The Unmade Podcast - 41: The Birthday Podcast

Episode Date: March 29, 2020

Brady and Tim discuss a one-sided podcast, automatic vetoes, birthdays, terrible wall art, a patron idea, New Zealand, and Tim's cricket prowess. Ting - smarter mobile phone service - and get $25 credit by using unmade.ting.com - https://unmade.ting.com/ COMPLETE ONE-SIDED PODCAST WITH US - https://www.unmade.fm/one-sided-podcast) Support us on Patreon, just like 'Kate' - https://www.patreon.com/unmadeFM Join the discussion of this episode on our subreddit - https://redd.it/fr86yj USEFUL LINKS As promised - here we go with a one-sided podcast - want to play? - https://www.unmade.fm/one-sided-podcast Woody Harrelson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Harrelson Quentin Tarantino - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino famousbirthdays.com - https://www.famousbirthdays.com Web Star Brady Haran on famousbirthdays.com - https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/brady-haran.html - (click “boost” to send Brady up the charts!) Jimmy Barnes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes Working Class Man by Jimmy Barnes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erSJGrpfnOI Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher by Jimmy Barnes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwncX0bcDV0 Jessica Alba - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KxTcDsy9Gs Unmade Podcast Motivational Poster - https://teespring.com/unmade-podcast-motivational New Zealand Tourism - https://www.newzealand.com/int/ Australia v New Zealand - for the NZ civilians - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtaWtAxHVsw Australia v New Zealand - for the Aussie civilians - https://www.icc-cricket.com/video/192643

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, eleven. Oh, man. Anyone who listened to the last episode will know that we had to abort halfway because of a technological glitch at Tim's end of the recording and a couple of our ideas got missed. We are going to recap them today. But before we do, that happening has made me realise I should talk about an idea that has been on my list almost since the start of the project that I haven't done yet. Wow. Are you ready for this one, Tim? Have you got the same list that you're working from or is it like you've got another list somewhere, but this one's just been on there a while?

Or is quite literally this been on the same list? I've got like a list app on my phone. And since we started the Unmade Podcast, I've just been using that one app. So ideas I had from like pretty much before we even started are still sitting on that list down the bottom. And I just add new ideas to the top all the time. So, the more you scroll down, the more you'll find my old ideas. And this was one of my oldest ideas. You're so organized with your ideas.

I go back through old moleskin notebooks, by the way, trying to find the page where I just hoping that there was something there somewhere. Then I transcribe them into a new one. Why don't you buy a dedicated notebook to the Unmade Podcast? That's just your ideas book. That's not a bad idea. You put it on your list. I'll put that on mine.

All right. This is an idea that I think anyone who edits podcasts probably would have, and I certainly have had it. My idea, let's call it, I haven't really got a good name for it. I might have to give it a crappy Tim name. How about we go for, no, I won't go that bad. How about we go for one-sided? There are different ways you could tackle this,

but let me just give you one idea before we talk about others. You release, not as a podcast, but you just release as a file, one half of a podcast recording, because obviously you and I do this remotely. So you hear me talking So, there's you hear me talking and then there's a blank space while you're talking. Sure. And then I talk and then there's a blank space while you talk and then I add you into the blank spaces later. Just merge the two files. What you do here is you will just release just me talking with the blank spaces and then people fill in the gaps themselves. They pretend they're doing the podcast and they guess at what's being said at the other end

and try and make it fit into the blank spaces. So, they kind of construct the other half of the podcast from their imagination. And you could have different people doing it in different ways. And you see how all different people interpret it. You could listen to some of those versions. Ultimately, you could then release the actual version, like with Tim's bits in there to see what Tim was actually talking about. So it's kind of like an improvisation game in a way,

or improvisation project or creative project for people to construct the second half of a podcast. I think we do this sometimes when you're stuck in a room with someone who's on the phone and you start to imagine yes what's going on at the other end you can hear the question that prompted the answer you just heard and you yeah yeah and responses like someone going oh my god that's unbelievable and you're thinking oh my god what's happened what's unbelievable and you start to think has someone died is it good news is it bad news like yeah yes's right. It's often out of proportion or it's in total.

You're right. That's one way to look at it. You're kind of reconstructing the other half of a conversation, except you're doing it with a podcast. There are different ways you could do this, right? You could take the half a conversation and give it to someone else who is like, you know, of prominence, you know, like a guest and say, here's your project for the next week.

Make the other half of this conversation. And like today we're looking at how Tom Hanks has reconstructed the other half of this conversation. Or you could just make it like lots and lots of people can do it and everyone does it differently. And then you get all these weird takes. Someone might make it a conversation with an alien. Some might treat it really normally, but yeah, this would be interesting. I feel like it would need a bit of a guide so when you gave them the track something maybe they couldn't hear it but they could see the visual so they know oh look there's some they're going to talk there so i'll stop talking now do you know what i mean so when you sequenced it together they actually would stop talking at the time the other person would be

talking this is a quite a technical nerdy issue but there is a question of when there are the gaps And so when you sequenced it together, they actually would stop talking at the time the other person would be talking. This is quite a technical nerdy issue. But there is a question of when there are the gaps, like say there's a 15 second gap that I leave. Yeah. While you said something. Can the person who's making like the reconstruction change the length of that gap, shorten it or lengthen it? Or do they have to leave the exact gap? I imagine that's like the extreme version is they have to leave the exact gap? I imagine that's like

the extreme version is you have to leave the exact same size gap, but you could also have a cheat version where you can extend the gaps and shorten the gaps to make it sound like a conversation. Oh yeah. Okay. So that's true. If you've got the ability to edit later on, that could be great. That could be actually very entertaining. It'd be easier. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. But I think easier in a way that would make it more funny here's what i'm going to do tim if people look in the uh notes for this podcast episode i'm going to put a short file just like this in the notes that people can download and if they have the ability to use sort of any kind of software or audio editing things they can make

one and email it to us. I'll leave the details in the description and we'll have a listen. And if one of them is particularly good, maybe we'll share it or do something with it. So, go and have a look in the notes. Can I just ask, is it which side are you giving? Are you giving your side or my side? I actually don't know yet.

You could also do both. But that kind of also gives you like a solutions file. So, file A could be Brady and file B could be Tim. And you can just play with the Brady file or the Tim file. Or you could cheat, you know, it's like looking at the crossword answers. Oh, what was said in that space? I'm going to go and check with the Tim file. That's a cool idea.

I look forward to hearing these. That's great. All right. Shall we revisit some of the ones that got lost last time? So, we called the last episode the half-baked episode. It was actually going to be the half-baked episode before it became truly half-baked. And Tim lost half the recording. Well, you know me, I'm incredibly committed to the ideas and the themes that we take on. Your computer did a performance piece. That's right.

Well, so we've got to remember then what we had and what we talked about and what we didn't. I have this because I was able to listen to my half of the conversation. Oh, yes. And figure out what was going on. So one of the ideas, the next idea we did, we got cut off during a talk about Oscar nominated best songs. And we did talk about that for quite a while. But I don't think there's any point going back into that. No.

But the next idea was one from you. And it was called, I believe you called it Absolute Veto. Was that the name? No, no. This is Automatic Veto. Automatic Veto. That the name? No, no. This is automatic veto. Automatic veto. That's right. Yeah, yeah.

So this idea is that an automatic veto is essentially if you're looking at something and there's a particular person or feature that pops up, it's an automatic, no, I'm not up for it. So, for instance, the preview of a movie. You're enjoying the movie oh this looks interesting and i know you and i mean we love watching previews of media movies yeah but this idea is if you're sitting there you're watching it and then suddenly the main character comes on oh this is great oh it's set during the war oh this is gonna be oh this looks like it's really well made you know and then this particular character pops up and you're like no no if they're in it i'm out automatic veto bang gone i'm not just hang on a second just

let me pretend i haven't heard the idea before oh good idea tim nice one can you give us an example who is Who is an automatic veto for you? Woody Harrelson. He's playing anyone except a pretty simple but kind of likeable bartender in Cheers. He's out. He's an automatic veto. Luckily, that's pretty much all he plays. Except he does play that character, but he plays them in all sorts of and i mean you see him given roles of authority and and intelligent people and all sorts of different characters and i'm just like no no i don't i don't want to hang out with him for two

hours you know what i mean it's like i'm not up for woody harrelson and his characters did you not like him in true detective no no i i watched bit of True Detective, but I didn't go for it totally. And the fact that it was him, I was like, oh, okay, it's him. Okay, I'll watch it for a bit. But you know what I mean? I wasn't thinking about this idea at the time, a few years ago, but I've just realised that I've carried this automatic veto lens all the way along, and he's one that i just go no now the other one there's

another one who i'm this is even more profound and long-lasting and bit controversial because i know this person is sort of he seems to have been become quite beloved on the internet and in places for reasons i don't understand except i'm sure he's a nice guy however keanu reeves right keanu reeves if he turns up in the preview of a film i'm not watching it and he he is sometimes so miscast in there's a great film uh it's not a great film a really enjoyable film something's got to give and he turns up playing a doctor right who starts dating diane keaton and I'm like get lost that's not that's not gonna happen he doesn't like when Nicole Kidman was a brain surgeon in Days of Thunder that's right it's just like no no put you know that's right Nicole Kidman on a BMX awesome right but

it's not that she couldn't be a brain surgeon, but casting is all about credibility, isn't it? Like and it's like, who is the person? Of course, no one's ever played a brain surgeon who actually is a brain surgeon. But there are female actresses who pull it off entirely. But, you know, Nicole Kidman, it's like, no, this is just kind of she had to be in there because now it's her and Tom Cruise. But Keanu Reeves, I don't even buy him. Like, apart from there's one exception to this, by the way, which is Point Break, the original Point Break movie. That's kind of him.

I kind of get that. And that works for me for nostalgic reasons. But it's almost like because he did that, I can't buy him in anything else. It's like, no, no. Was he miscast in The Matrix? No, he wasn't miscast, but I can't buy him in anything else. It's like, nah, nah. Was he miscast in The Matrix? No, he wasn't miscast, but I didn't enjoy him. I felt like he was, he's so pretentiously serious, you know? I mean, I know the film's about the fate of all mankind,

but come on, lighten up, buddy. Yeah, I can't remember many scenes where he, like, cracks jokes. No. That's right. It's all black shades and, you know, it's kind of like someone going through an overly serious early uni poetry period, you know. You've got to have a sense of humour in the midst of it, you know, lighten up. Anyway, so Keanu Reeves, yeah, I'm not buying it. But so do you have anyone?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I would nominate, obviously, we've discussed before, Andy McDowell. Poor Andy McDowell. She so often is poor in good films. It almost makes me watch the films because I think, well, if Andy McDowell's in it, clearly it's going to be a good film that she's terrible in. She's like a blessing, like a rabbit's foot, you know, like a blessing to me.

Maybe she's so bad it makes everyone else raise their game. Maybe, maybe it does. Poor Andy McDowell. That's right. My unpopular one that people are going to say that's outrageous, like Keanu Reeves, is Jeff Bridges. Oh, yes. I don't like Jeff Bridges in films. Again, I'm sure he's a nice guy.

And I know he's in some very, very loved films. But for me, you know, nah. Is it a bit of a yawn or is it just like I actually really dislike him? Has Jeff Bridges done something? He just rubs me up the wrong way for some reason. I can't describe it. Of course, the opposite podcast is like, you know, automatic pass. Who's someone who, or like, who's an attraction?

Like, oh, if they're in this, I'm going to watch it because I just love everything they do. Oh, yes, yes. Now, directors are easy with this. You know, Martin Scorsese brings out a film, you're going to see it. But actors, it's a bit more of a refined choice, isn't it? What did you think of The Irishman? Look, The Irishman I thought was a bit like, it's a bit like when I saw U2 earlier this year. It's like, okay, I really like this band.

I like these songs, but this isn't an evocative kind of experience. It didn't feel like new creativity it felt like a greatest hits and that's enjoyable in the sense that it was him doing high quality directing and that's better than like 80 90 of the stuff out there that's for sure but i didn't i wasn't blown away by it like i was when i watched taxi driver for the first time which was just oh my goodness and i've gone back to it again and again, even though that's pretty full on film. I've never seen Taxi Driver. Oh, wow.

Yeah. No, that's a really quite incredible film. Yeah. Yeah. The Irishman, I thought was good. Yeah, I felt the same way. It was, yes, it was too long, but it was good, solid film. I'm always up for a gangster film.

I was, when I started watching it, I didn't realise it was what it was about. I didn't realise it dealt with, like, Jimmy Hoffa. So, that was quite a nice surprise. Me too. Because I've always been fascinated by that story. Who's an actor who's like an automatic, you know, attraction? Well, there is De Niro. Not automatic, but he's, oh, this will be good.

Al Pacino is one for me. I do like watching Al Pacino, although he has had a poor last few decades compared to his 1970s work, that's for sure. How many decades does it take before you start to query someone, man? I don't know. Like if someone punched you in the face every day for four decades, at what point would you start to think, this person might punch me in the face every day for four decades at what point would you start to think this person might punch me in the face today so i look back to the 1970s when they weren't punching me in the face and go wow

yeah those were the glory days perhaps it's it'll be a return to form um i just enjoy watching him probably his last great film is heat isn't it that's what's that 1997 or right that's good six yeah you realize that's over 20 years ago right oh that is too so he's been punching you in the face ever since who's an automatic great actor um edward norton almost always does good films oh yes yes yes yes because he actually is a great actor isn't he yeah yeah do you know who's become an automatic veto for me a little bit now? Is Meryl Streep. You're talking about the most Oscar-nominated actress, I think, of all time.

But I find Meryl Streep, she's just become Meryl Streep. It's like when she's acting, she's undoubtedly great in many things. In many, many things I watch her and I'm totally lost in her character. But two thirds of the time, I also feel like I'm watching someone with a sign around their neck saying, I'm Meryl Streep acting really well. Rather than, which is, it's. And it's almost like she's saying, what impossible task can I take on next? Like, it's only a matter of time before she does a film where she just like acts as like a brick or or like a gorilla or something like like like what what what can i do what's left i've done like you know margaret thatcher and i'm gonna

play a teenage boy and it's she's in the new biopic of wu-tang clan it's just awesome martin luther king or something what's left but it feels like around award season that being a person who does, you know, I am acting well acting is great acting, but it's actually the opposite of great acting. It's not as bad as it can be. I am bad acting is even worse, but I am good acting is drawing attention to yourself, not the character. So good acting is acting you become, in a sense, oblivious to. You're just lost in the story and the character. And people, Tim did drama in year 12 at school, by the way, people,

so he really knows what he's talking about. Oh, well, that's all right. Hey, I also did two units of an incomplete arts degree in drama as a sub-major at Flinders. Wow. I studied it at a higher level as well. I quite enjoy Emma Thompson in many things. Yeah.

Diane Keaton is another one. I actually really love Diane Keaton, which is partly why I'm really kind of frustrated that Keanu Reeves got to sort of hang out with her. Kiss her. You're just jealous. Yeah, well, it was just, it went on a date and he was totally implausible. And yet she sort of, you know, sort of fell for him a bit. And that just doesn't seem right. I like Diane Keaton.

She's lots of fun. Do you think Diane Keaton would fall for you if you went on a date with her? Yeah, yeah. If I was, if I was, if the script said that she had to. Or if you told her about those incomplete units in your arts degree. I was like, you and I are really in the same industry. She's awesome, Diane Keaton. She's so kind of sassy and strong and she's got great sense of humour

and she always plays these fantastic characters like Annie Hall. You know, she's just great anyway. Sounds like she's your movie crush. She may be, yeah. Sandra Bullock is someone, she's a bit of an automatic veto. I won't see a Sandra Bullock film. Although The Blind Side, have you seen that? That's a fantastic film.

Is that the one she won the Oscar through with the football guy? Yeah. No, I haven't watched that. I really liked that. No, even though she won the Oscar for it because it was, you know, it gave me an automatic veto. And it's not, I don't go out protesting against the film. It's just like you flick right with the remote on Netflix, you know.

The thing I love about The Blind Side is it's just so good and happy all the time. You know how lots of films like that are good and happy, start off good and happy, and then they go really terrible for a while and then they come good later on. Yeah. Like while The Blind Side does have like a bit of light and shade and challenges, it's pretty much just good all the time and just makes you happy all the time. It's just such a feel good movie. It just makes me feel good every time I watch it. Every time. So you repeat, are you

watching repeated viewing? I've probably seen it four times. Wow. Yeah. All right. Well, you're not an automatic veto. So, if you recommend it, then I should check it out. I did like her in While You Were Sleeping, her first film.

I really, I quite liked that way back in the day, I have to say. I thought, she was all right in it, but I thought Bird Box was good, that Netflixflix film the only problem is i now feel like i'm living through bird box so i don't know bird box i didn't watch that that's a like an it was a film made just for netflix i think it's pretty good what do you mean that you're living through it oh well there's this it's like this kind of post-apocalyptic it's supernatural but people have to be really careful when they go outside and stuff in it for reasons I won't give away. So lots of people are really cooped up in their houses and hiding in their houses a lot in the film. So it was a good film.

It was a good film. So automatic veto. So, okay. So this is, Pete, you get the concept. As a podcast idea, it's like. Yes, man. After 15 minutes of talking about it, I have like got my head around. Let me explain it again.

No, it's all right. A veto, right? We're good. Automatic veto, tick, we'll do it. And I'm sure it applies. We've been talking a lot about acting and actresses, but I'm sure it could apply to authors or radio shows or all sorts. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah. And books, obviously everyone has an automatic veto because you tend to go for people you like and are highly recommended with books and you tend to veto absolutely everything else. Yeah. It's not like, well, I'm reading three books today, but I'm not reading one by her or him. It's, you know, you tend to only go with books that are strongly recommended so there we go time for uh time for ting yes ting we recorded a ting ad last time that also was part of our failure ting is the company that

tim thought was at first a jewelry sales store or a vendor of bells yes but that is not what ting is ting is a online seller of a mobile phone service it's a mobile phone company and they're really really good yes the reason you should consider them they're like really good unique selling point is tim you take it from here well the bells mean, how many bell merchants do you know? Sorry, sorry. No, they don't do bells yet. They do a complete service for your mobile phone, yeah? In the US, this is.

They're not yet in England or Australia. But the thing they've got, and I mean, this is becoming more and more of a selling point now, is there's no contract and there's no set amount you have to pay, which can be really frustrating when you've got a mobile phone contract and you haven't used a lot of data or you haven't made many phone calls or texts and you've still got to pay some ridiculous amount. With Ting, you just pay for what you use. So, of course, if you're on Wi-Fi and using things like FaceTime and WhatsApp, which doesn't use mobile phone data, you're paying for nothing. So if you're at home a lot, which I imagine sometimes a lot of people are at home a lot at the moment, you're going to be paying hardly anything. You just pay for what you use,

which I think is brilliant. You know, I literally today went to my mobile phone provider to try and drop my contract because I thought they had mentioned on the phone last time I was talking to them my contract was coming up in like three days. I was like, oh gosh, that came around quick. I went in there and said, hey, I'd like to drop this down because we've got oceans too much data and looked it up and they said, no, no, no, your contract doesn't run out for a few more months yet. I was like, oh, that's strange. You're stuck with them it's a it's a racket you go for ting no contracts get out when you want go in when you want only pay for what you

use and the the thing to do by the way i must mention the website otherwise uh i haven't done my job so go along to unmade.ting.com so it's a bit different to how some of the others do their websites. Unmade's at the start. Unmade.ting.com. And if you do that, you're going to get $25 credit to start with. So you're already on a winner. You can keep your mobile phone number, all that sort of stuff. So don't worry that you're going to have to change your number and all that. Unmade.ting.com, $25 credit. Stop getting ripped off by mobile phone companies. Ting is a smarter mobile phone service. They do not sell bells. They do not sell jewellery yet. So, another idea that was lost into the black hole last time, but let's revive it.

This was an idea I had, which was just a silly one called The Birthday Podcast, which is a podcast where you just get people on to be interviewed on their birthday. Oh, yeah, right. Yeah. Partly because it's a novelty. I realise there is a big logistical problem here, and that is getting people to give you their time on their birthday is probably harder than most other days,

because people often have commitments on their birthday, parties and family things. But let's forget about that for a minute. But the idea of putting out a podcast with someone on their birthday, I think, is good fun. And recording it on their birthday because people are probably in quite a good mood on their birthday. You might get them at a good time to be interviewed. I think it's just an acute gimmick. And, well, I think this is a good idea because I think people are more reflective on their birthday. They've got that natural sense of, you know, well, the year that's gone, the year that's coming up, I'm getting a bit older and there's a bit of status. Do you mean that in a positive way then or a negative way? Do you think

maybe they're a bit more melancholy? Well, but I think that would make for a better podcast. I mean, people are kind of happy because it's their birthday perhaps they'll be feeling you know there is that sense of oh no one would ever probably go through their birthday and not remember it was their birthday so at the very least they go oh here we go it's my birthday yeah of course there can be negative things associated with it and people can freak out some people avoid telling anyone their birthday either because it's no big deal or it's just they don't want to think about growing older. But I think right in that moment, that's the prime time to talk to someone about their life and what's going on and where they're at and how they feel about

their birthday. So Tim and I are recording this on March 27. Whose birthday is it today? Who would be on our podcast if we were doing it today? Oh, dear. Well, I don't know anyone's birthday off by hand. It's not my birthday. And I know it's not your birthday. No. I'll tell you whose birthday it is, who you would love to have on the podcast. Oh, hello. Quentin Tarantino. Oh, right. Okay. Quentin Tarantino. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I have to say, I'm a bit over Tarantino. I... Yeah. You know, I have to say I'm a bit over Tarantino. Yeah. He's not – now, you and I know, we were massive fans of his back in the early 90s.

Yeah. Like, my wall was plastered with Tarantino pictures. And around the time I was doing these few units in drama, I was also doing a few units in film studies as well, which has basically qualified me to choose a film on Netflix, but nothing else. But, you know, that's what the arts degree, incomplete arts degree is there for. But I really relished Tarantino as we did, read books and watched his film. I think we saw Pulp Fiction three times at the cinema, didn't we? Yeah. But I... Tim, before you tell me why you've gotten over him, can I share, which I think is one of the few Tim and Brady stories

I don't think we have shared on the podcast yet, can I share our Pulp Fiction Oscar story? Oh! Yes. So, I always misremember stories from our childhood, tim will tim will fix it fix it up what year was this you're always good at remembering years too 94 94 so we had seen pulp fiction and just thought it was the most amazing film ever and at the time i was working at a newspaper and tim i don't know what tim was doing he was just doing whatever tim did you were pretty pretty uni weren't

you i don't know i took a year off and then i went to uni in 95. Yeah. So, you were having a year of creative reflection. Just working on my music. Yeah. So, because I worked at the newspaper and the Academy Awards were on in the middle of the night in Australia. So, it was hard. You didn't watch them live. You watched them the next day and you middle of the night in Australia So it was hard, you didn't watch them live You watched them the next day And you would avoid the news so everything was a surprise So Tim had avoided any news about the Oscars But because I worked at a newspaper I couldn't

You know, I was quite surrounded by news and wire services and stuff So I knew all the results and who had won what I think you had, had you started watching the ceremony And you were disappointed with how poorly Pulp Fiction was doing And I think you had, had you started watching the ceremony and you were disappointed with how poorly Pulp Fiction was doing? And I think you spoke to me somehow. It probably wasn't a text message because it wasn't a thing then. No. Did we speak on the phone?

I don't know how we were talking. I don't know. You were disappointed. Anyway, to fill in a few gaps and make stuff up. Yeah. You were disappointed with how poorly Pulp Fiction was doing and that it wasn't getting the recognition it deserved. And for some reason, I don't know why I did this, probably just because I'm a bad person. I told Tim that Pulp Fiction had won Best Picture.

So, not to worry, everything was going to be all right in the end. Of course, it didn't win Best Picture. Was it Forrest Gump that year? Yeah, yeah. Forrest Gump won Best Picture. So, Tim was watching, Tim told me he was watching the Oscars. Well, you can that year? Yeah, yeah. I think it was Forrest Gump that year. Yeah. Forrest Gump won Best Picture. So, Tim was watching Tim Talby. He was watching the Oscars. Well, you can take it from here, Tim.

Well, that's true. I do remember you calling. In fact, this was early 95. The films came out in 94. So, it was the early 95 Oscars. Right. And I was sitting there watching and it won for Best Screenplay. But you think, oh, that's cool.

And then, but then nothing much else. And I've actually- We really wanted it to win Best Picture, didn't we? Like we were like so enamoured by this film. Well, partly because more than Forrest Gump, because I've warmed to Forrest Gump over the years. I think it's quite a lovely film actually in retrospect. But at the time I thought it was a bit syrupy

and I was a bit more hardcore or something and I didn't. So I really wanted the gritty you know independent film to win and but all the way and then and then I remember you calling that's right and you said awesome how Pulp Fiction got best picture wasn't it man all right and I was like no oh that was genius by me too because I made it seem like a leak that's right that's right so That's right. So, I felt angry you'd told me to spoil the surprise, but also then happy and content. I sat back and watched the rest of it going, well, it wins best picture.

That's fantastic. So, you were sort of contentedly watching, knowing what was coming. Yeah. What did you do when they opened the envelope and said, the winner is Forrest Gump? Well, by then, as you know, it's getting like, it's really late. I think mum and dad have gone to bed, all sort of stuff as the oscars go on and i just i remember going i'd like feeling sitting back i know what's gonna happen and then it's like what what i was it was like oh no and then i then i'm pretty sure i phoned you straight back

i must have tell you off yeah yeah or maybe you phoned through waiting for the moment to catch me on something like that but i'm sorry i'm sorry man yeah that was cruel and unusual what uh so why have you quickly why have you gone on quentin tarantino and then i'll come back to birthdays i've just i've just over him i don't know there's something about he's cool. He's such a poser and such a lemo. That's right. What I thought was really cool, wisecracking sort of language, now it just grates. It feels like wise guy or smart aleck sort of talk.

I don't know. And it feels like there's nothing. It's all surface. There's nothing behind it. I think he still makes pretty good films. He still makes pretty good films He still makes pretty good films Like compared to some edgy directors back in the day Who lost their mojo Like his films are still like events though aren't they

They're still worth watching And I guess what I'm saying is I don't feel like watching them I can see some you know skill There's no question And certainly some stylistic choices and stuff But I always feel like this is leading somewhere important And but i don't i always feel like this is leading somewhere important and then they don't and i just thought this is actually it's like a

comic it's like this isn't actually going to take me or actually some comics are very strong and powerful but it doesn't feel like it's going to take me anywhere and he doesn't i don't feel like he's got anything under his under his style under yeah, yeah, his art direction. And I need, I want more than that, I guess. But anyway, so I've gone off him. Yeah, yeah. I just don't, there's a whole bunch, a few of his last films I haven't seen. I didn't see The Hateful Eight at all.

I saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but that again felt like three hours of, you know, like a cool opening sequence that didn't go anywhere. So. Speaking of famous birthdays, right? I have this gripe i get the times newspaper delivered you know here in england oh right every day they have a section for whose birthday it is and i always have a gripe about it because i always feel like it's a bit out of touch like there'll be a few famous people who i know but they'll always be you know the head of the

health and medical services department and the chief executive of Guy and St. Thomas's Hospital and all these sort of people who Times readers probably think are really important. But to me, they're just old bureaucrats. And I'm always surprised they're in the birthday section. It's always one of my gripes. I'm always like, where are the more, you know, people I've heard of and, you know, celebrities and famous people? Yeah. Australian cricketers and so forth. Well, yeah, it's a bit of that.

But yeah. So, I always think this is not for me. I have now found the exact opposite of that that goes in too far in the opposite direction. And this is the website that I found when researching this section of our podcast. When I say researching, I googled it as I said the idea. And it's called famousbirthdays.com and they list all these people who are supposedly famous and it's their birthday and they have got them in some kind of order they've ranked them one two three four etc and i'm going to go through the top 20

to see what ones we've heard of all right right and this is not going to be 90 year old men who who have got you know a knighthood and used to run government departments. This is the opposite direction. Real pillars of society who have contributed, in other words. At number one, we have Mariah Carey. Right. Okay. Granted, I'll give you that one.

Number two, Jessa the Laser, YouTube star. Awesome. Oh, sorry. No, never heard of her. Number three, Jessie J. Okay, I have heard of her. Number four, Jessie J. Okay, I have heard of her. Number four, Lisa Minoban, 23-year-old pop singer. Number five, Amelie Zilber, 18-year-old model.

Yep. Number six, Fergie, pop singer. All right. Oh, yeah, I remember Fergie. Number seven, Franny Arriata, 23-year-old YouTube star. Brenda Song, actress. Awesome. Love her work.

Nikki, 20-year-old Instagram star. Nikki who? She's just called Nikki and it's N-I-Q-U-E, Nikki. Christine Sedelko, YouTube star. Number 11 is someone I know, at least, if you don't, Manuel Neuer, German goalkeeper. No. Number 12 is a 25-year-old Instagram star. 13, 20-year-old R&B singer.

14, YouTube star. 15, a one-year-old YouTube star. I don't understand that. Wow. Number 16 is a nine-year-old TikTok star. 17, we have 57-year-old Quentin Tarantino. Number 18, a six-year-old YouTube star called phase baby number 19 a 15 year old YouTube star called broody animates and number 20 is a 16 year old

YouTube star called Lily April Rose starting to make the um the 90 year old public servants with the Victoria Cross yeah look look like genuine heavyweights don't they that's right i need to make my own on this day birthday website that just suits my interests yeah that has a nice mix the brady mix of people now i know we discussed this last time in the in the lost podcast but famous people that share your birthday who's is the one you always know the one that i remember apart from a couple of friends that i know one that i went to school with years ago and someone else and but i who come to mind on my birthday every year and you go i wonder what they're up to because you just remember from when you were young that you shared a birthday the other one is is it is there's an australian rock singer called jimmy

barnes and um yeah he's got quite a unique you can You can't say Jimmy Barnes and not go, ah. Ah. Jimmy. Very, very, very ochre, very manly, very gruff. Yeah. Working class. Well, he's a working class man. He's a working class man.

Oh, he's a working class man. Yeah. I mean, he is actually a great singer in his genre. His music gets thrashed on Australian radio, so you sort of end up being a bit over it by now. But some of it is particularly his work with his band Cold Chisel is very, very good. Can I also just say, as a shout out to Jimmy Barnes,

he does a cover of a song, Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher and Higher, that I just love. I think it would be in my top couple of songs ever. And it's just magnificent. Not just I like it. I really, really love it. And that's worth looking up. I see you've also got Jessica Alba on your birthday.

Oh, right. Which I didn't realise last time. I know she's famous, but I don't know what for. Well, she's an actress and she's, yeah, and she's like, you know, quite easy on the eye. I think a lot of men think that she's nice looking. Right. John Daly, the golfer. Oh, yeah.

Long John Daly. Long John Daly. Yep. Ian Rankin, the author. Well, I know of him. I've not read any of his books, but yeah Jay Leno Oh, yeah

Bruno Kirby, great character, accurate Terry Pratchett, you've got as well Another fantastic author But the one that I liked most is Saddam Hussein Oh, yes 1937 I share a birthday with Saddam Hussein Oh, and Tariq Aziz, who's also the Iraqi foreign affairs minister,

was also born on your birthday the year before, 1936. Oh, maybe. And not only have you got Saddam Hussein born on your birthday, but Mussolini died on your birthday. Oh, hello. Gee, it's very dictator heavy, isn't it? I know. And last time we recorded, we also learned that Saddam Hussein's old son was born on my birthday.

Oh, that's right. There's obviously some kind of qualification to be on the host of the Unmade podcast. A member of the Hussein immediate family has to be born on your birthday. No, it's like not only do you have to be related to Saddam Hussein to get a job in the Iraqi government in the 90s, but you have to be related to him to get a job on the Unmade podcast. I didn't say we're related to him, Tim. We just share birthdays. Oh, sorry.

We want to make that very clear. Yes. I have Paul McCartney on my birthday. Oh, wow. And I think Isabella Rossellini. They're the ones I know. Okay. Is Paul McCartney sufficiently famous for you to acknowledge that he should appear on a birthday list? Yes. Okay. Here we go. Good question. Obviously, I know the Times always acknowledges his birthday, right?

But let's have a look at famous birthdays and see where paul mccartney ranks on their list amongst all the tiktokers and i don't know let's have a look i mean you'd think he should be number one on any list shouldn't he should be there's no more famous rock star in history really is there apart from elvis presley so on the famousbirthdays.com list he ranks number five but behind behind trippy red the 20 year old rapper oh yes of course i forgot trippy josh dunn a 31 year old drummer right blake shelton yep a 43 year old country singer and the 25 year old rapper take off ah of course well i'd forgotten those four. So, fair enough. Paul McCartney 5. Take your position at number five. That's incredible.

So, I'm just wondering, if they're so big on people who make YouTube videos, why am I not on the list? Oh, well, this is true. Are you there? Are you scrolling? You're scrolling down now, aren't you? I'm looking. How far down do you have to go? I'm just looking at categories because they sort them by categories.'m trying to think what category i'd fall into model rappers web

stars web stars would that be me i don't know would you put web star on your business card hey here i am i'm number 42 on the list are you there i'm under web stars I'm number 42 on the list. Are you there? I'm under web stars. I'm number 42. Oh, wow. Between Vincent Meachio and Jeremiah Forsyth. Well done, man. Who are you above? Scroll down below and say who are you above? Well, I'm only on the web stars list here. So everyone below me, like I've never heard of.

Anyway, there we go. Web star, Brady Haran. Web star. Web star. That's me. I'm going to put that on my Twitter profile. Is Webstar one word or two? Oh, I don't know.

That's a good question. It's supposed to be two, but maybe they've made a new word. It's like your title. It's two words here. Oh, okay. That's a shame in a way. Because, you know, I'm Reverend Tim Hine. It'd be cool if you had like, you know, a title that had a nice like Webstar Brady Haran.

Webstar. Webstar Brady Haran. I'd have to use it every time. As we go on, I just want to say that I absolutely this week need to get in to mystery words. And I'm not allowed to draw attention to them as the mystery words as I say them. But if I say something that sounds a little bit strange in the next period of conversation, just go with it, knowing that perhaps a mystery word has been said and let's just pretend that it's normal conversation, okay? Did you get in trouble from your girls last time for

like gratuitously putting the words in and not doing it subtly? Yes. Big trouble. All right. So, lately Tim and I have been subtly. Yes. Yeah. Big trouble. All right. So lately Tim and I have been talking about house selling. Oh, yes. And things like that because of events in our lives. And it's made me look at pictures of houses that have been done up for selling. And one of the things I've noticed is that when houses are done up to be sold

and like this seems to be more of a thing in Australia I've learned, like it seems like companies come of a thing in australia i've learned like it seems like companies come in and do up the house like they take all your stuff out and they put like generic stuff in to make it supposedly more appealing to buyers and one of the things i noticed they put in are the most ridiculous banal bits of wall art like pictures of pot plants and like pictures of Buddha and like just these generic, generic bits of artwork, right? And they had to buy them somewhere to put them up, right? They had to buy them from a shop.

Who buys those things normally? Who is buying those bits of artwork that are just really, really plain and dull? And this gives me an idea for a podcast. Yeah, yeah. Which is called, Who Buys That? Yes. And these are things in shops and things in the world you see in very specific circumstances that make you think, who on earth is buying that?

The place where I live, not far away, has a couple of like little gift stores that are just full of such tat that I cannot in a million years imagine buying for myself or someone else. Like little statuettes of things and just ridiculous things. And I often look in the windows of those shops and think, who buys that? Who is buying those things? And there must be a long list of things in the windows of those shops and think, who buys that? Who is buying those things? And there must be a long list of things in the world that you look at and think, how is that being sold? Yeah. Why is that being made?

There's the two ends of it as well, isn't there? There's the old sort of secondhand, dirty, disgusting, you know, like, remember looking in the shop window of like a secondhand shop or a thrift shop or what it's called and seeing like old combs? And it's like, why would you be buying a comb? Like not even beautiful ornate old combs, just dirty old combs. Like it's just, who buys that? For brushing hair, for combing hair. Yes, yes, yes. It's just, but at the other end of it.

It's like buying old toothbrushes. The other end of it is new things. Yeah. It's like, wow, this is brand new. I'm going to buy a statue. And it's like, really? Why would you come and buy? Yeah.

Or like Harley Davidson motorcycle bookends. They're strictly for birthday presents from Tim's mum to him. But that's right. Yeah. Well, I tell you where you find a lot of bad art yeah in waiting rooms like corporate waiting rooms ah not not high-end corporate waiting rooms where they you know have um stuff on the wall that they've they've bought as a company like a rough go or something yeah that's right yeah which for tax reasons is you know hanging on the wall

in the waiting room i'm talking about bad you know that for tax reasons is, you know, hanging on the wall in the waiting room. I'm talking about bad art. You know, what you're talking about. You know, it's like things that make the room feel like a waiting room, even though it's supposed to make you feel at ease. Like it's the bit of the office that's not an office. But yeah, there's some real waiting room art around the place. Yeah. Who buys those huge posters that have like a jetty and a sunset and just have a word underneath like inspiration or perseverance and stuff like like like i'm all

for motivating people and saying inspirational things as like maybe a tweet or something but like a huge you know five foot by two foot poster yeah that's of a really generic picture with some motivational saying under it and then and it's framed like professionally framed and you know cost a few hundreds of dollars well people people well it may not be hundreds of dollars and that's the point it's cheap and some people need a few cheap pictures and so this is cheap and it's inoffensive and so there you go it can be be done simply and can be done really well if it's a little bit clever and abstract, but there is a lot of generic art.

I always think of that line from, to go back to, way back to, we've talked about Billy Joel. And you know the song Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and he recounts the story of Brenda and Eddie who got, you know, together at high school, got married. Yeah. And he says, and a couple of pictures from Sears. And just that line makes me think, oh, they've gone and bought the cheapest pictures.

Like Sears, in my mind, I've never been to Sears, but I picture it as a bit like we call it Big W or, you know, like a relatively, not the place you go to buy art. It's the place you go to buy practical things. And they got a couple of pictures from there too. art it's the place you go to buy practical things and they got a couple of pictures from there too and i always think of that as oh yeah that's like your first home setting it up with a real cheap picture so really it's a very clever line for that it always works for me in that apologies to sears if actually they have a an auction house where they're selling off masters that i don't know about no i don't think they do but they it feels like when you see a house all done up. And when it's done up really, really well, even then, it's made to look like it's not too personal.

Because everyone that walks through has to feel like, oh, this is great. So it can't be like, oh, this is someone else's house. It has to be like, oh, this is my house. So in some ways, it's a bit perhaps like a ghost house. Like it's, you know, like it's for no one in particular, but it's kind of for everyone. And so it's made to look appealing, but perfectly clean and neat. Maybe that's the thing that's really appealing. It's like, wow, this is tidy.

We should buy this because then we don't have to tidy up at our place. Shall we do a patron idea, a patron shout shout out i don't think we've done one for an episode or two all right yes i mean yes absolutely yeah yeah yeah we're really thankful to our patreon supporters you you help us make this podcast thank you very much we've got a page on the website where we list list you on our wall of fame uh and you also have the ability to send us in ideas that will be read out on the show and that's how you get your idea on the show if you're not a patreon supporter that's fine and we all really appreciate you too but the patreon supporters get this little section at the end this is their moment and you know they so often uh the gravy

you know like they bring the end of the show up it Usually, by the time we get to my idea, we're faded. And then, wow, here we go. Would you call that the gravy? Or would you call that more like, is that the right analogy? Or are they the cherry on top? Cherry on top works as well. Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

That's a bit better. I may have just said gravy because I had to say. They're the gravy on the cherry. The gravy. To mix a metaphor. That's right. I have not read this in advance, Tim, but luckily we have audio editing that could help us if necessary.

This comes from... Hi, Tim and Brady. I enjoy your Unmade podcast. It's great fun. I hope you do many more. I thought I'll do a shout out for fun. Please don't feel obliged to include me in any of your episodes. Well, I'm afraid you've been included.

Says, please don't disclose my real name. So I'll be going back and putting in some beeps there. She says, you could call me Francesca or Alina or any other female name of your choice. What female name would you like to call this person, Tim? Kate. Kate. Yes, Kate.

Okay. Kate was born in a city called Satu Mere in northwestern Romania and spent her teenage years in Cluj, the capital of Transylvania. So I bet there weren't many people called Kate. No. Born in that part of northwestern Romania so that was a really unusual name for someone from that part of the world Kate says she once had a friend dare her to drink a bottle of tomato sauce which she did without batting an eyelid

I wouldn't do it now have you ever done anything crazy like that Tim for a dare like drink a bottle of tomato sauce oh yeah when I was helping run like youth groups and stuff like that everything and then you do some fun stuff, you know, like scull a bottle of Coke or something like that. That's, you know, just something a bit crazy. That's a bit crazy, is that having a bottle of Coke? You crazy kids. Tim, I think doing a line of Coke might be crazy.

I think drinking a bottle of Coke is probably pretty okay. I feel like I don't want to mention anything or remember anything in case it incentivises youngsters to... Yes, or incriminates you. That's right, that's right. So let me just add here, kids, don't drink too much Coke. That's right. Okay, continue, Brent. Okay.

It's bad for your teeth. It's bad for your teeth. It's bad for your teeth. An amazing trip she did. I spent 10 days on the South Island of New Zealand. It was breathtaking. Oh, look, I'm not going to read about how lovely New Zealand is. We're Australians. We don't care about that.

Do you have any pets? She says she has two dogs. She does name them, and she hasn't said I can't use their names. All right. So I'm going to go ahead And this says it later on in the email It says, by the way, don't mention my pet's name Or if you get a follow-up email from the pet saying

We'd rather not be mentioned in the podcast She has two dogs, Snowy and Alexa Here's her idea, we finally get to it I would like to spend one week in a different country pretending to be a citizen of that country. I would immerse myself in that country's culture and everyday life. Japan, for instance. I would do all the things that regular people do in that country. Try to speak the language, eat what they eat, go to work, cook their dishes, understand their humour. In essence, I would attempt to walk in someone else's shoes

in a different country for a week and then write a podcast about that for a year. Oh, understand their humour. In essence, I would attempt to walk in someone else's shoes in a different country for a week and then write a podcast about that for a year. Oh, yeah, right. For a year. I like the idea of every week pretending to be a citizen of a different country. So a different country every week. Is that what you're thinking?

Well, no, she's saying she would go to the country for a week and then I think do like a year's podcast about that experience. But I prefer the idea of going to a different country every week and being a citizen of that country for a week. I think she's podcast about that experience. But I prefer the idea of going to a different country every week and being a citizen of that country for a week. I think she's talking about doing, it's a different kind of idea, a deep dive. Like, here I am trying this meal now, and here I am with this particular customer being really immersed.

And you could do a different country each year, like a series every year. I've been watching some documentaries lately, which are of you know the english lovable comedian traveling across america or yeah you know on a long train journey and um talking and they must take i hate those things weeks and weeks they must be of of filming and they're all edited down to a quick you know i met a lovable guy jeff, here, and he showed me this. And that must have been, of course, production, contacting Jeff months beforehand, we're going to be there on the day, filming, setting it up.

I mean, huge amounts of work just for these, you know, seemingly breezy encounters. Making television is so time-consuming and such a palaver for so little output, especially those sorts of shows, especially like proper grown-up television, not YouTube web star television. So I just wonder whether Kate is being more realistic about the fact that a year deep diving might get you a week's worth of podcast. Well, it sounds good.

Go ahead, Kate, if you want, go ahead and make that podcast. Don't do it in New Zealand, though. New Zealand's rubbish. Man. I don't want to read about shimmering fords, beautiful lakes, If you want, go ahead and make that podcast. Don't do it in New Zealand, though. New Zealand's rubbish. Meh. I don't want to read about shimmering fords, beautiful lakes, lush wilderness, majestic mountains. Everyone says how beautiful New Zealand is. I have still not been to New Zealand. Have you been there?

I've been to New Zealand. I've been to the North Island. I haven't been down to the South Island where it's so beautiful and Lord of the Rings. Oh, right, yeah. Like, I went to Rotorua and I've been to, like, you know, Auckland. And I went up north of the North Island. It was quite nice. It was no Australia.

I can tell you what, you're pushing buttons now. Ah, it was New Zealanders. What are they going to do about it? I would like to go up there. I would like to go to Karakare Beach and a few places like that that I've seen in films and read about and that looks that just looks staggeringly beautiful. I have some friends in New Zealand. Tell you what, man, don't waste your time.

Don't waste your time. There are so many better places in the world to visit than New Zealand. It's so far away and it's full of New Zealanders. It's far away for you. It's not far away for us. It's still full of New Zealanders It's far away for you It's not far away for us It's still full of New Zealanders You're losing a country of listeners As if they can figure out how to work a podcast player

They haven't got the data connection to download the stuff We rely on New Zealand to give us some quality talent that we can own as Australians when they become successful later on. Yeah. Like Crowded House and Russell Crowe or whatever. That's right, yeah. Whoever else. Pavlova. Like Pavlova.

I'm only joking. Teasing New Zealanders is the national sport of Australia. They're like our little brother that's not as good at cricket. You're naughty. You're naughty. No, one of my best mates is a New Zealander. No, I'm not. I'm Australian. Man, I keep telling you. Well, you're kind of like a New Zealander. You're not good at cricket. I just remember you and I were playing cricket, right? We've played in the nets and we're playing in all sorts of different places. But you played cricket when you were young and I'm a very average cricketer.

But I do love it. And I remember we were playing. We've been doing this for years. He loves it. Look at Tim. Look at Tim. Look at that. He loves it. That's all that matters i have a gold star tim i was i was i've really practiced trying

to do spin bowling or a little bit of bowling and i just remember several years into our friendship of doing this we're in the driveway of your house and we're i'm just just rolling the arm over bowling some balls to you and so forth. And halfway through you go, you're going, this is good. I'm actually having to try. And you said it in such an offhanded casual way. It was a genuine comment. And in the moment I was both complimented, like, oh, I'm doing well. And then I'm like, hang on, we've been doing this for years. And finally today you had to try. I was just saying that to encourage you, really.

Even then. I'll tell you what, Tim, a few more of them and I'm going to take this blindfold off. I appreciate you coming out to play with me as I was. I'm just trying my absolute best with every ball. Like this, maybe it'll spin this time. I always considered playing cricket with you like sort of community service. Well, you take Tim out the front and play a bit of cricket with him. All right.

I'd look forward to it. Like I'd be like, oh, like we'd come in after, you know, having a bit of a hit. And I'd be like, oh, I felt like I really improved today based on, you know, better than last week. For me, it was kind of like walking the dog. I'll take Tim out for some exercise. It's actually listed on your chores, like on the fridge of things you have to do to get pocket money. Take the bins out, pack the dishwasher, play cricket with Tim.

Thanks, everyone, for listening. Thanks, patrons. Thanks, normal listeners, all you civilians out there. Thanks, Kate. Thanks, Kate. We shall return at some time in the future. Sooner rather than later.