April 3, 2018 • 42 mins
The One Where Kristian Sits Down With Ruth To Talk About The Hit NBC Television Sitcom 'Friends.' Also: A super-helpful game of Trade Ya, and KB dives deep into TV theme songs to tell the story of how they made him a better musician.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, this is Christian Bush and welcome to episode six
of Geeking Out, my new podcast. Every episode is a
new person talking about what they're obsessed with that has
nothing to do with their job. The only requirement is
that they're totally geeking out on it and they want
(00:21):
to talk about it. From Mickey Mouse backpacks to knock
off Jettie highball glasses, from do it yourself guitar pedals
to CrossFit achievement tattoos, from indoor bouldering to collecting seventies
lunch boxes. Tell me about what you love, why you
love it, how you got into it, and what makes
it awesome. Every episode is presented in three chapters. Chapter one,
(00:44):
my guest and I talk about what they're obsessed with.
Chapter two is a game I called trade It, where
my guest and I turn each other onto one thing
that we've discovered. And chapter three closes the show with
me talking about music that I'm currently geeking out on.
And one I believe that curiosity is contagious and the
life is better with a soundtrack, So let's go Chapter one.
(01:09):
Today's guest is Ruth Bennett, who works as an assistant
for a writer and an executive producer in the TV
and film business. She's a proud Michigander who splits her
time between l A and Nashville. She loves dogs and
her laugh is completely contagious. My producer Whitney, and I
went to her apartment in Santa Monica to talk about
her obsession, which you can probably guess based on the
(01:33):
music that's playing right now, that was still this way
everybody breath it Okay, where are we? We are in
Santa Monica, California, in my apartment. Yes, and we're in
(01:55):
the path of the Santa Monica Airport. So yeah, sanamunic
Airport annoying planes. Well here comes on now there it
is okay, I love it, um And so what do
you What is it that you do for a little
I am an assistant to an executive producer, writer director
in the entertainment television film Yeah, and what what does that?
(02:19):
What does does that mean that you do? Ever? That
means well, most of my day is spent watching television
movie reading scripts, reading books that are potential projects coming
in for her, giving her my thoughts ideas if there's
a project going on, setting meetings, scheduling, also doing things
like watching her dogs. Like literally doing it. Also, she
(02:42):
can focus on what she needs to and what would
you be obsessed with that you would like to confess
at this time? Welcome to the confession. Well, I will confess,
and I'm proud, like I don't need to hide and
confessional Like I'm all loud and proud about it. But
I'm a huge Friends fan and have been since day one.
(03:03):
I know it's twenty bazillion years old, but I still
watch at least an hour of Friends every day. It's comforting,
it's part of my routine. I cannot get through a
day without an episode of Friends. So yeah, a lot
of people. I mean, I don't discuss it with people,
but I would just started. Yes, I mean clearly, I'll
(03:25):
talk about it on a podcast. Clearly, we'll talk about
it on a podcast. Um. So just to be clear
for people that are maybe too young to understand this, Uh,
this is Friends the TV show. Yes, Friends TV show,
the ensemble, which is actually playing in the background right now,
because I thought it was appropriate when you guys came
over that I would be playing let the record show
Ruth watching the episode over my shoulder. Wow, I'm actually
(03:49):
facing her. I have done it in bed for to No,
I'm just kidding. Have it on the background, were watching
h This is the Halloween episode I believe of season eight.
When when did this begin begin during the original seasons?
(04:09):
Oh yeah, right away because it came out when I
was a freshman in college. And wow, because I'm old
and kids today don't know how this goes. But like
when I went to school, you know, I went to college.
You know, communal TVs were like a thing or there
were big shows and it was appointment television. You weren't
going to watch it if you didn't catch it. So
(04:30):
and this was one of the things where all the
girls on my floor we would all be like, oh yeah,
I'm gonna watch Friends Thursday nights, and so it was
like a thing. It was very relatable and we all,
you know, wanted to live in New York. We're downe
with theater schools, who were like, yeah, I want that
apartment that will be a part of my life. So yeah,
that's right from the beginning. Hooked. Yeah, And I do
(04:50):
think that's a good point that back in the day, kids,
if you didn't have a VCR with you at college,
you had to find the TV in the dorm. Communal room. Yeah.
We used to all gather around for Beverly Hills Man,
yes and place. Yeah, totally the same type of thing.
(05:10):
So Friends was that for us? When did you start
to realize that this was something beyond just maybe being
a fan of the TV show, like it would be
any other TV show you watched. Um, Well, I think
because now twenty five years later, I'm still watching it.
I know every episode by heart, like I know what's
(05:32):
going to come up next, I know the punchlines. Yet
I still I literally watch it every day, So I think,
And maybe when it was ending, you know, I remember
as a kid like shows what end, Like I remember
Mash ending, and it was very sad, and it was like,
you know, clearly I do work in television, so television
is important. But I remember so vividly, like the lead
(05:56):
up to the end of Friends, like how emotionally like upset,
Like they were on Oprah together and they would do
all of these interviews and I would be like crying,
like I was having like anxiety and panic attack that
Friends was ending and then I wasn't gonna be able
to watch it. Yeah. I was with Rebecca, my best friend,
Rebecca Um and we both and it was and so
I just knew them like I was really affected, like
(06:18):
it was I was affected by it and so yeah,
so it's slowly just been a slow burn something to do,
like yeah, get rid of Yeah, so funny. Did you
own them on all the different mediums? Like did you
own the episodes? What? How did you first start to
rewatch them? Um? Well, you know it's been on syndication
(06:39):
on TBS and oh wow, that's like buzz marketing for them.
But it's always been on syndication, TV Land, TBS and
it's always come back. And yes, I did have DVDs
for a really long time now over the course of
time because I've cut everything down, like I have only
my favorite CDs left. Um, I don't have them anymore
(07:00):
or but yep, I had. But you also had to
buy them per season. And because I've been so broke
over the course of my life, like I've never had
a whole Friend set. I've only ever purchased like seasons
that I wanted. Uh yeah, so I've had that as well.
Have you had to pick a favorite Friends season? M h,
(07:21):
which one is it? They made ten seasons altogether, and
season eight is my absolute favorite. My favorite arc, like
the three storylines like when I am low and I
just need to like recharge my batteries or I just
need something to make me feel good. I will watch
the three episode arc of when Rachel when they all
(07:43):
figure out that Ross is Rachel's baby's dad, right, so,
and that is called these ones. I do know that
is the one with the red sweater, and then the
one after that is the one where Rachel tells So
that's the one where Ross finds out, and then the
one after that is the one with the videotape. Just
hands down my favorite Friends episode ever, Like yeah, it's
(08:04):
the bomb, and it shows how Emma came to me,
which is amazing. This is amazing. This happened with other
TV shows uniquely, like this is nope, um Sex in
the City. For a while I was watching that, but
that was because I did not watch Sex in the
City as it was happening. I didn't couldn't afford HBO,
(08:27):
so I was a little behind the curb on that one.
It wasn't something that I watched all the way through
when was a fan of from the start. Though I
have gone back and I do appreciate it and have
watched seple of times, but again, nothing, nothing is comforted me.
Nothing is Friends. That leads me to the sex in
the city correlation leads me to the most important question,
(08:47):
which friend do you most identify with? Okay, let's dig
into actually the show itself. Okay, see, and I think
that this is hard because I think part of what's
her feel about Friends is that you sort of see
yourself in all of them. Right though, I feel like
I most identify with Phoebe because she is sort of nonsensical.
(09:12):
She's really funny, you know what I mean, she just
kind of I don't she's the mom, even though she's
the most irresponsible, you know, because she's just sort of
sort of what you need, and she's got this magical
like little I don't know, she's she's sort of like
the fairy who. Okay, there's a theory you haven't heard about,
(09:33):
the fan theory where the whole premise like that Friends
takes place those are my neighborhood children. Friends takes place
inside Phoebe's head and she's a homeless person. So that
is like, yeah, like theory yes on the internet that
that is like the real story behind Friends is that
(09:55):
the entire story of Friends is that Phoebe is a
homeless persondent to takes place in her brain. So recently
I've gone back and watched it thinking that, and that
actually kind of makes sense. But because because she is
so nonsensical, because she she actually like she treats. She's
the rudest, like she is the most means. She says
(10:18):
the meanest stuff to each one of them, you know
what I mean. She takes them to task and she's
the most brutally honest. Yet she is also very loving
and very sweet and um even when they're like all
sort of spinning out of control. She's real, folks, even
though she's crazy, she's like the center. She's sort of
(10:40):
the focus one. She's the one you can come back
to because you can always rely that she's going to
be the most Phoebe. And that's sort of why I
relate to her. And I don't relate to Rachel at all.
I mean, I do relate to Rachel, but you know,
like popular, cute, little a little girl La, not so
much Monica. I totally relate to Monica, except Monica is
(11:01):
a little O C D like her competitiveness, but she's
also way to O c D. That's super O c D.
But yes, and Monica and her relationship with her brother,
love it, love it, Grassy poo. I faintly remember in
the back of my brain that before Friends came on,
(11:22):
I saw Phoebe as a character in another TV show.
Is that true about Ursula, that is her twin sister Ursula?
And is that how Friends became Friends? Is that it was? No?
Do you know the answer to this? It just seems
like this is the o G they needs, the o
(11:43):
G of Friends, right, connection is NBC? Yes, and the
production company I think so Crane and Crane are the
two there behind what was that showing mad about? Yes?
And Ursula is a waitress at I didn't watch that show. Yeah,
(12:07):
I was completely with real and it was a it
was a boy thing. I was just I had a crush.
Even the question is this because your friends obsession extend
to the extended friends family? Like did you did you
follow them all into movies into their other shows? Yes?
(12:31):
Actually I have because yeah, and I never would have
thought about that until right now, but I sure have.
And there are things that I think that are like,
for example, I don't think David Twimmer is a really
terrific actor. I mean, it's so funny thing about it.
If you are ever listening, David tim I'm terribly sorry,
(12:51):
but anyway, but I think he's a fantastic director, like
some of the things that he's done. Um, yes, so
I have absolute Really Matthew Perry, God bless him. I've
enjoyed his shows except for The Odd Couple, which I
don't like. I love Jennifer Anderson. I'll watch anything that
she's in because she's a cool check Courtney Cox. I've
loved everything that she has been in. Cougar Town was
(13:13):
again a really good one. Yeah, totally have. The answer
is yes, thank you for helping me put that together.
Oh my god. Well okay, and here's the thing is
that Lisa Kudro I think is one of the best
female comedic actresses. I think her comic timing The Comeback,
which is the show, I mean, it was so painful
(13:36):
and so amazing and so wonderful and and she's and
that's part of why I love Phoene so much, because
she'll just deliver these little lines and just get in there.
And that is Lisa Coudro knowing how to deliver that line.
And bringing it to that character. And I also think
that that's part of the reason why Friends worked so much,
that they were just truly a great ensemble cast and
(13:58):
they all played to their ranks. And yeah, that's part
of what I love too. Yeah. Yeah. Have you ever
bought anything for your apartment to replicate things in Friends?
I have not, but I have bought friends like paraphernalia.
Like I had a big friend's coffee mug once. That
(14:20):
was my favorite mug and then it broke. I had
a friend zip a hoodie sweatshirt which I bought from.
One of the first lot tours I did when I
moved to Los Angeles was to go to the w
Bee Law and I bought friends gear there and I
wore that until it just died. So I have had
different things, but no, I have not like the door
(14:41):
frame or anything but the people covered. No. I've also
never had a people never. No, never had myself. My
question is because you know the generation below ours, So
Ruth and I are forty two ish, give or take,
you'd never know to look at us, um the generation
right blowers, the thirty two year olds, are equally as
(15:03):
obsessed with friends, even though they were like seven when
the show came out. Why do you think it resonates
with them as well? I think they were watching it
at TV Land. And here is why I say this,
because it's even even a slightly younger generation. Again when
I first moved here, so I was taking care of
this family, um, and they had three wonderful kids, and
(15:27):
they're all now like the youngest one that I it's
how I came to be with them because he went
to school with my god daughter. Um. He now just
a freshman in college. Boy. Um. But they were friends
with Marta Kaufman and they would go to friends takings
all the time, right, So I think that they watched that.
So they watched it too, even though they were young
(15:49):
like that age because that's when Friends was finishing. So
you have they were in fifth and sixth grade his
oldest sister, right, So you have them that started watching it.
But I feel like all of these other kids have
now also been watching it on TV Land, you know
what I mean, And it's just such a part of
their like I love Lucy, you know what I mean.
Like for us, I love Lucy was around and it
(16:11):
was something that you turned on. It was on when
you're after school. So I think that for these kids
growing up at the back end of it and then
having it immediately go into syndication, you know, and being
a part of just the cultural phenomenon that it was,
I think that that that plays a part definitely about
(16:32):
the story that resonates. Do you think, what why do
people stick with it? Stick with friends because you can't
identify with the apartment or their jobs or they're even
like their clothes, because that's not attainable. But I think no,
And honestly, when you really look at it, like there's
the whole will Fell suscension of dislief, there are certain
(16:55):
things that you don't really want to pay attention to
those of us that know New York. No, that that's
a huge, huge apartment and there's no way and how
that they were ever going to afford that, And yes,
you can break it down like that. So yeah, but
that doesn't change the fact that we all have a
group of friends that you've all grown up with, you know,
like these like so the characters in the show have
(17:15):
known each other some since that you know, our brother
and sister clearly, some since early childhood, you know, some
since college. So we all can sort of relate to that,
and having your posse of friends still be friends and
have this sort of communal life, you know, in your
early twenties and being fairly successful like that is kind
(17:37):
of you know, the dream of it all. Let's just
keep you know, high school going, or you know, let's
just so yeah, I think that that's totally relatable, and
it again is very comforting and homie and you're like, oh, yeah,
I wouldn't it be great. I've lived with my best
friend and dated my other best friend and we had
you know, so it's also completely unrealistic if you think
about that, you know, like, I mean, yes, I have
(18:00):
a core group of I think back on college had
a core group of you know, six to eight friends
that were always together. They were always hanging out at
my house and we as a pack did things and
in different circles. Yeah, we also had a larger circle
that was way more inclusive, you know. But then again,
that doesn't make it for a good twenty twenty eight
(18:21):
minutes story on TV What's a week? What episode do
you think may be the most uncomfortable? Maybe the most uncomfortable, okay,
are the ones where Phoebe's real mo like, um, Phoebe
given you know, the triplets away, there's like a whole
little thing where she's like, just ask if I can
(18:42):
keep one, you know what I mean? Like those things
make you start of uncomfortable, and when she when her
little heart strings are being pulled on, that does uncomfortable.
But I don't know other than that. But I also
don't like in general, when like sit coms are trying
to be poignant. I want them just to be funny.
(19:04):
You know. I realized everybody has a message or whatever,
and I don't see this as a rule, but as
a rule, I really want them just to be like funny.
So any of them that try to like really send
a message, like, leave that to my drama. What are
your favorite jokes? Um, Usually they're just lines, Yes, well,
(19:27):
all of the ones that you see on the memes,
like he's you know, he's her lobster, ms chinandeler bong
you know from the episode, and they're playing trivia like
all of those things. Yes, so, and those are relatable,
But I find that my favorite favorite moments are very subtle. Um,
(19:50):
I was bringing at Phoebe, So I'm gonna give one
to Ross David Swimmer. There's the episode where Monica and
Chandler are trying to get pregnant and they're doing it
all over and Chandler fakes it because he doesn't really
think that he wants to get pregnant right now. And
two times in that episode, Ross happens to be in
the apartment when Monica says something completely inappropriate, the same
(20:11):
I'm your brother, And the second time he's looking for
a tie, and so Chandler like delivers the blow like,
you know, I you couldn't get pregnant because I faked it,
And she was like what And all of a sudden,
you ever cut straws and me it was like, I
don't really need a tie, you know. It's just like
(20:32):
the way he delivers it. It's not really a joke,
but it's such a perfect moment. You're like, yeah, So
those are really my favorite, I mean, in addition to
all of the classics. So if somebody has never watched
Friends that's you know, living under a rock, or maybe
they're just younger, where would you start them? Like? How
(20:56):
if you wanted to help someone go into your obsession world?
How how would you get on there? Um? Interesting, So
Angelina had actually asked a while ago because she was
never a huge fan of Friends, she didn't watch it religiously,
and she was doing something and she put up on Facebook.
(21:16):
She's like, Okay, I feel like I really just need
to get into Friends and watch some of the best
you know, and try to figure it out. Where do
I begin. It's what she said and what I say, Um,
Friends has a Thanksgiving thing. I mean, you know, all
TV shows have their holiday shows, but Friends Thanksgiving episodes
are like a thing. And so I say, any Thanksgiving
(21:36):
episode of Friends, if you're new to Friends, you can
just start and just watch the Thanksgiving episode from each
season and that would be a good little snippet, you know. Um. Also,
clearly in the three episode of Art that I said,
so that does sort of give it all away. So
maybe I shouldn't suggest that people that are new because
you want to you kind of want to get it,
but everybody knows. Like that's the thing is that people
(21:59):
that have a watch Friends, you sort of like know,
like you know about the cheesier lobster and the Ross
and Rachel and how it all ends up. So yeah,
so maybe I would suggest then that three episode arc
in season eight. Um, and hands down like the funniest,
I mean, of all of the Thanksgiving episodes. The Lone
Brad Pitt is really hilarious and it's one of my
(22:21):
favorites again just of all time, Like that's one of
the best. Which side that is flashback episode that is
one of the Thanksgivings is like a Thanksgiving flashback. So
what they do is they just flash back to Thanksgivings
that haven't actually been on the air, but it's just
(22:43):
like different Thanksgivings in time before and so that is
in I think that might be season seven word Monica
and Chandler are engaged and they're going back because they're
revealing things that had happened, like Monica had cut off
Chandler's toll on accident way back. You don't want to
(23:04):
go there? Yeah, man, god, it's such a good show.
So do you think the show will survive the test
of time? You think that thirty forty years from now
it would be like an I love loosely? Yeah? Does
it feel that way to you or is it it does? Actually?
(23:25):
I think I think it stands up. So maybe not,
because you have, like the Andy Greta show, things that
do do this leave it to beaver, you know things
that kids still watch and that are on TV. Yeah, no,
I do. I think it will. I mean, it might
(23:46):
not be as hetty, and it might not always deliver
those saying you know, might not get so poignant and
deliver an impactful message, but I think it does still resonate.
Does your love grow for the as you watch it
more and more? Do you think you plateau? No, it
grows more and more. Is there in your mind? Is
(24:07):
there a line that's too far? Will I cross the
friend's line? No? No, And here's the thing, So I
take all those quizzes, which friend are you? You know?
Where would you have lived? Like? Who would have been
your perfect friends? So I take those quizzes. And I'm
(24:28):
not a person who takes quizzes online, but if it's
a friends one, I'm gonna take it. Gilmore girls too,
but friends, Yeah, it's crazy, it's no. I don't think
I can cross a lot of friends a tattoo. Nah,
that would be crossing the line. Yep, you're totally right.
I would not get a friend's tattoo. You're you're you're
(24:50):
asking yourself in your head, your your eyes are moving. Yeah,
would you actually you get a quote. No, I don't
think I would get a wow. Though I would, I don't.
That's hard to say because here's the thing, because I'm
also attatched tooo fan. I'm a tattoo fan, So I
(25:11):
feel like there are ways to get a tattoo that
are a nod to or that perhaps would incorporate something
that if you looked at it, nobody would ever be like, oh,
that's our friend's tattoo. Would I do that? I maybe
I would not put it past myself to do that.
It wouldn't get an entire like phoebe sleep. No, no,
(25:36):
I would not get as sleep. But you know, like, yeah, no,
I wouldn't get a pous sleep. But I don't know,
like if something came up and it were the right thing,
I because I here's what I'm thinking about, Here's what
I here's what I'm thinking about. My friend and I
(25:59):
happened to be listening to the Banana Pancakes song by
Jack Johnson quite a bit over the course of one
really fun weekend. And so now every every time we
hear banana Pancakes, we hear the song. I see a
stack of them. I'm eating banana pancakes. We always share
that with each other. And I literally found this cute
(26:19):
little cartoon like stack of banana pancakes. I'm like, oh,
I would totally get this tattoo. So that's why I
say something ridiculous like no, I'd never get a friend's tattoo.
But then something stupid like that happens, and I'm just
that sentimental. And I do love friends, and I do
also love tattoos, so I would not put it past
myself to do something. Never say never. This is the
(26:43):
perfect place to stop this momentum. Thank you for your confession. Yes,
this is fun. I feel really good. I appreciate it. Okay,
I'm gonna put friends back on chapter two. In every
episode of Eking Out, I see if I can trade
one thing I've discovered with one thing that my guest
(27:05):
has discovered, a friendly exchange. I call it trade ja. Okay,
so this part of the podcast is called trade Jah.
So every guest that's on, we kind of turn each
other onto something that we've just discovered that where we like,
don't have to be big, doesn't have to be a
something you get a tattoo of. But I love that's
(27:27):
where that went. Um So and I'll start, just to
give you time to think. Think, Um, I'm actually it's
on my body right now, these shoes. Have you ever
seen these shoes? I hope, but they're really cute. Things
are called all birds, all right, and they're made of wool,
(27:48):
sweet and so it's there a sock. They're supposed to
be worn without socks. So the shoe itself is also
a sock. And it's a L L B, I R
D s albirds And they come in different colors men
and women. And this is the most comfortable shoe now.
And I don't know if they're you know, like, I
(28:10):
don't know if they're great for me, but it's like
flip flops with a sock on it. That's awesome, Okay,
Because I don't know where you buy it. I got
them online. That's amazing. Your shoe game is always strong,
now strong, but this is particularly good because I know you.
And one of the things that I've found out with
(28:32):
this these shoes is that, um, you just put them
in the washing machine and you wash them and you
leave them out to dry overnight, and they're dry and
they're awesome again the next day. I love that. I'm
gonna have to look at those because I was actually
shoes shopping earlier today and they look they look like
they're structured tennis shoes. Yeah, they really talked to me.
(28:54):
You're like, oh my gosh, that's a sweatshirt. Yeah. They're
really soft and they're breathaball and even if your feet stink,
you can throw them in the last my feet. My
feet stink, so that and I like foot flaps blasts
if that's very good. Yeah, I know those are really cute.
All right, Um, here's what I'm gonna offer, and I'm
(29:18):
gonna offer it. It's not necessarily new to me, but
I find that I suggested to people more often than
anything else that I suggest. And it's an app buzz marketing.
Here you go. It's an app called Turbo Scan. When
I bought it years ago, it was cents. I think now,
(29:38):
because I've told so many people over the course of
time that they need it, it might be to um,
but literally it's the best thing you can facts and
scan and do everything and store important documents in your
phone and it's not just in your photos and that way.
Like literally I was I had to go to FedEx
Kinko's because I had to drop something off at that
(30:01):
X and there was a woman there who was going
to facts something, um you know what I mean, because
she had the document and she didn't know and she
had an iPhone. And they literally said, Okay, I understand
why you're here and all, but check out the app
called Turbo Scan and you'll never have to come here again.
You can do it all on your phone. And she
(30:23):
was like, are you kidding me? And I was like yeah.
I was like, because you can just take a picture
of it on your phone, you create a document. I said,
you can just do it all right there. It's Tune nine.
You only ever have to pay for at once and
you never have to come back. And she's like, thanks
so much, and it's again turbo Scan. Yeah, I need
you really? Do you really do? Yep? And I do
(30:43):
things I find like because I'm an assistant. This is
on tailing of that, like important documents that I need
to have at a moment's notice, like my boss's insurance
card or a copy of her passport or something that
I might need really quickly just to email somebody to
get her something. I also keep those oh man, now
somebody listens podcasts and steals my phone but I also
(31:08):
keep those secret documents that I don't want. If anybody
were to pick up my phone, they just can't find
those exactly. You would have to know, so it's like
a secret place to store important stuff. I love this
accept all right, Boom can look at that. They should endorse. Shoot,
they really should, seriously, I recommend it at least once
a month. Not and to random strange, there's no aren't
(31:30):
even looking for a recommending, just any time. Thanks for
being on the podcast. Things were in finding me. I'm
so glad. I's like a joy thing. As on the
episode Behind my Shoulder, See, yeah, it's so great. Boy.
There's a lot of nineties centric style. Yeah, oh, the
(31:52):
chunky shoes. And maybe that's also why I relate to
Phoebe because her style was sort of you know, she's
a hippie at heart. I kind of. Wait. Was brack
Hit married Jennifer Emerson during Man which he was dating
Mock on the show. No, they were old. They both
(32:13):
used to be fat in high school, right, and then
they bumped into each other and she invites him over
for whatever. And that's why Rachel doesn't remember him because
he was because he was not and he didn't pay
attention to the fat people in high school, like Monica
or Ross because Ross was a dweeve. Well yeah, well
he and Ross said that I hate Rachel Fan Club.
(32:34):
I don't remember this for you not to cut I
can't say it, but it's then. They also refer to
the fact that there was one other kid, an exchange, Judd,
but he didn't know why he was a member. Yeah,
good episodes. That's what I'm saying. Thank you, You're welcome,
thank you, I love you. Chapter three me geeking out
(33:01):
on music TV theme songs today, I want to talk
about TV theme songs. I love them. When I was
about fourteen, I wanted to learn to play the bass,
and I asked my mentor, Dug at the local music store,
what is the best way to learn to play bass,
and he told me go sit in front of the
TV and learn the base lines to primetime TV show themes.
(33:26):
I realized that there was no way that I was
going to sit in front of the TV with a
bass amp and get along with my parents at the
same time. So I learned this weird trick that if
I put the side of my head against the body
of the bass, I could hear it through my skull
and not bother anybody. So I started to learn to
play bass from the TV shows like Barney Miller or
(33:59):
Sanford and Sign or The Jefferson's. Since then, I've always
paid attention to the music and starts a show, a melody, rhythm,
(34:23):
a lyric that immediately takes me to the show that
it's from. I can't even separate them anymore. Let's play
a game, for instance, guess this one for this one
or even this. I couldn't help myself thinking about my
(34:51):
conversation with Ruth and how I remember being in the
Atlantic Records office in mid waiting on our Billy Pilgrim
record to come out, and digging through the c D
closet where we would get free copies of albums by
other artists on the same label. And I picked up
a rem Brand's album, and I remember, and my memory
(35:15):
needs to be judged on a curve of a year
old in New York, probably hungover, but I remember someone
saying they are probably going to get dropped from the label.
Things aren't selling like they used to on this band.
I wasn't familiar with their music, but within a few
months their song was the theme song for Friends, and
(35:36):
I can imagine everything changed for them, probably forever. I
was proud every time a Billy Pilgrim's song made it
onto a TV show. We had songs in bay Watch
(35:57):
and Melrose Plays and even My so called Life. I'm
very proud of that, but we never had a theme song.
As sugar Land started to get wings and then kind
of lift off, I kept it in the back of
my mind a dream to one day write a TV
theme song. I would take a stab at almost anything. Um,
(36:21):
I'm gonna play you some of these uh here. We
took a swing at a theme song for Chelsea Handler's
talk show, thinking that Jennifer and I would write a
melody that was super catchy but with irreverent lyrics just
like Chelsea Chelsea Lately Shoes. It's one stands something girl.
(37:00):
So she didn't use it obviously, but we thought it
was awesome. Next, my brother Brandon and I got a
shot at writing a theme song to a new animated
show for Disney called Wander Over Yonder, and they wanted
a science fiction jug band feel, and so we decided
(37:22):
to use crazy noisemakers and traditional toy instruments, and I
wrote some crazy lyrics and even sang in a character voice. Well.
They used our theme at Comic Con the year that
they presented the pilot, but the company eventually picked another option.
When it went to air. It was a near miss,
but it was awesome. This is it. Do your part,
(38:04):
as you might imagine, because of course, the world works
in the strangest ways. I finally got a theme song,
but mostly it was an accident. I was asked to
be on a show about wedding dress shopping called Say
Yes to the Dress, and while there, um I met
the producer who mentioned music for the show, and I
(38:25):
immediately raised my hand and offered. So we agreed I
would take a shot at a song, maybe to just
anchor the episode that I was going to appear on.
I went home the next afternoon, back to Atlanta and
wrote a song for her, and I sent it and
I got worried that I hadn't heard back from her.
Maybe she didn't like it, maybe it was the wrong
vibe or the wrong feel. But I come to find
(38:48):
out a week later that she actually loved it and
wondered if it could be the theme song for the show,
and I said, of course, it's called Forever Now, kiss Me,
(39:11):
feel my Heart, day, take me down, and White, Let
me me who then stock Forever now for take my Heart.
(39:39):
Fast forward to last weekend and I'm getting my hair
cut down the street and the lady cutting my hair
is covered in awesome tattoos, like both sleeves across her chest.
She has pink hair. She's seven times cooler than I
will ever be. And she starts talking, you know, the
way hairdressers do when you don't talk back to him.
(40:00):
And she confessed that yesterday she had stayed in all
day watching us say yes to dress Marathon. And I
started the smile, and then I started laughing. She thought
I was laughing at her addiction, maybe to the show,
and I apologized and said, it's not you, it's it's
totally me. I actually wrote and sing the theme song
(40:22):
to that show. And she she was like, no, are
you kidding? Forever now, Oh my god? Really, can we
take a picture, you know, when I'm finished cutting your hair?
And of course I said yes, And uh, she has
no idea that I have a country band, or before that,
I had a rock band. She just knows this song
(40:43):
because it's her favorite show. So next time, you click
on Netflix or Hulu, or turn on the TV and
a show start. Pay attention to the music that you hear,
look up who wrote it. Enjoy the deep dive on
the soundtrack just below the story. You never know what
you might. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Geeking
(41:16):
Out and we are already hard at work on the
next one. Are you obsessed with something amazing? I want
to tell us about it. Right to us at geeking
Out with KB at gmail dot com and you might
be a guest on an upcoming episode. Come find out
more about me and this podcast at Christian Bush dot com,
Christian with a K people follow me at Christian Bush
(41:38):
on Twitter, Christian Bush on Instagram, Christian Bush on Facebook,
and Christian M. Bush on Snapchat. Thanks to Bobby Bones
for the opportunity to make this podcast, Briana Bush for
making the soundtrack and assembling the pieces, Tom Tapley for
audio wizardry, and Whitney Pastrick for being a great producer
and making this whole thing possible. This is Christian Bush
Geeking Out. Thank you for listening.
Hello, this is Christian Bush and welcome to episode six
of Geeking Out, my new podcast. Every episode is a
new person talking about what they're obsessed with that has
nothing to do with their job. The only requirement is
that they're totally geeking out on it and they want
(00:21):
to talk about it. From Mickey Mouse backpacks to knock
off Jettie highball glasses, from do it yourself guitar pedals
to CrossFit achievement tattoos, from indoor bouldering to collecting seventies
lunch boxes. Tell me about what you love, why you
love it, how you got into it, and what makes
it awesome. Every episode is presented in three chapters. Chapter one,
(00:44):
my guest and I talk about what they're obsessed with.
Chapter two is a game I called trade It, where
my guest and I turn each other onto one thing
that we've discovered. And chapter three closes the show with
me talking about music that I'm currently geeking out on.
And one I believe that curiosity is contagious and the
life is better with a soundtrack, So let's go Chapter one.
(01:09):
Today's guest is Ruth Bennett, who works as an assistant
for a writer and an executive producer in the TV
and film business. She's a proud Michigander who splits her
time between l A and Nashville. She loves dogs and
her laugh is completely contagious. My producer Whitney, and I
went to her apartment in Santa Monica to talk about
her obsession, which you can probably guess based on the
(01:33):
music that's playing right now, that was still this way
everybody breath it Okay, where are we? We are in
Santa Monica, California, in my apartment. Yes, and we're in
(01:55):
the path of the Santa Monica Airport. So yeah, sanamunic
Airport annoying planes. Well here comes on now there it
is okay, I love it, um And so what do
you What is it that you do for a little
I am an assistant to an executive producer, writer director
in the entertainment television film Yeah, and what what does that?
(02:19):
What does does that mean that you do? Ever? That
means well, most of my day is spent watching television
movie reading scripts, reading books that are potential projects coming
in for her, giving her my thoughts ideas if there's
a project going on, setting meetings, scheduling, also doing things
like watching her dogs. Like literally doing it. Also, she
(02:42):
can focus on what she needs to and what would
you be obsessed with that you would like to confess
at this time? Welcome to the confession. Well, I will confess,
and I'm proud, like I don't need to hide and
confessional Like I'm all loud and proud about it. But
I'm a huge Friends fan and have been since day one.
(03:03):
I know it's twenty bazillion years old, but I still
watch at least an hour of Friends every day. It's comforting,
it's part of my routine. I cannot get through a
day without an episode of Friends. So yeah, a lot
of people. I mean, I don't discuss it with people,
but I would just started. Yes, I mean clearly, I'll
(03:25):
talk about it on a podcast. Clearly, we'll talk about
it on a podcast. Um. So just to be clear
for people that are maybe too young to understand this, Uh,
this is Friends the TV show. Yes, Friends TV show,
the ensemble, which is actually playing in the background right now,
because I thought it was appropriate when you guys came
over that I would be playing let the record show
Ruth watching the episode over my shoulder. Wow, I'm actually
(03:49):
facing her. I have done it in bed for to No,
I'm just kidding. Have it on the background, were watching
h This is the Halloween episode I believe of season eight.
When when did this begin begin during the original seasons?
(04:09):
Oh yeah, right away because it came out when I
was a freshman in college. And wow, because I'm old
and kids today don't know how this goes. But like
when I went to school, you know, I went to college.
You know, communal TVs were like a thing or there
were big shows and it was appointment television. You weren't
going to watch it if you didn't catch it. So
(04:30):
and this was one of the things where all the
girls on my floor we would all be like, oh yeah,
I'm gonna watch Friends Thursday nights, and so it was
like a thing. It was very relatable and we all,
you know, wanted to live in New York. We're downe
with theater schools, who were like, yeah, I want that
apartment that will be a part of my life. So yeah,
that's right from the beginning. Hooked. Yeah, And I do
(04:50):
think that's a good point that back in the day, kids,
if you didn't have a VCR with you at college,
you had to find the TV in the dorm. Communal room. Yeah.
We used to all gather around for Beverly Hills Man,
yes and place. Yeah, totally the same type of thing.
(05:10):
So Friends was that for us? When did you start
to realize that this was something beyond just maybe being
a fan of the TV show, like it would be
any other TV show you watched. Um, Well, I think
because now twenty five years later, I'm still watching it.
I know every episode by heart, like I know what's
(05:32):
going to come up next, I know the punchlines. Yet
I still I literally watch it every day, So I think,
And maybe when it was ending, you know, I remember
as a kid like shows what end, Like I remember
Mash ending, and it was very sad, and it was like,
you know, clearly I do work in television, so television
is important. But I remember so vividly, like the lead
(05:56):
up to the end of Friends, like how emotionally like upset,
Like they were on Oprah together and they would do
all of these interviews and I would be like crying,
like I was having like anxiety and panic attack that
Friends was ending and then I wasn't gonna be able
to watch it. Yeah. I was with Rebecca, my best friend,
Rebecca Um and we both and it was and so
I just knew them like I was really affected, like
(06:18):
it was I was affected by it and so yeah,
so it's slowly just been a slow burn something to do,
like yeah, get rid of Yeah, so funny. Did you
own them on all the different mediums? Like did you
own the episodes? What? How did you first start to
rewatch them? Um? Well, you know it's been on syndication
(06:39):
on TBS and oh wow, that's like buzz marketing for them.
But it's always been on syndication, TV Land, TBS and
it's always come back. And yes, I did have DVDs
for a really long time now over the course of
time because I've cut everything down, like I have only
my favorite CDs left. Um, I don't have them anymore
(07:00):
or but yep, I had. But you also had to
buy them per season. And because I've been so broke
over the course of my life, like I've never had
a whole Friend set. I've only ever purchased like seasons
that I wanted. Uh yeah, so I've had that as well.
Have you had to pick a favorite Friends season? M h,
(07:21):
which one is it? They made ten seasons altogether, and
season eight is my absolute favorite. My favorite arc, like
the three storylines like when I am low and I
just need to like recharge my batteries or I just
need something to make me feel good. I will watch
the three episode arc of when Rachel when they all
(07:43):
figure out that Ross is Rachel's baby's dad, right, so,
and that is called these ones. I do know that
is the one with the red sweater, and then the
one after that is the one where Rachel tells So
that's the one where Ross finds out, and then the
one after that is the one with the videotape. Just
hands down my favorite Friends episode ever, Like yeah, it's
(08:04):
the bomb, and it shows how Emma came to me,
which is amazing. This is amazing. This happened with other
TV shows uniquely, like this is nope, um Sex in
the City. For a while I was watching that, but
that was because I did not watch Sex in the
City as it was happening. I didn't couldn't afford HBO,
(08:27):
so I was a little behind the curb on that one.
It wasn't something that I watched all the way through
when was a fan of from the start. Though I
have gone back and I do appreciate it and have
watched seple of times, but again, nothing, nothing is comforted me.
Nothing is Friends. That leads me to the sex in
the city correlation leads me to the most important question,
(08:47):
which friend do you most identify with? Okay, let's dig
into actually the show itself. Okay, see, and I think
that this is hard because I think part of what's
her feel about Friends is that you sort of see
yourself in all of them. Right though, I feel like
I most identify with Phoebe because she is sort of nonsensical.
(09:12):
She's really funny, you know what I mean, she just
kind of I don't she's the mom, even though she's
the most irresponsible, you know, because she's just sort of
sort of what you need, and she's got this magical
like little I don't know, she's she's sort of like
the fairy who. Okay, there's a theory you haven't heard about,
(09:33):
the fan theory where the whole premise like that Friends
takes place those are my neighborhood children. Friends takes place
inside Phoebe's head and she's a homeless person. So that
is like, yeah, like theory yes on the internet that
that is like the real story behind Friends is that
(09:55):
the entire story of Friends is that Phoebe is a
homeless persondent to takes place in her brain. So recently
I've gone back and watched it thinking that, and that
actually kind of makes sense. But because because she is
so nonsensical, because she she actually like she treats. She's
the rudest, like she is the most means. She says
(10:18):
the meanest stuff to each one of them, you know
what I mean. She takes them to task and she's
the most brutally honest. Yet she is also very loving
and very sweet and um even when they're like all
sort of spinning out of control. She's real, folks, even
though she's crazy, she's like the center. She's sort of
(10:40):
the focus one. She's the one you can come back
to because you can always rely that she's going to
be the most Phoebe. And that's sort of why I
relate to her. And I don't relate to Rachel at all.
I mean, I do relate to Rachel, but you know,
like popular, cute, little a little girl La, not so
much Monica. I totally relate to Monica, except Monica is
(11:01):
a little O C D like her competitiveness, but she's
also way to O c D. That's super O c D.
But yes, and Monica and her relationship with her brother,
love it, love it, Grassy poo. I faintly remember in
the back of my brain that before Friends came on,
(11:22):
I saw Phoebe as a character in another TV show.
Is that true about Ursula, that is her twin sister Ursula?
And is that how Friends became Friends? Is that it was? No?
Do you know the answer to this? It just seems
like this is the o G they needs, the o
(11:43):
G of Friends, right, connection is NBC? Yes, and the
production company I think so Crane and Crane are the
two there behind what was that showing mad about? Yes?
And Ursula is a waitress at I didn't watch that show. Yeah,
(12:07):
I was completely with real and it was a it
was a boy thing. I was just I had a crush.
Even the question is this because your friends obsession extend
to the extended friends family? Like did you did you
follow them all into movies into their other shows? Yes?
(12:31):
Actually I have because yeah, and I never would have
thought about that until right now, but I sure have.
And there are things that I think that are like,
for example, I don't think David Twimmer is a really
terrific actor. I mean, it's so funny thing about it.
If you are ever listening, David tim I'm terribly sorry,
(12:51):
but anyway, but I think he's a fantastic director, like
some of the things that he's done. Um, yes, so
I have absolute Really Matthew Perry, God bless him. I've
enjoyed his shows except for The Odd Couple, which I
don't like. I love Jennifer Anderson. I'll watch anything that
she's in because she's a cool check Courtney Cox. I've
loved everything that she has been in. Cougar Town was
(13:13):
again a really good one. Yeah, totally have. The answer
is yes, thank you for helping me put that together.
Oh my god. Well okay, and here's the thing is
that Lisa Kudro I think is one of the best
female comedic actresses. I think her comic timing The Comeback,
which is the show, I mean, it was so painful
(13:36):
and so amazing and so wonderful and and she's and
that's part of why I love Phoene so much, because
she'll just deliver these little lines and just get in there.
And that is Lisa Coudro knowing how to deliver that line.
And bringing it to that character. And I also think
that that's part of the reason why Friends worked so much,
that they were just truly a great ensemble cast and
(13:58):
they all played to their ranks. And yeah, that's part
of what I love too. Yeah. Yeah. Have you ever
bought anything for your apartment to replicate things in Friends?
I have not, but I have bought friends like paraphernalia.
Like I had a big friend's coffee mug once. That
(14:20):
was my favorite mug and then it broke. I had
a friend zip a hoodie sweatshirt which I bought from.
One of the first lot tours I did when I
moved to Los Angeles was to go to the w
Bee Law and I bought friends gear there and I
wore that until it just died. So I have had
different things, but no, I have not like the door
(14:41):
frame or anything but the people covered. No. I've also
never had a people never. No, never had myself. My
question is because you know the generation below ours, So
Ruth and I are forty two ish, give or take,
you'd never know to look at us, um the generation
right blowers, the thirty two year olds, are equally as
(15:03):
obsessed with friends, even though they were like seven when
the show came out. Why do you think it resonates
with them as well? I think they were watching it
at TV Land. And here is why I say this,
because it's even even a slightly younger generation. Again when
I first moved here, so I was taking care of
this family, um, and they had three wonderful kids, and
(15:27):
they're all now like the youngest one that I it's
how I came to be with them because he went
to school with my god daughter. Um. He now just
a freshman in college. Boy. Um. But they were friends
with Marta Kaufman and they would go to friends takings
all the time, right, So I think that they watched that.
So they watched it too, even though they were young
(15:49):
like that age because that's when Friends was finishing. So
you have they were in fifth and sixth grade his
oldest sister, right, So you have them that started watching it.
But I feel like all of these other kids have
now also been watching it on TV Land, you know
what I mean, And it's just such a part of
their like I love Lucy, you know what I mean.
Like for us, I love Lucy was around and it
(16:11):
was something that you turned on. It was on when
you're after school. So I think that for these kids
growing up at the back end of it and then
having it immediately go into syndication, you know, and being
a part of just the cultural phenomenon that it was,
I think that that that plays a part definitely about
(16:32):
the story that resonates. Do you think, what why do
people stick with it? Stick with friends because you can't
identify with the apartment or their jobs or they're even
like their clothes, because that's not attainable. But I think no,
And honestly, when you really look at it, like there's
the whole will Fell suscension of dislief, there are certain
(16:55):
things that you don't really want to pay attention to
those of us that know New York. No, that that's
a huge, huge apartment and there's no way and how
that they were ever going to afford that, And yes,
you can break it down like that. So yeah, but
that doesn't change the fact that we all have a
group of friends that you've all grown up with, you know,
like these like so the characters in the show have
(17:15):
known each other some since that you know, our brother
and sister clearly, some since early childhood, you know, some
since college. So we all can sort of relate to that,
and having your posse of friends still be friends and
have this sort of communal life, you know, in your
early twenties and being fairly successful like that is kind
(17:37):
of you know, the dream of it all. Let's just
keep you know, high school going, or you know, let's
just so yeah, I think that that's totally relatable, and
it again is very comforting and homie and you're like, oh, yeah,
I wouldn't it be great. I've lived with my best
friend and dated my other best friend and we had
you know, so it's also completely unrealistic if you think
about that, you know, like, I mean, yes, I have
(18:00):
a core group of I think back on college had
a core group of you know, six to eight friends
that were always together. They were always hanging out at
my house and we as a pack did things and
in different circles. Yeah, we also had a larger circle
that was way more inclusive, you know. But then again,
that doesn't make it for a good twenty twenty eight
(18:21):
minutes story on TV What's a week? What episode do
you think may be the most uncomfortable? Maybe the most uncomfortable, okay,
are the ones where Phoebe's real mo like, um, Phoebe
given you know, the triplets away, there's like a whole
little thing where she's like, just ask if I can
(18:42):
keep one, you know what I mean? Like those things
make you start of uncomfortable, and when she when her
little heart strings are being pulled on, that does uncomfortable.
But I don't know other than that. But I also
don't like in general, when like sit coms are trying
to be poignant. I want them just to be funny.
(19:04):
You know. I realized everybody has a message or whatever,
and I don't see this as a rule, but as
a rule, I really want them just to be like funny.
So any of them that try to like really send
a message, like, leave that to my drama. What are
your favorite jokes? Um, Usually they're just lines, Yes, well,
(19:27):
all of the ones that you see on the memes,
like he's you know, he's her lobster, ms chinandeler bong
you know from the episode, and they're playing trivia like
all of those things. Yes, so, and those are relatable,
But I find that my favorite favorite moments are very subtle. Um,
(19:50):
I was bringing at Phoebe, So I'm gonna give one
to Ross David Swimmer. There's the episode where Monica and
Chandler are trying to get pregnant and they're doing it
all over and Chandler fakes it because he doesn't really
think that he wants to get pregnant right now. And
two times in that episode, Ross happens to be in
the apartment when Monica says something completely inappropriate, the same
(20:11):
I'm your brother, And the second time he's looking for
a tie, and so Chandler like delivers the blow like,
you know, I you couldn't get pregnant because I faked it,
And she was like what And all of a sudden,
you ever cut straws and me it was like, I
don't really need a tie, you know. It's just like
(20:32):
the way he delivers it. It's not really a joke,
but it's such a perfect moment. You're like, yeah, So
those are really my favorite, I mean, in addition to
all of the classics. So if somebody has never watched
Friends that's you know, living under a rock, or maybe
they're just younger, where would you start them? Like? How
(20:56):
if you wanted to help someone go into your obsession world?
How how would you get on there? Um? Interesting, So
Angelina had actually asked a while ago because she was
never a huge fan of Friends, she didn't watch it religiously,
and she was doing something and she put up on Facebook.
(21:16):
She's like, Okay, I feel like I really just need
to get into Friends and watch some of the best
you know, and try to figure it out. Where do
I begin. It's what she said and what I say, Um,
Friends has a Thanksgiving thing. I mean, you know, all
TV shows have their holiday shows, but Friends Thanksgiving episodes
are like a thing. And so I say, any Thanksgiving
(21:36):
episode of Friends, if you're new to Friends, you can
just start and just watch the Thanksgiving episode from each
season and that would be a good little snippet, you know. Um. Also,
clearly in the three episode of Art that I said,
so that does sort of give it all away. So
maybe I shouldn't suggest that people that are new because
you want to you kind of want to get it,
but everybody knows. Like that's the thing is that people
(21:59):
that have a watch Friends, you sort of like know,
like you know about the cheesier lobster and the Ross
and Rachel and how it all ends up. So yeah,
so maybe I would suggest then that three episode arc
in season eight. Um, and hands down like the funniest,
I mean, of all of the Thanksgiving episodes. The Lone
Brad Pitt is really hilarious and it's one of my
(22:21):
favorites again just of all time, Like that's one of
the best. Which side that is flashback episode that is
one of the Thanksgivings is like a Thanksgiving flashback. So
what they do is they just flash back to Thanksgivings
that haven't actually been on the air, but it's just
(22:43):
like different Thanksgivings in time before and so that is
in I think that might be season seven word Monica
and Chandler are engaged and they're going back because they're
revealing things that had happened, like Monica had cut off
Chandler's toll on accident way back. You don't want to
(23:04):
go there? Yeah, man, god, it's such a good show.
So do you think the show will survive the test
of time? You think that thirty forty years from now
it would be like an I love loosely? Yeah? Does
it feel that way to you or is it it does? Actually?
(23:25):
I think I think it stands up. So maybe not,
because you have, like the Andy Greta show, things that
do do this leave it to beaver, you know things
that kids still watch and that are on TV. Yeah, no,
I do. I think it will. I mean, it might
(23:46):
not be as hetty, and it might not always deliver
those saying you know, might not get so poignant and
deliver an impactful message, but I think it does still resonate.
Does your love grow for the as you watch it
more and more? Do you think you plateau? No, it
grows more and more. Is there in your mind? Is
(24:07):
there a line that's too far? Will I cross the
friend's line? No? No, And here's the thing, So I
take all those quizzes, which friend are you? You know?
Where would you have lived? Like? Who would have been
your perfect friends? So I take those quizzes. And I'm
(24:28):
not a person who takes quizzes online, but if it's
a friends one, I'm gonna take it. Gilmore girls too,
but friends, Yeah, it's crazy, it's no. I don't think
I can cross a lot of friends a tattoo. Nah,
that would be crossing the line. Yep, you're totally right.
I would not get a friend's tattoo. You're you're you're
(24:50):
asking yourself in your head, your your eyes are moving. Yeah,
would you actually you get a quote. No, I don't
think I would get a wow. Though I would, I don't.
That's hard to say because here's the thing, because I'm
also attatched tooo fan. I'm a tattoo fan, So I
(25:11):
feel like there are ways to get a tattoo that
are a nod to or that perhaps would incorporate something
that if you looked at it, nobody would ever be like, oh,
that's our friend's tattoo. Would I do that? I maybe
I would not put it past myself to do that.
It wouldn't get an entire like phoebe sleep. No, no,
(25:36):
I would not get as sleep. But you know, like, yeah, no,
I wouldn't get a pous sleep. But I don't know,
like if something came up and it were the right thing,
I because I here's what I'm thinking about, Here's what
I here's what I'm thinking about. My friend and I
(25:59):
happened to be listening to the Banana Pancakes song by
Jack Johnson quite a bit over the course of one
really fun weekend. And so now every every time we
hear banana Pancakes, we hear the song. I see a
stack of them. I'm eating banana pancakes. We always share
that with each other. And I literally found this cute
(26:19):
little cartoon like stack of banana pancakes. I'm like, oh,
I would totally get this tattoo. So that's why I
say something ridiculous like no, I'd never get a friend's tattoo.
But then something stupid like that happens, and I'm just
that sentimental. And I do love friends, and I do
also love tattoos, so I would not put it past
myself to do something. Never say never. This is the
(26:43):
perfect place to stop this momentum. Thank you for your confession. Yes,
this is fun. I feel really good. I appreciate it. Okay,
I'm gonna put friends back on chapter two. In every
episode of Eking Out, I see if I can trade
one thing I've discovered with one thing that my guest
(27:05):
has discovered, a friendly exchange. I call it trade ja. Okay,
so this part of the podcast is called trade Jah.
So every guest that's on, we kind of turn each
other onto something that we've just discovered that where we like,
don't have to be big, doesn't have to be a
something you get a tattoo of. But I love that's
(27:27):
where that went. Um So and I'll start, just to
give you time to think. Think, Um, I'm actually it's
on my body right now, these shoes. Have you ever
seen these shoes? I hope, but they're really cute. Things
are called all birds, all right, and they're made of wool,
(27:48):
sweet and so it's there a sock. They're supposed to
be worn without socks. So the shoe itself is also
a sock. And it's a L L B, I R
D s albirds And they come in different colors men
and women. And this is the most comfortable shoe now.
And I don't know if they're you know, like, I
(28:10):
don't know if they're great for me, but it's like
flip flops with a sock on it. That's awesome, Okay,
Because I don't know where you buy it. I got
them online. That's amazing. Your shoe game is always strong,
now strong, but this is particularly good because I know you.
And one of the things that I've found out with
(28:32):
this these shoes is that, um, you just put them
in the washing machine and you wash them and you
leave them out to dry overnight, and they're dry and
they're awesome again the next day. I love that. I'm
gonna have to look at those because I was actually
shoes shopping earlier today and they look they look like
they're structured tennis shoes. Yeah, they really talked to me.
(28:54):
You're like, oh my gosh, that's a sweatshirt. Yeah. They're
really soft and they're breathaball and even if your feet stink,
you can throw them in the last my feet. My
feet stink, so that and I like foot flaps blasts
if that's very good. Yeah, I know those are really cute.
All right, Um, here's what I'm gonna offer, and I'm
(29:18):
gonna offer it. It's not necessarily new to me, but
I find that I suggested to people more often than
anything else that I suggest. And it's an app buzz marketing.
Here you go. It's an app called Turbo Scan. When
I bought it years ago, it was cents. I think now,
(29:38):
because I've told so many people over the course of
time that they need it, it might be to um,
but literally it's the best thing you can facts and
scan and do everything and store important documents in your
phone and it's not just in your photos and that way.
Like literally I was I had to go to FedEx
Kinko's because I had to drop something off at that
(30:01):
X and there was a woman there who was going
to facts something, um you know what I mean, because
she had the document and she didn't know and she
had an iPhone. And they literally said, Okay, I understand
why you're here and all, but check out the app
called Turbo Scan and you'll never have to come here again.
You can do it all on your phone. And she
(30:23):
was like, are you kidding me? And I was like yeah.
I was like, because you can just take a picture
of it on your phone, you create a document. I said,
you can just do it all right there. It's Tune nine.
You only ever have to pay for at once and
you never have to come back. And she's like, thanks
so much, and it's again turbo Scan. Yeah, I need
you really? Do you really do? Yep? And I do
(30:43):
things I find like because I'm an assistant. This is
on tailing of that, like important documents that I need
to have at a moment's notice, like my boss's insurance
card or a copy of her passport or something that
I might need really quickly just to email somebody to
get her something. I also keep those oh man, now
somebody listens podcasts and steals my phone but I also
(31:08):
keep those secret documents that I don't want. If anybody
were to pick up my phone, they just can't find
those exactly. You would have to know, so it's like
a secret place to store important stuff. I love this
accept all right, Boom can look at that. They should endorse. Shoot,
they really should, seriously, I recommend it at least once
a month. Not and to random strange, there's no aren't
(31:30):
even looking for a recommending, just any time. Thanks for
being on the podcast. Things were in finding me. I'm
so glad. I's like a joy thing. As on the
episode Behind my Shoulder, See, yeah, it's so great. Boy.
There's a lot of nineties centric style. Yeah, oh, the
(31:52):
chunky shoes. And maybe that's also why I relate to
Phoebe because her style was sort of you know, she's
a hippie at heart. I kind of. Wait. Was brack
Hit married Jennifer Emerson during Man which he was dating
Mock on the show. No, they were old. They both
(32:13):
used to be fat in high school, right, and then
they bumped into each other and she invites him over
for whatever. And that's why Rachel doesn't remember him because
he was because he was not and he didn't pay
attention to the fat people in high school, like Monica
or Ross because Ross was a dweeve. Well yeah, well
he and Ross said that I hate Rachel Fan Club.
(32:34):
I don't remember this for you not to cut I
can't say it, but it's then. They also refer to
the fact that there was one other kid, an exchange, Judd,
but he didn't know why he was a member. Yeah,
good episodes. That's what I'm saying. Thank you, You're welcome,
thank you, I love you. Chapter three me geeking out
(33:01):
on music TV theme songs today, I want to talk
about TV theme songs. I love them. When I was
about fourteen, I wanted to learn to play the bass,
and I asked my mentor, Dug at the local music store,
what is the best way to learn to play bass,
and he told me go sit in front of the
TV and learn the base lines to primetime TV show themes.
(33:26):
I realized that there was no way that I was
going to sit in front of the TV with a
bass amp and get along with my parents at the
same time. So I learned this weird trick that if
I put the side of my head against the body
of the bass, I could hear it through my skull
and not bother anybody. So I started to learn to
play bass from the TV shows like Barney Miller or
(33:59):
Sanford and Sign or The Jefferson's. Since then, I've always
paid attention to the music and starts a show, a melody, rhythm,
(34:23):
a lyric that immediately takes me to the show that
it's from. I can't even separate them anymore. Let's play
a game, for instance, guess this one for this one
or even this. I couldn't help myself thinking about my
(34:51):
conversation with Ruth and how I remember being in the
Atlantic Records office in mid waiting on our Billy Pilgrim
record to come out, and digging through the c D
closet where we would get free copies of albums by
other artists on the same label. And I picked up
a rem Brand's album, and I remember, and my memory
(35:15):
needs to be judged on a curve of a year
old in New York, probably hungover, but I remember someone
saying they are probably going to get dropped from the label.
Things aren't selling like they used to on this band.
I wasn't familiar with their music, but within a few
months their song was the theme song for Friends, and
(35:36):
I can imagine everything changed for them, probably forever. I
was proud every time a Billy Pilgrim's song made it
onto a TV show. We had songs in bay Watch
(35:57):
and Melrose Plays and even My so called Life. I'm
very proud of that, but we never had a theme song.
As sugar Land started to get wings and then kind
of lift off, I kept it in the back of
my mind a dream to one day write a TV
theme song. I would take a stab at almost anything. Um,
(36:21):
I'm gonna play you some of these uh here. We
took a swing at a theme song for Chelsea Handler's
talk show, thinking that Jennifer and I would write a
melody that was super catchy but with irreverent lyrics just
like Chelsea Chelsea Lately Shoes. It's one stands something girl.
(37:00):
So she didn't use it obviously, but we thought it
was awesome. Next, my brother Brandon and I got a
shot at writing a theme song to a new animated
show for Disney called Wander Over Yonder, and they wanted
a science fiction jug band feel, and so we decided
(37:22):
to use crazy noisemakers and traditional toy instruments, and I
wrote some crazy lyrics and even sang in a character voice. Well.
They used our theme at Comic Con the year that
they presented the pilot, but the company eventually picked another option.
When it went to air. It was a near miss,
but it was awesome. This is it. Do your part,
(38:04):
as you might imagine, because of course, the world works
in the strangest ways. I finally got a theme song,
but mostly it was an accident. I was asked to
be on a show about wedding dress shopping called Say
Yes to the Dress, and while there, um I met
the producer who mentioned music for the show, and I
(38:25):
immediately raised my hand and offered. So we agreed I
would take a shot at a song, maybe to just
anchor the episode that I was going to appear on.
I went home the next afternoon, back to Atlanta and
wrote a song for her, and I sent it and
I got worried that I hadn't heard back from her.
Maybe she didn't like it, maybe it was the wrong
vibe or the wrong feel. But I come to find
(38:48):
out a week later that she actually loved it and
wondered if it could be the theme song for the show,
and I said, of course, it's called Forever Now, kiss Me,
(39:11):
feel my Heart, day, take me down, and White, Let
me me who then stock Forever now for take my Heart.
(39:39):
Fast forward to last weekend and I'm getting my hair
cut down the street and the lady cutting my hair
is covered in awesome tattoos, like both sleeves across her chest.
She has pink hair. She's seven times cooler than I
will ever be. And she starts talking, you know, the
way hairdressers do when you don't talk back to him.
(40:00):
And she confessed that yesterday she had stayed in all
day watching us say yes to dress Marathon. And I
started the smile, and then I started laughing. She thought
I was laughing at her addiction, maybe to the show,
and I apologized and said, it's not you, it's it's
totally me. I actually wrote and sing the theme song
(40:22):
to that show. And she she was like, no, are
you kidding? Forever now, Oh my god? Really, can we
take a picture, you know, when I'm finished cutting your hair?
And of course I said yes, And uh, she has
no idea that I have a country band, or before that,
I had a rock band. She just knows this song
(40:43):
because it's her favorite show. So next time, you click
on Netflix or Hulu, or turn on the TV and
a show start. Pay attention to the music that you hear,
look up who wrote it. Enjoy the deep dive on
the soundtrack just below the story. You never know what
you might. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Geeking
(41:16):
Out and we are already hard at work on the
next one. Are you obsessed with something amazing? I want
to tell us about it. Right to us at geeking
Out with KB at gmail dot com and you might
be a guest on an upcoming episode. Come find out
more about me and this podcast at Christian Bush dot com,
Christian with a K people follow me at Christian Bush
(41:38):
on Twitter, Christian Bush on Instagram, Christian Bush on Facebook,
and Christian M. Bush on Snapchat. Thanks to Bobby Bones
for the opportunity to make this podcast, Briana Bush for
making the soundtrack and assembling the pieces, Tom Tapley for
audio wizardry, and Whitney Pastrick for being a great producer
and making this whole thing possible. This is Christian Bush
Geeking Out. Thank you for listening.
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