@@ScientificallyStupid Same. There are some eps of GGs I can't watch, the like the horrible insensitive "fat jokes' hurled at Rebecca, but at least I can watch the series, unlike Cosby, where the entire thing is ruined for me. Sadly, my fave Buffy is slowly getting tampered because of Joss and Nicholas Brendon.
I'm an Uber/Lyft driver and I had the reincarnation of Hollywood Montrose in my car yesterday. He was wearing all white with a gold sequined hat and red swan sunglasses. He was fabulous!
@@lynnevetter the scene where he's working in the store, sees Emmy and Jonathan breezing by, and pulls out another pair of glasses- like he's seeing things- it kills me every time. Mesach Taylor's physicality as Hollywood is incredible. He conveys everything in his movement.
Mannequin was one of those movies I watched over and over as a kid and as an adult felt like a fever dream I must have made up. I honestly think it was the first time I was exposed to an openly queer character. It really is shocking to think that my childhood movies were Legend, Labyrinth, and Mannequin and that I thought I was straight for SO LONG.
Honestly, 80's and 90's movies were packed with queer-coded characters, characters of colour, and strong female characters who were morally complex and not defined by their sexuality. In some ways, of course we're so much better now (more diverse, less stereotyped representation in literature and TV, for example), but when it comes to Hollywood, it's so sad how far we've regressed.
Yes. Yes yes yes. Exactly how I felt. Like a secret dream where you could see another amazing world. Where good people followed their heart and bullies failed.
"It's obvious to this country girl that you're an A-number one creative freak. Imagine pretending to be a stock boy when you're a major artiste. I am so jealous!"
As a black child oblivious to his orientation, I adored the reruns of Mannequin on the Move. Not only I was I delighted by Hollywood's flamboyance (and the presence of a different sort of black male character), but..."is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!?!" (sigh) I was always gonna be gay.
"you were in the marines?!?!?" "yes, they were looking for a few good men, and so was i" is still one of the most iconic gay quotes in cinematic history lol
I had Mannequin on beta and watched it over and over again. I was 11 when the movie came out. I didn't know Hollywood was gay. I didn't even know what gay was at the time. All I knew was that Hollywood was fabulous and I loved him.
I'm just choosing to go with "Macguffin mummy magic doesn't count non-human eyes, so anything recorded on camera doesn't count". Boss saw him porking a human lady in her store and handwaved it because he's just that great of an employee.
I think the camera is just a medium. So it wouldn't change what Jonathan and Emmy were actually doing and it would not be able to record anything differently because it had already happened unobserved by human eyes. But potentially, if someone was watching in real time, she would have turned back into a mannequin.
Even as a straight, I knew that Hollywood was the hero we needed but didn't deserve. I mean, sure, staring at Kim Catrall is always good fun, but Hollywood was someone we could all look up to and admire.
I had such a crush on Kim when I saw this in my childhood. She seemed so full of life and sweet, a dream girl. And that 80s dancing montage, so classic & romantic.
The Designing Women convinced Anthony to dress in drag, so they could cheat in an all women’s wilderness survival contest. Anthony agreed with reservations. “Don’t be so quick to thank me, because I just want to go on record right now by saying there is no way in hell that this is going to work. [Why not?] Because it’s stupid, man. It’s really, really stupid. It’s like something Lucy and Ethel would do.” Meshach Taylor was a treasure.
Well kinda - it's actually the episode where Suzanne's housekeeper Consuela has immigration issues ("Foreign Affairs") that he does full on drag. Suzanne actually pays him for his effort and instrumental in getting him to don the dress and wig (Anthony felt the wig choice made him look too much like Jane Wyman). The episode you mention ("The Wilderness Experience") he just wears a furry snow hat and gloves passing himself off as one of the campers, using the name of the supreme "Cindy Birdsong." There was also a later series episode where he dressed in drag for a stage production of "Mame". Moot points I know, but too much of a Designing Women fan to not weigh in.
@@SweptAway529 Thank you for the correction. I probably got the episode wrong also where Harry goes into the woods on the first day of hunting season wearing a faux fur jacket and getting twigs caught in his hair that look like antlers and then being rescued by Dr Albright. My memory sucks.
@@bradypustridactylus488 All good - I've just watched too much Designing Women (can that be possible??) in my life!! My dogs (sister and brother) are named Dixie and Carter, so you decide!! :)
Jonathan standing up for Hollywood was such a huge thing for me when I saw this. I was 5 or 6? Too young, maybe… but this was my go to movie over and over while most kids were into Disney 😂 My amazingly supportive Dad bought me the VHS because I rented it every week as my video pick.
I was teenager, chasing girls and smoking dope but loved this movie. Hollywood made this film iconic and my best friend told me he was gay, same year, 30 yrs later were still friends and visit eachother often.
Meshach Taylor being remembered as Hollywood is a lot better than being remembered from his first role - the scientist who got cut in half in Damien Omen II.
This film could've been easily dismissed as a cheesy 80's throwaway, but has become a cult classic, and Meshach played Hollywood so well, I was convinced that he was playing himself in real life...😝
Yeah, I mean, it is so 1980s, that it isn't even funny, from the weird "good department store vs bad department store" plotline (honestly, what was that about, the fear of walmart taking over?) to the love story mostly based on the female supporting the male character, but I really enjoy it. And Hollywood is a big reason why.
I've always appreciated that as well! Jonathan's support and affirmation of Hollywood What settle but very obvious to a lot of us when he let Felix know that he enjoyed working with Hollywood Because they could have hooked them up with someone much worse...like a "biggoted jerk"!
@@DaviniaHill Indeed. But it's the lack of judgement that makes it special. So many times in films human/object relationships are portrayed as dangerous or crazy or something to be pitied or cured. But not here. It's a pleasant rarity.
I loved this movie growing up. But I never thought about how well thought out Hollywood was as a gay character in the 80s. I enjoyed every scene he was in, and now I really appreciate the value of what he brought. Meshach Taylor really was a treasure. Thanks for bringing this fresh insight!
@@davidsavage328 big agree. As someone straddling millennial and gen z I was expecting a reference to one if his numerous TV starring roles. But, like, I've seen Secretary, I've seen Pretty in Pink lol
@@kennek1976 “hold the rats, your nauseousness!” Sorry not sorry but I love camp and I love nonsense so I actually like the sequel more. It’s quotable and kind of perfect in a rocky horror-esque watch party situation
@@afrox and yet most people did not watch it or do not recall it at all but if u like it that's not what I'm challenging. I did not hate it but it was lackluster OTHER than Hollywood for me.
Hollywood occupies the same position in Mannequin as Jack Burton does in Big Trouble in Little China. He is not the main character, but he might as well be.
As a child of the 80's I watched Mannequin many many times. I guess I never realized how much of the plot depended on Hollywood before. I need to watch it again.
I cried when I heard Meshach Taylor died. He was such an inspiration on "Designing Women" and "Dave's World". He elevated every schlocky show I saw him in and of course he was my hero in "Mannequin". Thanks for reviewing the film. I saw it a while back and besides Meshach and Estelle Getty, I had a hard time remembering which Brat Pack member was featured.
Born Bi in the late 70's. I loved this movie as as a young kid. Only in hindsight do I realize why. I wanted to live in the reality where people would sing songs about the Strange and Unusual Plant in the window, and where Hollywood would hose down people coming to hurt me.
"Now, obviously the idea that a traveling mannequin would be treated like a foreign dignitary is completely absurd..." The sheer "...but" energy in that sentence is terrifying all on its own.
Kind of appropriate that this is the episode where you reference Doctor Who, since the Count in the second movie looks remarkably like the late Roger Delgado, who played the original Master in the 70s.
I deeply regret being oblivious as to how absolutely legendary and brave and brilliant Meshach Taylor was. However, i DO NOT regret knowing how vital Matt Baumer is to bringing the histories of "Unsung" gay icons to light. You are doing The Lord's Work on Earth, Matt, and please keep on doing what you're doing!
I remember the actor playing Hollywood as the teacher from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and when I found he was in Mannequin I was gooped! An iconic character that literally stole the show!
I had already tried to re-watch Mannequin, but it was unavailable streaming. When I saw this was your video, I actually went to a shop and rented it. Totally worth it. I thought it might not hold up at all, but even my teen described it as "entertaining." I had to stress that the presentation of Hollywood was at first stereotypical, but that the way he was treated (i.e. as a friend worth defending against a bigot) was damn near revolutionary for the time. Glad my kids live in a world where this is the norm for how we treat gay friends. It's a total non-issue for them, and that is beautiful.
Thank you for reminding us about one of the few positive portrayals of a complex queer lead character. Your videos are always a delight, but they invariably make me cry. Sometimes a few tears, sometimes heaving sobs. Why do you insist on making me cry, Matt?
When I first watched the movie when I was younger, I was hoping the sequel would be this premise. But I have been sorely disappointed that they didn’t do that.
I am externally gratefully to you for your work in enlightening me and others. However, I will probably never forgive you for exposing me to Kim Cattrall scatting.
i have always loved Mannequin and with it, Hollywood. I always loved that Hollywood took the time to cover his car before helping Johnathan; plus all his glasses and color combinations were/ are still inspiring. Also, it made me want to work as a visual merchandiser (actually).
I was going to be like “finally mannequin 2 gets the respect it deserves” but was so caught off guard by the evangelion and supernatural jokes I feel like Matt has been hacking my watch history with this one
This was a great video 👍👍👍 One of the things I love about these movies is that Hollywood could easily have come across as an offensive joke, but Meshach Taylor played him so brilliantly and committed to the character so completely that there isn't a split second where the character even comes close to being offensive. I also love the fact that the first movie doesn't toy with the usual thing "they" did where they just implied a character was gay while keeping it vague enough for plausible deniability - Hollywood flat out says he is (or was) in a relationship with a guy in his first appearance in the movie 😭
After I came out to my son, at the time a very precocious 5 year old, he started to worry that I had not found a boyfriend to be with me when he was at his mother's house. One day, about a year later in our apartment, my son was watching Mannequin for the thousandth time while I made dinner. He turned to me at one point and asked, "Daddy? Do you think Hollywood is cute?" Still new to the gay world, I replied, "Well, in a theatrical kind of way." He followed up with, "I think you should find someone like Hollywood. He's cool!" A few months later I found and fell in love with my own Hollywood dancing to some music I could not hear in the center booth of a gas station. He left his number on my receipt. He had all the heart and biting wit and style of Hollywood Montrose. Still it was a little jarring to be just coming out of the conservative religious straight world and, against the odds, embracing my gay sexuality, and then dating someone with big hair and makeup to rival any preacher’s wife, but man oh man that boy could dance! My son met my new boyfriend for the first time at a "Drag queen Car Wash." My new boyfriend warned the other drag queens that his new boyfriend was bringing his six year old son, and that they had to be nice to him because he wanted to keep dating me. When we drove up to the parking lot where the carwash (a fundraiser for HIV) was being held, and my son saw all those queens in Daisy Mae drag washing cars, he barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out, running over, and starting to chatter to one of the queens. One of the queens mistakenly handed my son the hose and told him to rinse the soap off the car. Chaos ensued with squealing and running in heels, and my new man told me later that several of the queens came up to him afterwards and said, "You SO owe us big time for being nice to that demon child!" My son not only got his Hollywood that day, but he gained a whole bunch of new step aunts with big hair who loved the demon child, like my brassy bouffant haired Aunt Roxie in South Jersey whom I loved even though her tits were real. My own personal Hollywood turned out to be a great parent whom my ex called my son's "other mom." This ex-altar boy still thinks of Hollywood Montrose as a patron saint of coming out.
@@salmonsays1466 They can get around it by playing the actor as the character (Bob the Drag Queen did Uzo Aduba but was dressed up and acted like Uzo's character Crazy Eyes from Orange is the New Black)
@@salmonsays1466 Yeah, I don't buy it. A lot of queens have played ficitonal characters but called them by their actors' names: Maggie Smith, Uzo Aduba, Divine, etc. If Crystal Methyd can be Poppy while Gigi Goode is playing a robot right next to her, someone can be Hollywood Montrose. Gollum is a CGI character, but Hollywood is a flesh and blood gay icon. No one thought you could do two characters, but Bob did. No one thought you could play a man either, until Kennedy Davenport did it. And then you have Rosé and Symone, who gamed the system by playing historical characters we have zero actual footage of (and one of whom we have no photos of either), so there's no way of telling whether their impressions were accurate or not. My point is that there really don't seem to be any rules in snatch game, or if there are, they're only there till someone breaks them.
Matt, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,!! I was barely 21 when this film was released and Hollywood Montrose became my hero! Not only was he out and proud, he was accepted and even for film of that time, the only Becketn remark came from Felix Maxwell and even that kind baby laugh! G.W. Bailey, btw, when he was on the show Major Crimes, portrayed a crusty old Homicide lieutenant who was supportive of a young gay character. Very nice man as well, I met him one afternoon at Canter's. At which time I informed him that he was still one of the sexiest mature men on television!
I loved the part in Mannequin 2 where they're practing the dance and Hollywood is trying to keep it secret. He just sticks his head out the curtain, holding it tight around his neck and the music behind him changes and I always laughed my head off. Goddess, I loved him. He was the best part of both movies.
You’re a doll for posting this tribute to a groundbreaking performance and this moment in 80s gay history that we never fully appreciated until he was gone. I love this. ❤️🌈
Can I just say that I love you for this? Because I love you for this. Hollywood Montrose is, indeed, the hero we need, but not the hero we deserve. Hollywood Montrose is the cinematice defender of justice, true love, and being different we need more of. I had NO idea how much I had always loved this character and this movie. Thank you for a touching and hilarious tribute to the original officer, gentleman, and fierceness personified, the one and only...Hollywood Montrose.
I love your vids, Matthew. I'm a lawyer, and what I love is you support your points very well with references to your source material, sometimes in unexpected ways, like when you were discussing whether a non-human's eye can see the Mannequin in human form, and you pointed out the dog seemed to be able to see her on the elevator. It was such a charming point bc that may have been written as a mere throwaway joke, on the one hand, but then again it's also canon to the story, and therefore completely fair game for supporting a position. It's just something I've noticed you do, and I like it.
Probably one of the most "80s" movies ever. I am not sure but it might the first movie to have a "fashion montage" too. I remember as a kid loving it so much. I should watch it again!
I loved Mannequin when I was a kid, especially Hollywood. It wasn't until later I realized why. This vid made me chuckle, giggle, laugh, and howl. Gonna have to watch this one again! Thank you fellow Matt!
I literally squealed when I saw this in my feed. I’ve been waiting for you to do a video on Hollywood and you did not disappoint! Mannequin was one of my favorite movies when I was young. You sharing your love of Hollywood, and Mannequin, just makes it that much more special to me!
The bad Buffy. Bite your tongue 😝 I happen to love the Buffy movie. I know a lot of people don't like it but I think it's super underrated. It's just a really fun movie. Same thing with Mannequin 2.
I have not seen the film in forever but your screenshot brought EVERYTHING back! This will be 👍😆🏆 After: Thank you! Love the analysis and cross threads, great content 🤩⭐🏆😙
Mannequin is one of my favorite films of my childhood. I go back every once in a while, and rewatch it. I bet I've seen it 50 times. A friend of the family reminded me so much of Hollywood when I saw the movie and I mentioned it to him. He loved the movie, too, and started acting out Hollywood's lines from it sporadically. He was spot on, too! I'll always remember him hearing me singing to Cher one day and from then on calling me Cher while imitating the hair flip. I miss him. He was awesome.
As a little brown (Persian) girl and child refugee newly immigrated to the US, Hollywood was the character I related to most from the Mannequin movies. I loved him immediately! And not just because he was the funniest, most stylish character. See when I was a kid, I always decided who to root for in a movie or show based upon how they treated the queer characters - even before I knew what being gay was! I think that even as a child, I knew in my heart that folks in our LGBTQ+ community were precious angels who are worthy and deserve all of our love and protection. Proud ally ever since I could walk and talk! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Agreed, I’m so glad you make these. The moments of gay history in pop culture where we go from hated to accepted to celebrated. It’s important to remember and analyze these. It’s a valuable service and I feel like in 50 years they will be cited in academic papers.
Running that line of James Spader's dialogue through an Ultron filter is the best thing I've heard all week!! LOL! Also: I love your channel Matt!! Great stuff every time.
Just to answer your question about the spaceship in Mannequin 2. The movie was shot at a club in Philly called "Pulsations." The ship was a fixture in the club that would float across the ceiling to the center of the dance floor. It would lower a robot on treadmill feet and you could step up on the robot's small platform to dance with it. I went to a birthday party there when I was 9 yo back in 1988, but my sister who was 8 years older would go at night to the dance club. In fact the Asian guy you see dancing with his head on the woman's chest ended up being her brother in law in the future.
Hey Matt. Love your videos. I haven't been through your entire catalog, but I was recently rewatching the old British TV series, "Are You Being Served?" Actor John Inman created an iconic gay/bisexual character, Mr. Humphries. As the seasons go on, he becomes more and more open and his coworkers even joke with him about his sexuality. I thought it might be an interesting topic for a future video. Take care ❤
This video is great as usually. What I wouldn't do for you to do an episode on Jo from the facts of life. A butch lesbian icon. With her chemistry with Blair.
Interesting to compare and contrast Hollywood Montrose with the Men on Film. They're superficially similar (a straight man playing a flamboyant gay man), but feel so very different. Taylor somehow played the stereotypes as a celebration rather than a mockery of gay men.
Saw the Marines joke being circulated as a meme a while back and I didn't know about this movie at all, love to see how it still holds up as a funny meme today!
I was a kid when I saw Mannequin for the first time and Hollywood immediately became this incredible role model to me, I became obsessed with this movie
BRILLIANT! And isn't it great that Hollywood works at the place with the world's largest organ? (Some will get this.) THANK YOU for another terrific episode!
I love finding out so many people I loved in the 80s were queer friendly. Like Estelle Getty refusing to do gay jokes.
it almost makes up for other things that have kind of been ruined, like The Cosby Show.
@@ScientificallyStupid Same. There are some eps of GGs I can't watch, the like the horrible insensitive "fat jokes' hurled at Rebecca, but at least I can watch the series, unlike Cosby, where the entire thing is ruined for me. Sadly, my fave Buffy is slowly getting tampered because of Joss and Nicholas Brendon.
@@queencerseilannister3519 I feel the same way- I just read Evan Katz's book about Buffy and it was fantastic, but it dug the hole even deeper.
She wasn’t just friendly she was a gay rights advocate and opened an aids hospice in the 90s, she was one of the best people on earth
I'm an Uber/Lyft driver and I had the reincarnation of Hollywood Montrose in my car yesterday. He was wearing all white with a gold sequined hat and red swan sunglasses. He was fabulous!
Omg, those glasses sound amazing. Hollywood's glasses were always my favorite part of his outfits.
You've been in the presence of greatness, how blessed 💜
@@lynnevetter the scene where he's working in the store, sees Emmy and Jonathan breezing by, and pulls out another pair of glasses- like he's seeing things- it kills me every time. Mesach Taylor's physicality as Hollywood is incredible. He conveys everything in his movement.
My favourite Hollywood Montrose line is “True Love is like the Loch Ness Monster-everyone has heard of it but no one has ever seen it”
''i learned this in the marines''
''you were in the marines?''
''yes they were looking for a few good men and so was i''
I DIED XD
A black man turning a firehose on police is a statement. Was it intended by the creators? We may never know
That question and many others will NOT be answered in Mannequin III: Virginia is for Mannequin Lovers
Timeless!
Considering how subversive the rest of the movie is, I'm gonna choose to believe "Yes."
I'm sure it was meant to be an ambiguous scene
A black, gay man. An F you to Birmingham and Stonewall at the same time.
Mannequin was one of those movies I watched over and over as a kid and as an adult felt like a fever dream I must have made up. I honestly think it was the first time I was exposed to an openly queer character. It really is shocking to think that my childhood movies were Legend, Labyrinth, and Mannequin and that I thought I was straight for SO LONG.
Honestly, 80's and 90's movies were packed with queer-coded characters, characters of colour, and strong female characters who were morally complex and not defined by their sexuality. In some ways, of course we're so much better now (more diverse, less stereotyped representation in literature and TV, for example), but when it comes to Hollywood, it's so sad how far we've regressed.
Yes. Yes yes yes. Exactly how I felt. Like a secret dream where you could see another amazing world. Where good people followed their heart and bullies failed.
Omg Jaredth😍
Well, straight or not has nothing to do with it. It sounds like you just have a great imagination.
@@kcbh24 what.
"Only one little gun? Honey, I am from North Philadelphia!"
A King. A "Fuck Around and Find Out" King.
"It's obvious to this country girl that you're an A-number one creative freak. Imagine pretending to be a stock boy when you're a major artiste. I am so jealous!"
Love it's obvious to this country girl ❤
As a black child oblivious to his orientation, I adored the reruns of Mannequin on the Move. Not only I was I delighted by Hollywood's flamboyance (and the presence of a different sort of black male character), but..."is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!?!" (sigh) I was always gonna be gay.
The clip of Estelle Getty saying she won't do jokes that hurt anyone made me love her even more!
"you were in the marines?!?!?" "yes, they were looking for a few good men, and so was i" is still one of the most iconic gay quotes in cinematic history lol
I had Mannequin on beta and watched it over and over again. I was 11 when the movie came out. I didn't know Hollywood was gay. I didn't even know what gay was at the time. All I knew was that Hollywood was fabulous and I loved him.
Oh my god, the question about the security cameras broke my brain. Never thought about that.
I'm just choosing to go with "Macguffin mummy magic doesn't count non-human eyes, so anything recorded on camera doesn't count". Boss saw him porking a human lady in her store and handwaved it because he's just that great of an employee.
@@thekiwibird37 This is now canon. Thank you. :)
She probably saw her turn into a mannequin too.
I think the camera is just a medium. So it wouldn't change what Jonathan and Emmy were actually doing and it would not be able to record anything differently because it had already happened unobserved by human eyes. But potentially, if someone was watching in real time, she would have turned back into a mannequin.
The dressing up montage in Mannequin is literally the most 80s things ever.
I loved it, it brang me such warm, nostalgic feelings of a world that no longer exists.
All it needed was Modern English's "I Melt With You".
Sometimes I randomly scream, “she’s the dummy!” while doing household chores. 🤪
Even as a straight, I knew that Hollywood was the hero we needed but didn't deserve. I mean, sure, staring at Kim Catrall is always good fun, but Hollywood was someone we could all look up to and admire.
Like Matt said, everyone needs a friend like Hollywood.
I had such a crush on Kim when I saw this in my childhood. She seemed so full of life and sweet, a dream girl. And that 80s dancing montage, so classic & romantic.
As a kid it was nice to see a gay role model who was strong, sucessful, and witty.
The Designing Women convinced Anthony to dress in drag, so they could cheat in an all women’s wilderness survival contest. Anthony agreed with reservations.
“Don’t be so quick to thank me, because I just want to go on record right now by saying there is no way in hell that this is going to work. [Why not?] Because it’s stupid, man. It’s really, really stupid. It’s like something Lucy and Ethel would do.”
Meshach Taylor was a treasure.
Well kinda - it's actually the episode where Suzanne's housekeeper Consuela has immigration issues ("Foreign Affairs") that he does full on drag. Suzanne actually pays him for his effort and instrumental in getting him to don the dress and wig (Anthony felt the wig choice made him look too much like Jane Wyman). The episode you mention ("The Wilderness Experience") he just wears a furry snow hat and gloves passing himself off as one of the campers, using the name of the supreme "Cindy Birdsong." There was also a later series episode where he dressed in drag for a stage production of "Mame". Moot points I know, but too much of a Designing Women fan to not weigh in.
@@SweptAway529 Thank you for the correction. I probably got the episode wrong also where Harry goes into the woods on the first day of hunting season wearing a faux fur jacket and getting twigs caught in his hair that look like antlers and then being rescued by Dr Albright. My memory sucks.
@@bradypustridactylus488 All good - I've just watched too much Designing Women (can that be possible??) in my life!! My dogs (sister and brother) are named Dixie and Carter, so you decide!! :)
“Well who let you on the bus?”
“I don’t know. Some white girl.”
“Who’d you hand your application to?”
“Some white girl.” 😂
@@bookemdano7567 "She has a five o'clock shadow!!" LOL - love this episode!
Jonathan standing up for Hollywood was such a huge thing for me when I saw this. I was 5 or 6? Too young, maybe… but this was my go to movie over and over while most kids were into Disney 😂
My amazingly supportive Dad bought me the VHS because I rented it every week as my video pick.
I was not expecting to see so many comments about Dads who supported this film!!!
@CoyoteFitzy was that when VHS cost like $100 to own? That is one helluva devoted dad! ❤️
I was teenager, chasing girls and smoking dope but loved this movie. Hollywood made this film iconic and my best friend told me he was gay, same year, 30 yrs later were still friends and visit eachother often.
what a nice dad Mr. Fitzy (I'm not tearing up or anything it's just allergies)
Meshach Taylor being remembered as Hollywood is a lot better than being remembered from his first role - the scientist who got cut in half in Damien Omen II.
I also really liked him as Anthony Bouvier on Designing Women.
That’s range!
Because of when I grew up, I'll always remember him as Mr. Wright from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
He also played a cop in The Beast Within.
Didn’t he play a producer on the show Buffalo Bill?
I want Hollywood’s insight on EVERYTHING...
I so desperately wanted there to be a Mannequin III: Hollywood Spotlight. He deserved his own movie.
Yes! A movie from 2021 of Hollywood falling in love with a mannequin? Yes! Green light that now!
I thought Mannequin 2 was his own movie LOL
This film could've been easily dismissed as a cheesy 80's throwaway, but has become a cult classic, and Meshach played Hollywood so well, I was convinced that he was playing himself in real life...😝
Yeah, I mean, it is so 1980s, that it isn't even funny, from the weird "good department store vs bad department store" plotline (honestly, what was that about, the fear of walmart taking over?) to the love story mostly based on the female supporting the male character, but I really enjoy it. And Hollywood is a big reason why.
Di: "So you can shake their hands and give them a hug... heaven knows they need it" .... She was a gift to us all, imagine the world with her in it.
My favourite part of Mannequin was that Andrew Mccarthy supported Hollywood, no judgement, just someone who accepted him.
I've always appreciated that as well!
Jonathan's support and affirmation of Hollywood What settle but very obvious to a lot of us when he let Felix know that he enjoyed working with Hollywood Because they could have hooked them up with someone much worse...like a "biggoted jerk"!
I also appreciate that Hollywood just accepted Andrew's apparent objectum sexuality.
Supported without pity, too!
@@someonesomeone25 he sees the creativity and he knows that he needs whatever the mannequin does for him.
@@DaviniaHill Indeed. But it's the lack of judgement that makes it special. So many times in films human/object relationships are portrayed as dangerous or crazy or something to be pitied or cured. But not here. It's a pleasant rarity.
It's my new goal in life to use the line "dancing strengthens the legs, hiyah!" as often as possible.
I just want to see Hollywood Montrose and Titus Andromedon in a scene together.
This Hollywood is the only Hollywood I want to be associated with days.
But what about Paul Hollywood?
@@trevorlange He's ok.
@@trevorlange that was good 🤣
I loved this movie growing up. But I never thought about how well thought out Hollywood was as a gay character in the 80s. I enjoyed every scene he was in, and now I really appreciate the value of what he brought. Meshach Taylor really was a treasure. Thanks for bringing this fresh insight!
I have arrived at at time when James Spader is referred to only as the voice of Ultron. I feel like I became ancient overnight.
I found that so strange! Like, if we are watching these videos, we have the pop culture knowledge to know who James Spader is!
@@davidsavage328 big agree. As someone straddling millennial and gen z I was expecting a reference to one if his numerous TV starring roles. But, like, I've seen Secretary, I've seen Pretty in Pink lol
He also said, "you might know Kim Catrall from Sex and the City".... I was like, no, I know her from Mannequin 👀👀👀
My guess is that Ultron is just funnier to put in this movie
I was worth it for that hilarilous Ultron edit.
Here to say HE ONLY GETS MORE ICONIC IN THE SEQUEL TO BE HONEST
he was the only good thing in the sequel
@@kennek1976 “hold the rats, your nauseousness!” Sorry not sorry but I love camp and I love nonsense so I actually like the sequel more.
It’s quotable and kind of perfect in a rocky horror-esque watch party situation
@@afrox and yet most people did not watch it or do not recall it at all but if u like it that's not what I'm challenging. I did not hate it but it was lackluster OTHER than Hollywood for me.
“My hero! You saved the presentation and my phoney-baloney job!”
You're making me want to watch the sequel
My favorite gay friendly line came from Emmy. She said that she was not Michaelangelo's muse. He had a "friend" called David.
This movie has a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Which, of course means it's a total campy pleasure!
Hollywood occupies the same position in Mannequin as Jack Burton does in Big Trouble in Little China. He is not the main character, but he might as well be.
And Kim Cattrall is in both.
I would say he's more like Wang, the real hero saving the day. I can certainly see the parallel now that you mention it, either way.
@@kyndramb7050 Yeah I know you've gotta weird face
China is HERE Jack Burton...
It's all in the reflexes.
As a child of the 80's I watched Mannequin many many times. I guess I never realized how much of the plot depended on Hollywood before. I need to watch it again.
I cried when I heard Meshach Taylor died. He was such an inspiration on "Designing Women" and "Dave's World". He elevated every schlocky show I saw him in and of course he was my hero in "Mannequin".
Thanks for reviewing the film. I saw it a while back and besides Meshach and Estelle Getty, I had a hard time remembering which Brat Pack member was featured.
...the gay pop culture geek in me seriously needs this...
GIVE US A HOLLYWOOD MONTROSE POP FIGURE!!!
Born Bi in the late 70's. I loved this movie as as a young kid. Only in hindsight do I realize why. I wanted to live in the reality where people would sing songs about the Strange and Unusual Plant in the window, and where Hollywood would hose down people coming to hurt me.
"Now, obviously the idea that a traveling mannequin would be treated like a foreign dignitary is completely absurd..."
The sheer "...but" energy in that sentence is terrifying all on its own.
The Illustra store was filmed at the new Boscov’s in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Kind of appropriate that this is the episode where you reference Doctor Who, since the Count in the second movie looks remarkably like the late Roger Delgado, who played the original Master in the 70s.
I deeply regret being oblivious as to how absolutely legendary and brave and brilliant Meshach Taylor was. However, i DO NOT regret knowing how vital Matt Baumer is to bringing the histories of "Unsung" gay icons to light. You are doing The Lord's Work on Earth, Matt, and please keep on doing what you're doing!
I remember the actor playing Hollywood as the teacher from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and when I found he was in Mannequin I was gooped! An iconic character that literally stole the show!
Oh my god
That's why his voice was familiar! I couldn't place it for the life of me.
He's such an icon
I think Kim Cattrall’s scatting skills deserve an entire video, Matt.
I had already tried to re-watch Mannequin, but it was unavailable streaming. When I saw this was your video, I actually went to a shop and rented it. Totally worth it. I thought it might not hold up at all, but even my teen described it as "entertaining." I had to stress that the presentation of Hollywood was at first stereotypical, but that the way he was treated (i.e. as a friend worth defending against a bigot) was damn near revolutionary for the time. Glad my kids live in a world where this is the norm for how we treat gay friends. It's a total non-issue for them, and that is beautiful.
Thank you for reminding us about one of the few positive portrayals of a complex queer lead character. Your videos are always a delight, but they invariably make me cry. Sometimes a few tears, sometimes heaving sobs. Why do you insist on making me cry, Matt?
"You might know Kim Catrall for her love of Scat"
Me: 😳
Me one second later: 😌
I so wish there was a 3rd movie, where Hollywood get's the man.
Yes! A male mannequin who comes to life for Hollywood!
OMG why do we always realize these things too late?
When I first watched the movie when I was younger, I was hoping the sequel would be this premise. But I have been sorely disappointed that they didn’t do that.
I love these movies and particularly the second one! Hollywood is a big reason why so thank you for highlighting this great character
I am externally gratefully to you for your work in enlightening me and others. However, I will probably never forgive you for exposing me to Kim Cattrall scatting.
Doesn't it just *SING*? Iconic, trailblazing, fabulous. ❤️❤️❤️
*SBAP!*
i have always loved Mannequin and with it, Hollywood. I always loved that Hollywood took the time to cover his car before helping Johnathan; plus all his glasses and color combinations were/ are still inspiring. Also, it made me want to work as a visual merchandiser (actually).
I love the twist that the inamorata are not the lead characters of Mannequin, it was Harlequin all along.
Isn't Harlequin always kind of the main character?
@@aaronsirkman8375 Exactly! And the Marx Brothers, all down the line.
I was going to be like “finally mannequin 2 gets the respect it deserves” but was so caught off guard by the evangelion and supernatural jokes I feel like Matt has been hacking my watch history with this one
This was a wonderful video. It was legitimately joyous. It actually made me want to watch Mannequin, a movie I've not seen since I was maybe 12.
This was a great video 👍👍👍 One of the things I love about these movies is that Hollywood could easily have come across as an offensive joke, but Meshach Taylor played him so brilliantly and committed to the character so completely that there isn't a split second where the character even comes close to being offensive. I also love the fact that the first movie doesn't toy with the usual thing "they" did where they just implied a character was gay while keeping it vague enough for plausible deniability - Hollywood flat out says he is (or was) in a relationship with a guy in his first appearance in the movie 😭
Your channel gives me life in ways i cannot explain
You called her the "bad Buffy"... The best one in that movie was Paul Rubens. His death scene is genius
I know it is a bad film, but I still love it.
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to add subtitles to Kim Cattral scatting.
After I came out to my son, at the time a very precocious 5 year old, he started to worry that I had not found a boyfriend to be with me when he was at his mother's house. One day, about a year later in our apartment, my son was watching Mannequin for the thousandth time while I made dinner. He turned to me at one point and asked, "Daddy? Do you think Hollywood is cute?" Still new to the gay world, I replied, "Well, in a theatrical kind of way." He followed up with, "I think you should find someone like Hollywood. He's cool!" A few months later I found and fell in love with my own Hollywood dancing to some music I could not hear in the center booth of a gas station. He left his number on my receipt. He had all the heart and biting wit and style of Hollywood Montrose. Still it was a little jarring to be just coming out of the conservative religious straight world and, against the odds, embracing my gay sexuality, and then dating someone with big hair and makeup to rival any preacher’s wife, but man oh man that boy could dance! My son met my new boyfriend for the first time at a "Drag queen Car Wash." My new boyfriend warned the other drag queens that his new boyfriend was bringing his six year old son, and that they had to be nice to him because he wanted to keep dating me. When we drove up to the parking lot where the carwash (a fundraiser for HIV) was being held, and my son saw all those queens in Daisy Mae drag washing cars, he barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out, running over, and starting to chatter to one of the queens. One of the queens mistakenly handed my son the hose and told him to rinse the soap off the car. Chaos ensued with squealing and running in heels, and my new man told me later that several of the queens came up to him afterwards and said, "You SO owe us big time for being nice to that demon child!" My son not only got his Hollywood that day, but he gained a whole bunch of new step aunts with big hair who loved the demon child, like my brassy bouffant haired Aunt Roxie in South Jersey whom I loved even though her tits were real. My own personal Hollywood turned out to be a great parent whom my ex called my son's "other mom." This ex-altar boy still thinks of Hollywood Montrose as a patron saint of coming out.
What a beautiful story!
How has no one impersonated Hollywood Montrose in Snatch Game yet?
They can't impersonate fictional Characters. Sasha wanted to do gollum, but was told no, because he wasn't a real person
@@salmonsays1466 They can get around it by playing the actor as the character (Bob the Drag Queen did Uzo Aduba but was dressed up and acted like Uzo's character Crazy Eyes from Orange is the New Black)
@@somecathchick yeah, you could do Meshack and do both Anthony and Hollywood answers, it’s a great idea
@@salmonsays1466 Yeah, I don't buy it. A lot of queens have played ficitonal characters but called them by their actors' names: Maggie Smith, Uzo Aduba, Divine, etc. If Crystal Methyd can be Poppy while Gigi Goode is playing a robot right next to her, someone can be Hollywood Montrose. Gollum is a CGI character, but Hollywood is a flesh and blood gay icon. No one thought you could do two characters, but Bob did. No one thought you could play a man either, until Kennedy Davenport did it. And then you have Rosé and Symone, who gamed the system by playing historical characters we have zero actual footage of (and one of whom we have no photos of either), so there's no way of telling whether their impressions were accurate or not.
My point is that there really don't seem to be any rules in snatch game, or if there are, they're only there till someone breaks them.
It feels like a crime that no one has yet.
Matt, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,!!
I was barely 21 when this film was released and Hollywood Montrose became my hero!
Not only was he out and proud, he was accepted and even for film of that time, the only Becketn remark came from Felix Maxwell and even that kind baby laugh!
G.W. Bailey, btw, when he was on the show Major Crimes, portrayed a crusty old Homicide lieutenant who was supportive of a young gay character.
Very nice man as well, I met him one afternoon at Canter's.
At which time I informed him that he was still one of the sexiest mature men on television!
I loved the part in Mannequin 2 where they're practing the dance and Hollywood is trying to keep it secret. He just sticks his head out the curtain, holding it tight around his neck and the music behind him changes and I always laughed my head off. Goddess, I loved him. He was the best part of both movies.
You’re a doll for posting this tribute to a groundbreaking performance and this moment in 80s gay history that we never fully appreciated until he was gone. I love this. ❤️🌈
Oh no, is he dead?
@@MLBlue30 Yep. Passed in 2014
I used to rewatch this movie so much when I was a kid. I was really into the magic of true love. But I was also really dazzled by Hollywood Montrose.
Can I just say that I love you for this? Because I love you for this. Hollywood Montrose is, indeed, the hero we need, but not the hero we deserve.
Hollywood Montrose is the cinematice defender of justice, true love, and being different we need more of. I had NO idea how much I had always loved this character and this movie.
Thank you for a touching and hilarious tribute to the original officer, gentleman, and fierceness personified, the one and only...Hollywood Montrose.
I love your vids, Matthew. I'm a lawyer, and what I love is you support your points very well with references to your source material, sometimes in unexpected ways, like when you were discussing whether a non-human's eye can see the Mannequin in human form, and you pointed out the dog seemed to be able to see her on the elevator. It was such a charming point bc that may have been written as a mere throwaway joke, on the one hand, but then again it's also canon to the story, and therefore completely fair game for supporting a position. It's just something I've noticed you do, and I like it.
And as Anthony in Designing Women. He was Amazing...the chemistry with Meshach and Delta on and off screen was very special.
Probably one of the most "80s" movies ever. I am not sure but it might the first movie to have a "fashion montage" too. I remember as a kid loving it so much. I should watch it again!
I loved Mannequin when I was a kid, especially Hollywood. It wasn't until later I realized why. This vid made me chuckle, giggle, laugh, and howl. Gonna have to watch this one again! Thank you fellow Matt!
I literally squealed when I saw this in my feed. I’ve been waiting for you to do a video on Hollywood and you did not disappoint! Mannequin was one of my favorite movies when I was young. You sharing your love of Hollywood, and Mannequin, just makes it that much more special to me!
"Mannequin 2" was clearly a showcase vehicle for Taylor.
Hollywood was always my very favorite movie character… still to this day I quote him
The bad Buffy. Bite your tongue 😝 I happen to love the Buffy movie. I know a lot of people don't like it but I think it's super underrated. It's just a really fun movie. Same thing with Mannequin 2.
Great video, and impressive self-control in not playing a clip of that Key & Peele Gremlins 2 sketch!
Oh I love Mannequin. Still holds up even now, and watching it when I was younger was the moment I knew I was gay🙂
I have not seen the film in forever but your screenshot brought EVERYTHING back! This will be 👍😆🏆
After: Thank you! Love the analysis and cross threads, great content 🤩⭐🏆😙
Mannequin is one of my favorite films of my childhood. I go back every once in a while, and rewatch it. I bet I've seen it 50 times. A friend of the family reminded me so much of Hollywood when I saw the movie and I mentioned it to him. He loved the movie, too, and started acting out Hollywood's lines from it sporadically. He was spot on, too! I'll always remember him hearing me singing to Cher one day and from then on calling me Cher while imitating the hair flip. I miss him. He was awesome.
As a little brown (Persian) girl and child refugee newly immigrated to the US, Hollywood was the character I related to most from the Mannequin movies. I loved him immediately! And not just because he was the funniest, most stylish character. See when I was a kid, I always decided who to root for in a movie or show based upon how they treated the queer characters - even before I knew what being gay was! I think that even as a child, I knew in my heart that folks in our LGBTQ+ community were precious angels who are worthy and deserve all of our love and protection. Proud ally ever since I could walk and talk! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
My husband and I saw this movie in its first run and LOVED Hollywood. So much more fin than the leads. And so heroic.
I love these videos so much I just start crying at the end of all them now. Thank you for what you do Matt Baume.
Agreed, I’m so glad you make these. The moments of gay history in pop culture where we go from hated to accepted to celebrated. It’s important to remember and analyze these. It’s a valuable service and I feel like in 50 years they will be cited in academic papers.
It's not just me? Every time I just get so misty with gratitude for the folks who gave everything to pave the way for weirdos like me.
My father use to call this movie, "the Hollywood movie"... he said he was the only thing worth watching in the whole film lol..
Running that line of James Spader's dialogue through an Ultron filter is the best thing I've heard all week!! LOL!
Also: I love your channel Matt!! Great stuff every time.
Got to love this film for its Pygmalionism and objectum friendliness as well as gay positivity.
Just to answer your question about the spaceship in Mannequin 2. The movie was shot at a club in Philly called "Pulsations." The ship was a fixture in the club that would float across the ceiling to the center of the dance floor. It would lower a robot on treadmill feet and you could step up on the robot's small platform to dance with it. I went to a birthday party there when I was 9 yo back in 1988, but my sister who was 8 years older would go at night to the dance club. In fact the Asian guy you see dancing with his head on the woman's chest ended up being her brother in law in the future.
I could watch this movie over and over again. It was perfect in every way!
Lol thank you for overlaying spader's line over ultron, hilarious! 🤣
Hey Matt. Love your videos. I haven't been through your entire catalog, but I was recently rewatching the old British TV series, "Are You Being Served?" Actor John Inman created an iconic gay/bisexual character, Mr. Humphries. As the seasons go on, he becomes more and more open and his coworkers even joke with him about his sexuality. I thought it might be an interesting topic for a future video. Take care ❤
This was the cutest friggin thing ever, but holy goddamn shit James Spader!!!!! God I love him so friggin much
This video is great as usually. What I wouldn't do for you to do an episode on Jo from the facts of life. A butch lesbian icon. With her chemistry with Blair.
Interesting to compare and contrast Hollywood Montrose with the Men on Film. They're superficially similar (a straight man playing a flamboyant gay man), but feel so very different. Taylor somehow played the stereotypes as a celebration rather than a mockery of gay men.
I can not believe you drop the 'Herman's Head' deep cut!!!!!
Saw the Marines joke being circulated as a meme a while back and I didn't know about this movie at all, love to see how it still holds up as a funny meme today!
I loved this movie back then, now, and forever. It a timeless classic. 🇬🇧
I was a kid when I saw Mannequin for the first time and Hollywood immediately became this incredible role model to me, I became obsessed with this movie
BRILLIANT! And isn't it great that Hollywood works at the place with the world's largest organ? (Some will get this.) THANK YOU for another terrific episode!
12:00 made me lose my shit
‘These questions and more... Will *not* be answered in Mannequin 2’
Love Mannequin!
Need to rewatch again soon.
Love your Alf shirt!
Matt, this is just wonderful. Thank you so much for putting this wonderful video together!
Ultron wants to have him fired but Hollywood won't have it. One of the more bonkers sentences I have heard this week. Fantastic.