This week, our friend Betsy joins us to talk one of the more baffling nostalgia-fueled cultural phenomena of the 90s – Space Jam! Based on the best-sneaker-selling Super Bowl commercial, Space Jam contrives a situation in which Michael Jordan (“playing” himself) joins Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes for a high-stakes game of basketball against the Monstars, in order to keep them from being kidnapped and made into amusement park attractions. (Apparently the screenwriters of this film had never been to a Six Flags; it already happened.)
Along the way, we ask the important questions: What is Lola Bunny doing here, and why does she get five minutes of screentime? Is the film a hidden exploration of Michael Jordan’s personal demons and his temporary retirement from basketball? Why is this movie about cartoon basketball called Space Jam?! Listen to find our answers and more, including our custom cocktail and drinking rules!
(Special thanks to our sponsor Basecamp, a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)
Related Links:
The Space Jam website (which is still up!)
Amazon page for Chuck Amuck, the Chuck Jones memoir referenced in the episode
LISTEN HERE OR DOWNLOAD:
THIS EPISODE’S DRINK: Michael’s Secret Stuff
We took liberally from the title of the film for this one, as we made a cocktail based around the most “alien” jam we could find – rose hip jam – and enhanced it with some fizzy ginger ale and nutty, citrus flavors. The Peychaud’s is crucial to make sure it doesn’t get too tart.
1 tbsp rose hip jam
3 parts brandy
1 part amaretto
1 part orange liqueur
3 parts ginger ale
dash, Peychaud’s bitters
1) Combine jam and liqueurs in a shaker with ice; shake like mad to break up the jam.
2) Pour straight into pilsner glass; top with ginger ale and Peychaud’s. Serve.
DRINKING RULES FOR SPACE JAM:
- Whenever Looney Tunes or human characters undergo cartoon physics
- Every time a female character actually speaks
- Any time someone says the word “balls” (whether couched in a sport or not)
FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:
Bill Murray (Bill Murray) shouts, “Let’s go BULLS!”
Join us next week as we rub elbows with the rakish Jack Burton as he gets into Big Trouble in Little China!
