On The Ninth Day of Culture... October 29th, 1993: The First "Got Milk?" Ad Drops

Frosty girl, frosty girl, friendly girl. Um, well, guess what readers Bone and night Sidebar today and had a long conversation just as girls, just as girls. No no audio rolling. It was just us talking, catching up, and we have to make time for that because, honestly, I think the last five or six times I had talked to you before that was all on the pot and I need

my moment with my sister. You need that because otherwise you're you're going to get locked into the podcast tone when you're talking to your sister forever and then, God, doesn't that sound just embarrassing? It's like, who does this? It's like, you know, I think Bob Barker, this is a terrible example. But before he passed just kind of was yelling at everybody. He ever said, I'm yelling at his children, his family. I'm sure, I'm just I'm making

a story up. But it's like, you know, you get you get sort of sealed into a certain frequency of voice. I think if you talk, if you talk too much in that And that's why I ant to step away with just my sister and I and say, hey, hey, it's hey, this is my real voice. You know what I've noticed is my your your your tone of voice has remained mostly the same over the course of the years of this podcast, and mine has gotten deeper. And I think there's a clear reason. Go ahead and talk

about it. Well, it's cigarettes, I believe, and look deepened. You have become deeper. I don't want to go any deeper. I want to be able to remain a baritone and not become a full base like Adnamon's all well, truly the hardest thing to become. As your progresses as a base and to see you lose your ones. I would describe your range as I would say, you're up there with with those tenors that can also call themselves too. I was not a tenor in high school choir, but

thank you, and I'll stay quiet vibes. Sometimes sometimes you would launch notes that I would be like, excuse me, miss, I tell you from across the room unfortunately about a Chris Brown song, and I'm sorry, Hey, no, we're not We're not doing that today. I'm just not giving Chris Brown any praise. Not on tonight. No, not on tonight. I resinnd I retract, resind, retract. I you have the range, and I wouldn't hate to see nicotine take that. You know, I feel the actual beginnings of the wien Off for

for good. I just I have to reframe my whole relationship with it, which is to actually feel, to preemptively feel nauseous at the thought of wanting to smoke a cigarette. That's what needs to happen. But it's actually it's good because I'm replacing all of my pacifiers, my addictions with other things like the New York Times crossword puzzle. I've heard tell I've heard that it is quite the thriller, quite the weekly thriller. It's a beautiful, beautiful, you know,

it's like a fossil you excavate every day. He does stuff the dirt, find yourself a bone. I get so frustrated when I try to play them. They really are a skill you have to develop, because it's not even about like, oh, what's my vocabulary, what are my references? Just everybody. If you feel this way. If you feel this way, download a New York Times app, the Crossword Puzzle app. Purchase if you have the money, a Monday pack.

Start off on the Mondays, you do your easy days, and then you you build your skill set from there. And today, today, honey, I completed the Sunday one. I had no doubt in my mind that once you said you were going to get involved in the New York Times Crossward puzzles, that you would thrive in that space. There was no doubt in my mind. I was like, he is going to slay those puzzles down. Can I tell you I never felt in the doubt from you. I always felt your support and I always cherished it.

I never took it for granted. That was all you were going to get in your p L box, because that was all that I was sending. You were gonna you were gonna put in any other shenanigans. You were going to mess with the postage. No, thank you, Thank you, queen, no problem. I see. I respect that. Listen, before we get into today's topic, I did write down something and circle it what did you say? Which I think probably

means I wanted to share it with my sister. I came up with while I was making myself today's cocktail, which is just, you know, a Hendrick sent Tonic with a splash of cram. I thought to myself, Oh, my goodness, splash a cram. Is that a thing? Ms? Splash cram? Oh? As a as a drag artist? Yes? Please tell me. I don't think it's a drag artist. I don't think it's any kind of performer. I don't think it's a stage I know, but I think it's splash a song. No, I think it's a song. You think splash of cran

is a song? If you say it like this, splash a cran, you're not telling me that's not an OSCAR nominated actress. I think a song called Hendricks parentheses splash a cran? Oh? You think I should write the hen Yes? So you you think, wow, this is huge. I'm gonna have to think on that. You have the gift. You have the gift on that one. Um, we're gonna have to ruminate speaking of splash, a different oh splash, a different splash, a different splash of different liquids. Today is

a special day. We have a big day, Big day. This is day nine of of our twelve days of culture. And my sister Matt Rogers picked this one out. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. Once I remembered this as a cultural phenomenon, I knew it was on the list and built by the list. I mean it was one of the twelve. Careful, there is crossover, no just god potential this day. Let's discuss

it on the days we're keeping on. It was October nine, the first Got milk ad drops it does the body good. Milk culture was nineties culture. Yes, milk ruled in the nine Days and if you were loactose, intolerant, or if you did not drink dairy, if you were a vegan, if you had any restriction that precluded you from drinking milk, I'm sorry, but that was the culture you had to

live in. You were not seen, you were not you were not recognized by big culture because big culture at the time was Got Milk and every a list girl was up. And I got milk ad. And I'm telling you, when you actually look at the list of people who did got milk adds Beyonce and Tina Knowles, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, We've got Frankie Munez, baby Shaquille O'Neal, oh Ms, J T T was giving you a gotten

milk ad, the clooney, everyone acrossed every demographic. Bobby Flay, I'm just I'm just looking at some of these people flung pas. Yes, this is this was a time in life when parents were telling their children because they were being told by I guess they thought doctors, but really maybe it was just an advertising company that you needed to drink two full glasses of milk per day in order to maintain healthy bones. Because the disease that was very real and on everyone's lips in the nineties was

say it with me, the big oh osteos. People thought this was something that was a real up on you. Yeah, sorry, but pandemic, which I don't like to say. You went there, a girl, you really went there. But look, I mean, did they succeed I don't do you think do you think they succeeded in eliminating the scourge that is osteoporosis. I think it still exists today unfortunately so, but I mean, I don't doubt that the Got Milk campaign was huge

and was culture defining. I'm just thinking, were they successful in their mission of their supposed admission of getting rid of of osteo perosis or do they just want to get You know, bon Jovi next to Alicia Silverstone in a in a magazine spread. Is that something that happened. No, I'm just making well and that's the okay. So once you said that, once you contentered up that image, I was like, if that picture exists, I must see it. I love the idea of bon Jovi and Alicia Silverstone

on like a ranch with their Got Milk stashes. But anyway, I'm no David Lachapel, just an instinct. If someone photographer out there wants to make it happen, I can only sit back and watch. But yes, this I believe made people calcium aware. And yeah, osteoporosis is not going to be something we cure. It's a and this is important for people to know. It's a thing that can happen to anyone. Anyone out there this is. This is incurable,

so no advertising campaign could cure it. But I do believe it was positive for the calcium culture, which was big culture. I think that girls were drinking milk. I was drinking milk. I am the type of girl to go to the kitchen and pour myself a huge glass of two percent. To this day, Mama, if it's in the house, I like milk. I think because of milk culture, which was they got milk outs. Were you a milk drinker? I loved milk. I don't know when the drop off was for me when I kind of cut it out.

Might have been a few years ago when I tried when I tried whole thirty. But no, it wasn't even like I had milk all the time in college. Like in college, like I would go grocery shopping and I would buy I would The big spend was on orange juice. That was the big indulgence, huge, huge college drink. I was about to say, yeah, who drinks milk in college? And then I remember, did you ever come to my dorm room when I had that little fridge and I had it chock full of you? Who's no? Oh my god,

A dark age, dark history. Maybe that's before we were like close friends. It was like freshman year. I had a little mini fridge and it was shocked. I'm telling you. There were thirty four boxes of you who were there? It was crazy, Bowen Yang, it was crazy. Talk about this. What is the appeal of you? Who's to you? I'm genuinely curious. I I enjoy you? Who's I enjoy you? Who's? But for you to have them not only stopped, but you had them stop piled, which is a different concept. Baby.

It was clearly I'm a I'm a child inside energy. It was clearly let me keep a little bit of home. I mean, but to imagine an eighteen year old college boy with that much to you who? I just want to go back and shake that girl and be like, you can't be letting people see you have a mini fridge full of you who? This is not a good look. But you couldn't have told me. I'm and everyone that came in and out very social place. The dorms very social place. But that is all thanks to the got

Milk campaign. And this is what I'm saying is that they got Milk camp campaign and milk culture as a result, had had its tentacles in kids, impressionable kids. Let's let's say something right now. Milk culture is different from calcium culture. Here's why milk culture before got milk was well milk. Calcium culture is a part of milk culture. But milk culture before got milk was you had a little crate outside of your door. It's the sixties. You live in

the suburbs. It's post you're living in a in an economic boom. You're enjoying American success after the Big War. The American image of milk. The milkman would come up to you. He would be dressed like a gorgeous gorgeous pushing you. It's king, be dressed like a milk king king and a hat an apron maybe oh mama. And you know a popular narrative around the milkman, what is

she'd been screwing the She'd screwing the milkman. This is someone who was so impeccably dressed and showed up on time everyday, dependable king that he would take your wife, fucker, he would suck her and she would love every minute of it, and then she would run your knife. If you were to ever confront her about screwing the milkman. She would fucking kill you. Tell him how he would run into your knife ten times? Ten times? Now, Okay,

so that's that pain point. No culture is someone drops it off and these perfectly sized Carafts bottles whatever a little. I mean, they couldn't be more just attractively shaped, these bottles. Yes, make me fly. Calcium culture is got milk Hayte and Penny Tire holding an exploding carton of milk in a red gown. Hello, Hello, iconography. Down, Shall we look through some got milk ads and just sort of explained to the readers what's happening? Yes, And I just want to say,

while you're looking some up, what's remarkable about got milk ads? Are? They were the sort of fresh air with Terry Gross interviews of the time. Every celebrity wanted one secretly or secretly they were like, I want to get to a place to put in my career so that I can one day be approached to do a Got milk ad. I mean, I can already tell you there's one here. And this is not a celebrity who just gives himself

over to these types of campaigns. Harrison Ford is in this got milk ad looking like the King Daddy, just like olive green T shirt. I'm gonna guess I'm color blind. Remember this. Maybe it's it's like a dark green tucked into these like dark jeans with this dad belt. He's got his hand in his pockets. They watch is expensive. He's got a Caesar like a faded like blonde into grace Caesar happening. And he's got a milk mustache. And below it it says below him the following words, it

says action. Nine out of ten Americans aren't getting essential nutrients we need. That's a serious gap. But just one more serving of nutrient rich milk a day for you and your family can help fill it. So here's the direction. Pour one more got milk, And honestly, I'm sucking dine milk after I see you and read that one because it may be Remember how much I fucking love milk. Okay, what do you have to say day to people who can't drink it for whatever reason. I'm a big proponent

of almond milk. Now, all the different types of new milk they're coming up with, the nut milks, I love it. I don't mean to I don't mean to keep putting impediments in front of you, questionably bad for the environment. Some of these, seriously, there's just a lot of water involved. It's it's there's just a lot of environmental strain it puts on the world. I ask you a question. I have to ask you a question. Then, as the person's going to provide this fodder, please, how do you take

your coffee? Black? Black honey? Every single time. I have not had any kind of dairy or dairy alternative in my coffee since twenty seventeen. And you better believe that one any any person who served me coffee in the last four years. I'm really racking my brain, and I actually can't remember the last time you had something in your coffee. Have you seen me? You've seen me many a time, I know for a fact, clutching a vegetile plastic cup full of ice coffee. And what color was

that it was? It was black? Don't ever question I'm sorry my moral stands on any issue. I will always be right. I'm just kidding. I just want to say there's never we can really point to this as a stark difference between us, because you know me, I am a light and sweet. Goddess, I needed to be very light and very sweet, to the point where I'm really just drinking milky sugar. So do you like Dunkin Donuts for that reason? Because I still for Dunking Donuts, but

I will say they overdo it. I mean, we all know we've all ordered an ice coffee at Dunkin Donuts and had that just sort of life or death moment where you drinking just a huge amount of sugar and you say, Okay, I can find out this happens and continue on. Shall I choose the smoothest course and just go right into diabetic hell or just you know, go out there there in the world of coffee shops and continue to find your place, because Duncan Donuts is not it.

The smoothest course is the steady, beating trump co Well, I sort of did something interesting with it, I said, the smooth this course was to sort of give in to this, this corporation of Duncan Donuts because of the fast, casual nous of it all. Whereas, for some reason, for me, the rocky, more adventurous path is to forge on and experience more and more coffee. That's beautiful, that's beautiful, but yes, that is a big bone Yang and matt Rogers difference.

Let's see who else is standing out to you in these ads. I mean, I see a really hot one of Matthew Fox, but we don't really recognize her anymore. Kermit the Frog, I mean, can we just talk for a second about Kermit culture. I mean, if Kermit was doing it, America was doing it. And that's a rule of culture. That's rule culture number forty. If Kermit was doing is doing it, America was, America was doing it her. I have no words. I truly feel like you don't

mean to wind down the conversation. I think we still have a lot to talk about. But I think that you've picked such truly an iconic cultural day. Everyone got involved in this movement. Everyone was It was a movement, thank you, because it's about the people and what does what do every people have? What do every people have? Skeleton? What do every people people have a skeleton? Skeleton? What

do every people have? People have skeleton? And this is important to remember as we look at Jonathan Lipniki, you know what I mean, Yes, it's im wort to remember reader. When we look at Noah Wiley, these nineties only icons reader. I want you to this is, this is the thing you all have to do today if you want to be on this journey with us. I know, we don't.

I know, we don't sort of you know, call on you to do too much in terms of actions, because we just want this to be a peaceful listening experience for you. But you have to do. What you have to do today is google Jonathan Lipniki got milk and say the words what do every people have? Bone, a skeleton, A shout it out loud. We need for you to say it out loud. And if you don't, then precious one, you're without, You're without. And let's see that's sort of

our tailor folklore narrative. That's how we keep stringing together because by the end, one thing we wanted to reveal on this episode was by the end um you're going to find out out of the twelve episodes, like what the underlying narrative was. Yeah, and with the aim of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Leiley's children are and they're in here, and they're in here. Sara Ramires, I'm looking at Sarah Ramires right now. I mean I've seen one of Billy ray Cyrus back when it wasn't like a joke version

of Billy ray Cyrus. Sorry to oh, Mario is here doing one? Like I mean, they got animated girls oh from you know, the very same. By the way, stop everything. Speaking of Mario in Universal Studios in Japan, Japan. I heard there is footage girl, um the inside of the Mario Kart ride, which is done, and the whole Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios in Japan is done. It's opening this summer, and it's opening this summer. They're going

to be able to go, Oh my word. The fact that there's going to be a ride version of Mario Kart is just it is every what I mean, maybe we'll have to return to Mario on another DFC another df say, we might have to return to Mario. But before I just just to sort of put the crime out for the reader, and I want to ask you this. We are not the kind of people to get dressed up for a theme park. That is not to alienate our our listeners who do do that. We're not costume girls.

It's fine, We're just we're not like we're not gay Days girls were owners a matching shirt we're not. We're not paraphernalia queens. But I think in order to something has to. It would be imagine the impact of going on that ride dressed as Mario and Luigi. No, Oh, Queen Peach Honey in a pink gown, blond wig, crown, turquoise, giant turquoise jewel on your chest, white gloves. You know what I want for you? What? And this is something I would only give to my sister. You should be

Princess Peach and I'll be Daisy. No, Queen, you're the each, I'm the Daisy. I don't know, girl, I think that you are truly Peach and I'm more Daisy. I am. You know your Peach. It's okay. I see it on your face right now. I know I see you sort of. And this also, I want this because it's right, but I will throw this out. This is all another concept twin Rosalina's. Ah. No, if I'm Peach, then you are Rosalina. That might be true. You are Rosalina. You have your

Oh no, you know Davis Rosalina. I think you have. Well. First of all, you have to play Super Mario Galaxy to really understand this girl's story. Oh my god. Rosalina. Rosalina gets like a narrative. She runs the spaceship that saves Mario. Okay, I pause, pause pause, First of all, Super Mario Galaxy one of the greatest platforms of all time, arguably one of the greatest video games of all time, largely widely considered the sort of that superlative. Mario is

on his way to go see Princess Peach. Of course, Bowser swoops in, blows up the castle, takes peace. I hate him. I hate don't you hate that that one? I hate that one. Always ruining the night, always ruining the night. But here's here's the twist. Mari is about to jump into Bowser's you know, boat flying in, but then he goes, guess what I brought? A giant spaceship comes, lifts the castle off of the off of the ground,

and they go off into space. Mario gets dragged up, but then she gets thrown out into into full emptiness. But who should save him but Rosalina, who runs a giant space flight complex. And you don't really You're like, what's her deal? But she has all of these little star creatures so adorable called lumas. Oh my god, I loomas, I'm obsessed, adorable. And then there's all these different facilitascraft so cute. Google Luma right now, l u m a Mario. Oh my god, this is such a moment, the most Okay,

I need all of them in every home. Rosalina is the queen of the Lumas. But she is not a luminous she is she is a true bugerty, true girl. So she is running the ship that has all the Luomas and the and the ship has so many different facilities. It has a queen, it has a kitchen, it has a shop, it has all these different things. But there's a mysterious library in the corner, and you go, what's there. There's always more to the story, always more to the story.

You as Mario, you go into that library, of course, can you see all the A lot of lumas gathered around Russellina and she's opening up a story book she's about to read to the lumas. And what she reads to the Lumas is a beautifully illustrated children's tale about a girl who has lost alone in space, crying, wondering where all her friends and loved ones and and family went.

Who should save my God. But all the lumas. She meets lumas and they all but it's truly the most I might even She read to the lumas the story of their own experience. She read to the lumas the story of a little girl, and you find out the little girl is her at the vag But it's actually so beautifully done. And I have said on record that that story book in Super Mario Galaxy is better and more iconic space children's stories, a more iconic space children's

story than The Little Prince than the Little Prince. You have to get into Rosalina reader, and Matt you are Rosalina. I give you that title. You are Rosalina. You are the mother you you you create the ground for other people. Mama, that is the nicest thing I have ever said to me. And people have said many nice things. They have said such nice things to me ever since I was born. And this was this ranks as number one. Thank you.

I just want to close out by asking a question, not about milk, which was the topic of the episode, but rather about rest law. Do you think that Peach is absolutely shook that this girl who's not for nothing, Queen of the Spacecraft comes in. She's queen of a people, the loomas I'm sorry. She sweeps along and she saves

Mario's life. Oh okay, you're gonna tell me that Princess Peach is not s h oh okay shook in her damn dress of pink at this development, This woman, the hottest woman in the fucking universe, comes along and scoops your man, you're not shook. Literally, what does Princess Peach feel like? Because she should feel like a nervous wreck one. And guess what it's kind of like what I The only thing I can compare it to is if you go to this is not quite the same, but it's

the closest thing. You go to couple of therapy and your therapist seduces your damn man bye, and your therapist is, by the way, a model. Good luck, good luck, good luck with the rest of your life. Good luck booking that life you speak of. Queen. Oh, you're taking me out with this callback to Rihanna v. Sierra. Here's um ultimately what bit? No? Please close that. You go up to the air, you go up to the other You had a proclamation, I was I was kind of gesturing

you I was giving you the floor. Okay you you were about to slip into a beautiful sign off. Fasten it. As as Wendy said on the Potomac Reunion, what we want to say to milk. While Bowen and I have different opinions on how frequently you should be consumed in what sort of um states, be it in coffee, by yourself, sort of in cereal whatever, I'm sure that's a whole rabbit hole. I have to say. I love I love milk. I just don't put in my coffee. That's and then

that that's it, That's all it is. Well, like we said, so some people are being a little bit kger with how they feel about you, But other people on the podcast, namely me, are sort of sucking sucking who who's you, the milk or the reader? Who is the thing? I was talking about my own relationship with milk, What we want to say is thank you for giving me God,