Poppin’ Off on the Oscars, Baby Names, and Nemeses - podcast episode cover

Poppin’ Off on the Oscars, Baby Names, and Nemeses

Feb 28, 202535 minEp. 246
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Episode description

Who will win big at this weekend’s Academy Awards? Do you need a nemesis in your life? What do you think about last names as first names for new babies? To answer these questions and more, Danielle and Simone are joined by everyone’s favorite showrunner, our very own Tim Palazzola!

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Transcript

Speaker 1

Hey, Bestie's Today on the right side, we're popping off and sharing some Oscar predictions ahead of Hollywood's biggest night. Plus, we're taking you behind the scenes at these award shows with our award winning showrunner Tim Pallazola. And then we're diving into the surprising upside of having a nemesis. It's Friday, February twenty eighth. I'm Simone Boyce.

Speaker 2

I'm Danielle Robe and this is the bright side from Hello Sunshine, Danielle, Happy Friday, Happy Friday. How you doing.

Speaker 1

I'm doing well, but wait, I want to hear about your week. You attended the Time Magazine Women of the Year conference.

Speaker 2

Tell me everything. How was it? I did? It was really cool. So every year Time Magazine honors exceptional women across industries. This year the honoree was Nicole Kidman and so I got to see a live interview with her and Editor of Time, Lucy Feldman. They're really promoting gender equity across the board. They honored a Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, WNBA MVP Asia Wilson, activist Olivia Mon who's also an actress, and then Giselle Pellico, who courageously brought attention to the

issues of sexual violence in France. It was, you know what, it's like so fun to be in a room full of women that have that kind of energy. Everybody's pushing for good, like they're all trying to make the world a better place. And so it's fun to be at a table and meet new people because people come from all over the country. So it was it was pretty awesome.

And I also I remember moving from Chicago and never being invited to any room, Like I remember that so distinctly because I didn't know anybody, and so it's never lost on me when I'm invited into a room like that, Like I'm always so grateful. You know, yeah, that's really special. I heard that you have a pretty fun weekend. I had a good week. You have a great weekend coming.

Speaker 1

Yes, surprise, surprise, Simone's going on another girl's trip where this time we're going to be in La Joya. But I'm really excited about the house that we got. I booked the house this time. It has a water slide. It has a hot tub, a pool, outdoor kitchen.

Speaker 2

So wait, it has a water slide. Yes, it has a water slide. Here I'll show you a picture. I don't know if you can see, but Okay, that's amazing. It has a fire pit. I love a fire pit. Yeah.

Speaker 3

Is this with the same college crew or is this a different crew?

Speaker 2

Yeah? This is my college crew. Wait, why are you guys going on back to back trips?

Speaker 1

Okay, so the larger like group of girls is like, there's about twenty of us, right, but there are different sort of groups within. You know how like over over the course of a couple of decades you're dynamic with people change and some people get a little bit closer than others, and so the groups kind of shift. And so ye, we tend to take like smaller group chips in addition to like all meeting up and doing like

a bigger girls trip. But there is this idea that I like to think my friend or this trend that I like to think my friends have started, which is bringing your girlfriends on a baby moon. So this is my second girlfriend baby moon of the year.

Speaker 2

Cut.

Speaker 1

Yeah, So my girlfriend Kaylie is pregnant and she just wanted to kind of like celebrate with her closest girlfriends.

Speaker 2

So let's have them be our guests on the show. We can bab Actually, that would be great. That would be a super entertaining episode and we probably wouldn't be able to air any of it, honestly. Well, are you ready to pop off today? Oh? Yes, let's go.

Speaker 1

Okay, y'all, This Sunday is the ninety seventh Academy Awards. That's a lot of little gold men. Okay, we have been hyping up our favorite movies all Award Season and the substance Wicket Anora, But now it's time for our first ever bright Side Awards predictions and joining us to dish on all things Awards show season is our Emmy winning show runner Brightside bestie, Tim Palizola. Welcome back to the bright Side.

Speaker 4

Tim, Hello, Hello, Hello, I think I'm going to crash your girls trip.

Speaker 5

You should, I mean water slide.

Speaker 4

You make everything more, some refreshments, I'll make some cookies.

Speaker 5

I'll be there.

Speaker 1

I think that sounds great. You can be our lavender husband for the po I.

Speaker 4

Am a lavender husband in many situations, so this feels like the right compliment.

Speaker 1

Okay, Well, we want to talk Award season and specifically the Academy Awards, but we thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain a little bit. I've worked red carpets at award shows for many many years now. Danielle, I know you have two and Tim. You are an Emmy winner. I am a three time Emmy loser. So we want to hear from.

Speaker 2

You on this.

Speaker 1

You've been to several award shows, you know what it's like to actually walk away with a statue. Just describe, like what this night is like beyond what we see on TV.

Speaker 5

Honestly, these award shows are magical.

Speaker 4

I've had the pleasure of attending the Emmys, which is TV's biggest night in Hollywood, where the Academy Awards are films biggest night in Hollywood. And I want to say I have had the pleasure of winning, but I've also lost many times. So just to set the record straight,

but they really are a magical, magical experience. And I will say the first time that I won, it felt less about that night and it felt more about the accumulation of all the long hours that you put in, all of the late nights, all the dreams, and it's those moments where when you're a little kid you dream about working in Hollywood and you see the stars on the red Carpets and to be there in person feels

like this magical wish fulfillment of being a child. And you all have been to these award shows, I will say the Red Carpets in particular are the most incredible. And when you're a nominee, you enter through through a certain line that takes you down the Red Carpets and as you walk by, it is just one press outlet after another. The lights are big, and you're also walking

in with all of the stars. It's amazing because you're walking down the island, you bump into like Missus Waterford from The Handmaid's Town.

Speaker 5

You're like, Hi, how are you? Or you know.

Speaker 4

One one Red carpet in particular, Molly Shannon was standing there and I'm just like the hugest Molly Shannon fan in the entire world, and she was standing there and she was going should I stand like this with my hand on my hip or should I put my hand to my side. You just feel the energy of the stars and you see they're just as nervous as you are. You see, they're just like real people, and there's just

a spirit of celebration, which is so fucking cool. To be honest, yeah, and I will tell you the first time that that we won.

Speaker 5

I won four.

Speaker 4

I was an executive producer of a show called RuPaul's Drag Race, and we won a.

Speaker 2

Show called RuPaul's Drag Race. I don't know if you guys have ever heard of it.

Speaker 5

A little show.

Speaker 2

It's only it's only like a very significant culture. It's the only.

Speaker 3

One the Emmy every year for twenty.

Speaker 5

Years, yes, until the Traders.

Speaker 4

But you go up and it's so surreal because you're standing on stage and you're looking out at the audience and you're looking at all of the biggest celebs in television, and they're clapping, and they're not cheer for me necessarily, but they're cheering in general.

Speaker 5

And it's say they were cheering for you, cheering for me.

Speaker 4

And then they take you backstage and you get the trophy and then you get to carry it around with you all night.

Speaker 2

Is it heavy?

Speaker 5

It's heavy. It's pretty heavy.

Speaker 2

My favorite interviews are the interviews that take place backstage, because you capture people in this moment of jubilation.

Speaker 1

It's right after they've won. There's this electric energy in the air. I love seeing that, and I think it's been really interesting to see like social media videos of Red carpet reporters now compared to when I was a Red carpet reporter, because I feel like people are getting to see a bit more of the environment and what it's actually like. It is so chaotic and crampy.

Speaker 5

I'm gonna say, what is it like for you on the red carpet?

Speaker 2

It's no one ever told me that I was in heels all the time and my feet were a mess. You're supposed to.

Speaker 1

Brand or sandals, yes, spring you have to bring snacks. I mean, you're basically like penned in for like any from four to six hours. That's on the conservative side. Sometimes for bigger award shows or the met gala is the one that's like you are in there for like almost eight hours and it's so tight.

Speaker 2

Nobody tells you.

Speaker 1

It's like a combat sport, Like you have to fight for your moment with the star.

Speaker 2

You have to like, yeah, you have to.

Speaker 1

Shove your mic in there, and like because a lot of times the stars will kind of like group a bunch of press outlets together and they'll speak to like several at a time. So you got to like fight for it and you got to shout your question. You've got to know what you're gonna say. I actually love it. I love the thrill of it, and I love the adrenaline rush. But I think it takes a while, at least for me personally, it took a while to get accustomed to how aggressive it is.

Speaker 4

Sure, were you prepped with questions? Are you just coming up with stuff in the moment?

Speaker 2

Oh no, heavily prepped.

Speaker 5

Heavily prepped. Yeah, always, heavily heavily prepped. Okay.

Speaker 2

But I think that there's this like competitive animal that comes out in you, okay, because you are beholden to the company you work for and they don't care that you, Like, nobody was giving you the interview. They're just like, get the interview, interview. So you are like doing whatever you can do. You're cracking jokes, you're screaming crazy things. I learned from this woman years ago. If you say, can I ask you a quick question? Or do you have

a minute, you've already lost. You don't have time. You have to scream the question. It's crazy. It's a combat sport.

Speaker 4

That's our experiences that Red Carverets are very different because I'm like, yeah, I'm just like walking around, who's that that's amazing? Oh hey you and you're like, yeah, I will say. What I love about is all the celebs are so incredibly friendly too. My mom has so many pictures with some of her favorite stars, so it was just the friendliest. Connie Britton honestly was really lovely. Tony

Shaloub was lovely. I mean, I have a gazillion little fun anecdotal stories of bumping into John Ham backstage, or standing next to John Oliver, or you know, talking to Jeff Probes, or walking into a party holding a statue and Adam Sandler says, hey, good job kids, Oh my god, I'm going to a Netflix party and being in a dance circle with the cast of Squid Game. So it's just it's a it's a really fantastical experience.

Speaker 2

I went to the Emmys when I was twelve, Okay, And.

Speaker 5

How did you get to the Emmys when you were twelve?

Speaker 2

It's a weird story. My best friend from growing up, her dad was like in some he like helped produce a film, and so he had three girls and each girl was allowed to invite one friend and all of us went to the Emmys. It was super fun gosh. So it was all of her sister and I loved her older sisters. I thought they were so cool. But I go to the Emmys. I wore my butt Mitzvah dress. Okay, I go to them and this is before iPhones a thing.

So there were no camera phones and they wouldn't allow you to bring cameras in sure, so we hadn't gotten our periods yet. But we took tampon boxes, emptied them, put a disposable camera in the tampon box, put it in our purse. We were on. We were like, you said, you have to enter the red carpet like at like

ten am when you're not famous. So we're on the red carpet waiting there for hours and the sun is beating down on us and all of a sudden, this was like when the Emmys was a moment like Meryl Streep, al Pacino, Brad Pitt, I have the funniest selfies. Think about a disposable camera selfie, like al Pacino's face is crooked. Meryl Streep was like like, I have the funniest selfies with them, and they were all so kind except for

one person. H person, You're it's so funny, Al Pacino incredibly kind, Meryl Streep so kind, Brad Pitt beyond kind. The one person that was so mean to two little girls, Donald Trump. What did he say? He was like, get out of my face, kid. He was so not about it. Everyone else was so nice. Wow.

Speaker 4

Not surprised and also hugely surprised. I said you would be two twelve year old girls.

Speaker 2

On that note, I know we're going to take a quick break from popping off, but we'll be right back.

Speaker 3

We're back to popping off with Tim Paalazola.

Speaker 2

Well. In terms of predictions, Best Picture is one of the biggest awards at the night, and this prediction surprises me. Variety and Vanity Fair are predicting that Anora will win Best Picture. Smone, I know you said that was your favorite movie of the year. You're probably not shocked by this. I'm a little bit shocked. I love Anora, a huge fan. I would be so happy if it won. I think it's so deserving. But I actually think a sleeper contender is Conclave.

Speaker 5

Oh interesting, Yeah.

Speaker 1

This one stars Stanley Tucci, Ray Fines, John Lithgow, and it's this intriguing look at the political machinations of the highest levels of the Catholic Church. This is one to look out for.

Speaker 5

Okay.

Speaker 1

A lot of the critics and experts are predicting that this one could actually pull off a surprise and walk away with the Best Picture prize.

Speaker 5

That's I thought you were going to be on the Wicked train.

Speaker 1

Traditionally, musicals have not performed well in that category, so I my money is not on Wicked, although I'm like the biggest Wicked fan ever.

Speaker 4

Yeah, but I was gonna say, I'm with Danielle. I think Anor surprises me. I love that movie so much, but I don't think it has gotten the attention that some of the other movies have gotten. The Oscar campaign for it hasn't been as robust as we've seen for Wicked or a Complete Unknown, or even The Brutalist.

Speaker 2

So yeah, I'll be that's my prediction.

Speaker 5

I you think the Brutalist.

Speaker 2

I loved the Brutalist. My two favorites aside from Wicked, which I don't think will win, was The Substance and the Brutalist. But I think the Brutalist is probably more of a contender for the Oscar.

Speaker 5

I think so too.

Speaker 1

Okay, in terms of Best Actress. I mean, Demi Moore has been on a roll. She seems to have the lead going into this weekend for the Substance. Honestly, if that's what happens, so happy for because the movie was incredible. I think it's like a legendary kind of revolutionary film. Loved her performance. You took home the Golden Globe and SAG Awards for this role. But you know, Cynthia Rivo has also been getting a lot of attention for her

performance in Wicked. I think if i'm if I'm thinking like the Academy voters, I think what they're going to do is give it to Demi Moore because she's a more mature actress who's been around for a long time. Opportunities like this, like a role like this, don't necessarily come along all the time, and so I think they're going to give it to her because of that. And I think their perspective will be like, oh, Cynthia Rivo,

obviously she's this megawatt talent. She's going to have plenty of other opportunities to get her egot, what do you guys think?

Speaker 4

I agree with you one thousand percent. I think this is Demi Moore's year in particular, and I with regarding Cynthia Rievo building on that, I think Wicked might not win a lot this go around, but the Sea was coming out next year, and I have a feeling Wicked

Part two is probably going to do even better. It's going to probably do better at the Academy Awards, because you see that too with television shows, like the last season of a show, that's when some of them really tend to peak, because that's the end and it feels like a celebratory thing.

Speaker 1

I just really want Cynthia to be recognized for her athleticism in this role, like the fact that she was doing her own stunts. She was flying through a dang harness and she was belting out defining gravity at the top of her lungs, Like there are very few people dead or alive who are capable of pulling that off. Like, honestly, like Whitney, Houston is probably the only other person that

I could think of who could say that and do it. Yeah, Pink and do it as well, But I don't know if Pink's vocals are.

Speaker 4

Quite but she does stunts. Yeah, Yeah, her performance was amazing, and I just blown away. Just the hype of seeing a part two of that that's going to blow us all away.

Speaker 2

What do you guys think In terms of Best Actor? This one, to me is a really competitive category because Adrian Brody took home the Golden Globe for the Brutalist and Timothy shallo May won at the SAG Awards. Usually it's like a clean sweep all around, so it feels sort of split. I don't know who's going to take this.

Speaker 5

I don't know who's going to take this either.

Speaker 4

There's also been a little bit of controversy regarding Adrian Brodie's performance right because they used AI to really enhance his access, his accent exactly. So I wonder if people are thinking about that at all. I have not seen a complete unknown yet. I've heard Timothy shalame is amazing. I've seen a lot of the performances. I thought Adrian Brody was amazing, but Timothy Shallamey has just gotten a lot of momentum and he feels like he's just a Hollywood darling at this point.

Speaker 1

Well, his speech at the SAG Awards, I think endeared him to a lot of voters. I'm curious if that would factor into their decision because he was so earnest about like how much time he put into this project and how proud he was of his accomplishments and the whole cast. That's not something that people say every day in their speeches, and I wonder if that has the potential to persuade Academy voters.

Speaker 4

I think so too, because it's also they were supposed to do this movie in twenty twenty, and so he thought he was going to have six months to a year to prepare for it, but he ended up having four years to prepare. So that's where he really during that time learned how to play the guitar, really fine tune all of his singing. So he really immersed himself in this role. But I'd be happy to see him win this.

Speaker 5

He's so lovely.

Speaker 4

I met him at a Critics' Choice Awards years ago, was right after Calling Me by your Name came out, and he was so relatively innocent and young at that time. And you know, during the commercial breaks, lots of times people will get up and want to get pictures with people, and I was just like, I'm going to go get a and he was a relatively I have the photo.

Speaker 5

I do have a photo. I'll show it to you. Pardon the pun.

Speaker 4

He was a little bit of and a complete unknown at that time, and I walked up and asked him for He was like really sure, of course, and like we chatted for a little bit. So he's lovely and everything he does, he really exceeds our expectations for a young actor in Hollywood.

Speaker 5

I'd be thrilled to see him get this.

Speaker 1

Wait, can I talk about the Critics' Choice Awards for a second. Yeah, that is the quirkiest of all your wartshops. So what you just described tim the part during the commercial breaks where all the journalists get up and try to get pictures. Yes, I attended once, and it's probably the last time Ela watch because it's so weird. They all get up from their seats and it's like a feeding frenzy and they rush over and they, like all the reporters from all these different outlets like basically accost

the stars and ask for photos. And I saw it happening and I'm just like, oh my gosh, this is insane.

Speaker 4

It's insane, and it's not auditorium seating. It's like the Golden Globes where people are sitting at tables so you can have rat bake with tables, baker table, so you can have access to just about anybody.

Speaker 2

It's wild, Like.

Speaker 1

I'm surprised there's not more secure thing.

Speaker 2

I know.

Speaker 1

It's time for another short break. We'll be right back with Tim Pellazola. And we're back with Tim Pelazola. As the competition heats up with the Oscars, it seems that competition, specifically having a rival in real life, might actually be good for your health. We recently came across this article in the New York Times. It's called why You Too Need a nemesis, and this writer suggests that having a nemesis may actually motivate you and help you realize your dreams.

So it's not telling us to be in this full on fight with someone, but it's just saying that it can be healthy to fantasize about edging out your competition. And this writer goes on to talk about the power of a grudge actually and even cites research by a professor at U Penn that shows that an underdog performs better because they want to prove people wrong. Here's a direct quote from the article, just to illustrate the point.

She says, many successful people understand the power of a grudge. Athletes, pop stars, your mother in law, our president. Okay, I want to hear everyone's hot takes on this. Do you think the power of the nemesis is real?

Speaker 2

I do?

Speaker 4

But I also when Simone said the word grudge, I heard you chuckle a little bit.

Speaker 5

What was that about?

Speaker 2

You were very perceptive. I have a grudge. Ooh, I have a big grudge. And I have to tell you I didn't have a grudge for a while. I had a grudge when I was younger. Okay, I had an arch nemesis she didn't know, okay, and it helped me. And then I let it go and I felt a little bored. And I have a new grudge ooo. And let me tell you, there is a battery in my back. So I agree with this author, and actually, Eve the Rapper has said the same thing, no kidding, she feels

the same way. I think of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Like you know, at the at the time, I'm not sure either of them would have been the basketball players they were had they not had the grudge against each other.

Speaker 4

And I don't want to ask you to name names yeah, but if you were to tell me who this grudge is as an ARC type or what what part of your life is this grudge?

Speaker 2

That's a great question. It is a work grudge, a work grudge, Okay, it's not a personal grudge. Is it like someone who like wronged you and you you're like out for I don't know.

Speaker 5

Or did someone's career.

Speaker 4

You're sort of tracking and you go, Okay.

Speaker 2

When I was younger, there was this girl whose career I was tracking, and then she imploded her own career, and so I gave up the grudge because I had not there was no grudge to be had.

Speaker 5

You sabotaged?

Speaker 2

Well, yeah, I did feel that way a little bit.

Speaker 3

No, But now it's not that somebody wronged me.

Speaker 5

Ooh nice, I like that.

Speaker 2

Yes, Okay, they'll never know either, right, so they don't They don't have any idea of what they did. I don't think so.

Speaker 4

And are you are you still in touch with this person on the regular or is this a distant person?

Speaker 2

I'm in touch with this person? Oh wow, wait, that makes it even spicier. Yeah, it's why not just like, why not just like air it out and talk to them about it? Then it's not a grudge. I need it. I need my back.

Speaker 4

Do you have any grudges, Simone, or do you have any No?

Speaker 2

No, I definitely did.

Speaker 1

I definitely used to like compare myself to people when I was coming up in my twenties. But I just find that I think everyone's different, right, Like I think we can all find motivation from different places. For me, comparison is the thief of joy, and I just put my blinders up and like, I don't even like entertaining the idea of like comparing myself for competing with one person. I like to compete with myself. That's that's why I'm in competition with Yeah.

Speaker 4

I like that I couldn't relate starting out, I felt like I was comparing myself to others yeah, a lot, And as you get further along in your career, I just had to let that go. But I will say the one place that I think having a nemesis is really great for me is when I'm at the gym or when I'm in a workout class. If I see someone who looks really fit, or who's liftings something heavier or is doing more pushups, that really energizes and motivates me to want to I love that so much.

Speaker 2

But at the gym, I refuse to be less strong than a man at the gym, and so I hold a grudge also. And if like a man is running faster than me, forget it. If there's another woman, I'm good. If it's a man, I'm going to try and live to heavy.

Speaker 4

I hadn't really thought about the gender. I think, regardless of male female. If someone was killing it, yeah, to me, it's really motivating. I'm like, oh, well, if this person's doing it, then I can do it. And obviously if I can get a little bit.

Speaker 2

Faster, I agree. I don't find grudges to be about comparison. Actually, I think they're different than that.

Speaker 5

Hold on, tell me more about that.

Speaker 2

Yeah, how so, Yeah, to me, an immature grudge could be about comparison. Okay, A mature grudge is someone has wronged you. I'm not comparing myself to that.

Speaker 5

Someone's wrong period period. Yeah, yeah, I love it.

Speaker 2

On the subject of Jim grudges, I still hold a grudge against the man who tried to correct my form one time at the job. I'll never forgive him for that.

Speaker 5

Was he right round? Was he trying to be helpful.

Speaker 1

He was right and trying to be helpful, but I just think it's I think unsolicited advice. Yeah, unless it's among the closest of friends is just inappropriate. I didn't ask you, dude, okay, and more than likely you were trying to hit on me, so like, just keep it moving, Okay.

Speaker 4

That's exactly what I was thinking. Like someone was either trying to come over and man explain you. Yes, yes, right, or that.

Speaker 2

Is grudge worthy. Yes, is justified cause of a grudge. I want to talk about baby names. Do you have You don't want kids? Right?

Speaker 5

I think the time is not no go?

Speaker 2

Did you ever want them?

Speaker 5

I thought I would always have kids.

Speaker 2

Did you have a list of baby names?

Speaker 5

I do have a list of baby names.

Speaker 2

You do?

Speaker 5

I want to be prepared.

Speaker 3

I also have a list of you okay, yeah, they're in my notes.

Speaker 5

Okay. And you want kids? Oh yeah, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2

Did you have a list before you had kids? Simone a little bit.

Speaker 1

I only started making a list like as we were actually like trying to conceive, and like when I got pregnant and we started to make a list.

Speaker 2

So lists of baby names make me lol, because everybody is willing to share everything in life almost nowadays, except for their list of baby names. It is the one thing that even your best friend in the world is going to keep a secret from you. Yes, because they don't want you to take the baby name. Oh and they don't want you to know about it before the baby is born. Yeah.

Speaker 4

I've experienced not wanting them not wanting you to know because they didn't. They just don't want your opinion. Yeah, but I haven't heard of the stealing. That's interesting.

Speaker 2

Well, my best friend from growing up has two girls, so she had kids way ahead of me, and she was really struggling with names. And she kept being like, Danielle, what do you think give me some names. You're good at names. And in my mind, I'm like, I can't give you mine.

Speaker 5

Isn't this a storyline on friends?

Speaker 2

You should give her your reject names.

Speaker 5

Yeah.

Speaker 2

I did, and then I pulled My aunt is good at names, So I pulled her and I said, these are what my aunt Michelle thinks you should name your baby. It was like Gertrude and Agnes and it was all really bad names, wasn't it. No, they were good. They were like Gemma. They were cool. My aunt's into one syllable name. She doesn't like nicknames I do. I ended up giving my friend Sasha one of her baby names, so I did help. That's but the Today Show made a list and they said, the trendy new thing to

do is use last names as first names. So so cool, this is so you think.

Speaker 5

Oh yeah, I think as well. I love it, Okay.

Speaker 3

Examples Cooper Hendrix, Shepherd.

Speaker 1

Yes, yes, yes, yes, neighbor, I want to be a Hendrix, Like, that's so cool.

Speaker 5

I think that's fun too. Really, yeah, I think that's really.

Speaker 2

Fun when living pop stardom, Yeah, it is pop stardom. When I was growing up, the trend was to give girls quintessential boy names, so like Jordan or Blake.

Speaker 5

Taylor Brett.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and now I think it's gone. A lot of people use the women use their maiden names yes as the kids' names, which is kind of a last name thing. I think I came up in the Jenna era. My school was run and mock with.

Speaker 4

Jenna's, Jennifer's, Jessica's, Yes, Lindsay's, Jamie's.

Speaker 2

Yeah, a lot of Jay's. The Social Security Administration always publishes the list of most popular names. Do I read these every single year? I love it me too. So here's the most recent list. So the top male names were Liam, Noah, and Oliver, and the top female names were Oliver, Emma, and Charlotte.

Speaker 4

Ooh, I feel like Sophia was at the top for a minute. It was maybe Charlotte bumped Sophia off the top.

Speaker 2

Well. There was also this trend where elderly women's names became popular again.

Speaker 3

Yes, like Gertrude, it's Charlotte.

Speaker 2

You've got a Debbie.

Speaker 5

If that's my mom? Yeah? Yeah?

Speaker 2

Do you know how you were named? Why are you a tim?

Speaker 5

I think they just liked that name. There's no real significance.

Speaker 2

How about you, Simon, I was named after Nina Simone.

Speaker 5

Oh that's you know that a last name?

Speaker 2

Yeah? I guess.

Speaker 1

So your mom was on trend. My mom was a Francophile, or still is a Francophile. She's obsessed with everything French, so I think she just liked the sound of a French sounding name. But little did she know that Starbucks would mess it up every time.

Speaker 5

Sorry, I love it. Do you have an origin story for your name?

Speaker 2

My mom went to high school with a Danielle and She said she was the prettiest girl in her high school, so she always wanted to name her daughter's so and she's my mom speaks French, so that's a French name.

Speaker 5

Oh, I love that, Simon. How did you come up with the names for your kids? We went into that process.

Speaker 2

Honestly. I wish I could say that it had like significant family meaning or the romantic origin story, but we just picked the names because we like the way that they sounded.

Speaker 1

Logan, I guess it's like a little bit of familiar history in there. We both have Scottish ancestry. Logan is a Scottish name. And then Keenan.

Speaker 2

One of my best friends exes is named Keenan and we always liked the name. Did you have to ask for permission? I don't Did we ask for permission? I don't know.

Speaker 1

But they're really good friends still, and he's still part of our friend group, so it's all good. Inspiration can come from anywhere.

Speaker 2

Yeah, when you guys have friends who are pregnant and in the process of naming kids, and they start to bounce around names and you don't like the names, do you say anything or do you keep quiet?

Speaker 5

I did once and I learned my lesson. You spoke up.

Speaker 4

What you say, Huh, that's interesting. I really overstep myself. I'm blinking on the actual name. But I remember saying something like, I think that's a cute name for a kid, but imagine when he or she grows up and what that will sound like as an adult.

Speaker 5

And my friend got really offended.

Speaker 1

And I think that's a perfectly reasonable thing to say, thank you, thank you, because I think there was a trend, like like you mentioned that Jennifer Jessica.

Speaker 4

Like, growing up, there were a thousand mats, there were a thousand mics, there were a thousand Nicks, So I saw, you know, the generation tried to start naming their kids.

Speaker 6

Actually I know whose kids there. She was just being weird and I was anyway, so never again, I won't ever again. Yeah, are still friends, we're best friends.

Speaker 5

Yeah. But and she was like, I'm gonna do whatever I want. And I was like, okay, you do that, and that was the end. But do you feel like.

Speaker 2

Though that if somebody's asking you your opinion, like they have to be willing to be open to the fact that you might not like the name. Yes, of course you're opening yourself up to feedback, right.

Speaker 4

I think people want to have their opinions reinforced in that situation.

Speaker 5

Yes, yeah, you're right, you know so.

Speaker 2

But yeah, I don't say anything.

Speaker 5

Yeah, I learned my lesson. I don't say a thing in my head.

Speaker 2

I do that.

Speaker 5

I am judging.

Speaker 2

I'm like, this is twenty twenty five, your kid that.

Speaker 4

But I do think there was this trend of because so many of us in our generation there were the same names. Now everyone wants to give their child a unique name, so there's no repetition.

Speaker 2

But I even think there's a little backlash on lap because after celebrities started naming their kids such unique or outlandish things, that was a trend for like seven years, and then all of a sudden, everyone went back to these old time names.

Speaker 5

Yeah. Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2

Like if you do, you know an Apple? Did you grow up with an Apple in your class?

Speaker 5

I don't know. No, No, no Apples.

Speaker 2

You know it's very unique.

Speaker 5

Mm hmmmm hmmm.

Speaker 2

I also have a theory about this. I think everybody from school growing up has one name that they would never name their kid because of somebody that they went to school with. I'll give you mine. I went to school with someone named Harley, okay, and he was a menace. And even I actually like the name Harley. I think it's cool. I could never name my child that because of this kid. I think everyone has one.

Speaker 5

Everyone has one. Mine is Lauren.

Speaker 2

What did Lauren do?

Speaker 5

I love the name Lauren. We did not get along. I'll just say that.

Speaker 1

But what about on the flip side, what about naming your child after like a childhood crush cute?

Speaker 2

I think it's cute.

Speaker 5

I think it's adorable.

Speaker 1

Like there was this really cute boy in like kindergarten that I had a crush on. His name was Seth. I think that's a really cute name. Her boy, and I like.

Speaker 2

I think if you have positive memories attached, it could work that way too.

Speaker 5

Totally agree, totally, totally.

Speaker 2

This has been so much fun, Tim, Thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 5

All Right, Oscars party in my house.

Speaker 3

Yeah, except for no, Lauren is invited.

Speaker 5

No, we're going to crash your girls trips amone. Have the best time.

Speaker 2

Tim, as ever, thank you so much for joining us today.

Speaker 5

Thanks, They'll have a great weeknd.

Speaker 2

Tim Palazzola is an Emmy Award winning producer and the showrunner of the bright Side.

Speaker 1

That's it for today's show. On Monday, We're kicking things off with sc Parrot. She's a writer and professor who has some insightful tips to share on how to embrace joy in the most unexpected of places and what she learned about life after attending seventeen Harry Styles concerts.

Speaker 2

Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The bright Side is a production of Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts and is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Speaker 1

Production by Arcana Audio. Our producers are Jessica wenk Amy Padula and Laura Neukom Our senior producers.

Speaker 2

It's a Hintaniya. Our engineer is PJ. Shaham Matt. Arcana's executive producers are Francis Harlowe and Abby Ruzika.

Speaker 3

Arcana's Head of production is Matt Schultz.

Speaker 1

Natalie Tulluck and Maureen Polo are the executive producers for Hello Sunshine.

Speaker 2

Julia Weaver is the supervising producer, and Ali Perry is the executive producer for iHeart Podcasts. Tim Palazzola is our showrunner This week's episodes were recorded by Graham Gibson and Joel Morales.

Speaker 1

Our theme song is by Anna Stump and Hamilton lighthauser special thanks to Connell Byrne and Will Pearson.

Speaker 2

I'm Simone Boyce.

Speaker 1

You can find me at Simone Boyce on Instagram and TikTok.

Speaker 3

And I'm Danielle Robey on Instagram and TikTok.

Speaker 2

That's ro Ba y. We'll see you Monday. Y'all. Keep looking on the bright side.

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