Who's That Girl? A 'New Girl' Podcast

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 11, Santa, which originally aired on December 11, 2012 and was written by Luvh Rakhe and directed by Craig Zisk. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

When the loft realizes everyone is headed to celebrate the holidays separately, they try to maximize their time by attending multiple Christmas parties! At the parties, Jess gets a surprise visit from Sam, Winston deals with a cranberry stuck in his ear, Nick and Angie get to the next level, and Cece is trying to show Schmidt she’s still his friend.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Santa - Throughout the episode, the loft mates and their partners were talking about their experiences with Santa… and they even thought they saw him at the end of the episode!

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Bah Humbug - Cece gave Schmidt a gift and his response was “Bah Humbug'' because he was upset. Bah Humbug is an exclamation that conveys curmudgeonly displeasure. It’s most commonly known as a phrase used by the character “Ebenezer Scrooge” in A Christmas Carol who exclaims "Bah! Humbug!" as a retort to anything sentimental or overly festive.
• Chicago Bears - Nick is making fun of Winston for believing in Santa and Winston comes back saying Nick only eats mayo sandwiches on Chicago Bears’ game days, which Nick does in a superstitious belief of thinking that makes them win. The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, in 1920 and moved to Chicago in 1921.
• Boy Meets World - Schmidt commented that the DJ at his work Christmas party was really respected and also an actor on Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World is an American television sitcom that ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC. The show chronicles the everyday events and life-lessons of Cory Matthews and his family and friends through Middle School, High School, and College.
• Taken / Liam Neeson - When Nick and Angie were hooking up in the sleigh at Schmidt’s work party, he references the movie Taken and its main character, Liam Neesan. Taken follows ​​a retired CIA agent as he travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his kidnapped daughter while she was on a trip to Paris. William John Neeson is an actor from Northern Ireland known for well known movies like Kinsey, Schindler’s List, The Grey, The A-Team, Taken, and Love Actually.
• Transporter Movies / Jason Statham  - Cece gave Schmidt a tungsten carbide metal bracelet and Schmidt commented it was “...what Statham wore in all the Transporter movies.” The Transporter is a 2002 action-thriller film that stars Jason Statham as Frank Martin, a driver for hire, AKA a "transporter", who will deliver anything, anywhere for the right price. There are six films in the Transporter franchise and one TV show. Jason Statham is also known for action movies like Crank, Furious 7, Spy, and The Meg.

We also cover some of our favorite lines like Schmidt saying “bah humbug” to Cece and how he described Christmas as “White Anglo-Saxon Winter Privilege Night” as our “Schmidtisms” this episode. For our “not in the 2020s” we discussed how Schmidt mansplained lapdancing to Angie and wanting to hook up with a “fatty in an elf costume” as well as the continuation of Schmidt’s approach to Cece’s culture and Nick rationalizing Angie’s job. In our “yes in the 2020s” we discussed the loft hiding Jess and later when she stood up for herself with Sam. We also give a brief look into Jeris Poindexter (Santa/cop), the Guest Star we feature in this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: David Walton (Sam - discussed on S2E3), Olivia Munn (Angie - discussed on S2E10), Paul Grace (Security Guard), and Edward Hong (Male Night Nurse).

Additionally in the podcast we mentioned how the cop who stopped the loft mates had a badge that said “Nicholas” on it and how Nick has many nightmare situations.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Irish Good-bye - In this episode, the loft agrees that the only way to go to multiple holiday parties is by doing the Irish good-bye. This phrase indicates exiting a party or event without saying goodbye or giving advance notice, usually indicating an avoidance of displaying any emotion. While there isn’t an exact source of this phrase, one possible historical source is when many Irish residents fled to America during the Potato Famine (1845-1852).
• EDM - When the loft arrives at Schmidt’s friend’s party, Jess asks if they’re going to play computer music all night. Electronic Dance Music is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made for clubs, raves, and festivals. It’s generally produced by DJs by creating a mix of multiple tracks seamlessly moving from one to the other. The popularity grew globally in the 2000s and by the early 2010s the term “electronic dance music” was popularized to rebrand rave culture.
• North Pole - When the loft runs into who they think is Santa, they mention he should be at the North Pole. The North Pole is the point in the Northern hemisphere where the Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface but is not the Magnetic North Pole. This area is also known as the location of Santa Claus’s workshop and where he lives. The Canada Post has even assigned it the postal code of H0H 0H0 referring to “ho ho ho!” which is one of Santa’s traditional exclamations.

This episode got a 9/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Winston and Kelly rated this episode a 9/10 and her favorite character was Jess!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 12!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 10, Bathtub, which originally aired on December 4, 2012 and was written by Donick Cary and directed by Tristram Shapeero. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Jess is lobbying the rest of the loft to get a bathtub but the only one onboard is Winston (secretly). Meanwhile, Nick meets a new woman and Schmidt tries to get back together with Cece.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• James Brown - When Jess makes a collage of everyone in a bathtub, she replaced Winston with a photo of James Brown stating, “If you don’t smile for my photos, you get replaced.” As we mentioned in the podcast, here’s an article about the controversy of James Brown’s death.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• "Raspberry Beret" / Prince - When Winston and Jess are discussing the bathtub at the bar, they talk about what they want to play on the jukebox. "Raspberry Beret" is a song written by Prince and the lead single from Prince & the Revolution's 1985 album Around the World in a Day. Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor, and director. Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the late 20th century, he was known for his flamboyant and androgynous persona, eclectic work, and wide vocal range.

We also cover Schmidt’s double V pitch as our “Schmidtism” this episode. Our “not in the 2020s” included how Nick tried to make Angie’s job more moral and our “yes in the 2020s” included Winston’s eventual comfort in sharing that he wanted a bathtub and the way the show normalized panic attacks and spoke about mental health issues. We also explore the career of Olivia Munn (Angie), the guest star of this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Carla Gugino (Emma - discussed in S2E7), Jeff Kober (Remy - discussed in S1E12), Jeremiah L. Barrow (Teenage Winston), Alicia Sixtos (Tiffany), Porscha Coleman (Blade), Peter Navy Tuiasosopo (Steve), Paul McKinney (Driver's Ed Teacher), and Craig Gellis (Mike).

Additionally in this podcast, we discussed how the hose was not on while the bathtub was overflowing and how the way Winston was laying on the roof changed based on where the camera angle was. We also talked about how Olivia Munn was in the movie Magic Mike which is a movie referenced earlier in New Girl when Schmidt dressed up as Matthew McConaughey for Halloween and how at the beginning of this episode, the guys were watching an actual WWF championship match between Hulk Hogan and the Iron Sheik in 1984. 

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Camel Clutch - At the beginning of the episode, Nick, Winston, and Schmidt are watching wrestling and commenting on the particular wrestling move, the camel clutch. The camel clutch is a move that was popularized by the wrestler "The Sheik" who used it as a closer. There are also multiple variations of the camel clutch including the leg-trap camel clutch and the stepover armlock camel clutch.
• Herringbone - When Schmidt’s reviewing his binder of suits, he pulls out a page with a herringbone suit exclaiming about how he didn’t know how it got into this binder. Herringbone refers to both a specific pattern made out of parallel rows where two adjacent rows slope in opposite directions and to a suit or any twilled fabric using this pattern.
• College - Schmidt mentions to Cece that because he worked late, their baby can now attend any college they want and mentions specifically the two below:
  • UCLA - The University of California, Los Angeles is a public university located in LA that traces its origins back to 1882. The university is organized into 6 undergraduate colleges, 7 professional schools, and 4 professional health science schools. For one year of undergraduate tuition, the cost is approximately $37,000 in state.
  • UMASS - The University of Massachusetts is a public university with 5 campuses across Massachusetts with the flagship being located in Amherst. For one year of undergraduate tuition, the cost is approximately $37,000 out of state.

This episode got a 9/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Jess and Kelly rated this episode a 7.5/10 and her favorite character was Angie!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 11!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 9, Eggs, which originally aired on November 27, 2012 and was written by Kay Cannon and directed by Neal Brennan. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Sadie and her wife Melissa are visiting for dinner and share that they are pregnant and also that women lose 90% of their eggs by the time they hit 30. This gives Jess much anxiety while Cece is less concerned and they both take fertility tests. Meanwhile, Nick is committed to writing his novel Z is for Zombies and Schmidt learns he may need a little more in bed despite his self-proclaimed va-genius status. 

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Ernest Hemingway - Nick channels Ernest Hemingway in this episode so he can write his novel, Z is for Zombies.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Helen Mirren - Melissa mentions that her vagina is old, but gets better with age like Helen Mirren. Dame Helen Lydia Mirren DBE is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the first and only person to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting in both the US and the UK, winning a BAFTA Film Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress, a Tony Award, and an Olivier Award. In the Queen's 2003 Birthday Honours, Mirren was appointed a Dame (DBE) for services to drama and in 2013 she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is currently 75 years old.
• Andrew Bynum - While at Winston’s radio show, Nick says he wants to say something about Andrew Bynum’s hair. Andrew Bynum is a former American professional basketball player, who played the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is known for having many hair-dos.
• Shazam - In a flashback, Emma says “hold on, I’m ‘shazaming’ this song”. Shazam is an application that can identify music, movies, advertising, and television shows, based on a short sample played using the microphone on the device.
• The Grapes of Wrath / 1930s Dustbowl - Jess says her uterus is like The Grapes of Wrath, inferring that it’s dry and empty. The Grapes of Wrath is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939, and won Steinbeck the Nobel Prize in 1962. Set during the Great Depression, the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought and economic hardship.
• Blair Underwood - Winston says he has Blair Underwood-like skin. Blair Erwin Underwood is an American actor known for films like Gattaca, Deep Impact, Just Cause, and Rules of Engagement.
• When Schmidt is describing how he navigates the vagina, he mentions a few different references:
  • [Finding] Nemo - Schmidt shares there’s a move he does called ‘Losing’ Nemo. Losing Nemo is a play on Finding Nemo which is an animated movie where a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring his son home after he is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney.
  • Oscar - Schmidt mentions at the end of his moves he “goes on stage to collect his Oscar”. The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry. They are regarded as one of the most significant and prestigious awards in the entertainment industry.
• Downton Abbey - When Winston says Nick is not a finisher, he said that’s why Nick is only three episodes into Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes.

We also cover a “Schmidtism” when Schmidt is trying to get advice from Sadie and set up an appointment with her. Our “not in the 2020s” was how the episode qualified Sadie and Melissa having a “lesbian” baby and our “yes in the 2020s” was Schmidt’s support of Nick’s constant misspelling of the word “rhythm” and the loft all listening to Winston reading Nick’s book aloud. We also give a brief look into Kay Cannon (Melissa), the Guest Star we feature in this episode. 

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Carla Gugino (Emma - discussed in S2E7), Nelson Franklin (Robby - discussed in S2E1), and June Diane Raphael (Sadie - discussed in S1E15).

Additionally, while we are not doctors, we did take a look into whether the age 30 was when women lost most of their eggs and referenced these two articles: For Women Who Want Kids, 'the Sooner the Better': 90 Percent of Eggs Gone By Age 30; A Breakdown of the Fertility Timeline.  

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Curiosity Rover - Through the door of his bedroom, Schmidt says that the Curiosity Rover has touched down on the planet of Mars. This is a reference to the Mars rover that was designed to explore a crater on Mars through NASA. It was launched from Cape Canaveral in November 2011 and landed on August 6, 2012. The goal was to investigate Martian climate and geology and its mission was extended indefinitely. It is still operational and has been on Mars for over 8 years.
• John “Grizzly” Adams - When talking to Schmidt, Sadie refers to vaginas as a “Grizzly Adams.” John “Grizzly” Adams was a famous mountain man and grizzly bear trainer. He loved the outdoors and nature and eventually cared for and trained grizzlys for display, zoos, and circuses.
• Pommel horse - Jess mentions falling off of a pommel horse when being worried about having affected her own fertility. The pommel horse is a part of artistic gymnastics that is traditionally only used by male gymnasts. It has a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather with plastic handles, also known as pommels.
• “Arrive at the bridge, meet the troll, and then answer his riddles three” - When Schmidt is meeting with Sadie he shares the above phrase. While not specific to any one story, this is a common trope in movies and stories where there is a troll guarding a bridge that won’t let anyone past unless they pass a test, usually with 3 questions.
• Studio 54 - One of Emma’s fantasies that she explored with Schmidt on this episode was a French maid handyman with a Studio 54 busboy. Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre in Manhattan and used to be a disco nightclub. It first was an opera house and later an entertainment venue under different names until it became a radio and television studio in 1942.

This episode got an 8/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Winston and Kelly also rated this episode an 8/10 and her favorite character was Sadie!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 10!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 8, Parents, which originally aired on November 20, 2012 and was written by Ryan Koh and directed by Jesse Peretz. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

It’s Thanksgiving again and Jess’s divorced parents are coming to the loft along with Schmidt’s cousin who is also named Schmidt. Jess tries to get her parents back together while Schmidt begins competing with his cousin about who’s more manly.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• LEGOLAND - Schmidt mentions that Big Schmidt never made him feel bad about not wanting to ride the rides at LEGOLAND.
• The Parent Trap (1961 and 1998) - Jess tries to “Parent Trap” her parents into getting back together while they both visit for Thanksgiving.
• Grey Gardens - Jess and her mom Joan joke how they always could be like the Mom and daughter in the documentary Grey Gardens as a back-up plan.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Rocky IV - When Cece mentioned the movie Jess made her watch a million times, Jess first thought Cece meant Rocky IV, which is a 1985 American sports film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth installment in the Rocky series, which focuses on a professional boxer’s life.
• Twilight - When Nick was sharing the premise of his book, Z is for Zombies, with Bob, Bob mentions it sounds like the plot of Twilight, which is a young adult vampire-romance novel by author Stephenie Meyer.
• Katie Couric - After Jess and Cece did Joan’s make-up, Joan thought she looked like a “slutty Katie Couric”. Katie Couric is an American television and online journalist, presenter, producer, and author. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company and has been a television host at all Big Three television networks in the United States: NBC News, CBS News, and ABC News.
• Jimmy Croche - When Nick and Joan were cooking, they had Jimmy Croche’s music playing. James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. His breakthrough came in 1972, but in 1973, the day before the lead single to his fifth album was released, Croce and five others died in a plane crash.
• When the Schmidt’s were plating the Thanksgiving dinner, they made comments of how their plates appeared like:
  • Picasso - Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. He is known for his neoclassical style in the 1910s and early 1920s; his work in the mid-1920s often has characteristics of Surrealism.
  • Bobby Flay - Robert William Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants and has hosted several Food Network television programs.

We cover Schmidt and Big Schmidt’s “all day” dialogues as our Schmidtism. The masculinity contest in this episode kinda blurred the lines between the “not” and the “yes” for our “in the 2020s” section including not allowing Winston to consent to the kiss at the end of the episode as a “no”. Our other “yes in the 2020s” included normalizing self-prioritization (how Jess’s parents didn’t get back together and are happier that way) and your parents’ relationship status doesn’t dictate your own relationships. We also explore the careers of Jamie Lee Curtis (Joan), Rob Reiner (Bob), and Rob Riggle (Big Schmidt), the guest stars of this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Matthew Jacob Wayne (Young Schmidt) and Michael Chey (Young Big Schmidt). We previously discussed Lauren Dair Owens (Young Jess) and Ariela Barer (Young Cece) in S2E5 Models.

We also discussed Jamie Lee Curtis’s website My Hand In Yours™ and how despite Schmidt saying he couldn’t kiss Winston because he was a man, he had previously fredo-kissed Nick many times.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Julienne - When Schmidt is detailing what a post-Clinton manhood competition might include, he mentions being able to cut peppers in the classic julienne style. This is a French cooking term for cutting vegetables into thin strips, usually about 3 inches long and anywhere from 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch thick.
• Football Owners/Teams - When Nick is distracting Bob, he ends up bonding with him over various football references including specific teams and owners.
  • Al Davis - Al Davis was an American football coach and the main owner of the Oakland Raiders for 39 years. He died in 2011 at the age of 82 in Oakland and had also served as the commissioner of the American Football League in 1966. He was known for his motto “Just win, baby”, which paired well with the Raiders as they became one of the NFL’s most successful teams during the 1970s and 1980s, winning 3 Super Bowl Titles.
  • Ravens - The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team that competes in the National Football League and was established by Art Modell. They are one of the more successful franchises, qualifying for the NFL playoffs 13 times since 2000 and winning 2 Super Bowls.
  • Art Modell - Art Modell first owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years before establishing the Baltimore Ravens franchise which he owned for 9 years. He was a controversial figure in Cleveland due to the relocation but passed away in 2012 at the age of 87 in Baltimore, Maryland.
  • NFL - The NFL stands for the National Football League, a professional American football league which has 32 teams with 16 in the National Football Conference and 16 in the American Football Conference. It is one of 4 major professional sports leagues in North America and the highest professional level of American football in the world.
  • Steve Sabol - Steve Sabol was an American filmmaker and specifically was the president and founder of NFL Films alongside his father. He began working at NFL Films as a cameraman after he graduated and started in the industry when his father got the rights to the 1962 NFL Championship game. He went on to serve as an editor and writer in addition to the cameraman in the 1960s and 1970s. He became an on-air personality in the 1980s through ESPN and won 35 Emmys throughout his career.

This episode got an 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick and Kelly rated this episode an 8.5/10 and her favorite character was (Big) Schmidt!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 9!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 7, Menzies, which originally aired on November 13, 2012 and was directed by Jason Woliner and written by Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Jess has her period and all the emotions along with it. She’s still between jobs and in this episode, she interviews to get a job as an Adult Education teacher.  Meanwhile, Winston thinks he has sympathy PMS and Nick meets a guy on a bench who helps him process his feelings. Also in this episode, Schmidt signs a sex contract with his boss, even though Cece seems to be interested again.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• “Jump Around” by House of Pain - When Jess announces she got a job, Schmidt plays this song to celebrate the return of hot water to the loft.
• To Kill a Mockingbird / Boo Radley - In Jess’ interview she mentions the adult students wanting to read To Kill a Mockingbird and the interviewer mentions her “puppy in a cup” was named “Boo” after the book’s character Boo Radley.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Ken dolls - Jess mentions, in rage, that she’s going to kick the testicles off the guys so then they’ll look like Ken dolls. Ken is a fashion doll and fictional character introduced by Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier. As most dolls do, the Ken doll is nondescript with body parts.
• She-Hulks - Cece remembers Schmidt calling his co-workers “Pant-suited corporate She-Hulks”. She-Hulk is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books first in 1980 published by Marvel Comics. She-Hulk’s premise is that Jennifer Walters, a lawyer, received an emergency blood transfusion after an injury from her cousin, Bruce Banner, and acquired a milder version of his Hulk condition.
• Judy Blume - Winston’s experience of sympathy PMS was mentioned to be like a character in a Judy Blume novel. Judy Blume is an American writer of children, young adult, and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has since published more than 25 novels. In her children’s novels, Judy Blume is known for teaching children and young adults about their bodies.
• [The Chronicles of] Narnia - Schmidt mentions he wants to wander into Emma’s “Narnia of Sexual Terror”. Narnia is a reference to the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals depicted in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Originally published between 1950 and 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia have been adapted for radio, television, the stage, film and computer games.
• Visual: Maneki-Neko - When Jess was interviewing there was a waving lucky cat behind the interviewer in the office. The maneki-neko is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat, traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail, with a paw raised in a Japanese beckoning gesture.

We also cover the scene where Jess and Nick play out a drumroll for Schmidt as our “Schmidtism”. Our “not in the 2020s” include the way the character Emma was portrayed and acted as well as Schmidt’s slight mention of Cece having a “curry smell”. Our “yes in the 2020s” include how Nick talking with Tran was portrayed as well as seeing an episode of TV centered around periods and PMS! We also give a brief look into Carla Gugino (Emma) and Ralph Ahn (Tran), the guest stars in this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Molly Cheek (Marion, the interviewer), Dalila Ali Rajah (the interviewer who called Jess back to Marion), Jacqueline Suzuki (the flute player), and Stone Eisenmann (Young Nick).

We also discussed Netflix’s captions around Nick leaving for the park at the beginning of the episode, what rock bottom actually means, and Jess’s swimsuit changing color.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Tinny music - While not stated in the episode, Netflix captioned the hold music when Schmidt is talking to the gas company as tinny music. Tinny music isn’t a genre of its own, however tinny music refers to music that is thin in tone.
• Compact discs - When Jess is trying to pay Schmidt for her share of the bills, she says that a library card now helps with more than books since you can also check out compact discs. Compact discs also known as CDs are a digital disc data storage format that is used to store and play audio recordings. It was later adapted to also store data and drove other format adaptations for other types of media. It was introduced in 1982 and by 2007, 200 billion CDs had been sold worldwide.
• This episode revolved around “menzies” or menstruation and PMS and the following items were either referenced or shown on screen:
  • Sympathy PMS - While not exactly what Winston describes, there is a similar behavioral state called irritable male syndrome which has similar symptoms to PMS.
  • Hot Water Bottle - Hot water bottles are useful when one is experiencing PMS cramps as it improves blood flow and relaxes tight muscles. This should always be wrapped in a towel for safety purposes.
  • “Red devil in my belly” - The term “red devil” is sometimes used to refer to one’s menstrual cycle.

This episode got a 7.5/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick and Kelly rated this episode an 8/10 and her favorite character was Jess!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 8!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 6, Halloween, which originally aired on October 30, 2012 and was written by David Iserson and directed by Jesse Peretz. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Jess is working at a haunted house for a Halloween festival and realizes that she has real feelings for Sam. Meanwhile, Nick reconnects with an old college flame, Schmidt tries to get back together with Cece, and Winston tries to rekindle his relationship with Shelby.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Beverly Hills Chihuahua - When Nick is telling Amelia about Los Angeles he says that many of the scenes of Beverly Hills Chihuahua were shot in the city.
• Axel Foley - Schmidt calls Winston Axel Foley when Winston’s dressed up as a cop for Halloween.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Woody Allen - Schmidt thought Jess’ haunted house costume looked like a zombie version of Woody Allen. For over six decades, Woody Allen is known for being an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian for multiple Academy Award-winning films. Woody Allen is also known for his odd relationships and recently, allegations of sexual abuse.
• Marx Brothers - Winston added to the conversation of ragging on Jess’ costume by imitating the Marx Brothers. The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. The brother’s characters consisted of Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo, each of whom developed a highly distinctive stage persona.
• [The Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtle[s] - Robby mentioned that it was his dream to be a Ninja Turtle. Ninja Turtle is short for The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which are are a fictional superhero quartet of juvenile bipedal tortoises, trained in the ancient art of ninjitsu ninja that appear in a self-titled franchise consisting of comic books, animated children's cartoons, feature films, and other tie-in products.
• Bea Arthur - While not mentioned in the episode, Nick was dressed up as Bea Arthur by wearing a bee antenna and a shirt that says Arthur. Bea Arthur was an American activist, comedian, and actress. She started her career in 1947 and performed in musicals, operas, tv, and film.
• Bugs Bunny - When Sam is trying to downplay his interaction with kids at this office, he says that the kid gave him a picture where she just traced Bugs Bunny. Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the 1930s and has since appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Guy who shot John Lennon -  Schmidt thought Robby looked like a guy who shot John Lennon dressed as a Ninja Turtle in his Halloween costume. Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon in 1980 and at the time Mark David Chapman’s appearance was similar to Robby’s in this episode. John Lennon was a British singer-songwriter who was a frontman of The Beatles, the famed British rock band.
• Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike - Schmidt’s second costume after he gives Robby his Abe Lincoln suit is Matthew McConaughey in the movie Magic Mike. This movie aired in 2012 and centered around a young, new male stripper and his mentor. Matthew McConaughey plays Dallas, a strip club owner who has dreams of a full empire of clubs.

We also cover how Schmidt is obviously going to be young Abe Lincoln for Halloween as our “Schmidtism”. Our “not in the 2020s” were how Schmidt continues to put Robby down and the way he jumped up on the carousel with Cece. Our “yes in the 2020s” was everything about Robby and Sam being honest. We also explore the careers of Maria Thayer (Amelia) and Nate Hartley (Frankenstein’s monster), the guest stars of this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Zoë Hall (the demon nurse), Lora Plattner (the mummy), Hesley Harps (the coat of arms), and Ryan Christiansen (the cop).

In this podcast we also mentioned the iconic scene from Beverly Hills Cop where Axel Foley put a banana in a car’s tailpipe. In our spoiler section, we also mentioned an article that covers how this episode might predict future storylines which you can find here (but does have spoilers!).

The Halloween costumes of the episode are:

• Jess - Zombie of Christina Barcelona
• Schmidt - Young Abraham Lincoln (and later Matthew McConaughey from Magic Mike)
• Nick - Bea Arthur
• Winston - Cop
• Cece - Angel
• Robby - Ninja Turtle
• Shelby - Reigning Cats and Dogs
• Sam - Clown (although he only wears a nose)

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Abraham Lincoln - Schmidt decides to dress up like Young Abe Lincoln for Halloween; Abraham Lincoln was the United States’ 16th President from 1861 until 1865 when he was assassinated. He led the United States through the American Civil War and is often remembered as a hero of the US and is always ranked as one of the greatest American presidents in history.
• Queen of England - When Winston is trying to explain why Shelby’s outfit doesn’t make sense, he says that he doesn’t see the Queen of England running around with a cape and British people stapled to it. The current Queen of England is Elizabeth II born in 1926 and she became the queen in 1952. She is the longest serving female head of state and the world’s oldest living monarch.
• Purim - When Cece tells Schmidt to change she mentions that he has more costumes in his closet and Schmidt clarifies that they’re for Purim which occurs in March. Purim is a Jewish holiday which is recounted in the Book of Esther from the 5th century BCE to remember the saving of the Jewish people from a Persian official. It is celebrated on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Adar and some customs include wearing masks and costumes while celebrating publicly and in parades.
• Guillotine Choke Hold - As Schmidt is talking to Winston about Cece, he mentions putting Robby into a guillotine choke hold to “show [him] a nice guy”. This is a martial arts and wrestling form using the arms to circle their opponent’s neck like a guillotine. This prevents airflow to the lungs and is done to prevent the opponent from escaping. A guillotine was best known in the French Revolution as a way to carry out executions by beheading.

This episode got an 8/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick and Kelly rated this episode an 8.5/10 and her favorite character was Jess!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 7!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 5, Models, which originally aired on October 23, 2012 and was written by Josh Malmuth and directed by Eric Appel. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

It’s Cece’s birthday and Jess comes to celebrate but clashes with her model friends. They get in a fight that leaves their boobs sore and also leads to Cece getting drunk and almost missing her modeling gig. Being the amazing friend she is, Jess fills in… This is also the episode where Schmidt buys Nick a cookie.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Clueless - Jess and Cece have a tradition to watch Clueless for Cece’s birthday every year.
• Jay Cutler - Nick tells Schmidt the only time a man is allowed to think about another man is when that man is Jay Cutler.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• YOLO - Nadia yells “YOLO” when Jess agrees to go out with Cece and her friends for her birthday. YOLO stands for You Only Live Once and along the same lines as the Latin phrase “carpe diem,” it is a call to live life to its fullest extent, even embracing behavior which carries some risk.
• Serena Williams - Nick calls Schmidt Serena Williams because he thought Schmidt was grunting at him. Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player. She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the second-most of all time. Tennis players often grunt when hitting the ball.
• Wilmer Valderrama - After going out for Cece’s birthday, Nadia thought she hooked up with Wilmer Valderrama. Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama is an American actor, producer, singer, and television personality. He is known for his role as Fez in That ’70s Show and as Carlos Madrigal in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.
• “You Make My Dreams” - When Jess tries to model at the Ford car event, the song “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates plays. "You Make My Dreams", sometimes incorrectly referred to as "You Make My Dreams Come True" is from the band’s ninth studio album, Voices. The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981.
• Brian Austin Green - In the flashback scene, Schmidt mentions that Brian Austin Green is his favorite rapper. Brian Austin Green is an American actor, rapper, and producer, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the original television series Beverly Hills, 90210. He is not typically known for his rapping and this was more of a joke for New Girl to make.
• "shake what yo mamma gave ya" - When Nadia was trying to convince Cece to go out instead of doing her usual birthday tradition, she said “I shake this thing that my mama gave me”. This phrase means to shake your butt and came from the song “Shake Whatcha Mamma Gave Ye” by Poison Clan released in 1992.

We also cover when Schmidt gave Nick a cookie at the beginning of the episode as the “Schmidtism” this episode. We talk about how the show portrays the models and Jess speaking about all models being “dumb” as our “not in the 2020s” and how Nick was making fun of Schmidt in the flashbacks. Our “yes in the 2020s” was about all the love in this episode with how Winston and Schmidt loved Nick and how Nick reciprocated by the end of the episode with his cookie shaped like a Jewish star. We also give a brief look into Lauren Dair Owens (young Jess) and Ariela Barer (young Cece), the Guest Stars we feature in this episode. Lauren’s youtube page can be found here.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Stone Eisenmann (Young Nick), Jordan Fuller (Young Winston), Jason Antoon (the Clipboard Guy), James M. Connor (Gary), Rob Reinis (the account executive), Agnes Albright (Olga), Britni Stanwood (a foreign model), Greice Santo (Maria), Jesus Solorio (the fake Wilmer Valderrama), and Johanna Parker (the model scout).

In the podcast, we also discussed Zooey’s recent instagram post about having a forehead and the song “You Make My Dreams'' by Hall and Oates and its significance to 500 Days of Summer. Additionally, we noticed Schmidt continuing to look at his actuarial chart from Episode 4 and anniversary themes by years.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• VHS - When Jess shows up at Cece’s house to celebrate her birthday, she talks about watching Clueless on VHS. VHS stands for Video Home System and was a standard for analog video recording on tape cassettes. Production of the magnetic tape video recording began in the 1950s and it was the primary home video format through the 1980s. In 1996, the DVD format was introduced and VHS production began to decline and by July of 2016, all VHS equipment manufacturing had stopped.
• Turtles - Throughout this episode Nick is looking at getting a turtle and he mentions the following types of turtles:
  • Galapagos Tortoise - This is the largest living species group of 15 very large tortoises. Their lifespans in the wild can be over 100 years old and there has been one tortoise who, in captivity, lived to be at least 175 years old.
  • Eastern Box Turtle - This is a subspecies of the hinge-shelled turtles and is a land turtle native to the eastern parts of the US. In captivity, their life span can be as short as 3 days.
  • Spur Thighed Tortoise - This species of tortoise, also known as the Greek tortoise, is one of 5 species of Mediterranean tortoises. Their lifespan is older than 125 years and while not confirmed, there are reports of some living to be 200 years old.
  • Nearsighted Loner Turtle - While there isn’t a turtle specifically called a “nearsighted loner,” the mata mata freshwater turtle species is a natural loner and has good nearsighted vision. It’s primarily found in South America and in captivity, there have been reports of turtles living 30-35 years but there is not a lot of information about the mata mata’s lifespan in the wild.
• Jewish Star - When Nick brings Schmidt a cookie, he says that he couldn’t find one in the shape of a Jewish star and so he broke it into the pieces. This is a reference to the Star of David which is a modern symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism and is a star made up of two equilateral triangles.
• Joie de vivre - Schmidt said that Jess has too much “joie de vivre” when Jess is getting ready to go out with Cece and her model friends. This is a French phrase that means to enjoy life. Casual uses of the phrase can be dated back to the late 17th century although it was brought to prominence in the 19th century.
• Mama-bird - When Nick says he would be happy if he could throw up the cookie that Schmidt gave him and then feed it to Schmidt, Schmidt asks if Nick was trying to mama-bird him the cookie. This is a reference to how mother birds first digest their food and then feed it to their babies.

This episode got a 7.5/10 rating from Kritika and an 8/10 from Kelly and both had the same favorite character: Nick!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 6!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 4, Neighbors, which originally aired on October 9, 2012 and was written by Berkley Johnson and directed by Steve Pink. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

This episode, the loft gets some new younger neighbors and while Jess and Schmidt try to be friends with them, they worship Jess and hate Schmidt. Meanwhile, Nick feels compelled to “break” Schmidt and make him feel like he’s old which he does through pranking him. Winston is realizing what more he wants out of life and makes a career change.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Central to this episode, Jess creates “catch phrases” that come from TV shows like:
  • "Did I Do That" by Steve Urkel from Family Matters
  • “How rude” by Stephanie Tanner from Full House

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Old Spice + “the guy on the horse” - Nick is wearing Old Spice deodorant and Schmidt was unsure of the smell. Nick tries to explain that Old Spice as a brand is coming back in style, especially because of the “guy on the horse”, which is a reference to a series of Old Spice commercials.
• Mr. Belvedere - Jess was watching Mr. Belvedere at the beginning of the episode. Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that aired between 1985 and 1990 based on the 1947 novel Belvedere. The series follows posh butler Lynn Belvedere as he struggles to adapt to the Owens household.
• Characters from 80s Sitcoms - Jess mentions she can do character voices from any 80s sitcom. Specifically she mentions:
  • Alf - Alf is an American TV sitcom that aired between 1986 to 1990. The title character is ALF (an acronym for "alien life form") who crash-lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.
  • Cousin Larry Appleton [Perfect Strangers] - Larry Appleton is a character on the series Perfect Strangers, which aired from 1986 to 1993. The series chronicles the coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous. “Get out of the City Cousin Larry Appleton” was a phrase used by the character Balki in the show.
  • Fraiser Crane [Fraiser] - Dr. Fraiser Crane is the title character of the series Fraiser which aired from 1993 until 2004. Fraiser was created as a spin-off of the TV show Cheers, continuing the story of psychiatrist Frasier Crane as he returned to his hometown of Seattle and started building a new life as a radio advice show host while reconnecting with his father and brother and making new friends.
• Dolla-dolla bills, y'all - Schmidt mentions he’ll be at the neighbors party with bells on, and then makes a bad reference to the phrase ‘Dolla Dolla Bills, Y’all’ by instead saying ‘Dolla Dolla Bells Y’all’. This phrase is made known from the lyrics of the 1993 song C.R.E.A.M by Wu-Tang Clan. This phrase has also gone on to become a larger part of internet culture.
• [Jewish] Peter Pan - Schmidt mentions he’ll never stop growing and that he’s like a Jewish Peter Pan (that he also phrases as “Petya Pan”, “Petter Pan”, and “Pesach Pan”). Created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan is a fictional character that is a free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up. This Screen Rant article also compares the entire show New Girl to Peter Pan (note: there are spoilers in this article).
• Gran Torino (as in referring to Clint Eastwood being old) - When Nick is trying to talk to Schmidt in the middle of his spiral about the neighbors thinking he’s old, Schmidt calls Nick Gran Torino. Gran Torino is an American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film and plays an older man.
• Top Gun / Anthony Eds, the "Goose" man - Schmidt walks into the neighbors’ apartment and sees they are watching the movie Top Gun and calls out the character “Goose” played by the actor Anthony Edwards. Top Gun is a drama movie that follows United States Naval Aviator LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw as they are stationed aboard the USS Enterprise.
• Hilary Swank - Schmidt mentions that the actor Anthony Edwards is like the Hilary Swank of bald men. Hilary Swank is an American actress and film producer known for her roles in Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don’t Cry -- both of which she has won awards for -- P.S. I Love You, and The Horseman.
• [F]rank Sinatra - Winston calls himself “Prank” Sinatra after the famed musician Frank Sinatra as if to say he could smoothly pull off pranks. Francis “Frank” Albert Sinatra was an American singer and actor who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
• Parkour - Schmidt proclaims Parkour when he is quickly moving around and jumping on items in the apartment. Parkour is a training discipline where people aim to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without assisting equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

We also cover Schmidt’s happiness that the neighbors don’t hate him because of his age but rather his personality as our “Schmidtism”. In the “In the 2020s” section, our “not” was how Schmidt dismissed Nick as a professional because he wasn’t wearing a suit and our “yes” was how the loft were good friends including Schmidt encouraging Jess to follow her passion of teaching and the loft encouraging Winston with his job. We also give a brief look into the careers of Charlie Saxton (Chaz), Morgan Krantz (Fife), Jinny Chung (Sutton), and Jasmine Di Angelo (Brorie), the guest stars of this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Stone Eisenmann (Young Nick) and Jordan Fuller (Young Winston).

On this episode, we discussed actuarial life expectancy and shared our results from this quiz which we took for fun. We also discuss Schmidt and Nick’s ages being inconsistent through the show so far as well as top pranks within movies listed on this article and youtube link. Lastly, we also mention how Zooey Deschanel has made a guest appearance on the show Frasier who Jess does an impersonation of in the beginning of the episode.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• When Schmidt is sharing that he’s younger and more successful than the rest of the loft, he considers himself Snow Leopard and the rest of the loft DOS.
  • Snow Leopard - This is the 7th major operating release for the Apple operating system for their Macintosh computers. This operating system was released in August of 2009 and the next major release didn’t come until July 2011.
  • DOS - This was a disk operating system that was initially used in IBM PCs but the acronym was used for over a dozen other operating systems in the time frame of the 1960s - 1990s.
• TGIF - In this episode, Jess mentions that there’s a TGIF marathon on. The TGIF lineup specifically stood for "Thank Goodness It's Funny." and was a block of family friendly comedies from 1989 - 2000, 2003 - 2005, and 2018-2019.
• Sitar - When the neighbors are trying to invite Jess over, they mention that they have a sitar. The sitar is an Indian string instrument used in Hindustani classical music. It was invented in medieval India and was popularized by the composer Ravi Shankar and was used in the 1960s by bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
• Pigskin - When Winston is making his big speech, he compares his job to the “pigskin” in the game of life. Pigskin is slang for a football which was originally inflated with the bladders of animals like pigs that were later covered by leather leading to the term “pigskin”. Footballs that were made from the inflation of pig bladders were replaced in the 1860s when vulcanized rubber was invented.
• After Schmidt realizes the neighbors don’t like him, he tries to act cooler by doing burpees:
  • Olympics - When Schmidt is doing burpees, the neighbors sarcastically ask when the next Olympics is. The Olympic Games are an international sports competition featuring summer and winter sports where thousands of athletes from around the world compete and represent their countries. They are held every 4 years with either a Summer or Winter Olympics every 2 years.
  • “Set a PR” - When Schmidt is doing burpees, he exclaims that he’s going to “set a PR”. A “PR” is a personal record and is used to evaluate one’s own best performance as a goal to beat in future workout sessions.

This episode got a 7/10 Rating from Kritika and a 7.5/10 from Kelly and we both had the same favorite character again: Nick!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 5!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 3, Fluffer, which originally aired on October 2, 2012 and was directed by Fred Goss and written by J.J. Philbin and Kim Rosenstock.

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Jess shares with the loft mates that she’s having non-committal sex with Sam, but realizes she needs more to get in the mood. When Schmidt forces the boys to help, Nick ends up serving as her “Emotional Fluffer”. Meanwhile, Schmidt tries to convince a woman he met at a club that he’s a political candidate’s son, “Tugg Romney”. Winston is struggling in this episode as he and Shelby are in a rut.

We discuss Pop Culture References such as:

• Mitt Romney (& Mormonism) - Schmidt pretends to be a son of politician, Mitt Romney who is also of Mormon faith.
• Kanye West - Schmidt wears a belt with whales on it that he says Kanye West wore.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• The Walking Dead - Nick mentioned Jess was a “big girl” and could watch The Walking Dead alone. The Walking Dead is an American zombie post-apocalyptic horror television series based on the comic book series of the same name.
• [Jimmy] Fallon - Schmidt pretends that if he were to call Kanye West before bed, he would ask him if he was watching Fallon. James (Jimmy) Fallon is an American comedian, actor, television host, singer, writer, and producer, known for his work in television as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and is currently the host of late-night talk show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
• The Notebook - Jess mentions that she and Sam had a bad makeout session and just laid there like the old people in The Notebook. The Notebook is a romantic drama movie based on a book of the same name where an elderly man comforts his wife with dementia and remembers their love story; the elderly couple is often shown as laying together quietly.
• Adele - Winston mentions that men and women who are just friends should never do anything concerning Adele. Adele is an English singer and songwriter known for her melodic ballads. She is one of the world’s best-selling music artists with sales of over 120 million records.
• Taylor Swift - Cece noticed that Schmidt was going through a “Taylor Swift range of emotions”. Taylor Swift is an American singer and songwriter known for her narrative and emotional lyricism, which often takes inspiration from her personal life. She has won 11 Grammys (3 for Album of the Year) and 23 Billboard music awards.
• [Law & Order] SVU - Shelby asks Winston if he wants to come upstairs and watch SVU. SVU is short for Law & Order: SVU, which is a television series following the Special Victims Unit, a specially trained squad of detectives in the N.Y.P.D., who investigate sexually related crimes. This show is a spinoff of Law & Order and has now aired 492 episodes, surpassing the original show which only had 456 episodes.
• [Everybody Loves] Raymond - When Winston asks if Shelby’s sure she wants to watch SVU, she mentions she’s too tired to watch Raymond. Raymond is short for the television series, Everybody Loves Raymond, which is a sitcom about the experiences of Ray Barone and his family.
• Moonwalking - Nick moonwalks into his room after hearing Jess play the mixtape he made for her. Moonwalking is a dance move in which the dancer glides backwards but their body actions suggest forward motion. It became popular following Michael Jackson's moonwalk during the performance of his song, "Billie Jean”.
• Nick’s Sexy Mixtape Songs - Nick provides Jess with a mixtape to play to help get her in the mood. Songs on that mixtape that are either listed or played in the episode are:
  • "The Humpty Dance" - "The Humpty Dance" is a song by the rap group Digital Underground from their debut album Sex Packets. Released as the second single from the album in January 1990, it reached No. 11 on the pop chart, No. 7 on the R&B chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart.
  • "You Can Call Me Al" - Written by American singer and songwriter Paul Simon, the lyrics to “You Can Call Me Al” follow an individual seemingly experiencing a midlife crisis.
  • "LAY YOU DOWN" - The song is performed by Spank and is used in many television shows of the 2010s and beyond.

We also cover Schmidt’s description of how he wants to be Kanye’s friend as the “Schmidtism” in this episode. Our “not” for “In the 2020s” was how Schmidt discussed race in this episode when talking to Winston and Cece but our “yes” for “In the 2020s” was how Nick set his own boundaries for his friendship with Jess. Additionally, we also discussed the careers of David Walton (Sam), and Taryn Southern (Megan).

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we did not discuss in the podcast: Rebecca Delgado Smith (Courtney, one of the Kappas), Anisha Adusumilli (April, another Kappa), and Tarina Pouncy (the waitress).

We also talk about how Nick’s speech to Jess at the restaurant incorporated aspects of the Animaniacs in the way he said “Hello Nurse”. You can watch a clip of the Animaniacs version here and the rebooted version that inverts the gender norms here. We also talk about David Walton’s robes which you can find here.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Olympics - When Schmidt is preparing to pretend to be a Romney, he talks about how the family had a Romney Olympics every summer which he felt would be similar to the real Olympics. The Olympic Games are an international sports competition featuring summer and winter sports where thousands of athletes from around the world compete and represent their countries. They are held every 4 years with either a Summer or Winter Olympics every 2 years.
• That’s All She Wrote - When Jess is considering breaking up with Sam because she needs more out of a relationship, she says the phrase “and that’s all she wrote”. This is an American idiom used to indicate when a person’s plan has come to a sudden stop and that there is nothing else to be said about the matter. While the origin of the phrase is unknown, most attribute it to the Dear John letters sent during World War II. There have also been several songs written about this phrase.

This episode got an 8/10 Rating from Kritika and an 8.5/10 from Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Nick!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 4!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at [email protected]!

Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 2, Episode 2, Katie, which originally aired on September 25, 2012 and was written by Elizabeth Meriwether and directed by Larry Charles. 

Here’s a quick recap of the episode:

Jess is still spiraling after losing her job, so Nick suggests that Jess go off the grid. She takes advantage of that when she pretends to be Katie, the date of Sam who enters their bar looking for the girl he’s been talking to online. Schmidt spends the entire episode trying to get Winston’s sister to sleep with him and Nick thinks he may have met his future self.

We discuss these Pop Culture References:

• Jess and Nick pondered together who they aspired to be when they would watch MTV growing up.
  • Jenny McCarthy - Jess wanted to be the actress and show host Jenny McCarthy.
  • Kurt Loder - Nick wanted to be the music journalist Kurt Loder.

Additional Pop Culture References such as:

• Shaq Attack - Schmidt told Winston his sister is so hot he’ll have to “Shaq Attack” her. Shaq Attack is the phrase fans used when the professional basketball player, Shaquille O’Neal, would show-off in basketball.
• Nick mentions that Kurt Loder never went to [MTV’s] Spring Break house because he was busy interviewing Pearl Jam.
  • MTV Spring Break House - From 1987 to the mid-2010s, MTV would host “spring break” parties, typically at houses MTV would rent, featuring numerous live performances from artists in beach towns.
  • Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam is an American Rock Band from Seattle, Washington that furthered the alternative grunge music sound.
• The Nutty Professor - When Jess shares she wants to remain as Katie, she’s warned about the cautionary tale called The Nutty Professor. The Nutty Professor is a 1996 American slapstick science-fiction comedy film starring Eddie Murphy, who portrays a morbidly obese professor, Sherman Klump, that develops an experimental weight-loss drug and tests it upon himself, hoping to win the affection of the girl of his dreams.
• Tyra Banks - Schmidt comments there’s “a lot of money he wants to deposit into [Alisha’s] Tyra Banks.” Tyra Banks is an American television personality, model, businesswoman, producer, actress, and writer, known for hosting the TV shows America’s Next Top Model and recently, Dancing with the Stars.
• L.A. Sparks - Winston’s sister played for the L.A. Sparks basketball team. Unlike Winston’s Latvian basketball team, the Los Angeles Sparks are a real American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California.
• Creed - Sam says he’s been to 48 Creed shows. Creed is an American rock band from Tallahassee, Florida and is often recognized as one of the prominent bands of the post-grunge movement that began in the mid-1990s.
• When Schmidt is thinking about time traveling, he talks about having a vision of himself meeting with Kanye & Beyoncé.
  • Kanye - Kanye West is an American rapper, record producer, fashion designer, and politician. We dive even deeper to Kanye West in Episode 3 of the podcast!
  • Beyoncé - Beyoncé is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer from Houston, Texas. Beyoncé was also mentioned in Episode 20, Normal, when Napoli wanted his milkshakes Beyoncé colored.
• Big Momma's House - When Winston’s Mom, Charmaine, comes in, Schmidt comments “it just became Big Momma’s House.” Big Momma's House is a 2000 American comedy film, starring Martin Lawrence as an FBI agent who is tasked with tracking down an escaped convict by going undercover as the estranged grandmother of their former girlfriend, unaware of the bond he will form with her.
• Leg Warmers - When Nick and Schmidt pretend to be dancers, they joke about wearing Leg Warmers. Leg Warmers are coverings for the lower legs and are often used as dancewear in order to keep the leg muscles warm and prevent cramping.
• Public Enemy’s “He Got Game” - At the end of the episode when Schmidt was playing basketball with Alisha, this song played. “He Got Game” is both a song and the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was originally released as the soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1998 film of the same name and was the group's last album until 2020.
• Cupid Match - “Cupid Match” is the online dating site Sam claims to have met Katie. While Cupid Match is not real, it’s a mix of OK Cupid and Match.

We also cover when Schmidt and Nick discuss Nick’s future self as the “Schmidtism” of the episode. Our “not” for “In the 2020s” was how Schmidt handled being around Winston’s family but our “yes in the 2020s” was the friendship between Nick and Jess and how he leapt around the loft to help her sell the lie that she was Katie. We also explore the careers of Josh Braaten, Josh Gad, and Raymond J. Barry, the guest stars of this episode.

Also in this episode were the following guest stars who we do not discuss in the podcast: Anna Maria Horsford (Charmaine, Winston’s mom), Keenyah Hill (Alisha, Winston’s sister), and David Walton (Sam, who we dive into deeper in Episode 3!)

We discussed fun facts including how at Paleyfest 2013 it was noted that Emily Deschanel, Zooey Deschanel’s sister, was originally supposed to have a cameo as Katie in this episode. We also discuss how Winston’s whistle at the restaurant matches the whistle at the end of the theme song and how Lamorne Morris recently admitted to being the whistler on Instagram. Additionally, while their names aren’t spelled the same, we commented how Katy Perry’s new music video was a spoof on the fact that she used to pretend to be Zooey when she first came to Hollywood to get into clubs. Lastly, in our spoiler section, we also mentioned a Reddit post covering Future Nick’s predictions.

While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:

• Catnip - Schmidt compares himself to catnip for tough-talking African-American women when speaking to Winston about his mom. Catnip is a plant that is known for the intense attraction that most cats have towards it. It is also popular to be used in herbal teas and valued for its relaxing properties.
• Phone Booth (Book) - When Bearclaw introduces himself he says that he’s in the phone booth but he meant to say he’s in the phone book. A phone book is a listing of all residents of a certain area with the names of the owners and addresses which would allow users to search a person’s number and address. A phone booth is a cubicle with a payphone in it that allows a user to pay to use the phone.
• When Nick talks about a world where time travel exists, Schmidt lists the following women [that he would want to sleep with]:
  • Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was married at the age of 14 to Louis-Auguste, the heir-apparent of the French throne but was very unpopular with her French subjects. She was blamed for France’s financial crisis due to her lavish spending and opposition to reforms. She was known to be a good singer and dancer in addition to being beautiful.
  • Cleopatra - Cleopatra was the last active ruler and queen of the Egyptian Ptolemaic Kingdom. She was Alexander the Great’s companion and was the seventh of her name. Her legacy survives today in ancient and modern works of art and she has become a pop culture of Egyptomania.
  • Ann-Margret - Ann-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer. She’s won 5 Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy over her 6 decades in the industry. Initially known as the female version of Elvis Presely, she started to see success in 1961 with a charting album in 1964. In 1995, Empire ranked her 10th on the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history list.
• Off the Grid - Nick encourages Jess to go “off the grid” in this episode and this is a reference to being untraceable by normal means, such as technology.
• Old-fashioned - In this episode, Future Nick suggests that Nick make Jess an old-fashioned and say sorry for something he does in the future. This is a cocktail made with bourbon, bitters, and sugar.
• When Schmidt goes to talk to Winston about his sister he uses the following basketball references:
  • dribbling up the court - Dribbling is an action where a player uses one hand to continuously bounce a basketball without interruption. Traditionally the phrase that is used to refer to dribbling is dribbling down the court not up the court.
  • Technical foul - A technical foul is a penalty given for either unsportsmanlike conduct or other infractions, like excessive timeouts, a delay-of-game, and when there are more players on the court than there should be.
  • Illegal use of the hands - An illegal hand use in basketball is called when a player uses their hands in ways that are not part of the game such as attempting to block a shot, when an opponent drives to the hoop, or when a player puts their arms around another player.
• “knows how the sausage gets made” - When Jess is talking about how much she loves being Katie, she says that “Katie knows how the sausage gets made.” Sausage is typically made with pork, beef, veal, or poultry but can be made from any animal and can contain almost any part of the animal. This is an idiom to indicate finding out the process behind something that is typically unpleasant but at face-value appears good.

This episode got an 8/10 Rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick, and Kelly rated this episode a 9/10 and her favorite character was Bearclaw!

Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 3!

Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.com

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