Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast records live at New York's Town Hall discussing the 2001 film Monkey Bone, starring Brendan Fraser and Bridget Fonda. Hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and guest Rob Huebel dissect this bizarre stop-motion/live-action hybrid about a cartoonist who falls into a coma and must battle his own creation in the underworld. Special guest Griffin Newman provides an impassioned defense of the film's deeper meaning.
Introduction and Movie Overview
The hosts introduce the live show at New York's Town Hall, part of the New York Comedy Festival. They're tackling Monkey Bone, a 2001 film directed by Henry Selick that bombed critically and commercially. The movie stars Brendan Fraser as Stu, a cartoonist who creates a character called Monkey Bone, then falls into a coma and gets trapped in an underworld called Downtown. The hosts immediately express bewilderment at nearly every aspect of the film.
- The show is recording live at Town Hall for the New York Comedy Festival
- Monkey Bone (2001) was directed by Henry Selick and has a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes
- The film is about a cartoonist trapped in his underground creation after falling into a coma
- Paul notes he wrote 'how did this get made?' multiple times while watching
" In the 15 years of doing How Did This Get Made, I literally wrote down in my notes, how did this get made? "
The Monkey Bone Character and Sexual Metaphor
The hosts wrestle with understanding what Monkey Bone actually represents, eventually landing on the interpretation that it's a physical manifestation of Stu's sexual urges—essentially a sentient erection. The movie opens with a cartoon pilot showing a young boy getting an embarrassing boner in class over a teacher with flabby arms, which his subconscious transforms into a wild monkey. This metaphor permeates the entire discussion as they try to make sense of the character's purpose.
- The hosts determine Monkey Bone represents Stu's uncontrollable sexual urges, literally his erection
- The pilot cartoon shows a boy's embarrassment over getting a boner at school
- Paul questions whether Joe Camel and other characters downtown are also someone's 'monkey bone'
- The movie was released in 2001, surprising the hosts who thought it felt older
" This is a movie based on a child's erection. "
" A sentient loose dick is running around. "
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