May 12, 2026 • 31 mins
Forget “please allow me to introduce myself” or “my name is….” What if your introduction were a song, or a mesmerizing opening credit sequence, or maybe even a reference you can’t stop thinking about? This episode is about the art of introduction through music, because before a single word is spoken, music can tell us exactly who we’re meeting and what kind of world we're about to enter.
SONGS:
Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World Opening Title Sequence (2001)
The Adventures of Pete and Pete Intro (1993)
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:
Freaky Friday Title Sequence (1976)
“Jaan Pehechan Ho” from Gumnaam (1965)
Noir Meets Nawathe: Close-Up on "Gumnaam" (Bedatri D.Choudhury)
Stereothematica Get Up and Dance Playlist
Cosmopolitanism, Remediation, and the Ghost World of Bollywood (David Novak)
Three Things You Never Knew About Ghost World (Dazed Digital)
Why a Fake Band From a 1990s Kids' Show Decided to Tour This Year (Wired)
Critic’s Notebook: Polaris rising: Mark Mulcahy’s ‘Pete and Pete’ band comes to town (LA Times)
Catching Up with the Cast of The Adventures of Pete & Pete (Consequence of Sound)
The Adventures of Danny and Mike (podcast)
Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!
If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.
And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_04 (00:04):
I'm Christine.
And I'm Christina.
In 2024, I moved to Texas fromLA.
And to keep in touch, Christineand I started a weekly game
where we each pick a song thatfits a chosen theme.
SPEAKER_03 (00:14):
This game deepened our understanding of each other
and the songs that shape us,inspiring the podcast you're
listening to now.
Each week we share our pics,swap stories, and dig into
tracks you might love and a lotof the time have never heard of.
SPEAKER_04 (00:27):
Welcome to Stereo Thematica, your favorite
atypical music podcast.
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
Hey there.
Hi Christine.
So this might sound convoluted,but when I was preparing for
this episode, I was thinking itwould be fun if we each share
what we thought of each otherearly on in our friendship based
on something like a piece ofmedia the other shared with the
(00:57):
other.
Oh yeah, that's fun.
Does that mean that?
Yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_04 (01:01):
Do you want to go first?
SPEAKER_03 (01:02):
Yeah, yeah.
So, okay, for me, the thing thatstands out the most, can you
guess?
SPEAKER_04 (01:07):
I know, actually.
SPEAKER_03 (01:09):
Okay, so this is from the early days, I think
2022.
SPEAKER_04 (01:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (01:13):
Okay.
I forget the exact context, butyou sent me a clip.
You can't skip lunch from TimRobinson's I think you should
leave.
Do you remember this?
SPEAKER_04 (01:25):
I definitely remember because this was like a
thing where people would ask usto have meetings during the
lunch hour, which is so crazy.
And you were really, you werelike one of the most steadfast
people in going to lunch, likeliterally leaving your office.
SPEAKER_03 (01:42):
Shut down everything by like 11:45.
SPEAKER_04 (01:45):
Yeah, and like leaving and going to get lunch.
And so anytime I knew that youwould like somebody put a
lunchtime meeting on yourcalendar, you would be like, I
don't think you're allowed to dothat.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
I was furious.
And then you just popped in, Ithink through I was it through
Teams or Ben Teams.
But it was so funny.
So now whenever like someone hasa meeting around that time, I'll
say you can't skip lunch.
But I say it not in the TimRobinson's voice, but in your
voice.
You can skip lunch.
(02:18):
And so I will always associatethat with you.
SPEAKER_04 (02:22):
That is incredible.
That makes me so happy and likeglad that it's lived on.
And also that reminds me of howbecause we used to communicate a
lot on Teams.
Then one day you were like, I'mnot using Teams anymore.
And I was like, that's the mostlike badass move you can do at
work.
Cause like everybody just has touse Teams.
It's pretty important.
(02:44):
Not me.
SPEAKER_02 (02:45):
Well, I'm back on teams.
Oh boom.
I know.
Boom.
Pathetic.
I I had to get back on.
SPEAKER_03 (02:51):
But yeah.
So okay, what about me?
What was it that I shared withyou that gave you more insight
into who I was?
SPEAKER_04 (03:00):
Well, mine, um oddly enough, is music related.
Because I remember, because wewere just like getting to know
each other over the summer orthat first summer that I was
working with you.
And I remember you were puttingtogether a playlist for someone
else, but it was like you wereputting together this playlist
and and infusing all your, youknow, your picks, which was
(03:22):
really cool.
And you sent it to me and askedfor ideas.
And I was like going through andwe didn't, we really didn't know
each other very well at thatpoint.
And I was like, wow, this is alot of cool music, like
interesting music and stuff thatI was listening to, and I hadn't
heard it for the I had neverheard it.
And so then I was sharing stuffwith you, and we were kind of
going back and forth andswapping music pics, which is so
(03:43):
funny now, obviously.
But I remember then being like,Oh, okay, she's cool.
Yeah, yeah, and this is a coolperson that like has good music
taste and like can talk aboutwhy they like this stuff or like
deep cuts and whatever.
So that was a really nice, likeyou know, do you know what it
like, especially when you'reworking with someone, when you
(04:06):
have that opportunity to belike, oh, you aren't just like a
soulless hack.
SPEAKER_03 (04:11):
For sure.
And that's but that's also why Ilove you can't skip lunch.
Yeah, because it's I mean, it'shilarious.
So it it definitely like set thetone for your sense of humor,
but it also it was just likethis connection of like the
craziness of like, how couldpeople skip lunch?
SPEAKER_04 (04:29):
Yeah, like you got it, so totally, yes, and that is
funny because that's I will say,I think you should leave is one
of the things that I'm like mostobnoxiously obsessed with.
And so like for you to be like,oh, this reminds me of you, I'm
like that makes perfect sense.
SPEAKER_03 (04:46):
No, for sure.
You can definitely learn a lotabout a person by what they like
and what they choose to revealearly on, as as we just shared.
But that brings me to today'stheme.
Introductions.
SPEAKER_04 (05:01):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (05:02):
I actually had to look back at the text I sent you
when I shared this theme.
I simply said introductions, andthat it was open to
interpretation, and then Iadded, I'm going with a movie,
obviously.
Do you remember this?
SPEAKER_04 (05:17):
No, actually, and it's funny because I was trying
to look back through the texttoo.
Like I was looking atintroductions, and my phone did
that annoying thing.
It was like, we'll we'll sharemore when it's done indexing.
I'm like, you liar.
But I couldn't find anything, soactually, it took me forever to
work on this episode.
Because I was like, what thehell were we talking about?
SPEAKER_03 (05:38):
You could have asked me, but um I feel like you when
I shared the theme, I thinkthere was this like, oh, this is
like, yeah, I was thinking ofsomething like this.
SPEAKER_04 (05:48):
Oh, okay, interesting.
I was thinking of something likethis.
SPEAKER_03 (05:51):
Yeah, meaning you were you were also thinking
about something like this.
Okay.
Maybe not in the same way that Iwas thinking about it, but like
an introduction type thing.
SPEAKER_04 (06:02):
I mean, it's a good one.
I'd I'd love to hear yourelaboration on this.
SPEAKER_03 (06:08):
So I've always loved an opening title sequence.
The first one I remember isFreaky Friday, the original
Freaky Friday from the 70s withCody Foster.
You're familiar with that one,right?
SPEAKER_04 (06:20):
I think I might have known at one point, but it's
actually, I'm like, what?
Who is the mom?
I forget her name.
That's okay.
Jody's the star.
SPEAKER_03 (06:28):
Yeah, she's clearly she was so cool in that movie.
Really?
Yeah, I think it was the firstmovie I saw in the theater as a
kid, but that's like my firstreal memory of being like, wow,
movies are so cool, and likemusic opening up the movie and
introducing you to thecharacters is just like so
amazing.
And they were cartoons.
(06:49):
The the opening credit sequenceis the cartoon versions of them.
Okay it's very cute.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (06:55):
I do love a cartoon version, yeah.
Opening credit.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (06:58):
Yeah.
For sure.
So now my college senior thesiswas basically about how
Hitchcock's opening titles tellyou what kind of neurosis you're
about to enter.
So yeah, I've been obsessed withcinematic introductions for a
long time.
SPEAKER_04 (07:15):
That tracks.
SPEAKER_03 (07:16):
Yeah, yeah.
And for me, the best musicalintroductions are in movies.
Aside from your pick, Christina,do you have any other favorites?
And it doesn't have to be from amovie, like favorite
introduction songs.
SPEAKER_04 (07:30):
What would a favorite introduction song be if
it wasn't in a movie?
SPEAKER_03 (07:33):
I feel like the one that comes to my mind right away
is Sympathy for the Devil.
SPEAKER_04 (07:38):
Oh, like that sort of thing.
That kind of introduction.
Yeah.
Oh, that's a really good one.
SPEAKER_03 (07:43):
I mean, that's that's another theme, and that's
kind of where when I sent it toyou, I thought that's not that
song, but actually, maybe eventhat I was wondering if you'd
pick that song.
SPEAKER_04 (07:54):
That is such a good song.
And I do feel like it's I don'tI do think it's so overplayed
that it would be one of thethings that I'm like, I don't
feel like I can even choose itbecause it's like so ubiquitous.
Yeah.
But now I'm trying to think oflike the only other one that I
can think of where somebody'slike introducing themselves is
Jay-Z, you know, and he's like,Allow me.
(08:15):
I hate Jay-Z.
SPEAKER_03 (08:17):
So but I do feel like there is a lot of hip-hop
songs at first.
It would definitely be likeintroductions.
Yeah, good call.
SPEAKER_04 (08:24):
Okay, Cynthia for the Devil is a really good one.
SPEAKER_03 (08:26):
Yeah, no, that's it's it's funny, but you're
right, it it is overplayed andand not we try to avoid those
ones.
SPEAKER_04 (08:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (08:33):
Um, when possible, sometimes just exactly right.
SPEAKER_04 (08:36):
We can do like an I would god, I would love to do
that most overplayed song that'sstill good.
SPEAKER_03 (08:42):
Yeah, oh, that's okay.
SPEAKER_04 (08:44):
We can do that.
SPEAKER_03 (08:46):
Um so anyway, I've got a lot to say about my pick,
so should we just get to it?
SPEAKER_04 (08:50):
Yeah, jump in.
SPEAKER_03 (08:51):
So my choice for introductions is Dan Pei Tan Ho
by the legendary Bollywood musicwriting duo known as Shankar
Jaikashan, sung by MohammedRafi, originally from the 1965
Hindi language mystery movie GumNam, which was loosely adapted
from Agatha Christie's novel andthen there were none.
(09:14):
But I've chosen this song for mypick because it brilliantly
introduces us to the characterEnid in the 2001 movie Ghost
World.
(09:45):
So only after I chose this as mysong for this theme did I learn
that the title means let's getacquainted.
I mean, that in itself is soexciting to me.
Yeah.
But there's more.
Oh, say more.
Oh my god, so much more.
So Gum Nam, the name of the filmit originally comes from, means
(10:06):
anonymous.
So that makes a perfect pairingfor Ghost World, which is a
movie about people who feelalienated and yes, anonymous.
So, Christina, I remember yousaying that you hadn't seen this
movie, but are you generallyfamiliar with it?
SPEAKER_04 (10:22):
I definitely know the movie.
I know there was like a bigsplash when it came out because
it was Scarlett Johansson in oneof her earlier roles, but then
also um Thora Birch.
Thank you, Thora Birch, who islike a child actor.
So this was a fun one for her tobe like a teen or however old
she was.
And just like kind of two, Idon't want to call them nerdy
(10:45):
girls, but they were like werethey goths?
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
Were they yeah, they were more like just outcasts,
okay, yeah.
So so yeah, very this is verymuch the movie.
It was released in 2001.
It's based on the comic book ofthe same name written by Daniel
Klaus, who also co-wrote thescript with Terry Zweigoff, who
directed it.
And the movies primarily aboutEnid Thora Birch and Rebecca
(11:08):
Scarlett Johansson, they're justabout ready to graduate from
high school.
In fact, the opening scene istheir high school graduation,
and they're just two likecynical outsiders drifting
through their suburbia, mockingeveryone around them.
Steve Buscemi plays anotheroutcast.
He's a lonely record collectorwho, like, yeah, Enid befriends
(11:31):
him and tries to help set himup.
Oh.
It's actually quite sweet.
SPEAKER_04 (11:35):
Okay.
And there's no problematicundertones.
SPEAKER_03 (11:38):
I mean, there are probably I haven't seen it since
then, but since 2001.
2001.
So there's likely somethingproblematic.
SPEAKER_04 (11:46):
I know things were really problematic back then.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, they're bad now, but butit was bad back then.
SPEAKER_03 (11:53):
I mean, even worse before that.
But but anyway, 2001, I don'thave memories of it being too
problematic, but I was 28 yearsold.
And and I saw this in, I think,in the theater.
And I don't know, seeing, I justsaw myself in these these
misfits, especially Enid, andand feeling proud for that,
like, I don't know, 16,17-year-old like Rebel that I
(12:16):
was.
SPEAKER_02 (12:16):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (12:17):
Yeah.
I have to admit though, Iactually had forgotten about
this title sequence until ourfriend Ognan added this song to
our get up and dance playlist.
Oh.
SPEAKER_04 (12:28):
Yeah.
Do you remember that?
I think I actually do.
Yeah.
And that's funny because I didnot have any context for why the
song would get added, but it isa bop.
SPEAKER_03 (12:37):
Yeah, totally.
And we'll share that playlist inour show notes.
SPEAKER_04 (12:41):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (12:41):
I think it's permanently shared in the show
notes, actually.
Oh, interesting.
It's definitely on our link treeon our Instagram.
Oh, yeah.
But so I remember like thinking,like, how do I know the song?
Because it was so familiar andso good.
And then I, you know, quickGoogle and the memories came
flooding back.
Nice.
So, Christina, you have watchedthe sequence?
(13:04):
Definitely.
It's very cute.
Good, good, good.
So, for everyone who hasn't, ofcourse, it'll be in the show
notes, but it starts with theblack screen, and you hear the
opening drumbeat, and then youget straight to the nightclub
performance that's in the movie,the original movie, Gum Num.
And then the camera startspanning like through the windows
of these lonely people smoking,picking their nose, watching TV
(13:27):
in their underwear.
And that contrast is just socrazy because the performers are
ecstatic, they're shaking theirheads, they're doing their arms
and their hands thing.
It's like this choreographedhappy exorcism.
It's so good.
And then we eventually gothrough the window of Enid and
see her dancing along with theperformers, like from the movie
(13:48):
that's on her bedroom TV, andshe's wearing her graduation
gown, and she's just like so inthis world, and it's so
glorious.
But it was like a perfectintroduction to her brain in a
way that I completely relate to.
SPEAKER_04 (14:04):
That just like losing yourself into something
so specific, especially before avery like annoying like group
gathering as a high schoolgraduation, or seemingly like
something that is like built upto be like a really important
thing that you might not feellike, oh, just like the end of
(14:24):
this requirement.
SPEAKER_03 (14:26):
Exactly.
I mean, it's high schoolgraduation.
Yeah, it's not that big of adeal.
So there's so much going on withthat sequence.
I had to Google around to seelike if there was a reason Swy
Goff chose it as theintroduction to his movie and
the main character.
And according to an article inDays Digital, he saw a short
clip of it on a VHS tape.
(14:48):
He loved it and just decided touse it in Ghost World.
And he said it wasn't toological an idea, but I knew I
had to do it.
So talk about serendipity.
That was just like, I don'tknow, perfect.
Like all these things that I'mlearning about it, I'm just
like, oh, it makes me giddy.
I also found a piece publishedin cultural anthropology by an
(15:08):
ethnomusicologist at UC SantaBarbara, David Novak, and it's
called Cosmopolitanism,Remediation and the Ghost World
of Bollywood.
And I gotta say, it's amust-read for anyone who's
fascinated by the use of thissong in the movie.
SPEAKER_04 (15:24):
Who knew we would reference so many
ethnomusicologists in thispodcast?
SPEAKER_03 (15:28):
I know, right?
We do this often.
SPEAKER_04 (15:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (15:30):
Well, I think that's that's the beauty of this
podcast is we're researching andwe're not just going to
Wikipedia.
We want to learn more and andand we like we're kind of geeky
sometimes, and we like to getinto the scholarly article.
SPEAKER_04 (15:43):
I mean, I totally agree with you, but I still
think people should donate toWikipedia.
SPEAKER_03 (15:47):
Yeah, I know, I know.
And and oftentimes I will startwith Wikipedia and then they
reference something and then goto that.
So exactly right.
Yeah, yeah.
No, I I love it.
But so for for Novak, the songJan Pei Chan Ho keeps being
repurposed across contexts fromGum Nam to VHS collector culture
(16:08):
to underground music scenes toghost world.
And he says it's about peopleforming identities through these
acts of reuse, which we're kindof seeing with Enid's character.
But he talks about Bollywoodmusical numbers being kind of
built to detach from the plot ofthe movies.
So when Chan Pei Chan Ho appearsin Ghost World, it's using
(16:33):
something already made forreintroductions, which I don't
know.
I like to think about it likethat.
It's it just makes perfect sensein an in a very confusing way.
Also, as you can kind of hear,the song is an Indian cinematic
fantasy of Western music withits use of the serve guitar.
So in Ghost Worlds, Zwigoth isreintroducing a Bollywood
(16:57):
reimagining of Western pop backinto American culture.
Does that make sense?
It's Laird.
Yeah, no, I mean, David Novak,that's nice thinking there.
So um Mohammed Rafi was one ofthe most influential playback
singers of Hindi cinema.
(17:18):
And Novak's article says thatviewers are used to hearing like
these famous voices emerge frommany different screen bodies,
which creates a productive splitbetween body and voice, and that
singers like Rafi are familiarbut different presences, like
these voices that return acrossmany actors and many scenes.
So again, in Ghost World, Rafi'svoice enters before we
(17:41):
understand the characters oreven the context.
But then, okay, there's thecomposer duo, Shankar Jaikashan,
who are so renowned that theIndian Postal Service even
released a stamp in 2013 bearingtheir image.
Nice.
Yeah, it's it's a cute stamp.
So this composition is just sorich with the surf guitar, but
(18:02):
also that big band brassorchestration.
And the rhythm really does tellyou, thanks, Ognan, get up and
dance.
(18:39):
I I don't know, I just I can'tget over how great it is.
Like Ghost World begins with asong that literally says, let's
get acquainted, life will beeasier.
Then it gives Aid a person whodesperately wants to be
recognized, but like rejectsalmost every available way of
belonging.
I don't know, how perfect isthat?
I think Shalendra would beproud.
SPEAKER_04 (19:01):
Right?
I mean Yeah, it's almost likeum, no, I don't know.
There is something there that itfeels like, what did you say?
Like the simplicity and depth.
Like there's a lot of depth, butthere's also that superficial
element to it.
SPEAKER_03 (19:13):
Yeah.
I think that's part of thenature of those like Bollywood
dance numbers, like like Novakwas saying.
But then in this case, it's justlike so powerful in how it like
kind of just previews what we'regoing to experience weirdly.
No, no.
Nice.
SPEAKER_04 (19:30):
It's a good introduction.
SPEAKER_03 (19:31):
Yeah, right.
Yeah.
So um, I'm very curious to learnmore about your introduction.
SPEAKER_04 (19:39):
Totally.
And you know, listener, asyou'll know, I have now with my
foil, I am in very less deep onmy pick.
And I went my own way, I think.
Because when you saidintroductions, I I truly can't
remember back to thatexperience, but I am now like,
oh, this is a good intro themesong.
SPEAKER_02 (19:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (19:59):
So in that vein, I picked Hey Sandy by Polaris,
which was the theme song thatplayed during the opening
credits for the 90s kids' TVshow, The Adventures of Pete and
Pete.
So you are confirming that youdid not know anything about this
show.
SPEAKER_03 (20:16):
Nothing at all.
Before I share this with you.
Yeah, okay.
And in even in watching theintro, still nothing.
Like nothing, it's not like adog deni memory.
SPEAKER_04 (20:24):
That's it.
But it was very cute.
Yeah.
And it I would love for anyonewho has not seen the show or is
not unfamiliar or maybe lovedthe show and hasn't thought
about it in 30 years to go watchthe link that we'll share
because what you see in theseopening credits to Pete and
Pete, which I'll just call fromnow on, because that's what I
called it when I was a kid, too.
It's a montage of the show'scharacters, brothers, Big Pete
(20:47):
and Little Pete.
So they are brothers, but theyboth have the same name.
I was wondering about that.
Yeah.
I mean, it it's such a god, Ican't wait to talk about this
show.
It's so zany.
So, okay, there's Big Pete andLittle Pete, their mom, the
plate in their mom's head, theirdad, Big Pete's best friend and
sort of crush, Ellen, Artie, thestrongest man in the world,
(21:09):
Nona, played by MichelleTrackenberg, R.I.P., and
Petunia, Little Pete's SailorJerry style tattoo.
And they're all this montage isall like showing up while this
band, Polaris, is rocking out inthe front yard of a home.
(21:44):
So I love it because it justfeels so perfectly this era of
the 90s to me.
And it just really takes me backto my childhood and that time
frame, which felt you know a lotsimpler and a lot more just
careful.
Free and whatnot.
But one thing I did not knowabout this band, Polaris, is
(22:05):
it's actually a fake band thatformed us for this television
show.
SPEAKER_03 (22:09):
Yeah, I've never heard of them, which I haven't
heard a lot of a lot of thethings that you share.
So that wasn't making me thinksomething was up.
But totally.
SPEAKER_04 (22:22):
But I had no idea either.
And like I just had assumed likethis is a band that exists.
And you know, you can you canhire cool bands to like play for
your TV show or whatever it is.
Yeah, friends.
I mean, right?
SPEAKER_03 (22:36):
Friend, I don't even know the band.
SPEAKER_04 (22:39):
That is funny because that would be a really
good trivia question.
Yeah, I also don't know.
unknown (22:43):
Okay.
SPEAKER_04 (22:44):
I don't know.
Uh Thomas is like yelling at usright now.
Yeah, I know.
Some listener is also screaming.
Anyway, I the one thing I like,of course, I like this song, but
like I think the band actuallysounds pretty good and it's
pretty on par with like what themusic style was at the time.
Sorry, my mic.
And I like that it was beingutilized on a kids' TV show
(23:07):
because can I admit something alittle bit corny?
I think I like that there wasthis cool band element to a
kid's show because it made mefeel cool as a child while I was
watching it.
Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03 (23:19):
Of course.
Yeah, I could totally see that.
SPEAKER_04 (23:21):
Yeah, it's almost like yeah, like I'm I'm cool
too.
I like Pete and P, you know, andI'm yeah, who knows?
I think it came out like in '93when I would have been like five
and watching it.
Okay.
So I probably watched it onreruns, but still it was like
kind of one of those.
It was formative though.
Yeah.
And the thing that's reallyfunny about this show is that it
(23:42):
wasn't really fluffy.
It was actually very funny.
It was very weird.
It gave kids credit for knowingmore than some might assume, you
know, which is also one of thereasons why I love peanuts.
But it challenged kids to thinkor maybe even just be exposed to
the absurd.
SPEAKER_03 (24:00):
Can I say something?
Yeah, please.
Because again, I've only watchedthe opening credits, but as I'm
watching it, I'm thinking likethis formed your sense of humor
in a way.
Probably.
Because it's very, it's verysilly and and absurd.
SPEAKER_04 (24:17):
Yeah, extremely silly, extremely absurd.
I mean, and that was somethingthat I love that it was like for
someone my age, but you couldtell that if the parent wandered
into the room or were watchingit, or some college kid was
watching it while they were, youknow, smoking a joint or
something, then they get a kickout of it too.
SPEAKER_05 (24:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:34):
But yeah, I think you're totally right.
And a little background on theshow is that it actually began
on Nickelodeon in 1989 as likeminute-long and 30-second shorts
that aired as interstitials, butit aired as a full-fledged
half-hour TV show from 93 to 96.
So not even like I think fourseasons maybe, but pretty short
(24:55):
run and very what I opine is tobe a high impact.
But Polaris, that band, youknow, the made-up band and the
opening credits, they'reactually members of an existing
band, or there was an existingband at the time called Miracle
Legion, which was a New Englandband who the show's creators,
Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi,liked and wanted to work with
(25:15):
for Pete and Pete.
So as the show's house band,Polaris ended up producing 12
songs over the three seasons,including the theme song called
Hey Sandy.
The funny thing, too, is thatbased on their like success, I
would say, or maybe just theirexperience with this show, they
went on to release an album ofthe songs that they created for
(25:37):
the show called Music from theAdventures of Pete and Pete.
And then in 2014 and 15, theyactually went on tour as this
band playing music from thealbum and then released new
music under this project, aswell as releasing that album on
vinyl.
(26:20):
Mine is more like the intro to ashow.
I love that this actually setsthe tone for what the kids' TV
show will be about, which isintroducing kids to some fun
music and an experience thatfeels like maybe not so kid-ish.
Yeah.
So it could be like anintroduction of, oh, this is the
first time somebody's like, youknow, treating me, I don't want
(26:41):
to say like an adult becausethat's too much, but just not
treating me like a little kid,which I like.
And I do want to highlight someof the cool guest stars that
they had on this show, justbecause it was a very fun,
weird, funky show.
But they had Debbie Harry,Richard Edson, who was Sonic
East's original drummer, JanineGarofalo, Juliana Hatfield,
Luscious Jackson, LL Cool Jay,Alicia Keys when she was
(27:04):
extremely young, Kate Pearsonfrom the B-52s, Michael Stipe,
and Patty Hurst.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03 (27:10):
This is a very hip show.
SPEAKER_04 (27:12):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
And it's just so funny.
Like, I have to imagine maybepeople were like, ooh, I want to
be on Pete and Pete too.
Yeah.
You know.
Oh my God.
That's great.
SPEAKER_03 (27:22):
Um are you able to watch this anymore?
SPEAKER_04 (27:24):
I think you could probably watch it on YouTube.
Yeah.
I actually am I'm gonna check itout tonight and see if there's
something I can watch.
But because of I think theirsuccess and like the indie
appeal, the band had a littlebit of a cult following, and
just like the show did.
And they even played severalPete and Pete related shows on
top of their own tour, likereunion type shows, including,
(27:47):
yeah, the Pete and Pete reunionevent at Cinna Family, where
they were like truly delightedto see so many audience members
like singing along to the musicand then participating in Comic
Con in New York City.
So even though they had theirown thing going with Miracle
Legion, I think it's just so funthat this kid's show was too
(28:08):
cool for its own good and evenintroduced this band to a whole
new audience.
SPEAKER_03 (28:14):
So a little bit of a left turn, but yeah, I know, but
it but not in a way, it's it'sstill about setting the tone and
introducing characters and thefeeling and what it does to you.
And I I feel like we I don'tknow, very similar situations.
SPEAKER_04 (28:32):
And I think that's like the fun part too, is like
you can watch a TV show or maybeeven a movie intro, and it can
make you either want to watch itor not.
And if I were like truly, eventoday, if I had never seen this
show and I watched thisintroduction, I would be like,
I'm gonna watch an episode ofthat.
SPEAKER_03 (28:51):
Yeah, that's how I felt I'm like, oh, this is
really cool.
SPEAKER_04 (28:54):
Yeah, so it's a nice, it's it's so important.
It's like the make or break.
That's why we didn't even talkabout this.
Our intro music to this podcast.
It was a big discussion for us.
SPEAKER_03 (29:05):
Oh, yeah.
We went, we like considered manydifferent choices.
We had one and then we're like,no, and I had another, and then
we had no.
But I I do feel like this one isis the best.
Well, cool, cool theme.
Yeah, and no good goodselection.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for for playing alongwith me.
SPEAKER_04 (29:25):
Totally.
SPEAKER_03 (29:26):
Always so now can I give you some unsolicited
advice?
Uh, what is it now?
Embrace the takedown book,especially when written by an
astrophysicist.
Uh, okay, I'm listening.
Are you sick of hearing aboutthe impending singularity?
Did you gag a bit when youlearned what a polycule was?
(29:49):
Are you over billionaires whothink civilization can be fixed
with Mars colonies and looksmaxing while jerking off to
their transhumanist expansionistfantasy?
SPEAKER_04 (30:00):
Uh, any chance effective altruism is part of
this equation?
SPEAKER_03 (30:04):
You betcha.
And if you're not willing tosuccumb to the tech bros
bullying you into thinkingthey're cool, then the book More
Everything Forever.
Overlords, Space Empires, andSilicon Valley's Crusade to
Control the Fate of Humanity byastrophysicist Adam Becker is
for you.
(30:24):
I like the sound of this techbro takedown.
And if the title doesn't win youover, maybe the fact that Becker
doesn't treat this dystopicfuture as inevitable will.
Though I haven't finished thebook in the process, I feel like
he's reminding us that we dohave the power to choose a more
just and humane future.
SPEAKER_04 (30:42):
Amen.
SPEAKER_03 (30:43):
Advice over.
Christina, do you want to givethe listeners a hint about next
week's theme?
Yes.
SPEAKER_04 (30:50):
Next week we're getting grungy.
SPEAKER_03 (30:53):
Thanks for listening to Stereo Thematica.
If you like what you're hearing,please consider a review, a
rating, or sharing with afriend.
SPEAKER_04 (31:00):
And follow us on Instagram at Stereothematica,
where you can share yourfavorite introduction songs.
Of course, we've also got ourInfinite Spotify playlist linked
in our show notes.
SPEAKER_03 (31:10):
And visit stereothematica.com for more
fun.
I'm Christine.
And I'm Christina.
In 2024, I moved to Texas fromLA.
And to keep in touch, Christineand I started a weekly game
where we each pick a song thatfits a chosen theme.
SPEAKER_03 (00:14):
This game deepened our understanding of each other
and the songs that shape us,inspiring the podcast you're
listening to now.
Each week we share our pics,swap stories, and dig into
tracks you might love and a lotof the time have never heard of.
SPEAKER_04 (00:27):
Welcome to Stereo Thematica, your favorite
atypical music podcast.
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
Hey there.
Hi Christine.
So this might sound convoluted,but when I was preparing for
this episode, I was thinking itwould be fun if we each share
what we thought of each otherearly on in our friendship based
on something like a piece ofmedia the other shared with the
(00:57):
other.
Oh yeah, that's fun.
Does that mean that?
Yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_04 (01:01):
Do you want to go first?
SPEAKER_03 (01:02):
Yeah, yeah.
So, okay, for me, the thing thatstands out the most, can you
guess?
SPEAKER_04 (01:07):
I know, actually.
SPEAKER_03 (01:09):
Okay, so this is from the early days, I think
2022.
SPEAKER_04 (01:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (01:13):
Okay.
I forget the exact context, butyou sent me a clip.
You can't skip lunch from TimRobinson's I think you should
leave.
Do you remember this?
SPEAKER_04 (01:25):
I definitely remember because this was like a
thing where people would ask usto have meetings during the
lunch hour, which is so crazy.
And you were really, you werelike one of the most steadfast
people in going to lunch, likeliterally leaving your office.
SPEAKER_03 (01:42):
Shut down everything by like 11:45.
SPEAKER_04 (01:45):
Yeah, and like leaving and going to get lunch.
And so anytime I knew that youwould like somebody put a
lunchtime meeting on yourcalendar, you would be like, I
don't think you're allowed to dothat.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
I was furious.
And then you just popped in, Ithink through I was it through
Teams or Ben Teams.
But it was so funny.
So now whenever like someone hasa meeting around that time, I'll
say you can't skip lunch.
But I say it not in the TimRobinson's voice, but in your
voice.
You can skip lunch.
(02:18):
And so I will always associatethat with you.
SPEAKER_04 (02:22):
That is incredible.
That makes me so happy and likeglad that it's lived on.
And also that reminds me of howbecause we used to communicate a
lot on Teams.
Then one day you were like, I'mnot using Teams anymore.
And I was like, that's the mostlike badass move you can do at
work.
Cause like everybody just has touse Teams.
It's pretty important.
(02:44):
Not me.
SPEAKER_02 (02:45):
Well, I'm back on teams.
Oh boom.
I know.
Boom.
Pathetic.
I I had to get back on.
SPEAKER_03 (02:51):
But yeah.
So okay, what about me?
What was it that I shared withyou that gave you more insight
into who I was?
SPEAKER_04 (03:00):
Well, mine, um oddly enough, is music related.
Because I remember, because wewere just like getting to know
each other over the summer orthat first summer that I was
working with you.
And I remember you were puttingtogether a playlist for someone
else, but it was like you wereputting together this playlist
and and infusing all your, youknow, your picks, which was
(03:22):
really cool.
And you sent it to me and askedfor ideas.
And I was like going through andwe didn't, we really didn't know
each other very well at thatpoint.
And I was like, wow, this is alot of cool music, like
interesting music and stuff thatI was listening to, and I hadn't
heard it for the I had neverheard it.
And so then I was sharing stuffwith you, and we were kind of
going back and forth andswapping music pics, which is so
(03:43):
funny now, obviously.
But I remember then being like,Oh, okay, she's cool.
Yeah, yeah, and this is a coolperson that like has good music
taste and like can talk aboutwhy they like this stuff or like
deep cuts and whatever.
So that was a really nice, likeyou know, do you know what it
like, especially when you'reworking with someone, when you
(04:06):
have that opportunity to belike, oh, you aren't just like a
soulless hack.
SPEAKER_03 (04:11):
For sure.
And that's but that's also why Ilove you can't skip lunch.
Yeah, because it's I mean, it'shilarious.
So it it definitely like set thetone for your sense of humor,
but it also it was just likethis connection of like the
craziness of like, how couldpeople skip lunch?
SPEAKER_04 (04:29):
Yeah, like you got it, so totally, yes, and that is
funny because that's I will say,I think you should leave is one
of the things that I'm like mostobnoxiously obsessed with.
And so like for you to be like,oh, this reminds me of you, I'm
like that makes perfect sense.
SPEAKER_03 (04:46):
No, for sure.
You can definitely learn a lotabout a person by what they like
and what they choose to revealearly on, as as we just shared.
But that brings me to today'stheme.
Introductions.
SPEAKER_04 (05:01):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (05:02):
I actually had to look back at the text I sent you
when I shared this theme.
I simply said introductions, andthat it was open to
interpretation, and then Iadded, I'm going with a movie,
obviously.
Do you remember this?
SPEAKER_04 (05:17):
No, actually, and it's funny because I was trying
to look back through the texttoo.
Like I was looking atintroductions, and my phone did
that annoying thing.
It was like, we'll we'll sharemore when it's done indexing.
I'm like, you liar.
But I couldn't find anything, soactually, it took me forever to
work on this episode.
Because I was like, what thehell were we talking about?
SPEAKER_03 (05:38):
You could have asked me, but um I feel like you when
I shared the theme, I thinkthere was this like, oh, this is
like, yeah, I was thinking ofsomething like this.
SPEAKER_04 (05:48):
Oh, okay, interesting.
I was thinking of something likethis.
SPEAKER_03 (05:51):
Yeah, meaning you were you were also thinking
about something like this.
Okay.
Maybe not in the same way that Iwas thinking about it, but like
an introduction type thing.
SPEAKER_04 (06:02):
I mean, it's a good one.
I'd I'd love to hear yourelaboration on this.
SPEAKER_03 (06:08):
So I've always loved an opening title sequence.
The first one I remember isFreaky Friday, the original
Freaky Friday from the 70s withCody Foster.
You're familiar with that one,right?
SPEAKER_04 (06:20):
I think I might have known at one point, but it's
actually, I'm like, what?
Who is the mom?
I forget her name.
That's okay.
Jody's the star.
SPEAKER_03 (06:28):
Yeah, she's clearly she was so cool in that movie.
Really?
Yeah, I think it was the firstmovie I saw in the theater as a
kid, but that's like my firstreal memory of being like, wow,
movies are so cool, and likemusic opening up the movie and
introducing you to thecharacters is just like so
amazing.
And they were cartoons.
(06:49):
The the opening credit sequenceis the cartoon versions of them.
Okay it's very cute.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (06:55):
I do love a cartoon version, yeah.
Opening credit.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (06:58):
Yeah.
For sure.
So now my college senior thesiswas basically about how
Hitchcock's opening titles tellyou what kind of neurosis you're
about to enter.
So yeah, I've been obsessed withcinematic introductions for a
long time.
SPEAKER_04 (07:15):
That tracks.
SPEAKER_03 (07:16):
Yeah, yeah.
And for me, the best musicalintroductions are in movies.
Aside from your pick, Christina,do you have any other favorites?
And it doesn't have to be from amovie, like favorite
introduction songs.
SPEAKER_04 (07:30):
What would a favorite introduction song be if
it wasn't in a movie?
SPEAKER_03 (07:33):
I feel like the one that comes to my mind right away
is Sympathy for the Devil.
SPEAKER_04 (07:38):
Oh, like that sort of thing.
That kind of introduction.
Yeah.
Oh, that's a really good one.
SPEAKER_03 (07:43):
I mean, that's that's another theme, and that's
kind of where when I sent it toyou, I thought that's not that
song, but actually, maybe eventhat I was wondering if you'd
pick that song.
SPEAKER_04 (07:54):
That is such a good song.
And I do feel like it's I don'tI do think it's so overplayed
that it would be one of thethings that I'm like, I don't
feel like I can even choose itbecause it's like so ubiquitous.
Yeah.
But now I'm trying to think oflike the only other one that I
can think of where somebody'slike introducing themselves is
Jay-Z, you know, and he's like,Allow me.
(08:15):
I hate Jay-Z.
SPEAKER_03 (08:17):
So but I do feel like there is a lot of hip-hop
songs at first.
It would definitely be likeintroductions.
Yeah, good call.
SPEAKER_04 (08:24):
Okay, Cynthia for the Devil is a really good one.
SPEAKER_03 (08:26):
Yeah, no, that's it's it's funny, but you're
right, it it is overplayed andand not we try to avoid those
ones.
SPEAKER_04 (08:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (08:33):
Um, when possible, sometimes just exactly right.
SPEAKER_04 (08:36):
We can do like an I would god, I would love to do
that most overplayed song that'sstill good.
SPEAKER_03 (08:42):
Yeah, oh, that's okay.
SPEAKER_04 (08:44):
We can do that.
SPEAKER_03 (08:46):
Um so anyway, I've got a lot to say about my pick,
so should we just get to it?
SPEAKER_04 (08:50):
Yeah, jump in.
SPEAKER_03 (08:51):
So my choice for introductions is Dan Pei Tan Ho
by the legendary Bollywood musicwriting duo known as Shankar
Jaikashan, sung by MohammedRafi, originally from the 1965
Hindi language mystery movie GumNam, which was loosely adapted
from Agatha Christie's novel andthen there were none.
(09:14):
But I've chosen this song for mypick because it brilliantly
introduces us to the characterEnid in the 2001 movie Ghost
World.
(09:45):
So only after I chose this as mysong for this theme did I learn
that the title means let's getacquainted.
I mean, that in itself is soexciting to me.
Yeah.
But there's more.
Oh, say more.
Oh my god, so much more.
So Gum Nam, the name of the filmit originally comes from, means
(10:06):
anonymous.
So that makes a perfect pairingfor Ghost World, which is a
movie about people who feelalienated and yes, anonymous.
So, Christina, I remember yousaying that you hadn't seen this
movie, but are you generallyfamiliar with it?
SPEAKER_04 (10:22):
I definitely know the movie.
I know there was like a bigsplash when it came out because
it was Scarlett Johansson in oneof her earlier roles, but then
also um Thora Birch.
Thank you, Thora Birch, who islike a child actor.
So this was a fun one for her tobe like a teen or however old
she was.
And just like kind of two, Idon't want to call them nerdy
(10:45):
girls, but they were like werethey goths?
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
Were they yeah, they were more like just outcasts,
okay, yeah.
So so yeah, very this is verymuch the movie.
It was released in 2001.
It's based on the comic book ofthe same name written by Daniel
Klaus, who also co-wrote thescript with Terry Zweigoff, who
directed it.
And the movies primarily aboutEnid Thora Birch and Rebecca
(11:08):
Scarlett Johansson, they're justabout ready to graduate from
high school.
In fact, the opening scene istheir high school graduation,
and they're just two likecynical outsiders drifting
through their suburbia, mockingeveryone around them.
Steve Buscemi plays anotheroutcast.
He's a lonely record collectorwho, like, yeah, Enid befriends
(11:31):
him and tries to help set himup.
Oh.
It's actually quite sweet.
SPEAKER_04 (11:35):
Okay.
And there's no problematicundertones.
SPEAKER_03 (11:38):
I mean, there are probably I haven't seen it since
then, but since 2001.
2001.
So there's likely somethingproblematic.
SPEAKER_04 (11:46):
I know things were really problematic back then.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, they're bad now, but butit was bad back then.
SPEAKER_03 (11:53):
I mean, even worse before that.
But but anyway, 2001, I don'thave memories of it being too
problematic, but I was 28 yearsold.
And and I saw this in, I think,in the theater.
And I don't know, seeing, I justsaw myself in these these
misfits, especially Enid, andand feeling proud for that,
like, I don't know, 16,17-year-old like Rebel that I
(12:16):
was.
SPEAKER_02 (12:16):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (12:17):
Yeah.
I have to admit though, Iactually had forgotten about
this title sequence until ourfriend Ognan added this song to
our get up and dance playlist.
Oh.
SPEAKER_04 (12:28):
Yeah.
Do you remember that?
I think I actually do.
Yeah.
And that's funny because I didnot have any context for why the
song would get added, but it isa bop.
SPEAKER_03 (12:37):
Yeah, totally.
And we'll share that playlist inour show notes.
SPEAKER_04 (12:41):
Nice.
SPEAKER_03 (12:41):
I think it's permanently shared in the show
notes, actually.
Oh, interesting.
It's definitely on our link treeon our Instagram.
Oh, yeah.
But so I remember like thinking,like, how do I know the song?
Because it was so familiar andso good.
And then I, you know, quickGoogle and the memories came
flooding back.
Nice.
So, Christina, you have watchedthe sequence?
(13:04):
Definitely.
It's very cute.
Good, good, good.
So, for everyone who hasn't, ofcourse, it'll be in the show
notes, but it starts with theblack screen, and you hear the
opening drumbeat, and then youget straight to the nightclub
performance that's in the movie,the original movie, Gum Num.
And then the camera startspanning like through the windows
of these lonely people smoking,picking their nose, watching TV
(13:27):
in their underwear.
And that contrast is just socrazy because the performers are
ecstatic, they're shaking theirheads, they're doing their arms
and their hands thing.
It's like this choreographedhappy exorcism.
It's so good.
And then we eventually gothrough the window of Enid and
see her dancing along with theperformers, like from the movie
(13:48):
that's on her bedroom TV, andshe's wearing her graduation
gown, and she's just like so inthis world, and it's so
glorious.
But it was like a perfectintroduction to her brain in a
way that I completely relate to.
SPEAKER_04 (14:04):
That just like losing yourself into something
so specific, especially before avery like annoying like group
gathering as a high schoolgraduation, or seemingly like
something that is like built upto be like a really important
thing that you might not feellike, oh, just like the end of
(14:24):
this requirement.
SPEAKER_03 (14:26):
Exactly.
I mean, it's high schoolgraduation.
Yeah, it's not that big of adeal.
So there's so much going on withthat sequence.
I had to Google around to seelike if there was a reason Swy
Goff chose it as theintroduction to his movie and
the main character.
And according to an article inDays Digital, he saw a short
clip of it on a VHS tape.
(14:48):
He loved it and just decided touse it in Ghost World.
And he said it wasn't toological an idea, but I knew I
had to do it.
So talk about serendipity.
That was just like, I don'tknow, perfect.
Like all these things that I'mlearning about it, I'm just
like, oh, it makes me giddy.
I also found a piece publishedin cultural anthropology by an
(15:08):
ethnomusicologist at UC SantaBarbara, David Novak, and it's
called Cosmopolitanism,Remediation and the Ghost World
of Bollywood.
And I gotta say, it's amust-read for anyone who's
fascinated by the use of thissong in the movie.
SPEAKER_04 (15:24):
Who knew we would reference so many
ethnomusicologists in thispodcast?
SPEAKER_03 (15:28):
I know, right?
We do this often.
SPEAKER_04 (15:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (15:30):
Well, I think that's that's the beauty of this
podcast is we're researching andwe're not just going to
Wikipedia.
We want to learn more and andand we like we're kind of geeky
sometimes, and we like to getinto the scholarly article.
SPEAKER_04 (15:43):
I mean, I totally agree with you, but I still
think people should donate toWikipedia.
SPEAKER_03 (15:47):
Yeah, I know, I know.
And and oftentimes I will startwith Wikipedia and then they
reference something and then goto that.
So exactly right.
Yeah, yeah.
No, I I love it.
But so for for Novak, the songJan Pei Chan Ho keeps being
repurposed across contexts fromGum Nam to VHS collector culture
(16:08):
to underground music scenes toghost world.
And he says it's about peopleforming identities through these
acts of reuse, which we're kindof seeing with Enid's character.
But he talks about Bollywoodmusical numbers being kind of
built to detach from the plot ofthe movies.
So when Chan Pei Chan Ho appearsin Ghost World, it's using
(16:33):
something already made forreintroductions, which I don't
know.
I like to think about it likethat.
It's it just makes perfect sensein an in a very confusing way.
Also, as you can kind of hear,the song is an Indian cinematic
fantasy of Western music withits use of the serve guitar.
So in Ghost Worlds, Zwigoth isreintroducing a Bollywood
(16:57):
reimagining of Western pop backinto American culture.
Does that make sense?
It's Laird.
Yeah, no, I mean, David Novak,that's nice thinking there.
So um Mohammed Rafi was one ofthe most influential playback
singers of Hindi cinema.
(17:18):
And Novak's article says thatviewers are used to hearing like
these famous voices emerge frommany different screen bodies,
which creates a productive splitbetween body and voice, and that
singers like Rafi are familiarbut different presences, like
these voices that return acrossmany actors and many scenes.
So again, in Ghost World, Rafi'svoice enters before we
(17:41):
understand the characters oreven the context.
But then, okay, there's thecomposer duo, Shankar Jaikashan,
who are so renowned that theIndian Postal Service even
released a stamp in 2013 bearingtheir image.
Nice.
Yeah, it's it's a cute stamp.
So this composition is just sorich with the surf guitar, but
(18:02):
also that big band brassorchestration.
And the rhythm really does tellyou, thanks, Ognan, get up and
dance.
(18:39):
I I don't know, I just I can'tget over how great it is.
Like Ghost World begins with asong that literally says, let's
get acquainted, life will beeasier.
Then it gives Aid a person whodesperately wants to be
recognized, but like rejectsalmost every available way of
belonging.
I don't know, how perfect isthat?
I think Shalendra would beproud.
SPEAKER_04 (19:01):
Right?
I mean Yeah, it's almost likeum, no, I don't know.
There is something there that itfeels like, what did you say?
Like the simplicity and depth.
Like there's a lot of depth, butthere's also that superficial
element to it.
SPEAKER_03 (19:13):
Yeah.
I think that's part of thenature of those like Bollywood
dance numbers, like like Novakwas saying.
But then in this case, it's justlike so powerful in how it like
kind of just previews what we'regoing to experience weirdly.
No, no.
Nice.
SPEAKER_04 (19:30):
It's a good introduction.
SPEAKER_03 (19:31):
Yeah, right.
Yeah.
So um, I'm very curious to learnmore about your introduction.
SPEAKER_04 (19:39):
Totally.
And you know, listener, asyou'll know, I have now with my
foil, I am in very less deep onmy pick.
And I went my own way, I think.
Because when you saidintroductions, I I truly can't
remember back to thatexperience, but I am now like,
oh, this is a good intro themesong.
SPEAKER_02 (19:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (19:59):
So in that vein, I picked Hey Sandy by Polaris,
which was the theme song thatplayed during the opening
credits for the 90s kids' TVshow, The Adventures of Pete and
Pete.
So you are confirming that youdid not know anything about this
show.
SPEAKER_03 (20:16):
Nothing at all.
Before I share this with you.
Yeah, okay.
And in even in watching theintro, still nothing.
Like nothing, it's not like adog deni memory.
SPEAKER_04 (20:24):
That's it.
But it was very cute.
Yeah.
And it I would love for anyonewho has not seen the show or is
not unfamiliar or maybe lovedthe show and hasn't thought
about it in 30 years to go watchthe link that we'll share
because what you see in theseopening credits to Pete and
Pete, which I'll just call fromnow on, because that's what I
called it when I was a kid, too.
It's a montage of the show'scharacters, brothers, Big Pete
(20:47):
and Little Pete.
So they are brothers, but theyboth have the same name.
I was wondering about that.
Yeah.
I mean, it it's such a god, Ican't wait to talk about this
show.
It's so zany.
So, okay, there's Big Pete andLittle Pete, their mom, the
plate in their mom's head, theirdad, Big Pete's best friend and
sort of crush, Ellen, Artie, thestrongest man in the world,
(21:09):
Nona, played by MichelleTrackenberg, R.I.P., and
Petunia, Little Pete's SailorJerry style tattoo.
And they're all this montage isall like showing up while this
band, Polaris, is rocking out inthe front yard of a home.
(21:44):
So I love it because it justfeels so perfectly this era of
the 90s to me.
And it just really takes me backto my childhood and that time
frame, which felt you know a lotsimpler and a lot more just
careful.
Free and whatnot.
But one thing I did not knowabout this band, Polaris, is
(22:05):
it's actually a fake band thatformed us for this television
show.
SPEAKER_03 (22:09):
Yeah, I've never heard of them, which I haven't
heard a lot of a lot of thethings that you share.
So that wasn't making me thinksomething was up.
But totally.
SPEAKER_04 (22:22):
But I had no idea either.
And like I just had assumed likethis is a band that exists.
And you know, you can you canhire cool bands to like play for
your TV show or whatever it is.
Yeah, friends.
I mean, right?
SPEAKER_03 (22:36):
Friend, I don't even know the band.
SPEAKER_04 (22:39):
That is funny because that would be a really
good trivia question.
Yeah, I also don't know.
unknown (22:43):
Okay.
SPEAKER_04 (22:44):
I don't know.
Uh Thomas is like yelling at usright now.
Yeah, I know.
Some listener is also screaming.
Anyway, I the one thing I like,of course, I like this song, but
like I think the band actuallysounds pretty good and it's
pretty on par with like what themusic style was at the time.
Sorry, my mic.
And I like that it was beingutilized on a kids' TV show
(23:07):
because can I admit something alittle bit corny?
I think I like that there wasthis cool band element to a
kid's show because it made mefeel cool as a child while I was
watching it.
Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03 (23:19):
Of course.
Yeah, I could totally see that.
SPEAKER_04 (23:21):
Yeah, it's almost like yeah, like I'm I'm cool
too.
I like Pete and P, you know, andI'm yeah, who knows?
I think it came out like in '93when I would have been like five
and watching it.
Okay.
So I probably watched it onreruns, but still it was like
kind of one of those.
It was formative though.
Yeah.
And the thing that's reallyfunny about this show is that it
(23:42):
wasn't really fluffy.
It was actually very funny.
It was very weird.
It gave kids credit for knowingmore than some might assume, you
know, which is also one of thereasons why I love peanuts.
But it challenged kids to thinkor maybe even just be exposed to
the absurd.
SPEAKER_03 (24:00):
Can I say something?
Yeah, please.
Because again, I've only watchedthe opening credits, but as I'm
watching it, I'm thinking likethis formed your sense of humor
in a way.
Probably.
Because it's very, it's verysilly and and absurd.
SPEAKER_04 (24:17):
Yeah, extremely silly, extremely absurd.
I mean, and that was somethingthat I love that it was like for
someone my age, but you couldtell that if the parent wandered
into the room or were watchingit, or some college kid was
watching it while they were, youknow, smoking a joint or
something, then they get a kickout of it too.
SPEAKER_05 (24:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:34):
But yeah, I think you're totally right.
And a little background on theshow is that it actually began
on Nickelodeon in 1989 as likeminute-long and 30-second shorts
that aired as interstitials, butit aired as a full-fledged
half-hour TV show from 93 to 96.
So not even like I think fourseasons maybe, but pretty short
(24:55):
run and very what I opine is tobe a high impact.
But Polaris, that band, youknow, the made-up band and the
opening credits, they'reactually members of an existing
band, or there was an existingband at the time called Miracle
Legion, which was a New Englandband who the show's creators,
Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi,liked and wanted to work with
(25:15):
for Pete and Pete.
So as the show's house band,Polaris ended up producing 12
songs over the three seasons,including the theme song called
Hey Sandy.
The funny thing, too, is thatbased on their like success, I
would say, or maybe just theirexperience with this show, they
went on to release an album ofthe songs that they created for
(25:37):
the show called Music from theAdventures of Pete and Pete.
And then in 2014 and 15, theyactually went on tour as this
band playing music from thealbum and then released new
music under this project, aswell as releasing that album on
vinyl.
(26:20):
Mine is more like the intro to ashow.
I love that this actually setsthe tone for what the kids' TV
show will be about, which isintroducing kids to some fun
music and an experience thatfeels like maybe not so kid-ish.
Yeah.
So it could be like anintroduction of, oh, this is the
first time somebody's like, youknow, treating me, I don't want
(26:41):
to say like an adult becausethat's too much, but just not
treating me like a little kid,which I like.
And I do want to highlight someof the cool guest stars that
they had on this show, justbecause it was a very fun,
weird, funky show.
But they had Debbie Harry,Richard Edson, who was Sonic
East's original drummer, JanineGarofalo, Juliana Hatfield,
Luscious Jackson, LL Cool Jay,Alicia Keys when she was
(27:04):
extremely young, Kate Pearsonfrom the B-52s, Michael Stipe,
and Patty Hurst.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03 (27:10):
This is a very hip show.
SPEAKER_04 (27:12):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
And it's just so funny.
Like, I have to imagine maybepeople were like, ooh, I want to
be on Pete and Pete too.
Yeah.
You know.
Oh my God.
That's great.
SPEAKER_03 (27:22):
Um are you able to watch this anymore?
SPEAKER_04 (27:24):
I think you could probably watch it on YouTube.
Yeah.
I actually am I'm gonna check itout tonight and see if there's
something I can watch.
But because of I think theirsuccess and like the indie
appeal, the band had a littlebit of a cult following, and
just like the show did.
And they even played severalPete and Pete related shows on
top of their own tour, likereunion type shows, including,
(27:47):
yeah, the Pete and Pete reunionevent at Cinna Family, where
they were like truly delightedto see so many audience members
like singing along to the musicand then participating in Comic
Con in New York City.
So even though they had theirown thing going with Miracle
Legion, I think it's just so funthat this kid's show was too
(28:08):
cool for its own good and evenintroduced this band to a whole
new audience.
SPEAKER_03 (28:14):
So a little bit of a left turn, but yeah, I know, but
it but not in a way, it's it'sstill about setting the tone and
introducing characters and thefeeling and what it does to you.
And I I feel like we I don'tknow, very similar situations.
SPEAKER_04 (28:32):
And I think that's like the fun part too, is like
you can watch a TV show or maybeeven a movie intro, and it can
make you either want to watch itor not.
And if I were like truly, eventoday, if I had never seen this
show and I watched thisintroduction, I would be like,
I'm gonna watch an episode ofthat.
SPEAKER_03 (28:51):
Yeah, that's how I felt I'm like, oh, this is
really cool.
SPEAKER_04 (28:54):
Yeah, so it's a nice, it's it's so important.
It's like the make or break.
That's why we didn't even talkabout this.
Our intro music to this podcast.
It was a big discussion for us.
SPEAKER_03 (29:05):
Oh, yeah.
We went, we like considered manydifferent choices.
We had one and then we're like,no, and I had another, and then
we had no.
But I I do feel like this one isis the best.
Well, cool, cool theme.
Yeah, and no good goodselection.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for for playing alongwith me.
SPEAKER_04 (29:25):
Totally.
SPEAKER_03 (29:26):
Always so now can I give you some unsolicited
advice?
Uh, what is it now?
Embrace the takedown book,especially when written by an
astrophysicist.
Uh, okay, I'm listening.
Are you sick of hearing aboutthe impending singularity?
Did you gag a bit when youlearned what a polycule was?
(29:49):
Are you over billionaires whothink civilization can be fixed
with Mars colonies and looksmaxing while jerking off to
their transhumanist expansionistfantasy?
SPEAKER_04 (30:00):
Uh, any chance effective altruism is part of
this equation?
SPEAKER_03 (30:04):
You betcha.
And if you're not willing tosuccumb to the tech bros
bullying you into thinkingthey're cool, then the book More
Everything Forever.
Overlords, Space Empires, andSilicon Valley's Crusade to
Control the Fate of Humanity byastrophysicist Adam Becker is
for you.
(30:24):
I like the sound of this techbro takedown.
And if the title doesn't win youover, maybe the fact that Becker
doesn't treat this dystopicfuture as inevitable will.
Though I haven't finished thebook in the process, I feel like
he's reminding us that we dohave the power to choose a more
just and humane future.
SPEAKER_04 (30:42):
Amen.
SPEAKER_03 (30:43):
Advice over.
Christina, do you want to givethe listeners a hint about next
week's theme?
Yes.
SPEAKER_04 (30:50):
Next week we're getting grungy.
SPEAKER_03 (30:53):
Thanks for listening to Stereo Thematica.
If you like what you're hearing,please consider a review, a
rating, or sharing with afriend.
SPEAKER_04 (31:00):
And follow us on Instagram at Stereothematica,
where you can share yourfavorite introduction songs.
Of course, we've also got ourInfinite Spotify playlist linked
in our show notes.
SPEAKER_03 (31:10):
And visit stereothematica.com for more
fun.
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