This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea are talking about Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby’s unconventional romance that’s become a cult classic, an aesthetic touchstone, and (maybe?) the origin story of the manic pixie dream girl. We get into: why Maude might be the blueprint for the trope, and why she also transcends it. Why Harold is relatable to those of us who might delight in our melancholy, even if Maude is really who we should be putting on our vision board, the movie’s deep influence on today’s filmmakers (looking at you, Wes Anderson), and how Ashby originally had a very different vision for the film's soundtrack, including plans for another musician to both score the film and star in it.Recommended Reading:"A Boy of Twenty and a Woman of Eighty" By Leticia Kent"The Greatest Comedic Tragedy: How Harold and Maude Redefined Holocaust Humor" - Film CredIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."
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1:40:37
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1:40:37
The Watchers Watch William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
A show where two from Jersey’s distant endswatch goonies, girls, class presidents unglued.From clueless cliques to matricidal friends,now 90s Romeo comes neon-hued.We trace the plot through fish tank, fire, and storm,sing praises for our queen, Mercutio,who dances on the screen in perfect form.No man more grave than Harold Perrineau.Our tragic teens, Danes and DiCaprio,a letter meant to save Claire, left unsent,breaks the heart of blonde and brooding Romeoand ends the so-called Life of JulietNext week? A dour boy who drives a hearse.Now? Say Harold and Maude to end this verse.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."
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1:31:23
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1:31:23
The Watchers Watch But I'm a Cheerleader
This week on The Watchers, we’re heading to True Directions and diving deep into the 1999 cult classic But I’m a Cheerleader. We talk about Jamie Babbit’s queer filmmaking roots, RuPaul out of drag, and the Barbie dreamscape of repression and resistance. Plus: what But I'm a Cheerleader can teach us about camp, queer longing, and the limits of satire.Don’t miss next week’s episode on Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + JulietIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."
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1:30:59
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1:30:59
The Watchers Watch Election
This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea revisit Election, Alexander Payne’s dark, hilarious, and deeply cynical take on high school democracy. We get into the film’s multiple narrators, shifting POVs, and why it still feels so sharp 25 years later. From Tracy Flick’s overachieving rage to Jim McAllister’s petty unraveling, we trace how the film breaks down ambition, morality, and why, in 2025, people are still getting Tracy Flick wrong.Next week, we’re watching But I’m a Cheerleader, Jamie Babbit’s bold, surreal, and very pink satire about queerness, conformity, and finding love at gay rehab.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Recommended Reading:The Movie Election 25 Years On - Scott DetrowWhat America Gets Wrong About Tracy Flick - A.O. ScottFollow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."
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1:25:34
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1:25:34
The Watchers Watch Mean Girls
This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea are heading to North Shore High to take on Mean Girls, a defining entry in the canon of girlhood, but one we both struggled with more than expected. We get into what makes the movie mean, what it gets wrong that Clueless gets so right, and how it lands in 2025, when girlhood is messier, more public, and more scrutinized than ever.Next week, we’re revisiting Election, Alexander Payne’s razor‑sharp satire of ambition, repression, and suburban malaise.Recommended Reading:“Mean Girls”: A Time Capsule of Casual Bigotry - Glenda Brown”Fey Grateful That Film Seems to ‘Stick With People’” - Ashley SpencerI Adore “Mean Girls,” But Let's Stop Acting Like Teen Girls Are Mean" - Amanda ScherkerIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."
A show where two women from opposite ends of New Jersey watch TV about New Jersey.
Currently watching: Yellojackets Season 3
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. (@WatchersPodNJ)
Ireland