes they took me out of the scene they put somebody else i
shook like lively's hands so many times and
i didn't i didn't realize i was just being like a you know an airheaded kind
of like stars in his eyes kind of guy and so there's a scene in this deadpool
(34:18):
movie where deadpool the character goes to somebody and that first dinner scene
and somebody starts talking and And he's like,
hey, no speaking lines. You should know better than that. Whoa.
I was like, I wonder if Blake Lively took that story home. Because she was dating
Ryan Reynolds at the time. And they maybe shared a laugh.
And I was like, so I was sort of like, I don't know. And maybe I was just,
(34:39):
this clearly cannot be true.
But I was sort of like, is Ryan Reynolds talking to me? Bro,
you made it into the Deadpool Wolverine movie.
That's incredible. That's my ridiculous story.
All right. right well thank you again for joining us
on today's episode of mermen monday's podcast
we love talking to you all about deadpool wolverine
(35:02):
you can join us on patreon for exclusive content bonus
episodes behind the scenes insights and more visit patreon.com slash the little
mermen to become part of our mer fam and enjoy all of the perks we have to offer
please follow the podcast at mermen monday's pod on instagram please also follow
the little mermen at the little mermen on IG.
(35:24):
You can find Alexis at Alexis Babini. You can find myself at groww underscore music. Heck yes.
Okay, guys. Listen, thank you for joining us on this episode of Merman Mondays,
y'all. We hope you enjoyed our stories and discussions.
Please don't forget to subscribe and follow us on all those platforms and also
(35:44):
on IG Merman Mondays pod.
We'd love to hear your feedback. We want to talk to you. We want to answer to all your questions.
We want this podcast is for the fans. That was me going off script again.
Sorry, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
So please leave us a comment or send us a message.
Until next time, remember to dream, believe, and achieve. See you next Monday. Hey!
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