The Internet Won’t Let Austin Butler Forget Vanessa Hudgens

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Nadira Goffe, Nadira: It’s giving it mercy.

Speaker 2: Where Mr. Butler went wrong, who was thinking that he couldn’t give credit where credit is due. Don’t play with baby.

Rachel Hampton: Hi, I’m Rachel Hampton.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And I’m Nadira Goffe. And you’re listening to I See. Why Am I?

Rachel Hampton: In case you missed it.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Slate’s podcast about Internet culture.

Rachel Hampton: And for the first time in the year by Lord and Savior 2023, I’m reunited with my soul sister Nadir and a dear. Welcome back. How is hosting this show in my absence?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Oh, I missed you. I missed you dearly. It was really hard to fill your shoes. But I’m glad to be back and to be in the guest host chair.

Rachel Hampton: I mean, I do wear, you know, a hefty nine and a half.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Shoes, so.

Rachel Hampton: There’s some big shoes to fill. We actually haven’t like, talked in a hot minute besides, like, sending each other videos of Dylan O’Brien and mutually celebrating the possible demise of Aaron Taylor-Johnson. So besides that, how are you doing? You. You recently moved, Ray. How’s the apartment coming along?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: It’s coming along. I just want to point out very quickly that I’m doing a lot better. Ever since that video of Dylan O’Brien dancing with the New York Knicks dancers was released. But yes, as for my apartment, it’s coming along. I still have some furnishing to do, though. The furnishing thing is going very slowly.

Rachel Hampton: Oh, well, actually, I think I can help you. Oh, I think I have some intel on some furnishing for you.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay. Say more.

Rachel Hampton: Okay. So would you, by any chance want a six foot tall, decorative planters shaped like the at symbol for a low, low price of $10,000.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Or.

Rachel Hampton: Or perhaps a pizza oven for the same price. And also, you know, you’re recording pretty regularly. I see you’re in the office right now. Maybe you need several individual soundproof phone booths you could record from home or 61,000 K and 95 mass for $650, which is actually that’s a steal for that in math. You know, we’re in the era of pandemics. But actually, I think I know what you really need. I think I know what you need. A blue electric light display shaped like Twitter’s bird logo for 36 k. I think you really need that in your house.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay. I have a lot of thoughts on this. The first being that I’m I’m broke. So no, I don’t. The second being that my aesthetic is very much on Twitter, but no one needs to know I’m on Twitter. Like I’m very much addicted to Twitter, but I don’t give that. I’m addicted to Twitter. And so therefore, I feel like this would be a dead giveaway. But what? Pray tell the hell are you talking.

Rachel Hampton: Not pray, tell the hell Shakespeare have come alive.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And suggest.

Rachel Hampton: Oh my gosh. So all of those items actually currently for sale in an auction of, quote, surplus corporate office assets, unquote, from Twitter’s San Francisco office. So you could own something that have been within the realm of Twitter. And the auction will most likely be over by the time this episode airs. But luckily for us, we we get to browse exactly what Twitter is selling off. So, you know, besides all the things I previously mentioned, they also have, you know. Couches for 5000 dollars, which I’m moving and looking for couches. That’s actually not.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: That bad of a price. No, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Rachel Hampton: It it’s not that bad.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I just I want to point out that everything on this on this auction that I’m scrolling through, you know, when people talk about the design of today and modernism and they talk about how it has no life and no color, and it’s all yeah, this is very much giving gray right?

Rachel Hampton: So true queen And like, the pops of color are terrible. They’re just like lime green barstools with are, you know, the color green that is in all offices that some corporate designer somewhere has told somebody that this is the fun green. Yes, it’s that green.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And I. I hate it, but I hate it. There’s just so many chairs. I’m so many kitchenware. I feel as though we should rent out a space and buy all of this, all of these industrial size.

Rachel Hampton: Kitchen things.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And learn how to cook.

Rachel Hampton: Learn, learn how to cook. No. So true clean. It’s just there’s so many things here. And the thing is, there are less things than when we checked earlier in the day, which means that someone somewhere has decided to buy these things for these prices, which is surprising to me, but apparently not surprising to someone because Ross Dove, the chief executive of the parent company that is running the auction for Twitter, told The New York Times that more than 20,000 people had registered to bid online, which is the most of any of the firm’s auctions over the last 90 years. Nine decades. Roster also estimated that the auction would net Twitter $1.5 million. So I guess someone out there really does want that giant Twitter logo because it’s not available anymore.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Yeah, I just okay. I guess I’m also not surprised because if there’s one thing I know to never underestimate is how much money rich people and clout chasers will spend on the most ridiculously stupid shit. But I’m also surprised because, like, where does one put that? What is the benefit? Like, you could just get that off Etsy for 20 bucks, You know what I mean? Like, all of it.

Rachel Hampton: Is true, but you know, Elon Musk hasn’t been in the presence of the one on Etsy and I’m assuming that’s what’s really drawing people. Can I submit something? Yes. When we first started talking about this, our producer Daniel Schroeder mentioned like a giant neon sign. And I thought he said a giant neon sign like the symbol. And there was a brief as a brief moment where I was like, Do I want to?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Oh, so.

Rachel Hampton: Unfortunately, I’m the problem.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: It’s me. But you know what? You know what? Neither of us actually has enough money to be this kind of problem, so. It works out. Right now, our poverty is saving us from cringe. It’s quite something.

Rachel Hampton: But that’s enough on my bad design choices and also enough about Twitter. Except not really, because after a short break, we’re going to be back with some high speed downloads. I know it’s been a really long time since we’ve done them. Today’s downloads feature drama over Irish butter and the saga of one Austin Butler. All of that and more after a short break.

Rachel Hampton: And we’re back with high speed downloads. If you haven’t heard us play before. High speed download is a game where Nvidia and I get exactly one minute. That is correct. Just one minute to explain some wild internet hijinx. In case you don’t particularly love listening to people talk really, really, really fast. I’d recommend changing your podcast playback setting to like 0.75 X any slower and will sound drunk. And to the people who listen to podcasts on 1.5 speed. Good luck. Nadira. Since this is your first time doing a high speed download, I will very kindly and benevolently go first to show you the ropes.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Thank you so much. Because I’m I’m scared.

Rachel Hampton: You’re going to do great, but I will be explaining better gate.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I can’t wait to hear about this. I love butter. Okay, You’ve got one minute on the clock. Three, two, one.

Rachel Hampton: Go. Okay. This all started when a Twitter user named after somebody tweeted this. You and everybody do a butter shortage in Georgia and made cookies for Kerrygold and said and she said, I will never not use Irish water because again, game changer, Irish butter, y’all. If you’ve never tried Kerrygold before, please do. This is not not a swear to God. Also sponsored by Kerrygold. Now, most people who saw this were like, Wow, yes, Kerrygold phenomenal. Or we’re like, Wow, look at those cookies. Or they were like a lot of Irish people who are like, Our butter. So. Great. Look at these cute cows who produce our butter. The reason Irish butter is so great is because there’s a much higher fat content in American butter, which has a lot of water and also Kerrygold specifically gets them. OpenCourseWare grass fed to the cows and very happy, happy cows make good butter.

Rachel Hampton: But back to the drama. Somehow our facility is like made into a colonial environmentally bad person because apparently we shouldn’t be buying expensive imported butters because it contributes to carbon emissions or something. Someone responded to them like, I have a friend in Ireland. The country is falling apart because of too many cows, maybe sick or like Wisconsin or from New Zealand. New Zealand. Also, the country’s wrong, in part because of cows. Somehow this turns into like, I’m probably not being kind to native people, but then Irish Twitter and native Twitter and black people got together like, We love butter.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: That was great. I mean, to say, I feel like you ran through a whole bunch of stuff about butter. You know, I feel like I went through multiple emotions while you were while you were doing that. It was great.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I’ve learned recently, as in today, as in a few minutes ago, that in the time honored tradition of high speed download, you get one more sentence. So what is.

Rachel Hampton: It? So it’s going to be, as I usually do, a run on sentence, which means there’s going to be multiple clauses because I love to cheat. So the first clause is that the account of the Irish president’s dog retweeted after Saturday’s Kerrygold tweet. Why do political animals why? Why are there political animals? I have a lot of questions, but that’s important. The most important clause is ever since I read one of my favorite books, which is Patrick Radden Keefe book Say Nothing, which is about the troubles in Ireland. I have felt a deep kinship with Irish people, not Irish-American, because I’ve been to Boston and I lived in Chicago on St Patrick’s Day, and I’ve heard a lot of people say that I saw the original slave, which is not true. But I only treat Irish-Americans with skepticism. But actual Irish people from like the country of Ireland, Northern Ireland and also the other one I’ve met. Have you with your like I like your.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I was not expecting this podcast to get into the differences between indentured servitude and slavery, but I shouldn’t be surprised because I feel like whenever Ireland discourse comes out, they always turn to the differences between indentured servitude and slavery. But anyway, you should go to Ireland at some point. Rachel I’ve been and it’s incredible. And yes, Irish people are the nicest people I’ve ever met. No, I’m not just saying that is very true. I will say that in any situation, circumstance, you need me to on record in any form. Irish people are the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Rachel Hampton: Okay, so the next life show is going to be in Dublin that, you know, 2023. Let’s go by me to your podcast festival in Dublin. I’m sure you have one. So while we wait for that, invite, Nadia, it’s time for your very first high speed download. Are you excited?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Yes. And scared.

Rachel Hampton: Good. What are you telling me about today?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: So I’m going to try and explain why the internet is obsessed with Austin Butler still talking like Elvis.

Rachel Hampton: I’m so excited. Not least because truly, up until Elvis came out, I consistently mixed up Austin Butler with Kodi with me. So I’m glad you’re going to help me.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Do that anymore. Okay. Well, I don’t know if I can help you with that, but I.

Rachel Hampton: I know that I expect this this high speed download to do. You’ve got one minute on the clock to help me out. All right. Three, two, one, go.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay, So in July of 2019, it was announced that Austin Butler, whose most important credential of his career thus far, if you ask me, is not the Tarantino movie he did. But The Carrie Diaries will play Elvis and Bob Zimmerman’s upcoming biopic. He beat out Harry Styles for the role. It was a whole cycle of Internet celeb news. It was a whole thing. Anyway, he spends 2 to 3. You’re prepping and filming this movie, no one hears from him or about him except for the news that he’s broken up with longtime girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens in 2020, which is like a shock to everyone. I’m devastated. I don’t want to talk about it. Then in May of 2022, he has his first appearance after the movie at the Met Gala and everyone starts freaking the fuck out because he still sounds like Elvis in interviews, even though they’d long past finished filming. Then in June, the movie actually comes out and there are so many interviews and profiles about him and his voice. But people being like, I don’t know what’s going on. Maybe it’s permanently change. Doesn’t that happen?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And now, months later, at the Golden Globes, which happened a couple of weeks ago, Austin Butler wins for best actor in a drama motion picture and the Internet freaks the fuck out again because he still sounds like Elvis. Someone says, Why does Austin Butler sound like George W Bush? Please be serious on Twitter. Blossom Austin Butler has one more chance to shut the Elvis voice up, I swear to God. And I’m wondering why is everyone talking about the Elvis voice at the Golden Globes? And they should be asking why. I randomly think Denzel Washington during a speech was not involved in the film at all. I don’t know. He defended it by saying, I don’t think I sound like him still, but like, I guess I’m asking you.

Rachel Hampton: And then we’re done. We’re done here. I’m so glad I got to hear your Austin Butler expression. I would like to hear it again. I’m not going to lie in a non fast paced voice. Please.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Sure. Okay. So after the Golden Gloves, he defends this because, you know, everyone’s like people are laughing on Twitter about your Elvis voice. And he’s like, I don’t think I sound like himself, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot and often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time. And then his vocal coach defended it in print, saying she doesn’t know how long it could last, maybe quote, forever. So there is also that. And that’s my impression.

Rachel Hampton: That was beautiful. I feel like at this point, just to understand fully what an idiot has told us, also, for us to compare Nadia’s impressions of the real thing, we have to hear awesome Butler’s voice. So we’re going to do a little comparison. So here’s awesome Butler from before 2019, basically before he started filming and preparing for Elvis.

Speaker 4: People that I was going to be on stage with and in that rehearsal room. And I think just the the Everest of terror that I was feeling.

Rachel Hampton: And here’s him at the Golden Globes.

Speaker 4: Oh, man, Oh, my words are leaving me. I just am so grateful right now. I’m in this room full of my heroes. Brad, I love you. Quinn, I printed out the Pulp Fiction script.

Rachel Hampton: I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty conclusive, if you ask me. But in India, you kind of get one more sentence because I asked you to do an impression, which is separate from the sentence. So you get one more sentence. So what else do you have for me?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay, well, in this really long sentence, full of questions, but without question marks, because that would end the sentence. The one thing that I find interesting about all of this is that some part of me kind of gets it. So he did this interview with Australia during the first wave of Internet confusion at his voice. And I can’t believe there are multiple waves of this we’re hearing complained there are so many waves. It’s almost like feminism, where he also explained that not only has he been like focusing on the voice and being Elvis for literal years, but a part of getting into Elvis’s character is that being surrounded by people and cameras and an audience is a sort of trigger for it. And so I can imagine that sort of Pavlovian response in some way actually existing. But more importantly, all of this immediately made me wonder whether or not Austin is going to have this accent and do in part to which is coming out later this year.

Rachel Hampton: Mm hmm. Tuned to too fast tuned to two. Sandy. Yeah, I’m aware. I’m aware of this movie. I mean, the thing about Dune is that there’s some dude named Duncan Idaho in it, so I really feel like a knockoff. Elvis Presley would probably fit right in. If I’m being honest, though, I’m starting to feel like there’s maybe too much here to talk about in just the high speed download. Like, we haven’t even talked about the thing I care about, which is Baby Vanessa Hudgens. So just this once and just for you, I’m going to break the rules.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Thank you.

Rachel Hampton: After a short break, we’re going to be back to talk more about Austin Butler’s recent turn on the Internet spotlight. We’re going to talk about the many waves of his accent discourse and we will finally get into the Vanessa Hudgens of it all.

Rachel Hampton: Hi. I hope you’re enjoying today’s show. This is your first time listening to you. I see. Why am I been a welcome? We are so thrilled to have you here. In case you missed it. That’s what I see. Why am I stands for? And also, our show comes out twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You were listening to the Saturday episode. On Wednesday, we talked to BuzzFeed News Internet culture reporter Kelsey Wickman, all about the most popular YouTuber in the world, Mr. Beast. If you know nothing about him like I did, you won’t want to miss it. And we’re back with Madeira. And with Austin Butler. Except not really. We don’t, I think, have the clout for that. Or maybe we do. Austin, if you’re listening. Hey, come on. The show. We have a big fan here. It’s not me.

Rachel Hampton: But anyway, back to the topic at hand. For a lot of people, and by a lot of people, I’m just going to speak for myself. Me? I feel like awesome. But that came out of nowhere. Like up until Elvis came out and I was like, Okay, Buzz Lemon’s doing something wild once again. Also, why are there so many music biopics? I don’t know. But up until that came out, I thought he was the guy who played Hannah Montana’s boyfriend, Cody Linley. Or I thought he was the guy in, you know, that live action buddy in the beef adaptation, not the DUI, but which in hindsight I think actually starred Vanessa Hudgens, which is maybe why I thought he played The Beast. But that’s not him. That’s another white man named Alex Pettyfer.

Rachel Hampton: So what makes this specific white man so special from the other white men that I just mentioned?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay. So I should preface this by saying that there’s nothing that I can say that will make this specific white man so special. We just have our faves because we each have flaws and Austin Butler happens to be my flaw. But you’re also not wrong. He was in one episode of Hannah Montana where him and Miley watch a scary movie as like a blind date. And his performance in that episode actually led to a really popular meme.

Speaker 4: It’s just a movie. It’s just a movie.

Speaker 5: Or states. Sorry. Something’s in there.

Speaker 4: Subjects in.

Speaker 5: Just. You know, we were having a party.

Rachel Hampton: They’re watching a scary movie, obviously, and Austin Butler character whose name I cannot be bothered to remember at this moment gets so scared that he knocks the popcorn out of Miley’s hands. And then Billy Ray Cyrus comes in with the chainsaw for unknown reasons and obviously scares Austin Butler and I had forgotten that this existed until I just watched this. I feel like you excavated something from my brain. And I also had the thought maybe Austin learned his southern accent from the one Miley’s doing here.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay, well, sweet. Let’s let’s hope not, because that her accent is sweet and nebulous. I had to take it back. You know, I had I had to prove my authenticity. But anyway, I think overall, that’s actually the thing about Austin Butler for me is that his career has followed my sort of trajectory of growing up and the things that I’ve been watching. And also he’s just a really, really good actor. So I have been following his career since it began, which is back in the Disney days, he was on Ned’s declassified School Survival Guide. So I went to one and all that kind of stuff. I know. Listen, I know a blast from the past. And then he was on The Carrie Diaries, which he was great in, but is also great as a whole. And he was also in a low key fave show of mine, The Shannara Chronicles, which we don’t have time to get into, but was like Lord of the Rings. It is about four teens and on TV. It was wild.

Rachel Hampton: Okay, you know what? Lord of the Rings for teens on TV does sound like something that would exist.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And it existed and it was good. Shout out to The Shark Chronicles. I you know, you were treated unfairly and it’s fine. Well, we’ll get over it.

Rachel Hampton: So after all, will we?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: It’s a it’s a valid question. I don’t know.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I am sitting here doing this podcast after all of this stuff. It seemed like he got into this, like, critically acclaimed territory. He was in the 2018 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh starring Denzel, which I did see. And then in 2019, he was in a Jim Jarmusch movie, and Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and he was great in Everything, which includes Elvis. Tom Hanks is questionable in that movie, but awesome Butler is undeniably great.

Rachel Hampton: Wait, wait. Okay. This explains why he thinks Denzel Washington at the Golden Globes, which I didn’t. I was I was like Denzel. I haven’t seen Elvis, but I know for a fact Denzel is not in that project, nor would he ever be involved in that project. Like he’s not even going to do an EP credit on that.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: No, no. As far as I know, he has nothing to do with that movie. And yeah, I think after Press asked Austin Butler why he talked about Denzel, because it’s a film. And yeah, I forgot when I was listening to his speech that I actually did see a very famous Broadway revival that starred them both. But anyway, the reason why it was so surprising is because it was one more time than Denzel’s actual son, John David Washington, has ever thanked his father. So I just said there was a lot going on. Well, you know.

Rachel Hampton: Why would why would John David, his father, he do it all by himself. He doesn’t need to thank him. He’s never enjoyed any special treatment because of his father, Denzel Washington. What would make you think that every person starts off their career in a Spike Lee movie like.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Yes, I did a Christopher Nolan movie.

Rachel Hampton: Like, obviously.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Obviously.

Rachel Hampton: But you know, back to Austin, we’re done dragging John David Washington, whose very pretty beautiful gowns you very convincingly led me through Austin Butler CV. And I did realize in this that other than his Nickelodeon Disney Channel days, I did see him and enjoys maybe not the right word because I never know how I feel after watching Tarantino film, but I was present for a Once upon a Time in Hollywood, which features a scene with a flamethrower that is indelible in my imagination. That’s not why I’m here.

Rachel Hampton: I don’t like we don’t I don’t want actually want to talk about Austin Butler career. Like, part of the reason Austin blew up over the past few months wasn’t just the accent. There was definitely the accent. Like if you Google Austin Butler’s accent right now there’s 18 million Google results. But the other thing that broke through my Austin Butler free feed was him calling his ex-girlfriend the icon, the legend baby Vanessa Hudgens his friend in an interview. If there’s anything I know about Austin Butler is that he dated Vanessa Hudgens So what’s going on here? What’s going on?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: So Austin was in Sharp’s fabulous adventure. The high school. Wow. Spin off movie. Yes. I really feel.

Rachel Hampton: Like you are deep into the recesses of the folds of my brain and pulling things out that are definitely in there, but that I forgot about.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Unfortunately, the stuff is not in the deep recesses of my brain and really should be, but it’s sitting at the top real presence. Anyway, here it is. So during rush hour piece fabulous adventure, he becomes best friends IRL with the Ashley Tisdale. Put some respect on my girls name because her 27 album Headstrong is a straight banger and y’all weren’t there anyway Ashley in. Introduced him to the Nets and they started what would be an 8 to 9 year relationship, which I felt deeply socially attached to. Vanessa posted on Insta all the time. Austin was a lot more private about his personal life, but a super into photography when he did post was almost always a pic of Vanessa and I don’t know, they were just like super cute. All the paparazzi photos of them were just very lovey dovey and each nine years in Hollywood was a long time. Like I legit thought that they would get married in last forever.

Rachel Hampton: No, I think that’s very it’s nine years in Hollywood. Years is like 20 years on the outside world. I, I when I remembered that they existed, which was rare as in when I decided to listen to Come Back to Me by Vanessa Hudgens, I realized that I was rooting for them. So I too was set. I can’t say I was sad when they broke up because I kind of forgot that I like, you know. Yeah. And when I’m reminded of it, I’m like, Oh, that was sad. Was it?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I think the thing about it is that I loved High School Musical. I loved High School Musical. Let’s just make it clear we are all in this together. I mean, I guess Austin and Vanessa, I mean much anymore, but something about Vanessa and Zac Efron being together in real life actually just never sat right with me.

Rachel Hampton: Okay, well, quick digression to say, at some point we need to do an episode about the Disney stars and how their online drama was part of like, they they were producing online drama like it paid their rent and it did that separate episode. But also, I differ from you here because there’s nothing I love more than an onscreen relationship turned Oscar and relationship when our paths In case you broke up my team life was over, though as an adult, I’m like, Y’all both seem much happier now and I’m happy for you, though I will never forgive Robert for what he did to my girl Twigs. But once again, that’s another episode.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I mean, me too, especially the two weeks part. But yeah, the first thing I do after finishing literally anything movie, TV show, limited series K-drama anything take with mantic leads have truly were the romantic leads have good chemistry is look up whether the actors are actually together. The second thing I do is wish that they were together because most of they’re not. And so I don’t know what it was about Zac and Vanessa that I never fully liked or got into, but what I did like was watching Vanessa and Austin helped usher each other out of this Disney hellscape that they probably suffered in like everyone else suffered in. And I’m sad that it meant we didn’t get any more Vanessa Bangers like Come back to Me or Snigger Night, which is the one you didn’t miss, is the pinnacle. But you know, it is what it is like to me. It was cute. They became adults. It was fine.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Now for talking about things I don’t like it Is Austin referring to Vanessa as his friend, which he did, as you mentioned, during this year’s Hollywood Reporter Roundtable series. While he was explaining how a friend convinced him that he should play Elvis in the first place.

Speaker 4: So I was looking at Christmas lights and and there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio. And I was with a friend of mine and I was singing along and my friend kind of looked over at Mingus, You got to play Elvis.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: And we know this friend is Vanessa because she told the same story on Live with Kelly and Ryan back in 2019.

Speaker 2: Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music and an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on and he just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural light, blonde, blonde. And I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, Babe, you need to play Elvis. Mike I don’t know how, but like, and I’m serious. You need to play him.

Rachel Hampton: On one level. I’m like, You know what? Maybe they are still friends and therefore he’s being, you know, maybe it’s cordial. But on the other hand, the deep, primal part of me says that there’s no level of fame or hitmaking that will stop a man from playing in your face. And that’s what this felt like to me. I will say that this entire song introduced me to several thousand of Vanessa’s writers because, wow. Oh my God, I did not realize people love Vanessa as much as they do. I love that for her. But this comment of his and this Hollywood Reporter roundtable created an avalanche of content along the lines of Vanessa created you, you ungrateful man. And as a petty bitch who loves drama, I live for you.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Same.

Rachel Hampton: And we’re not the only ones. There’s a tweet at Complex Cut which reads hashtag Austin Butler. I love you. Be a trifle in nine years. And Vanessa Hudgens was just a friend. I only knew you as Vanessa’s Coachella boyfriend for a long time. Go when your award and thank Vanessa for directing you to your great Miss Coachella boyfriend.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Because the way they were always at Coachella is really like, like, you know, homies saying that Austin never posted on his Instagram that much one time and they were always posting was when they were at Coachella, which felt like all the time, even though Coachella only happens once a year, like, I don’t know. I mean, it’s not for them.

Rachel Hampton: Apparently Coachella is all. And then there are two talks about this. There’s one from Aziz, a Roman.

Speaker 2: I actually think that. They’re so beautiful together. But Austin Butler was with Vanessa Hudgens for like, ten years. She supported his ass when he was like a, b, C grade, part time working act. He’s actually the one who taught.

Rachel Hampton: And then there’s at chicks in the office who have a similar opinion.

Speaker 2: My friend, he said, my friend, he dated for ten years. It wasn’t like a12 year relationship. Whatever. You dated for ten years and you said, my friend.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Okay, so, you know, and all those movies and shows where the female protagonist is dating a mediocre man for years and then he breaks up with her, or they break up mutually, whatever. And then after the breakup, he finally gets his shit together, which she’s been telling him to do all along. And he date someone new. And then at the end, the female protagonist is like, It’s hard to see someone else reap the benefits of all your hard work. And by that I mean have you seen the show Insecure? Anyway, I.

Rachel Hampton: Have. I have. And I understand the trope that you’re talking about right now.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Mm hmm. Right. This isn’t exactly the same because I just spent all of those minutes talking about all of the ways in which I felt awesome, but it was not mediocre. But it’s also not that different. Like, you can say her name. You can even say ex-girlfriend. I swear it’s not a bad thing. And if you’re doing all of this, like calling her a friend or whatever, or trying to be coy about it while giving her kudos for giving you the idea for something that becomes a career making role, then like, Oh, no, say what?

Rachel Hampton: You just know it’s so true. It’s just like you could just say Vanessa and we would all know who you’re talking about. And it will be like, Wow, look at him giving credit to his ex. We love that. Their friends said it as being like a friend, a random, undescribed friend.

Rachel Hampton: I will say my favorite part of this is that in this drama, people decided to resurface a photo. I’m sure you know, a photo I’m talking about of Vanessa Hudgens being awesome. Butler’s current girlfriend, Kaia Gerber, a.k.a. the Gerber baby, a.k.a. the daughter of the icon Cindy Crawford. Gerber is like a prepubescent child, and Vanessa Hudgens is like fully Puff High School Musical. And it’s so fucking funny because everyone’s posting at like his ex meeting his current girlfriend for the first time. And it’s just like, look it men.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Like everything about everything about this photo is funny and such. This is not funny. I see this photo. I just laugh because I love him. I think I’ve made that clear. But like, this photo is so embarrassing.

Rachel Hampton: You’re not embarrassed.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Right? I date someone who isn’t a decade younger than you. I mean, okay, You know, it’s possible I happen to know a girl who is hot and well-spoken and has a real job.

Rachel Hampton: Oh, do you? Do you? Is it you?

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Listen, Cosmo still get fed, Rachel, okay? I had to shoot my shot.

Rachel Hampton: But. All right. Better the show be back on your feet on Wednesday. So please subscribe to the best way to never miss an episode. Never miss a high speed drama, because, yes, they’re back. Please leave a rating and review and Apple Spotify and tell your friends about us. Tell Austin Butler about us and you can follow us on Twitter. I see why my underscore pod, which is also it can be a must for questions and or awesome Butler phone number. I will pass it along for Nadira if you have it. You can also always drop us a note. I see why my at slate.com.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: I see. Why am I? Is produced by Daniel Schrader and Rachel Hampton. Thank you to Sierra Spragg lyrics for Additional production Help. Daisy Rosario is our senior supervising producer and Alicia montgomery is Slate’s VP of Audio. See you online.

Rachel Hampton: Or in Ireland.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: The best part is like towards the end when they’re actually watching the movie and he’s like, I’m scared.

Rachel Hampton: I think. Then I just want to watch this clip.

Nadira Goffe, Nadira: Fair enough.