Jason demanded we gift you all one last holiday movie treat in the form of the new 2025 Netflix rom-com My Secret Santa—a movie that asks, "What if instead of a dad disguising himself as Mrs. Doubtfire to see his kids, a mom disguises herself as Santa to get half-price snowboard lessons?" Paul, June, and Jason discuss if Matthew wants to bone Hugh Mann, the movie's obsession with hot cocoa, the locker room nudity scene, how two guys who merely like Halloween can create Mission Impossible style facemasks, if the movie is misogynistic, and so much more. Get ready, 'cause it's time for women to play Santa and upend the Santa Industrial Complex!
Jason demanded we gift you all one last holiday movie treat in the form of the new 2025 Netflix rom-com My Secret Santa—a movie that asks, "What if instead of a dad disguising himself as Mrs. Doubtfire to see his kids, a mom disguises herself as Santa to get half-price snowboard lessons?" Paul, June, and Jason discuss if Matthew wants to bone Hugh Mann, the movie's obsession with hot cocoa, the locker room nudity scene, how two guys who merely like Halloween can create Mission Impossible style facemasks, if the movie is misogynistic, and so much more. Get ready, 'cause it's time for women to play Santa and upend the Santa Industrial Complex!
[00:00:00] Paul Scheer: He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good because he's a she and she's your mom. We saw My Secret Santa, so you know what that means.
[00:00:15] Music: [Intro Song]
[00:00:19] Paul Scheer: Hello people of earth and welcome to How Did This Get Made. Another Christmas episode. That's right. We are celebrating this month of Christmas with a Netflix original.
[00:00:32] Uh, a Jason Mantzoukas recommend.
[00:00:35] Jason Mantzoukas: I mean, uh.
[00:00:36] June Diane Raphael: Jason's picks.
[00:00:36] Jason Mantzoukas: I'll, I'll, this is, yes, this is, I will admit, I, this is a classic me, uh, uh, boondoggle. I simply by, uh, my passing awareness of this movie, I've now talked about it enough that we had to watch it.
[00:00:51] Paul Scheer: Well, I gotta say, uh, you picked a good one because this came out in 2025. The IMDB Logline is
[00:00:58] "Taylor disguises herself as Santa at a resort to fund her daughter's ski lessons. Working with the charming manager Matthew, as she finds holiday cheer, and a chance at love admits challenges."
[00:01:10] Now. Oh, here? Yes.
[00:01:13] June Diane Raphael: Are you gonna say something about that description, Paul?
[00:01:15] Paul Scheer: No, please. You can jump in. I have, I have two things to say before we move forward, but please dis. Yeah, jump in.
[00:01:20] June Diane Raphael: This is what I, okay. This is my fun. My fundamental issue with this movie is that sentence disguises herself as Santa.
[00:01:29] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:01:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:01:30] June Diane Raphael: Okay. Anyone, and obviously parents, turn this off. This is a little advisory. Turn this off right now if you have, uh, little kids, if you are working as a Santa, you are disguising yourself as Santa no matter what.
[00:01:48] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:01:48] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:01:48] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:01:48] June Diane Raphael: This movie actually like, it borders on horror to me because.
[00:01:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:01:52] June Diane Raphael: It posits a world in which we actually believe that the Santas who are showing up for these villages and malls and different plazas and lobbies are Santa or no.
[00:02:09] Jason Mantzoukas: No, you know.
[00:02:10] June Diane Raphael: Not Santa entirely. No. You know, thank you for correcting me. But, but something, but they, we don't in this world want a Santa, well, we certainly don't want a female Santa, but we want to know that our Santas, what is it exactly? What is it?
[00:02:28] Jason Mantzoukas: What, what We're not, yes. What the movie is not interested in letting you in on or interrogating is who, who is Hugh Mann?
[00:02:39] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:02:40] Jason Mantzoukas: So like, so, so Taylor is both playing a man named Hugh Mann, who is playing Santa Claus.
[00:02:48] June Diane Raphael: Okay. I thank you. Thank you, thank you.
[00:02:49] Jason Mantzoukas: Now the reality is, in the movie, she is almost always, always in Santa mode.
[00:02:56] Paul Scheer: Okay?
[00:02:56] Jason Mantzoukas: So we very rarely see Hugh Man.
[00:03:00] June Diane Raphael: And why doesn't anyone else in this world, okay, this is my main issue. Question.
[00:03:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Why doesn't she talk to the teenage girl as Hugh?
[00:03:09] June Diane Raphael: Hugh, man?
[00:03:10] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:03:10] June Diane Raphael: Like, I'm off my shift. I'm now Hugh Mann.
[00:03:12] Paul Scheer: Well, here, here's the issue, in my opinion. There are are no stakes because the idea is solid. Like, oh, let's do Mrs. Doubt fire as a holiday movie.
[00:03:22] June Diane Raphael: Huh.
[00:03:22] Jason Mantzoukas: Like a reverse miss. This would be if, if in Mrs. Doubtfire the, the Robin Williams dressed up as Mrs. Doubtfire and.
[00:03:31] Paul Scheer: But wasn't the husband.
[00:03:32] Jason Mantzoukas: Who then.
[00:03:33] Paul Scheer: That would be the, that would be the stake.
[00:03:35] Jason Mantzoukas: Who then dressed up as someone else. You know what I mean?
[00:03:37] Paul Scheer: Well, but like the stakes would be.
[00:03:38] June Diane Raphael: But Paul..
[00:03:39] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:03:39] June Diane Raphael: Why does Taylor, this is a serious fucking question. Why does Taylor not show up as herself to the Santa audition? And say, gimme one moment. I'll be right back.
[00:03:51] Jason Mantzoukas: As Hugh Man or as Taylor?
[00:03:53] June Diane Raphael: No, Jason.
[00:03:54] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[00:03:54] June Diane Raphael: Why can't Taylor?
[00:03:56] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[00:03:58] June Diane Raphael: Go say, hi, thanks so much for the audition is I'm gonna just go change into costume. I'll be right back.
[00:04:02] Paul Scheer: June the movie is interrogating our misogyny.
[00:04:06] Jason Mantzoukas: The patriarchy.
[00:04:07] Paul Scheer: In hiring. Yes. In hiring men as Santa performers in hotels and malls.
[00:04:14] Jason Mantzoukas: Absolutely a movie that is representing how controlled, how the patriarchy is still so in power, especially in our most significant holidays.
[00:04:26] Paul Scheer: By the way, though, you, you did bring up a good point. 'cause I think that if you added a scene where she tried to get that job and couldn't get it because she was a woman.
[00:04:34] June Diane Raphael: You needed, I needed that scene.
[00:04:36] Paul Scheer: But she just went to, I need to create an alternative persona.
[00:04:40] June Diane Raphael: Which made me think she was insane.
[00:04:42] Paul Scheer: And here's the thing, Hugh Mann, and this is why the whole movie really falls apart, has to get a check that is gonna go to, to Taylor Jacobson. Right. Like, like she mans checks.
[00:04:55] Jason Mantzoukas: She didn't think the crime. Yeah, she didn't even think the crime through at all. You know?
[00:04:59] Paul Scheer: 'Cause Yeah, there's also a line at the end when it's all revealed, like, we gotta booker on trespassing and this, and then I'm like, why, why, why? She was doing the job you were hired. Like she didn't in any way, not do the job that she was hired to do.
[00:05:15] Jason Mantzoukas: It would've been so fun if in the epi, in the period where she, 'cause the, the movie is setting up the kind of farce, the farce, uh, elements of, oh, now she's Taylor and now she's Santa and Right.
[00:05:29] And oh no, she's, uh, bouncing between people who are expecting her to be different things, blah, blah, blah. Wouldn't it been so fun if of, if she also had to juggle the third persona, Hugh Mann. I wished so much that Hugh Mann had started a romance with the neighbor.
[00:05:45] June Diane Raphael: There's only one time we see.
[00:05:46] Paul Scheer: Twice.
[00:05:47] June Diane Raphael: Hugh Mann.
[00:05:48] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:05:48] June Diane Raphael: No, Paul, we see.
[00:05:49] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, Paul. Oh Paul. My balloons are going. Paul, why are balloons going up your screen? What was that?
[00:05:56] Paul Scheer: Because I gave the peace sign?
[00:05:57] Jason Mantzoukas: It was the peace sign?
[00:05:59] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. And they start.
[00:06:00] Paul Scheer: I don't know why that.
[00:06:03] June Diane Raphael: So here's the thing.
[00:06:04] Paul Scheer: Yeah. We see Hugh Man three times actually.
[00:06:05] June Diane Raphael: Wait, no. We see Hugh Mann when Hugh Mann shows up for the audition, which I.
[00:06:10] Paul Scheer: At the locker room.
[00:06:10] June Diane Raphael: Why she doesn't.
[00:06:12] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:06:12] June Diane Raphael: Why she doesn't show up in Santa costume again. It, it is the, the, the perception of Santa is so strange in this movie because she knows that she shouldn't show up in her suit. That that somehow is too much.
[00:06:29] Paul Scheer: Well, so, but also many of the men auditioning to be Santa are really half-assing it. Like one guy has his beard down around his like chin, like they look like they.
[00:06:40] June Diane Raphael: Just pull it up.
[00:06:41] Paul Scheer: Like Yeah.
[00:06:41] Jason Mantzoukas: Also. They all, all the po the possible Santas. My, I mean, listen, maybe I'm just not aware of the, you know, the, the Santa industrial complex, but like mustn't the organization have the Santa outfit. Does every Santa have its own suit? Anybody?
[00:06:59] Paul Scheer: Well, that, that is true. Any Santa worth.
[00:07:02] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, wow. Okay.
[00:07:02] Paul Scheer: Their salt. Yeah. Any Santa worth their salt.
[00:07:04] June Diane Raphael: Yeah, because they're subcontractors.
[00:07:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[00:07:07] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:07:07] June Diane Raphael: You know, there's no, yeah.
[00:07:09] Jason Mantzoukas: Sorry.
[00:07:09] June Diane Raphael: So I do think it's.
[00:07:10] Jason Mantzoukas: Sorry, I, I miss, I apologize.
[00:07:11] June Diane Raphael: No, that's okay. But it's like a makeup artist. Like you have to come with your own kit. Maybe they get a kit fee, like maybe they get a costume fee to dry clean them.
[00:07:19] Jason Mantzoukas: A rental. They rent their stuff to the.
[00:07:21] June Diane Raphael: Yeah, that's possible.
[00:07:22] Paul Scheer: But here's the thing. I mean, there's so many things wrong with the whole Santa Industrial complex, but I also don't believe that our lead, Taylor Jacobson is a smart person as we we understand her to be, I guess, a well. Her job is a baking overseer. Like she, yeah, like she like runs the factory line at store, at a store-bought cookie plant. Like, so what? Like, we don't even know what her like what she's good at.
[00:07:53] Jason Mantzoukas: It's like Clauts Cookies or It's almost Claus Cookies.
[00:07:57] June Diane Raphael: Oh, that's, I didn't put that together.
[00:07:58] Jason Mantzoukas: It's like, it's so close to Claus that I was like, wait, is this a Santa related business she's making? And she also gets fired. The, the, the, the manager comes up and says, Hey, can I talk to you for a second? And rather than step into an office and fire her privately.
[00:08:16] June Diane Raphael: There's no time.
[00:08:17] Jason Mantzoukas: They take five steps away from everybody. And he fires her in front of the staff.
[00:08:22] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:08:23] Jason Mantzoukas: Who are all watching.
[00:08:24] Paul Scheer: She should be fired because, why do you need a person looking at like the frosting?
[00:08:30] June Diane Raphael: Quality control, babe. So here's the thing. She is, and this is so interesting that they set her up this way. 'cause I think the movie wants us to believe that she's sort of a part of this in industrial complex, even before she steps into the role because she knows and what Santa should look like. And that's part of why that opening scene with that cookie was important. 'Cause she didn't feel like he was jolly enough then.
[00:08:55] Paul Scheer: But yet she said he has no.
[00:08:56] Jason Mantzoukas: Was depressed.
[00:08:57] June Diane Raphael: She said he was depressed. That was a little bit of a Rorschach test for her.
[00:09:00] Jason Mantzoukas: I mean, a truly, truly physician healed thyself. Um, you know, it really, when she said this Santa looks depressed, I was like, what is going on?
[00:09:10] June Diane Raphael: Well, but here's the thing. Up until then, I mean.
[00:09:12] Paul Scheer: That's what have to believe.
[00:09:13] June Diane Raphael: She is insane with the exception of that one scene. We don't know her to be particularly interested in Christmas.
[00:09:22] Paul Scheer: Nope.
[00:09:22] June Diane Raphael: Particularly like festive or.
[00:09:26] Paul Scheer: Interested in Santa.
[00:09:26] June Diane Raphael: Santa curious. Yeah. Like it's so.
[00:09:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Well I don't think she is.
[00:09:30] June Diane Raphael: But then later on, Jason, at the, 'cause I just finished this movie one minute ago.
[00:09:34] Jason Mantzoukas: Same.
[00:09:35] June Diane Raphael: Okay. At the very end. He says some. We'll get into Matthew.
[00:09:40] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh gosh.
[00:09:40] June Diane Raphael: But he says something along the lines of like, you know, Christmas. Like you tell her.
[00:09:48] Paul Scheer: Well, because he, 'cause she figured out that Christmas isn't about bankrupting your parents. It's about like the spirit of Christmas. That that's what she brought to the Santa character.
[00:09:58] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:09:58] Paul Scheer: Which is the unwillingness to give kids what they want. She's like, I'm not gonna give you what you want. I'm gonna give you what you need. And that's what originally turns out bad. Like, I mean, this Santa has.
[00:10:09] Jason Mantzoukas: Like the hard truth Santa that is like, yes, you know, that's gonna make a mess and your parents aren't gonna like that. Or, I know your, your mom's a waitress. She can't afford that.
[00:10:18] Paul Scheer: Like, what if Santa was a mom? That's what she brings to Santa, which is a revolutionary idea in the world of Santa.
[00:10:25] June Diane Raphael: What if Santa is a mom?
[00:10:26] Jason Mantzoukas: What if Santa was a mom? Now that's.
[00:10:29] June Diane Raphael: By the way, Santa. Santa is a mom.
[00:10:31] Paul Scheer: Mm-hmm.
[00:10:32] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[00:10:32] June Diane Raphael: Moms are doing Christmas.
[00:10:34] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[00:10:35] Paul Scheer: Well, hold on. Now, I don't think that.
[00:10:36] June Diane Raphael: And I'm not saying you aren't, babe, but I'm saying in general, when people talk about the magic of holidays, and Paul Scheer, I'm not including you in this.
[00:10:43] Paul Scheer: Thank you.
[00:10:43] June Diane Raphael: Please know that the labor of Santa is
[00:10:48] Jason Mantzoukas: Elves.
[00:10:49] June Diane Raphael: The magic of Christmas.
[00:10:50] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, so you're taking.
[00:10:51] June Diane Raphael: Is done by women.
[00:10:53] Jason Mantzoukas: So you're taking this work away from the elves and giving it to women.
[00:11:00] June Diane Raphael: But that's what drives me crazy, is like, well, moms are already doing Christmas.
[00:11:06] Paul Scheer: Yes, but, but moms are not redefining who's Santa, regardless of who is doing the work. The idea is that ho, ho, ho. Whatever you want, I'll get you. Like that's.
[00:11:15] June Diane Raphael: I've never, we've seen several Santa performers in our day.
[00:11:18] Paul Scheer: Oh yeah.
[00:11:18] June Diane Raphael: If anything, I found them all to be pretty like judicious about and diplomatic about what they say. They don't say, you can get, you can have that. They say, well, I hope.
[00:11:27] Paul Scheer: Right. Because I think they got in trouble for that.
[00:11:29] June Diane Raphael: By who?
[00:11:31] Paul Scheer: By the Santa Industrial complex because I think.
[00:11:33] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. By Big Santa.
[00:11:34] Paul Scheer: Yes. Because I think that, again, when kids stopped asking for like trains and cars and they started asking for PlayStation 5s like somebody who worked at the mall or the hotel. I would, by the way, I, I wanna get into the hotel.
[00:11:48] June Diane Raphael: This hotel, this hotel is so shitty.
[00:11:51] Jason Mantzoukas: So much of the movie, so much of the movie is just shot in a hotel ballroom. It's amazing.
[00:11:57] June Diane Raphael: And it's so shitty. The fact that we're supposed to believe this is like a gazillionaire and they have all of these major properties throughout the world, like. This hotels.
[00:12:09] Paul Scheer: It's not even booked for Christmas.
[00:12:10] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:12:10] Paul Scheer: It's not even fully booked. The, the, the Instagram retweets have booked it full for Christmas. Like it, it was coming into the month empty, so whatever they were doing wasn't already working. You know, like, I mean.
[00:12:23] Jason Mantzoukas: And what what is interesting is the movie isn't into Taylor, rather.
[00:12:27] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:12:27] Jason Mantzoukas: Isn't interested in being Santa.
[00:12:30] Paul Scheer: No.
[00:12:30] Jason Mantzoukas: She doesn't want to be Santa in some way to be like, I love Santa or I love Christmas. She just wants the half off employee discount for her daughter's snowboard education.
[00:12:43] Paul Scheer: Which again would mean that on some certificate she's also forged that Hugh Mann is the father or grandfather of her daughter.
[00:12:53] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:12:53] Paul Scheer: Which I don't know if they got into that in particular.
[00:12:56] June Diane Raphael: I hadn't even thought of that.
[00:12:58] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:12:58] Jason Mantzoukas: Honestly, honestly, the end of the movie, I mean, Taylor is so irresponsible. The end of the movie could very easily end with her in jail and her daughter in child in foster care.
[00:13:12] Paul Scheer: But could, but now, but I guess the question is.
[00:13:14] Jason Mantzoukas: We don't know where her, the, the, the father is and, um, and, and Taylor is doing so many illegal activities.
[00:13:21] June Diane Raphael: Well, she's just trying to get her daughter snowboard lessons.
[00:13:26] Paul Scheer: Half off.
[00:13:26] June Diane Raphael: That's the other thing that's tough.
[00:13:27] Paul Scheer: Half off, half off, half off.
[00:13:27] June Diane Raphael: It's not like I'm trying to get my kid, I don't know. There was something about skiing and snowboarding. It's, it's such a rich per, very rich person's sport that it was hard for me to emotionally connect to, like, she can't go to snowboarding school? Okay.
[00:13:42] Paul Scheer: She's in a snow town.
[00:13:44] June Diane Raphael: I imagine the pressure of growing up. As a regular person in a snow town, as you p put it, Paul is difficult.
[00:13:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, the, she's getting bullied quite a bit by the, the rich, the rich clique who are making fun of her date, her out of date, uh, snowboarder gear and clothes.
[00:14:03] June Diane Raphael: Looks fine to me.
[00:14:03] Jason Mantzoukas: Uh, they're making fun of the fact that her mom drives around a, um, a kidnapper's 1980s kidnapper's van.
[00:14:10] Paul Scheer: I mean, I also wanna argue though, that the rich kid in this movie is the daughter of the manager of the hotel. So it also, also,
[00:14:19] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh yeah.
[00:14:20] Paul Scheer: It also does paint the picture that the manager of the hotel is making boku bucks.
[00:14:26] I mean, she's not even the manager. She's in line to be the manager. And then, you know, Matthew comes over and takes her spot. By the way, that's Tino, uh, Tia Maori, uh, which, you know, with great casting there, I love the cast of this. I was all on board.
[00:14:41] Jason Mantzoukas: Everybody was great.
[00:14:42] June Diane Raphael: Although, can I tell you the whole time, the whole time I was watching this, especially in the, um, especially in the big Christmas party scene when she's going back and forth at Santa.
[00:14:50] Paul Scheer: Which about 12, 12 to 15 people were at.
[00:14:53] June Diane Raphael: Yes, exactly. But at the whole time I'm watching that, I'm like, why? Why isn't this movie Tia and Tamara actually playing Santa and Taylor and going back and forth? Like, that's interesting to me.
[00:15:10] Paul Scheer: Well, to me though, what I was thinking during that party scene was this. Again, if we're looking at the model of Mrs. Doubtfire, right, there's stakes there because he is the ex-husband of Sally Field and he has to pretend to be the nanny to be close to his kids.
[00:15:26] June Diane Raphael: He wants his kids back.
[00:15:27] Paul Scheer: But in this, she is friends with makeup artists. Just like Harvey Fire. She was.
[00:15:32] Jason Mantzoukas: One's her brother.
[00:15:32] Paul Scheer: Brother.
[00:15:33] June Diane Raphael: That's her brother.
[00:15:33] Paul Scheer: One, yes. Or not even makeup artists, guys who like Halloween. That really is the other, that's.
[00:15:38] June Diane Raphael: We need to stop there because that. Okay. They have an entire studio devoted to like masks.
[00:15:44] Paul Scheer: Their entire living, living room is just making.
[00:15:46] Jason Mantzoukas: They're making Mission Impossible level masks that are so, I mean, so good. And so. They are doing.
[00:15:54] Paul Scheer: There's face scans.
[00:15:55] Jason Mantzoukas: Scans, you know.
[00:15:57] June Diane Raphael: Halloween. Now what's also their scene.
[00:16:00] Paul Scheer: For their, for their Halloween costume.
[00:16:01] Jason Mantzoukas: And they're in like, they're in like Telluride, Colorado or something.
[00:16:04] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:16:04] Jason Mantzoukas: They're in like a small town, a small ski town.
[00:16:08] Paul Scheer: They're going out to a, one Halloween party in that costume. And then they're starting all over again.
[00:16:15] Jason Mantzoukas: They have, I'm gonna say quite literally $30,000 worth of special effects equipment.
[00:16:21] June Diane Raphael: Easy.
[00:16:21] Paul Scheer: At a minimum.
[00:16:22] June Diane Raphael: Easy.
[00:16:22] Jason Mantzoukas: 3D printers, facial scan devices, they've got.
[00:16:26] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:16:26] Jason Mantzoukas: Crazy stuff.
[00:16:27] Paul Scheer: Well, this is what brings up, this is the issue that I have, and it gets, it rocks me to my core. I was like, here's the moment that you could actually make this movie work in a different way, which is those guys create masks for a living. Why don't you just?
[00:16:41] June Diane Raphael: Not for a living, for a hobby, babe.
[00:16:42] Paul Scheer: Okay. Sorry. Yes. Sorry for a hobby. Why don't you just dress one of them up, like Hugh Mann, great for the party. Oh, that's, and then she could be there too, because all you have to do is go ho, ho, ho.
[00:16:55] June Diane Raphael: You think they could all you have to, do you think they can capture that magic?
[00:17:00] Paul Scheer: Well, is it the magic of Hugh Mann? Well, 'cause I don't know if Hugh Mann, it's, I don't, I don't know if Hugh Mann actually has a personality. 'Cause Mrs. Doubtfire has a personality, right? Oh, hello. And she talks, but, you know, uh, but Hugh Mann.
[00:17:13] June Diane Raphael: It's the magic of Hugh Mann because Hugh Mann listens.
[00:17:16] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, where does Hugh Mann end, and where does Santa begin?
[00:17:21] Paul Scheer: I don't think that Hugh Mann is a part of it. I don't think that you.
[00:17:23] Jason Mantzoukas: This is where it is. I think we real, the person that I really desired to know more was Hugh Mann. I wish there had been a, a scene where the, the neighbor, the horny, uh, landlord and the, and yeah. Taylor dressed as Hugh Mann, have to have like a glass of wine.
[00:17:40] I wish.
[00:17:40] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:17:40] Jason Mantzoukas: There had been like two to three more scenes with Taylor as Hugh Mann, not as Santa
[00:17:48] Paul Scheer: Hugh Mann only really does the work of Taylor.
[00:17:52] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:17:53] Paul Scheer: Right. Like Hugh Mann is just saying what Taylor would say if Taylor wasn't there. Right. She's like, well, listen to your mother. Yeah. And you know, it's like that, like Hugh Mann man's not really engaging.
[00:18:05] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, I get it. Oh, I finally get it. Hugh Mann is method.
[00:18:10] Paul Scheer: Okay. All right.
[00:18:11] Jason Mantzoukas: So for this period of time, Hugh Mann is Santa.
[00:18:15] June Diane Raphael: Then why, why didn't Hugh Mann show up to that fucking audition in his suit?
[00:18:21] Jason Mantzoukas: Good call. Okay. So you are saying, it sounds to me like you are saying that Hugh Mann is weak sauce.
[00:18:27] June Diane Raphael: Yes.
[00:18:27] Jason Mantzoukas: And is probably the weakest actor in Sag.
[00:18:30] Paul Scheer: Uh, June, be very careful if you agree to this. This is, this is gonna get you a of trouble on.
[00:18:34] June Diane Raphael: I was so mad. It's like you are so concerned you've gone to all these lengths to do this mess. You must have been hair and makeup for hours, and then it's the day of the audition. A, you're late. B, you're not in your costume yet. The fuck outta here.
[00:18:49] Jason Mantzoukas: And, but, books the job.
[00:18:51] Paul Scheer: But of course.
[00:18:52] Jason Mantzoukas: You're learning all the wrong lessons. Books the job.
[00:18:55] Paul Scheer: Well, because I think the reason why you wanna hire Hugh Mann is because he, he doesn't need a costume. Mann just puts on the red.
[00:19:03] June Diane Raphael: Mm-hmm.
[00:19:03] Paul Scheer: And he's Santa like, Hugh Mann looks like Santa like. And I think that that is the key to most professional Santas. They have the beard, they have the hair, and it's a cultivated look. It's not wiggy, it's not any of that now. Yes, Hugh Mann is all wiggy.
[00:19:19] June Diane Raphael: Hugh Mann was all wigs and yeah, that wasn't full mask.
[00:19:22] Paul Scheer: But I think that's why they have to put him next to all the people. Look, Hugh Mann looks good.
[00:19:25] June Diane Raphael: Hugh Mann slash Taylor slash Santa looked great in every shot.
[00:19:30] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh yeah.
[00:19:34] June Diane Raphael: Well, here's the problem with the movie though. And by the way, I really did like that actress, but I do think the problem is she is set up. We're we're being told by several people that she is like a, you know, sad sack kind of cat lady type person. I never saw that. I always.
[00:19:53] Jason Mantzoukas: But she's also like the former lead singer guitarist of a punk rock band.
[00:19:57] Paul Scheer: Punk.
[00:19:57] June Diane Raphael: But I never saw this person that was like organizing her socks alphabetically, which by the way, how?
[00:20:05] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:20:06] Paul Scheer: Well, again, we're getting into a socks discussion.
[00:20:08] June Diane Raphael: I know we don't wanna go back into socks. But how do you organize socks alphabetically?
[00:20:13] Jason Mantzoukas: We are taught, we're taught, we're getting into socks so much lately. So would you rather sort your socks alphabetically, and is it by color?
[00:20:21] June Diane Raphael: What does that mean?
[00:20:22] Jason Mantzoukas: By color or by name?
[00:20:24] June Diane Raphael: Like red. Like do you mean the first letter of each color?
[00:20:27] Jason Mantzoukas: I, that's what I'm saying. I don't even know what that would mean.
[00:20:29] June Diane Raphael: Also, what does that mean?
[00:20:31] Jason Mantzoukas: Who organizes socks?
[00:20:32] June Diane Raphael: Well, Paul does.
[00:20:33] Paul Scheer: Well, I guess. Okay, so I have a pair, I have some Adidas socks and I have some Nike socks and they have like a logo on it. They don't have the words on it, but if I would say, all right, those are my Nike socks, I'm gonna line them up in the Nike area of my sock drawer.
[00:20:49] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. But then, but then.
[00:20:50] Paul Scheer: I don't know, I'm just, i'm, I'm trying, I'm trying to, I'm trying to put it all together.
[00:20:52] June Diane Raphael: The only way.
[00:20:54] Paul Scheer: Bombas would go in the front.
[00:20:54] June Diane Raphael: The only way to organize socks is
[00:20:56] Paul Scheer: Adidas go before that.
[00:20:57] June Diane Raphael: By type, you gotta index them by type.
[00:20:59] Paul Scheer: Okay. So you're talking about, you're talking about like a ankle sock, you're talking about?
[00:21:03] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. Athletic socks, dress socks, compression, K wool socks, compression airplane socks. They're all going by type.
[00:21:10] Paul Scheer: Now, I have my dress socks in a different drawer than my athletic socks.
[00:21:13] Jason Mantzoukas: I think that makes sense because you probably wear them very infrequently.
[00:21:16] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:21:17] June Diane Raphael: That's fine. But again, how could you ever approach them alphabetically? It's not.
[00:21:22] Jason Mantzoukas: It's insanity.
[00:21:23] June Diane Raphael: It's literally like insane.
[00:21:25] Paul Scheer: Look, she has nothing.
[00:21:26] June Diane Raphael: And it's referenced twice in this movie.
[00:21:28] Jason Mantzoukas: Taylor is a local celebrity sometimes, and sometimes.
[00:21:35] June Diane Raphael: Nobody seems to know her.
[00:21:35] Jason Mantzoukas: Sometimes is a complete unknown in a town that appears to have, I'm going to say I. I'm maybe conservatively 400 residents.
[00:21:45] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:21:45] June Diane Raphael: Jason, if she's a local celebrity.
[00:21:47] Paul Scheer: Made one album.
[00:21:48] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. Screaming Kittens. From that crazy screaming her, her Screaming Kittens era.
[00:21:53] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:21:53] June Diane Raphael: How is it possible that her daughter doesn't know?
[00:21:56] Paul Scheer: The album is in the house.
[00:21:58] Jason Mantzoukas: Exactly. Like they, they have the worst relationship. They have a terrible relationship because I wish they had had a Gilmore Girls. It's the two of us. We're, we're a team vibe in it, you know, like we're, uh, uh, Taylor, what's the daughter's name? Zoe.
[00:22:18] Paul Scheer: Zoe. Yes.
[00:22:19] Jason Mantzoukas: Uh, so, so we're, we're te they're so close in age, they're so young. Like it, they had an opportunity to have a Gilmore Girls esque vibe between the two of them, but they don't, and nor do they have a very, like, strained or they feel like they're very apart. It, they feel like strangers to each other.
[00:22:36] June Diane Raphael: Like roommates. Just coexisting.
[00:22:38] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:22:38] Paul Scheer: Well, it's what's so interesting though, is that I also think you're seeing that on the father and son side with Matthew and his dad. Like they don't seem to be that much in each other's lives. So much so that Matthew just kind of surprises his dad by returning home. His dad did not know he was gonna be there.
[00:22:56] June Diane Raphael: Fact that they cast this man as a.
[00:22:58] Jason Mantzoukas: Free spirit.
[00:22:59] June Diane Raphael: Like and a free spirit spirit is the most, it was the most absurd thing I've ever seen.
[00:23:05] Paul Scheer: Crash his. Crash car into a statue in Italy. And his dad says, well now you must work as the resort manager to pay off the accident debt.
[00:23:14] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah. He's basically like, I'm not gonna give you the money to, to fix this. I'm gonna make you work for it. But he is not like a bad boy.
[00:23:23] Paul Scheer: Not at all.
[00:23:24] June Diane Raphael: Look at him in that hounds tooth, like.
[00:23:27] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:23:27] June Diane Raphael: Trenched looking coat.
[00:23:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Yep.
[00:23:29] June Diane Raphael: If he we're supposed to believe he's like this bad, like kid. And why is he.
[00:23:35] Paul Scheer: The worst thing that he does is not check references. Yeah. Like that's the, that like, that's the most, like he seems to me a guy who immediately fits in. Like he understands the paperwork. He's not getting drunk. We don't bump into him at a bar. He is a, he's getting hot cocoa.
[00:23:52] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh my God, the hot cocoa shit is so out of control. It's so funny. That and the, and the thing that he, if I looked at the entire cast of this movie, the one person I would think absolutely knows how to tie a neck tie is this guy.
[00:24:09] Paul Scheer: Oh, absolutely.
[00:24:09] Jason Mantzoukas: And he's the one that's like, I never know how to do these. I, I'm a guitar guy. I'm like, free spirit, I'm an artist. I was like, you are not.
[00:24:18] Paul Scheer: Why are they making him a guitar guy?
[00:24:20] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:24:20] Paul Scheer: Like why are they make, why would you take the one thing that our lead does well, which is play and sing and go, well, you know what he does too? This guy actually plays and sings and he's jumping up at local bars. Like you take away the superpower of your lead by making the, the romantic interest have the same superpower.
[00:24:40] June Diane Raphael: But, why not just put him in a leather jacket or something in the beginning? I was so thrown by that look. I was so, and the short hair, I just, I was so.
[00:24:50] Jason Mantzoukas: And the trimmed beard.
[00:24:52] June Diane Raphael: Yeah.
[00:24:52] Jason Mantzoukas: He, he doesn't look scruffy. He doesn't look unkempt. He doesn't look like a bad boy. He's not riding a motorcycle.
[00:24:59] Paul Scheer: Is he supposed to be like a McConaughey, like that kind?
[00:25:01] June Diane Raphael: He looks like he's running a startup.
[00:25:03] Jason Mantzoukas: He does, yeah.
[00:25:04] June Diane Raphael: And he is there on vacation.
[00:25:05] Jason Mantzoukas: Like I would have, I would believe it more if he was being irresponsible. Like he started a startup and it failed.
[00:25:12] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:25:12] Jason Mantzoukas: Rather than he's like a drunk who got, who drove a car into a, a, a fountain in Italy or whatever it was.
[00:25:19] Paul Scheer: To me, the better story would be, Hey, let's go get a beer. And she's like, it's 10:00 AM I'll get a hot chocolate. And he is like, I don't drink hot chocolate. And at the end he's like, let's go get a hot chocolate. Like she's changed him.
[00:25:30] June Diane Raphael: Mm-hmm. That's nice.
[00:25:32] Paul Scheer: But Hugh Mann is the one who's drinking. Hugh Mann is the one who is.
[00:25:36] June Diane Raphael: To get another flaming candy cane.
[00:25:37] Paul Scheer: I mean, this guy's, this guy's shopping for discount records. I mean, like, he is, he is not doing any.
[00:25:43] Jason Mantzoukas: I loved that though. I, I'm like, oh yes, have a meet cute at the record store and blah, blah, blah, blah. But he does not belong in that store at all. Nevermind that he's like, don't you know the Screaming Kittens? I loved this band and blah, blah, blah. You know? Absolutely not. No.
[00:26:00] June Diane Raphael: But like, what, by the way though, like seriously, what happened in Italy?
[00:26:04] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:26:04] June Diane Raphael: Like what's going on with him? And I know he lost his mom at 15, and I know it was sudden, and I know that was hard and I have so much sympathy for it. I feel like that gentleman we saw on screen is 40.
[00:26:16] Jason Mantzoukas: 45.
[00:26:17] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. So it's like I, I, my heart goes out to you. But that's, that was a long time ago.
[00:26:23] Jason Mantzoukas: It's a very long time ago.
[00:26:24] June Diane Raphael: You can't still be on a bender from that.
[00:26:26] Paul Scheer: But June, I guess is the question I'm gonna ask you is how much do we know of that from Matthew versus his dad? His dad is the one who labels him. Matthew never is like, I'm a bad boy.
[00:26:37] June Diane Raphael: Well, ba but Matthew is validating this, like something very bad happened in Italy.
[00:26:43] Paul Scheer: Well, he cr he crashed into the statue.
[00:26:45] Jason Mantzoukas: And he's also saying that he's a free spirit and he doesn't work jobs like this and this is his dad's stuff, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
[00:26:52] Paul Scheer: Well, he does say like, I wouldn't have known about all this paperwork. That's what he really seems to be.
[00:26:56] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:26:56] Paul Scheer: Like, you know, that like, that comes. Yeah.
[00:26:57] Jason Mantzoukas: I'm signing things all day.
[00:26:59] June Diane Raphael: But what would, I guess, here's my question. What, what does Matthew wanna do for a living?
[00:27:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Who knows?
[00:27:07] June Diane Raphael: Be an artist?
[00:27:08] Jason Mantzoukas: Great question. Great. He doesn't know. Once again, we have people that are so old acting like I just am.
[00:27:15] Paul Scheer: 41 is his age, by the way.
[00:27:17] June Diane Raphael: Okay, that's fine. But like, but here's, but here's the thing that's so very odd about this movie. I don't know what anyone's dreams are, and I understand her dream is for her daughter, and that's fine. But like, I don't understand by the end if him being the general manager and her being the executive director of family events is a good thing or not. Yeah, I don't know.
[00:27:39] Paul Scheer: Tells you it's it is.
[00:27:39] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:27:40] Paul Scheer: I believe.
[00:27:41] June Diane Raphael: But is it?
[00:27:42] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, I mean, I think the movie is saying like, Hey, remember all those dreams you had? They're not gonna happen. So maybe you can be happy doing.
[00:27:52] June Diane Raphael: Craft nights?
[00:27:55] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes. Craft nights at the resort. I don't know. No, I don't know.
[00:28:00] June Diane Raphael: Oh, this is the other detail we had about him that I like. I was really fucked up by. At one point, the dad says, when he's like, recounting all these bad things that Matthew did. That he was swimming with swans.
[00:28:16] Paul Scheer: Well, yeah. You feel like he got drunk and he jumped into like some sort of decorative swan thing. I, I thought that's imagery was actually interesting.
[00:28:23] Jason Mantzoukas: What's also interesting is the movie.
[00:28:26] June Diane Raphael: So not real swans?
[00:28:27] Paul Scheer: No, no.
[00:28:28] Jason Mantzoukas: I think they were real swans in the fountain that he crashed into. My guess.
[00:28:31] June Diane Raphael: I heard that as a totally separate event.
[00:28:34] Paul Scheer: Oh, I, I thought this was another, that fountain.
[00:28:35] June Diane Raphael: So it's all about that one fountain he crashed.
[00:28:38] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, you might be right. Maybe there's, maybe he has a litany of, of disastrous moves. But what's interesting is everybody in town knows he's this public fuckup, so he's like, um, he feels like he's a, like a, uh, somebody who's being reported on in like page six or something. You know, like, like.
[00:28:58] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:28:58] Jason Mantzoukas: He's some sort of famous, like rich.
[00:29:01] Paul Scheer: Her brother's like this guy. He's like the sexy billionaires causing all these trouble.
[00:29:06] June Diane Raphael: I did laugh when the brother said I could be the brother-in-law of the son of a billionaire. I mean, I really like. That was my favorite line.
[00:29:14] Jason Mantzoukas: Are they Hiltons?
[00:29:15] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:29:15] June Diane Raphael: I think they are, they, the Hilton are.
[00:29:16] Jason Mantzoukas: The Hiltons are type, type of a family or something.
[00:29:18] June Diane Raphael: I think they are the Hiltons. But that hotel gave such kind of like Econolodge vibes to me.
[00:29:28] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:29:28] June Diane Raphael: And there are versions of the Hilton that are like that. You know, there's, they can scale up or scale down, but I do feel like we can trust the brand a little bit more. And this felt, so.
[00:29:40] Paul Scheer: June, I, I just wanted to go a little bit of, I want to just talk to you from all the people out there who clean hotel carpets. Can you imagine trying to keep a place like that clean with all those snow boots trucking in all that wetness like that, that's a, that hotel is kept very, very clean. Uh, and I will say you've given it a little bit more credit. For, uh, you know, the entry way.
[00:30:00] June Diane Raphael: I'm not saying it's dirty. I'm really not. It is just so outdated. The locker room, I was not okay with.
[00:30:06] Paul Scheer: The locker room was rough.
[00:30:06] Jason Mantzoukas: The locker room. I wanna talk about the locker room for so long because for a movie that won't allow its romantic leads to really drink alcohol that much like it, they have to be so like hot cocoa and, uh, you know, like, uh, no real kissing, no.
[00:30:23] Like they have to be so weirdly pure and chaste for one whole sequence to be. She's dressed up in San, in as Hugh Mann, just looking at dicks in the locker room. She sees his dick. He drops his towel immediately in the locker room.
[00:30:39] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:30:39] Jason Mantzoukas: While they're chatting.
[00:30:41] June Diane Raphael: I have to ask because I'm not a man, obviously.
[00:30:45] Paul Scheer: Mm-hmm.
[00:30:45] Jason Mantzoukas: Well.
[00:30:46] June Diane Raphael: I don't know, like I.
[00:30:47] Jason Mantzoukas: But are you Hugh Mann?
[00:30:48] June Diane Raphael: I don't know. I would've loved the opportunity to be Hugh Mann.
[00:30:52] Paul Scheer: Hugh Mann also went into a woman's bathroom as well.
[00:30:55] June Diane Raphael: He did.
[00:30:55] Paul Scheer: And I, I'm glad, glad they didn't make a big deal out of it. It was like whatever he chose, he chose.
[00:30:59] Jason Mantzoukas: You know? But this is the thing, what's to stop women from dressing as Santa to get men's bathroom.
[00:31:04] June Diane Raphael: Someone passed the bill. I don't know. I don't know. Like what locker room? I don't know what goes on, what all goes on in there. But like, if you were in there and Santa.
[00:31:15] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:31:15] June Diane Raphael: Santa performer came up to you, or even let's say you someone you were an acquaintance of, would you drop your towel like that? Paul?
[00:31:24] Paul Scheer: Here's what I would say. Uh, I saw Jason shake his head. Uh, there's a lot of locker room behavior that is not universally accepted. It's not like there's one way of being. I have been in locker rooms where people are gonna just fucking be out there proud and free.
[00:31:42] June Diane Raphael: Proud. Yep.
[00:31:42] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh yeah.
[00:31:42] Paul Scheer: And I'm gonna be next to people who are so tidied up and wrapped up that you're in that.
[00:31:47] June Diane Raphael: You can't even get a peak if you wanted to.
[00:31:49] Paul Scheer: Exactly.
[00:31:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, I, there was a pilot season where I joined the YMCA in Hollywood. Uh, just the one right there in Hollywood that we've all driven by a million times. And that locker room was naked dudes hanging out, chitchatting, talking on phones, nude, walking around, walking over there to do full lotion setup at the lotion station.
[00:32:12] June Diane Raphael: It's disgusting.
[00:32:13] Jason Mantzoukas: Walking over there, just, just in their flip flops.
[00:32:15] Paul Scheer: Uh, I, when I was a kid, when I was a kid, our locker rooms, uh, for gym were divided just by like a cement wall, and there was a small hole in the wall that we would all peer through, but it was only at the point where the, yeah.
[00:32:32] June Diane Raphael: Paul. Okay.
[00:32:32] Jason Mantzoukas: Wait, what?
[00:32:33] Paul Scheer: The back in my, like my younger school, when I went to a school, like, uh, from kindergarten to like fourth or fifth grade, our locker rooms.
[00:32:40] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, so very young.
[00:32:41] Paul Scheer: Yes. There was a wall. There was a wall that was separate.
[00:32:45] June Diane Raphael: Oh, what?
[00:32:46] Paul Scheer: No, no. And, and so the. And so we would all be trying to sneak a peek at the girls' locker.
[00:32:51] June Diane Raphael: Why are you sneaking in fourth grade and third grade? That's so weird.
[00:32:54] Paul Scheer: Because in my, when I was growing up, Porkies was big and all you saw was that kid with his eye up against, against that eye hole.
[00:33:01] Jason Mantzoukas: That's true.
[00:33:02] Paul Scheer: You know?
[00:33:02] Jason Mantzoukas: That's true.
[00:33:02] Paul Scheer: So you was like, that's what you thought you did. But the, where the whole was was, um, the, the separation between like the wash area and the, the dressing area, like the sinks. So there was no, there was never saw anyone.
[00:33:15] Jason Mantzoukas: I want to back Paul up in the sense that like, yes.
[00:33:18] Paul Scheer: Yes, thank you.
[00:33:18] Jason Mantzoukas: Like Porkies and things like that gave us in our childhood, established for us a world in which if you saw a hole in a wall, no matter where you.
[00:33:29] Paul Scheer: You have to.
[00:33:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Were in the world. You looked through it in case there was boobs on the other side of it.
[00:33:34] Paul Scheer: You were hoping.
[00:33:35] Jason Mantzoukas: For reasons that you didn't know.
[00:33:36] June Diane Raphael: Wow.
[00:33:36] Paul Scheer: Exactly. That was it. Like, I don't even know if it was titillating. It was just like, oh my gosh, this is the dream that there would be a hole in the wall.
[00:33:43] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:33:43] Paul Scheer: That I can now see. Like that would be the optimal.
[00:33:46] Jason Mantzoukas: And I know that, that there's a possibility that there are rooms in this building.
[00:33:51] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:33:51] Jason Mantzoukas: With boobs in them. Maybe on the other side of this wall is one of them.
[00:33:55] June Diane Raphael: And I, I look back on my childhood and honestly, even right now, I wanna remind myself like I should be looking for holes in walls.
[00:34:01] Jason Mantzoukas: All, all the time.
[00:34:03] Paul Scheer: All the time.
[00:34:03] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh yeah.
[00:34:04] Paul Scheer: All the time. Forever.
[00:34:05] Jason Mantzoukas: That's why I'm, uh, traveling with like a little roll of duct tape everywhere I go to just cover up the.
[00:34:10] Paul Scheer: I mean, look. They the. Psychos based on that whole idea.
[00:34:12] June Diane Raphael: No, it is true in hotel rooms and stuff, like I do know some women look around for holes. I just can't, I can't, there's only so much I can be concerned about in this lifetime.
[00:34:20] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, after you got it, first you do your bedbug check, then you do your hole check, then you do your secret camera check, uh, and then you check if all the mirrors are actual mirrors rather than two-way mirrors.
[00:34:31] June Diane Raphael: That's a lot. And then you check out.
[00:34:36] Paul Scheer: Um, here's what I'll say. What I loved about this movie is that when Matthew gets up to present the Hugh Mann at the tree lighting ceremony, he is heckled in a way that made me laugh harder than anything. I was like, Hey, didn't see you on a fountain motherfucker. Like, like he is being roasted by the town, which I think actually like helped me. Like, I just like that this town was so agro. Like this is a tree, this is a kid tree lighting ceremony.
[00:35:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, he also. He has neither the temperament of the, um, free spirit kind of artist. Uh, uh, maybe like, like, uh, Nerr do well he neither has that temperament, nor does he have the trust fund rich dick entitled vibe to him.
[00:35:22] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:35:22] Jason Mantzoukas: He is just awkward. He doesn't feel like he belongs and he feels out of place. So he's stammering through his speeches. He's like, he's just an awkward guy.
[00:35:33] June Diane Raphael: I know.
[00:35:33] Jason Mantzoukas: So I kept being like, why are we into him?
[00:35:36] June Diane Raphael: I don't know.
[00:35:38] Jason Mantzoukas: I also loved in the locker room scene that when, because of the, the locker room setup, we see he has a bunch of tattoos.
[00:35:46] June Diane Raphael: I love that about him.
[00:35:47] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:35:47] June Diane Raphael: But here's the thing, like I, I don't. I think he's nice. And so that's, that's great. But I also couldn't tell why she was that into him because he didn't seem to have much of a personality. But I, but then I went back and remember the locker room scene. She saw something.
[00:36:04] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, she did.
[00:36:05] June Diane Raphael: She sure did.
[00:36:07] Jason Mantzoukas: She saw something.
[00:36:07] June Diane Raphael: She saw something that honestly put, put a magical Christmas spell on her.
[00:36:13] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh yeah.
[00:36:13] June Diane Raphael: But it's the only reason because he is very, very blonde.
[00:36:19] Jason Mantzoukas: They both are.
[00:36:19] Paul Scheer: Right.
[00:36:20] Jason Mantzoukas: They're both dull. No, no, no. As characters. As characters. You know what I mean? Like I'm not saying this about the actors. I'm saying they both feel aimless.
[00:36:28] June Diane Raphael: Yeah.
[00:36:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Both of them. Both of them. Neither of them are striving towards anything. They are both just kind of treading water.
[00:36:37] June Diane Raphael: I guess that's true.
[00:36:38] Paul Scheer: Well, yeah. I think they're both trying to find their anchor, which I think is each other, they are both. They're both looking for something to ground them where they need to be. Like, keep them there. You know, they're, they are, they're boats adrift.
[00:36:52] June Diane Raphael: Here's what I needed. You know what I needed? I needed a scene in which we understood what it was like for her as a single mom in Lincoln and how like the pressures of having your kid in a rich town and being the poor worker in that town, and how your kid wants to get along with all these other rich kids, but you can't provide that. That's really interesting to me.
[00:37:16] Jason Mantzoukas: That great.
[00:37:16] June Diane Raphael: Compelling.
[00:37:17] Jason Mantzoukas: I love this. Yes. I would've loved that vibe and that understanding that she's operating in a very rich town from a position of scarcity.
[00:37:25] June Diane Raphael: Right. So then I would need to know that that's what she's bringing to Santa. Her work as Hugh Mann. That, that sort of, but instead like she is, it made me think also that everybody in this small town is on the same economic level as her, which for ski town simply doesn't make sense.
[00:37:46] Paul Scheer: No.
[00:37:46] Jason Mantzoukas: No.
[00:37:47] June Diane Raphael: So they could afford all the things that they're asking for.
[00:37:50] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:37:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, I mean, I think she's also trying to teach lessons, but I don't understand that, I guess I don't understand where, like nobody is on an arc that I'm understanding. You know what I mean?
[00:38:05] June Diane Raphael: So hard.
[00:38:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Nobody at the end of the movie isn't, okay, I'm glad they have fallen in love with each other, but the, the process has not, the process has really only made it seem as though they both are more comfortable because they have found each other, they're more comfortable settling. Rather than figuring out out.
[00:38:22] June Diane Raphael: Jason, that's the story.
[00:38:23] Jason Mantzoukas: Rather than figuring is out who they are as individuals and how to be happy as themselves and then love themselves and then share that self with someone else. They are clinging to each other as the answer to their lost and aimless lives.
[00:38:38] June Diane Raphael: Yep. I have found someone.
[00:38:40] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:38:40] June Diane Raphael: Who validates my limitations.
[00:38:44] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:38:44] June Diane Raphael: And my giving up. And by the way, what I also really needed to understand is like. Does Zoe, like this man?
[00:38:50] Paul Scheer: Who cares about Zoe, she's paralyzed after this. Uh, or, or, you know, uh.
[00:38:56] Jason Mantzoukas: She's like, she's hurt. She's like, she's hurt. And then, and, um, and they leave the big Christmas party and, um, and Taylor's dressed as Santa Claus and she, she runs to her daughter's side. And, but like, and maybe it's just because once they get there where it's clear the daughter is going to be okay, is, is, you know, perhaps easier.
[00:39:15] Paul Scheer: She does not look okay. She looks very injured.
[00:39:17] Jason Mantzoukas: She, she's on a, she's on a, she's got in a neck brace. She's on a backboard.
[00:39:21] Paul Scheer: She doesn't. You know, she's like, Santa, why is Santa talking to me? Is like, at this point you'd be able to be like, I think that's my mom. It's my mom's voice.
[00:39:28] Jason Mantzoukas: What happens is Taylor and the guy, they have a whole conversation. She should be exclusively talking to the medical personnel about what the diagnosis is.
[00:39:38] Paul Scheer: Get to the hospital.
[00:39:39] Jason Mantzoukas: And instead she does her mission impossible, tear off the mask reveal. Then she does apologies. Then she tries to talk and it like is like, oh.
[00:39:48] June Diane Raphael: Going on and on. I'm like, your daughter might have a spinal injury.
[00:39:51] Jason Mantzoukas: What's the betrayal? The betrayal appears what the, it seems as though when she rips the mask off, you would think as though people thought she was actual Santa Claus.
[00:40:00] Paul Scheer: Well, that's what I'm saying. That's why the she.
[00:40:01] Jason Mantzoukas: You know what I mean?
[00:40:02] Paul Scheer: She's being brought up on fraud charges. That's what, yes. What's the fraud like?
[00:40:04] Jason Mantzoukas: We know it's not Santa. So the reveal is that it's Taylor? Okay.
[00:40:08] Paul Scheer: And she's also not like, here's the other version of it. Right? This resort has a, a world renowned Santa, and he lives in the town. He dies of a heart attack. She hides the heart attack and dresses up as him. So she is pretending to be Hugh Mann, the guy who has been doing Santa there for 20 years. And.
[00:40:26] June Diane Raphael: That's a betrayal.
[00:40:27] Paul Scheer: That's a betrayal. Here, she just.
[00:40:29] June Diane Raphael: Well, now she did go into the locker room. Maybe he's upset that she saw him half naked.
[00:40:33] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah. Listen, if I'm this guy, I'm like, Hey man. Hey, man, you, you saw my dick and you didn't say anything. Like, what the fuck?
[00:40:42] Paul Scheer: Well, that means that she was still interested in him. June, would you care? I mean, that the, the lip gloss that she's carrying around, like, I thought when it dropped out of Hugh Man's Pocket, I was like, oh, that's her daughter's lip gloss because it's got a.
[00:40:53] June Diane Raphael: And did they set that up that it was her daughter's? Okay. Because even if it is her daughter's though, it's still, it's.
[00:40:59] Jason Mantzoukas: No, I think it's hers.
[00:41:00] Paul Scheer: It's, no, it's hers. Because later on.
[00:41:02] June Diane Raphael: No, I know it's hers, but I'm saying it's bizarre that it's hers. Even if it was, if it was her daughter's who's 16, it would still be weird because that is the lip gloss of an 8-year-old girl.
[00:41:13] Paul Scheer: A hundred percent. Hundred.
[00:41:14] June Diane Raphael: Very strange. Very strange.
[00:41:16] Paul Scheer: I did wanna say that this movie, just to go back to the daughter potentially being incredibly, uh, wounded, um, I do think this movie does a couple of things where it doesn't really highlight, uh, any disabilities. Like the daughter could be paralyzed.
[00:41:30] She's like, I gotta take, I gotta admit, do my apology tour now. Meanwhile, when that girl comes over with a stutter, she's like, I got this.
[00:41:37] June Diane Raphael: Oh my God. I forgot about that, Paul.
[00:41:38] Paul Scheer: Like, she cures.
[00:41:39] June Diane Raphael: This movie is absolute irresponsible.
[00:41:41] Paul Scheer: Is a little irresponsible with any sort of like, like, I mean, the fact that like she cures a stutter and then that's, and that video gets thousands of likes, which moves up to a million, uh, likes. Um, but. That to me was really like an ins, like, not like, oh, her good heart or her common sense Santa ing. That's what people want. Parents wanna bring their kids here to be, get like kind of slapped in the face by Santa. No, she cur like she is a Christ-Like figure.
[00:42:11] Jason Mantzoukas: It's magic.
[00:42:11] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:42:12] Jason Mantzoukas: It's magic. It becomes like a, like a very soft, magical element enters because this is a movie unlike a lot of the other Christmas movies. There is no magic. There is no like, oh, the Nutcracker turned into a man. Or there's not like a, like a magical element to this. But there is a little bit of, like, the lesson learned is that she like by accepting the, the Christmas spirit, I don't know what she, yes, she's able to do cures. She's able to be so desirable that the, the, the billionaire villain dad is like, that's my Santa, when he keeps saying my Santa.
[00:42:47] June Diane Raphael: That was so weird.
[00:42:48] Jason Mantzoukas: Ugh.
[00:42:48] June Diane Raphael: But here's the thing that I, I, I guess I disagree with. To me, this movie had nothing to do with Christmas.
[00:42:56] Paul Scheer: Okay. Do tell.
[00:42:58] June Diane Raphael: I think that this, with the exception of like Santa and the device of Santa, the movie, the stories had nothing to do with remembering the reason for the season. With all of the Christmas narratives that we hold dear to our heart.
[00:43:14] Paul Scheer: It's to settle, babe.
[00:43:15] June Diane Raphael: It is literally, yeah. To give up your dreams.
[00:43:18] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:43:19] June Diane Raphael: And to settle with whatever life dealt ya. Up until this point. To accept it.
[00:43:25] Jason Mantzoukas: It's, it's time. It's time to settle down, settle down, and take responsibility for your actions.
[00:43:31] June Diane Raphael: That could, and by the way, that could happen anytime of year. She could be the Easter bunny. She could be.
[00:43:35] Jason Mantzoukas: I agree. I agree.
[00:43:36] June Diane Raphael: You know, a leprechaun, it could be This is holiday agnostic.
[00:43:42] Paul Scheer: Well, yes.
[00:43:42] Jason Mantzoukas: And for, for everybody.
[00:43:44] June Diane Raphael: Yes.
[00:43:44] Jason Mantzoukas: For not just for Taylor and Hugh Mann and the Santa Claus character, but for the, uh, the guy, why he, I cannot remember.
[00:43:52] June Diane Raphael: Matthew.
[00:43:52] Paul Scheer: Matthew.
[00:43:53] Jason Mantzoukas: Matthew. That whole storyline is also not really on a Christmas trajectory, you know?
[00:43:59] June Diane Raphael: No, not at all.
[00:43:59] Paul Scheer: Well, I, I think that the issue that this movie has is it is taking place during the holidays, but it's more of a rom-com. Right? It's more of a, of a general rom-com. Um, and there's no Christmas spirit. There's no magical ending. The movie doesn't even try to give you one of those, like, moralistic things. Like we're, we're pulling that out of it. Like the movie doesn't lean there at all.
[00:44:24] June Diane Raphael: Doesn't.
[00:44:25] Jason Mantzoukas: And when they have their like, um, even the, uh, the end of movie a big kind of like, Hey, I wanna apologize and ba blah ba, they're kind of big talk. That inexplicably happens on stage in front of a microphone so everybody in town can hear their private conversation.
[00:44:44] That whole conversation isn't, is also not about Christmas. The, it's not about the anything. It's really just about, ah, I'm sorry, I, I, I lied, blah, blah, blah. You know, it's really just your, to your point rom-com type stuff, right? You know?
[00:44:59] June Diane Raphael: Yes, yes. In a big public setting.
[00:45:01] Jason Mantzoukas: And then they sing a song together.
[00:45:04] Paul Scheer: Run, run Rudolph.
[00:45:06] Jason Mantzoukas: Which is also weird. Um, but like, ah, I, I mean, hmm.
[00:45:12] June Diane Raphael: I don't know, because I think, I think there's. The movie might be trying to tell us that they should both get, this is what's weird. They should both get back into pursuing their dreams together as a new Screaming Kittens.
[00:45:24] Jason Mantzoukas: Now what if, okay, what? And sorry, what if the setup of the movie is that they know each other from both growing up in this incredibly small town. She hated him because he was Richie Rich, like, you know, rude, entitled Richie Rich.
[00:45:38] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:45:38] Jason Mantzoukas: And he always like bullied her the way her daughter is bullied for being the poor kid who blah, blah, blah. And so they were from opposite sides then and now they come, he's now returned to town as an adult. They haven't seen each other in 30 year, 20 whatever years, blah, blah.
[00:45:55] June Diane Raphael: That's interesting.
[00:45:56] Jason Mantzoukas: That's a movie that their history informs their present story, because right now none of it feels of anything other than so surface level.
[00:46:05] Paul Scheer: What if they were in the band together? I mean.
[00:46:09] Jason Mantzoukas: Is interesting.
[00:46:10] Paul Scheer: If he was the one who knocked her up, because that's the story, right? He, she got knocked up, she had to quit the band. All of her life went on hold to take care of her daughter. That's the dramatic monologue in the movie. If he was the one who did it as the party guy, he never came back to town until then. Then he becomes.
[00:46:26] Jason Mantzoukas: He's the, he's the Christopher in the Gilmore Girls.
[00:46:28] June Diane Raphael: He never took responsibility or, or maybe even better, he didn't know. Because she.
[00:46:32] Paul Scheer: Oh, yeah.
[00:46:33] June Diane Raphael: Hated him so much. Here's my question about his work as the general manager, by the way, I felt, I know the movie's telling us that like Tia's a, a villain.
[00:46:43] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:46:43] June Diane Raphael: But I'm like, I'm watching her the whole time and I'm like, yeah, it's so fucked up that this guy came back with zero experience. He has just been swimming with swans and is taking over your job. Like, this is insane.
[00:46:53] Paul Scheer: Well, don't say it like swimming with swans. What happened there was he got into a car accident. I feel like he ejected out of the, the front and was thrown in and started swimming around like drunkenly swimming around with swans.
[00:47:04] Jason Mantzoukas: But yeah. But she, she's at least understanding and trying to protect the business from lawsuits.
[00:47:09] June Diane Raphael: Absolutely.
[00:47:09] Jason Mantzoukas: That are no doubt gonna come from this, this rogue Santa.
[00:47:13] June Diane Raphael: Here's my question though. One of the first kind of tests he has and, and that she has, that Hugh Mann has as Santa is the initial tree lighting. Now.
[00:47:26] Paul Scheer: Oh yeah. I have a question about this.
[00:47:28] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:47:28] June Diane Raphael: Who, who was responsible for setting up the lighting and all the electricity there, and did Tia do that on purpose or did he fuck that up? What actually happened?
[00:47:39] Paul Scheer: First of all, lemme just.
[00:47:40] Jason Mantzoukas: The thing breaks. The thing breaks.
[00:47:42] Paul Scheer: Aren't those things ceremonial? Aren't they just ceremonial? Like they're not re like it's you're not really putting a candy cane on an electrical outlet. They like, you, you, you move that forward.
[00:47:53] June Diane Raphael: You do it and then someone's backstage and press.
[00:47:54] Paul Scheer: Hitting an on button. That's all that's happening.
[00:47:56] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:47:57] Paul Scheer: Like we're not connecting a giant present to that. Like, but they made it like an electrician came there and wired this thing up.
[00:48:04] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:48:04] Paul Scheer: And they create this moment as if, again, you're right, this moment, like, uh oh, someone fucked up. But it, no, we don't know. And nor was it anyone's mistake 'cause he is there too. He couldn't have planned that or, or shortchanged it. Like we see nothing.
[00:48:16] June Diane Raphael: I don't think so.
[00:48:17] Jason Mantzoukas: It's not, it's, it's, it's, it's something that purports to be such a big event and in fact a catastrophic failure.
[00:48:24] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:48:24] Jason Mantzoukas: But is also really just an accident that is not the responsibility of anybody there.
[00:48:30] June Diane Raphael: But was it like his accident in Italy?
[00:48:33] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh boy. Do you think he was up there hooking up the electrical stuff?
[00:48:38] June Diane Raphael: I don't know. It's like, I don't know.
[00:48:39] Paul Scheer: But you think that everything he does, he's like, I don't care. Just run it like, just go forward.
[00:48:43] June Diane Raphael: Because he does say at one point like, I'm signing papers. I don't even know what I'm signing. That troubles me.
[00:48:47] Paul Scheer: Yeah. So he's hiring, he's hiring the wrong people.
[00:48:49] Jason Mantzoukas: Don't, okay, let me ask you this. Don't you think it's pretty weird, the, the part that I found very difficult to swallow was when Taylor dressed as Hugh Mann, dressed as Santa. So Santa Claus, when Taylor is Santa Claus, when Taylor is speaking with Zoe, her daughter, I was like, yeah, this is irresponsible. Zoe would be like, you're my mother. You're my mother. This is my mother. Like, right, they have, I mean.
[00:49:17] June Diane Raphael: Why doesn't Zoe just ask like, how are you paying for this?
[00:49:21] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:49:22] June Diane Raphael: By the way, here's a simple solution. Ask your brother to sell a couple of those masks he has. Those Mission Impossible masks.
[00:49:30] Jason Mantzoukas: Great.
[00:49:30] June Diane Raphael: You, you have the tuition for this elite snowboarding school.
[00:49:35] Jason Mantzoukas: I also am, am like, I feel like the movie really wants us to feel like Taylor is like out on the outs. She drives that like really sketchy looking like 1980s era van.
[00:49:49] June Diane Raphael: It must have been her old tour.
[00:49:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Gotta be her old tour van.
[00:49:51] Paul Scheer: Oh wow.
[00:49:52] Jason Mantzoukas: She's dressed in all black. When she's not in Santa, she's dressed in all black all the time. Like she's still like a punk rocker rock, you know? But she has, so, so the idea of the movie is neither Taylor nor Matthew have grown up since teenage years at all. They still are who they were then, now. Right?
[00:50:13] Paul Scheer: Again. Yeah, sure. Let's, yeah, let's buy that.
[00:50:16] Jason Mantzoukas: But they're just, it's, it's so, like her daughter is strangely, a more three-dimensional character to me.
[00:50:22] June Diane Raphael: In many ways. In many ways, when they reveal, by the way that her daughter's bully is Tia's daughter.
[00:50:30] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:50:30] June Diane Raphael: I was like, what the fuck is happening?
[00:50:33] Paul Scheer: Well, that's what I'm saying. Like that moment is when I was like.
[00:50:36] June Diane Raphael: Didn't make any sense.
[00:50:37] Paul Scheer: Yeah. I was like, oh, so, and then, and the daughter had to be like, yeah, yeah, yeah. She actually is a good person. But there's like, I was like, does Tia actually have an issue with that?
[00:50:45] June Diane Raphael: By the way, it does seem now that it, it will become so clear that she didn't really have any injuries. They were so minor.
[00:50:54] Paul Scheer: Yeah.
[00:50:55] June Diane Raphael: She only has like a sling on her a couple days later it seems,
[00:50:58] Paul Scheer: which seems like they were supporting the wrong part of her body when they put her on that.
[00:51:02] June Diane Raphael: But Tia, when her daughter asks, like, have you heard anything? Is she gonna be okay? The way Tia answers that question is like, she's on the verge of death.
[00:51:11] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:51:11] June Diane Raphael: Like, she's not gonna, she's like, there. That she has great doctors taking care of her. It's like what? They're doing everything they can like, she's fine.
[00:51:22] Paul Scheer: Yeah, she's.
[00:51:22] Jason Mantzoukas: Well, I will say Tia's character in this is so overly dramatic about everything.
[00:51:27] June Diane Raphael: That's true.
[00:51:28] Jason Mantzoukas: In a way that is like, in a way that is good because she uncovers truly like the fraud of the movie by doing some light Googling. Um.
[00:51:38] Paul Scheer: On, on Jason on not Googling.
[00:51:40] Jason Mantzoukas: On the last, last resort? What's it called?
[00:51:42] Paul Scheer: Uh, I believe it was called Look Path.
[00:51:45] Jason Mantzoukas: Look Path.
[00:51:46] June Diane Raphael: Wow.
[00:51:46] Jason Mantzoukas: Look Path.
[00:51:48] June Diane Raphael: Can I just say something too that I had an issue with?
[00:51:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Seek Trail.
[00:51:53] June Diane Raphael: I don't feel there was so much kind of managing of Hugh Mann as Santa. As a Santa performer. Like people are checking in on him, people are watching him. The interactions with the children seem to go on forever.
[00:52:07] I don't know that, like anyone needs that level of interaction from a Santa. You are usually pushed in there. They say, what do you want for Christmas? You say one thing. They say Merry Christmas. And they usually say something like, I can't make any promises. But you've, it turns out you're on the nice list.
[00:52:24] Have a Merry Christmas. That's it.
[00:52:26] Paul Scheer: Well, or kiss me.
[00:52:28] June Diane Raphael: By the way, Paul.
[00:52:29] Paul Scheer: What haven't you?
[00:52:30] June Diane Raphael: This, this, what, this is the only thing I walked away from as the moral of the story. It's actually a great idea for women to play Santas.
[00:52:39] Paul Scheer: Okay.
[00:52:39] June Diane Raphael: For women to take over the Santa industrial complex.
[00:52:43] Paul Scheer: Sure.
[00:52:43] June Diane Raphael: And just get those special masks. Like we should not be having older men sit there and have tons and tons of children come sit on their laps every year. Like that has to end.
[00:52:55] Paul Scheer: Okay.
[00:52:56] June Diane Raphael: It should be a job only for women.
[00:52:59] Paul Scheer: Wow.
[00:52:59] Jason Mantzoukas: Here's what I'll say. I, I'm inclined to agree. Um, I think that the only caveat I would put on that is I do think, I think that older men or middle aged men can play Santa if the women are adults.
[00:53:15] Paul Scheer: Okay.
[00:53:16] Jason Mantzoukas: So, so in a scenario where the people sitting on laps are adults.
[00:53:20] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. Okay. Gotcha.
[00:53:21] Paul Scheer: I would say this.
[00:53:22] June Diane Raphael: Gotcha.
[00:53:22] Paul Scheer: Right Santa for the right job.
[00:53:24] Jason Mantzoukas: This is how we're gonna end up with, uh, with AI Santa.
[00:53:27] Paul Scheer: I, I once sat on a, uh, I once had a Monkey Santa sit on my lap.
[00:53:31] Jason Mantzoukas: Wait a minute.
[00:53:32] Paul Scheer: Yeah. Were you at that party? Uh, there was was a party back or, uh, there was no, oh, sorry, you, Jason. Back in New York there was a party where they had a, now knowing how dangerous these fucking monkeys are, would've never have done it. Um, had a monkey dress as Santa and you would go in this room and then you would.
[00:53:49] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh boy.
[00:53:49] Paul Scheer: I have plenty of pictures of me and this monkey.
[00:53:52] Jason Mantzoukas: What?
[00:53:52] Paul Scheer: Huebel and the monkey. A a lot of people with this monkey. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a lot of monkey pictures.
[00:53:56] Jason Mantzoukas: No, that sounds like something that maybe I would've gone to. And then someone was like, oh, there's a monkey Santa there. And I would've been like, no, I'm not gonna do.
[00:54:02] June Diane Raphael: No thank you.
[00:54:02] Paul Scheer: I mean, the fact that I just, I I, I just recklessly just.
[00:54:06] Jason Mantzoukas: This is when you, you were chimp crazy though.
[00:54:09] June Diane Raphael: Yeah. This was your chimp era. This was like when the hangover was coming out and everybody was like, oh, yeah. Like little monkeys are so cute.
[00:54:18] Jason Mantzoukas: And like the friends had a monkey on Friends.
[00:54:21] Paul Scheer: Monkey. Everyone loved that monkey.
[00:54:23] June Diane Raphael: By the way, didn't, didn't you feel like in the scenes between Santa performed by Hugh Mann and Matthew in the locker room, and even a couple of the other early scenes that they that there was a charged, and I'm not just saying because he'll say later on.
[00:54:43] Paul Scheer: Wanna talk about this.
[00:54:44] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah, yeah. I, I wanna talk about this too.
[00:54:45] June Diane Raphael: He'll say later on that like, he felt like he knew, he felt like he could talk to her. He felt comfortable sharing things. That's all well and good. But there was something about the way that Matthew, I'm not gonna put this on Hugh Mann. Matthew was looking at Santa Claus.
[00:55:02] Paul Scheer: Yes, Matthew wanted to fuck Santa, but Santa wanted fuck Matthew. And that's okay. This was, it's okay. Well that's okay. But like she was looking at him because she would be attracted to him. But what was interesting was like, oh.
[00:55:13] June Diane Raphael: He was looking right on back.
[00:55:15] Jason Mantzoukas: Matthew was connecting, Matthew was connecting with another man in a way that you could tell the length of the movie his sexuality was being challenged.
[00:55:23] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:55:23] June Diane Raphael: Not just another, but why is his sexuality being challenged by like the most in terms of just our like, you know, our iconic characters, like the most asexual, the most sort of like, oh, like what's happening?
[00:55:41] Jason Mantzoukas: What was amazing to me is when he's telling Taylor in one of their cute repart repartee moments, he's telling her all about how excited he is for her to meet his best friend Hugh Mann.
[00:55:57] June Diane Raphael: That was.
[00:55:57] Jason Mantzoukas: And how he loves.
[00:55:58] June Diane Raphael: Was strange.
[00:55:59] Jason Mantzoukas: It made me so sad that Matthew has gotten to be 41 or whatever you said Paul and has never had a friend. And the only friend he's ever had is Hugh Mann, who now is.
[00:56:11] June Diane Raphael: The performer he hires.
[00:56:12] Jason Mantzoukas: So excited to talk about his buddy, Hugh, you gotta meet Hugh. I'm, I just, I feel so at ease talking to Hugh.
[00:56:19] June Diane Raphael: This is a red flag, ladies.
[00:56:22] Jason Mantzoukas: If your guy's only friend is Santa. You're fucked.
[00:56:26] Paul Scheer: And by the way, have they talked that much? Have they really gotten into it that much? They had like two conversations.
[00:56:31] June Diane Raphael: No, they, there's literally four sentences exchanged. Yeah.
[00:56:34] Paul Scheer: But I guess no one's listened to him.
[00:56:36] Jason Mantzoukas: Wouldn't it have been fun to see a scene where Matthew and Hugh are hanging out and trying to talk about stuff and just don't have anything in common? Or they do. Or they, you know what I mean? Like I would've loved a bro down hoe down for these guys out for beers or whatever. Try like That's a funny setup.
[00:56:56] June Diane Raphael: That is a funny setup.
[00:56:57] Jason Mantzoukas: That we never get.
[00:56:57] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:56:58] June Diane Raphael: Right. That they have to like bro out together. I mean, I will say, I think there was a missed opportunity with the bathroom scene.
[00:57:04] Paul Scheer: Okay.
[00:57:04] June Diane Raphael: And this also makes me question Matthew, by the way, as a general manager. When she's do, going back and forth between Taylor and Santa and changing costumes. She's in the bathroom with her brother and there's lots of grunting getting on the fat suit. All that's going on.
[00:57:22] Paul Scheer: Well, that's a, he's watching santa get fucked. Right?
[00:57:24] June Diane Raphael: Well, here's the thing. Yes, he is watching Santa get fucked or Santa fucking someone I don't know.
[00:57:29] Paul Scheer: Yes. Either way.
[00:57:30] June Diane Raphael: Right. But he is fine. Fine with it. He's like, okay with an employee of his at the lodge, fucking someone in the bathroom.
[00:57:43] Paul Scheer: Sure.
[00:57:43] June Diane Raphael: During the company event.
[00:57:45] Jason Mantzoukas: During the Christmas party where where the Santa that is getting drilled has to be present is is currently absent.
[00:57:54] Paul Scheer: Yes.
[00:57:55] Jason Mantzoukas: Absent. They were like, where's Santa? Where's Santa?
[00:57:57] June Diane Raphael: I think it might've worked better though if he had heard Taylor's voice in there. If we didn't see the Santa beats.
[00:58:02] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah.
[00:58:02] June Diane Raphael: 'Cause then that would've added a little bit more of a spice. Yeah, a little bit more of a spice.
[00:58:09] Jason Mantzoukas: What, what would've been cool is if he thinks he hears Taylor outside, opens the door and is like Taylor and he is like, oh, oh, oh, hey Hugh. You know what I mean? Like if there's like a.
[00:58:19] June Diane Raphael: Then he would think Hugh, his best friend is fucking Taylor, his girlfriend.
[00:58:24] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:58:25] June Diane Raphael: That's a great scene.
[00:58:26] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[00:58:27] Paul Scheer: I want in. I want in on this.
[00:58:29] Jason Mantzoukas: How great if he thinks because of something she does or says or a miscommunication, he thinks he's in competition.
[00:58:37] Paul Scheer: Oh, I love this.
[00:58:38] Jason Mantzoukas: With Hugh for the hand of Taylor.
[00:58:41] June Diane Raphael: I mean, someone makes that. Green light it right now. I mean that's, wow.
[00:58:45] Jason Mantzoukas: I would love that. But that's the kind of stuff this movie would never go near because it's too like sketchy or it's too like, uh, you know, overtly sexual.
[00:58:54] Paul Scheer: I will tell you that this is one of the only movies that we have ever done to get a 10 plus on common sense media, which mean that common sense media is like a, um. Like a, a conservative website that rates movies.
[00:59:07] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, like that?
[00:59:08] Paul Scheer: Is it okay for families and stuff like that. A 10 plus, like this movie is beyond good for families. They love it for families.
[00:59:15] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah. There's nothing in here that's untoward whatsoever. You know, like, like the most, uh, scandalous thing that's happens in this movie is someone has a glass of red wine that they don't even finish.
[00:59:26] Paul Scheer: Now, I'll say this. With all these, uh, you know, critiques. I went down easy. I was very happy with this movie. I, I, I enjoyed my time watching it, and it made me actually go, you know what, they got, they figured it out. There's snow on the ground. It's dumb. It's fun. I like this chemistry. I liked everybody in it. Uh, to, as you know, I, I, I was, oh yeah. I wasn't mad at it. I was not, it wasn't a, a slog to get through.
[00:59:52] June Diane Raphael: I had a harder time.
[00:59:54] Paul Scheer: Okay.
[00:59:55] June Diane Raphael: Because I did like the premise and I did think that there was a lot left on the table that wasn't explored.
[01:00:03] Jason Mantzoukas: I'm, I think I'm in between because I, I, well, I think I'm, I feel similarly be because both the way, what you're saying, Paul, it goes down smooth.
[01:00:13] It is easy and it's a fun, easy watch. So much more so than, um.
[01:00:18] Paul Scheer: The one we just watched.
[01:00:19] Jason Mantzoukas: Whatever we watched last week.
[01:00:21] Paul Scheer: Merry Kissmas.
[01:00:21] Jason Mantzoukas: Merry Kissmas, thank you. This is so much better than Merry Kissmas. But to your point, June, it's so much better that it almost promises that a better movie is there and is possible and in falling short, you're like, oh no, you had it all there.
[01:00:38] You had the ingredients. Why didn't you just mix them this way instead and have it be a little more coherent or a little bit more fun or whatever. Um, it's closer to a good movie. That would've been a blast.
[01:00:51] June Diane Raphael: Yeah.
[01:00:51] Jason Mantzoukas: Uh, but it falls short.
[01:00:53] Paul Scheer: Well, if they would've pushed some, yeah. Pushed some boundaries. Now look, obviously we have opinions about this movie, but there are people out there with a different opinion.
[01:01:00] It is now time for Second Opinions
[01:01:10] Music: [Second Opinions Song]
[01:01:28] Paul Scheer: Here we go, people. Uh. So far, this movie is only out a handful of days, at the time of recording here, there are no Amazon reviews. Uh, so we have to turn to Letterbox and IMDB. Uh, the average Letterbox rating is two out of five stars, and that's out of 18,000 ratings. So a lot of people watching this.
[01:01:47] Jason Mantzoukas: Wow.
[01:01:48] Paul Scheer: And, uh, on IMDB, there are 43 written reviews. Um, now I will say on IMDB, uh, the user identifies themselves a little bit and I will say that the name of the user is Jay Eggold. That rings a bell. It's because our lead, Matthew, his name is Ryan Eggold. So.
[01:02:14] Jason Mantzoukas: Okay.
[01:02:14] Paul Scheer: We might believe that Jay Eggold is related to Ryan Eggold. And we'll stick a look as, um, we hear this 10 out of 10 review.
[01:02:24] "For all the cynics out there, take a moment to heat up some hot cocoa, even throw in some mini marshmallows and just have some good old fashioned heartwarming fun in this crazy world. We truly need lighthearted. Lift me up stories like this. Ryan Eggold is such a fun and talented actor to watch, and you can see how he navigates comedy and seriousness with ease. Watch this and your heart will feel squishy and warm. Yeah, which we could all use this holiday season. 10 outta 10. We need more films like this from Jay Eggold."
[01:03:00] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, wow. So it doesn't even reference the the possible relationship?
[01:03:04] Paul Scheer: No, it just, it does give Ryan a, a, a shout out.
[01:03:08] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah. Yeah. But it's not like, and he's my brother. No, it's not like one of the, yeah.
[01:03:12] June Diane Raphael: Sweet.
[01:03:12] Paul Scheer: Now, I will say that Karen 95 writes,
[01:03:15] "I'm sorry, but this movie was bisexual as fuck for everywhere you look at it. I mean, literally got Matthew looking at who he thought was a man, AKA Santa Claus, and catching feelings for Santa when they were talking at the bar.
[01:03:29] I mean, you could see Matthew's face in that moment because he couldn't believe he was feeling like that about a man until that moment in time. He had never pondered the question of bisexuality. So eventually, when he goes on a date with Taylor and they're both walking with their hot chocolates, all the trees were decorated with bisexual lighting, which was obviously a hint at his bisexuality.
[01:03:49] And at the end of the date, he has a unicorn on his hand. Okay. Also we have Dora Lee who was attracted to Santa, like genuinely at some point thought they were gonna be brave and let both women kiss or for Matthew to kiss Taylor while she was wearing the suit. Also, obviously Taylor was bisexual. She literally had a unicorn chapstick and unicorns represent bisexuality. So in conclusion, this was bisexual and no one is gonna change my mind. PS. Confession time. Alexander Breckenridge, this is the Lead, was my bisexual awakening. It was because of her that I realized I was into women at age 16. I saw her as Young Mora in American Horror Story. I mean, when they aired that series back in the day, I started watching because there were actors I was a fan of, and I also thought Dylan McDermott was so hot.
[01:04:36] He is still very sexy. I was also invested in the series even before it aired. So when I saw her appearing for the first time in that series, I was so mesmerized by her beauty and I wasn't sure why I was feeling that way about a woman. I mean, I was thinking to myself back then, well, obviously I like men.
[01:04:50] I like, you know, get all hot and bothered like Dylan McDermott. But I was also having those same thoughts about her, like sexual fantasies about her. I felt guilt. I mean, I was raised Catholic."
[01:04:59] June Diane Raphael: Oh my God.
[01:05:00] Paul Scheer: "Somewhat conservative country slash household, so thinking about women in such a way, I was considered sinful and I was scared of admitting it to myself that I also like women. I mean, I did eventually at the age of 16 come to, you know, blinky blinky emoji. The conclusion I was indeed bisexual after a very erotic fantasy involving Alexandra Breckenridge and Alex O Laughlin. I mean both at the same time. And if you think about it, that's the real meaning of Christmas, finding out your true self. Also, Christmas is not."
[01:05:27] June Diane Raphael: Is it?
[01:05:29] Jason Mantzoukas: Is this the still the same review?
[01:05:31] Paul Scheer: "Finding out we also, Christmas is not just sad for some of us, it's also horny. And most women my age wanna sit on an old man's lap and ask for nice things. Yes, I understand Dora Lee because I also wanna fuck Santa. That would give the Santa Claus is coming to town a whole new meaning, if you know what I mean.
[01:05:49] Five, five stars."
[01:05:52] Jason Mantzoukas: I think she, uh, this person means they would like to fuck Tara as Santa.
[01:05:56] June Diane Raphael: I don't know what she's saying.
[01:05:58] Jason Mantzoukas: This was wild.
[01:05:59] Paul Scheer: What a wild.
[01:06:01] June Diane Raphael: My god.
[01:06:01] Jason Mantzoukas: What a ride.
[01:06:02] June Diane Raphael: My God.
[01:06:03] Jason Mantzoukas: But I do think the person is correctly, uh, drilling down into some stuff that is pretty interesting and I would've loved more of. Not only is Matthew confronted with starting to have feelings and connection to an another man, but an elderly man at that, you know?
[01:06:19] June Diane Raphael: Well, that's the thing, like I think there's a world in which Matthew just is bisexual and like starts the movie off that way. Who knows? Like maybe he is just bisexual. It doesn't have to tell us. But what's more interesting is that he is not, that he's attracted to a man, that he is attracted to a man that is Santa.
[01:06:37] Paul Scheer: Right.
[01:06:37] June Diane Raphael: Yes. A Santa man.
[01:06:39] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes.
[01:06:39] June Diane Raphael: That is subversive.
[01:06:42] Jason Mantzoukas: Yes. Like, and is that his type now? Is this the, are we watching him develop?
[01:06:47] Paul Scheer: She'll never fulfill.
[01:06:47] Jason Mantzoukas: When he fell in love with her, it was in some ways as Santa. And does that, does that enter the bedroom at all? Do they, do they role play? Does he sit Oh, why don't we ever get him on her lap? Huh?
[01:07:01] June Diane Raphael: Because we don't want that.
[01:07:02] Jason Mantzoukas: We don't?
[01:07:03] June Diane Raphael: No.
[01:07:03] Jason Mantzoukas: We don't want the big buff man?
[01:07:05] June Diane Raphael: We don't want that.
[01:07:06] Jason Mantzoukas: The little, uh, Santa lap?
[01:07:08] June Diane Raphael: No, we don't want it.
[01:07:09] Paul Scheer: Okay. I wanna just read one more line here, uh, from Mpu who writes
[01:07:13] "Through this film, I learned what a single mother could do. Five stars."
[01:07:18] And I want, and I wanna answer you both with Grant K F's review, which says, um. You know, this movie is great. It it, it breaks the mold. It, it's better than the Hallmark movies, but at the end, Grant says
[01:07:31] "We need a sequel to see this couple running the resort and having a child on Christmas Eve. I will be waiting. 10 out of 10."
[01:07:40] Jason Mantzoukas: Great.
[01:07:41] Paul Scheer: I like that.
[01:07:41] Jason Mantzoukas: Sure. Why not? Why not?
[01:07:43] Paul Scheer: Um, uh, our shirt, uh, It Ain't Christmas, Bitch is available right now in the Tee Public Store. It's a beautiful picture of Santa with, with, uh, magical writing right on it. And I gotta say, Jason, I'm glad that you brought this into our lives. Uh, uh, Jason.
[01:07:57] Jason Mantzoukas: I hope so.
[01:07:58] June Diane Raphael: Me too, Jason. Me too.
[01:07:59] Jason Mantzoukas: I, I did as I was watching it in full feel very responsible.
[01:08:02] June Diane Raphael: Yeah.
[01:08:02] Jason Mantzoukas: I was like, oh, wow. They're, they're having to do this? Boy, but I think worth it.
[01:08:07] June Diane Raphael: I mean, they're apparently making you an executive producer.
[01:08:11] Jason Mantzoukas: They are. Retroactively, yes. I am now an EP on the, on the, on the thing. And, and, and when they come around to making the sequel, I hope that they ask us to be an integral part of it. Maybe we're doing a live podcast at the resort.
[01:08:24] June Diane Raphael: Interesting.
[01:08:24] Jason Mantzoukas: In the, in the room, in the conference room.
[01:08:26] June Diane Raphael: She's booked us as part of her job as director of, of family events. Yeah. That's interesting.
[01:08:31] Paul Scheer: Now, I, I wanted to save the best piece of information for last. This was written by Ron Oliver, who wrote Hello, Mary Lou Prom Night 2. So a little connection back.
[01:08:44] June Diane Raphael: Oh, interesting.
[01:08:44] Paul Scheer: Yes. So.
[01:08:46] Jason Mantzoukas: That's a, that's that. Isn't that a very old movie?
[01:08:48] Paul Scheer: It is 1987. Um.
[01:08:52] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, whoa.
[01:08:52] June Diane Raphael: People are still, yeah.
[01:08:54] Paul Scheer: And, uh, has made a, a nice, uh, name for, uh, himself writing movies at Christmas at the Plaza, Falling for Christmas. Uh, he writes primarily, uh, Christmas and wedding movies right now.
[01:09:05] Uh, but it was also, uh, directed and this is why I think it, the quality is good by the director who directed all the Princess Switch movies, uh, which I enjoy. Princess Switch 1. Princess Switched, Switched Again.
[01:09:18] June Diane Raphael: Vanessa Hudgens.
[01:09:19] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, yeah.
[01:09:20] Paul Scheer: The VHCU, the Vanessa Hudgens Cinematic Universe, or I guess streaming universe.
[01:09:27] Jason Mantzoukas: Oh, okay.
[01:09:27] Paul Scheer: VHSU. Um, there we go. Single, uh, the tagline, Single Mom, Double Life.
[01:09:33] June Diane Raphael: Love it.
[01:09:34] Jason Mantzoukas: Yeah, I love it. It's a great setup, uh, you know, for a movie and, uh, absolutely recommend.
[01:09:38] Paul Scheer: And, and I'll just say one final thing, which is this, uh, that, uh, you might have been saying Paul, Jason, June. Why didn't you bring up the fact that, uh, Alexander Breckenridge, uh, also has remade, uh, the 12th Night with Amanda Bines and She's The Man.
[01:09:53] June Diane Raphael: Oh, interesting.
[01:09:53] Paul Scheer: Were also the same idea. Uh, a female dresses up as a man. Um, yeah. So that just, yes, there it is. We acknowledge it.
[01:10:00] Jason Mantzoukas: Just one of the guys.
[01:10:01] Paul Scheer: Just one of the guys, right. That was just one of the guys. Um, alright, well we did it. Happy Holidays. And remember, if you wanna watch our very special live holiday episode, it is up right now on HDTGM.com
[01:10:14] You can buy that and The Deep Dive holiday special. It is great. And for less than $20, you can enjoy so much good stuff. Remember, if you have a Correction or Omission for this episode, leave us a voicemail at 6 1 9 P-A-U-L-A-S-K or write a comment in our discord at Discord.gg/HDTGM, and I'll respond to those messages on Last Looks.
[01:10:37] And without spoiling anything, I'll just say we have a very special two part episode in store for you all. They'll be dropping on Tuesday and Friday of next week. Yes, it's a year long event starting in 2025, ending in 2026. So be on the lookout for a little end of the year gift from us. And lastly, thank you to our entire team, Molly, Scott, Cody, Casey and Zoe.
[01:10:58] Bye for now. Happy holidays.