Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Radio Rebel surprised us at every turn | Episode 16
36 Plays6 months ago
Radio Rebel is the empowering story of what happens when a quiet girl doubles as a radio DJ and uses her voice to shake up her school and inspire a generation! (Kinda…)
Let's discuss:
– Dancing sandwiches 🕺🥪
– Kristen Stewart and Twilight… for reasons 🤷♀️
– SO MUCH ROMANTIC TENSION 😍
All that and more in this episode!
Radio Rebel stars Debby Ryan, Adam DiMarco, Sarena Parmar, and Merritt Patterson. You can watch Radio Rebel on Amazon Prime or Peacock! (Not on Disney+ for some reason…)
Welcome to Once Upon A DCOM Podcast where we rave (and sometimes roast) classic DCOMs! We're rewatching every single Disney Channel Original Movie.
🔔 Follow us for future episodes
Find us on Instagram and TikTok 👇
@onceuponadcom.podcast
Recommended
Transcript
Debbie Ryan's Hair Move: Cultural Impact and TikTok Revival
00:00:00
Speaker
So is this the movie that started the Debbie Ryan hair back over the ear thing? Or did she do that before this movie? No, I think it originated here and people latched on and were like, that's absurd and cringy. And then it became such a thing that she like recreated it recently on TikTok. I literally love it. That scene in like the prom or like the anti-prom, whatever, where she like does it, but like no hair goes behind her ear. Oh, my God, it's so funny. I burst out laughing. I was
00:00:32
Speaker
so frustrated by her hair, this entire movie. No, same. Her curls were fine, but then she had the straight swoop bangs, and I was like, oh yeah you gotta do something here with your bangs. oh And this movie is not that old. like eight This was 2012, right? like That's insulting to 2012 culture. ah We are better than that by 2012. I mean, 2008, of course we all had straight bangs and curly hair, but we had moved beyond that by now. Oh, yeah.
Introduction to 'Once Upon a Decom' Podcast
00:01:05
Speaker
Welcome, fellow Disney Channel babes, whether you're from the nostalgic nineties or the awkward odds or you're giving Gen Z. We're glad that you're here. I'm Gabriela and I'm Natalie. And this is the podcast where we rave and sometimes roast classic Disney Channel original movies. You're listening to Once Upon a Decom.
00:01:25
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Once Upon a Decom, the podcast where we take you down memory lane, rewatching our favorite and your favorite Disney Channel original movies. My name is Gabby and I'm here with my friend Natalie. How you doing today? So good. Every day is so good that we get to watch a Decom.
00:01:44
Speaker
Of course it is because D-coms are amazing. And so this week we are talking about the movie Radio Rebel. But before that, just in case we have any new listeners, let me let you know what you're in for this episode. We review one Disney Channel original movie every single week in random order. We have a randomizer, which you can look forward to at the end of our episode. that picks what we'll be watching for the following week.
'Radio Rebel': Movie Introduction and Plot Summary
00:02:07
Speaker
In each episode, we take some time to discuss the most cringy and most wonderful moments of your favorite D-coms. We also talk about where the actors are now, and we talk about what the critics and audience thought, specifically using Rotten Tomatoes, our absolute favorite. So Natalie, are you ready to hear a little bit about Radio Rebel? I am. I'm so excited to talk about this one. This was a fun one.
00:02:31
Speaker
So Radio Rebel came out in 2012, which is one of our more modern films. I think our second most modern except for Zombies, which was 2018. It was directed by Peter Howitt, who has done absolutely nothing similar to this whatsoever before or since this movie. I don't really know why he got picked. Interesting. Okay. Yeah, but he did fine, I guess. It stars Debbie Ryan, Serena Parmar. I'm so sorry if I mispronounced this. Serena Parmar. She's Indian. We'll get into that later. Adam DiMarco and Merritt Patterson.
00:03:07
Speaker
So this is kind of fun. ah Natalie, the tagline for this movie is, can the girl who never speaks become the voice of a generation? Ooh. That's, I think that's overselling the film, but sure. I agree. Maybe the voice of one high school demographic. Yeah, I mean, like, well, I mean, we'll get into it, but she reaches a couple thousand people, so it's more than the high school. But is it a generation? No. Right, right. A couple nearby districts, perhaps. Sure, sure.
00:03:40
Speaker
And then this is the third Disney Channel original movie to star Debbie Ryan, the others being 16 Wishes, which came out in 2010, and The Sweet Life movie, which came out in 2011. So she just had three back-to-back-to-back Dcoms a year. Go for her. Yeah. So that's what you need to know about Radio Rebel. Natalie, can you tell us what happened in this movie?
00:04:04
Speaker
Yes, let's recap this film. Alright, as I like to say, buckle up Buttercup. My favorite. Tara is a shy and awkward high schooler who struggles with social anxiety and speaking up in public. She has a huge crush on this boy named Gavin, who is part of a band that's starting to gain popularity at their high school, but they have never spoken before because Tara is too shy.
00:04:29
Speaker
Despite her extremely introverted nature, Tara lives a secret double life as Radio Rebel, an anonymous podcast host slash DJ who broadcasts from her bedroom. On her show, she's confident and outgoing, able to express her thoughts and feelings about the world, spreading a message of positivity and standing up for yourself to all of her listeners. so Tara's stepfather runs the local radio station and he chats with Tara about Radio Rebel as like kind of an attempt to bond with her and then accidentally finds out that she is Radio Rebel and he gets her to agree to transfer her show to his station. And she's super hesitant at first, but once she makes friends with her producer, Cammie Q, she starts to feel a little more comfortable and her show takes off with over 16,000 listeners
Tara's Challenges: Social Anxiety and Identity Revelation
00:05:20
Speaker
daily. So.
00:05:21
Speaker
It does really well for, I guess, Seattle. That's right. We're in Seattle. Yeah, because you see the space needle. Sure, sure. I just have to say, this whole thing with the dad finding out happened so quickly. so I truly believed that they were going to like elongate this and make it most of the movie of like, will he or will he not? Yeah, I i thought that was the plot. and like Immediately, he's like, oh, you're Radio Rebel and the mom's listening at the door. She's like, oh, we all know now it's a thing.
00:05:52
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It happened instantaneously. I was like, oh, yeah that's what I thought the plot was. Nevermind. It's going to be something different. Yeah. Yeah, totally. Yeah. Keep going. Tara and her crush, Gavin, are partnered on a school project together, but oh no, Mean Girl Stacey is also in their group. Tara slowly finds the courage to talk to Gavin and they realize that they actually have a lot in common. But Stacey also has eyes for Gavin and the two of them make plans to go to prom together.
00:06:20
Speaker
Terra is devastated, but of course, she is way too shy to say anything, so it happens. Everyone at school is talking about Radio Rebel and wants to know her true identity. She's so popular that the school has even nominated her to become prom queen. And plus,
00:06:36
Speaker
If she's crowned, then she will have to reveal her true identity. Tara's best friend Audrey is getting annoyed because Tara constantly dismisses her invitations to hang out and won't tell her why. Every single weeknight she's doing this. Yeah. So frequently. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Monday through Friday from like 5 to 7pm. It's excessive. It's excessive for sure. She's really committed.
00:06:59
Speaker
Oh yeah, but finally Tara just like can't take it anymore and just tells her best friend the truth and Audrey is so excited that all is forgiven and that plot point ends very quickly.
00:07:11
Speaker
However, her newfound influence around the school catches the attention of Principal Moreno, who views Radio Rebel as a disruptive force and threatens to expel her once she finds out her real identity. She even cancels prom, making everyone turn on Radio Rebel with protests outside the studio and everything. But instead of giving up, Tara doubles down. As Radio Rebel, she proposes an alternative event called Morp,
00:07:40
Speaker
which is prom spelled backwards, and she invites everybody to attend. Mean Girl Stacey starts to suspect that Tara may be the voice behind Radio Rebel, and so she hosts a party at the same time of Radio Rebel's show, where the whole school is invited, and she threatens that if Tara doesn't show, then she'll know exactly who she really is.
00:08:00
Speaker
but Tara attends while her producer and mom use prerecorded snippets to cover for her back at the station. And she almost biffs it like a lot, but she's able to keep up the charade for the night and Stacey still isn't convinced. And she sends her little best friend slash assistant slash minion to go find out for sure. And she finally gets the evidence that she needs to prove that Tara is in fact radio rebel.
00:08:24
Speaker
done
00:08:28
Speaker
Stacey threatens to tell the whole school unless Tara agrees to tell everyone to vote for Stacey as prom queen on her show. Tara is still afraid to reveal herself, so she agrees and she does it. Also, Gavin finds out that Stacey has actually been like nuts this whole time, and so he like, revokes their date to the dance.
00:08:47
Speaker
I've decided you're insane. Yes, it's it's watch the movie but it's a lot of events where he's just like I can't even you locked her in a closet I just can't even deal with you anymore and you're like yeah well you should have seen she was nuts but that's fine. Good for you, Gavin. You got there eventually.
00:09:02
Speaker
You got there eventually, you stupid pretty boy. Okay. The day of Morp comes.
Morp Event: Identity Reveal and Peer Support
00:09:07
Speaker
Morp again being prom backwards. And everyone is waiting to see if Radio Rebel's identity will be revealed if she's crowned prom queen. And it happens. And Terra finally takes her own advice and kind of confidently reveals that she is Radio Rebel. The principal tries to expel her on the spot.
00:09:26
Speaker
but her classmates come to her rescue and they all claim that they're a radio rebel too. And since the principal can't expel the whole school, she's defeated and Tara lives to podcast another day. Stacey is upset that she didn't win prom queen for some reason and Tara decides to give her the crown because it means more to Stacey than it does to her for some reason.
00:09:48
Speaker
In the end, Gavin and his band debut, because in case you forgot, he's in a band. he He and his band debut a new song that he dedicates to Tara and he meets her out on the dance floor. He appreciates Tara's authenticity and asks to be her date to prom. I'm sorry, Morp.
00:10:05
Speaker
you know, the event that they're literally already at, and she says yes. He then reveals that he already knew that she was Radio Rebel because he was the dancing sandwich who helped her. If you know, you know, and if you don't, you gotta go watch the movie to figure out what that means. I love that you didn't share that whole flat line. Because why? It's not important until the very end. Anyway, that's Radio Rebel.
00:10:28
Speaker
ah It's very weird how they have this random dancing sandwich throughout the movie that just keeps popping up, and you're like, why? Yeah, I literally, when he showed up, I was like, what is the point? What is the point? And then at the end, I was like, oh, I understand the point. But it was so out of left field.
00:10:46
Speaker
I would say it's one of the better DCOM reveals. I was genuinely surprised. No, it is. I didn't see it coming at all. Yeah, no, it didn't see it coming at all. At all. I figured he may have figured it out just because it's really easy to figure it out. The fact that the two twin brothers don't figure it out, even though they're using the latest CIA technology is astounding to me because basically Stacey figured it out in two seconds after she revealed she goes to their school. For sure.
00:11:13
Speaker
I wasn't sp surprised he figured it out. I loved that he was the dancing sandwich. It just made so much sense to me. yeah So initial thoughts, you have seen this movie before, right? Correct. I've seen it once before, just a few years ago, like in college. So only as an adult, it didn't have nostalgia, but I got to say every time I watch it, I enjoy it. I wouldn't say it's the best DCOM ever made, but I really like it just for the fun of it. It's enjoyable. If I was watching it with a tween girl, I'd be like, heck yeah, I love Radio Rebel, but I'm probably not going to like go for it on any given day. What about you?
'Radio Rebel' Review: Plot, Soundtrack, and Themes
00:11:51
Speaker
I freaking loved it. I loved it. I had so much fun. I'm clapping. Oh my gosh. i This is like probably in my top 10. I'm not even going to lie to you. I loved it. Really? Really. I loved it. I really, really like it. I would go as far as to say I love it probably. It's so good. What do you love about it? so good first off I like immediately was like, this soundtrack is great. Like all the singing and the background music fantastic. And the story, while pretty cliche, was very engaging. And like we just mentioned, like there was a couple of twists that I didn't see coming. And even though you're like, yeah, I mean, like she's hiding her identity and everyone finds out and then they're all okay with it. That's a decom. Like we're all we all know that's how it's gonna end.
00:12:41
Speaker
But the whole time, like how it happens, I was like, I didn't see any of this coming, and that's just delightful for me. Yeah, it's really well written. I like all the interesting side plots that are happening, so like Gavin being in the band. There's so much side plot.
00:12:56
Speaker
Yeah. And like Stacy's whole need to be prom queen and the best friend trying to like become a Broadway performer and the dad trying to like be close with her. There's so many good, but they're not overdeveloped. They're not underdeveloped. They're just like moving the story along. I thought most of this movie was going to be about like the stepdad trying to form a relationship with his stepdaughter. And I was like, oh, that's not what this is about. And then I thought the movie was going to be about like,
00:13:23
Speaker
her developing a romance with this guy, and he was going to be mad when he found out who she was, and then that wasn't it. And I was like, oh, everything is just like slightly different from what I thought it was going to be. Yeah, it's just off of the cliche path. like it's It's familiar enough of a plot, but with all these fresh new takes on how to do it. I really liked that they also brought a lot of like warmth to the things that I feel typically end up being like a lot of catty drama. So for example, like you said, the boyfriend possibly finding out and being mad. like They just had their relationship be sweet throughout and he just like it was Stacey Before he even likes radio rebel like asked her to be his date He's just like bye Stacey and same with the dad like they just have a good relationship and the mom like
00:14:08
Speaker
but yeah I was wondering, when we first meet the mom, I was like, she's so over the top that I wondered, like how is this her mom? Because Tara is so shy. and I was like, how do they even have a relationship? but Then you see later, like the mom is talking. to her producer. And she's like, I don't know if Tara really likes me sometimes. And the producer's like, no, she loves you. And it's just so sweet. It was so sweet. Like, seriously, literally every little nugget of a moment in all of these subplots, like we said, there's like 20 subplots, all of them were good moments. I loved it. There was even a payoff with the band member.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yeah, there's a whole subplot about the band. I didn't even get to mention because I put it in the original like review and I was like, there's just I don't have time to explain. yeah Yeah, no, but it's just cool because Gavin's in this band and this one kid's acting like a total jerk and they have an entire arc where the jerk guy is awful and they break up and then they get back together at the end and he's nice again. And you're like, wow, wow, all in a matter of a few weeks.
00:15:14
Speaker
And it's back to that theme of like authenticity is what makes relationships last. It's great to be popular and to blow up. like i'm like Listen, we would love to have this podcast blow up. I'm not saying we wouldn't. Yes, please. But you and I both know that we would prefer us to continue being us and authentic and having this podcast be who we are way over getting 100,000 downloads or whatever. you know A hundred percent, yeah. And that you and I just get to have these fun conversations from our room instead of like the pressure of trying to perform for an audience. Right. And like at the end of the day, listeners, we would love, we would love for this to be like a full-time job. Like, can you imagine? It'd be so much fun. But that's not why we started this. We started this because it was fun and you and I live in different places and we were like, this is be a fun way to connect and hang out and dive into something that we both really love.
00:16:13
Speaker
Yeah, and that's exactly why Tara does what she does. It gives her an outlet to be authentic when she's too shy to be at school. And I really like that she created this persona that she really learns has like been there all along and like that's who she is with her best friends and like that's who she really is.
00:16:31
Speaker
And that's what people love about Radio Rebel. I was surprised that nobody I want to go back to this because I think we mentioned it earlier, that nobody figured it out. Like, oh, do you think she was using a voice changing device because it was hard to tell? Yes, she is. It's very, very slight. But like when it switches to like you hearing her on the radio and not talking, it's a different voice, barely. But it's a different voice. I don't think it's Debbie Ryan.
00:16:59
Speaker
Oh, interesting. I thought maybe they were just messing a little bit with the reverb in her voice or something. I think it's literally a different voice. I could be wrong. I don't know if I can even Google that and find it.
00:17:10
Speaker
Well, and what I noticed was the different voice changed multiple times throughout the film. So like you would hear it on the radio and then when the parent, but her mom and the producer were doing like the little pre-recorded tracks, that sounded like an even different voice to me than the one that we were hearing on the radio. So I was just like, how many voices does she have?
00:17:30
Speaker
I think that the like video simulated or voice simulated whatever, I don't know what to call it. I think the voice change was like one different person's voice. And then I think that Debbie Ryan was obviously her own voice.
00:17:46
Speaker
right Right, and then she would even like change her voice based on like how confident she was and she would kind of yeah put on Radio Rebel. Oh, I loved that moment though when she's so scared and they're like, five, four, three, and she like squivels around the chair and is just so ready for it. Yes. And honestly, that's something, I bet people will probably say that this movie is like unrelatable, like nobody's that awkward.
00:18:12
Speaker
And to be fair, oh no some people are. I know, but she she plays like really awkward, but I also like, I was a pretty, I never say shy because I don't think I was shy, but I was definitely an introverted kid and in high school I didn't talk unless I was like spoken to type of person. I had my very small group of friends.
00:18:31
Speaker
And I also loved theater,
Relating to Tara: Introversion and Performance Personas
00:18:34
Speaker
right? So like I was one thing off stage and then on stage I could turn it on and I could be a performer. And I just feel like I really related to that bit of her where I was like, yeah, like it's still both of them are me, like two different identities. They can be different, but they're both me.
00:18:51
Speaker
Sure. I feel like a lot of performers will be able to relate to her because yeah there are so many actors out there, like famous, famous actors who are painfully shy. and I mean, her character, Tara, was the textbook definition of painfully shy. Oh, yeah. So many Oscar-winning performers and Broadway performers, super introverted. like In interviews, you're like, what are you saying? This is so uncomfortable. But then they are so good when they're acting. So, yeah.
00:19:19
Speaker
I could see that. I always think of the girl from Twilight. What is her name? Oh my gosh, Kristen Stewart. Yes. where she like but when we She was just getting famous and she would get interviewed. Everyone's like, wow, she's like such a jerk. or like she's like like so like She must be on drugs or something. it's like that might have been true, but also like she's just like really introverted and she didn't she doesn't like attention and she didn't like being interviewed, but she loved acting. you know and I think she's gotten better now, but I always think about like that's a really good comparison to this. Right, right, right. I mean, some of that carried over to her character because Bella is also a little uncomfortable at times. For sure, but like the other stuff she's been in is better.
00:20:04
Speaker
Right, and you can see as the Twilight movies progress, nobody come at me about this, okay? I like to violate a fair amount, but she gets better. She's a much better actress by the fifth movie than in the first one, I think. After five, I thought there was four. Oh no, they split the last one in half. They pulled a Harry Potter. They did, that's right. I am not a yeah Twilight connoisseur. I read the books, liked the books, and then the movies came out and I was like, huh, how about that?
00:20:32
Speaker
I read the books in like eighth grade when it was a thing and then I watched the movies and I've never read the book since, but I do repeat the movies like once every year and a half or so when I'm really feeling it. You know, I think I'm coming up on a Twilight rewatch now that I think about it. i'm I was just thinking as you were saying that, I was like, I want to reread Twilight and see if it's actually, because I remember like everyone makes fun of how badly it's written, but clearly it did something for us all because we liked it. I should reread Twilight. I should see if it holds up.
00:21:01
Speaker
Okay, but going back to Radio Rebel, take you back I'm curious how you felt about her friend, Audrey. um I think she was really annoying in the first half. And then in the second half, it kind of feels like we forgot she was there.
00:21:18
Speaker
Oh, interesting. I had in my notes, okay, hate her friend at the beginning. And at the end, I was like, I actually really like her friend by the end. I mean, she kind of like, again, this was, this is, I don't know if this is for or against the film, but it was one of those things where I really thought like the friendship was going to be the main thing in the movie. And then it got resolved so quickly in the beginning. And then I was just like, Oh, and then she's there. You know, I think it wasn't like major plot point.
00:21:48
Speaker
I don't know, she was annoying for sure, but then she is so supportive and so sweet at the end and I really thought that she was going to like reveal the secret or something and she didn't. She was just a supportive, great little friend. Yeah. She's a great heart. like You can't dislike her even if you find her annoying. Right. No, I agree. Yeah. Okay. Also, what do you think about the principle?
00:22:11
Speaker
that That actress, I don't know anything about her, but her facial expressions should be trademarked. My gosh. If no one else was taking this movie like Broadway level serious, she was. She was like, this movie is my entire life and my personality and I will be 100% method acting 100% of the time. That is what it felt like. Oh, yeah. No, she was so intense the entire time. She was so intense. And on the one hand, I want to say it's unnecessary like because it's so much and I hated her, but i she kind of had a Dolores Umbridge effect on me where I was like, oh, you know what?
Principal's Role: A Dolores Umbridge Comparison
00:22:53
Speaker
Yes, she is absurd. like it's It's somewhat unrealistic how much she hates music in general and radio rebel. But on the other hand,
00:23:02
Speaker
I'm like, we all had that teacher that just had a vengeance against something or other. And it was their mission in life to destroy you if you liked that thing they hated. So I was like, to some level, she reminds me of Dolores Umbridge. And I'm just like, yeah, she really did move the plot forward. And her absurdities were kind of funny. So like, I give her a pass. Yeah, I mean, she sucked, but I really enjoyed her.
00:23:24
Speaker
somehow at the same time. Oh, I never enjoyed her. I just was like, you are actually significant and relevant to the plot. like Without you, it wouldn't move forward correctly. Right. She's accomplishing what she needed to. Yes. That is the thing though. I don't feel like a single character or plot line was wasted. All of them had meaning.
00:23:43
Speaker
like In the end, you couldn't really take anything away, whereas a lot of D-coms, you're like, this entire thing could have been taken out and it would have been better. I feel like there's almost nothing in this movie that I'm like, if you took that out, it would be a better film. Disagree. I don't know if it would be a better film, but definitely would not affect the plot in any way if you took out the twin brothers who were her friends trying to find out who Radio Red was. Correct. I stand corrected. They were they were stupid.
00:24:08
Speaker
hilarious. and like The hiding in the box and like walking around with the boxes, ah peak comedy, hilarious. However, they did not need to be in the movie. Yeah, i I didn't think they were that funny. I thought they were pretty dumb. They had a few moments that had me laughing pretty hard, so I guess a little bit they were funny. but For the most part, I found them very um annoying. I just wanted them gone.
00:24:33
Speaker
No, I thought they were so funny with the little guy with those little wipes where he's like, there's germs everywhere. Those are the parts I found funny. This is unnecessary. So unnecessary. I think it's hilarious. It's flu season. Flu season. He's like wiping out the buttons in the elevator. ah Yeah, so unnecessary. So funny. You're right. They could have been taken away because I actually didn't even think about them in my brain scan of the movie. So yeah, they're not in the recap because they add absolutely nothing to the film.
00:25:02
Speaker
Correct, except for light comedy. Yeah.
Romantic Tension: Tara and Gavin's Superior Chemistry
00:25:06
Speaker
ah The romance parts were actually good. I was feeling things. That boy is a good actor. ah He is a good actor. I was like, oh, I'm feeling a little butterflies. So much tension. So much tension, like really, really good tension. Like, listen, I love me some high school musical.
00:25:29
Speaker
But in the first and second one, I don't think there's a lot of good romantic tension. The third one, I think it's there. But even in Descendants, I really don't think there's like a whole lot of romantic tension. This movie had the most romantic tension I have seen from any DCOM, except for maybe Kim Possible, but that's a cartoon. Wait, wait, wait. What about Camp Rock? I mean, we were not satisfied at the end of that movie, but the tension was there. That's true. That is true.
00:25:58
Speaker
But I would almost say this tension was better. Oh, no, I agree with you 100%. 100% this tension was better. It was so palpable. And I was eating it up. I was like, mm, that's amazing. I was leaning into the screen. I was like, yes, yes. And then he didn't kiss her and I died. But when he gets off stage at the morp and she's dancing, oh my god, it's so cute.
00:26:26
Speaker
Yes, it's so good. I was like, you are a good little actor. My goodness, why did they find you and why are you not in Moore? Actually, I have something on that during the where are they now? So you'll be happy to hear. I had to restrain myself from looking up where he was now because I was like, where is it from like a casting background? I'm like, where is this man? what How can I get him a job? Like I he's good.
00:26:50
Speaker
Yeah, he was great, both when he was acting like in the movie and when he was acting as an actor, when he was doing the Shakespeare part. I was like, oh my gosh. Wow.
00:27:01
Speaker
Wow. And he's pretty. He's very pretty. He pretty. You know what I said? You know what I said? Speaking of Camp Rock, I said Gavin is the Nick Jonas of the group and his friend Gabe was the Joe Jonas of the group who was just like, I just care about the image and making sure we're hot rock stars. And then Gavin was all like, I care about the music, bro. There's no soul to this anymore. We could do so much more with our artistry and craft. And I was like, okay, Nick Jonas, I see you.
00:27:31
Speaker
I mean, yes. I literally love that actor. And the moment I saw him pop up on screen, I was like, oh my God, it's Benny from My Babysitter's a Vampire. Oh, is that where he's from? Did you ever watch that show? It was short lived. That was a good show. No, and I didn't do him in the Where Are They Now? So I don't know anything about him. I don't know where he is now either. But I love that actor. I think it was it might have been a Disney show.
00:27:58
Speaker
Actually, I don't think it was, but it had that vibe, the vibe of a Disney show. Okay, okay. I had a comment when you brought up Descendants. Yeah. There is no romantic tension whatsoever between Mal and Ben, especially in the first one, but when you get to the second Descendants... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I stand corrected. Yes. There is so much... No, wait. No, wait. I have something else. Between Harry and Uma.
00:28:21
Speaker
Oh, yes. And between Harry and Mal. Between Harry and the screen. in general. Yes. No, that man oods sex appeal. Let's be honest. Let's say the word. He could have sexual tension with a cardboard box and I'd be like, you're selling it. Yep. So just got to put that out there. Oh yeah. 100% on board with you. he That man- He covers enough of what Ben is lacking.
00:28:46
Speaker
Agreed. Although I do love Ben, but this is not a Descendants podcast. He's a cutie, but he's not hairy. Correct. Do you have any more discussion points? I literally don't. I have one. i taught I wrote with no notes, just the one line. I think one of the more like ah obvious, I guess, like themes of this movie is like the power of having a voice and the power of having an influence and what that means and like the importance of that.
Influence and Authenticity: Tara's Impact and Societal Parallels
00:29:17
Speaker
Yes, it's so crazy to see how the people responded to her, but then also turned on her so quickly. So fast. Like so fast. But it was, I did question like, is this realistic how much she can influence an entire culture? But then I think like when I was in high school,
00:29:38
Speaker
pretty sure somebody could have done this to us as well if they had the right platform. And yeah, it's just crazy to me how she gets like everyone to wear red and everyone like they never get their prom back and they are completely fine with it. And the school can do nothing about the more whatsoever. Right. She did that. That's crazy. And I think it's so ah interesting to like take a deeper look at how like I guess influencers. I don't know. I feel weird about that word. I have feelings, but like, I guess like people with influence, how they can completely change the course of people's lives, whether that's like small ways.
00:30:21
Speaker
or much bigger ways or even like people who have influence can influence how you vote. They can literally influence who becomes the next president or they can create styles, putting things in fashion and out of fashion. Like they have so much control almost subconsciously of what we do with our lives. And I feel like sometimes we don't think about that. And then when you sit back and think about that, it's a little scary.
00:30:50
Speaker
Yeah, it is. When you said the ah styles and fashion, it reminded me of Regina George when she like cuts the t-shirt and then everyone's wearing the tank top with holes in it. And it's like, that's such a dumb idea, but here what they are all doing it. I get very frustrated when people are given influence or given a platform either by the people or by, I don't know, an organization.
00:31:13
Speaker
They don't use it well. That's just like a really frustrating thing for me when I see people being either very arrogant and not humble or using that platform to hurt others. um and I think there's just a lot of responsibility that comes with influence. and In this society with technology being what it is, it's so easy to be ... Well, not easy, but like It's so much more common now for yeah people to gain a platform. And I wish there was some level of training. And it just gets very like messy for me when certain people get influence and don't know how to use it and don't act in humility. And I thought Tara did a great job with that.
00:31:52
Speaker
I agree. Bouncing off of what you just said, I want to talk about the fact that like we have this term of like influencer, but really that just means someone with influence, right? And at the end of the day, every single person on this earth is an influencer. Whether you have a giant platform or not, like you affect other people in your life.
00:32:17
Speaker
whether that's the small decisions or the big decisions. And I think once you start thinking about yourself like that, the power of your own voice in your community, I think it really makes this movie have a little bit more of an impact.
00:32:34
Speaker
because you realize how your words and your actions affect other people. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own you know selfishness that we don't think about the fact that everything we do affects other people. And so we need to speak positively into our lives. We need to have a standard that we hold ourselves to because people are watching and people are influenced, like especially younger people, your friends, your younger siblings, things like that. you know We're all influencers at the end of the day. Right. I was just going to bring it back to the movie for a second. like Tara does a fantastic job with this. She is so grace-filled. like She handles this with class and even when they turn on her, she opens the lines for callers to just berate her and she just takes that all and is like, thank you for sharing how you feel. I validate that. like I'm going to see what I can do. And if I can't do anything, like I'm sorry. And then she processes it with her safe people and she comes up with a solution. And I'm just like, wow. A lot of times you see actors or not actors, but characters like go cry in a corner and someone else has to lift them out of it. And she really got herself out of that being able to be grace filled towards the people who are mad at her, but then also like
00:33:54
Speaker
recognizing that it's not her fault necessarily and being able to let that wash off her back. I just wish every celebrity and influencer should take a page out of Tara's book. Yeah. This movie, at the end of the day, this movie is a very healthy movie. I think that sometimes we enjoy seeing the messy, the breakdowns in DCOMS and that has its place too. Of course. But this movie, very emotionally healthy.
00:34:23
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Yes. I think that's a good place to wrap our discussion and hear what other people thought. For sure. Okay.
Critics' and Audience Reviews of 'Radio Rebel'
00:34:30
Speaker
So we head over to Rotten Tomatoes to look at all of the ratings and what the critics thought, what the audience thought. um No tomato meter for this guy, which just means that not enough critics reviewed. There were only two. Not super surprising. But here is a good quote from the New York Times who did review this movie.
00:34:50
Speaker
and get ready because I'm about to say some big words. Okay. The New York Times said that Radio Rebel is a splash of anti-establishment insucinance between all of the network's shiny-cheeked go-getters and goofballs, which is just a very fancy way of saying that they appreciated that Tara was a very different kind of hero from the usual Disney kids. Basically what we've been trying to say for like 30 minutes here. For sure, for sure. And it's the New York Times, so they had to use very fancy words. Of course.
00:35:19
Speaker
Now the audience rating for this movie. a healthy 61%. I think that's fair. Not horrible, not though not the best we've ever seen, but honestly, I thought it was going to be worse, so I'm happy to tie. Me too. For the most part, everything in the comments was very positive, like the reviews that audience left, except for a few, which were just honestly like two words, so they were like, hated it, things like that. So I mainly pulled positive ones, I pulled one negative one,
00:35:51
Speaker
They were about even, but like it was mainly positive stuff, right? Okay. Let's hear them. This person said, Radio Rebel takes inspiration from some notable D-coms and manages to breathe life into a classic story of not being afraid to show the world who you are. The ability to use the charm and synergy that the cast radiates furthers the story. I love that they pointed out that the cast, they all really connected on this thing. Yes. That was a good one.
00:36:16
Speaker
This person said genuine and a movie with good messages, better than most newer Disney Channel movies for sure. And honestly, I haven't seen all of the newer movies, but I kind of agree. I was a big fan. I agree, too. And I think this one is more popular among the new ones, and I think there's a good reason for that. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. um And then this one said, it really makes you look at your life and want to stand up for yourself. A lot of what she talks about is true, and it made me feel better as a person.
00:36:43
Speaker
Isn't that cute? That's what you love about a DCOM. You want to feel like a, you know, you want to be inspired at the end of it. who And then here's the one bad review that I pulled just because it was more than a few words. A Disneyfied Schmaltz piece. It gave me a headache. oh Maybe if I was a preteen girl, I might see this differently, but I didn't. I found Radio Rebel was as compartmentalized as they come and covers nothing fresh or new. Every character is incredibly cliche.
00:37:11
Speaker
Hard disagree. Yeah, I don't think everyone was a cliche, to be honest with you. Bro, what's wrong with this guy? Okay, he's bitter. I'm going with the happy reviews. Yeah, I agree. All right, Gabby, where are they now? Okay, so we just talked about last week how my where are they nows always suck, but this one's fun, so let's get to them. I'm so ready.
Cast Updates: Post-Disney Careers and Achievements
00:37:34
Speaker
So we have Debbie Ryan first, of course, who played our star Tara. We all knew her from the Suite Life on Deck with Zack and Cody. That's where she kind of got her start on Disney. And she had also been on Barney before, which is kind of fun because I feel like a lot of Disney stars start on Barney. you know And then her- Everyone's been on Barney. Everyone's been on Barney.
00:37:53
Speaker
And then her most notable role with Disney, at least, is on Jesse. And I would argue that's probably her biggest thing that she's done overall. Yeah, I would think so. Like, I didn't watch Jesse and I knew she was from Jesse. So I like, yeah, I think so.
00:38:07
Speaker
Correct, yeah. so She continued acting steadily up until now. like She's still acting and she's done a lot of great stuff. She's starred in a few things. ah She's also guest starred in some stuff. She was on all of those crossover episodes for um you know when they do like the Disney Channel shows and they cross them over. She was in all those. ah so We might see her again in some of those movies. I can't remember exactly which one now.
00:38:31
Speaker
And so this is interesting. In March of 2015, she revealed that she had once been in an abusive relationship, though she described it as a professional relationship rather than romantic, but it did become physical. But the experience inspired her to team up with Mary Kay and Love is Respect for their Don't Look Away anti-domestic violence campaign.
00:38:52
Speaker
which I thought was really cool. And then this is really fun. She dated 21 pilots drummer, Josh Dunn from 2013 to 2014. They eventually broke up, but then later got back together and they got married in 2019. That's cute. we love a We love a second chance romance. And they're adorable on Instagram, so you should check them out. Okay, cute.
00:39:17
Speaker
And tell me about my boy. Okay. We'll move on to Adam DiMarco. As you know, Adam played adorable baby boy, Gavin, that we love so much. So he has also continued steady acting. I mean, he has acted a lot. So his most- He deserves to. Yeah, he does. His most notable breakout role was actually kind of recently, just in the last few years, in season two of the HBO show, The White Lotus. So that's kind of been his biggest thing since this movie, although he has been in a lot else.
00:39:51
Speaker
Did you have a comment on The White Lotus? No, I haven't seen it, but I've heard really good things and I probably should watch it. Okay, yeah, so he's a big character in season two apparently, so you won't see him if you watch it in season one. Well, and now I have to get to season two. Yeah, I know.
00:40:05
Speaker
We will see him again alongside Zendaya in the DCOM ZAPT, so whenever we watch that, we'll get to see him again. I'm freaking so excited for ZAPT now. I know, right? The two of them, oh my gosh. It can't be bad. Such incredible actors. It's going to be so good. I know. Now, I looked it up on IMDb. I'm not exactly sure if he is a love interest character, but he's one of the leads. He better be a love interest character. A significant role.
00:40:29
Speaker
I don't know. The two of them? Come on. Oh my gosh. Can you imagine? We will see. We will see. He did a musical project slash alter ego called Good One that you can listen to on Spotify and it's just like three songs of him singing and it was just a fun project he did. Got it. That's my evening. Got it. His voice was beautiful. I was surprised he hasn't done more musical work, honestly.
00:40:57
Speaker
Yeah, weird. And then most recently, since you love his voice, he narrated the character Nick in the audible original Glimpses of the Moon, which is a story about a couple getting married, but for attention and prosperity over love. It's ah an adaptation of an earlier book and it's getting a lot of play right now. So maybe check it out. He's like the main character and narrator. Done. Done. Yeah. And it's a romance. We we do love that.
00:41:24
Speaker
Yeah, so that's everything I have on him. His Instagram is um just a lot of cool pictures, but nothing like... Oh, and like some announcements about other smaller projects that he's done. Not any of which are like super small. like He's done some really good stuff, so check it out. Typing it into my phone right now.
00:41:42
Speaker
Next up we have Serena Parmar. I think that's how you say her name. She played best friend Audrey. So she also continued acting steadily. Pretty much all of them did that I looked at. And she pursued playwriting. I don't think she's done anything super notable, but I think it's really cool that she did give writing a shot. and I think that she has done some plays that have been produced ah that you can find. If you look up her name as a hashtag on Instagram, there are some productions that have like tagged her, but she doesn't have an Instagram, at least not one that I could find.
00:42:16
Speaker
Interesting. But this is really cool, I thought. I was i was really impressed by this. ah She has kind of struggled to balance acting with her Indian heritage. She's talked about that before. But in 2019, she was one of the stars in a production of All's Well That Ends Well, the Shakespeare show, ah through the Canadian Shakespeare group Bard on the Beach. And the show is really unique because they rewrote it so that the entire story takes place in South Asia.
00:42:44
Speaker
and they prioritize South Asian culture and casting. um So there was some controversy about it, but she got to be one of the leads in that and she's done some other theater and television and movie work since this movie.
00:42:58
Speaker
Amazing. I loved that. And then finally, I did look up Mariette Patterson, who played Mean Girl Stacy, and she has continued acting ah from 2017 to 2001. Get this. i I think you'll love this if you're anything like your sister. okay She has starred in 11 Hallmark Channel and Great American Family movies.
00:43:19
Speaker
Good for her. She is fully in the cheesy Christmas world. like All of her movies are like Christmas themed. Her Instagram is glorious and beautiful. She lists herself as an actor, producer, writer, travel enthusiast, and music lover, and her channel is just full of that. and That's all I have to say on her, but like she seems cool. I love it.
00:43:42
Speaker
Okay, we need to find out what movie we're watching next, Natalie.
Next Episode Preview: Excitement for 'The Cheetah Girls'
00:43:46
Speaker
Yes! Okay, so before we go, we just need to randomly select WatchDCOM. We are going to be watching next week.
00:43:53
Speaker
Gabby and I have a ginormous list of every DCOM ever made and a random number selector to choose our next watch. Gabby, uh, hot take reveal for everyone, but we're getting near the end of our first season, which means that there are only two more episodes before our break. So crazy. Okay. We should definitely tell people though, what is going to be happening because we're not truly, truly taking a break. You won't be without any content.
00:44:20
Speaker
Yeah, tell us Gabby. Okay, so what we're gonna do is we have two more movies, two more DCOMs in this season. And then your girl needs a break to celebrate the holidays. So we are going to be doing four mini-sodes of the podcast where Natalie and I are going to take a couple minutes, just like 10 to 15 minutes, short, short amount of time, to talk about some really fun topics, some hot takes that we have on some popular issues in the Disney world. It'll all still be relevant content to what you know and love. And after those four weeks of mini-sodes, we will get back with season two of a Once Upon a Decom.
00:44:55
Speaker
Oh, yes. So are you ready to see what the second to last movie of this season is going to be? Oh, I'm so ready. I know. I'm excited. I kind of hope it's zapped. Not gonna lie. Okay. Okay. Here we go. It is selecting a number. What? What? Sorry. I just like scream gasped into the microphone. ah Gabby will probably have to edit that out.
00:45:24
Speaker
We are watching one of my favorites. Oh, it's got to be a high school musical. The Cheetah Girls. Stop me, still my heart. Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Sisters.
00:45:39
Speaker
I'm freaking out. I freaking love this. Obviously, let's let's be honest. Everyone knows the second one is the best one, but we're going to be watching the first one because it lays the foundation. Yes. um I don't want to say this out loud, but I'm just going to say it to you. Not only no one else can hear me, um I've never seen the first Cheetah Girls.
00:46:01
Speaker
you've never Okay, I'm gonna i'm going to hold back um the the rage that I feel. I'm gonna hold it back um because I respect you as a person and I want to speak love and positivity into the world after watching Radio Rebel. So I'm just gonna say I am so excited for you to experience this movie.
00:46:23
Speaker
Me too, and let's just leave it at that, because- I can't believe you haven't seen sharegirls.
00:46:31
Speaker
I know. You're going to love it. You're going to love it. I suck. I can't wait. I love the second one. The second one is my whole life. I have so much nostalgia. Once we get to the second one, but believe me, I'll be back on board. The second one, don't think the first one is better than the second one, because it's not. The second one is the better one, but the first one is good.
00:46:52
Speaker
Okay. Well, I am really excited and I love all these girls, so I think it'll be a good time. Yes. All right, everybody. Go watch Cheetah Girls. Please go watch it. You know you want to. You love this movie. You remember and you love this movie. This is iconic. What a great way to start wrapping up the season. I know. Cheetah Girls plus one more, which we'll find out next week. See you then. And then it's Christmas. Christmas! Santa! I know him.
00:47:18
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Once Upon a Decom. Like what you just heard? Leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at onceuponadcom.podcast and share this podcast with your Disney-loving friends. A big thanks to Gabby for editing this whole podcast together. Thanks, Brand. And don't forget to subscribe because there's always a new episode on the way. This is Gabriella. And Natalie. Signing off with a sprinkle of pixie dust. And a whole lot of nostalgia.