The Watchers Watch Reality Bites

Hello, you’ve reached the winter of our discontent. Andrea and Jodie watched Reality Bites. Written by Helen Childress and directed by Ben Stiller, it’s the 1994 Gen X anthem that follows a group of post-college friends trying to figure out life, love, and how to afford rent in Houston. We dig into Gen X authenticity, that killer soundtrack, and the irony (we know it when we see it) of a movie about not selling out being released by a major studio, jam-packed with product placement. We talk about the tension between Childress’ original screenplay and the version that ended up on screen. We’re pretty hard on Stiller. He deserves it.

Next week, we’re watching Dazed and Confused, written and directed by Richard Linklater. It’s the last day of school in 1976, and not much happens. It’s a hangout classic about freedom, boredom, and figuring out what comes next.

Recommended reading:

“Welcome to the World of the Emotionally Mature: Reality Bites at 25+” - Elisabeth Geier

“Revisiting Seminal Gen X Film 'Reality Bites' 30 Years Later” - Sean Burns

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."