A League of Their Own: 10th biggest movie of 1992
A League of Their Own opened number one and became the 10th biggest movie of 1992, a commercial triumph that surprised even Geena Davis.
Where this was said
Thelma & Louise: Reception, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney's Confession
At 52:47 · chapter starts 49:20
The cultural reception of Thelma & Louise in 1991 was more complicated than its legacy suggests. A week after release, Susan and Geena were on the cover of Time magazine alongside editorials denouncing the film's supposed misandry. (Dax's response: 'You mean rapist-bashing?') It succeeded commercially anyway. Brad Pitt showed up as an unknown and was instantly, obviously a star — playful, loose, fully committed, and having the best time of his life. Years later, sitting next to George Clooney on a transatlantic flight, Geena learned that Clooney had auditioned for the Pitt role and never let go of the loss. She had no memory of his audition — and lied and said she did, because she wasn't yet brave enough to say otherwise.
Brad Pitt on the Set of Thelma & Louise
Brad Pitt showed up to Thelma & Louise as an unknown and was immediately, obviously a star — fun, playful, loose, and totally unselfconscious. Geena Davis says she knew the moment she saw the audience's reaction that this was the reaction he was always going to get.
George Clooney Hated Brad Pitt for Stealing Thelma & Louise
On a transatlantic flight, George Clooney told Geena Davis he 'hated' Brad Pitt — then revealed it was because Pitt got the part in Thelma & Louise. Clooney had auditioned with Davis. She had absolutely no memory of it. She lied and said she did.
Similar snapshots
Music school dropout rate ~87–90%
The music conservatory Mark Manson attended had a dropout rate of approximately 87–90%, illustrating how few people reach the 'religious' stage of commitment to a creative calling.
AI novel 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' sold for $2.4M
A novel called 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' triggered a 14-publisher bidding war and sold for $2.4 million before critics alleged it was predominantly written by AI.
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere to offer to produce her Netflix special, which became Wake Up.
Posed as a courier to pitch HBO Canada
Robby Hoffman posed as a courier to hand-deliver her spec script directly to the president of HBO Canada early in her career.
Two Netflix specials filmed in one night
Robby and Mulaney filmed two shows in one night for the Netflix special; after the first they knew they had it, so the second was a victory lap.
250–300 shows per year
Jimmy Carr performs up to 300 shows a year, often doing two shows per night, which he says reduces nerves rather than increasing them.
Comedy optimal speech: 92 BPM
Jimmy Carr says that speaking at roughly 92 beats per minute is the optimal cadence for comedy and public speaking, including political speeches like Obama's.
The oldest joke is ~4,000 years old
The oldest recorded joke appears in a Roman book called 'The Lover of Laughter' and is still funny — a barber asking how a man wants his haircut, who replies 'in silence'.
Overton window expanded by comedians
Jimmy Carr argues that comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Dave Chappelle have permanently expanded the conversational Overton window on sex, politics, and taboo topics.
