MuggleCast 138 Transcript
Show Intro
[Intro music begins]
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[Show music begins]
Macintosh Computer: Because MuggleCast is amazing, this is MuggleCast Episode 138 for March 25th, 2008.
[Music continues to play]
Andrew: All right, we’re coming off our big interview this week with Jim Dale. Big success, right, Micah?
Micah: Yeah. It was a really good interview.
Andrew: And I’m just going to bet and say that best interview ever with an audiobook narrator after Deathly Hallows.
Micah: It’s a safe bet.
Andrew: Hands down.
Mikey: Wow.
Eric: I’m going to bet and I’m going to say that we’ll be using that intro on all of our shows from now on.
Andrew: It was a lot of fun, we’re getting a lot of good feedback from it, so great success.
Mikey: Good job!
Andrew: Yes. We got another big show this week, so I don’t think we should waste any time. Also because I’m out of jokes. So we’ve got some rebuttals, we’ve got some voicemails, we’ve got some Muggle Mail, and Make the Connection. All the good stuff. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Mikey: And I’m Mikey B.
[Music continues to play]
News
Andrew: MuggleCast special guest news anchor Ash Jackson is in the MuggleCast News Center with the past week’s top Harry Potter news stories. Hey, Ash.
Ash: Thanks, and welcome to the MuggleCast News for March 25th, 2008. We’ve got interviews, curses, and movies cut in half. If the weekly Harry Potter News is a roller coaster, this week is the part where you’re roaring downhill at a mile a minute screaming at the top of your lungs. I’m Ash Jackson, let’s get to it.
An interview with J.K. Rowling was recently published by an Edinburgh student newspaper. The interview, however, was much more like a friendly conversation. The subject of the interview flows freely from discussing the strong support and dissent that Jo has received over the years as a result of writing her Harry Potter books to the few true life beyond the series. All the while, however, it’s evident that Jo is still as down to earth as any world famous person can be. In the interview she jokes that Dumbledore’s sexuality is a non-issue because, as she says, “It’s Dumbledore, for God’s sake. There are twenty things that are relevant to the story before his sexuality.” Later, while discussing her current and future writing projects, Jo explains that, though it is not currently on her schedule, she is always wanted to write a novel about a stand-up comedian. The full text of the interview can be found on the MuggleNet website.
And lastly, from the AustralianNews.com, the suggestion that the sixth film is cursed, citing a storm damage to movie sets, death threats from stalkers, and hijinx in Surrey involving special effects fog, and streakers. The article suggests that the actors feel the movie has been jinxed, though no direct sources are provided.
This is Ash Jackson thanking you for the chance to present the Harry Potter news for the week of March 25, 2008. And now back to your regularly scheduled MuggleCast.
Andrew: All right, great job, Ash!
Micah: You’re welcome… Oh! Sorry.
Andrew: Oh, man.
Eric: Oh, dude. Stepping on toes, there.
Micah: We didn’t do that in rehearsal.
Mikey: Oh, Micah. You’re funny.
Andrew: That wasn’t planned.
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
[Show music fades]
Andrew: Micah, you’re going to have to get back into the swing of things. It’s been, like, a month.
Micah: Yeah, it’s got to be quite awhile since I’ve done the news. You started it off, right? I think. A couple of episodes ago.
Andrew: I did it because you were being lazy one night and didn’t want to do it when I needed it.
Micah: That’s you’re take on it. Okay.
[Andrew and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: I think Micah has a completely different side of the story.
Micah: Yeah, that involved work, but, hey, you know, Andrew’s sounds a little bit better.
Andrew: I was working.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: I was working, but I had time to record it.
Micah: Yeah, you did, but I figured, you know, after how many consecutive weeks of doing the news, I could let Andrew give it a shot.
Andrew: Aw, thanks. You’re so nice. It was fun, though. I had fun imitating – doing a cheap impersonation of you.
Micah: Yeah? Yeah?
Andrew: See, I called it cheap because if I say an impersonation people will say, “That was the worse impression ever!” But…
Micah: It came close to being the worst ever.
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah.
Mikey: I think I do a worse one, so I give up.
Micah: Ben is pretty good. Did he do it once?
Andrew: Ben does it every…
Eric: Or twice or three hundred times.
Andrew: Ben always – what people don’t know is when we do the recorded shows when Ben used to come on to recorded shows, when I used to say, “All right, thanks, Micah” – oh, no, no, whenever I intro-ed you I would go, “And now Micah Tannenbaum with the news,” Ben would always go, “Thanks, Andrew.”
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: But I would always cut it out.
Micah: I was expecting it on the live show, too. I thought he was going to throw it in there but he didn’t.
News Discussion: David Heyman Interview
Andrew: He didn’t, no. If I intro-ed the news I’m sure it would have happened. Anyway, let’s move on to some news. Only one thing we really wanted to talk about this week: New interview with David Heyman on the split. This actually came out right after our live show, and this was with Empire Online, I believe. A nice, lengthy interview with David Heyman. They’re really opening up. I guess they just want a lot of press for this. But did you guys read this interview? It has some interesting information in it.
Mikey: Yeah, no, I just actually read it right before we, you know, started recording.
Micah: I remember recording something about this last week, right? I mean am I going crazy?
Andrew: Yeah, the lost episode of MuggleCast. No, no, the lost episode of MuggleCast, but we’re going to pretend like we didn’t do that.
Micah: Oh, okay.
Andrew: One interesting question asked to David Heyman was, “Did you get as far as trying to put a script together that would get everything into one film, or did it become obvious in discussions that it wouldn’t work?” And David Heyman’s answer, which is very interesting, is “No, it all came down to discussions. We just thought, ‘How are we going to approach this? Is this going to be a four and a half hour film?’ That’s probably what it would have been.” Really? Really? And David goes on to say that one of their main concerns was children – losing the interest of children. And I guess that makes sense, right? You don’t want to lose the interest of kids, but would they actually have made a four and a half hour film all in one?
Eric: I question that, but, again, it was in such preliminary discussion that no, they weren’t going to, because when it came time to really make the decision they decided to split it.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah. I agree with Eric on that, but, truthfully, if they were making a four and a half hour film, it would have been cut down to three hours, maximum.
Eric: Yeah, I really don’t think…
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: And editing. And, truthfully, you know, I have mixed feelings about the split. One, I’m kind of excited that they’re going to tell the story I feel a little bit more and spend a little bit more time on it, like they should. For Order of the Phoenix, biggest book, shortest movie. But at the same time it’s going to be the odd movie out. If you watch all the movies, they all have a pacing, and I’m wondering if what they’re going to do with the movie to really like – are they going to flush stuff out? Are they still going to cut the same amount of stuff and just kind of flesh certain things out?
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: But I’m not sure, you know.
Andrew: I don’t know.
Mikey: We’ll see.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: I’m excited.
Andrew: David also reiterates that they want it to be two separate films, each contain two separate plots, and, actually, in Muggle Mail this week we do have a couple interesting ideas. Actually, just one interesting idea, and I think there might be one voicemail about it. But another question David asks – or he is asked – is, “Obviously, there are people who will think that the decision to make two films is driven by a desire to make twice as much money. What do you say to that?” And, clearly, I think they’re already sort of getting fed up with this question. Heyman says, “The process went like this: The studio said to us, the filmmakers, ‘You decide what is best for the story.’ Alan Horn, the president of Warner Brothers, and Jeff Robinov, Warner Brother’s head of production, particularly Alan Horn, are complete Potter fans. He loves the franchise, loves the books, loves the films, and appreciates their importance to Warner Brothers on many levels.” Money. “But, above all else, he’s a fan, and he said he did not want to compromise the creative integrity of the films. He wants to end the series in the right way. He’s been very generous in the resources they’re given, but also in the freedom they’ve given us on each film.” He very clearly said, that “Steve Cloves, myself, David Yates, should make the decision and he would support that.” I don’t know. So what’s this basically saying was the decision to split it into two films didn’t come from high up. He said, “You decide…” well, maybe this isn’t a definitive explanation, but what he did say was, “You decide what is best for the story.” What do you guys think about this? I mean…
Eric: Well, they’re not going to say, “yes, we’re going to love how much money we’re going to get,” you know? But I think that it was really generous of him to explain a little bit of the process that, you know, this is – I think it’s kind of irrelevant if they are even happy about how much extra money, you know, that they’re going to get out of it. I think it would be the right thing to do. Maybe it would have been the right thing to do a few movies ago, too.
[The song “Money” by Pink Floyd starts to play]
Eric: But, you know, needless to say they’re doing it now and I think that the Warner Brothers guy – he says the people high up really appreciate the contribution that Harry Potter makes to the series. To me that sounds kind of like a money thing.
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: [sings] Money.
[Song continues]
Eric: And so that, you know, kind of think that the – kind of…
Mikey: [laughs] Okay.
Andrew: I really think it’s all about money.
Mikey: I don’t.
Micah: No?
Andrew: Why not, Mikey?
Mikey: Well, again, like the first point, it came down to discussions, you know. When they approach the film – like again I’m sure they’ve approached every film this way – when you flesh it out it’s probably, you know, like the books are pretty hefty books, except for maybe the first two, or maybe the first three. After that they’re pretty big in the sense that you can get a pretty long film out of it. Andrew, you going to keep with the music, really?
[Song ends]
Andrew: I’m not convinced, I’m not convinced.
Mikey: Okay.
Andrew: I don’t know.
Mikey: But really, you know, I can see now it’s like Harry Potter as a film, as a series, has it earned its dues. Basically, they could do whatever – the filmmakers kind of have the pull, you know, to go we can do whatever we want for the last two. And, you know, the – Warner Brothers is going to back him on it. And, truthfully, I can believe where it says, you know, Jeff Robinov – it was saying, hey let’s go ahead and give the fans, you know – ’cause remember we’ve – I’ve met, you know, David Heyman, and so have you, Andrew. He seems like a really down to earth person.
Andrew: No, no, no, yeah.
Mikey: He’s gone to MuggleNet, he’s – you know what I mean? I would say he’s very in touch with what the fans want and truthfully, one of the biggest complaints with all the films, which we’ve always complained about, is it’s not true enough to the book.
Andrew: I do agree with that, but um…
Mikey: And again, when they’re discussing it in this discussion process. Like, if they want to do the last book – think about how much, you know – yes, every Potter book we’ve always kind of put emphasis on and, you know, I wasn’t part of you guys when Half-Blood Prince came out, but Deathly Hallows, we put so much emphasis on it, and that’s because, what, it was the last one.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: That’s the same thing for them when it comes to movie making. But, you know, it’s in a couple of years later, but you have to go, okay, well the fans really wanted, you know – they put so much effort into reading the series all the way through, younger kids are into it, adults are into it. All their complaints are always about the movie not following the books close enough. If we’re trying to do the last film right for them, so that they have something to go out on, that they’re happy with, that they treasure…
Andrew: I do agree with that.
Mikey: It’s too long. And so it makes sense that they’re doing two, you know, two separate movies. What I do like is that they’re just kind of like some other movies that are released. They’re releasing them relatively close to each other. They’re like, what, six months apart, is what they said?
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah, it’s six months difference.
Mikey: So six months apart. So this is what’s going to happen. The first film is not going to be out on DVD yet.
Andrew: No, no, it will. It will. Didn’t we read somewhere that they are going to do that?
Mikey: Are they going to release it on DVD?
Andrew: I – well…
Mikey: Because six months could be the life of a film in the theater.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Right. We did discuss this in the…
Mikey: On the live show?
Andrew: On the live show, but I’m trying to remember, Micah, was there some sort of confirmation or was it…
Micah: Yeah, I thought we – I thought I remember us talking about the fact that they were going to release the first DVD…
Andrew: We did. That’s what we talked about.
Micah: …before the second movie came out.
Andrew: But, see, it’d make sense if they do that. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Like…
Micah: Well, you know, there’s a number of reasons.
Andrew: …take advantage of the Easter, you know, season…[laughs]…you know, parents get their kids gifts. And I guess it would be too close to the holiday – you wouldn’t be able to get it out for Christmas. I just think that they know if they put out the first one it’ll sell like crazy. They know if they put out the second one alone it’ll sell like crazy. They know if they put them together it would sell like crazy.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: So…
Micah: You know, if you do all three they’re going to sell like crazy three times. But…
Andrew: And then – and then along comes the complete collection – all eight movies together.
Micah: Exactly.
Andrew: There’s another thing.
Micah: I wanted to…
Mikey: On BluRay.
Micah: …go back to what Mikey was saying before about David Heyman. I don’t really think it’s about David Heyman, and…
Andrew: No, it’s not.
Micah: …it’s about Alan Horn, and it’s about Jeff Robinov, you know…
Andrew: And all the higher ups.
Micah: All the higher ups. At the end of the day, unfortunately, as much as they like Harry Potter, it’s about how much money are they bringing in.
Mikey: Oh no, I agree.
Micah: People who are arguing the fact that, oh, Deathly Hallows, if it’s going to be a three hour movie we’re not going to get everything into it, are the same people who are now turning around and arguing, well, they split the film into two because they want to make more money. So it’s kind of like a no-win situation for some of these people out there. You can’t make the argument both ways. Either you’re going to suck it up and deal with a three hour movie and, you know, not be upset that you only had to pay once to go to the theaters, or you’re just going to have to deal with the fact that you’re going to have to pay twice to go and know that, as a Harry Potter fan, you’re going to get almost everything in these two films.
Eric: Right, and…
Andrew: Yeah. I’ll tell you what. Warner Brothers was gloating months ago that the Harry Potter series was the top grossing franchise of all time. I’m sure this eighth movie – that could’ve played a little role. They want a little extra buffer to hang on to that most – money – franchise – thing.
Eric: Well, for quarterly, they want to have at least one more quarter of profit, you know.
Andrew: Right, for Harry Potter. That’s icing on the cake. Think: a whole additional movie. That’s going to – eight movies. Bond will never beat them. Ever.
Mikey: Yeah. Star Wars.
Andrew: Bond held the previous record for anyone who doesn’t know. You know, it’s just…
Mikey: Yeah, I agree, but, truthfully, you know, I can see where it came down to – the people up above said, “All right, the books were seven books, we knew it would go into seven,” and, truthfully, if the filmmakers wanted – I’m sure there was no pressure to split it into two, and I’m taking that with a grain of salt…
Andrew: I don’t think it was either. I would agree with that.
Mikey: But I’m saying, they may have suggested it. “Do you guys want to split it to give it, you know, longer, like you guys want?” I’ve been looking at the budget. The budget for each Harry Potter movie started out at 125 million dollars to 150 million. Their budget hasn’t gone much up. They threw a lot of money into this from the very beginning, and, truthfully…
Andrew: And there’s only so much you can use though at the same time. I mean, if they up the budget, what are they going to do with the money?
Mikey: Yeah, well, no. It comes…
Andrew: Well, special effects only cost that much.
Mikey: Well, special effects cost a lot of money, plus advertising still costs a lot.
Eric: Oh, they don’t need advertising for this film.
Andrew: The funny thing is they don’t, but they invest in it like crazy.
Mikey: Well, they’re going to have to.
Eric: What I’m thinking is that if they were to do one movie and it was really long, you know, they would be spending that much more money to have that many more shooting days to shoot all the scenes that aren’t going to get cut because they’re not breaking it down into an hour and a half movie. So they’re spending all this money on the locations and the shots and doing everything anyway making this long movie. They’re not going to see the turn around, then, in ticket sales because, you know, people will only have one movie to go to see. If they break it into two movies, a brilliant idea, and this doesn’t make them greedy, but a good idea then would to be to supplement all these extra days of shooting by making it two movies and that kind of rewards everyone.
Andrew: One thing that is interesting that I didn’t really think about was that you need Kreacher and Dobby in this movie, and we’ve heard in the past that House-elves are very expensive to create. I mean for obvious reasons, like Mikey was saying, all the additional work – man hours that you need to create these characters – so, yeah, I imagine the budget would have to go up a little bit, considering you’ve got to invest some money into Dobby and…
Mikey: And the big dragon, and the dragon they’re all riding on, and goblins, and, you know. Yes, goblins are actors but a lot of it is still CG. There’s so much.
Micah: And don’t forget the end scene too. You have House-elves in that final scene…
Mikey: Yeah.
Micah: …in the battle against Voldemort. So it’s not just Kreacher.
Eric: And the giant attacking the castle.
Mikey: Multiple giants.
Micah: Well, multiple, right?
Andrew: Yeah. Let’s move on though, this is…
Eric: Guys…
Mikey: Yeah, so the movie again. This movie has a lot of stuff and I’m glad they’re giving it the amount of time and money it deserves to actually do the story properly.
Andrew: Mhm. Eric, final word on this?
Eric: [pause] Sorry, my brain’s turned to mush.
Mikey: [laughs] Let’s move on.
Announcement: Vote on Podcast Alley
Andrew: Just one announcement this week. We want to continue to encourage everyone to vote for us on Podcast Alley. We’ve been owning the charts this month, and I just want to encourage everyone, you know, just because it’s MuggleCast March doesn’t mean you don’t have to make us number one next month. You know, MuggleCast Mapril, MuggleCast May…
Mikey: No, no…
Andrew: …MuggleCast Mune…
Mikey: I thought it was Andrew April, you know. For you, we’re doing it for you.
Andrew: Oh, Andrew April, that’s a good point.
Mikey: We’re voting for Andrew April and then…
Andrew and
Mikey: Mikey May
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Mikey May.
Mikey: Yeah, so…
Andrew: Don’t forget to vote on Easter Eric, and then…
Eric: [laughs] Which is this Sunday.
Micah: [laughs] Wow.
Andrew: Yeah, this Sunday. Vote today.
Mikey: And Monday Matt, you know.
Andrew: Yeah, Monday Matt. [laughs] So vote every day is what we’re trying to say. Thanks to everyone who’s helping us out there. Let’s get into some Muggle Mail this week.
Muggle Mail: Portraits and Paintings
Eric: Okay. First Muggle Mail this week comes from Emily age 16 from Dallas, Texas. The Subject is: Frustrated.
“‘Sup MuggleCasters?” Exclamation point, exclamation point. Gee, don’t sound too frustrated. “Thanks for an awesome MuggleCast last week, but there was one moment where I kind of wish I would knock some sense into you guys. There were definitely painted portraits in 1000 A.D. Promise, no fingers crossed. I’ve been to tons of art museums in Europe. The Uffizi, the Louvre, and the London Institute all have a medieval section where there are paintings. Although most of these are non-portraits, some are, so your point as to why the early Hogwarts founders weren’t portrayed in painting was kind of…Eh…Wrong! Haha, Jo made a booboo here, ladies and gents. Well, that all sounded offensive. Sorry about that. Taking a course in art history makes me a teensy bit defensive when it comes to history and art. Anyways, peace and pickles. Emily.” Triple x.
Andrew: I can’t remember who said this last week, but…
Micah: I think this goes way back.
Andrew: It was two weeks ago, I think it was.
Micah: And you were the only one there. Or, unless Mikey was, too.
Mikey: No, I was there. I was there. Actually, no. Yes, they’ve had artwork throughout history, you know.
Andrew: See, I agree with this girl. I think it’s stupid that whoever was saying it – Mikey, was it you?
Mikey: It might have been me, but I know what she’s talking about.
Andrew: [laughs] It may have been. Hmmm.
Mikey: It may have been. And I am going to say, yes it was me. It probably was. But truthfully, you know, yes, there has been art throughout history. You can go back to cave paintings that are considered art and replicas and things like that, but at the time period up to about 1400 painting really wasn’t available to a lot of people in the sense that – yes, there’s definately art museums throughout Europe. I’ve been to the Louvre. I’ve been to a lot of different places, but it was very expensive. But I remember – trying to remember – what was it? Where did they talk about Hogwarts? Someone talked about the beginning of Hogwarts, where it was like…
Andrew: Well the debate was – the question was – it was a voicemail question: Why weren’t there any founder – why weren’t there any paintings – portraits of the founders?” I think between – I think, Mikey, your example makes enough sense. I thought our debate, though, was the – I think like Laura was saying – if the magic was there. And I was like, what? Of course the magic was there. It’s like…
Mikey: It’s like – yeah – I’m sure they had paintings, but probably not talking paintings, you know…
Eric: Micah, no, I’m sorry, Mikey…
Mikey: I’m so confused.
Eric: …what you are saying about it being expensive and all that stuff. These were not four average Joes; these were the four greatest witches and wizards of their time. I think it’s a serious question. It is the only school in England as well, so if anybody gets art supplies, you know, they’re kind of running out of paint in the entire country, Hogwarts would have it.
Andrew: Why is Hogwarts the only school in England?
Eric: I mean the only wizarding school. Is it or isn’t it?
Andrew: Oh, the only wizarding school.
Mikey: Remember at the time that they made it, this was the first time – they were the four best, strongest wizards and witches in the land. There were still lots and lots of people learning on their own with families. You don’t have to go to Hogwarts to become a wizard. You can be taught at home.
Muggle Mail: Bob Hoskins
Micah: The next one comes from Jessica Thompson, 21, of Redding, England and talking about Bob Hoskins. She says:
“Hey guys, I’m still loving the show and will be very sorry to see the weekly podcast come to an end. Even though I think it’s probably the right decision, I’ll miss my MuggleCast Monday mornings so much. Thanks for all the hard work that you’ve put in over the years. We all appreciate it and hope you’ve had as much fun making them as we have listening. Just thought you might be interested to know that the interview with Bob Hoskins that you referred to on Episode 135 was an episode on BBC’s Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. I don’t remember the date it aired, but it was the same episode as his interview with Jo just before ‘Deathly Hallows’ came out. It was absolutely hilarious and well worth a look. I watched it myself on YouTube just a few weeks ago, so I’m sure you’ll still be able to find it out there somewhere. Keep up the great work, Jessica.”
Eric: Okay. Good. Yay. At the live podcast in London somebody had said that she saw an interview with Bob Hoskins that said there was a character in DH reserved for him in the movie, because he was asked why he didn’t portray any earlier roles. Anyway, this girl has given us the reference by which I can go find it on YouTube, the interview with Bob Hoskins. We speculated whether…
Micah: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah. It had been posted on MuggleNet actually a little while back, and there was that interaction between the two of them. I remember watching it, and I guess you guys had discussed on 135 who you thought he would play?
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Well, Eric was suggesting that it would be…
Eric: Xeno.
Andrew: That he would play…
Eric: Mr. Lovegood.
Andrew: Right. Mr. Lovegood, so…
Eric: Potentially, I don’t know. Because I always thought of him as a Slughorn guy.
Muggle Mail: What the Ministry Monitors
Andrew: Next email comes from Mary V., 14, of Missouri. She writes:
“I have a bit of a rebuttal for you. In last week’s Episode 135 one of you, I think it was Andrew, said that the Ministry monitors almost everything in discussing the taboo on Voldemort’s name. My rebuttal for all of you is this: if the Ministry can monitor spoken magical words (i.e. the taboo), then how come the Ministry doesn’t monitor Unforgiveable Curses? And if the Ministry does monitor them, how come they didn’t respond when Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on Harry in the graveyard in ‘Goblet of Fire’? Unforgivables performed by non-Dark wizards during times when Voldemort is not in power seems like a pretty serious offense, like in Azkaban. So it would make sense the Ministry would want to monitor their use. Something doesn’t seem to add up here. Love the show. Mary V.”
I think it’s one of those things. It’s like – I’ve made this example before – It’s like the question: why don’t you see them use the bathroom? It’s just because. Just because if they did, there’s no proper explanation for it. It just – It just can’t happen. And in this example he has to use the Cruciatus Curse, there can’t always be a consequence for everything Harry does. I just think there’s no room in the plot. What do you guys think?
Eric: I think also – well, it would be kind of too late, wouldn’t it? I mean if you’re monitoring who…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Oh, there’s a taboo on someone who – Yeah, if you are trying to track someone who uses an Unforgivable Curse – you know – notably a BAMF, you’re not going to want to – you know – go to the scene of the crime as it happened unless you’re – you know – I mean, the Aurors – I guess the Aurors could make their living like that. I mean maybe, but I think you guys are right. It’s just one of those things that’s kind of, you know, a mute point or a mute kind of concern that they would do this…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …Because…yeah.
Mikey: And at the same time, like, maybe they did track it. Again there is so much of the story we can’t even follow. Maybe they did track it, but at the same time, that’s when, you know, Dumbledore is saying that Voldemort’s back. And, you know, again, it’s politics. They turned a blind eye to all the signs and everything that was happening so they could’ve seen it, but they said nope, we didn’t catch that.
Andrew: Micah?
Micah: No, I agree with pretty much everything that’s been said. I mean you can also go earlier in this book when Moody – well, fake Moody slash Barty Crouch Jr. uses the Unforgivable Curses in the classroom. I mean five or six Aurors didn’t pop up in Hogwarts because there were Unforgivable Curses that were being taught. So I don’t really think that it’s something that, you know, okay, Voldemort’s name is automatically said and these people show up. It’s not the same with the Unforgivable Curses, where one is done and then automatically – you know – all these people are just going to start popping up. I just – it just wouldn’t make any sense. That doesn’t
mean that they can’t trace them, and like you were saying before, they wouldn’t be further investigated, but I don’t think right when it happens – like Eric was saying – if this guy is some, you know, BAMF…[laughs]
[Eric laughs]
Micah: …you know, they’re not going to go chasing right after them and show up right on the scene. I think they would do some investigative work.
Muggle Mail: Where Movie 7 Should Split
Eric: Next rebuttal from Brandy, age 26, of Indiana:
“Hi Mugglecast. Love the show. You guys are great. Just wanted to make a suggestion for the ‘Deathly Hallows’ split. I think a nice place for the split would be right after meeting with Xenophilius Lovegood, but right before saying the name “Voldemort” and getting captured. That way they could end right after a large action sequence and then begin with the next movie right before another big action sequence, i.e. Malfoy Manor. Just a thought. Thanks.”
Andrew: I like that a lot.
Eric: I agree with it. I think – Andrew, you and I were talking about – when we were thinking of which chapters to do for Chapter-by-Chapter this week – whether or not to do two or one – I had suggested that well, maybe we should only do one this week because it’s kind of a long chapter, but it’s also the chapter that precludes, sort of, the second half of the novel as it were. Because they’ve – at the end of it – at the end of the chapter “Deathly Hallows” they have said “Voldemort,” and there’s people outside the tent. I think it’s such a great, kind of – oh, I mean it would be
perfect for the movie split. What do you guys think?
Andrew: Or even taking Brandy’s idea and just going a little further. How about – now that we already know the taboo – there is that taboo when you say “Voldemort” – what if they say “Voldemort” and then it – it just begins to transition into the next chapter, but it doesn’t exactly. We just hear them, like suddenly coming after the trio or something. Like, that would be a cliffhanger, when you’re like, oh, my God, who’s there for Volde – or who’s there for the trio…
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: …and what’s going to happen?
Micah: Well, yeah, I agree with that. Just – probably what we’re about to discuss…
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: …but I think it’d be really cool if – you know, like – Harry starts saying the name, Voldemort, you have Hermione scream “Harry, no!” and then the scene just goes black. That would be like a great ending to the first…
Eric: Wasn’t it – there’s dialogue. It’s like, “Come out, we know you’re in
there.” You know – we’re not…
Micah: No, but I think it’s – yeah, but I think it’s better, you know, sort of hanging off of those words.
Andrew: I think it would be scarier if you did hear that little bit of dialogue Eric’s talking about. Just to hear these very scary voices.
Mikey: What about if it went – what if it went black, and then you heard those as the credits start to roll.
Micah: Yeah.
Mikey: That would be scary.
Andrew: Oh, my God, I would cry.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: No, there needs to be – there needs to be a score when the credits roll. There needs to be…
Andrew: It’s like Cloverfield style, no music or anything.
[Micah and Mikey laugh]
Andrew: Oh, my gosh.
Mikey: But you know what, though? If it – like – if it goes even a step further beyond that – like, it could end like so many other movies where it’s like – it ends on a down note: they got captured. Either way, you know – the book – this section, this area we’ve been talking about and we’re talking about today is the area they’re probably going to split it because it’s just kind of like – it is the halfway point in, like, the story…
Micah: Yeah. Well, David Heyman listens, so – I mean – he’s just going to take our ideas.
Andrew: Come on, Big D. Come on, Big H.
Mikey: Come on, David Heyman.
Eric: Big D?
Andrew: His initials are Deathly Hallows.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: Huh.
Micah: That’s true.
Mikey: Come on, DH, help us out here.
Eric: Huh.
Andrew: All right, next email. Zach, 20, of Philly! Eric and I…
Eric: Dude, I like this guy. No, I like this guy’s point. This guy has a really great point.
Andrew: “I loved your live show about Deathly Hallows’ split. Even though I am a few episodes behind, I am still skipped ahead to hear – I still skipped ahead to hear your thoughts on the split. My comment is on the waiting period, but not between Part 1 and 2, but between Movie 6 and Part 1 of Movie 7. I originally believed ‘Half-Blood Prince’ was coming out November 2008 and that ‘Deathly Hallows’ was scheduled for Summer 2010, not November 2010, because ever since ‘Chamber of Secrets’ it’s been 16-18 months in between movies, not a full 2 years.” Well, over two years in this case. Well, actually, yeah, 2 years. Sorry. “So isn’t it a little surprising they’re not releasing ‘Deathly Hallows’ a little earlier? Because, to be honest, I can survive a 6 month gap in between Parts 1 and 2. However, a 2 year wait between 6 and 7 is pretty long for the Harry Potter franchise.”
And, you know, I wanted to bring this up and the funny thing is, nobody has really complained about that, have they, Eric? [long pause] Eric?
Micah: Thanks, Eric.
Mikey: Yeah. [laughs] Well, no, I thought about that, but, truthfully, you know what’s going to happen though? They’re probably going to be filming the entire thing…
Micah: Yeah.
Mikey: …kike both parts back-to-back. And that the extra six months is post-production on it. Truthfully, you know, what’s going to happen is, again, editing’s going to take place – they’re going to edit the first one. Once it gets to a final cut, then, you know, the visual effects people are finishing that up. It’s going to get finished out and that last six months is where the visual effects are crunching, finishing everything up for the second one. They’re going to be shooting the things back-to-back on the two just like they did with The Matrix, just like they did with Pirates of the Caribbean. All of it shot back-to-back so that way, between the two, you know, the distribution between the two is six months. So that’s why it takes a little bit longer.
Micah: I agree. I think that’s a good point.
Mikey: Yeah. There’s no faster way to get it out, like, get it earlier because what happens is they’re in shooting longer. Post-production and everything just doesn’t come in, you know. It won’t be finished in time to get it out earlier. So I guess we can move on because that’s kind of how it has to be.
Micah: Yeah.
Mikey: Andrew?
Micah: I’ll agree. What happened to him?
Mikey: All right, Micah! It’s just me and Micah here.
Micah: It’s the M and M show.
Mikey: [laughs] Yes, it is! I think Eric and Andrew are probably off talking on their own without us.
Micah: Yeah, they just left us alone. I bet Andrew went to get a drink or something. He thinks that he’s, you know, cool enough.
Mikey: You know…
Andrew: Sorry. Hey.
Mikey: Oh, hey, Andrew’s back! All right!
Micah: Hey, look who’s back.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I am back. I received a phone call.
Mikey: Welcome to the M and M show, Andrew! You know, Micah and Mikey!
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: No, he went to go check out Chikezie on American Idol. That’s what he went to do.
Andrew: No, I could care less. Sorry, guys, sorry. [laughs] Okay, next email!
Muggle Mail: Movie 7 DVDs
Micah: The last email comes from Terry, who’s a boy, 14 of Montreal, Canada. More on the Deathly Hallows split, but focusing on marketing. He says:
“First of all, I’m pretty happy that there is a split and am convinced that it’s the better thing to do. A big thanks to you guys for your opinions which helped me decide it. I think, as you guys have also put to theory, that there will be separate DVDs for each half of the full movie release. The first DVD should come out somewhere around March. See, others have done so similarly. The second DVD should come in October and a full DVD set containing both halves around the holiday season. Now, I wanted to know from you guys, what would you do? Would you buy them separately or wait over a year to get the entire DVD set? It’s pretty difficult to choose. I myself do not know and would like to hear your opinion. Thanks a lot. I want you guys to know that your show and site are a really positive thing in my life and that they are some of the things that are keeping me from truly going insane.” Oh, that’s nice to know. “Keep up the great work.”
Mikey: I already thought about this. I’ve actually thought about this a lot. I’m going to buy each movie as they come out on DVD up ’til mid 2010. Reason for this is, chances are, I probably won’t be able to afford a nice big screen TV to jump to Blu-Ray yet, but once the entire big thing comes out, of course, there’ll be another reason for me to get my big screen TV and buy the entire thing on Blu-Ray along with Star Wars and all my wonderful movies that I have to upgrade to the nice HD versions of.
Micah: Well, see, there’s actually an example, and I don’t mean to go back to what we were talking about before, but all the original Star Wars movies that were sort of digitally remastered – I mean, that was really a revenue generating idea, wasn’t it? I mean to put them back in theaters with these sort of new scenes and…
Mikey: Well, yes and no. It was kind of a trial. Actually, it was a big joke for hardcore Star Wars fans with that – is – because the special edition is horrible. They’ve changed so many little things and none of the fans of Star Wars really like it – the special edition – much. But what we all recognized is it recognized to George Lucas and Lucas Film that, yes, there was still a draw for Star Wars so he can do the prequel, and, yes, the technology had gotten to a point where the prequels can happen to the way he wants them to be. Now, I’m not saying that the prequels, one, two, and three, are great. I liked the story. I like where it wrapped a lot of things up that were undiscussed, but it at least – at least showed you a few things with that, you know – the special edition release.
Andrew: So, what would you guys do? Let’s just go around the table. I mean…
Mikey: Well, I already said what I would do.
Andrew: Yeah. Mikey said – Micah, what would….And I already said what I’m going to do. I mean I’ll buy it. It’ll be tempting that they’ll have special features on there, they’ll be doing all these promos that will just make you want to buy it, and I’ll probably buy it!
Micah: Yeah, I agree. I mean I think I’d probably go as they were released – go and get the DVDs. You know, the first one for the first part of Movie 7 and then the second part of Movie 7. I mean I don’t know if I’d go all out and then get the movie together, but I guess it would all depend upon what you were saying – what are the special features that are going to be available on the two-disk versus the movies individually.
Mikey: That’s why you buy them together when they’re in Blu-Ray, Micah! Get it in the high-def version!
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: Well, that’s the thing that really annoys me. They already have out a complete Sorcerer’s Stone through Order of the Phoenix set.
Eric: That annoys me! That annoys me. They had it ever since Movie 3.
Micah: Well, that’s revenue generation, right there. I’m sorry. That’s purely for monetary gain.
Andrew: What I can see that for is people who are new to the movies, but that’s about it.
Eric: Well, no, I mean – yeah, I agree with you. And I agree with everyone else, too. I mean this whole book by book, you know, same with the books, but to a much lesser point than with the movies. Every new movie that comes out they have this new box set of all the movies, but if there’s going to be seven or eight, you know, just wait or something. But I guess the box set, I mean, you’re right, Andrew, for new listeners, for new visitors. It makes sense because, you know, maybe the movie store won’t have all the old ones that came out six or seven years ago. I mean it’s a fair point, I think. You know, I’ve known…
Mikey: No, I, you know, I like the idea of box sets as they come out. You know, I’m not one to buy them, but a perfect example is the books. I was not an original Harry Potter fan. I didn’t get into it until after The Order of the Phoenix. I read a friend’s first and second book and I liked it so much I went out and bought the five book set, you know, after the Order of the Phoenix. And I was there for the midnight release of, you know, Half-Blood Prince, but I read all five books and I didn’t buy one book at a time. I ended up buying the five book set, so that way I had them all and read them, and then I bought the other two books individually.
Eric: Well, that was with me.
Mikey: It’s a great way to jump start your collection.
Eric: Well, I agree. I mean, I guess you’re right. I did the same thing with the four book set. You know, I borrowed a friend’s two – one – no, two and three, and then I just bought the four book set the day that Goblet of Fire came out in paperback. Same thing. But I guess – with DH I definitely will. If it comes out fast enough and if they’re not doing that theatrical release that we were speculating about – whether or not they would bring DH part one back to theaters for the release of DH2, then I would definitely end up buying the DVD. Even if it was just a little DVD. But one thing they can’t go wrong on – I really want commentary from the trio. I really don’t think they could do wrong if they did that. If the DVD had that I would buy it.
Chapter-by-Chapter, Chapter 22, “The Deathly Hallows”
Andrew: Of course. Of course, yeah. Well, let’s move along now. I think we’ve done all of these e-mails justice. We’re already pretty far into the show. This week we’re going to get back on track with Chapter-by-Chapter as we said earlier. We’re going to do Chapter 22, “The Deathly Hallows”! Of course.
Mikey and
Eric: Yay!
Andrew: The title chapter. I guess that’s what you call it, right? When the…
Eric: Yeah. Title chapter, self-titled, something like that.
Andrew: Yeah, because with songs they’ll do like self-titled albums. Well, that’s for the name of the artist, but I don’t know.
Eric: That’s for the name of the artist, but I understand what you’re saying. I can’t think of it either.
Andrew: Well, luckily that’s not what this show is about. It’s about this wonderful chapter! Pretty long chapter, too. I mean short summary of this is basically they discover – well, they discovered the Deathly Hallows in the chapter prior, but in this one Harry’s making the realization that this is what he needs to become the Master of Death, and this is what he needs to kill Voldemort.
Eric: He also discovers that he already has two out of three of them and has most of his life.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: [laughs] Yeah.
Andrew: What annoys me about reading this chapter, after having already read the book, is that you know the answer to opening up the Snitch. But it’s like, you know, he’s sitting there pondering it like he’s completely confused. He doesn’t know how to do it.
Eric: Well, it’s kind of stupid, actually, how the Snitch eventually opens, but – I mean it basically says “I open at the close of the novel.” It’s like, “I’m not going to open until that battle. Not going to do it. Sorry, dude.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: “Sorry dude. Not going to do it. Until you absolutely want to die, and stuff, no, not going to happen.”
[Micah laughs]
Eric: “Until page – yeah, I will not” – what is really said is, “I’m not going to open until page 637.” That’s really what it said.
Hermione Casting Spells
Mikey: [laughs] Okay, the first thing we wanted to discuss today is Hermione casting all those spells immediately after they arrive at the new place. You know, the protective ones. What were they?
Eric: What were they? What I mean by that is, when I posted these notes in two weeks ago, I expected someone to go back to the beginning of the chapter and write down the incantations.
Mikey: [laughs] Oh, what they were. Oh! Okay.
Andrew: But this is just standard for Hermione, really.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: She’s been doing this for all of them. The spells are – actually, I do have it right here. Protego totalum, Salvio hexia, Cave inimicum. Yeah, something like that.
Eric: Cave inimicum. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, something like that.
Eric: Yeah, something like that. So anyway, I guess the basic deal is pretty cool. You can arrive any place and start casting all these protective charms and stuff. I think it’s pretty cool.
MuggleCast 138 Transcript (continued)
The Trio Not Planning Ahead
Andrew: And as we were discussing a couple of weeks ago, I guess it was, how – who was it? Was it Hermione who said it? “We don’t need another Godric’s Hollow” or something.
Eric: Yeah, well, she had said that, or Harry – Hermione or Harry had said that, but then here she goes, “Why did we go there? Harry, you were right, it was Godric’s Hollow all over again.” You know, sheesh, well, what a way to think of it in hinsight, that they’ve had another out that is just like Godric’s Hollow where they aren’t prepared and they get in over their own heads and then somehow escape.
Micah: But that’s the reality, though, of the entire book.
Andrew: Right, that was what I was saying.
Micah: I mean anywhere that they go, it’s going to be problematic whether they’re with people who are on their side or people who aren’t on their side. They’re getting counter-confrontation no matter where they go.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: It’s just bound to happen.
Eric: So you’re saying it’s a habit of the – you know, I mean it’s a problem with the way the world is? The way the world is set in this book?
Micah: At the time, yeah.
Eric: Okay.
Micah: Well, yeah, they’re at war. I mean he’s, you know – what do they call him again? Something Number One.
Mikey: Undesireable Number One.
Micah: Yeah. [laughs] If he’s that person, naturally, wherever he’s going there’s going to be problems. And you look at the facts, Xenophilius Lovegood. I mean, they’ve never really encountered the guy before, prior to the wedding, so he’s not like the most reliable person in the world. I wouldn’t just walk through the door and say, “Hey, how’s it going?”
Andrew: [impersonates the Fonz] “Hey!”
Mikey: [laughs] Like the Fonz [impersonates the Fonz], like, “Hey! You welcome me in here.” But I agree with…
Andrew: But they need all this. That’s what I’m saying. But there’s no reason to complain.
Micah: But there’s a risk. There’s a huge risk with whatever they do, but they know that they have to take the risk. They’re just lucky that it ended up working out okay.
Mikey: That all three of them lived.
Eric: You wouldn’t complain that they don’t think things out before they go. You think that…
Micah: Oh, no, no. I completely agree with that point because I hated the whole Ministry scene. I thought that that was absolutely idiotic, that they just went in there with not really – I mean they did think it out, but there were so many – they thought the minute details out as far as who they were going to be, but they didn’t have any plan as to once they got in there what they were going to do if they got seperated, which was the case that did happen. And, you know, that three seemingly not-even-close to being in stature the same type of people within the organization, it looks kind of weird to have those three people hanging out with each other. So that was not thought about very well. So a lot of the things that they do aren’t thought out, but they don’t really have a choice because they don’t have anybody to guide them.
Eric: Right, and that’s probably true. I mean that’s very true. But – and also if they would’ve waited any longer before they went to the Ministry it may have been, you know, Feburary before they got to anywhere else. So I guess they did have to act. You’re right, Micah.
Mikey: It’s a plot device.
Eric: I know it’s a plot device…
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: …but, Mikey, when it screams at you, “I am a plot device. I am a plot device. Arrgh.”
Mikey: I know, I know, I know. You have to give it some leighway, guys. You got to let it – let your imagination run. Imagine if you were Harry. You’re impatient, you’re impulsive, you have a hero complex.
Eric: Yeah, you have a saving people thing. Well, dude, like seriously, when it is a plot device and it screams at you and says, “Hi,” or [does Austrailian accent] “G’Day, Mate, I’m a plot device,” you know, it just kind of irks me.
Theme of Dead Not Belonging in the Real World
Andrew: Now note number three, is there must to discuss there or aren’t you just repeating what was said in the book? They were trying to figure out – or Harry was trying to figure out what was going on in his head.
Eric: Yeah, I was questioning whether or not we discussed this last chapter about things being dead not really belonging in the real world again, and, you know, the guy in the story of the three brothers discovered that, and, you know, Harry’s really creeping Hermione out here with the talk of living with dead people. So I don’t know if we really talked about or if we wanted to talk about like, if, you know, how things don’t belong once their dead and all the things – it’s kind of the theme of the book.
Micah: Well, why do you think it was creeping her out? I mean maybe that’s more specific question to ask, because you could look at it in a number of ways. It was creeping her out because she just didn’t like the idea in general, or it was creeping her out because she thought that Harry actually may want to go and live, quote unquote, with those people who were lost.
Eric: That’s a good question.
Andrew: Or maybe – maybe another way you could look at it is if they don’t belong back on Earth then what happens if they do come back? Are there certain side, or are there effects, or…
Eric: Well, it’s against nature. But then again, it could happen just like Horcruxes…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …you know. Making Horcruxes is against nature, but it can…
Micah: It can happen.
Eric: …exist in nature, you know. It can exist.
Mikey: What are the repercussions of bringing someone back, essentially, is what happens here, and…
Eric: You know, Mikey, you know what I’m thinking of right now?
Mikey: What are you thinking of right now?
Eric: “I can’t bring people back from the dead! It’s not a pretty picture!”
[Eric and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: It’s the Genie!
Eric: It’s the Genie!
Mikey: Oh man, I love Aladdin. “You ain’t never had a friend like me!”
Eric: That’s right, man.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: Mikey B. That’s right. I knew you’d like that, I knew you’d like that. You’re awesome, you have great taste, so that’s great!
Mikey: Oh, of course! I love Aladdin and the Genie.
Eric: All right. Um, anyway.
Mikey: Anyway.
Eric: [laughs] All right, so, another plot device here. Hermione – well, Harry’s ranting and raving because he thinks he has the answer to everything, and, you know, unfortunately for us, he does. But Hermione accuses him of, you know, trying to fit everything in his, well, real life, into the – the story of the Deathly Hallows which is, you know, just a fairy tale according to Hermione. So, you know, I mean here we are as readers listening to Hermione talk about, you know, Harry trying to fit everything into the Hallows story, but at the same time this is a book about the Deathly Hallows, and J.K.R. has tried to weave – or she’s been weaving this crafty tale of Harry’s invisibility cloak’s true identity, and all that sort of thing, into the – into the Hallows story. It seems like – it seems like you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you, but, similarly, J.K.R. shouldn’t write Hermione complaining that Harry does something if she’s doing it herself. Or, you know, do you guys feel that way or do you feel it’s not that case at all?
Andrew: I think it is kind of interesting that this is the first time Hermione’s really just like – I really can’t think of another time where Hermione was just like, “Harry you’re crazy! Forget it!” You know, they’re – Hermione and Ron are very set on the fact that Dumbledore told them they have to destroy their Horcruxes and that’s it. Yet Harry here thinks he has everything figured out and Hermione’s just so against it. I don’t – I don’t know.
Micah: Well, the reality of it is – could be pretty scary. I mean it goes back to Hermione being scared before about Harry talking about living with the dead. You know, it – to me what I saw in this chapter was that, you know, for once it’s Harry who’s actually putting it together. It’s not Hermione that’s doing the puzzle solving.
Andrew: Which is refreshing.
Eric: It is, it is.
Micah: [laughs] The fact that he could be right about this I think scares her more, and that maybe, sort of what’s underlying this whole thing is that she doesn’t want to believe that he could possibly be right because if he is, you know, the consequences are just so great.
Andrew: Right. She just wants to take the safer route, or the more realistic route, I guess, right?
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: See, guys, it’s basically bringing Harry closer to death than she’s comfortable with, I guess, if he’s had – if he wants to do anything with these Deathly Hallows.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Right. I mean listen to him. The Master of Death? That’s scary!
Eric: That’s kind of creepy.
Mikey: Yeah. Well, there’s also a part where it’s like, Deathly Hallows? Horcruxes? You know, he’s contemplating, “What do I do?” Or, you know, he’s completely contemplating, and I think it’s, you know, it comes down to – it’s Harry’s realization that it’s not Hermione and Ron’s journey; it’s his.
Andrew: Mhm.
Mikey: And he – they’re either going to be there with him, but in the end he has to make the final choice what he’s going to do, and Hermione’s scared. It comes down to it. She’s a Gryffindor, she’s brave, she’s done a lot of amazing things, but the only one who can, you know – you know, defeat the other, you know, it’s Harry that’s going to destroy Voldemort, and he has to make the decision in the end. And that’s, I think, a huge reason why it was Harry putting everything together.
Andrew: And he’s…
Mikey: You’re seeing it from Harry’s perspective heavily on this one.
Andrew: And he’s seven books into it, and he knows that in every one of his stories there’s a resolution, so no matter which path he took he would’ve – he would’ve gotten out of there. Jo would’ve saved him, so everything was all good.
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: You know what that reminds me of? It reminds me of that Will Ferrell movie where it’s like there’s an author writing…
Eric: Stranger than Fiction?
Mikey: An author writing – yeah, writing about his life, and he’s like “Who’s telling me what to do?”
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: And the narrator’s God.
Mikey: Could you imagine if Harry was really there? And then like Jo was being like, “And Harry couldn’t decide wether to go to the Deathly Hallows or after the Horcurxes.” And he’s like, “Who’s telling me what to think?!” That would be great.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Sorry, I find that amusing.
Andrew: Well, let’s move on to the next note.
The Invisibility Cloak
Eric: Well I mean, so Harry is putting things together, and J.K.R. is – it turns out J.K.R. has woven this tale, you know? From the beginning I guess with the invisibility cloak, but more and more recently in Book 6 with Marvolo Gaunt saying that his ring, a family heirloom, you know, had the Peverell crest on it. So, basically, we got this whole thing where Harry – I don’t understand – Harry’s kind of flipping out. He says that the ring or the stone of the ring is inside the snitch, which he’s of course right about, but it seems awfully convenient. But at the same time it just – we’re seeing how J.K.R.’s weaving all these things together and fitting them all into the Hallows story. So I don’t know. What do you guys think about how she kind of wrote his invisibility cloak in. I mean we haven’t seen any other invisibility cloaks, but in this, you know, it’s kind of clever.
Mikey: No, we have, we have.
Eric: Well, have we?
Mikey: Didn’t they have a – didn’t they talk about how Moody had another one but someone else was using it?
Eric: Oh, you’re right. Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: Well, I still think it’s clever that we’ve – we’ve been treated in a way to this invisibility cloak, which is, you know, I would call it a main character in the books. But then we didn’t know that, you know, other invisibility cloaks would wear – would not fit them all as good, you know, that sort of thing. It turns out this invisibility cloak is actually really special.
Mikey: Yeah, no.
Micah: Doesn’t somebody comment on that, though? I mean earlier in the books? And I forget who it was that they hadn’t seen a cloak quite like this ever before?
Mikey: Yeah, I know, I wanted to say that, but I don’t remember who.
Andrew: It was said, though.
Mikey: It was.
Andrew: And I mean, I think – I think – I think it shouldn’t come as like a surprise. Because we’ve always know there was something – haven’t we really always known that there’s something about the cloak.
Mikey: Yeah. Even the way he got it.
Andrew: Dumbledore had it, and his father wanted him to have it, so…
Mikey: Yeah, it’s one of those things where it’s like, it just magically appears. You know, we know it’s Dumbledore that gave it to him but it’s – he just magically gets this amazing gift, and Ron says, “Wow, those are really rare!”
Eric: Ah.
Mikey: You know, it’s like, wow.
Andrew: Yeah, that too.
Mikey: So it’s like – it’s always been given some significance, and the invisibility cloak has played a role in every book. Come on, Harry sneaks out way too much.
Andrew: But the cloak has confused me, because in the – in the books it says it’s indestructible, and it makes you – it makes you invisible. Like completely invisible. But I’m thinking like, don’t all you have to do is pull it off you and you’re not invisible anymore? I’m confused by how – how amazing this really is. Dumbledore can make him invisible without a cloak.
Mikey: Ah, but, no, he cannot make himself invisible. He can disillusion himself, so it’s just like he can go invisible.
Andrew: But he’s essentially invisible.
Mikey: He’s invisible, not to a very strong wizard. To a very strong wizard like, you know, say, Voldemort, he would not be invisible.
Andrew: Oh, okay. Oh, okay.
Mikey: But, you see, what he does is – Dumbledore cannot make himself invisible, but he’s such a strong and powerful wizard that when he does a Disillusionment Charm on himself, it’s almost like he’s invisible, and it’s you know, just as good for the majority of people. That’s why – and Jo actually said that, I think, inside an interview, not in the book. I remember that, and I was like, “That makes since now,” ’cause I was beating myself up thinking about that.
Eric: Well, that’s really cool, Mikey.
Mikey: Sorry. I knew that one like [snaps his fingers] off the top of my head, that was great.
Eric: No, that’s cool.
Micah: That was cool? That he was beating himself up?
Mikey: [laughs] Yeah, I know, beating myself up about it. But again, – again, we know the invisibility cloaks are made from, what was it, demiguise? Demiguise fur and stuff like that? And they wear out, you know. It’s like a fur coat, I would ascent – assume, but this, you know, this – but this is like completely different, you know? And didn’t he describe it once, like it felt like water almost on his hands? And that doesn’t remind me of fur at all. So like definitely you can tell now, thinking about it – and this is me thinking out loud, guys – it’s completely different than any other invisibility cloak.
Andrew: Yeah, I think you’re right.
Mikey: Yeah, you know. And again, we’ve conveniently been left out details about other invisibility cloaks. You know, up until kind of, the very end when we find out his is special.
Potter Watch
Eric: Okay, so next we have just – I mean Harry is pretty certain that his invisibility cloak is special, that the ring stone is actually in the snitch. He makes all these assumptions that are kind of convenient; I would call them unlikely. I would call them a cheap literary technique, in a way. You know, he’s right only when he absolutely needs to be. Because, what, there can’t be a – you know, because this is the part in the book where the plot has to go forward, so Harry has to know, just like he had to know about Godric’s Hollow, you know, that sort of thing. It’s just that all this stuff happens and Harry’s certain that he’s special and then – and what he must do. So after he figures out what we must do, Ron interrupts them, and this is a little something that I quite enjoyed. I know you guys did, too. We talked about this in London when we first read it. But J.K.R. does something really wonderful for us in – or at least we think she did.
Andrew: I – I don’t know.
Eric: Oh, come on, Andrew. You’re too humble.
Andrew: It just seems – it seems like a good idea on Jo’s end. We’re talking about Potter Watch. It seems like a good idea for them; they needed something to refresh them, to enlighten them, to give them – connect them to the outside world – a little gossip. I mean I won’t say it’s needed needed, but you need a little comic relief in this part of the story.
Eric: Well, it proves – I mean all that proves is that it serves the story. I still think that – I mean she not only kind of – I think – okay, I’m going to go out with my opinion – I think that it was kind of a nod to the literary discussion we had been doing, but not just us: PotterCast and all of the other sort of Harry Potter podcasts out there. All the kind of discussion all in the fandom, to have this Potter Watch, a radio show type thing, led by some of our, you know, favourite minor characters in the books. You know, I think that was a direct nod.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And not only that but she improved on what we were doing with coming up with some really cool ideas or segments.
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah, I agree with what you’re saying. It is worth mentioning that when everyone read this, we got flooded with e-mails. Just, “Oh my gosh, Jo was recognizing you guys and all the other podcasts out there with Potter Watch.” I guess. I mean until get more official word from her about it. It’s a cool name, though, and as we’re about to discuss, there are some other things going on…
Micah: And you know what’s interesting, though, is that that never came up. I thought maybe at Carnegie Hall that was going to be a question that was posed to her or at least in some of the interviews that she has done since then, but, surprisingly, that question was never posed to her as to, you know, where she really got the idea for Potter Watch and if it was, sort of, a recognition of anything.
Andrew: I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t really impressed by all the questions that were posed to Jo after the book came out. Except for the web chat, there was a lot of good stuff going on in there. But after that, there weren’t many interviews that were really enlightening. Not blaming it on Jo. I don’t know who to blame it on, but, you know, frankly, I want to hear more about the Veil, I want to hear more about specific topics like Potter – like Potter Watch isn’t the most important question, but it would certainly be an interesting one, where she got the inspiration for that. But that’s a side topic, you know. I digress.
Mikey: Do you think this would come up in an encyclopedia of some sorts?
Andrew: Maybe. I don’t know. Potter Watch doesn’t seem like encyclopedic material.
Eric: Could be. Depends on how thorough she gets once she’s done writing.
Mikey: Can we have code names, Andrew?
Eric: That’s…
Mikey: Can we have code names?
Andrew: Well, I’m Toots.
Mikey: You’re Toots?
Andrew: Long before Book 7 came out.
Mikey: You’ve been Toots, yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: I’m going to call you Tootsie.
Andrew: Tootsie? Nah, nah.
Mikey: Yeah, we’re calling you Tootsie.
Andrew: Everyone says I’m pronouncing [pronounces like it rhymes with “boots”] Toots wrong – it should be [pronounces like Tuts] Toots, and technically that’s probably right, but…
Eric: It is.
Andrew: …I think half the joke is that I say Toots. [laughs]
Eric: There’s a titled episode of MuggleCast called Toots, where you came up with that, right? Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, yeah, when I started – I made people start to call me Toots and they refused. But anyway…
The Code Names
Eric: Okay, okay. So let’s move on with our amazing Latin decoding skills. Remus’ code name is Romulus. Do you guys know why?
Mikey: Yes. Romulus and Remus.
Andrew: I don’t know why. Why?
Eric: And who are they?
Mikey: Well, Eric, maybe you should tell us.
Eric: Oh no, dude, you guessed it. You guessed Romulus.
Mikey: Well, now that I’m all worried, now I don’t want to know – they’re brothers, right?
Eric: Yeah!
Micah: They’re brothers raised by wolves.
Mikey: Raised by wolves and forced to kill each other, right?
Eric: No, no, maybe not. Maybe? No.
Mikey: I don’t remember. One of them died. One of them killed the other.
Eric: They did something else really important, first. They founded Rome.
Mikey: Yeah, I know.
Eric: Yeah, one of them. But they were the – yeah, you’re right. No, you’re completely right. They were raised by wolves. They were the brothers who – or at least – I think it was Remus who named Rome after Romulus, something like that. But needless to say, they were the brothers credited with the building or founding of Rome and they were raised by wolves. So it’s kind of ironic or kind of funny that Remus, his code name on this Potter Watch should be Romulus, because that’s kind of a direct nod to the origin of his name, or at least in popular history. So other names, though, other code names for these characters are not as clear, kind of like Rodent. Do you guys understand Rodent as it appears to Fred or George?
Andrew: I think it’s, sort of, just like being a rat. Like, ratting out the truth. I don’t know.
Eric: Well, I think…
Andrew: It wouldn’t surprise me that Fred and George would want to be Rodent and Rapier. Rapier. [pronounces Ra-Peer]
Mikey: I thought it was Rapier. [pronounces Ray-pee-er]
Andrew: Rapier, yeah, I didn’t want to say it like that though. I don’t… [laughs]
Mikey: Rapier as in, like, the sword.
Andrew: …I don’t know what she was going for.
Mikey: No, a rapier is a spear. It’s like – it’s the sword that you use for fencing. I think.
Andrew: Oh, okay.
Mikey: At least that’s what I thought it was.
Andrew: Yeah, I’m looking it up, the definition now and, yeah, that’s what it is.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: A type of thrusting sword, so…
Mikey: Yeah, it’s the fencing type sword.
Andrew: Well, it makes sense!
Mikey: It’s a rapier.
Eric: So it’s sharp, they poke fun.
Mikey: Yeah!
Andrew: They thrust the truth at you!
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: I don’t know. Just, like…
Eric: They thrust the…
Andrew: There’s a million different reasons. A chief Death Eater was another, sort of – it was a nickname – well, it was a nickname but it wasn’t one of the code names. Of course, for Voldemort…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Interesting. Is that for the taboo’s sake? Or…
Eric: Chief Death Eater?
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Well, I think it’s a cool for him anyway.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: It’s better than saying, “You-Know-Who, You-Know-Who. You-Know-Who this, You-Know-Who that.”
Andrew: Right.
Eric: “He Who Must Not Be Named.” It’s boring! Chief Death Eater![laughs] You know…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …it’s kind of – besides, I think that’s an honorable status, Chief Death Eater. He’s the one, you know, who has eaten death, who’s actually picked it up and eaten it with a fork and spoon.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: So that works. [laughs] They also just ramble a bit about having a sixteen foot high brother. They talk about Hagrid who is now in, I guess – or, no…
Andrew: He’s on the run.
Eric: He’s on the run because he had a “Support Harry Potter” party at his house. This is one of the things I would like to see in a cut scene in Movie 7. I know some guys…
Andrew: You’ll never see it though.
Eric: You’ll never see it though.
Andrew: Never.
Eric: But, just, sort of…
Andrew: It’s a cute idea.
Eric: …I think they should keep up with Hogwarts before we actually get the trio going there, but that’s just me. But Xeno Lovegood is in prison, a bunch of other stuff happens, Lupin is living with Tonks again, which was comforting to me, you know, because there was that falling out with Harry, Harry feels a little bit guilty about it.
Andrew: They were comforted too. They thought it was a relief too.
Back to Potter Watch
Eric: Yeah, and – okay, here’s the one thing, I guess, that really made us think or really made me think that it was a nod to us, this whole Potter Watch thing. It’s because Lee Jordan, I think, makes the comment that someone could move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo. Is that not a fandom joke? Or has that actually been said in the books before? I think it has.
Andrew: I don’t think it has been said in the books before, but I do remember on an episode of MuggleCast…
Micah: It was a Top 10.
Mikey: On the…
Micah: It was a Top 10 thing that we did on the show.
Andrew: Oh, yeah! That’s right.
Eric: Top 10 and then…
Andrew: And then the title was, like, Snape Doesn’t Use Shampoo. It was like a statement. Snape’s Shampoo. I don’t know.
Eric: But actually, guys, we’re going to get e-mails if we don’t say this. At least on the Maurader’s Map, didn’t it say, “Moony wishes he would wash his hair, the slimy git”?
Andrew: Oh, does it? Oh gosh, that was so long ago. I forget.
Eric: Yeah, that was still so long ago. So like, there has always been a little bit of reference – I just thought that was so much, you know, kind of fun. We would all – we’ve all used that joke before, you know. So that was kind of…
Mikey: Oh yeah.
Eric: …an identifier.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: But it was all cool. It was still cool.
Andrew: So I think that’s about it for…
Eric: Yeah, basically.
Micah: Yeah, there was…
Andrew: It’s a cute…
Micah: Well, there was one thing that was said. I’m just – I’m looking it up, hold on just a second.
Andrew: Well, the one segment that they did do that I thought was kind of cool that I was thinking, like, “Hmm, how could we use this for our show?” Pals of Potter it’s called.
Eric: And what do they do during…?
Andrew: Well, the question is, “Romulus, do you maintain, as you have everytime you’ve appeared on our program, that Harry Potter is still alive?? So I guess it’s either friends – when I first read it I was like, “Oh, is this going to be, like, updates on Pals of Potter? Or is it going to be about Potter?” And, apparently, it’s just about supporting Potter.
Eric: It’s about their own, sort of, support.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, I think so.
Kingsley
Micah: This is actually the same section. It was Lee Jordan after Kingsley was talking about, you know, to help protect all the Muggles out there and Lee says, “Excellently put, Royal, and you’ve got my vote for Minister of Magic if we ever get out of this mess.”
Andrew: Yeah, that was pretty funny.
Eric: Aw.
Micah: So, I thought, a little foreshadowing…
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: …to Kingsley actually becoming Minister of Magic.
Eric: I like Kingsley.
Andrew: Oh, right!
Eric: I really like Kingsley’s actor in the movie. I really like that.
Mikey: I do.
Micah: It’s just because of that one line, man.
Eric: I know!
Andrew: “You may not like him, Minister. But you’ve got to admit, Dumbledore’s got style.”
Eric: It’s just – it’s really cool.
Mikey: I love him!
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: That was the best line. I laughed out loud. That was perfect, that was so perfect. So needed in that movie.
Eric: Yeah. Well, no, that guy was also in – what was it? It’s that movie with Daniel Craig, actually, it’s – sorry, I’m totally dead air. It’s either Daniel Craig or Jason Statham. It’s not – forget it, he’s in that movie though.
Andrew: You’re falling, you’re falling.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: You’re failing. You’re falling or or failing.
Eric: It’s not – it’s Layer Cake. Sorry, he’s in Layer Cake which is, you know, it’s not like Harry Potter at all. He’s a good role in that. He’s a good actor, I would like to see what else he did. But I really like the actor they cast to play Kingsley and not just because of that line but, you know, anyway.
Andrew: Well, I think that does it for Chapter-by-Chapter this week.
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: That was easy.
Andrew: That was easy. I won’t hit the button though.
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: But I mean…
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: [imitating the Easy Button] “That was easy.”
Andrew: I’ve got to reach over. I’m all set up for something else. That can only mean one thing.
Quote Quiz
[Quote Quiz intro plays]
Andrew: “It is you. If they find out who they’ve got, they’re Snatchers. They’re only looking for [unintelligible] to sell for gold!” That’s from next chapter, Chapter 23, “Malfoy Manor.” Nobody excited?
Mikey: Awesome.
Micah: What’s up next?
Andrew: I know what I’m excited for.
Make the Music Connection
[Make the Music Connection intro plays]
Andrew: I’ve got a few here for you guys this week.
Eric: Total meltdown.
Mikey: Oh geez.
Andrew: Total meltdown? What?
Eric: Yeah, the music. That little neeeroo….
Andrew: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Eric: It’s really cool.
Andrew: All right, well, for Make the Music Connection this week I’ve got an e-mail with some ideas. It came from Sarah, 22 of Austin, Texas, and she sent in a couple of fun things for the show. But I wanted to play her ideas for songs this week because I thought they were pretty good choices and she has explanations for all of them. So who wants to go first?
Mikey: I will.
Andrew: Mikey? Okay.
Mikey: I’m excited. I can do this.
Andrew: Here’s a little classic rock for you.
Micah: There you go.
[“Center My Love” by Journey begins playing]
Andrew: “Center My Love” by Journey.
Mikey: Okay. No, no, I know. Journey. There’s a few things I can think of, this one. But, you know, if we go through it I really see this as the Mirror of Erised, Harry seeing his family. Not just seeing her, his mom, but his whole family. His mom and dad, you know, his love.
Andrew: Aw.
Mikey: I can see it because, you know, again, you know, Dumbledore has to stop him from continuing to go there because it’s what he’s yearning for and this song is about yearning for, you know – to tell someone that you love them, so…
Andrew: Aw, that’s so sweet.
[Music stops]
Mikey: What did Sarah say, though? I’m a little – I want to know what she…
Andrew: Sarah said, “It’s so perfect for Harry’s feelings about Ginny when he’s on his Horcux hunt and so lonely.”
Mikey: I – you know, I was going to bring that up but that seemed like too obvious of one. You know what I mean?
Andrew: Oh, don’t hurt our listeners!
Mikey: No…
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: No, but Sarah – no, no, it made perfect sense and I really like the song because, again, the song could be used for multiple things in it.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Definitely the Harry and Ginny thing. That’s, you know – but I like the idea that it can go back, all the way back to the first book and the Mirror of Erised.
Eric: I like that, Mikey.
Andrew: All right, Eric, I think this next song probably works best for you.
[“I’ll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts starts playing]
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: “I’ll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts made famous by Friends, of course.
Eric: [laughs] This is not just the theme from Friends, Andrew. This is also the theme from the D.A. This is Dumbledore’s Army theme because…
Andrew: Okay.
Eric: …you know that they are loyal to each other. Every time – I mean Harry can’t stop them from coming up to him and being like, “How can we help?” You know, Dumbledore – I mean, sorry, Neville and Luna, man, they are there for him. You know? They are there for him. That’s amazing. This is the D.A. theme because they’re all really – they’re all into that. They all fight battles together and, you know, they deal with it all.
[Music ends]
Eric: Yeah, it’s the D.A. theme. I’m thinking particularly of Neville’s loyalty but mostly the, you know, the whole D.A. is really, you know – they were a good group of friends.
Andrew: All right, fair enough. I like that.
Mikey: Very cool.
Eric: What does she say?
Andrew: I had a picture of the Friends intro being re-done to the Harry Potter…
Eric: Yeah, with them in front of the fountain.
Mikey: Yeah, totally!
Andrew: Right, right. Just them in the Room of Requirement. Cafe in the Room of Requirement.
Micah: Well, I have a lot to live up to now. Those were two really good…
Mikey: Aw, but Micah…
Micah: …explanations.
Mikey: You’re Micah! You’re Micah Tan the Anchorman!
Eric: What did she say in the e-mail, Andrew?
Andrew: Her idea was it’s a great trio theme song. So, yeah, I mean…
Mikey: Friends. Yeah.
Andrew: You matched her pretty well. All right. So, Micah, you’re next here.
[“I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders begins playing]
Andrew: “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders.
Micah: And I would have to say this is when all of the ghosts surround Harry and he is walking into the forest.
[Music ends]
Mikey: Wow.
Andrew: Aw, that’s so sweet! Aw! I love picturing these and thinking like they’re amazing.
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: That’s a good one.
Micah: So…
Andrew: I like that a lot.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Her idea was it’s good for Harry and Ginny or Hermione and Ron. I like your idea better, Micah. I have to be honest. That would make me cry. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
Eric: Yeah. You know, the antithesis of this song is “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by Sting. You know.
Andrew: Is it really?
Eric: Another good song.
Andrew: I don’t even know what that word means.
Mikey: You know, I like Sting and The Police. I really do.
Eric: They’re really good.
Mikey: A lot.
Eric: Shout out to Sting and The Police.
Mikey: The Police. “Message in a Bottle.” I love you. Anyway…
MuggleCast 138 Transcript (continued)
Voicemails
Andrew: I guess we’re going to wrap this today with voicemails. You guys want some voicemails? I only have four this week. I won’t torture you with seven.
Micah: Like we tortured Jim Dale. Or we almost did.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: [laughs] Sorry.
Eric: He was about to do his Voldemort impression on you.
Andrew: Yeah. Let’s take the first one.
Voicemail: Xenophilius’s Name
[Audio]: Hi! Hi, Mugglecast. My name is Cancade Rab and I’m calling from Phoenix, Arizona. I just wanted to point out something about the name Xenophilius Lovegood. “Xeno” in Latin means “foreigner.” Hence “xenophobia” – fear of foreigners. So that’s probably what J.K. Rowling [pronounces like it rhymes with “growling”] meant when she made the name…
Andrew: [pronounces correctly] Rowling!
[Audio]: …Xenophilius Lovegood. Just wanted to point out that. And. And…
Andrew: [to the tune of “Jeopardy” theme song] Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo…
[Audio]: Well, bye!
Andrew: Bye!
Eric: Bye!
Micah: Bye.
Eric That was good!
Andrew: That end part of that e-mail was the best.
Eric: Coming from…
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: Coming from Latin, if you’re a “xenophiliac” you love foreign things. You love weird stuff.
Andrew: Right, right.
Eric: Never put that together.
Micah: No, I think it’s a good point. I mean, I probably have yet to update the name origin section with him. Since I haven’t updated it in over a year.
Andrew: Tsk-tsk, Micah!
[Someone laughs]
Mikey: Micah, you’re working so hard.
Micah: But anyway. Yeah, I mean, even if you think about xenophobia, fear of foreigners, I think would suit him pretty good, because he’s kind of the odd ball and doesn’t really fit in…
Eric: He likes weird stuff.
Micah: …with anybody.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: So does Aberforth, but I mean…
Andrew: Yeah, geez, Micah, you’re already making an Aberforth connection.
Eric: His name just doesn’t happen to be Xenophilius.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: He’s a…
Eric: He’s a – Oh! Goatphilius.
Andrew: Say no more!
[Micah laughs]
Mikey: So, I have a question.
Micah: What?
Mikey: What is with Aberforth and the goat, guys? I really just never put it together.
Andrew: He’s just a weirdo.
Micah: That question was asked at Carnegie Hall too and Jo didn’t do too good of a job answering.
Eric: Jo did not touch that with a thirty-nine-and-a-half pole.
Micah: No, she did, but she just couldn’t find the right words. She was cracking up.
Andrew: What, J.K. Rowling said, “How old are you?” And the girl who was asking the question – I guess she said nine or ten. And J.K. Rowling said – she gave some elementary answer.
Eric: Oh, come on! That was the best answer.
Andrew: That’s all you need to know!
Eric: That was the best answer ever. I loved that.
Andrew: It was. It was funny. Yeah.
Mikey: So, I’m still confused.
Andrew: He loves goats. Aberforth loves the goat. We’ll leave it at there.
Eric: I think it’s the horns.
Micah: He’s charmed by the goat.
Andrew: Hey, you guys hear that sound?
Micah: No.
Andrew: It’s the sound of another voicemail!
Voicemail: The Taboo
[Audio]: Hey, Mugglecasters! This is Melissa M., age 17, from New Jersey. I just wanted to comment on your taboo discussion. I don’t know. I saw the taboo less of the reason to fight against Voldemort, and more of a way to keep the fear. Blaaaahhh.
Andrew: I don’t think she intended for this voicemail to be played, because that’s how she ended the voicemail, by going…
[Andrew and Mikey imitate the “blah”]
Mikey: That was good unison there, Andrew. We both did the blahs together. Yeah.
Andrew: But what do you think? I like her idea. She’s saying that the Taboo was more to just scare people in general, not to enforce anything.
Eric: No…
Mikey: I’m not going to comment on that because that’s too much into current politics here in the U.S., and I don’t want to start a big old discussion.
Eric: Wow. No, I completely disagree. I think the taboo was to find people. People aren’t going to say the name Voldemort unless they are…
Micah: Exactly.
Eric: …those kinds of people, so it’s not – no, it’s not to scare people – people aren’t going to – you couldn’t pay people to say that name before it was a taboo, you know, unless they were members of the Order of the Phoenix. The taboo thing was strictly so you could locate people who did say the name, or to locate the – you know, the opposition to Voldemort, because they were the only ones who were going to consciously speak his name. So it is all about finding people.
Micah: Yeah, I completely agree with Eric. I kind of disagree with the voicemail. I don’t think it has anything to do with a fear aspect of it because, as he said, the people were afraid to say the name before so they’re certainly not going to say it now. The only people who are brave enough to speak his name are the people that Voldemort himself are after, so…
Andrew: I guess.
Micah: …it was a way of making sure that they can track them down.
Andrew: I guess. There’s only one thing that could solve this question.
Micah: Another voicemail.
Andrew: Correct!
Voicemail: Girl Listeners
[Audio]: Hey MuggleCast, this is Elliot from Goodall, [in a midwestern accent] Minnesota. [drops the accent] Okay, I don’t really talk like that. I had a question about your listeners.
Eric: [laughs] Yes he does!
[Andrew laughs]
[Audio]: I’ve noticed that most of your listeners are girls, and I wanted to know what you thought about that. As a guy listener of MuggleCast, I have no idea why this would be. Okay, maybe I do, but that’s a totally different story. I also wanted to thank you all for everything you do. I love the show and I can’t imagine my life without MuggleCast…
Andrew: Aww…
[Audio]: I know, try not to cry.
Andrew: Aww…
[Audio]: Oh, and Andrew, Laura, Matt, Micah, Jamie, Eric, Ben, Kevin, Mikey, and Elysa are my favorites. ‘Kay, thanks. Bye!
Mikey: I wonder if it’s in that order. [laughs]
Eric: I – yeah, that was like seven names, so…
Andrew: He said my name first, so…
Mikey: It’s all right, Eric, I’m at the end, too.
Eric: Yeah, that sucks, man.
Andrew: Anyway, what do you guys think? I mean, I think it’s a pretty good question.
Eric: What did he ask?
Mikey: You know – you know what, guys…
Andrew: Weren’t you listening?!
Mikey: …I’m the only one that was a listener. You guys were all hosts from the beginning, so – you know, I think it’s weird, you know, when you’re a male listener to MuggleCast. It really is, ’cause I remember I’m like the only guy I knew listening to it, for the longest time.
Andrew: When – I have this little thing – when I do meet the guy listeners at the live shows, I shake their hand and I say, “Thank you,” because it takes a lot of guts to come out to a live show knowing full well there’s going to be a ton of crazy fan-girls. I’m not saying it’s not a bad idea to maybe find a girl that you would like, but – you know, most guys wouldn’t go for that. I mean they come to – they come – you know – to meet us and hear us do a discussion, so I have to give them a lot of credit for coming out there.
Mikey: Yeah. And also, you know, it’s the same thing with the conventions. The conventions are predominantly female also.
Andrew: Oh, there’s a – so glad you brought that up, ’cause that relates to our next voicemail.
Mikey: But yeah, no, it’s one of those things where – I honestly – like, I first met Andrew and Eric at Lumos. I don’t remember if you were there, Micah. I don’t think I met you there.
Micah: No, I was not. I was working…
Mikey: Okay, I didn’t think I’d met you there…
[Eric laughs]
Micah: …fortunately.
Mikey: I was pretty sure I didn’t meet you there, but that’s when I first met you guys, and you guys were probably like, what, 50 episodes in? I remember listening to, like, an episode while driving up there. I drove up to Vegas on my own. I was like, “You know what? I have a cheap hotel…” not at the same hotel…
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: …and I figured – I’m like, “If this thing is totally lame, and I’m totally, like a wierdo for liking Harry Potter, and I’m the only guy that I know that does, I’ll just hang out in Vegas. I’m 21…”
[Eric laughs]
Micah: There you go.
Mikey: “…I’ll party it up.” I was like, “I’ll just party it up,” and I ended up having a great time – I met you guys, and – you know, you guys thought I was pretty cool, and I am somehow now on the show. So…
Micah: And even I – like, I listened to the first episode of MuggleCast, and then I said, “This is – [bleep] – I need to talk to them and tell them what they need to do.”
Andrew: Whoa!
Eric: [laughs] Take it upon yourself…
[Micah and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: You know, Micah, it’s all right. Just tell Andrew how much you really hated the first few episodes. Like, I remember they got – you know, MuggleCast got pulled because they were just so bad. iTunes said, “We don’t like you!”
Andrew: No, no, no! Wait…
[Mikey starts laughing]
Andrew: We did not get pulled…
Mikey: [still laughing] I thought – isn’t that what happened, Andrew? [Mikey continues laughing]
Andrew: No! We didn’t get pulled because of the quality of the show! iTunes, for some reason, thought we were in violation of some copyright or something.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: They pulled MuggleCast and PotterCast…
Mikey: Oh yeah!
Andrew: You know which podcast is the better podcast. But the point is they didn’t pull us because of being bad.
[Mikey laughs]
Andrew: I could give you a million podcasts out there that are terrible. Not any Harry Potter podcasts, they’re all good.
Mikey: I know. Andrew, I just said that to get a rise out of you, come on.
Micah: I did – I did listen…
Andrew: [laughs] I know you did.
Micah: Yeah, so did I. But I did listen to the first episode before I contacted Kevin and ended up working here.
Andrew: Yep.
Micah: But – I mean – you know, I don’t know, I can’t really say that I would have… I guess it’s impossible to answer if I would have listened beyond, you know, I guess maybe Deathly Hallows. I don’t know.
Andrew: But back to his original question: Why are there so many girls that listen to the show? Is it our voices?
Mikey: Guys, it’s obvious.
Eric: Are there – Do that many more girls read Harry Potter than guys?
Mikey: I think so.
Andrew: Well, that’s true, too.
Mikey: And the fandom…
Eric: Or maybe, do that many more girls have iPod’s than guys? That sort of thing.
Mikey: No, no, no, it’s really…
Andrew: Why does – why does Harry Potter appeal to girls so much more than guys?
Mikey: Dan Radcliffe.
Micah: You know, I don’t – I don’t know that it does, and here’s a reason why. Because even at work, I mean my boss reads it…
Andrew: Well, there are exception cases, I mean…
Micah: I mean my former boss reads it. No, no, no, but I think probably there are a lot more who do read it who just don’t publicize it as much. You know, because maybe it’s not looked upon as being something that’s, you know…
Eric: Masculine.
Micah: …cool, or – yeah, exactly. And that’s completely not true but, you know, maybe that’s the reason why. But I mean, you go on a train after one of the books are released and, you know, it doesn’t matter where you look, there are people reading Harry Potter. You know, streets of New York, people sitting on benches. It doesn’t matter if it’s a guy or a girl, they’re reading the book. And maybe – I don’t know – maybe the girls are just more prone to getting involved in a fandom…
Mikey: No, it’s not true. This fandom is predominantly female and I haven’t been able to figure out exactly why Harry Potter is predominantly female. Like when you compare it to other fandoms like the Star Trek – I am not a Star Trek fan at all – but – or Star Wars, which are pretty male-dominated fandoms.
Eric: Hmm…
Mikey: You know, those are big fandoms, but they’re pretty male-dominated. This fandom is predominantly female and the only thing I can think of is fan-fiction is definitely geared more towards females than male.
Eric: It’s a good outlet for that time period in their lives.
Mikey: …and again, and also when you look at the conventions, again they’re predominantly female, and a lot of those topics relate to fan-fiction and that sort of stuff.
Andrew: I also think the movies play a big role, because Star Wars – you have a couple attractive actors. What other fandom? Lord of the Rings you have a couple attractive actors. But it seems with the Harry Potter films there are many more…
Eric: [laughs] It’s the wizard studs.
Andrew: …main attractive actors, and when you go to these premieres you see all these crazy screaming girls, and that’s why I’m thinking in the actual hardcore fans there are more girls because more girls love swooning over Dan Radcliffe, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint, the list can go on. So I think the movies do play a role.
Mikey: Definitely.
Eric: And the books are.
Andrew: And who would like magic more? Guys or girls? I mean…
Eric: Well…
Mikey: Guys are technically more…
Micah: I don’t know.
Mikey: Guys tend to be more techno geared in the sense of, like, technology.
Eric: Actually, though, aren’t guys – aren’t guys more fantasy writers, or fantasy readers than girls? Is that – has that been proven?
Mikey: I don’t think that’s true. I think guys are more science-fiction and girls are more science-fantasy.
Eric: That aspect of it. Yeah, okay.
Micah: Yeah, but see, I don’t know, because…
Mikey: If you look at all those gifts for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, guys – gifts for him, which are all like tech and gadgets, and gifts for her, which are more like – you don’t really find gadgets on those lists.
Andrew: Bed linens.
Eric: Well, Mikey…
Mikey: Yeah, you don’t find those things.
Eric: Well, Mikey, you’re right and what you’re saying with the techno thing, I think – and what I want to say is that I think it’s brilliant how – to address this kind of a question, because we’re talking about how most of our audience is female, the Harry Potter fandom is predominantly female, all that. But – yet we’re a podcast which has nine men and two girls. You know, because it’s done…
Mikey: Wait, wait, wait, wait. How many girls are on this show?
Eric: What?
Andrew: Well not today!
Eric: Laura and Elysa.
Mikey: I know, Laura’s gone! I’m sorry, I had to pick on Laura ’cause she was supposed to be here.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: No – Oh, right. Okay.
Mikey: Laura was supposed to be here today.
Eric: Laura and Elysa are the only girls who’ve like, basically ever – you know, who do this show, and we have all these guys. And, you know, that might be because, like you’re saying, Mikey, about the techno thing – how we’re all doing this, how it all started through a website. But I think it’s incredibly interesting that we see and we question why the fandom is predominantly female. We should actually kind of be questioning why our podcast, which represents the fandom, is so predominantly male.
Andrew: It’s the same connection I made with the movies. Now, okay, I’m not going to jump out there and say…
Mikey: Are you saying you’re dreamy, Andrew? Are you trying to say you’re dreamy?
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: I’m trying to – well, I already know that I’m dreamy.
Mikey: Yeah, we know you are. I think you are.
Andrew: What I’m trying to say is I think guys discussing Harry Potter…
Eric: Turn girls on?
Andrew: …is more interest to girls than girls listening to girls discuss. Maybe I’m completely wrong, because there’s no really all-girl podcast, so I don’t know.
Micah: Well, yeah, the point that you’re making, though, is interesting because all you have to do is look at the amount of hate mail that Laura gets.
Andrew: That’s true too.
Micah: You know, that strengthens your point. But I think there’s also appeal, you know, to guys to go see the Harry Potter movies because you have Emma Watson, you have Clemence Posey…
Eric: [imitating a typical male] Dude man, she’s so hot.
[Andrew laughs]
Mikey: Oh, Eric.
Eric: You had to mention her, Micah, I mean, wow.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Okay, no, but you’re right, and [laughs] I mean, we’ve all handled Laura’s hate mail, right? I mean, we’ve all…
Andrew: Well, hold on, wait a second, wait a second.
Micah: Imelda Staunton I mean, come one.
Andrew: Laura’s not going to appreciate this. She doesn’t get that much hate mail.
Eric: Well, we were talking about from girls, who don’t want to hear other girls.
Andrew: She gets – right, other girls. She gets hate mail from girls on occasion and we think it’s just because she is a girl. And…
Eric: No – yeah.
Andrew: … our theory is – we never really said this on the show before, but our theory is that the girls send in hate mail to Laura because she’s a girl and they want to be on the show talking to us, not Laura.
Eric: Well, yeah. Or they don’t – Or maybe you’re right, Andrew when you first said, you know, that girls don’t really want to hear exactly what other girls have to say as much as they might want to hear what other guys have to say about something they love. That might be the whole kind of psychology behind a fan-girl movement too. I don’t know.
Andrew: Yeah. Well hey, I’m sure listeners have some really good ideas about why more girls listen. I’m sure some girls would like to get their opinion in on it because, you know, that’s kind of important too in this discussion.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: So send in your e-mails. Maybe send in a couple of voicemails and we’ll address them.
Micah: It’s just interesting I think.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah, I mean, what Mikey was saying before. The technical side of it too because, I mean, that’s really why I got involved with this thing – was because, hey, they’re doing a podcast and it’s kind of like, you know, it’s kind of like a radio – it is a radio show.
Andrew: It is a radio show. And, Micah, you used to do radio, so…
Micah: Yeah. So I’m like, you know what? This is cool. At the time I had just, I think, finished reading the fifth book and – or at the time it was the sixth book. You know, I had read all five other the previous summer. So it wasn’t like something that I had been involved in since the series had started so…
Andrew: Yeah…
Mikey: Yeah, but – and honestly – and that’s how I got into it too. You know, you guys were impressed with my knowledge of technical stuff and my working for a certain company and they’re like, “can you do a podcast if we need someone in?” I’m like, “Yeah, not a problem.” And sure enough, I came back. Multiple times.
Andrew: And sitting on that technical idea, I’ll be honest, I love radio more than I do Harry Potter. But I’m really passionate about radio, it’s what I want to in the future.
Mikey: It’s the same with me and film.
Andrew: I don’t want to do Harry Potter in the future, that’s just weird.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: But I mean that in the literal sense. Take it the way you want.
[Everyone continues laughing]
Andrew: But I…
Mikey: Andrew, you want to do Harry Potter?
Andrew: I want to do – I don’t want to do Harry Potter. I’m sorry I don’t want to do Harry Potter.
Eric: Not now, not 5 years ago, and not in the future.
Andrew: Never did, never will, he’s just not my type. But radio is my type.
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: He’s not cuddly enough.
Andrew: I – yeah. I do the MuggleCast. I do love MuggleCast for the radio aspect. I do love Harry Potter, I do love the fans. I love talking to Harry Potter fans.
Eric: This is like the most thought provoking voicemail ever.
Mikey: [laughs] I know!
Andrew: Well, let’s move on.
Mikey: Let’s move on, seriously, though, guys.
Andrew: There will be more discussion next week, I’m sure. Final voicemail for today:
Voicemail: Going Alone to Infinitus
[Audio]: Hey, MuggleCast, this is Britney. I was wondering if you were planning on going to Infinitus 2010 in Orlando, Florida. I’ve never been to a conference or convention because no one I know is interested in going. If you go alone is it still worth it? And I don’t want to go and be by myself the whole time because that will be sad. And also, do you need to stay at a hotel because I live in Orlando. All right. You guys are awesome. Bye.
Andrew: This poor girl, she wants to go to a Harry Potter conference, Infinitus. It’s going to be right around the time when the theme park is opening, and she wants to know, can she go by herself?
Mikey: I did.
Andrew: Mikey did.
Micah: How old? How old will she be?
Andrew: Oh why, Micah? Why do you want to know that?
Eric: She didn’t say
Micah: No, no, no, I’m just saying…
Andrew: Oh, Micah, why? What…
Eric: Well, there are serious restrictions because if she’s young enough she will need a chaperone, but otherwise…
Andrew: Oh, that’s true.
Eric: But otherwise…
Mikey: You know, honestly, it’s one of those things where I’m, you know – all of us here on MuggleCast are completely approachable. You know, I just went up to Andrew and said, “Hey, you’re Andrew Sims.” And I saw Eric walking around in his costume and – in his wizard costume at Lumos. I have a picture with Eric, you know. I was like, “Hey, can I get a picture with you?” Dude, I have a full costume too, man.
Eric: It’s a uniform.
Mikey: I have like…
Eric: It’s not a costume.
Mikey: I have – all right. Hey, dude, Eric, Eric, I not only have the robe, but I also have a cloak also, and I have like four sweaters. I know, I’m all about it too.
Eric: So is it a costume or uniform?
Mikey: It’s an outfit. It’s an outfit. It’s my clothes, it’s my clothes. It’s like – it’s my wizard clothes. So it’s one of those things where it’s definitely okay to go by yourself. But again, I went with the mindset of, “I’m going to be open, I’m going to make friends, I’m going to have fun, and if all us fails, you know, whatever. I’m in Vegas.” For you – you live in Orlando? Go – it does cost like $180 usually for the pass for the day and all that. You know, you spend the money, and if you absolutely hate it the first day, second day, don’t go. You live there in Orlando. But truthfully, you know, I can’t say for sure, because that’s a long way ahead, whether I’ll be there or not, depending on work and different things, but all of us are approachable. We all love Harry Potter. It’s one of those things – a gathering of people who have like…
Andrew: Right.
Mikey: We all like Harry Potter. You go like, “Hey, do you like Harry Potter?” And you can start a conversation. It’s not hard.
Andrew: Exactly. You don’t need a hotel, to answer the second part of her question, for starters. Especially if you live there, you can just drive there each day. But then you’re paying for parking. That may add up.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Then again – well, I guess your parents could drop you off at the hotel. You will make friends at the Harry Potter conference, without a doubt.
Eric: Yeah. Absolutely.
Andrew: You enter this world – you enter this Harry Potter fandom crazy world. You will, guaranteed, meet so many new people, and you will meet people that I will bet will become life-long friends. And I’m not kidding. We’ve all made life-long friends through Harry Potter. And I think anyone who goes to these conferences has life-long friends through Harry Potter. And it’s thanks to these conferences.
Eric: Now, exactly. Now my advice would be the – Infinitus is an HPEF event, is it not? Yes. So what they have – and this is completely my advice. They have forums. They have discussion forums, they have exactly this sort of thing, where if you join or sign up – I don’t even know if you have to to be in the forums – but you meet people. And that’s exactly what you do. You say, “Here I am, and I am so-and-so, and I really enjoy Harry Potter, I’ll be going to Infinitus.” And you meet people through the boards. Now, this can be done months before. Months before Infinitus, you can meet people online, and what’ll happen is they do this so that, eventually, people could be roommates. You know, you find potential roommates if it is an odd number of you or if you were the only one going. You find all these, sort of, Harry Potter friends through the fandom, through the Internet, that you’re then going to meet up with. And living in Orlando…[laughs]…you might meet some people who want to use you and crash at your place. [laughs] Be aware of this.
Mikey: Any wizard rock band would like a free floor to crash on.
Eric: [laughs] So they might want to crash at your place. Do not let them. Unless you trust them.
Andrew: Guys, this recording’s really long. We need to wrap things up.
Eric: Okay. But basically my advice is you can meet people through the forums months ahead time. And I think it’s a brilliant way to do it. And I wouldn’t be too terribly worried about none of your other friends wanting to go. You could try to convince them, but you could also find – there’s so many other nice people out there in this fandom.
Mikey: Truthfully, you’ll probably have more fun if you go alone than with one of your friends. Because what’s going to happen is, they’re probably not going to want to be there, and they would drag you down in the sense that they don’t want to hang out with all the Harry Potter people, don’t want to go to the different things.
Andrew: Right.
Mikey: Go and have fun. You know what I mean?
Andrew: HPEF.Net is actually they’re website, and they have forums there. You can just click on “Infinitus” right there. It doesn’t look like the forum is too active now, but, hey, if you post, you never know. Someone will bite.
Eric: The thing’s two years away.
Announcement
Micah: We just have one more piece of news we wanted to bring up really quickly before we finish the show tonight. Actually, the news came out about a couple hours ago before we started recording, and that was that Dame Maggie Smith is battling breast cancer. So, of course, we just want to send our best wishes out to Maggie and her family.
Andrew: Definitely, yeah. It’s a shame, it’s a shame. But in the interview she said that she insisted on filming her scenes, even though she was still going through chemotherapy, so…
Eric: Yeah, she’s…
Andrew: Radiation therapy, sorry.
Eric: Well, she is such a good role in the books. She’s really a good actress and she’s really devoted to it. And, you know, our hearts go out to her. I really respect that she still wants to do her scenes and stuff in the movie as long as she can. That’s really great of her.
Mikey: Well said, Eric.
Contact Information
Andrew: Hey, Micah, if someone wants to send in parcel mail, do you know where they send that?
Micah: Yeah, it goes to:
P.O. Box 3151
Cumming, Georgia…is it 30028?
Andrew: It is.
Micah: I remembered, finally!
Andrew: Yay!
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: You can also…
Micah: Not even looking at that website that you are right now.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: If you want to be featured in an upcoming episode of MuggleCast through a voicemail, we have a couple phone numbers you might want to know. If you’re in the United States you can dial 1-218-20-MAGIC. If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can dial 020-8144-0677. And if you’re in Australia, you can dial 02-8003-5668. You can also Skype the username MuggleCast. No matter how you call us, just remember to keep your message under 60 seconds and eliminate as much background noise as possible, please.
You can also visit the MuggleCast website for a contact feedback form to contact any one of us. Or you can use our first name at staff dot mugglenet dot com.
Don’t forget to visit MuggleCast.com for a variety of community outlets as well, including our MySpace, our Facebook, our YouTube, our Frappr, our Last.fm, our fanlistings and forums, and Digg the show at Digg.com, vote for us once at month at Podcast Alley. So I think that’s about it.
Micah: Next week we’ll do a better job at explaining all these community outlets. I know we did it on the lost episode a little bit, but…
Andrew: Well, I mean…
Micah: We have all these things, and sometimes people don’t know what they are.
Eric: So, Micah, what is this lost episode? When did you guys do this?
Andrew: It’s – we recorded it for the Jim Dale episode, but then we decided it lacked goodness, and we just – I just decided that that episode should focus just on Jim Dale and nothing else.
Eric: Oh, cool.
Andrew: But that episode will probably be released to PicklePants – [laughs] PicklePants – PicklePack fans sometime…
Eric: [laughs] PicklePants.
Andrew: …in the near future.
Eric: Now PicklePack is ending within a month or two.
Andrew: Yeah, it’s ending soon. It’s coming to an end.
Micah: I haven’t done it in three weeks.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: I do need to get on that, and I will.
Show Close
Andrew: All right, well, that does do it for this week’s episode of MuggleCast. Apologies to J.K. Rowling, but we are out of time. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Skull.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Mikey: And I’m Mikey B.
Andrew: We’ll see everyone next week for Episode 139. Maybe J.K. Rowling will be on that one. Buh-bye!
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: Bye, guys.
[Eric and Micah laugh]
[Show music ends]
Blooper 1
Mikey: I’m Mikey B.?
Andrew: Dude, what happened?
Mikey: I don’t know. Where’s Eric?
Micah: [imitating Eric] And I’m the invisible boy!
Andrew: He said “I’m Eric Skull.”
Mikey: Oh, did he? I totally – I totally was like…
Eric: Sorry, dude. Oh, no, no, that’s courtesy of – well, I’m just standing in, because I thought I said it too fast.
Mikey: I didn’t even hear…
Andrew: No, it was fine. It was fine, Eric.
Eric: I am Eric Skull.
Mikey: Can I do a good “Mikey B.”?
Andrew: Yeah, yeah. I was going to say…
Mikey: And I’m Mikey B.!
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: Nice.
Mikey: And I’m Mikey B.! Yeah, there we go, all right. Sorry. I was like waiting for Eric, and I didn’t hear it at all.
Andrew: Oh yeah, it’s all right.
Blooper 2
Andrew: All right, so, Micah, you’re next here.
[Pause]
Andrew: [whispering] I hope this plays…
Mikey: [whispering] Andrew…
[Micah laughs]
Micah: Oh, this is a great song, by the way, and I really think that it’s…
Andrew: [whispering] It’s supposed to be playing.
Mikey: Yeah. You know, I think I can help you out with this one right now, Micah. I see this, you know, at the end of the movie when the lights in the theater go back on.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: This was when I stopped reading – I was done with the book. This is the song that played.
Mikey: Well, no, see, then I heard crickets, because it’s just like…
Eric: [laughs] “What am I going to do now with my life?”
Andrew: It’s all your files straight up empty. Hold on, I’ll just load it up in iTunes real quick. Hold on.
Eric: That was going to be a preview.
Mikey: It’s all right, 30 seconds is all we need. Andrew Sims.
Andrew: Good old iTunes, I should’ve tested. I downloaded…
Mikey: Andrew, I have a question. How did you purchase it from iTunes if it’s empty?
Andrew: Uh….right.
Eric: Quit trying to back him into a corner.
Mikey: Awwww!
Eric: He doesn’t pay for anything.
———————–