1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, Happy Saturday. I got a select for you. 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: This is Chuck here of the Stuff You Should Know 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: podcast introducing Rockettes Colon still kicking after all these years. 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: This one came out January first, twenty nineteen, and it's 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: about the Rocketts, and this is the time of year 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: to talk about the Rockets. I learned a lot about 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: this organization, organization, this dance troup and their storied history, 8 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: and I think you're gonna like it, So give it 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: a listen and please enjoy. 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 2: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 11 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 3: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, There's 12 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 3: Charles W Chuck Bryant, there's Jerry. Happy New Year. 13 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: You are too tall to be a rocket, aren't you? 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 3: Just barely? 15 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: Jerry and I can be rockettes. That's a good than 16 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: you can't. No, it's true, which is a shame because 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: you have the. 18 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 3: I do. Actually, I've got pretty decent legs, you know, 19 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 3: at least my calves are all right. 20 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 2: What no thighs. 21 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 3: They're a little tree trunky for my taste. Oh yeah, yeah, 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 3: I've got a bit of like a fertility idle thing 23 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 3: going on, like up toward the hips and all that. 24 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, well it's because of all those squats. 25 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,279 Speaker 3: I was not expecting to talk about this. 26 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 2: About your gams. Yeah, oh well, I'll talk about my 27 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: legs all day long. 28 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 3: Well, let's hear it. 29 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: They're shapely, Okay, they're they're not. I gain all my 30 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 2: weight between my waist and my chin. Aha, Like I don't. 31 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 2: If you looked at my legs in my arms, you'd 32 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: be like, thin guy weighs one hundred and sixty pounds 33 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: and then the rest of me comes along to bust 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: that myth step aside, still have a nice little fanny, 35 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: sure everybody knows that. Sorry listeners in the UK, Oh yeah, 36 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: that means something different over there, does It's just so 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: dainty and nice that a little little five year old kids. 38 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 3: Can say fanny in the United States. 39 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:09,839 Speaker 2: That's right. 40 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 3: It's just the Brits who are sick ghos. 41 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 2: But this isn't about our gambs. This is about a 42 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: dance troupe, A legendary dance troupe. 43 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, about as legendary as a dance troup can possibly be. 44 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 3: Are the Rockets? 45 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: I think so. 46 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 3: I just said that sentence like Yoda, can you do 47 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 3: the voice no, no, no, not even going to try. 48 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: But this totally surprised me digging into the research on 49 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: this to learn that the legendary Rockets of New York 50 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 2: City and Radio City Music Hall are not from New 51 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: York City. 52 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: No, they're not. Where are they from? Chuck? 53 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: Did you know this? 54 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 3: I had no idea. 55 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 2: Now, yeah, so shout out to Saint Louis. 56 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. They were founded in the nineteen twenties, nineteen twenty 57 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 3: five to be exacted in Saint Louis, Missouri as the Rockets, 58 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 3: the Saint Louis Rockets, which I think they were trying 59 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 3: to be a basketball team. 60 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 2: Maybe Saint Louis Rockets. 61 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 3: Sure. 62 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. There was a choreographer named Russell Markert, which is 63 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: I kept wanting to say market but that is an 64 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: r yep. And he founded them, like you said, in 65 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty five, and he was he was inspired by 66 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: a British dance troupe named the Tiller Girls, which was 67 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 2: founded in the eighteen ninety four by John Tiller, and 68 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: it was kind of a similar idea. He saw these 69 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: Tiller Girls and he was like, I want a high kicking, glamorous, 70 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: theatrical dance troupe of my own. Yeah, so I'm gonna 71 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 2: rip it off. 72 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 3: He did, actually, so. John Tillers is widely acknowledged as 73 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 3: the creator of what's called precision dance, which is where 74 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 3: you have a bunch of dancers who were really highly trained, 75 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 3: really athletic, and really precise in their movements that can 76 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 3: move in such unison. Yeah, that you take a number, 77 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 3: like a number of different dancers and they basically become 78 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 3: one thing that can do things that an individual dancer 79 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 3: can't do. That's precision dance technique. And John Tiller literally 80 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 3: invented it with I think four ten year old girls 81 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 3: in the eighteen nineties, and he came up with some 82 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: further refinements to it, like when you put your hand 83 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 3: around the waists of the people on either side of you, 84 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 3: it kind of lends to the unity of the whole thing. 85 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 3: And Russell Maker Markert saw this and was like, this 86 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 3: is amazing. If I can get some American girls with 87 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 3: longer legs to kick higher, it'll knock everybody's socks off. 88 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 3: That's a quote, by the way. 89 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and there's a there's something too that that synchronicity 90 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: of for me for movement and sound that just knocks 91 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 2: me out every time when I go and see a choir, 92 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: what's like one hundred people singing together and high kicking. 93 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: Or a symphony, just the not only the sound, but 94 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: the movement when you watch a symphony, that's a big 95 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: part of it for me. Forget a choral symphony. Like 96 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 2: I'm on the floor weeping if you take me to 97 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: a choral symphony. But there's something about that precision of 98 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 2: all these people together. It's just really like, I don't 99 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 2: know what it is about it. I mean, it's a 100 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: collective voice or collective movement, but it's that precision that 101 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: really just gets me every time for sure. 102 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: Well that's what the Rockets are known for. It's their 103 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: trade is precision dance. They're as good as it gets 104 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 3: with it. Although the Tailor girls are definitely still around. 105 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 3: They still have Christmas specials themselves and they're doing their 106 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 3: thing for sure. So it's it's not just an offhand 107 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 3: thing to say the Rockets are as good as it comes, 108 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 3: as good as they come in precision dance, because the 109 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 3: Tiller girls would probably say I would dispute that statement, but. 110 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 2: They would say it with a British accent. 111 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 3: Right, I dispute that statement. 112 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: So they were not as tall. Back then, the original 113 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 2: height requirements were between five to two and five six 114 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 2: and a half. And now they went, we'll take your 115 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 2: tallest dancer and make them our shortest dancer, because I 116 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: guess it's just I don't know. I'm not sure why 117 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 2: they did that. But now it's between five six and 118 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: five ten and a half. And it is not because 119 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: they want to exclude people or any or discriminate against 120 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 2: people who are too tall or they feel too short, 121 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 2: but so they can just all look it's an optical illusion, 122 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: so they can all look the same height because they 123 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 2: take that five foot ten and a half inch dancer, 124 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 2: although they don't have to be that tall, but they 125 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 2: take whoever their tallest. Answer is put her right in 126 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 2: the middle and then just stagger it out from there 127 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: and in the end everyone looks. It's weird. Everyone looks 128 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: to be the same height even though they're not. 129 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 3: I don't understand how this works. It's just I saw 130 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 3: so many different places that I'm convinced that it does work. 131 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 3: I just don't get the illusion of it. How it works. 132 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 2: Well, I think over four inches and thirty six women, 133 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 2: it's just so minute of differences as you scale down 134 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: that it would take I guess an extraordinary human to 135 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 2: be like that woman is an inch and a half 136 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 2: taller than the one five people away from her, right, 137 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 2: you know. 138 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 3: I got you. Yeah, I guess that's true. 139 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 2: So you're just a normal person, is what I'm saying. Yeah, 140 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: you should feel good about that. I fall for that 141 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 2: optical illusion every time. Yeah, everybody should. So they started 142 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 2: with the Missouri Rockets with just sixteen women, and like 143 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 2: I said, now they have thirty six. And they debuted 144 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: in Saint Louis, but then went to New York to 145 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 2: perform Rain or Shine on Broadway. And that is where 146 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 2: a man named sl Roxy that was his nickname, Rothefel, 147 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: which is an interesting name. That's where he saw them 148 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 2: and said, hey, I gotta get in on this. This 149 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 2: is amazing. 150 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. So Russell Mamarkert took the idea from John Tiller, 151 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 3: and Roxy Rothafel said, Hey, I want in on this. 152 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 3: Cham So I'm going to grab a few of these 153 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 3: dancers from Saint Louis and bring them over to New 154 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 3: York City and we're going to have him start dancing there. Okay, 155 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 3: And I know, just the place for him. There's this 156 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 3: new venue that's opening up in nineteen thirty two, and 157 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 3: they're going to call it the Radio City Music Hall, 158 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 3: and I'm going to make sure that these dancers are 159 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 3: a to perform and we're going to call them the Roxyets. 160 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 3: How about that? 161 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 2: Huh huh because of his nickname. 162 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 3: Right, And Markert said, that's fine, just make sure you 163 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 3: pay me some money for it. 164 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: Sure, And he did get paid and got paid until 165 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy one. It's hard to believe, but he worked 166 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: for the Rockets or with the Rockets from nineteen thirty 167 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 2: two to or I guess even previous in Saint Louis. 168 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, nineteen twenty five, all the way. 169 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 2: Until nineteen seventy one. 170 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 3: Yep. 171 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 2: Really amazing. 172 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is pretty amazing. That's a pretty long career. 173 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 3: So they opened Radio City Music Hall. I think they 174 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 3: were part of a seventeen group act and that was 175 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 3: like such a hot ticket, something like one hundred thousand 176 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 3: people wanted in. But it's a sixty two hundred seat theater, 177 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 3: which I think it still remains the nation's largest indoor venue, 178 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 3: which is really saying something because I guess it'd just 179 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 3: be a like a theatrical venue, because obviously. 180 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 2: The largest indoor venue sports venues. 181 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 3: Have it beat by quite a bit. 182 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 2: But oh, theatrical, Okay, I got you. 183 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 3: It has to be. Yeah, it's either movie or theatrical 184 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 3: or something. But it's the largest venue of its kind 185 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 3: in the United States from what I see. 186 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and for many years they I mean they had 187 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 2: specials every now and then, but it was sort of 188 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 2: just a movie theater. 189 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, and here's the thing, you could go see the movies. 190 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 3: I think especially it started to take off in the fifties. 191 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 3: Like before, they would have premieres for movies and the 192 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 3: Rockets would like perform at the premiere. And then at 193 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 3: some point, I don't know if it was Russell Markert 194 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 3: or Roxy Rothafeller or somebody said, well, why just do 195 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 3: this once. How about every time somebody comes to see 196 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 3: a movie at the Radio City Music Hall, We'll have 197 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 3: the Rockets perform before the movie. 198 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 2: Can you imagine that? 199 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 3: It would be pretty cool? I mean, like imagine seeing 200 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 3: that and then being like, okay, now for the movie. 201 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 3: It's just it'd be a different experience for sure. Yeah, 202 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 3: But it was rough on the Rockets because not all 203 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 3: the movies were successes, so they would change the rockets 204 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 3: show for each movie. So if a movie came along 205 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 3: and it was just a terrible flop, this whole choreographed 206 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 3: routine that they'd learned would be out the door in 207 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 3: two days, and now all of a sudden they had 208 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 3: to learn a new one quick because there was a 209 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 3: new movie coming in to replace that one. 210 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 2: Oh, so they did a different routine for each film. 211 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 3: Yes, interesting, Yeah, And sometimes they would have to learn 212 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 3: it in a matter of hours, like around midnight before 213 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 3: the next day's performances. 214 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 2: I wonder if it was tied to the film. 215 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 3: Sometimes, I think, but not all the time. I think 216 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 3: it was. I think it was in some cases, but 217 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 3: I think more than anything, they would change the routine 218 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 3: just because the people coming to see a different film 219 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 3: would want to see a different routine. 220 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 2: Okay, I gotcha, Yeah, that makes sense. 221 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 222 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 2: So in the nineteen forties they were one of the 223 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 2: first groups to sign up for the United Service Organization 224 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: and go and perform for the troops. And in the 225 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 2: nineteen fifties is when things really started to kind of 226 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: take their toll. Like they were performing sometimes up to 227 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 2: five times a day, and so they said they built 228 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 2: a dormitory there, which you know, they could live in. 229 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 2: I don't think they were required to, but it really 230 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 2: was to accommodate the fact that they were working almost 231 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 2: around the clock rather because learning these new routines, like 232 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 2: you said, and then performing up the five times a 233 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 2: day really grueling stuff. 234 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 3: It was basically the prototype for Google. Yeah, just making 235 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 3: it so your employees didn't have to leave. 236 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: Oh interesting, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, just go 237 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 2: sleep in your pod. 238 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 3: So the Rockets their fame started to grow pretty quickly, 239 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,719 Speaker 3: and they made like a few steps I feel free 240 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 3: of the pun along the way that kind of cemented 241 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 3: them as as much a piece of America as apple 242 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 3: pie or baseball or moms or what have you. So 243 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 3: the fifties were also big for the Rockets too, because 244 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: they joined the Macy's Thanksgiving they prayed in nineteen fifty seven. 245 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 2: I think, yeah, that was the big move. 246 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, because they went from just a group that you 247 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 3: either had to go to New York or go off 248 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 3: to war to see to. While they're in my living 249 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 3: room now, these girls are high kicking on my television 250 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 3: and I'm just loving life, all right. 251 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 2: So let's take a break to nineteen fifties. Good times 252 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 2: are ahead, and then dark times come in the seventies 253 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 2: because it's New York City in the seventies and everything 254 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 2: was kind of awful then. So we'll be back right 255 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 2: after this. 256 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 3: Okay, Hey, before we get started to check, I want 257 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 3: to say we put on a pretty good stage show ourselves. 258 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 3: We've been known to and we've got some coming up, 259 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 3: you know, plug plug. 260 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no high kicking involved. 261 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 3: There could be if people demanded it. I would be 262 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 3: willing to do a little high kicking. 263 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 2: So are we talking about some shows. 264 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, let's do that real quick, all right. 265 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 2: So we're going out west for our annual sojourn in 266 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 2: January where we go to Seattle, we go to Portland, 267 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 2: and then we end up at SF sketch Fest like 268 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 2: we always do in mid January. 269 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I've got an End of the World live 270 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 3: show on Friday sketch Fest, and you have a movie 271 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 3: Crush on Saturday at sketch Fest, right. 272 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm doing a matinee show at one o'clock on Saturday, 273 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 2: January nineteenth, with Busy Phillips as my guest. 274 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 3: Nice, and my show is Friday the eighteenth, at Cafe 275 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 3: Do Nord and I am my own guest, fine solo. 276 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 3: And then I have another one in Brooklyn on the 277 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 3: twenty fourth at the Bellhouse too. 278 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 2: Oh I thought you already did that one now huh. 279 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 3: It got postponed to January twenty fourth. Oh great, yes, 280 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 3: so you haven't missed it. There's still time for you 281 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 3: to come. 282 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: Fantastic. 283 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 3: So that is our little plug, how about that? 284 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? And of course our big stuff you should know 285 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 2: show is at the Castro on what is that Thursday night? 286 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 3: That is Thursday the seventeenth. 287 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so come see us at the More in Seattle, 288 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 2: Revolution Hall in Portland, at the Castro in San Francisco. Yeah, 289 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 2: check out. Our individual little shows are cute little individual shows. 290 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 3: And there's plenty of information on SYSK live. 291 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 2: That's right. So now it's the seventies. New York is 292 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 2: uh is suffering? Yehih is crazy. When you look at 293 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 2: pictures of New York City in the seventies and early eighties, 294 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 2: even just hard to believe how bad things were there. 295 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was pretty rough. And actually it's funny, like 296 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 3: you can thank Rudolph Giuliani for I guess cleaning up 297 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 3: the town. If you want to call it that. 298 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 2: Okay, have you ever heard that? What to thank Rudolph 299 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 2: Giuliani for cleaning up the town? 300 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 3: Uh? Huh uh sure, okay. 301 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 2: Good for him. So I saw him in the park 302 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 2: one day. 303 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 3: You did, what was he doing talking to a duck? 304 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 2: No, he was. He was doing like a photo op. 305 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 2: But I had friends in from uh from another country even, 306 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 2: I think, and I said, hey, guys, that's the Mayor 307 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 2: of New York over there, and they were like, oh, 308 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 2: that's nice. I went, it's kind of a big deal 309 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 2: to just walk around and see the Mayor of. 310 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 3: New York did they say, but they have a chalk. 311 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: I think they're Australian. 312 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 3: Actually, oh that was my Australian impression. 313 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 2: Oh that was good. 314 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 3: Then, yeah, thank you, that's pretty that's a great story, Chuck. 315 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's fine. But for them, they didn't understand fully 316 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 2: that the mayor of New York City is is it's 317 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 2: quite a big deal to see him just out and 318 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: about in the city. 319 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 3: I have a similar story. I was watching one of 320 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 3: the first few seasons of Law and Order on my 321 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,199 Speaker 3: television one day, and there was the Mayor of New 322 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 3: York City, ruly Rudy Giuliani. Interesting, but I knew it 323 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 3: was a big, a big deal. 324 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 2: I got another story. Okay, did you know in the 325 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 2: Michael Bay film Pearl Harbor that they comped in Bruce 326 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 2: Willis's John McClain character from Diehard in one hospital scene. 327 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 3: How just digitally? That's an anachronism. I know that doesn't 328 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 3: make any sense. Did they really do that? 329 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, you can look it up Pearl Harbor John McLain 330 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 2: And there's like screenshots of John McLain and his white 331 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 2: tank top just briefly for a blip in the background 332 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 2: of one of the hospital scenes in Pearl Harbor. It's 333 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 2: so weird. 334 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 3: So you know, there's a nude woman in the window 335 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 3: of one of the buildings that the rescuers fly by. 336 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 3: Really the Disney movie from the sixties. 337 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, all these weird movie easter eggs just board editors. 338 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 3: I guess that's exactly what it hits because we're juvenile. 339 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 2: Editors, all right. So it's the nineteen seventies in New York. 340 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 2: None of this has happened yet that we're talking about. 341 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 3: The rescuers did. 342 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 2: The rescuers did, but there was no Diehard, there was 343 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 2: no Pearl Harbor. Movie except for Tora Toro, Torah, But 344 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: no bad Pearl Harbor movie. Okay, No Rudy Giuliani. He 345 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 2: was alive, sure, but he was not in the mayor 346 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 2: of New York City in the nineteen seventies. 347 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 3: Not as far as we know. Who was at that 348 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 3: was Ed Koch, he was the eighties, I think was 349 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 3: he maybe late seventies. 350 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 2: All right, we'll get that straightened out. Okay, But New 351 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: York City is going down the toilet, including, believe it 352 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 2: or not, the Great Radio City Music Hall, much like 353 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 2: our own legendary Fox Theater in Atlanta, was facing shut 354 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 2: down and demolition potentially. 355 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, there was a rough transition from some of those 356 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 3: old movie palaces after people stopped well going to movie 357 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 3: palaces and moved out to the suburbs. A lot of 358 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 3: those beautiful places were left out in the cold, and 359 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 3: some of them didn't well, a lot of them didn't 360 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,479 Speaker 3: make it, but some of them almost didn't make it. 361 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 3: Like you said, the Fox and Radio City, and apparently 362 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 3: it was going to be turned into a parking lot. 363 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 3: And Belushi himself got onto the news desk at Saturday 364 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 3: Night Live and was railing against the demise of radio 365 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 3: City Music Hall, and the Roquettes too had said hey, hey, hey, hey, 366 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 3: this is our home. This is an iconic place. Let 367 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 3: us help go raise awareness and funds to save this place. 368 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: And they did. They were successful. They got it put 369 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 3: on the National Historic Register of Historic Places and it 370 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 3: has a landmark designation, not just the building. There's twelve 371 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 3: hundred buildings in New York with the landmark designation, but 372 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 3: only one hundred and ten interiors have the landmark designation, 373 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:15,640 Speaker 3: and Radio City Music Hall is one of them, which 374 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 3: means that its interior is so amazingly beautiful that it 375 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 3: is a protected landmark in the United States. 376 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've never been in there. 377 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 3: I haven't either. 378 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 2: I've been to Carnegie Hall, but never Radio City. That's 379 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 2: on the list for sure. But it's interesting because they 380 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 2: tried to Their whole deal was is they wanted exclusive 381 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 2: movie bookings, like they were to be the only theater 382 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 2: in town that would be showing a particular movie, so 383 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:48,919 Speaker 2: that limits their pool immediately, and then they really preferred 384 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 2: g rated movies. They had really strict screening criteria, so 385 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 2: that just it narrowed down their movie pool so small 386 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 2: that they would go weeks and weeks at a time 387 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 2: where nothing happened there. 388 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, so they would just shut down because again, remember 389 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 3: like the Rockets are a dance troupe that you would 390 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 3: see before you saw a movie. So if they're not 391 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 3: showing movies, they're not showing the Rockets. And at this 392 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 3: time in the seventies, the Rockets said, Okay, we're our 393 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 3: talent is being wasted here. At least let us go 394 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 3: take the show on the road while you guys are 395 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 3: sitting around waiting for another movie to come along. And 396 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 3: they actually they gained that right because their union dancers. 397 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 3: We should say, we'll get into that a little more later, 398 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 3: but they managed to get the right to take the 399 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 3: show on the road and they really started to make 400 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 3: a name for themselves in the seventies in places like 401 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 3: Tahoe and Vegas. Apparently made a huge fan out of 402 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 3: Sammy Davis Junior, who would come see the same show 403 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 3: like night after night when they play in Vegas or 404 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 3: Tahoe or whatever. He was just fascinated by the Rockets. 405 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 2: I love that for sure, Little Sammy, what a great guy. 406 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 2: We should do a show on him. 407 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 3: Apparently he also, oh yeah, I'm down with that. He 408 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 3: also surprised them on stage once by joe them on 409 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 3: stage for a dance number, which apparently he knew because 410 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 3: he'd seen the show so many times. Wow, Which that's 411 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 3: a pretty sammy thing to do in Las Vegas. 412 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 2: High kicking, Well, his his kicks weren't so high. 413 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 3: Run out on stage, unbidden, uninvited. 414 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 2: He's a little guy, he was. He's the littlest rocket. 415 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 2: I imagine Wow that he was too. So they're doing 416 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 2: their show on the road here and there, they're making 417 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 2: ends meet. Radio City is struggling, even though it was 418 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: designated as a landmark. The eighties were not super kind 419 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 2: to Radio City either. They very famously appeared at the 420 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 2: halftime show of the Super Bowl in eighty eight. They're 421 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 2: trying to change with the times. They're dancing it in 422 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,199 Speaker 2: the nineties at different places, and they're always doing their 423 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 2: Christmas deal throughout all this after you know, they started 424 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 2: doing that. And what was that fifty seven two? Oh 425 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 2: they did the Macy's Prayed in thirty two. 426 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 3: Oh no, I'm sorry, I thought you meant the Christmas Spectacular. Yeah, 427 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 3: Macy's Prayed was the Thanksgiving Parade was fifty seven. 428 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, So they've got their their holiday stuff, their Easter specials, 429 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 2: their Christmas specials. They're dancing inaugurations for George W. Bush. 430 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 2: In fact, they came under fire for dancing at Trump's inauguration. 431 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 3: Well, the dance troupe almost was split asunder over whether 432 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 3: they wanted to do that or not. 433 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a big deal. 434 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 3: It was a huge deal actually, And they had revived 435 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 3: the Easter Extravaganza they renamed it the New York Spring 436 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 3: Spectacular the year before, and they said they took a 437 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 3: year off and I don't think they ever went back 438 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 3: to it because of all the controversy over twenty sixteen. 439 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 3: In the inauguration, it was just such an unusual experience 440 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 3: for the Rockets, like they're just like America personified, and 441 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 3: for there to be a huge national conversation about, you know, 442 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 3: them performing at an inauguration. It was a big deal 443 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: for the organization for sure, especially for the dancers who 444 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 3: are like career rockets. 445 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, should we talk a little bit about just 446 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:03,639 Speaker 2: being a rocket? 447 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 3: I think we should, man, because we've done it. We have. 448 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 3: I mean there was a brief time although we've basically 449 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 3: entered Dinah Lohan territory now who's that Lindsay Lohan's mom. 450 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 3: She very famously lied about being a rock cat. Oh 451 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 3: really Yeah, she said that she has a background in 452 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 3: show business. She was a rocket for a while, and 453 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 3: some journalists went and dug around and they found out 454 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 3: that she was definitely They had no record whatsoever of 455 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 3: her under any name, maiden or married, ever being a 456 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 3: rock cat. 457 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 2: It's always amazing to me when very provable or disprovable 458 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 2: public lies are told by people like that, or like 459 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: politicians who say that, you know, like they've fought in 460 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 2: a war when they didn't, like that's happened. Yeah, It's 461 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 2: just I don't know why people say things like that. 462 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 2: It's like, no, we kind of can go check that 463 00:24:59,240 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 2: really easily. 464 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, but even without like you know, the check ability 465 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 3: of it, to just like, you know, lie in an 466 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:11,159 Speaker 3: interview to puff yourself up, I guess it's yeah, Like 467 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 3: I don't understand the psychology of it. Is it just 468 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 3: because you don't feel like you're given the interviewer enough 469 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 3: of what they need or do they did they lay 470 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 3: some sort of trick that led you into it, or 471 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 3: I don't understand it either. 472 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. I wonder if people start to believe these lies. 473 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 2: Like if you make up a story about yourself and 474 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 2: you just stick with it for so long, it's weird. 475 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 3: Psychology, Yes, human psychology is indeed quite weird. 476 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 2: Did you have a web show called Psychology is Weird? 477 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:40,439 Speaker 3: Nuts? 478 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 2: Psychology is nuts? 479 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 3: Well, little short lived video thing. 480 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, go check that out. Everyone. Oh, we'll take a break. 481 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 3: Stop I am, We're back. 482 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 2: Yes, So we were gonna tell everyone about our experience 483 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 2: as rockets because we're Dinah Lohan. 484 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 3: So here's the thing. If you're a rocket and you've 485 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 3: been doing this for ten years, you're a pretty long 486 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 3: lived rocket. Although I think I saw one woman who 487 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 3: is a rocket, And if I'm talking weird all of 488 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 3: a sudden, it's because I am stalling everybody looking for 489 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 3: her name and I'm not finding it. But I think 490 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 3: it's Lindsay Howe. I'm just positive her name's Lindsay Howe. 491 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 3: I believe she has been a rocket for fourteen years. 492 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 3: That's a long time. That's a very long time to 493 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 3: be a rocket because, as you will see learn, being 494 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 3: a roquette is extremely difficult and very demanding, and inside 495 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 3: of show business and out they're widely seen as probably 496 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,719 Speaker 3: some of the best professional dancers in the business and 497 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 3: certainly some of the most disciplined professional dancers in the 498 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 3: business as well. But it's really hard to do for 499 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 3: a really long time. And one of the main reasons 500 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 3: why is because their work schedule is extremely grueling. But 501 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 3: with Lindsey Howe, she would make the same amount of 502 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 3: money that a first year roquette would make because they're 503 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 3: all paid the same, they work the same hours, they 504 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 3: do the same work. Some of them are kind of 505 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 3: promoted as like the faces of the Rockets the company. 506 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 3: I think the Madison Square Garden company that owns Radio 507 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 3: City Music Hall, and the Roquettes are really protective of 508 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 3: their image and like they aren't free to just kind 509 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 3: of talk to the media whatever. There's some that are 510 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,640 Speaker 3: kind of like you and you and you you're the Rockets, 511 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 3: hear the face of the Rockets. But other than that, 512 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 3: everyone does the same amount of work, same amount of hours, 513 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 3: same amount of pay. And one of the reasons they 514 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 3: do that is because the point of the Rockets is 515 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 3: not to have standouts. It's not like other dance troops 516 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 3: or other Broadway troops or anything like that. There's not 517 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 3: meant to be stars. The rockets are the star and 518 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 3: they're meant to be one single unit that moves and 519 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 3: works and lives together. 520 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they're they're unionized, so they make there. They 521 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 2: make most of their money over the holiday season. So 522 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 2: they walk out after a couple of months with about 523 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 2: forty grand in their pocket, which isn't bad, you know, 524 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 2: for a couple of months work. But it is, like 525 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 2: you said, super grueling. If you want to become a rocket, 526 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 2: you're not required to, but there is something called the 527 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 2: Rocket Summer Intensive Dance Program where you can go, you 528 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 2: can enroll, you can spend six hours a day learning, 529 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 2: learning everything over the course of a week, all the choreography, 530 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 2: how to get in that shape, stay in that shape, 531 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 2: how to prevent injuries, and sort of the business of 532 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 2: it all. And like I said, you don't have to 533 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 2: do that, but they do place a lot of Rockets 534 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 2: if you attend that intensive dance program. 535 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 3: Well some I saw out of a thousand that have 536 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 3: taken it, sixty have gone on to actually become rockets. Yeah, 537 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 3: because it's very tough to become a rocket too. 538 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean I get the feeling that has 539 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 2: less to do with the program than just how hard 540 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 2: it is to make that cut. 541 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 3: Right right exactly. 542 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: So not only do you have to be fit enough 543 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 2: to kick those famous kicks up to twelve hundred times 544 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 2: a day through all these shows, but there's one there's 545 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 2: one clothing change. You got to do all these costume changes, 546 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 2: but there's one in particular in between the Parade of 547 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 2: the Wooden Soldiers in New York at Christmas that you 548 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 2: have to be complete changed out in seventy eight seconds. 549 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 3: Seventy eight seconds, And these costumes are not like super 550 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 3: easy to take off, the Wooden Soldier one in particular 551 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 3: pretty complex, So seventy eight seconds probably goes by extremely fast. 552 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and there's thirty six rockettes total performing on stage, 553 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 2: but there are eighty certified roquettes total. Overall. You have 554 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 2: a morning cast and afternoon cast, and then you have 555 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 2: for each of those shows, you have four swings or 556 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 2: extras per so like if someone's like I just twisted 557 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 2: my ankle, I can't do this, they have four women 558 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 2: waiting in the wings for each of those morning and 559 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:43,479 Speaker 2: afternoon shows. 560 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. So the thing is, though, is they're working six 561 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 3: days a week, or the rockettes are performing six days 562 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 3: a week. If you have two casts rather than all 563 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 3: work both casts six days a week. They'll alternate to 564 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 3: give one another a day off, and they'll do that 565 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 3: on days sometimes where there's four performances in a day, 566 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 3: which means that if you are a rocket, there are 567 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 3: days and I've seen also sometimes they're back to back 568 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 3: days where you're doing four performances in a single day, 569 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 3: four ninety minute performances. And that's when those twelve hundred 570 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 3: kicks that you mentioned, Chuck comes in, because some of 571 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 3: those shows have three hundred high kicks, and we're talking 572 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,719 Speaker 3: eye level kicks, and if you do four of them 573 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 3: in a day, you've just kicked at eye level twelve 574 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 3: hundred times in a day. And from some of the 575 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,719 Speaker 3: articles I've read, that is about as much as your 576 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 3: body can possibly take. 577 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they all in the interviews I saw. 578 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 2: There was that great New York Times article where they 579 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 2: really sort of dive into a day in the life 580 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 2: of a rocket during the holiday season, and they all 581 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 2: kind of are like, there's no way to prepare your 582 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 2: body for this, Like we are in the best shape 583 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 2: that a dancer can be in, and it just destroys 584 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 2: us to the point where, like one of said that 585 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 2: just taking their stockings off at the end of the 586 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 2: night is laborious, and you know, with their commute, depending 587 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 2: on where they come from, some of them are awake 588 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 2: and either commuting or rehearsing or performing twenty hours in 589 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 2: a day, just grueling, grueling stuff. But across the board, 590 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 2: they also all say that it's the only job that 591 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 2: they want. It is a great sorority and sisterhood and 592 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 2: an honor to be one of these. Over the years, 593 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 2: three thousand women who have made that cut, right, you know, 594 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 2: never we're like, well, it's really not worth it in 595 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: the end. 596 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, the I mean, at least the ones who 597 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 3: are allowed to speak to the media certainly have a 598 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 3: lot of positive things to say about being a Rocket 599 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 3: and like how familial it is and how you're just 600 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 3: hanging out with your best friends. And it is a 601 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,239 Speaker 3: great gig for a dancer, especially as one of these 602 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 3: articles pointed out, if you're a dancer who doesn't sing. 603 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a rare thing to get that kind of 604 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 2: a gig. I think it's one of the few for 605 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 2: jazz and tap banters where singing's not involved. 606 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 3: But also not just like a good gig, a good 607 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 3: paying gig too, like forty grand for a couple of 608 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 3: months of performances. A lot of the Roquets they don't 609 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 3: live in New York. They'll come live in New York 610 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 3: during the season when they need to rehearse and then 611 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 3: do the Christmas spectacular, and then they go home, so 612 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 3: they might live in New York from September to the 613 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 3: end of December, and then they go back home. And 614 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 3: wherever home is, forty grand probably goes a lot further 615 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 3: than it does in New York, unless they live in 616 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 3: San Francisco, in which case it is probably it goes 617 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 3: even faster. But it's a really good paying gig. They 618 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 3: also have benefits because their union and their contract workers, 619 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 3: they have year round benefits and forty gran so they 620 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 3: can go work as pilates, instructors, as nutritionists, as all 621 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 3: the other stuff that they do during the year normally, 622 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 3: and then they come back and they they're a rocket. 623 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 3: But something I thought was pretty cool was even if 624 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 3: you're say a tenth year rocket, you get invited back, 625 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 3: like once you're a roquette, you're in as a roquette, 626 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 3: but you still have to audition in April like everybody else. Yeah, 627 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 3: so you audition in April and if you make the cut, 628 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 3: you start to go get in shape, and then rehearsals 629 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 3: I think start in September, and rehearsals are six hours, 630 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 3: six days a week for basically the six weeks leading 631 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 3: up to the performances, which run from mid November till 632 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,720 Speaker 3: I saw December thirty first. I also saw tickets available 633 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 3: for a January first show, so I don't know if 634 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 3: they extended it or not. 635 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's it's funny like it's forty grand sounds 636 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:43,760 Speaker 2: like a lot of money over a couple of months, 637 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 2: and it is. But when you break it down per show, 638 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 2: it it breaks down to about one hundred and thirty 639 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 2: five bucks a show. Yeah, which all of a sudden, 640 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 2: it doesn't seem like great money. 641 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 3: No, but that's what you make as a standard cast 642 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 3: member for a Broadway Union day answer, yeah, or actor 643 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 3: or variety performer I think is the union they're part of. 644 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 3: So no, it doesn't seem like much. But that's another 645 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 3: reason why the Roquet gig is so good. You get 646 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 3: overtime on those days when you do a third and 647 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:17,840 Speaker 3: fourth show, you're getting overtime pay, and there's multiple shows 648 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:23,400 Speaker 3: on multiple days, so you can I mean another actor 649 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 3: at a different gig, working the same days over the 650 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 3: same period would not make that amount of money, that 651 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,720 Speaker 3: forty grand, because they wouldn't have any overtime, they wouldn't 652 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 3: have that many shows. 653 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't think anyone like dreams of going 654 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 2: to Broadway to become rich and wealthy, like part of 655 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,760 Speaker 2: the allure Broadway as you're with the best of the best. 656 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 2: And you can say I danced, or I saying or 657 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 2: I acted. 658 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 3: On Broadway with Brian Cranston. 659 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 2: I saw him on Broadway. 660 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. I saw Michael McKeon on Broadway. Oh yeah, an accomplice. 661 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 3: The audience was the accomplice. That was the big twist. 662 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,399 Speaker 2: Oh well, you just ruined that one. 663 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 3: Wasn't good? It was great. It was one of the 664 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 3: greatest stage performances I've ever seen. I saw Lenny live 665 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 3: on stage. 666 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 2: Derek Saint Hubbins. 667 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is before I knew him as anything but Lenny. 668 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 3: I was like eight. 669 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 2: Oh, so this is a while ago. Cranston is in 670 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 2: something new on Broadway now, I think too. The network, right, 671 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:28,879 Speaker 2: Oh man, I want to see that. Sure, I bet 672 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:29,399 Speaker 2: that's good. 673 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,879 Speaker 3: I saw that it was described as get this, Chuck, 674 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 3: get ready for this? Oh boy, electrifying. 675 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 2: Really, the Broadway show described as electrifying. 676 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 3: His performance was electrifying. 677 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 2: I don't think I've ever heard that word used for 678 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 2: the theater. So another thing though about the Rockets. Even 679 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 2: though they do make most of their money over those 680 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 2: couple of months and then they have the rest of 681 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 2: the year or two and in a lot of cases 682 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 2: be like a dance instructor or something like that, or 683 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:03,480 Speaker 2: a fitness instructor, they increasingly are working more and more 684 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 2: and more months out of the year, whether it's as 685 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 2: ambassadors for the Rockets or doing like video things for YouTube. 686 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 2: They are increasingly called on to do other things. 687 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, a lot. So I what is the woman who 688 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,919 Speaker 3: came along as the league choreographer and director and really 689 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 3: kind of punched it up even further. Her name is 690 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 3: Linda Haberman, and she took over I think in like 691 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 3: the mid two thousands, maybe two thousand and eight, and 692 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 3: she kind of brought like this whole new not new, 693 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,279 Speaker 3: it's not a whole new thing. She just kind of 694 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:43,320 Speaker 3: she made it a little more pro feminist, a little 695 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 3: more like you go girl kind of vibe to the 696 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 3: Rockets than they had before they were seen, you know, 697 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 3: rehearsing in the rehearsal gear rather than like full costume, 698 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,239 Speaker 3: and it was just kind of like the intent I 699 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 3: get was to make them more people. Yes, yes, because 700 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 3: one of the great criticisms of the Rockets is that 701 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 3: they're nothing but like teeth and legs, just a bunch 702 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,280 Speaker 3: of women, yeah, out there kicking, like forming one large 703 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 3: uber woman who can kick her legs amazingly high and 704 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 3: has like the whitest, gleamingest teeth ever you've ever seen, 705 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 3: and that it was really kind of just objectification of 706 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:30,400 Speaker 3: women like to like by definition. And Linda Hammerman like 707 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 3: really kind of took that and tried to unravel it 708 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 3: quite a bit, and she also took the show. So 709 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 3: we should talk a little bit about the show. It's 710 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 3: a depending on who you are, it's either like just 711 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 3: beloved traditional Americana, KITCHI offensively sexists. Who knows, but I 712 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,959 Speaker 3: think the first two are kind of the predominant views 713 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 3: of it. It's kitchen and sweet, or it's it's you know, 714 00:38:56,640 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 3: endearing Americana, and Linda Haman kind of took that and 715 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 3: tried to punch it up into the twenty first century 716 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 3: a little more, and there's like way more visual effects 717 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 3: than there were before. There's like a three D component. 718 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,320 Speaker 3: I think to this year's show or recent year shows 719 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:15,560 Speaker 3: like the Whole The whole theme is like a girl 720 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 3: wants a video game and her mom is kind of 721 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 3: showing her. You know why, that's not so great because 722 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 3: it's a violent video game. There's there's a lot of 723 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 3: kind of updating that's that the Rockets have undergone in 724 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 3: the last few years. And that was largely from what 725 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 3: I understand Linda Haberman's doing. 726 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 2: I think she was the one that digitally inserted John 727 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 2: McLean from Diehard. 728 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 3: She was he swoops in in the New York Follies section. 729 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: Now, I'm glad they updated things because this was a 730 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 2: prime case of like a belooved American tradition that could 731 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 2: use some refreshing. And you can't highlight them as humans 732 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 2: and individuals and still you can have both, you know, 733 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:58,919 Speaker 2: and you can still have that desired effect of uniformity 734 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 2: and precision that they're known for, you know, right exactly, 735 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,240 Speaker 2: But they don't have to be just like faceless and nameless, 736 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 2: you know. 737 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 3: Now, And I read a few like feminist critiques of 738 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:13,839 Speaker 3: the Rockets, and they seem to have been kind of outdated. 739 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 3: Like I really feel like Linda Haberman she did a 740 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,439 Speaker 3: good job at like Tate. Yeah, she kind of took 741 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:23,240 Speaker 3: those those critiques and changed them in a lot of ways. 742 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:23,800 Speaker 2: That's great. 743 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,360 Speaker 3: One of the other criticisms is that it wasn't until 744 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,720 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty five that the Rockets are their first woman 745 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,720 Speaker 3: of color as a member of their cast, of their troop. 746 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. 747 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 3: The first woman of color was a Japanese woman named 748 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:42,920 Speaker 3: Setsuko Mara Hashi, and in nineteen eighty five she joined. 749 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,839 Speaker 3: In nineteen eighty eight, the first African American woman joined. 750 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 3: Her name was Jennifer Jones. And the reasoning, apparently it 751 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:55,960 Speaker 3: was Mark Markert who was like, no, from all I saw, 752 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 3: it had nothing to do with racism. It was the 753 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 3: idea that it was going to disrupt the visual unity 754 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 3: of the dance line if there were, you know, differing 755 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 3: skin colors in this dance line. And apparently he was 756 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:14,280 Speaker 3: so nutso about it, like you would get in trouble 757 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 3: if you had a son tan like that. That's how 758 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 3: he wanted everything to be homogenous in Unison. Well, regardless 759 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:26,440 Speaker 3: in the twenty first century. In the late twentieth century, 760 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:28,959 Speaker 3: that sentiment didn't hold up. And I guess shortly after 761 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 3: he died is when they started adding women of color 762 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 3: more to the Rockets troop. 763 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then they saw people of color in that 764 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 2: same dance line and they went, oh, it's still awesome 765 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 2: and synchronized and looks great exactly, and from his grave 766 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 2: he went no. 767 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 3: He started rolling around in it. 768 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:47,360 Speaker 2: Oh goodness. 769 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:50,239 Speaker 3: So you haven't seen a Rocket's Christmas Spectacular. 770 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 2: Huh you mean live in person? Yeah? 771 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 3: I have not. I have not either. Are we going 772 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 3: to go now? 773 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 2: I think we should. I want to know if any 774 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:00,960 Speaker 2: Rockets listen to the show. Yeah, that would make me 775 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 2: super super happy. 776 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:04,279 Speaker 3: It would for me as well. 777 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 2: And the only other small tid bet I have is 778 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,040 Speaker 2: they have microphones in their heels of their shoes. 779 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:12,040 Speaker 3: I saw that too. They used to They used to 780 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 3: play recordings of their tapping, right. 781 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,319 Speaker 2: Oh, I don't know, and that does not surprise me. 782 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, and then they figured out how to do the 783 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 3: actual like broadcast the actual tamping. So we're going to 784 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:27,239 Speaker 3: go one day, Chuck, We're going to go see the 785 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:29,880 Speaker 3: Christmas Spectacular. We're going to go through the live Nativity 786 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 3: with the real camel and donkeys and the wooden toy 787 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 3: soldier march where they fall down like a domino and 788 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,399 Speaker 3: slow motion. It's pretty amazing stuff. And if you want 789 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 3: to know more about the Rockets, then go to Radio 790 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 3: City Music Hall and find them there. 791 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:48,480 Speaker 2: How about that that sounds great? 792 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 3: Well? Since I said that, then it's time for a 793 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 3: listener mail. 794 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 2: I'm calling this. I was a search and rescue victim volunteer. 795 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 2: So this guy, his dad. I'm gonna summarize at the 796 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 2: beginning of it because it's kind of long, but his 797 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 2: dad lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is 798 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:13,080 Speaker 2: a member of the local SAAR team, And so they 799 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,080 Speaker 2: were like, we need someone to play the victim here, 800 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:19,040 Speaker 2: and he was like, I'll do it. This guy's son. 801 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,280 Speaker 2: So here's what happened. He set off into the heavily 802 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 2: wooded area. He said, I did everything I could to 803 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 2: think of to try and fool the dog in the handler. 804 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,480 Speaker 2: I ran in circles, went back over my own trail. 805 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 2: I threw off my hat. I even found some garbage 806 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:36,160 Speaker 2: and rolled around in it to mask my scent. Once 807 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:37,839 Speaker 2: I had done everything I could think of to try 808 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,920 Speaker 2: and fool the dog and handler that would be tracking me. 809 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:44,240 Speaker 2: I found a nice comfy spot up in a bush 810 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,839 Speaker 2: on a hill where I could just watch the dog 811 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:49,600 Speaker 2: in the handler try and track me. I thought I 812 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 2: had done a pretty good job, but once I called 813 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:53,760 Speaker 2: the handler and let him know I was in position, 814 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 2: was all over very quickly. I sat back, and everyone 815 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,880 Speaker 2: was shocked to watch the dog basically retrace my trail 816 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 2: step by step, every move I made, all those circles, 817 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:09,320 Speaker 2: finding my hat, even that I'd thrown off, even getting 818 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 2: into that pile of garbage that I'd rolled around in. 819 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 2: I love that this dog is just basically making a 820 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 2: fool of poor Ryan up there in the mountains, so 821 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:19,800 Speaker 2: he said. Needless to say, the dog found me in 822 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,680 Speaker 2: short order. Gave him lots of praise for the great 823 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:25,839 Speaker 2: job he had done. Thankfully, I was never in any 824 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 2: real danger, so my experience was a lot more enjoyable, 825 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:33,640 Speaker 2: obviously than when people are in real need of search 826 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 2: and rescue. 827 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:34,399 Speaker 3: Dog. 828 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 2: Thanks for the great episodes, guys, keep me company on 829 00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:41,040 Speaker 2: overnight shifts and make it all go by quicker. So 830 00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:43,600 Speaker 2: if you read this on the show, can I get 831 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,040 Speaker 2: a shout out to my girlfriend Taren. She would be 832 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 2: thrilled to hear her name get called out on the show. 833 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 3: I think that just happened. 834 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 2: Yep, so that is from Ryan. I like the gusto 835 00:44:55,080 --> 00:44:56,399 Speaker 2: that Ryan put into trying to. 836 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:58,799 Speaker 3: Fool this dog rolling in garbage, and I. 837 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:03,399 Speaker 2: Equally love that this dog was like whatever. So thank 838 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:04,840 Speaker 2: you Ryan, thank you Taran. 839 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:08,200 Speaker 3: For listening, and thank you to the star dog, sure Scruffy. 840 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 3: If you want to get in touch of this, you 841 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:13,200 Speaker 3: can go to our website, stuff youshould Know dot com. 842 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 3: You can find all of our social links there, and 843 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 3: you can send an email to Chuck jerrym Me at 844 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 3: stuff podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 845 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 2: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 846 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:31,879 Speaker 2: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 847 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:33,840 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,