1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius, the production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: I guess what, Mango? What's that? Will? So? I know, 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: these days it feels like we can't start any conversation 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: without talking about the quarantine and without coronavirus unfortunately. But 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 1: one of the things I've noticed right now in terms 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: of how people cope with the quarantine, I find this 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: interesting is that they watch a bunch of virus based content, 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: like like this is this is a real thing. Like 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: tons of people have been watching that new pandemic documentary 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: series on Netflix, and Contagion is one of the most 11 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: watched streaming titles right now. Have you noticed this? Yeah, 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: I mean it is such a strange phenomena to me, 13 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: because that is not my idea of escapism. I turned 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: to things like the Muppets movie and times like this. 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: But and I know you're not lying about that that's 16 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: actually true. But you know, I guess the virus stuff 17 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: does make sense if you're looking for a way to 18 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: remind yourself that it could be worse. Yeah, And I 19 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: guess I get that feeling like it's good to keep 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 1: our discomfort in perspective. But if you're like me, viral 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: disaster movies probably hit a little too close to home. 22 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: But thankfully I have come up with a far less 23 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: upsetting option, and that's to just watch a giant monster 24 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: movie instead. Like, throw one of those on and you'll 25 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: be thinking, Sure, things are tough right now, but at 26 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: least there's no Godzilla, you know. So does that does 27 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: that really give you any peace of mind? Oh, it 28 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,839 Speaker 1: totally does. I mean, it's probably the last genuine source 29 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: of comfort that we have left Mango. I mean, I 30 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: think you'll agree a Godzilla attack definitely would not improve 31 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: our situation. And that's not just because of the smashed 32 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: up buildings and rolling blackouts either, Like there would be 33 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: way worse things to consider if Godzilla came to town. Well, 34 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: I mean, smashed up buildings sound pretty awful, and so 35 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: to blackouts. But what else do you think about? All right, 36 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: we'll think about it this way. At the end of 37 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: the day. Godzilla is a giant animal, right Like. He 38 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: started out at around a hundred and sixty feet tall 39 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: during his first appearance. This was back in nineteen fifty four, 40 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: and over the years he's been scaled up in order 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: to keep pace with the increasing size of skyscrapers. So Nowaday, 42 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: the modern Godzilla is three times as tall as the original, 43 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: almost five hundred feet. So not to be gross, but 44 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: can you imagine how much waste an animal that large 45 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: would produce? Can you imagine this, Mango, stop and think 46 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: about it just for a second. So forget being crushed 47 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: like the city's would be flooded, and get this. I 48 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: looked this up. There's actually some science behind this. So, 49 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: according to a marine researcher named Dr Craig McClain, an 50 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: animal of Godzilla's height and weight would produce a truly 51 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: monstrous amount of eurine nearly thirteen million gallons per day. 52 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: That's like a quarter of an oil tanker raining down 53 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: for every day of Godzilla's rampage. So this, this is 54 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: what I now have to think about, Mango and my quarantine. 55 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: That is so gross, And you're right, things would be 56 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: way worse with Godzilla around, and it's true. I'm glad 57 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: you finally understand this. So it really puts things in perspective. 58 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: And that's just the first of nine godzill effects we've 59 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: got on tap today. So let's dive in. Or Hey there, 60 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, welcome to part time Genius. I'm Will Pearson, 61 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: and as always, I'm joined by my good friend man 62 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: Guesh Ticketer and on the other side of our zoom 63 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: conference wiping his mouth and punching at the air for 64 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: some reason, that's our good friend and producer Lowell. So 65 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what all the wiping and punching is about. 66 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: But luckily Gave Luizier is back with us today. He's 67 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: our resident Kaiju or strange creature fans, so hopefully he 68 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: can shed some light on this. And what is little 69 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: doing over there? Does it have anything to do with Godzilla? Yeah, 70 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: so that's actually a deep cut Godzilla reference, so nicely done, Lola. Uh. 71 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: There was a point in Godzilla's career. I think he 72 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: was about a leaf in movies deep at the time. 73 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: It's kind of hard to keep track. And anyway, at 74 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: some point the powers that be decided that Godzilla should 75 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: have his own signature move, and I guess the idea 76 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: was that, you know, he would taunt his opponents by 77 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: making this like insulting menacing gesture and for whatever reason, 78 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: wiping his mouth with his right hand and then jabbing 79 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: at the air. That's what they came up with. It's 80 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: great for video games. I feel like, but why do that, Like, 81 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: is there some cultural significance for it, not that I 82 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: know of. Like my guess is the actor in the 83 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: suit was just like pretty limited mobility wise, so like 84 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: a mouth wipe and a and a punch was the 85 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: best he could muster either way. I mean the move 86 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: they only like stuck with this for a couple of 87 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: movies and then they phased it out, So I mean 88 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: it did leave an impression though, obviously at least and 89 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: Lowell and Uh, there's some fans out there they refer 90 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: to the movies where Godzilla does this as the wipe 91 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: your mouth and punch the air trilogy. You know, it's 92 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: fun as we do these things, learning things about each 93 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: of us that I never knew you and Lowell were 94 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: such big Godzilla fans. That's that's pretty awesome. Yeah, yeah, 95 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: I mean this is kind of a new thing for me. 96 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: Like I had seen a few of the old ones, 97 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: you know, when I was a kid, and I thought 98 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: they were cheesy and you know, good time or whatever. 99 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: But I hadn't watched one in a really long time, 100 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: and and then last year, I guess it was actually 101 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: Godzilla is the sixty fifth anniversary of Godzilla, so he's 102 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: he's technically a senior citizen now. And a bunch of 103 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: movies were coming back to a little independent theaters around here, 104 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: so Aaron and I got a chance to watch a 105 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: few on the big screen, and we just kind of 106 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: fell in love with how silly and over the top 107 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: they were. I mean, it's weird to say, but Godzilla 108 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: is an oddly endearing character if you really watch some 109 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: of his movies, Like, I mean, he wipes his mouth, 110 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: he punches, yeah, he rect stuff, he dances, Like what 111 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: more do you want? You know? But I'm curious. Maybe 112 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: that's just me. What about you guys? Any fond memories 113 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: of the King of the Monsters. It's funny whenever like 114 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: monster movies would come on on like Saturday mornings, that 115 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: was our que to go outside, like like that's when 116 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: I take of them. Like, well, I I don't know 117 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 1: if you remember this, but we went to toy fair 118 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: like years and years ago, and the company that we 119 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: were doing a board game with was also doing King Kong. 120 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: And this was like in two thousand's and so they 121 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: had the King Kong board game behind this like curtain 122 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: and they were like guards there because they didn't want 123 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: to show anyone what the monster looked like. And I thought, 124 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a part of this company. I can 125 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: like go back and sneak in, and they would not 126 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: let me in. And I remember I wasn't even that insulted. 127 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: I just remember thinking it was like so stupid, because 128 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: how different King King Kong look like you In the end, 129 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: you basically know what he looks like. Well, I don't know, Mega. 130 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 1: I think maybe in the end they knew like what 131 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: a blabber mouth you were, and they just needed to 132 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: keep you out of there. The rest of them they 133 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: would sort of whisper to us like do you want 134 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: to come see it? But then when you showed up, 135 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: they were like, guys, guys, we can't come back here. So, 136 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: as I mentioned, I do not love monster movies, but 137 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,119 Speaker 1: I do have a fondness for facts about monster movies. 138 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: So this is my first one, and it's about the 139 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: guy who helped bring Godzilla to life in the early movies. 140 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: So obviously today's Godzilla's computer generated, but that wasn't always 141 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: the case. And while multiple actors have donned the scalely 142 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: suit over the years, the first to do so was 143 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: this Japanese actor named Ruo Nakajima, and he started the 144 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: original nine movie and then he reprised the role for 145 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: I think like eleven sequels. But when Nakajima first landed 146 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: the role, he didn't know what the character would look like. 147 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: All he knew was that would be some kind of 148 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: ancient sea creature that would be awakened by this underwater 149 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: test of the hydrogen bond. So, you know, with nothing 150 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: else to go on, he actually prepared by spending ten 151 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: days at the zoo, so he watched elephant, he watched gorillas, 152 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: but strangely, it was the bears that really captivated him. 153 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: And this is what he told a reporter at the 154 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: time quote, I used to take two lunches with me. 155 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: One was mine and the rest I'd throw to the bears. 156 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: When one of them snatched it up and shoveled it 157 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: into his mouth, I'd watch the way he did it. 158 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: But no amount of research could have prepared Nakajima for 159 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: the reality of being stuffed inside a lizard suit. Like 160 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: the original costume was notoriously difficult to move, kind of 161 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: like what Gabe said, because it was made from ready 162 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: mixed concrete and reportedly it weighed about two pounds at 163 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: the time, why would they use concrete instead of something 164 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: like rubber. So the later suits were rubber, but it 165 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: was hard to come by in the early post war 166 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: years in Japan, so they went concrete for the first one, 167 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: and that made the suit super super heavy, but it 168 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: also made it suffocating lee hot. In fact, Kajima said 169 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 1: he sweated so much in the suit that after a 170 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: day of filming, he would wring out the perspiration from 171 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: his undershirt and it would actually fill half a bucket. 172 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: Can't believe he did that. He kept that up for 173 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: twelve movies, Like that is some serious dedication. Yeah, I mean, 174 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: I guess he was a trooper and and he's actually 175 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: kind of a pioneer when you think about it. What 176 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: he did generated this whole new type of acting. All 177 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: these actors were where a giant monster costumes and Greek 178 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: havoc on model cities. You think, like, there are hundreds 179 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: of movies and TV shows all made using that process, 180 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: and Nakajima was actually at the forefront of all of that. 181 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: All right, Well, here's a bit of film history that 182 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: I like. You mentioned that Nakajima wasn't sure what kind 183 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: of creature Godzilla was going to be initially, but he 184 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: wasn't the only one. The producers of the film also 185 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: weren't sure what look they wanted for their ancient sea creature, 186 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: and originally he was just going to be a giant 187 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: mutant octopus, which you know, would have put Nakajima out 188 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: of a job since they could have just set a 189 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: real octopus loose on their miniature cities. Uh. But then 190 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 1: the creative team decided to take an even weirder approach, 191 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: and it was the second approach that actually gave us 192 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: the characters Japanese name. And you know, remember Godzilla, that's 193 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: just something the marketers came up with for the American release. 194 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: In Japan, he's actually known as Goujira, and that's because 195 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: at one point during development, the plan was for the 196 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: monster to be a cross between a gorilla and a whale. 197 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: And though that idea it sounds weird, right, but I mean, 198 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: even though that idea was eventually scrapped in favor of 199 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: a more dinosaur like design, they did keep the original name, 200 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: which is actually a portmanteau of the Japanese words for 201 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: gorilla and whale. I've always wondered what kind of creature 202 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: Godzilla is supposed to be. I mean, he's obviously some 203 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 1: kind of reptile or maybe amphibian, I guess, and and 204 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: not a guerrilla whale, that's for sure, But what kind 205 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: of reptile is he? Like? Is he an unknown species 206 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: of dinosaur that secretly survived underwater or is he just 207 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: a regular lizard that got you know, irradiated and grew 208 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: into a giant or something else? Like these are again 209 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: in addition to the things I was thinking about before 210 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: with like Godzilla a waste, I have to think about this. 211 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: Did you figure it out? Well? It turns out it 212 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: kind of depends on who you ask, which maybe isn't 213 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: a huge surprise. So the crew definitely looked at dinosaur 214 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: illustrations for inspiration when designing the costume. But according to 215 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: a scientist character in the original movie, Godzilla is kind 216 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: of this transitional creature. So the quote was somewhere between 217 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: the marine reptiles and the evolving terrestrial animals, so technically 218 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 1: not a dinosaur, but a close descendant of them. However, 219 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: the waters get a little bit muddier when you know, 220 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 1: you go a little bit deeper on this So, for instance, 221 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: Godzilla's creator, a producer named Tamayuki Tanaka, has gone on 222 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: record saying that his original intention for Godzilla to be 223 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: a quote dinosaurs sleeping in the Southern Hemisphere that had 224 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: been awakened and transformed into a giant by the atomic bomb. 225 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: So I bet you didn't see that one coming. And 226 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: that offscreen take on the origin was actually made explicit 227 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: it during the nineteen nineties run of Godzilla movies. So 228 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: in one of these characters travel back in time, they 229 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: go back to nineteen forty four, and there they encounter 230 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: this dinosaur living alone on an island. Now was the 231 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: same dinosaur that eventually mutates into Godzilla after being hit 232 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: with an h bomb. But do you actually figure out 233 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: what kind of dinosaur is supposed to be? No, I 234 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: have no idea. I guess I just got tired of 235 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: looking that much more so, the dinosaur in the movie 236 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: was completely fictional, and it kind of looked like this, 237 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: more like a dumpy tarannosaurus, I guess. But it was 238 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: referred to in the movie as a Godzillasaurus, and that 239 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 1: that makes sense. It's super creative. But all right, but 240 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: here's the thing. Five years later, this was. In nine seven, 241 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: a paleontologist named Ken Carpenter discovered a new genus of 242 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: bipedal dinosaur, and he lovingly dubbed it go Girasaurus. So weirdly, 243 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: Godzilla both is and isn't a real dinosaur. Oh that's 244 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: that's actually pretty great. Does it make so much sense 245 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: that like a paleontology us would be a Godzilla fanatic? Right? 246 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: Like that makes a lot of sense. Here's one I 247 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: definitely didn't know before this week. Did you know that 248 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 1: Godzilla is the longest running movie franchise of all time? 249 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: This year marks the sixty anniversary of his first appearance 250 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: and the release of his thirty six theatrical film. That 251 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: puts Godzilla eight years and eleven movies ahead of his 252 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: closest competition, which is the James Bond series. What's really interesting, though, 253 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: is how the series has managed to stay relevant for 254 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: that long. If you look at the different periods of 255 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: Godzilla movies, the tone of the series and even the 256 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: characters roll in it are always changing to kind of 257 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: better align with the mood and what the audience of 258 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: the times wanted. The first movie isn't actually something like 259 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: goofy camp be monster movie. It has action, it does 260 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: have cheesy effects, but it's actually the somber and really 261 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: bleak movie, and it treats the disaster super seriously, and 262 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: that isn't by accident. Like the director described Godzilla as 263 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: the embodiment of the quote invisible fear that the nuclear 264 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: bomb could be dropped at any moment, and that really 265 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: resonated with audiences at the time, and many Japanese movie 266 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: goers left the theater and tears after seeing the movie. 267 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the nineteen sixties, when Japan's postwar economy 268 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: was rebounding, that Godzilla started to loosen up a little 269 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: and and for a while he was portrayed as kind 270 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: of a cranky public menace like this bully you had 271 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: to be chased off by the army or by one 272 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: of the more good natured monsters like Mathra, and then 273 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: he gradually became a more heroic figure who would fight 274 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: off other giant monsters on behalf of Tokyo, even if 275 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: he still did trash most of the city in the process. 276 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: You know, for the record, I feel like that counts 277 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: as a fact and a half there, because there was 278 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: really a lot in there. But it is wild how 279 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: much mileage they've gotten out of that concept that many movies. 280 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: It's incredible. Yeah, it kind of makes me wish they 281 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: would mix things up even more. Like Mego mentioned James Bond, like, 282 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: let's throw him in there. I I mean, I feel 283 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: like that fight would be over very very quickly. But 284 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: we've got four facts left to go, so let's take 285 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: a quick break and then we'll get back to it. 286 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part time Genius. Now we're talking about Godzilla, 287 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: who is the atomic fire breathing lizard with a heart 288 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: of gold. All right, Gabe, you're up again. You like 289 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: that I write that down. I was just ready to 290 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: ready to come with it. Alright, Gabe, So what's your 291 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: next fact? Mango clude us in on just how long 292 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: the Godzilla series has been around. So now I want 293 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: to talk about how ahead of its time it's been. 294 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: So take the Marvel movies for instance. They kicked off 295 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: this big universe building trend in Hollywood where you know, 296 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: the goal is to crank out as many interconnected movies 297 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: as possible, And the way that plays out for superhero 298 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: movies is you do a bunch of standalone movies, a 299 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: thor movie, an Iron Man movie, etcetera. And then you 300 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: bring all those characters together for a big team up 301 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: movie like The Avengers. It's incredibly lucrative formula and one 302 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: that some studios are falling over themselves to emulate. But 303 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: here's the thing. They may think they're copying from Marvel, 304 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: but they're really cribbing from Godzilla. And that's because way 305 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: back in the early nineteen sixties, the Toho Studio was 306 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: working off the same two stage strategy. Alongside Godzilla movies, 307 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: they were also creating other standalone Kaiju movies like Roodan, 308 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: who was basically a giant terodactyl that lived in a volcano, 309 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: and Mathra, who was kind of the benevolent protector of 310 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: this secret island in the Pacific. So, I I know 311 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: Matra and rood In eventually fought against Godzilla, but you're 312 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: saying they did an Avenger style team up movie too, Yeah, exactly. 313 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: Like after debuting in their own movies, the Trio Big 314 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: grudgingly joined forces into and of course, that was to 315 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: protect the Earth from the threat of King Godra, who 316 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: I guess you could call like the Thanos of the 317 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: Godzilla universe. I don't know, he's like a fly gold 318 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: three headed dragon from outer space. So there aren't a 319 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: ton of parallels. But he's definitely Godzilla's arch nemesis. That's 320 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: the point. And uh, the monsters, you know, they've had 321 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: the team up a few times over the years to 322 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: fight him off. That is a good fact. I feel 323 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: like you guys really stepped it up with the facts today. 324 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna to come up with some good ones. But 325 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: all right, well, I feel like I had a couple 326 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,120 Speaker 1: here in mind. But I'm going to take us behind 327 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: the scenes again for my third fact, because I want 328 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: to talk about Godzilla's iconic roar and more specifically, how 329 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: the sound of that roar was made. And if you've 330 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: never heard the roar I'm talking about, we're gonna we're 331 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: gonna play a few of them here for you. Now, 332 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: little stop, stop putting your fist up in the air 333 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: and play I'm here. It's a strange sound, right, but 334 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: where did it come from? Them? So, in the nineteen 335 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: fifty four original, the sound effects team tried to create 336 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: Godzilla's roar using animal sounds, but none of them seemed 337 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: to be like the right match. They were all too 338 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: familiar and not otherworldly. Enough for the monster that people 339 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: were seeing on the screen. So then the film's composer, 340 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: Akira if Kube, had this great idea, why not use 341 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: a musical instrument to make the roar instead? So this 342 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: is what he did. He donned a pair of leather gloves, 343 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: coated them in pine tar resin, and then he dragged 344 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: the sticky gloves up and down the east ring of 345 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: a broken down double bass. Isn't this so weird when 346 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,959 Speaker 1: they come up with these ideas to do stuff like this, 347 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: It's like, you know what I think I'm gonna do 348 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: with these gloves. But anyway, the sound he got from 349 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: that became the sound of Godzilla and it's been the 350 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: basis of his roar ever since. That is incredible. So 351 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: we've talked about how prolific Godzilla has been at the multiplex, 352 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 1: but he's also had his share of offs green successes. 353 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 1: For example, he's one of a handful of fictional characters 354 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 355 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: And in Godzilla became the first radioactive lizard monster to 356 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: win the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award. So it was actually 357 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: presented to him by Sir Patrick Stewart, who offered this 358 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: touching tribute, saying, quote, we've all heard about his temper 359 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: and about the people he stepped on on his way 360 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: to the top, But in this world of stars and superstars, 361 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: it would be no exaggeration to say that he is 362 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,159 Speaker 1: the biggest, which is I think very sweet and h 363 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: He is so big, in fact, that his fame is 364 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: even extended to TV roles, which have been equally strange. Um. 365 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: For instance, there was a time in where Godzilla appeared 366 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: in a string of commercials for Dr Pepper, of all things. 367 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: In the ads, he's just doing his thing, wrecking building, 368 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: stopping on cars, and then he comes across a giant 369 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: can of Dr Pepper, just sitting where a water tower 370 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: should be, and uh he takes a big sip and 371 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: the ad ends with him burping. All said spive Am, 372 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: I alone in thinking like that ad was beneath the 373 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: dignity of Godzilla. Yeah, I think you probably are gay, alright, 374 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: fair well, if you think that sounds bad, definitely don't 375 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: watch the Nike commercial where Godzilla faces off with Charles Barkley. 376 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: It ends with Barkley dunking on Godzilla and then consoling 377 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: him by offering him a spot on the Lakers team, 378 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: which the Lakers are having a very rough season. That ye, 379 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: all right, Well, to close this out, I thought I'd 380 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: cover what we all really want to know, which is 381 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: how the military would actually tackle the threat of Godzilla 382 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: in real life. This is important stuff, right, So to 383 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,959 Speaker 1: figure this out. A few years ago, Air and Space 384 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: Magazine reached out to a US Air Force base in Okanhawa, Japan, 385 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: this is real and the response they got from the 386 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: personnel there was a little surprising. They basically said, yeah, 387 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 1: we could take him, no problem. When they were pressed about, 388 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, how many aircraft they would need to mount 389 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: to cohesive defense, the master sergeant just said seven, which 390 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: seems optimistic at best. I love how you take that 391 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: as such a serious answer me. Do you think maybe 392 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: he wasn't taking the question very seriously, you know, with 393 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 1: Godzilla not being real and all. Yeah, that did occur 394 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: to me. To be fair, though, the sergeant did acknowledge 395 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: the Godzilla would likely be expecting an aerial attack, which 396 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: shows that he was at least putting some thought into 397 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: what kind of strategy, you know, might work in this situation. 398 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: But again, the answer he came up with was to 399 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: catch Godzilla off guard using quote four thousand segues and slingshots. 400 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 1: So yeah, he might not have been taking it too seriously. 401 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: I mean, you do hate to see that kind of hubers, 402 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: you know. I feel like he really should have taken 403 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: that more seriously. But anyway, well, yeah, but on the 404 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 1: bright side, it looks like Japan at least is taking 405 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: the threat seriously. Back in two thousand seven, the country's 406 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: defend minister told reporters that even though Japan has a 407 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 1: pacifist constitution, the military wouldn't have to wait for Godzilla 408 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: to attack first. According to him, quote, if Godzilla attacked, 409 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 1: that would be a natural disaster relief operation, making military 410 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: action legally permissible. Yeah. So so I'm I'm glad they 411 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: have that all worked out just in case. It seems 412 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: like they've really thought it through. And and uh, I 413 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: I feel like you really sued some nerves with that 414 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: last fact. Plus you explained what the heck Lowell was 415 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: doing at the top of the show. So I feel 416 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 1: like you should take today's trophy. I feel like we 417 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: even stomped it flat for you there, Gabe, So just 418 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: like Godzilla would, it feels appropriate all right. Well it 419 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: might be because I haven't left the house in four days, 420 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: but that means a lot, guys, so thank you. All right, 421 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: well that's gonna do it for today's Part Time Genius 422 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: for myself, Mango, Gabe, and Lowell. Thank you so much 423 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: for listening. Stay safe, wash your hands. We'll be back 424 00:22:53,200 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: soon with another episode. M Part Time Genius is a 425 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 426 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, 427 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H